Romance: Bad Boy Romance: Rough Play - A British Football Romance (Alpha Male Romance) (New Adult Sports Romance)

by Tia Siren

  Rachel followed Bree through the crowd. The crush of people didn’t really bother her. They were in such good moods. The win had put their college in the running for the championship. She was pleased for them but had truly only shown up for Bree and Rico. She was a first-year student studying basic medicine and planned to go to Baylor in Houston when she finished with her first four years here. She had some studying to do but not enough to be stressed about it.

  A lifelong student, Rachel had the reputation of being a book nerd. She enjoyed the title and readily admitted she was a big fan of books, medicine and all things brainy. Bree was the opposite. She liked to be out in public, talking, laughing and making herself a part of the spotlight. She was into dramatic arts and singing. She had one of the most beautiful operatic voices Rachel had ever heard. She was a member of the College Station Symphony and Choir and amazed people regularly with her talent.

  Bree turned and grabbed Rachel’s hand.

  “I don’t want to lose you, girl. This crowd is huge! Come on, follow me! We’re going to the locker room!”

  “But…Bree, they are gonna be changing in there and stuff, I don’t think…”

  “Your problem, my friend, is that you think too much! We’re not gonna see any naked butts, I promise! We’ll wait outside until Rico comes out. Okay?” Bree laughed. “You’re such a Christian, Rache!”

  Rachel smiled at her. Bree knew her well.

  They made their way through the shuffling bodies and broke out near the hallway to the locker rooms. There were more people coming and going but a lot less. Rachel breathed more freely and passed some of their friends, returning their nods and smiles. Most of them knew Bree and were only being polite to her. She didn’t mind.

  They stopped in front of the men’s locker rooms. Bree, not one to be very patient, bounced up and down on her heels, looking like she was waiting for an elevator.

  “This is so incredibly exciting, Rache.” Bree was saying. “I can’t wait to go to the championships! There are going to be a lot of cute guys there, you know. You really gotta get your nose out of those books.”

  Rachel laughed. “First of all, I’m here with you now, aren’t I? What are you complaining about? And second, I would much rather find a man at one of your symphony shows than at a football game! I’m not gonna go for some dumb jock; you know that.”

  Bree widened her eyes and pushed her index finger against her lips. “Sssshhh. Don’t say that here! We’ve got aspiring soldiers, surgeons and dentists on this team, you know.”

  “I know. I was just sayin…”

  Bree laughed. “It’s okay, girl. Don’t get all stressed out. I knew you were only kidding.”

  She wasn’t really, but she chuckled along with Bree. Her friend always made her feel better about life in general. She was a positive, happy girl. Everyone loved her. Except the ones who envied her. They didn’t like her at all. But Bree was a magnet for people who looked at life like one of the best video games they had ever played. No Emo for her.

  Bree would have laughed at Rachel’s thoughts. Emo was old hat, so high school.

  The door finally opened, and the guys started to file out, laughing, shoving each other, calling out to the girls in the hallway. Rico was among the first group of young men, and he was closely followed up by Dallas Reynolds, quarterback extraordinaire. The first thing Rico did was grab Bree, pick her up and swing her in a circle.

  “Hello, cuz!” He said in a loud, excited voice. “It’s so good to see you!”

  “Rico! What a great job you did! Wow! So proud of you! Awesome!”

  He released her and pretended to go for Rachel in the same way, but she took a step back, smiling at him, shaking her head. He held out his arms wide and tilted his head to one side. “Aww come on now, Rache! One hug? I won’t pick you up, I promise!”

  Rachel couldn’t help laughing and went in for her hug. Rico was a big boy, playing defensive tackle. He was covered in large muscles, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, she felt safe when he hugged her. If she was ever in trouble, she wanted Rico by her side.

  Dallas bent low at the waist in a dramatic bow. “Greetings, ladies. Did you enjoy the game?”

  “It was fantastic, Dallas! You really know how to throw a ball.” Bree threw herself at the boy, and he hugged her.

