Love Tumble (Love at First Sight Book 2)

by Poppy Parkes

  Kate

  This can’t be happening.

  This is not how today was supposed to go.

  At least not my day. I’m not the one whose life falls apart on the day of a new job. And sure, while some of my togetherness is due to luck, I’m not okay with finding myself unable to take care of her own shit.

  I’m usually the one my three friends lean on. Hell, Emmy and Hattie and I just helped Amelia through getting left at the altar not that long ago, and now we’re supporting her through a surprise pregnancy. And it’s not that I mind. I love being there for my friends and loved ones.

  Being the one needing help, though? I’m not a fan. It’s always been a point of pride that I’m the most put-together person I know.

  Maybe that saying about pride and falls isn’t just some meaningless platitude after all.

  Still, if I need to be taken care of, there’s something oddly lovely about being taken care of by Harry. He’s soft and strong in all the right ways, and I can tell that he’s got a quick wit too. The way his arms support me as we walk — well, as he walks and I stumble — is as possessive as it is tender. To my surprise, I like it.

  It takes longer than it should, but Harry gets me to the medical center. The whole way, a stream of reassurances and soothing distractions flows from him. I latch onto his words like they’re a life preserver, allowing them to draw my attention away from just how hard it is to stay upright.

  When we get to the clinic, Harry helps me to check in. A nurse appears with a wheelchair and he and Harry ease me into it. My companion wheels me to the waiting room where there are a few patients already waiting. I take strange comfort from the fact that I’m not the only one getting her ass kicked by the first day of school.

  I fumble in my handbag, miraculously still slung over an elbow, for my cell phone. I begin to type out an email to my supervisor, explaining the situation.

  Harry’s eyes are on me in a second. “What are you doing?”

  I blink against the brightness of my phone screen. It sears into my eyes and makes my head ache all the more. “I need to email my boss.”

  He grabs my phone. There it is again — that cocktail of domination and kindness. His actions are gentle but certain. He’s in charge, and he won’t take any argument.

  To my surprise, I find my blood humming in response to his decisive actions.

  If my head didn’t hurt so much and my thighs weren’t suddenly clenching together in arousal, I’d laugh. Because really, the situation is ridiculous. Girl collides with boy, boy insists on taking girl to the doctor, girl and boy fall madly in love and live happily ever after? That just doesn’t happen in real life.

  And yet, when I look into Harry’s blue eyes, stomach twisting at how they crinkle up at the corners when he smiles at me, I think I spy something like what I’m feeling reflected back at me.

  Or maybe that’s just my potential concussion.

  My stomach lurches, not so pleasant this time, as the thought jerks me back to reality.

  “Do you really think I’m about to let you look at your phone? That’s a no-no for concussion care,” he says, wagging a finger at me, eyes dancing in mischief.

  “But —“

  “I’ll email your boss.”

  My nether regions tighten. He’s so confident that he’s right, and that I’ll let him do what he demands. Even in my compromised position, it’s fucking hot.

  And he’s right. Even though it’s not at all my usual, I find that I want to give in to him.

  I wonder what else he might require from me if all options were on the table. A shiver travels like ice over my flesh at the thought.

  Harry notices. “Are you okay?”

  I feel my cheeks heat. “Um, yeah, it was just a chill. Now, are you going to write that email or not?”

  “At your service, m’lady.” He bows his torso, and I notice the defined hills and valleys of his back muscles as his shirt stretches against them. “Your wish is my command.”

  I feel a naughty smile pass over my lips. I wonder if he’s guessed that the situation is quite the reverse — I’m his to order to do his whim.

  He notices my smirk. Is it just my imagination or do his eyes darken and hood in brief arousal before he clears his throat and turns his attention to my phone?

  God, I hope it’s not only my imagination. Because in spite of myself, I’m finding myself quickly falling head over heels for this guy.

  Harry

  It’s not long before it’s Kate’s turn to be seen. The nurse comes to wheel her back to an exam room. I stand, intending to join her.

