Hard Pass: An Enemies to Lovers Romance

by K. G. Reuss

  “Accepted.”

  His lips curled up in that smile which drove me mad. Only this time, butterflies accompanied it.

  “Stay married to me.”

  I opened my mouth to tell him to go to hell, but he silenced me by taking my hand in his and giving it a gentle squeeze.

  “For the assignment, Lexy. We can present it as real at the end. It shows a hell of a lot of dedication to the project. I think it’ll get us all the bonus points we need for eternity for her class. She’ll have a story to tell for semesters to come. We’ll be legends. You’ll pass. It’s more than half our grade. And I’m a fuck up, right? We both need this. You want med school, right?”

  “Don’t threaten me, Travis.”

  Confusion clouded his features. “I’m not, Lexy. I’m not giving you an ultimatum. I’ll still work my ass off on it.”

  We stared at one another for a moment before he cleared his throat.

  “I’m a Heisman potential. I don’t want a scandal, and I need my grades to be amazing. I know you think I’m basically squeaking by, but Lexy, I’m magna cum laude as it sits. But I need summa cum laude. I need this. I need you.”

  I stared at him in shock. I had no idea Travis was that high in rankings. I’d written him off as partier, not giving a damn about his grades. I’d assumed he only cared to do well enough to continue playing.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Are you married?” he murmured back.

  I swallowed thickly.

  “I want this, Lexy. I need it. I’m sorry I was a dick to you in the car. This shit is stressful for me too. I’ve worked my ass off to win this award. Please. Help me. Having a divorce on my record won’t be a good thing.”

  I studied his face for a moment. His eyes pleaded with me. His full lips were set in a grim expression. Being completely sober and looking that closely at him left me breathless. Travis was beautiful. The fact he’d swallowed his pride to come right out and talk to me only added to the shock value.

  “I need to think about it,” I found myself saying. “If we do it, then we divorce at the end of the semester. My med school application process should be far enough along that it won’t be hurt by a Vegas wedding and a quickie divorce. But I swear, Travis Owens, if I agree and you make me regret any of this, I will—”

  “Punch me in the face?” He chuckled softly, squeezing my hand once again.

  “Without a second thought,” I promised softly. “And I’ll leave. I won’t be coming back.”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed as he surveyed me.

  “Game on, Hale.”

  I nodded tightly.

  “Game on, Owens.”

  Twenty-Six

  Travis

  And I’ll leave. I won’t be coming back.

  Lexy’s words repeated in my head. A promise to me if I screwed up, she was gone. It wasn’t just divorce—even though I knew it would end that way anyway at the end of the semester—but it was the fact she’d run and never look back. It wouldn’t matter if Alex was my best friend. She’d leave. She’d treat me as if I were dead to her.

  The thought of losing her like that made my stomach twist uncomfortably. She didn’t come out and say she was in, but I knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t back down.

  I cast a glance over at her as she slumbered on Mason’s chest. He winked at me over her head.

  “She’s a heater,” he said.

  I nodded. I already knew that from waking up with her sprawled naked across me mere days before. Mason glanced down at her then at me, a look on his face I hated. Pity. He had no reason to pity me. I had everything I wanted. I kept repeating the mantra in my head as I watched her snuggled into him.

  “I need to use the bathroom,” Mason said, raising a brow at me. “Take your wife.”

  “Shut the hell up,” I hissed at him, glancing at Alex in the row behind us. He and Ava were too busy laughing softly with one another to be paying any attention to us.

  Mason chuckled and shifted a sleeping Lexy over to me. I froze as she curled into me, her hand moving to rest high on my thigh. Mason winked, got up from his seat, and moved to the back of the plane to use the restroom.

  I twined a long, red wave from her ponytail around my finger and closed my eyes, trying to remember more from our night together.

  Dancing. Laughing. Kissing. Touching. That damn slit in her dress.

  I breathed out slowly as my cock emerged from its slumber, lengthening in my jeans and straining against the heavy material near Lexy’s hand. She shifted on me and stilled.

