Charity: Black Mountain Academy/Fortuity

by Rochelle Paige

  Flinging my duffel over my shoulder, I reached for the handle of Emme’s rolling bag before she could grab it. “I’ve got it, babe.”

  She laughed and rolled her eyes as she slid her hand in the crook of my elbow. “Sorry, I didn’t realize the whole macho thing still applied when I wouldn’t actually be carrying anything.”

  “It’s a respect thing,” I corrected while we walked away from the plane. “The manners my mom and dad drilled into me when I was little have stuck with me.”

  She tilted her head back to smile at me as I opened the door to the building we needed to walk through to meet our ride share driver on the other side. “They did a great job with you.”

  “I like to think they’d be proud.”

  “C’mon, you’re being the master of the understatement.” She nudged me in the side. “We’re here so you can talk to a Division 1 coach about a full-ride scholarship because you’re one of the best hockey players in the country. You’ve kept your grade point average up while juggling school and hockey, all while being basically on your own.”

  I winked at her and teased, “If you keep giving me compliments like that, I'm going to end up with a big head.”

  Emme shocked the shit out of me when she glanced down at my crotch and replied, “I think you already have one.”

  I stopped and pulled her against my chest. “If this is what you’re like when we’re outside of Black Mountain, I have a lot to look forward to after graduation.”

  “I don’t know what got into me,” she giggled, pressing her fingers against her lips. “I think it’s the combination of being away from my parents and having you all to myself.”

  I led her outside and stored our luggage in the trunk before climbing into the back seat of the car with her. “I was surprised your mother agreed to this trip.”

  “My dad set it all up,” she explained, cuddling into my side as we headed to the hotel to check in. “I lucked out because my mom is in the middle of planning a fall festival for one of the charities she’s involved with, and she was too distracted to ask any questions. I don’t even think she knows which school I’m visiting.”

  I hated how hands-off Emme’s parents were with her. My mom would have given anything for just one more day with me, and it sucked that she would never get the same kind of love and acceptance from her mother. “Your dad was okay with sending you off by yourself?”

  “He was originally planning to come on the trip with us, but something urgent came up at the office so he had to cancel at the last minute. He felt so bad about it that he told me to go ahead without him since I’d have a friend with me,” she explained with a sigh.

  It had taken a few weeks for me to get used to how nonchalant she was when talking about the business her dad owned. I hadn’t known how to react when I first found out that her great-grandfather had founded a chain of hotels that was a household name. I’d stayed at them often when we’d gone on family vacations when I was younger. But the elite world I’d wandered into at Black Mountain Academy was full of kids set to inherit empires a fuck of a lot bigger, so Emme didn’t see her family’s wealth as anything special. One of the traits I appreciated most about her was how humble she could be. Money and status didn’t matter to her—if it had, she’d never would have been interested in me. But from everything I’d heard, her parents were a different story. “I’m sorry he had to bail. It would’ve been nice to finally meet him.”

  “Liar.” She leaned back to smile up at me. “I hadn’t worked up the nerve to tell him the friend traveling with us was a boy and not Emily or Sarah, like he probably assumed. I love my dad but having you two meet for the first time right before we all got on a small plane together would’ve been super awkward.”

  “You may have a point there.” I tapped her on the tip of her nose. “But it’s going to happen someday.”

  “I know,” she sighed, patting my chest. “I’d introduce you to my dad when we get back tomorrow if it wasn’t for how I know my mom will react. There’s no way he’ll be able to keep the news from her for long, even with how rarely they spend time together.”

  I had gotten the impression that a lot of couples in Black Mountain stayed together because of money. It was a shit way to live and the complete opposite of what my parents had when they were together. It was also probably a big part of why Emme had never gotten involved with anyone before me—she’d been afraid to end up in a marriage like her parents had. “Maybe his work emergency was a sign that we should wait until your birthday party. We won’t be able to get around me meeting them then. I’m too big to hide behind you, and my place as your boyfriend is at your side. Especially when I’m looking forward to celebrating the big day with you.”

  “Boyfriend, huh?” Her brown eyes practically glowed with happiness as she squirmed on the seat next to me.

  I pressed her closer against my side, mentally kicking myself for doing this while we’re in the back of a ride share of all fucking places. Ten minutes from now would’ve been ideal, when we’d been in the privacy of our hotel room without anyone listening in from a couple of feet away. But I wasn’t one to put shit off when an opportunity landed in my lap, and no way was I going to run the risk of Emme taking it wrong if I didn’t speak up now. “Damn straight, you’re my girlfriend. I know we’ve only been seeing each other for a month, but I’ve wanted you since the first day of school. It would be pretty fucking dumb of me not to lock you down while I have the chance.”

  Her grin widened. “Consider me locked down then, boyfriend.”

  I couldn’t resist claiming her mouth, and we spent the rest of the ride kissing. By the time the driver pulled up in front of the hotel, my dick was hard as fuck. I wasn’t surprised that my body was urging me to go beyond the heavy petting we’d done so far. We’d made our relationship official and were about to walk inside a building jam-packed with beds. I wasn’t sure if we’d have separate rooms or share, but my dick was more than ready to feel something other than my hand wrapped around it. I’d jacked off to fantasies about Emme more times than I could count since we’d met.

