My Lucky Catch (University Park #6)

by C. M. Doporto

  “The Highlands area.”

  “Aw, the Highlands.”

  “I know.” He rolled his eyes. “I hate telling people that’s where my parents live.”

  “I understand. I mean . . . ” I gave him a quick scan from head to toe. “You don’t look like the Highlands type.”

  “There’s a type?”

  “Uh, yeah. Pressed collared shirts, plaid bottoms, and sockless with loafers. Oh, and driving expensive cars like Range Rovers, Lexus, Mercedes . . . ”

  He laughed. “Sounds like my parents and my other sister, Ashley, and her husband, Ryan.”

  I shrugged. “I guess they fit in perfectly.”

  “Trust me, they do. So, did you go to Greenville High?”

  “Yes.” I reluctantly admitted. “And you were homeschooled.”

  His eyes narrowed. “How did you know that?” A second later, his eyes relaxed. “Never mind, Lexi told you.”

  “Yeah, she did.” I smiled. “She said it sucked.”

  “It did.”

  “I could never homeschool my kids.” I shuddered at the thought. “I don’t have the patience, and I’d be dying to get them out of my hair. Let someone else deal with them for a few hours.”

  “I guess it’s safe to say you’re in no hurry to get married and have a family.”

  “Very safe.” I emphasized each word.

  “And it doesn’t sound like you’re majoring in education?” He inclined his head, and I loved the way the front of his hair swooped down, partially covering his right eye. It was sexy.

  “Oh, hell no.” I licked my spoon. “I’m a fine arts major studying photography.”

  “Cool. Maybe you can take some shots of me?” He gave me a sexy pose.

  “Sure.” I bit my lip, thinking of how I’d love to take some pictures of him with or without clothes on. Luke was gorgeous—model-like with a strong jaw-line, perfect nose, perfect teeth, and light baby-blue eyes that I could stare at until he went to sleep. “My goal is to open up my own studio one day. What about you? Do you want to be a professional player?”

  “No.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I play for fun, even though that’s what my parents want.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, but your parents seem to be a little controlling.”

  “You have no idea. They think I’m going to land a contract with a professional team, but the truth is, I’m not that great of a player. My roommate, Collin—”

  “Is that Lexi’s boyfriend?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “Now he’s good enough to land with a Major League team.” He licked the sides of the cone, the gelato running down to his fingers. “I can’t wait until I graduate so I don’t have to deal with my parents anymore.”

  “Sorry they’re that way with you. So tell me, what do you want to do?”

  “I’d like to be a sports trainer—and that’s the reason I’m majoring in sports and exercise sciences. I just got a job at the rec center, and hopefully I can get hired on by PHU’s baseball team as their trainer when I graduate.” He sucked a big lump of gelato into his mouth.

  “That would be awesome.”

  He nodded with a huge grin that quickly turned into a twisted face of pain. He squeezed his eyes tightly as his tanned skin flashed bright red. “Are you okay?” I reached across the table for his hand, but it flew to his head, and he balled the other one in to a fist.

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “Brain freeze.”

  “Press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Like this.” I demonstrated, opening my mouth so he could see.

  His face longed, and I could tell he was trying to do what I said, without opening his mouth. After few seconds the tension in his face dissipated, and his expression relaxed. “Hey, I think that worked.”

  “Told ya.” I smiled. “It’s the warmth of your tongue that helps the capillaries.”

  “Oh.” He moved closer to me. “In that case, I think I need your help.”

  “Really?” I played with my spoon, using my tongue to circle around the edge of it.

  Luke’s eye widened with a satisfying delight. “You’re turning me on with that spoon.”

  “I am?” I teased him more until he grabbed my hand.

  “I think we should go.” He stood up and urged me to get up.

  “Go where?” I feigned ignorance, loving how I was torturing him.

  “Back to my place so you can show me what you can really do with that tongue of yours.”

  I laughed and didn’t waste any time following him to his car.