  She was awake.

  Her head lifted, and she stared at me, her lips parted and her cheeks red.

  “Hey.” I cleared my throat as she moved away. “Looks like you just couldn’t get enough of me.”

  She narrowed her eyes and scowled at me before nodding to my crotch. “Likewise, Owens.”

  “You’re the one with your hand on my thigh.”

  She snatched her hand away and opened and closed her mouth several times before staring straight ahead, a muscle thrumming along her jaw.

  “If we’re going to do this, don’t talk to me, OK? We get along better when we aren’t interacting.”

  “Whatever you want,” I muttered. I grew quiet for a moment before speaking once more. “So you’re in?”

  She didn’t say anything. She just gave me a tight nod.

  “Can I call you my honey pot? I think it’s a great pet name for you.”

  She glowered at me and slid over into Mason’s seat. About that time, he came down the aisle and lifted a brow at Lexy.

  “You can sit next to him,” she grumbled, jerking her thumb in my direction.

  I let out a laugh and shook my head. “Pout much?”

  “Jerk much?” she shot back.

  I widened my grin at her as Mason settled between us.

  I leaned forward to peer around him. “You know I will now that I’ve seen—”

  “Shut up!” she hissed, glaring at me before shooting a look at Mason, probably trying to gauge whether he knew what we were talking about.

  He pretended like he was looking at his phone. Judging by the tiny smirk on his lips, I knew holding in his laughter was probably killing him.

  I shot a grin at Lexy. “Whatever, honey pot.”

  “Travis, so help me god—”

  “Lex!” Ava leaned forward and tapped Lexy’s chair before she could finish her threat. Mason grinned and shook his head as he opened his text messages.

  “We should so get our nails done when we get back. Priscilla at Envy has an opening later this week. She just messaged me.”

  Lexy hesitated, her mouth working hard to smile.

  I knew this was a money issue for her. Alex said she’d been hardcore saving for med school in case she didn’t get the scholarships she’d applied for. Something about the weight of it made my heart clench for her. Alex and Lexy had been raised in a home where their parents worked hard, but only just made ends meet. Both of them had gone to college on scholarships, working to pay the last bit on their own. Alex often spoke of how his parents tried to send money, but they always refused it, wanting their parents to enjoy themselves rather than struggle to help with college expenses.

  And damn, did the two of them work hard. They had to have more work ethic in their toes than most people I knew had in their whole bodies. It was one of the reasons I admired them so much. Not that I’d ever told either of them that.

  It hit me sitting there, watching Lexy as she tried to appear enthusiastic about getting her nails done. I’d rarely ever seen her with her nails done. I liked a French mani on a hot girl. It was a huge turn on for me, especially when they ran those claws down my back, which didn’t happen nearly as often as I liked.

  Except with Lexy. I could still feel the burn from her nails along my spine from our night together. If that alone wasn’t enough to make me wish for the entire memory of the night or a desire to try it sober, I didn’t know what was.

  �
�Sure. Um, we can do that,” Lexy said, her smile a grimace.

  Ava sat back happily, clearly not knowing the look on Lexy’s face was dread.

  “I’ll pay for you to go,” I whispered as Lexy settled back in her seat.

  She glanced over at me with wide eyes.

  “If you want your nails done, I’ll pay,” I offered again.

  She scoffed and shook her head. “I’ll just pick up another shift this week. No big deal.”

  “Why not let him pay for it?” Mason piped up. “He won a shit ton of money at the casino.”

  “No thanks. Like I need to owe him for anything.”

  I sighed and settled back in my seat. “Well, the offer stands.”

  She only shook her head again and stared down to her hands.

  “Coach giving us a long weekend was nice,” Alex said as we got into the Uber after landing at the airport. “But he’s going to work our asses to the bone when we get on the field tonight.”

  “Could be worse.” Mason laughed. “He could be putting that bone in our asses.”