  “Thanks.” He smiled at Rachel. “Rachel.” He said simply.

  “Dallas.”

  Rachel and Dallas were in the same anatomy and physiology class. He never answered any questions, and she never saw him with a book. She was not impressed. He was good-looking, tall and looked strong. From the way he played football, he was obviously talented. But she didn’t believe he took medicine seriously and the thought of him being in medicine and actually working on living people gave her misgivings. She doubted he would pass the class. She didn’t know his grades, but she didn’t need to see that he was more interested in the pigskin than he was human skin.

  “Did you enjoy the game?” He asked.

  “I did, thank you.”

  “Okay, enough of the formal small talk!” Bree said, leaning forward, one arm around Rico’s waist. He had his long arm around her shoulders, his wide smile contagious.

  “Let’s go get some chicken wings and Coke!”

  Foster’s Grille was packed with students who had been at the game. As soon as they entered, half a dozen people screamed for Rico and Dallas. They cheered, and both young men were swallowed up by the crowd, slapping them on the back and shaking their hands.

  “Come on!” Bree grabbed her arm and steered her to the only table left, a booth that looked like it needed to be wiped down with a washcloth. Rachel grimaced but tried not to show her displeasure. They slid into the bench seats, across from each other and Bree got the attention of a smiling server nearby. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out, “We need this table wiped down when you can, please! My friend doesn’t like germs and messes!”

  The server knew both Bree and Rachel well and nodded, her smile never leaving her face. Bree looked at Rachel and leaned over the table. “I don’t see how you are going to be a doctor if you can’t stand messes, Rache! That’s all you’re gonna see! What about all the blood and guts!”

  Rachel leaned forward and called back to make herself heard. “Totally different, Bree, trust me!”

  Bree shook her head. “If you say so, sweetie!”

  Two more friends came over and began a high volume conversation with Bree. Rachel looked around. She spotted Rico and Dallas at the ordering counter and wondered if they knew what she wanted. She hoped they didn’t get the hottest wings they could. She loved chicken wings but couldn’t take more than the mild and had to have some ranch just to eat those. Her stomach was sensitive.

  They were talking to each other, their smiles as wide as ever. She moved her eyes around her, taking in the college scene and thinking she better enjoy it because it probably wasn’t going to last. It wouldn’t always be that way, and she knew it. She wouldn’t always be surrounded by friends. Her step-mother had warned her about life and getting older. And if there was anyone who knew about devastating life changes, it was her step-mother. Rachel decided not to think about negative things and just enjoy where she was at that moment. She lifted her hands up when the server came over with a cloth. As the young woman wiped the table down, she moved her mind to happy thoughts.

  Rico and Dallas delivered four large baskets of wings to the table ten minutes later.

  “These are the best wings on the planet, man. The absolute best.” Rico said as he slid into the booth next to his cousin.

  “Oh?” Rachel attempted a joke. “And you’ve tasted all the wings on the planet?” She smiled at him and was grateful when he smiled back.

  “I have. Didn’t you know I’m a globe trotter? Started when I was five, made my way all the way around the world.”

  “Sorry, buddy,” Dallas said. “That’s basketball, not football.”

  The four friends laughed.


  Rachel looked down at the basket of wings Dallas slid in front of her. She wondered what kind they were. She was afraid to ask and looked up at Bree to see if she could send a telepathic message of inquiry.

  Bree wasn’t looking at her, but Dallas was. He was scanning the side of her skeptical face. He leaned close to her and said into her ear, “They’re mild, Rachel. Bree said you only eat mild.”

  Rachel’s face lit up, and she gave Dallas a big smile. “That’s awesome!” She said.

  He grinned back at her. “Hey, you really pretty up when you smile.”

  She raised her eyebrows and stuck her tongue out at him, hiding the fact that the words had made her feel a bit insecure. Did that mean he thought she was ugly otherwise? She moved her eyes down to the wings. She was going to devour them.