  Chapter 4

  Luke

  I dropped the weights on the rack, releasing all my frustration. Why did I keep thinking of Delaney? I didn’t want to think about her. The harder I tried not to, the more I did. Seeing her in Spanish class three times a week didn’t help, either. Sometimes we hooked up, and other times we avoided what we wanted most. I wasn’t sure how much longer we’d keep up this charade. It was nice, but for whatever reason, I didn’t like seeing her with other guys.

  “Damn it!” I dropped the dumbbell on the ground.

  “Dude, you alright?” Forbes asked in between alternating his bicep curls.

  “Yeah.” I rolled my shoulders a few times, determined to release the tension tightening my muscles.

  “What’s bothering you?” He eyed me with a raised brow.

  I picked up a fifty-pound hand weight, did ten more reps, and then set it on the floor next to me. “Why are women so freaking hard to understand?”

  Forbes laughed. “My dad always says don’t try to figure them out because you can’t.”

  “I guess he has a point.”

  “So, is it Steph?”

  “Oh, hell no.” I picked up the weight from the floor and grabbed another one. “I haven’t seen her since the beginning of summer. She wanted to hook up, but I turned her down.” Placing one hand on the bench, I did some triceps kickbacks.

  “But you’re still hung up on her?”

  “No.” I inhaled and released it slowly as I extended my arms. “She was too superficial for me.”

  Placing the weights on the rack, he turned and said, “I thought you like the big boobs and big hair.”

  “The boobs were nice, don’t get me wrong.” I smiled. “But she was too fake for me and too high maintenance.”

  “I knew they weren’t real.” He pointed at me as if catching me in a lie. “They were too perfect.”

  “Yeah, she claimed she is one-hundred percent natural.” I shook my head. “Whatever. Once I saw them, she confessed.”

  “If it’s not Steph, then I guess you’re talking about Lexi’s roommate?” He nudged me as he approached the bench next to me. One by one, he loaded the bar with forty-five pound plates. “Don’t be shy.” Slowly, he lowered to the bench, waiting for me to respond.

  “Yeah, it’s her.”

  “Man, I gotta see this girl. Who is she?”

  “Do you remember that chick I was talking to at Riley’s end of year party?”

  His body shot up. “The pretty girl with long, dark hair and bright blue eyes?”

  “Yes, that’s her.” With a quick breath, I did my last rep and straightened. “Delaney’s her name.”

  “That’s your sister’s roommate?” He asked wide-eyed.

  I nodded.

  “Damn, she’s freakin’ hot.” A whistle noise came from his mouth. “But you know she makes her rounds.”

  “Yeah, I know.” That was the part I didn’t like. It shouldn’t have bothered me, and I shouldn’t have cared who she screwed, but it grated on me like nails scraping against a chalkboard.

  “You’re still banging her? Because I haven’t heard y’all lately.” He snickered.

  “Yeah.” Wiping the sweat from my face, I took a deep breath. “Every now and then.”

  “So let me guess, she likes you, but you’re not sure if you want more.” He lowered his back to the bench once again and placed his hands on the bar. “Spot me, will ya?”r />
  “Sure.” I walked behind his bench and made sure he had a firm grip before moving my hands out of the way. I thought about what he said, but the reality was I didn’t know what she wanted or what I wanted. We just flirted and screwed each other. With a heavy sigh, I said, “I’m not sure what the hell either of us wants.”

  A deep grunt followed a push before he responded. “Ask her.”

  I shook my head. “Uh, I don’t know. I don’t think we’re at that point.”

  He finished the last rep, and I helped him place the bar on the rack. “I don’t know what to tell you man. Sounds like you two are just fuck buddies.”

  My mouth twisted to the side. Is that all we were? Did I want more with her? I liked everything about her.

  The way she laughed.

  The way she teased me.

  The way she refused me, even when she wanted me.

  “I guess, but it’s a little complicated since she’s my sister’s roommate.”

  “Why’s that?” He asked, lifting the bar one more time.

