Of Boys And Men: An Enemies to Lovers, New Adult College Romance (Ridge Rogues Book 1)

by Renee Harless

  “I want to.” Then Jolee did something that would haunt my best dreams – she licked those beautiful lips of hers in anticipation. It was such an innocent move but filled my mind with the naughtiest of possibilities.

  While I had been busy fantasizing about her mouth on my cock, she had guided the zipper down and was gathering the edges of my pants and boxer briefs to jerk them down. A ringing sound filled the room and Jolee looked up at me in confusion until I realized that it was the phone in my back pocket.

  “Sorry,” I said as she reached around my ass and grabbed the device. Her eyes flickered down at the screen for a second then she looked back up at me. A crease had grown between her brows as she held the phone up, the name Heather lit up on the screen. If a ringing phone alone didn’t squelch the mood, a woman’s name certainly would.

  The ringing stopped before I could answer and all thoughts about Jolee’s lips around my cock disappeared. The facility’s director didn’t call for no reason. We had scheduled times in the evening for those.

  Jolee had already moved back onto the bed as I placed my phone back into my pocket and reclosed my pants.

  “I have to go,” I told her as I turned around and gathered my shirt, tugging it over my head.

  “Oh, of course you do. Don’t let me keep you.” I could hear the anger and hurt in her voice. Only my brothers knew of the situation with my mother and I didn’t have enough time to explain it to Jolee. I still wasn’t sure if I even wanted to.

  I didn’t bother putting on my jacket knowing that I was heading back to campus and I needed the cold air to help take care of the erection throbbing in my jeans.

  “Thanks for the notes,” she sarcastically added as she went over to her dresser and started roughly tossing clothes onto her bed.

  I wanted to call out her name, wanted to put her mind at ease that I wasn’t leaving for another woman, at least not in the way she assumed. But I didn’t have the time, nor did I think that she would listen.

  “It’s not what you think,” I told her as I made my way down her hall to leave.

  “If you think I’m upset, think again. At least I got off.”

  God, this woman. Sometimes I really wanted to strangle her.

  I didn’t reply as I slammed her apartment door closed and made my way downstairs, dialing Heather’s number as I went.

  “Heather,” I said as she answered my call.

  “Thank you for calling me back so quickly, Ford.”

  “Did something happen with my mother?” My fears had grown to insurmountable levels by the time I reached my own room. I ignored my brothers as I shut my door and leaned my back against the wooden surface.

  “Your mother is doing fine. She’s helping to prepare some of the residents for the afternoon activity.”

  “Then why the abrupt call in the middle of the day?” Not to mention the interruption during my time with Jolee.

  “Well, it seems that early this morning there was an unexpected visitor requesting information on your mother,” she relayed as I breathed a sigh of relief knowing that my mother was doing well. I had received calls like this before, usually due to an accident where she stayed. I knew Brent was going to try and look up my mother’s health records. It seemed plausible that he may go to her facility. Just as I was about to chime in with that information, Heather said something that changed everything. “And, Ford, they were asking about you, too.”

  “Me?” I questioned. I was in a daze as I slid down the door until my backside hit the floor.

  “The security guard was given five thousand dollars to give up any information he had on you and your mother. Thankfully, he came straight to me instead.

  “I’ve known you and your mother for a long time now. You’re like family. I don’t know what’s going on but stay safe, Ford. We’ll look out for your mother.”

  “Will you let me know if he comes back or if anyone else starts snooping around?”

  “Of course.”

  “Thank you, Heather.”

  “Take care, Ford.”

  My head banged against the door as I replayed in my mind what she had just informed me. Someone was asking about me and I knew without a doubt that it was my sperm donor or one of his henchmen.

  Somehow Senator Hastings found out that I was digging up dirt on him and I had no doubts that he was going to do all he could to stop me.

