#Player

by Cambria Hebert

  He pulled his fingers through my hair and we lay there in lazy silence for a long while.

  “You feel a little thin,” he said lightly after a while. “You losing weight?”

  “I’ve just been so busy catching up with classes and trying to fit in time at the shelter that I’ve missed a couple meals.” I felt her grimace against me. “I’m sorry.”

  “Why you sorry?”

  “I know you’d probably prefer someone that wasn’t so small.”

  “I prefer you. Period,” Romeo said, his voice final. “But I want you healthy. I don’t want you to be so stressed you forget to eat.”

  “It’s just been a lot lately,” I confided.

  He exhaled. “I know.”

  Murphy got up from his position near my foot and stretched. Then he walked around the mattress on Romeo’s side so he could sit down in front of me and stare.

  I laughed. “I think Murphy wants his breakfast.”

  Romeo chuckled. “How about we feed Murphy, then go out for pancakes?”

  “I think you have a deal.” A whole day with him sounded like heaven. Ignoring the slight hangover I felt from the Smurf Balls (what was I thinking?), I went out to the kitchen with Murphy on my heels. As soon as he was eating, I went back in the bedroom where Romeo was.

  He was standing in the center of the room, completely naked, rubbing a hand over his hair. “I’m pretty sure the restaurant we go to isn’t clothing optional.” Even as I spoke the words, my eyes traveled over his body. If a man could be perfection, then Romeo was the definition. He was physically unflawed.

  Well, technically, he was flawed because his arm was broken, but that didn’t count.

  I don’t think he had an ounce of body fat on him. Every single part of him was solid and sculpted. His abs were totally defined, and when I ran my fingers over them, I could feel every single muscle. He had a long waist and it stretched all the way down into a V-shaped muscle almost like it was creating an arrow to his well-developed manhood. His legs were strong and his thighs were thick. Even his calves were muscular.

  He caught me looking, and a slow, devilish smile pulled at his lips. “Enjoying the view?”

  I smiled. “Maybe.”

  He prowled toward me, and my muscles loosened, already anticipating his touch. He came so close we were almost touching, and he dipped his head so our mouths were almost fused. I swayed forward to close the distance, and he pulled back, denying me his lips.

  My eyes opened and I glared at him.

  He chuckled. “I’m gonna take a shower before we head out.”

  “Good. You smell.”

  “Aww, don’t be like that, Smalls.” The teasing note in his voice didn’t go unnoticed.

  “Like what?”

  “Grouchy because I didn’t give you what you wanted.”

  “Who said I wanted anything?” I sniffed.

  He leaned close again, his breath dancing across my lips and the warmth from his large frame radiating against me. “Oh, you want it.”

  My tongue slid over my teeth as I stared into his blue, blue eyes. My hand went up to fist in the blond hair at the nape of his neck. I made sure my grip was just a little too tight. “Well, if you won’t give it to me, I guess I’m gonna have to take it.”

  I pulled his mouth to mine and took charge of our kiss. I stroked my tongue deep into his mouth and swirled it around with his. He groaned and wrapped his arm around me and pulled me up against his rock-hard body.

  Before I pulled away, I nipped at his lower lip and then smiled.

  “Damn, Smalls,” he said, breathless.

  I swiped at his lower lip with my thumb. “You shouldn’t offer things if you don’t want me to collect.”

  “Baby, you can collect anything of mine anytime.”

  He released me and stepped back. “I want to take this splint off and the sleeve under it so I can shower without worrying about getting it wet. I’m gonna need some help, though. Think you can help me out?”

  “I guess the pancakes can wait.”

  The shower didn’t go exactly as he planned because I wouldn’t let him move around too much with his splint off and because I wasn’t about to get all my hair wet that I just washed and Ivy styled the night before.

  But even with the limitations, by the time the water shut off, both of us were extra clean and Romeo was a happy man.

  Once he was dressed with the sleeve, splint, and sling back in place, I went in the bathroom to brush out my hair and apply lotion to my face. I was about to pull the heavy length up into its usual messy bun, but at the last minute, I decided against it. It was still shiny and partially styled from last night. Ivy used enough hairspray that it was no surprise. Since I brushed it out, the curls were a lot looser and it kind of looked like that “beachy” look Ivy said was so in style.

  I ran my fingers through it one last time and adjusted the glasses on my nose. Out in the bedroom, I looked around for something to put on, but most of my stuff was back at the dorm. Since I started back to classes, I’d taken most of it back.