  “I don’t want my parents to find out.” A muffled moan escaped his mouth as he tried to lift the bar. “Come on, dude. Don’t give up. Push.” I encouraged him, watching his arms shake and his face redden.

  “Grab it!”

  My hands flew to the bar, and we lifted it to the rack.

  “Thanks.” He sighed. “I don’t understand—what’s the big deal?”

  “My parents get all weird and shit when I start dating.” I tossed him his towel and he wiped his face. “Lexi would tell them.”

  “But she’s dating your roommate and friend. I’d call that even.”

  “True, but it’s just easier if she doesn’t find out.” Even though he had a point, he wouldn’t understand how my parents operated. Once my mom found out, she’d be all over my ass. Hounding me and demanding to know about her parents—like where they lived, what church they went to, if they were democrats or republicans . . . yada yada. That’s why it was best to keep Lexi out of the loop.

  “Whatever you say, man.” He shrugged off my pathetic excuse. “So, if you like her then just tell her. It can’t be that hard.”

  He was right. It shouldn’t have been that hard, but for whatever reason, it was. “As if you know. When’s the last time you dated someone seriously?”

  “I’m working on it.” He combed the hair on his chin with his fingers.

  “And you might as well shave those strings off your face.” I pointed to his pathetic beard. “It will never look like Napoli’s.”

  He pouted. “Hey, I’m trying to grow it out before the season starts.”

  I laughed. “Good luck with that.”

  “If you don’t want her fucking other guys, then you need to tell her. It obviously bothers you.”

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Unless I tell her, she has no idea.”

  “Exactly. Sit down and have a heart to heart conversation with her.” He responded confidently, as if he had given me the best Dr. Phil advice ever.

  “I appreciate it, man.” I patted him on the back. “I’ll see you at practice.”

  “Yeah, man, see you later.”

  I stopped by the front desk at the rec building to check my schedule. Over the summer, I’d started working as a part-time trainer. Not only did it fill my internship requirement, but it also paid me, which made it ten times sweeter. Reality was, I knew it be a long shot for me to land with a Major League Baseball team. Not that I really wanted that, though, because I enjoyed training people more than I did playing. The hours were long and so was the season. I couldn’t see myself doing that for a living, despite how much money I could make. I hadn’t told my parents that I was already making plans to be a full-time trainer once I graduated. It was just one more thing I avoided in life. Like the way I’d been avoiding a certain conversation with Delaney.

  ***

  Delaney

  I knew it wasn’t a good idea for me to go with Lexi, Ali, and Jordan to the first open practice session for PHU’s baseball team, but I did it anyways. Truth was, I had to see Luke. Even though I’d seen him in Spanish class, I wanted to watch him play. I had gone to a few games last year, when I was actively pursuing him, and had fun. I reminded myself not to do something stupid since we agreed to keep our hooking up a secret.

  “Anyone want something from the concession stand?” Lexi asked.

  “Oh, I do,” Ali said, getting up from the bleachers. “I’ll come with you.”

  “Do you mind getting me a Coke Zero?” I reached in my pocket and pulled out a five-dollar bill and handed it to her.

  “Sure, no problem. We’ll be right back.” Lexi took the money and headed down the stairs with Ali.

  I turned toward Jordan when an outfielder tipped his ball cap at us. “Um, why is number eleven staring at us?”

  “Maybe because I had lunch with him yesterday.” A huge smile formed across her face.

  My head swung in her direction. “You did?”

  “Yep. Ali and Mateo set us up.” She took a lock of her hair between her fingers and swirled it around and around.

  “Tell me all about it.” I scooted closer to her, ready to hear the scoop.

  “His name is Forbes Sanchez. He’s a junior and is well . . . awesome.” Her checks flushed a light pink.

  “That’s Forbes Sanchez?” I squinted my eyes, trying to get a better look at Luke’s roommate. I hadn’t met him, but Luke made sure I didn’t run into him or Collin when I left his apartment.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “No reason.” I tried to keep a straight face when my head was silently screaming OMG! It was already shocking to find out that Luke lived with Collin and now to hear this added to it. “Are you going out with him again?”