  “He just might,” I grunted, watching as Lexy settled into the front seat with the driver of the minivan. He’d nearly begged her to get in the front with him. One look at me, and she’d practically dove onto the seat beside the twenty-something driver with his popped collar.

  The driver, Bryce, pulled out of the parking lot as everyone chatted. I strained to hear him as he engaged Lexy in conversation.

  “Vegas, huh?” he asked, glancing at her, his eyes trailing over her body.

  I saw red and hauled in an even breath to cool myself.

  “Yeah. It was a nice vacation.”

  “Anything good happen?”

  She cast him a quick smile. “You know the saying.”

  Bryce, the Uber douche, laughed and nodded as he turned onto the highway. “I do. You know, you have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen—”

  I wanted to launch myself across the seats and tackle the guy. What sort of guy hits on a married woman? And then it dawned on me. Lexy didn’t have her ring on. Not like it would probably make a lot of difference, but if we were doing this, we needed to do it right.

  “Easy, Tiger.” Mason chuckled from beside me.

  I realized I’d moved forward in my seat. Breathing out, I let the tension go.

  “Guy’s a douche,” I muttered, hating he flirted like I would’ve with a pretty girl. I forced myself to sit back in my seat and tried my best to look entertained and interested in what everyone was saying. But I found my attention wandering to watch Lexy as she conversed with the popped-collar jerk behind the wheel.

  She laughed often, making him smile in return. Their conversation moved to her studies and then to her plans for the upcoming weekend. Due to Alex’s raucous laughter, I didn’t get to hear Lexy’s answer or Bryce’s follow up question.

  The moment we pulled up in front of Lexy’s building, I was out of the van and pulling open Lexy’s door.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, gaping at me in confusion, her mouth set in a frown.

  “Being a gentleman and opening the door for you, wife,” I answered, forcing a smile on my face.

  She rolled her eyes and pushed past me to the back of the van where Bryce had gotten out to help her get her things.

  “That’s fine, boss. I’ve got it,” I said to him, elbowing my way past him and grabbing Lexy’s bags.

  “Jeez, Travis. Rude much?” Ava said as I hefted Lexy’s suitcase out of the back, not bothering to grab Ava’s.

  “No worries, Ava. Bryce seems like a helpful guy. Right, Bryce?”

  Uber douche glanced at Lexy before nodding at Ava. “Yeah, sure. I’ll help you.”

  He made to reach for the bag, but Alex came up and did what I had.

  “Just get in the damn car, Bryce. These guys aren’t going to make it easy on you,” Mason shouted from the backseat.

  Bryce cast us a quick look before giving Lexy a smile. “Hope I see you around,” he called out, backing away.

  “Me too,” she answered, sending him a genuine smile. I rolled my eyes, and he went back to his seat.

  “Did you get his number?” Ava demanded as Alex and I followed them up the walkway to their apartment.

  “I’ll tell you later,” Lexy answered.

  I ground my teeth, following them upstairs to their place.

  When Ava opened the door, I followed Lexy to her room, leaving Alex to talk with Ava.

  “You could’ve left my bags at the door,” Lexy said as she dropped her carry-on bag onto her perfectly made bed.

  “And you could’ve not been more obvious.” I smirked back at her.

  She lifted an eyebrow at me. “Oh, please. Do tell.”

  “With the Uber douche. You were practically drooling over him.”

  She chuckled and moved toward me. My breath hitched as she placed her hand on my chest.

  “Jealous?”

  I ground my teeth as I stared down at her. Jealous? Me? Why would I be jealous?

  I scoffed. “You wish.”

  Lexy’s lips curved up in the sexiest, little smirk as she stared up at me, her body nearly touching mine.

  “He asked for my number.”

  “Did you give it to him?” I growled.

  “Thought you weren’t jealous?” She cocked her head at me. A whoosh of air left her as my hands landed on her waist and tugged her body flush against mine.

  “I’m not,” I said in a low tone. She shivered against me as I tightened my hold on her. “But, Mrs. Owens, that finger of yours looks awfully bare.”