  “Ugh, I don’t have anything to wear,” I muttered.

  “Wear those jeans you had on last night. With the rips in them,” Romeo said.

  I glanced around at him. He was staring down at his phone. “You liked those?”

  “Hells yeah. They were hot.”

  I had to admit this pleased me. Yeah, I was the girl who didn’t really care and liked sweats over everything else, but I did want Romeo to like looking at me. I made a mental note to rummage through my drawers and find more jeans like this pair.

  I pulled them on along with my boots. I grimaced at the black top I was wearing last night lying on the floor. “Can we swing by the dorm? I need something to wear.”

  “Sure, baby. While you’re there, get a bunch of stuff. You can just keep it here.”

  It was a small thing. Something most people probably wouldn’t even think twice about. But for some reason, the idea of moving some of my stuff in here made my heart stumble in beat.

  He must have sensed my reaction because he tore his eyes from his phone again. “Rim?”

  “You’re giving me a drawer?” I asked.

  “I should have done it a long time ago.”

  The look on my face must have given away my feelings. He gave me an odd look. “You keep stuff here all the time.”

  “In a bag. On the floor. So I can take it with me when I go.”

  A looked crossed his face, and he tossed his phone on the bed. A string of whispered curse words left his lips as he came forward. “I never thought of it like that before.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry?”

  “I keep telling you we’re for keeps. I keep telling you you’re it for me.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “But then I bring you here where you have to live out of a suitcase. I never realized what kind of message that sent.”

  I shook my head. He was taking it wrong. I never meant to imply that how we’d been together was anything other than wonderful. “I never felt that way.”

  He made a sound in the back of his throat and stalked across the room toward his dresser. He grasped the handles and pulled out the drawer. I watched as he overturned it and dumped everything out on the floor. T-shirts and socks fell around his feet.

  “Romeo!”

  Then he did it to another drawer, adding to the mess on the floor.

  “There’s room in the closet too,” he said and dropped the now empty drawer and moved toward the closet. I grabbed his hand. “Please don’t make a mess in your closet.”

  His eyes caught on mine and held. His gaze was intense and unwavering. “Those drawers are yours now. You can take over my bathroom too. Girly creams, hair products, whatever. Bring it on.”

  I laughed. “I don’t have a lot of products.”

  “Whatever you have, I want to see it next to my stuff. I want to walk in the door and see more of you than just those sexy slippers.”

  “All
this because I couldn’t find a shirt to wear,” I mused.

  “All this because I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  From the bed, his cell made a noise.

  He ignored it and twirled the ends of my hair around his fingers. “I almost decked that guy for touching your hair last night.”

  “What guy?” I asked, wrinkling my nose.

  “Beer breath,” he muttered. “Seriously. What kind of guy drinks anything called Smurf Balls?”

  I laughed. “You and Braeden?”

  “Hush, woman.” He kissed me quick and grabbed his phone. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”

  On our way out, I thought about something. “Wasn’t Braeden supposed to come back here last night?”

  His truck was still parked in the driveway.

  Romeo grunted. “Yeah, but he ended up with… alternate plans.”

  I shook my head. “A one-night stand? Really?”

  “B’s a dog, babe.” Romeo said it like it was some travesty and shook his head. “I mean, what can I say?”

  I laughed.

  “This is him.” He held up his phone, which was still going off every few seconds. “We’re gonna pick him up on campus and bring him back here.”

  We stopped beside the Hellcat. “Does he want to eat with us?”

  “Probably.” He glanced up. “You okay with that?”

  I shrugged. “BBFL.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  I told him.

  He shook his head. “Only Braeden.”

  I held out my hand, palm up. Romeo gave me a look.

  “Keys.” I demanded and lifted my eyebrows.

  “You wanna drive?”

  “The less you do with your arm, the better.”

  He started shaking his head.

  “Roman Anderson, are you about to sass me?” I said in my best stern tone.

  “Sass?” he mocked. “If I do, will you get out your wooden spoon and spank me?”

  Only Romeo could turn my attempt at being bossy into a sexual innuendo.

  I gave up and dove my hand into the front pocket of his jeans.

  He gasped like a drama queen. “Rim! What will the neighbors think?”

  I pulled out the keys and waved them in the air victoriously.

  He opened the driver’s door for me, and as I was getting in, he slapped me on the butt. “Don’t forget the books, baby. Can’t have you not able to see over the wheel.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him.

  He grinned.

  When we were pulling out of the driveway, I asked him where Braeden was on campus so I could stop there before I went to change.