  “Sorry,” the male nurse says, giving me an apologetic shrug. “Family only.”

  “But —”

  “Look, you’re a student right?”

  I nod, sensing where this is going and hating every second of it.

  “She’s staff. So family only — for everybody, but doubly so for this situation. I’m sorry.”

  He doesn’t wait for me to respond but pushes Kate’s wheelchair beyond where I can see. She was silent through the exchange, but her eyes were hot on my flesh. When the nurse had turned her away from me, she’d deflated.

  I pace the length of the now-empty waiting room, trying to sort out my feelings. My blood is boiling with frustration, but I understand that the clinic staff have to preserve their patients’ confidentiality — especially when it’s a student trying to bust into a teacher’s exam. I get that.

  It doesn’t mean I like it.

  And what did it mean, the way Kate looked at me? Her gaze was loaded, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what it means. For a second, I thought it might be that she wants me. Like, wants me.

  My dick twitches at the mere thought that my attraction to Kate might not be one-sided. Down boy, I tell myself. My sex life isn’t exactly the most pressing issue here.

  The receptionist leans across the check-in desk. “You’re good to go. You don’t have to wait. You can get back to class.”

  I almost laugh at her suggestion before I realize that she’s serious. She probably thinks I’m just some random student who happened across Kate and helped her get to the clinic.

  Which I am.

  But I’m also so much more than that.

  I think. I certainly want to be.

  Fuck. I shake my head, confused.

  One thing I’m sure of, though, is that I have no intention of leaving.

  “Nah, I’ll wait.”

  She arches an eyebrow at me. “Fine. Then wait. In a chair. Your pacing is making me nervous.”

  “Oh.” I feel the back of my neck grow hot. “Right. Sorry.” I sit, donning what I hope is a contrite expression.

  She nods at me and spins her chair back to her work, leaving me to my thoughts.

  Which are a jumble. Because this whole morning seems unbelievable in its momentousness. It’s a cliché, but meeting Kate has rocked my world to its foundation. Suddenly, everything feels different.

  I mean, I’m still all-in on my education. That’s never been in question, even when I was a kid growing up in the wrong part of town, living with a single mother crippled by severe depression who struggled to make ends meet. Nobody expected me to make something of myself. But now here I am, going to school on a full-ride scholarship thanks to my impeccable grades, one year away from a degree in business.

  Once I graduate, I intend to put the skills I’ve been cultivating to good use in supporting my mother. She’s a great lady — it’s not her fault that she couldn’t always afford the medication that made her functional. She always put my needs over her own, even when I wished she wouldn’t. So when money was tight, she chose to feed me rather than herself — and that included forgoing paying for her meds.

  It’s my turn to help her, to give back, and that’s what has kept me on track through high school and college.

  But now, something about Kate has changed everything. I mean, clearly it hasn’t — but at the same time, I don’t think I can just w
alk away from this woman. I’m drawn to her.

  It’s like with my mom. I’m laser-focused on achieving my goals for both of our benefit. And with Kate, I’m all in on knowing her, winning her, and making her mine.

  So I sit in the campus medical center, trying to ignore my mounting concern for Kate — and my fear that she doesn’t want me like I want her. This woman is magnetic and I cannot walk away from her without trying to claim her heart as my own.

  Kate

  When the doctor leaves the exam room to finish up my paperwork, I check my messages and email. There’s no word from my boss yet, but the group text I share with Amelia, Emmy, and Hattie is active.

  Hattie was the last one to text.

  How’s your first day, teach?

  I groan and type back. I’m at campus medical. I hit my head. It’s not a concussion, but the semester isn’t exactly off to a great start.

  A moment later, Emmy’s message appears on my screen. Omg what?!

  Amelia’s text pops up a moment later. I thought you were teaching poli sci, not wrestling. What happened?

  I quickly reply, grateful for the Tylenol the nurse had popped in with a little while ago. My alarm didn’t go off, so I was running late and rushing and not being careful. I basically clobbered myself and another guy. I’m okay, though, promise.