  Glancing down at my mobile, I pressed the number to call Brent and inform him of what was happening. He assured me that he’d keep his eyes peeled and hurry to close up his investigation before my father got to him. I already knew that my father could ruin someone’s life; I didn’t need to give him more ammunition.

  I needed to stay focused and get this all wrapped up. There was no time to wallow in self-pity, my father had been pulling strings behind the scenes ever since I was forced into adoption.

  Crawling off the floor I went to my desk and began sifting through the materials I had already gathered. Brent and I were so close I could taste it.

  A knock on my door sounded and Link’s voice rang out, “Ford, you okay?”

  “Yeah, just had a call about my mom,” I explained, trying to defend my rush through the apartment as I shoved the paperwork back into the manila envelope.

  “Ok, well, we’re heading on campus to get lunch with Tracy. Want to come?”

  I did want to come, but not in the way he thought. I wanted to finish what Jolee and I had started, but if ever there was a time to back off, it seemed like now would be that moment. Except I tended to lose my head when she was around.

  “You know what? Lunch sounds good. I’ll be right out.”

  The only way I knew to distract myself from my father and Jolee was to join the family that would probably hate me if they knew what I had been doing.

  I followed Jolee from the apartment complex as she headed toward the business building for our economics midterm. I stayed far enough away that she didn’t see me, but I was close enough that I could see her shiver beneath her puffy jacket. I’m pretty certain Link told me that she was from Alaska, shouldn’t she be used to the cold? Either way, I was transfixed by the way she wrapped her arms around her body. It was bitterly cold outside and even I shook beneath my leather jacket. A storm had been brewing and threatened to drop rain and early seasonal snow. The gray clouds lingered above us as we took the steps into the building. I continued to trail behind Jolee as she took the flight of stairs up to the third floor.

  My desire to claim her seat was ever present, but even the jerk that I was didn’t want to mess with her head the day of midterms. So instead, when she smugly claimed her seat, that cocky grin of hers showcasing a perfect smile, I took the seat next to her.

  “Ford,” she growled. I knew she didn’t want me anywhere near her since our tryst on Monday, but she was going to have to put up with me for one more day. Teasing and irritating her brought me the most enjoyment I had ever had. And I knew that she felt the same.

  Her two friends took their seats and I watched as the rest of the class filled in the spots on the other half of the room, watching me with curious eyes. They took Monday’s seating arrangement as a one-off, it was no secret around campus that Jolee and I didn’t get along. Now the other students were filled with questions. I couldn’t imagine what the student body would think if they knew the only time Jolee and I got along was when we were between the sheets.

  The professor walked in and did his usual tug of the door to make sure that it was locked. He reached into his bag and grabbed the exams and answer sheets. Jolee had been fidgeting with her phone on her desk, preparing to put it in her bag, but I glanced over and saw that her hand was shaking as she read a text message. From my seat, all I could read was the name Ken and a picture of a dog.

  As the teacher approached our row, Jolee hastily placed her phone in her bag and wiped her cheek, but not before I witnessed a tear spill over her lower lid. I may hate her most of the time, but I didn’t want to see her cry.

 
; I wasn’t sure how she managed to finish her exam; I could barely focus with her sitting next to me. I had just completed the test when Jolee stood up to turn in her answer sheet.

  “I’ll take it,” I whispered as I reached for her paper and she handed it to me without a word. The professor nodded as I sat the papers on his desk and I waited at the door for Jolee to finish grabbing her things.

  Together we exited the room, but she was completely distracted, texting on her phone and choking back a sob. I heard the hitch in her breathing, and if we weren’t walking in a hallway with other students milling about, I would have grabbed her and wrapped her in my arms. Even if only for her comfort and not my selfish ways.

  Her fingers flew across the screen of her phone, her eyes locked on whatever conversation she was having with Ken – the notion that a man was causing her tears wasn’t sitting well with me. She was so distracted as we entered the stairwell that she almost missed the first step. On instinct, I reached out and gathered her bicep in my hand.

  “Oh,” she shrieked as if I’d brought her back into the moment.