  “Tonight. He’s taking me to a movie and who knows what else.” Her eyes lit up like the field for a nighttime game.

  “Sounds promising.” I nudged her, and she giggled. I would have to make it a point to let Luke know they were dating. This was making things harder by the minute.

  “We’ll see.” She reclined against the bleachers behind her. “Hey, so whatever happened with Matt? Was he as good in bed as he looks?” A look of curiosity peeked through her arched brows.

  “Matt Russell?” I shot her a weird look because it had been over a month since I’d seen him at the Kappa Sig party.

  “Yeah.”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Didn’t happen.” I pulled down on my ball cap feeling the heat from the afternoon sun. Even though it was the beginning of October, the fall was warm in Fort Worth, Texas.

  “What do you mean?”

  My eyes naturally drifted to first base. Luke looked damn hot wearing his tight white pants and fitted PHU purple practice jersey. We’d been hooking up off and on for the last month even though I had checked him off my To Do List. I definitely didn’t mind, and to keep my emotions in line, I continued my rotation with two other guys: Justin and Preston. Neither of them gave a shit about me, so it made it easy with no strings attached. “I kind of went home with someone else.”

  “What do you mean, kind of?”

  I wasn’t sure if I should tell her about him. At the same time, I was sort of dying to let someone know. Someone I could trust who wouldn’t tell Lexi.

  “Come on . . . don’t hold back.” Her fingers waggled in front of me, egging me to tell her. “Who did you go home with?”

  “Luke Thompson,” I said in a hushed voice.

  “That’s Forbes’ roommate and Lexi’s brother.” Her jaw dropped.

  “I know,” I whispered as I looked around, making sure no one heard us. “And don’t tell her.”

  “Why not?” Confusion struck her face, and she leaned closer to me. “What’s the big deal?”

  I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Luke says he doesn’t want her to know. Something about their parents being really strict and that she would tell them, and it’d cause problems.”

  Jordan’s head retreated back
. “I’m not buying that. Maybe he has a girlfriend or something.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe so. But I don’t like keeping it from her. She’s a really sweet girl, and I like living with her.”

  “She’s nothing like your other roommates who screwed you over.”

  My hand flew to my forehead. “Don’t remind me.” Thinking of what happened to the apartment and my punishment still had me peeved at them. Luckily I hadn’t seen them this semester.

  “Have you met her boyfriend, Collin?” Jordan asked.

  “The other day he came by the dorm to pick her up, and she introduced me to him. He was nice, but very quiet. Didn’t say much. I got a weird vibe from him. Kind of felt like he was analyzing me the entire time, and not in a sexual way, either.”

  “One thing is certain. She landed one hot guy.” Our eyes traveled to the center of the field. Collin Norris was PHU’s starting pitcher. With sandy blond hair and dreamy green eyes, he had all the girls turning their head. “Too bad he’s taken.” Jordan snapped her fingers.

  “I doubt he would’ve given either of us a chance.” I grabbed a piece of gum from my wristlet and tossed it in my mouth.

  “Yeah, I heard he’s a preacher’s son and is really active with his church.”

  “Oh, that explains why Lexi said they wouldn’t go to any parties and why he doesn’t like her to drink.”

  “Really?” Jordan twisted her lips. “That sucks.”

  “Sucks for her.” I popped my gum a few times. “She claims he’s really good to her, and they are perfect for each other. But I can tell she’s dying for a night of fun.”

  “I know I would be.” Jordan laughed. “Oh, by the way, Forbes said he and Luke are throwing Mateo a surprise birthday party this weekend.”

  “Is that so?” I wondered why Luke hadn’t mentioned it to me. Then again, I hadn’t talked to him since Monday in Spanish class.

  “Are you going?” Jordan latched on to my arm. “I mean, you have to go.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  “Hey, sorry it took so long.” Lexi handed me my soda. “They only have one stand open.”