  You were late? Even in writing Hattie sounds incredulous.

  I tap back my reply. I know. Believe me, I know.

  I’m coming to pick you up, she texts.

  No, it’s fine. The guy I knocked over is here. Thinking of Harry waiting for me out in the lobby makes my heart beat a little faster. I smile to myself.

  The group message is quiet for a moment. Then all three of my friends text at once.

  Oooh a guy? ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)

  Wait what? Do tell!

  Well that’s one way to get a man. :D

  I snort at my friends’ replies. Normally I’d tell them to not get their panties in a twist.

  Except this time, there’s a guy worth getting excited about. A guy that I am excited about.

  I hear footsteps approaching the other side of the door. Gotta go, the doc’s coming back. I’ll fill you in later. I send my reply then stash my phone back in my bag as the door opens.

  A few minutes later, I’m pushing through the door into the waiting room, armed with my discharge papers and a strict recommendation to get rest, stay hydrated, and keep taking Tylenol.

  Harry leaps to his feet when he sees me and is at my side a moment later. His gaze roves my body as if checking for further injuries. “How are you holding up?” His voice is rich with genuine concern, and I melt at his caring.

  “I’m okay. It was just a bump, Not a concussion.”

  Harry heaves a relieved sigh. “I’m so glad to hear that. I was really worried for a bit there.”

  “It’s okay. I feel way better, and look — I can walk like a real person again!” I hold my arms out and execute a very slow but steady twirl.

  He rewards me with a grin. “Very nice, very nice.” His eyes are traveling my form again, and I get the distinct impression that this time it’s for his own enjoyment. “I like what I see.”

  “All hail Tylenol, the vanquisher of headaches.” I cringe a little. “Sorry for all these medieval references. Cheesy, huh?”

  “Not cheesy. Topical. After all, you were a damsel in distress for a while there.”

  Without thinking, I step closer to him so that my chest almost brushes his. “And you were my knight in shining armor.”

  He moves as if to put his arms around me, then hesitates, frowning as if he’s not sure what to do. After a moment, he reaches out with a careful hand and tucks my hair behind my ear. “M’lady,” he murmurs.

  And that’s it.

  That’s the moment that I decide — I’m all his.

  I throw my free arm around him, the other still clutching my bundle of papers for the class that I never made it to. I drink in his aroma of oranges and soap, savoring his scent.

  He steps into my touch, clasping my body to his. His arms are strong around me, making me feel as safe as I do aroused. I’m not the only one — I can feel his hardness pressing into my thigh, and it stokes my own internal fires.

  The sound of a throat clearing pops the rosy bubble that ensconces Harry and I. Glancing to one side, I see the receptionist staring pointedly at us.

  “Oh. Um, sorry. Do I need to check out?” I ask, red-faced.

  She shakes her head. “You’re all set.”

  “Thank you,” I say. Taking Harry’s hand in mine, I hurriedly tug him out the door into the September sunshine. He knits his fingers with mine. Once we’re outside, he doesn’t let go.

  “I expect you’ll be going home to rest then?” Harry says. Do I detect an edge of disappointment in his voice?

  “Doctor’s recommendation. But,” I grin, “he also said I could get up to my regular hijinks as I see fit.”

  Harry cocks his head at me, confused by the contradiction between what I’m saying and how I’m saying it. “Okay . . .”

  “I wouldn’t mind some company. To help me celebrate my non-concussed state.” I pause, suddenly stricken as I take in the students trekking across campus to and from class. “But no, I’m sorry, you have class, I shouldn’t assume —“

  “If you’re asking me to join you, no matter what you’re planning, I’m in.” He steps close, running his hands down my back until they rest just above the curve of my ass. I shiver. “I only had the one class today anyway. And I’ve just met the most wonderful woman.”

  I raise my eyebrows, playing along. “Did you now?”

  “Yep. She’s stunning. Stubborn as hell. She teaches college courses, so she’s smart too. Basically the total package.”