  I had such a one-track mind that I barely paid attention when we checked in and headed toward the elevator. It wasn’t until Emme was unlocking the door that I thought to ask, “Are we sharing?”

  “Yeah, my dad got a suite so there’s more than enough room for the two of us.” She pushed the door open and waved me ahead of her.

  I stopped in the middle of the room and took it all in. The suite was far removed from any hotel room I’d stayed in before. The space was open with floor-to-ceiling windows lining one wall, a mini kitchen, a small dining table with four chairs, a couch and loveseat opposite a big-screen television, and three halfway open doors—two leading to bedrooms and the last one for a bathroom. “Your dad sure knows how to travel in style.”

  Emme shrugged before walking over to grab the handle of her bag and roll it into one of the bedrooms. When she came back out, she said, “It’s one of the perks of owning hotels. All his secretary had to do was pick up the phone and make one call, and we got the biggest suite they had at no charge.”

  “Damn.” I whistled, shaking my head as I dropped my duffel on the couch. What they said about having to spend money to make it apparently didn’t apply when you were already wealthy or famous. People gave you shit for free even though you could easily afford to pay for it.

  Emme’s gaze slid over to where I’d put my bag. “Did you want to, um, maybe-possibly stay in my room?”

  I walked over to stand in front of her, grinning over how adorable she was when her cheeks turned pink because she was embarrassed. There was no reason for her to be self-conscious with me, and especially not when she was handing me something I desperately wanted. “I’d love to sleep with you tonight.”

  “I’m not sure—”

  Her cheeks turned bright red, and her words trailed off as she ducked her head against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “Nothing is
going to happen between us tonight unless you’re ready for it, Emme. I will never pressure you for more than you want to give.”

  “I know,” she mumbled against my shirt.

  I gave her another squeeze before stepping away to grab my duffel. “It’ll feel damn good to sleep with you in my arms. I vote that we come straight back here and eat dinner in bed after our meetings at the university.”

  “That sounds perfect to me,” she agreed as she followed me into the bedroom.

  When I glanced at the king-sized bed, my dick pressed against the zipper of my pants. My need for her was so fucking strong, we needed to get out of this suite before I started something that would make me forget why we were here in the first place. “Do you need to do anything before we head over to the campus?”

  “Yup, give me like five minutes and I’ll be ready to go.” She grabbed a couple of things from her suitcase and closed herself off in the connected bathroom.

  I headed into the living room area to give her extra privacy and used the bathroom I’d spotted earlier. I figured Emme would take longer than she’d said since all the girls who’d been in the foster homes I’d lived in had taken forever to get ready, but she surprised me when she reappeared in five minutes. She’d accomplished a lot in that short time, swapping outfits and pulling her long hair up. The jeans she’d changed into were tight as fuck, and her ass looked fantastic in them. “I’m going to have to keep you close so no college douche tries to steal you away from me.”

  “Like that’s really going to happen.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. It always blew my mind that she had no clue how gorgeous she was. I was determined to repair the damage her mom had done over the years, no matter how long it took me.

  Crossing the room, I pulled her against my chest before cupping her face with my palms. Staring into her pretty brown eyes, I murmured, “I’m totally cool with you not recognizing how many guys see you and wish they were in my place. It feels fucking fantastic to know you only have eyes for me.” I brushed my lips against hers. “But you need to know it happens.” She looked as though she was about to disagree, so I gave her a hard kiss before I added, “Often.”

  “Not any more than other girls try throwing themselves at you,” she muttered, looking as irritated by the thought as I was over guys being interested in her.

  “Then I guess we both have a reason to stick close to each other.” And that’s exactly what we did when we arrived on campus about half an hour before my first appointment. The hockey coach wasn’t available until later in the afternoon, so I was meeting with a grad student who coordinated services for students who had come out of the foster system since a high number of them were on campus. It was one of the things—beyond the fact that they had a great hockey team—that pushed the school toward the top of my list.

  We did our own mini tour before heading over to the steps of the library, where I was supposed to meet Faith. At first, I thought we’d gotten there before her because the only people I saw were a brunette couple who were totally wrapped up in each other while they kissed. Tugging Emme with me, I sat on the other side of the steps from them with her between my knees and leaning back against me. “What do you want to do while I’m meeting with the coach?”

  “We can show her around,” the brunette woman from the other side of the steps offered as the couple walked toward us.

  The guy chuckled and shook his head. “Assuming they’re the kids you’re supposed to meet, and you’re not accosting random high schoolers visiting campus.”

  “Oh, right.” She slapped her forehead and grinned. “Hopefully, you’re Corby King, or else I’m going to look like more of a weirdo than usual.”

  “Yup, that’s him,” Emme confirmed as she stood.

  I got up and nodded. “And this is my girlfriend, Emme.”

  Fuck, it felt good to claim her out loud.