  Chapter Two

  Rachel hoisted herself up onto the stool, slinging her backpack under the lab table. There weren’t many students in the classroom yet, so she set her book down and opened it to the chapter they were currently studying. They had been warned that an assignment would be handed out today that would mean a good portion of their final grade. She wanted to be ready if it was some kind of impromptu test. She’d spent most of the weekend studying, giving herself a short break to go for a run with Bree on Saturday evening and church on Sunday. Otherwise, she spent her time studying. She and Bree shared a small apartment near the college, so she had plenty of quiet time. Bree never bothered her when she was concentrated on her studies.

  She was somewhat surprised when she saw Dallas come in. He was holding a book, and he made a beeline for her table. They generally didn’t sit together, and she dreaded the fact that it looked like he was going to change that today. He did take the stool next to hers, dropping his book onto the table with a loud thud.

  “Hey, Rachel. How you doing today?”

  She looked up from her book and nodded at him. “Hello, Dallas. You’re here early today.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, saw Mr. Flynn at the game and he made sure to tell me to be here on time today. Said we got a major assignment coming up, and if I don’t pass it, I might not be able to continue playing football.”

  “Is that because your grade is low in this class?” Rachel tried not to sound condescending. She didn’t know what he expected if he wasn’t going to participate in class or bother to show up in the first place.

  “Yeah, I guess. I haven’t really been able to show up to class and sometimes I’m kinda tired when I come in. But my grade is okay, and I’m trying hard. I just know that if I don’t concentrate on this assignment we’re getting, I might not pass. That wouldn’t be good.”

  “Got to play football, right?” She hated that she was being sarcastic with him, but he had readily admitted that he didn’t care about the class. She found it difficult to feel sympathy for him.

  He looked at her and nodded. “Yeah, I really hope to go pro.”

  “Lots of money in that.” There was a lot of money in medicine too. If he bothered to pay attention, he could have a much less physically destructive career. She assumed he was keeping the medicine as a back-up career if football didn’t work out. She tried to hide her scorn. Medicine meant a lot to her. She didn’t think it should take second place.

  He just stared at her for a moment. He understood the look on her face. He picked up his book and said, “Yeah, there sure is. I…uh..I see Danny over there. Gonna go sit with him. Have a great day, Rachel.”

  She instantly felt bad and hoped her cheeks weren’t red. “Okay, man. See ya. You too.”

  She watched him walk away, regretting her condescension. She hated it when she wasn’t nice. It made her feel like a snob, which she detested. She sighed and looked back down at her book, unable to really see or comprehend the words she was reading, silently berating herself in her mind.

  Dallas didn’t look at her for the rest of the class. He had chosen a table up front with his friend Danny and would have had to turn all the way around to look at her. But he was in a prime spot for her to see him and she watched him all the way up until their teacher finally got around to telling them their assignment.

  “All right, guys, here’s the deal. In order to pass this class, you’ve got to know some of the key terms and phrases we use in medicine. I am going to pair you up. You will need to give an oral presentation with documents and other visuals to help your audience understand what you’re talking about. You need to present it as if you are talking to people who have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m giving out the arrangements so please don’t ask for a specific partner.” Mr. Flynn held up a piece of paper and read from it. “Carter, Daniels. Langdon, Brazen. Johnson, Alexander. Macon, Smith. Arrington, Reynolds.”

  Rachel’s heart sank. She had been paired up with Dallas. He looked back at her over his shoulder, smiling slightly. He saluted her, and she nodded back with a smile. She still felt bad for berating him earlier but couldn’t manage much more than the smile she gave him. She felt two inches tall.

  After class, he came to her table and leaned on it with both arms, clasping his hands together in front of him. He smiled.

  “Looks like we’re working together, Rache.”

  She pressed her lips together. “Looks like it.”

  “What grade you getting in this class so far?”

  “An A. I assume you are what, around a C or something?”

  He lifted his eyebrows. “Yeah, I guess that would be about right.”

  “Do you know where your books are? Do you know how to do any research?”

  “Well, I…” He looked hesitant and doubtful. Both expressions irritated Rachel. She didn’t want to get a failing grade because this guy couldn’t be bothered to do the work he was assigned. She would rather do it all on her own than have to work with him. “I know where my books are, sure.”