  “Jolee, are you okay?”

  “I. . . I need to go.” Tugging her arm, she escaped my grip and began a fast-paced descent down the stairs. I eagerly followed.

  “Wait up, Jolee,” I bellowed as we reached the first floor, drawing the attention of the people in the café.

  “No, I need to go. The shelter needs me, not that I’d expect you to understand that.”

  The shelter? That was about three blocks from the campus. And as I glanced out the glass doors, I noticed that there was the equivalent of a monsoon outside.

  “Let me take you.”

  “Right. Why would you do that?” she sneered, her small foot tapping against the tiled floor.

  “I don’t know. But I can get Link to bring my car. I’d feel better knowing that you’re not walking around in this mess.”

  I focused on her elegant neck as she peered over her shoulder toward the doors. As she turned back to me, I could see that she realized how terrible the weather had become.

  “Against all of my better judgment, I am going to accept your help. But I need to get there quickly. There isn’t much time.”

  Blindly reaching for my phone in my pocket, I pressed the number for Link and he answered immediately. I asked him to drive my car to the parking lot at the back of the business building and he agreed without question.

  “He’ll be here soon,” I said, but Jolee’s attention was back on her phone, her fingers flying across the screen as she typed.

  It wasn’t but five minutes later that Link sent me a message that he was in the parking lot.

  “Come on, Jolee. He’s here.” She startled as I placed my hand at her lower back.

  “Oh, okay. We need to hurry.”

  Our bodies were soaked as we ate up the short distance from the building to the car. The rain had seeped through our jackets, shirts, and pants down to our skin. Luckily the heat in the car had just kicked in when I slipped into the driver’s seat, Link being smart enough to bring an umbrella with him. He didn’t even raise a questioning eye to me as Jolee took her spot on the passenger seat, the gentle shake of his head was all I needed to see.

  I slammed the door shut and glanced over to my partner, her body shaking off the cold against my leather seat. The water would ruin the seats, but I didn’t care.

  “Ready?” I asked her as I pulled the car out of the lot, glancing in the rearview mirror to find a black town car behind me. I squinted as I tried to figure out who was driving the vehicle, but I was interrupted when Jolee shockingly said, “Your car is sexy.”

  “Thanks, I think.”

  Running her hand along the dashboard, she took her time admiring the vinyl. “It’s very you,” she added.

  “Adam and I rebuilt this car when I was in high school.”

  She turned those curious eyes toward me and anxiously waited for me to tell her more as we stopped at the stoplight.

  “Adam was my adoptive father. He died a few years ago.” My eyes were trained on the road as the light turned green. I also wasn’t sure if I could look at her and witness that pitiful stare most people gave when they found out about my adoptive father. She touched me gently with her hand on my forearm.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss, Ford. I don’t know what that must have been like for you.”

  “It’s fine. I’m over it,” I lied as I pulled into the animal shelter’s parking lot.

  “Ford. . .” The way she said my name felt like the lightest of kisses against my ear. I turned my gaze to Jolee’s and I was shocked to find compassion in her eyes – not pity. It made me wonder if maybe she did have an understanding of what it felt like to lose someone close to you.

  Jolee began to pull her hand away from my arm, and just from the short period we were together in the car, I wasn’t ready for my time with her to be up yet.

  “Thank you for the-”

  “Can I come in with you?” I interrupted.

  Jolee blinked up at me in disbelief.

  Just for good measure, I added, “Please.”

  I could see that she fought an inner battle with herself as she weighed my words, her eyes flicking back and forth between mine.

  “Okay,” she murmured, looking stunned at herself for agreeing.

  I turned off the car and shoved my keys in my pocket before gripping the door and making my escape. I dashed behind Jolee in the rain and we skirted to a stop just inside a back entrance to the building.