  The guy at Faith’s side stepped forward, holding out his hand. We shook as he said, “I’m Dillon. I hope you don’t mind me crashing your meeting. I graduated last year and don’t get nearly enough time with my fiancée now that she’s started graduate school.”

  “Oh, stop. You see me every day since we live together.” Faith playfully slapped him on the arm, the huge rock on her finger twinkling in the sunlight.

  I liked this guy’s style—doing what it took to get more time with his woman and making sure her engagement ring was big enough not to be missed. I flung my arm over Emme’s shoulder and pulled her close. “I’m not in a position to judge. I didn’t even think to mention that Emme would be with me.”

  “You aren’t going to get any complaints from me about that,” Faith assured with a smile. “It’s important to have a support system when you get to college. If Emme flew all the way out here with you just for a campus visit, then I’m going to guess she’s prepared to offer lots of encouragement once school starts up in the fall.”

  “I’m one-hundred-percent team Corby, no matter where he ends up going or what he’s doing,” Emme confirmed, giving me a little squeeze.

  I was so fucking proud to have her at my side. My mind was blown that she’d chosen me when she could’ve done a hell of a lot better.

  “That’s what I love to hear.” Faith’s smile grew, and it was easy to see how much she and Dillon loved each other when their gazes met. “I don’t know what I’d do without this guy.”

  Dillon laced their fingers together. “You’ll never have to find out.”

  “Alright, enough of this mushy stuff,” Faith joked. “That’s not what you came all this way to talk to me about today.”

  She launched into a spiel about how the incoming freshman class had a hundred and twenty kids who’d been in foster care. My situation wasn’t quite the same since I was from out of state and would attend on an athletic scholarship, but I felt a sense of comfort in knowing there would be students on campus who understood where I came from—especially after being with a bunch of rich kids at Black Mountain Academy.

  “One of the best perks to coming here is a program my future mother-in-law heads where all of the former foster kids on campus get some assistance in the form of gift cards and cash to help with all those expenses that add up over the school year.”

  Dillon interrupted her, shaking his head. “Faith never gives herself enough credit. The only reason my mother got involved is because of her.”

  “That sounds incredible, but I’d have to check if NCAA rules would apply to that kind of help.” I was all for having extra cash in my pocket, but not if it came at the expense of losing my scholarship—assuming I got the full-ride offer I was expecting. With how I’d played so far this season and flying out here to meet with the coach, I had a feeling it was in the bag.

  11

  Emmeline

  Hanging out with Dillon and Faith while Corby met with the hockey coach was great. I hadn’t been sure what I was going to do while he was busy, and they offered to keep me company. By the time they finished showing me the best spots on campus, I was more than halfway convinced to apply here too. I’d already sent in my early action application to Yale, my dad’s alma mater, and planned to apply to a couple other of the Ivy Leagues. But it wouldn’t hurt to have a fallback plan at a school where I liked the atmosphere and my boyfriend was hoping to attend.

  They gave off major couple goals vibes, and I had lots of fun with them, but I was thrilled when Corby sent me a text saying he was done. Since we’d ventured off-campus, we decided to meet up at the hotel. It was only late afternoon, and I wanted to make the most of the time we had before we headed back to Black Mountain in the morning. I would have thought I’d be more nervous about being alone in a hotel room with Corby since I’d never even French kissed another boy before him, let alone shared a bed for a night with someone other than my best friends during a sleepover. I’d surprised myself as much as him when I’d suggested we spend the night together instead of having him use the other room. Heading back to the hotel to meet him, I was doubly glad the
decision was behind us but also a little nervous about how it would all go. But as I walked into the suite and found Corby sitting on the couch with his feet kicked up on the coffee table, all my fears disappeared.

  Racing across the room, I launched myself onto his lap, his arms banding around me to hold me close. “How did your meeting go?”

  “So fucking good.” He leaned back and grinned. “He said that the game tapes Coach Carter sent over a couple of weeks ago were impressive, and he was glad I went out of my way to visit the campus. His only concern about using up one of his limited full-ride spots on me was how I’d fit into the culture here since I’d be coming in blind. But now that I could tell him about the extra stuff Faith has done to help foster kids succeed and had spent some time here, he feels confident that I’ll be a solid addition to the team.”

  “I’m not surprised”—I brushed my lips against his—“because you’re amazing, and they’ll be lucky to have you on their team.”

  He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. “The time I got to spend on the ice with them today confirmed they have really talented players already. Getting the chance to play with them while earning my degree on a full ride makes me the lucky one.”

  “I love how humble you are when you have reason to brag.” I rubbed my nose against his, feeling so proud for what he’d accomplished against all the odds.

  He dropped his hands and wrapped his arms around my back. “I don’t know that I would’ve gotten the same offer if it wasn’t for you. Thank you for planning this trip. It has made such a huge difference in my life. I don’t think you understand how much this means to me.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for coming here with you. I had so much fun today, and we never would’ve been able to have this much alone time back in Black Mountain.” I refrained from telling him that I was considering applying here because I didn’t want to make him feel any pressure. We could cross that bridge if I did and got accepted, assuming I hadn’t already accepted early admission to an Ivy League school like my mom wanted.