  My cheeks are on fire, lit by his compliments. “She sounds pretty great. Are you sure she’s the real deal?”

  He looks me straight in the eyes, stone-cold serious. “I’m positive.”

  “And you don’t think it’s weird, pairing up with a teacher at your college?”

  “Do you teach business courses?”

  I shake my head no.

  “That’s all I have left to take. This woman, she’s not my lecturer. Doesn’t even teach in my department. I think we’re safe.” He tightens his grip, pulling me closer so I can feel his erection again. It makes my pussy lips twitch with hunger. “Now, the question is: does this stunning, stubborn, smart woman want me to take her home and celebrate her recovery by thoroughly pleasuring her?” He pops an eyebrow at me. “What do you think?”

  My knees are positively weak at how quickly we’ve gone from strangers with chemistry to him boldly stating in plain terms that he wants to fuck me.

  I utter a silent apology to Amelia for ever doubting that lust — and maybe even love — at first sight could happen for me. Because it’s happening right now, in the most unlikely of ways.

  Thanks to a late alarm and an inconveniently timed — or perhaps perfectly timed, depending on how you look at it — head bump, I’m tucked into the arms of a man that not only turns me on like no other but also melts my heart.

  “I think,” I say, slowly trailing a finger over Harry’s chest, aching to explore what’s beneath his clothing, “that your stunning, stubborn, smart woman would like that very much.”

  Harry

  This is supposed to be the stuff of every incumbent male college student’s wet dream, a chance campus run-in leading to an invitation to pussy town. And with a teacher? Even better.

  Except that’s not what I’ve ever fantasized about. I’m in school to earn an education — and a ticket up in the world for myself and my mom.

  I mean, I’m no prude. Nor am I a virgin. I had my first time my sophomore year, with a girl named Becca. She was on the woman’s crew team and we met at a spring sports banquet. We’d had the chemistry but not the heart connection, so we’d ended up enjoying a friends-with-benefits sort of situation. It ended when she decided to study abro
ad in Japan.

  It was fun — but it’s nothing compared to my pull to Kate.

  Becca was sweet candy and beer, and Kate is filet mignon paired with a glass of rich pinot noir. Kate is the sun to my earth, and I expect that I’ll feel cold and gray without her light shining on me.

  I wanted Becca.

  But I need Kate.

  At least, I need to try to make her mine, to claim her heart and body for my own.

  And, judging by her invitation, she feels the same. About me claiming her body, at least.

  I can work with that.

  Not wanting to let her out of my sight, fearing that she’ll evaporate like a dream, I offer to drive her to my place. She hesitates, and I’d bet good money that she’s imagining the stereotypical undergrad guy’s dump of a place. Not that I blame her — that’s the stereotype for a reason. But she nods, and I grin to myself, knowing that she’ll be pleasantly surprised when she sees my digs.

  The ride across the town of Shotgun feels both brief and interminable. I want more time because hell, I’m about to get intimate with the most exquisite woman I’ve ever seen, and I’m nervous. At the same time, my hands demand to touch her, and now.

  We don’t speak, but I notice Kate picking and bending the corners of the manila folders resting on her lap. She’s nervous too.

  I reach across to take her hand in mine. “Hey,” I say, squeezing. I’m watching the road, but I can feel her eyes snap to me. “We don’t have to do anything more than talk. Or I can drop you anywhere you’d like to go.”

  She squeezes my hand in return. “I want to do this. I want you. I — I’ve just never done anything like this before.”

  “Me neither. It’s not something I ever thought I’d do. But for some reason this feels right.” My heart’s hammering as I speak so vulnerably. I’m a truthful guy, but I’m not used to putting my heart out there for a woman I feel so deeply bonded with to accept or reject me.

  But I wouldn’t have it any other way — I’d rather be spurned by Kate than never try to win her in the first place. She’s worth the risk. It turns out Shakespeare was right, it really is better to have loved and lost than to never have gotten in the damn game at all.