  “Let me take you to the locker room so we can put your jacket away. Ken may have a change of clothes when you’re ready to leave.” Her hands twisted in front of her body in a nervous gesture and then she bit her bottom lip. If we had been anywhere else, I would have found a place to tuck us away from prying eyes and sucked that lip into my mouth.

  I was knocked free from my inner thoughts as a good-looking guy turned the corner and frowned when he saw me standing with Jolee.

  “Ken, this is Ford. He drove me.”

  The man looked me up and down and turned his attention back to Jolee. I knew that he found me lacking when it came to the woman standing beside me and I almost wanted to reach out and wrap my arm around her waist to lay my claim. But knowing Jolee, she’d probably glare at me and figure out a way to torment me later.

  “Rocky came in. He isn’t doing well; his heart is giving out. I know how close you were with him.”

  “I’ll go sit with him for a while. Thanks for letting me be here.”

  “Of course. He’s in his usual run.”

  Jolee guided me to a small locker room where she hung our things, then we walked toward the far end of the facility. Dogs barked loudly around us, but Jolee didn’t seem fazed at all while I wished that I had earplugs. We walked through a door that led to tall fenced-in spaces that had small openings to private outside areas. I followed her dutifully as dogs jumped on the doors to get Jolee’s attention, but she was focused on a kennel at the end of the path.

  “Hey, big guy,” she muttered as she opened the gate.

  A skinny black Labrador laid on a raised bed of blankets. Gray hair covered his muzzle and I knew without asking that this dog was old, but as I took in the shaved parts of his body, I could tell he had been injured recently. His tail moved up and down flapping against the concrete as Jolee stepped inside.

  She crouched down beside him and let him smell her hand before she pet his head. The dog’s eyes closed at her touch. “This is Rocky. He was hit by a car a few weeks ago and they brought him in. It’s why I stayed late that one night. . .”

  “The night I made a fool out of myself.”

  Finally, a smirk grew on her lips as she settled on the floor beside Rocky’s head. “I don’t know. I had a pretty good time that night.”

  “Can I pet him?” I asked, not sure of the protocol.

  “Sure, just let him sniff your hand first. Rocky’s usually tame, but you never know.”

  I held my
hand a foot in front of him, but Jolee grabbed my fingers and pulled them all the way up to the dog’s muzzle. Glancing at Jolee in exasperation, I left my hand lingering for a moment against Rocky’s wet nose. His tail flicked up and down a few times and I smiled at Jolee in excitement. Gently I reached forward and ran my hand across the top of his head. I had always loved animals but knew that having a pet was out of the question, Tracy and Adam worked too much to take care of a pet plus all of us boys.

  Jolee kicked her legs out as she got comfortable against the wall and I settled on the floor with my legs crossed.

  Filling the silence, I looked over to Jolee who had closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall. She looked beautiful. “You know, I’ve never been in an animal shelter before,” I confessed.

  “Really?”

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  “This is my dream,” she whispered, opening her eyes to meet mine. Something different was passing between us for a second, I forgot that we were sitting in the middle of a dingy kennel. Everything else around us faded away – the sound of dog barks echoing in the room, the smell of animals, the knowledge of my past. It was just Jolee and me, and I did something I had never done before.

  “Tell me about it.”

  Chapter Eleven – Jolee

  To say I was shocked when Ford asked me about my dream was an understatement. At first, I thought that I had heard him wrong, but after I asked him to clarify what he meant, he asked me to tell him why I said that was my dream.

  “I want to open an animal rescue. I volunteered at a local Alaskan rescue and I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life.”

  “Wow, I’m shocked.”

  “Why?” I questioned. Leave it to this gorgeous man gently petting Rocky to assume that I couldn’t run a rescue.

  “No, no. I’ve just. . .never felt so inadequate before. I see you, this stunningly beautiful girl that has this amazing goal for her life. While most people have zero ideas what they’ll do when they graduate – myself included.”

  I could feel my cheeks flame at his compliment. Ford and I had warmed his bed before, but he’d never outright complimented my looks, and frankly, it felt nice.