  “So does yours,” she answered in a thick voice.

  I let out a soft chuckle as I nuzzled my nose through her mass of hair and taking a breath of her floral scent. My heart ratcheted in my chest at the intoxicating smell.

  “Wear your ring, wife. Make your husband happy.”

  “You’re not the boss of me,” she said in a throaty whisper as I took her hand and slid her ring on. She didn’t fight me on it, much to my relief.

  “Need I remind you of how I made your toes curl a few nights ago, my name falling off those succulent lips?”

  She shivered against me again.

  “I’d say that makes me boss, honey pot.”

  She let out a soft chuckle before going up on her tiptoes. I immediately inclined my head as her lips brushed against the shell of my ear, her whispered words making my cock harden in my jeans.

  “I think that makes me boss. Husband.”

  I swallowed down a groan as she pulled completely away from me, her hips swaying in her tight jeans. She went to her bed and started unpacking like she hadn’t just lit my world on fire.

  “Let’s do this right. Wear the ring,” I said as I walked to her bedroom door, my legs shaking slightly.

  “We’ll see,” was all she said as she placed a pile of her t-shirts on the bed.

  I continued to eye her silently as she pulled out her lacy panties and placed them next to the shirts, my ring on her finger glinting from the sunlight streaming in through her window. “You play hard ball, Hale.”

  “I play to win, Owens.” She didn’t turn around but continued unpacking like nothing bothered her about the moment.

  It only made my cock ache more.

  Twenty-Seven

  Lexy

  I don’t know how I survived the moment in my bedroom with Travis, but I did. As a reward, I took the glass of wine Ava offered me a few hours later as we sat watching a movie.

  “So, babe…Uber guy? Did you get his number?”

  “Yeah,” I answered, sipping my drink, my eyes glued to the romantic comedy on TV.

  “Are you going to call him? He was hot.” Ava fanned herself for emphasis.

  “Maybe.” I shrugged. “He was hot though.”

  We both giggled.

  “Wait. What the hell are you wearing?” She grabbed my hand and stared down at the silver band. “Girl…what?”

  I snatched my hand back and bit
my bottom lip.

  “Lexy, what the hell happened in Vegas with Travis? You guys disappeared. Now you’re wearing a wedding band?” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Spill now. Did you sleep with him?”

  “What?” I squeaked, shaking my head, my ponytail swinging wildly. “No!”

  The lie felt ugly and unnatural on my tongue as I widened my eyes at her, pleading silently for her to believe me.

  “It’s just, uh, Travis really wants to take this project seriously.” I swallowed thickly as Ava popped a brow at me. “He thought the rings would be a nice touch. More official.”

  “You didn’t sleep together?” she asked skeptically. “Because you both have been acting weird since that night.”

  I didn’t want to completely lie to her. I felt like a shitty friend not telling her the truth, but I was hoping to get through the semester with no one ever knowing I’d gotten drunk, married him, and then let him dazzle me enough to get me into bed. From my memory, I knew it wasn’t all him, but still. I hated I’d fallen for him enough to have wanted him. Having any sort of feelings for Travis could get a girl hurt.

  “We kissed.” I said the small kernel of truth in a small voice. “I drank too much. He offered to take me back to the house. We kissed before I went to bed. That’s it.”

  “Wow.” Ava shook her head, her eyes still wide. “How was it?”

  “What?” I wrinkled my nose at her.

  She rolled her eyes and giggled. “Come on, girl! It’s Travis. All the girls want him. He’s a panty-soaker! Don’t even try to deny he has it going on. What was it like?”

  “I don’t know.” I laughed awkwardly. “We were really drunk. I-I guess it was soft. Fierce. He took the lead.” I touched my lips absently, the hazy memory of his lips on mine making butterflies dance in my belly.

  Ava smirked at me. “He got to you.”

  “What?” I dropped my hand away from my face and scowled at her. “No he didn’t. He’s a pain in my ass. It was a mistake. It hasn’t happened since. We’re just… married.”