  “So you don’t do research?”

  “I haven’t really had a lot of time to do research. Not a lot of experience at it.”

  “I guess football has to be first with you.” She closed her book abruptly and gathered her things together in a rough manner, shoving them into her book bag. “Look, don’t worry about it. I’ll do the work. I’ll just let you know what we’re doing when we present it to the class.”

  He stood up straight and gave her a hurt look. “No, I…I want to help. I can do some of it, too. You can show me how to do research.”

  “I won’t have the time to teach you how to research, Dallas. Seems to me that’s something a good college student should already know. But I know how important football is to you.”

  “That’s not it, I…”

  “Don’t worry about it, Dallas. Just concentrate on your football scores.” She turned on her heel and walked out of the class, leaving him to watch her with disappointment and hurt written all over his face.

  At the end of the day, Rachel met Bree by the little coffee shop on the corner where they always met up. Bree got coffee, anyway. Rachel enjoyed an iced green tea chai latte. She saw Bree already sitting at their normal table. Her friend had ordered her drink as well and was sitting with her head down, and her eyes focused on her phone. Her thumb was moving at a quick rate over the surface of it. Bree didn’t look up until Rachel slid into the chair opposite her. When she looked up, Rachel was slightly taken aback by the angry look on her friend’s normally joyful face. She’d only seen Bree upset one time in the past year. She raised her eyebrows.

  “What’s up, Bree?”

  “What did you say to Dallas?”

  Rachel blinked, swallowing. “I…I’m sorry? You mean in anatomy and physiology today?”

  Bree leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “Look, we’ve been friends for a long time now, Rachel. I know you pretty well. I have to say I was stunned to hear that you were so incredibly rude to Dallas earlier. Rico told me all about it. I couldn’t even defend you! What were you thinking? Why were you so rude to him?”

  “I…” Rachel blushed furiously. “I just know th
at…well, I mean, we were paired up for an assignment, and I know that he never does any of his work and all of his time is devoted to football. He doesn’t bring his books to class; he isn’t getting an A…sometimes he doesn’t even show up, I mean, it doesn’t seem like he’s very dedicated to medicine. It’s like he can only think about football.”

  Bree huffed and looked at Rachel, shaking her head. “That shows how much you know, Rachel.” She grabbed her drink in one hand and her bag in the other and stood up. She leaned over to finish what she was saying, looking into Rachel’s shocked eyes directly. She pointed her index finger at Rachel, jabbing the air as she spoke. “Dallas is a nice guy. He’s no dumb jock. I’ll have you know that the reason he sometimes doesn’t make it or is tired or doesn’t seem to be focused on the work is because he takes care of his grandma who has Alzheimer’s. She’s in the last stages, and sometimes she doesn’t even know who he is, and because he’s so big, he scares her so he has to be really gentle and patient with her. He can’t just drop those responsibilities for his classes…or his football! You really hurt his feelings, Rachel! I’m sorry, but I really don’t feel like talking to you right now. I’ll text you later.” She stomped away.

  Rachel stood up, putting one hand out to her friend. “Wait, I didn’t know!”

  Bree spun around and continued walking backwards, sending eye darts at Rachel. “The fact that you didn’t bother to find out is what bothers me so much, Rache. You shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions and been so…ugh, so rude!!” She spun back around and stomped off. This time, Rachel was left behind. She sat down and put her head in her hands, ashamed.

  For the rest of the day, Rachel thought about what she’d done. She couldn’t think about anything else or get the disappointment in herself out of her mind. She hadn’t even considered that Dallas might have some noble reason to be away from class or to not pay attention to his studies. On a more positive note, the thought crossed her mind that he must have really been a natural at football because he was a star in the game, one of the MVPs the school wished they didn’t have to graduate. He was in his second year, she knew and realized that he must be in a first-year class because he’d had too many responsibilities with his home life during his first year and was making up the classes he missed during that time.