  Romeo gave me a slightly proud look. “He’s in your building.”

  Of course he was.

  Chapter Twenty

  Romeo

  I think my tongue might be bleeding.

  You know why?

  Because I spent the entire drive to campus biting the shit out of it to keep from yelling at Rim as she drove.

  To get right to the heart of the matter, my girl was trying to murder my transmission.

  But damn, did she try. The way she bit her lower lip and frowned in concentration as we drove (drove = jerked around on the road) was damned cute.

  What wasn’t cute?

  The moans of torture my Hellcat made and the blaring horns of angry drivers at the green light she stalled out in front of.

  I almost pissed myself in relief when she pulled into a parking spot near her dorm.

  After she cut the engine, she turned to me with a huge smile lighting her face. “I made it!”

  “Well.” I began and took in her smile and happy eyes. “We didn’t die.”

  She gasped. “That’s a terrible thing to say!”

  Well, shit.

  Then she started laughing. “Oh my God, that was awful! I can’t believe you didn’t yell at me one time.”

  I stuck out my tongue. “How bad is it bleeding?”

  She leapt forward and kissed my tongue.

  “I’ll get better!” She bounded out of the car like she was indeed proud of herself for not killing us.

  It was cute she thought I was going to suffer through that again.

  I apologized to the car before I joined her on the sidewalk.

  Upstairs at Rimmel’s door, I pulled out my phone and texted B that we were here as she stuck her head in the room to make sure everyone was decent.

  She gave me the all clear, and I walked in behind her. Ivy was sitting at her desk, watching a movie on her laptop with a pair of headphones around her neck. She had a mug of coffee in her hands and was still in her pajamas.

  “Hey.” She gave me a wave, and I hitched my chin at her. “I’m surprised to see you guys.”

  “I needed some clothes.” Rimmel told her, rummaging around in her dresser. Beside her was an open bag that she was throwing some extra clothes into. I imagined her stuff scattered around my place, and it felt right.

  A groan rumbled from Rim’s side of the room, and I glanced around. Rimmel and Ivy giggled as they pointed toward her bed. All I saw was a pile of blankets and some pillows.

  But then it moved.

  A dark head peeked out from beneath the covers. “What time is it?” Missy groaned.

  “It’s after noon,” Ivy said.

  “Someone had too many Smurf Balls last night,” I said.

  Missy moaned and grabbed a pillow and pulled it over her head. When she did, a piece of paper slid off the bed and fluttered to the floor.

  “You don’t look very hung-over,” I told Ivy as I bent to pick up the paper.

  “I didn’t drink after you guys left.”

  So she’d kept her word and stayed sober. I had to admit I was surprised, and I said as much.

  “Romeo,” Rimmel scolded me for the honest observation.

  Ivy shrugged. “People change.”

  I glanced at Rimmel and thought about all the ways she changed me. “I can understand that.”

  “What is that?” Rimmel asked, staring down at the paper in my hand.

  I shrugged. “It fell off your bed.”

  A look passed behind her eyes, and I felt my own narrow.

  “I’ll take it.” She held out her hand.

  Yeah. Like I was going to just hand it over after that reaction. I held it up, and she grabbed at it. I held it up out of her reach, and she growled.

  I ignored her and looked at the paper.

  It was a bill.

  From the hospital.

  I lowered my arm and pinned her with a look. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

  She snatched it away and tucked it beneath some stuff on her desk. “It just came.”

  The paper said she was uninsured, even though I know damn well she handed the nurse her insurance card that night.

  Is that what she was talking to the snooty bitch at the nurses station about before we left?

  “Was that shit not covered by your insurance?” I demanded. She shouldn’t have to worry about a hospital bill for treatment she received for being attacked.

  It made me want to pound Zach all over again.

  There was knock at the door, and Rimmel rushed away to answer it. “Baby sis!” Braeden said the second the door was open. He rushed in and lifted her off her feet. “You need to eat something,” he told her.

  “You smell like beer!” She wrinkled her nose and pushed away from him.

  “What are you doing here?” Ivy asked, rolling her eyes.

  “I was in the building. Thought I’d stop by.”

  Ivy’s eyes slid to Rimmel’s bed where Missy was and frowned. “Whatever,” she said and turned back to her computer.

  Rimmel zipped up the bag she’d been packing. “Done.” When she straightened, she had a pale-blue sweater in her hands. “I just need to change. Then we can go.”

  Her eyes slid to Ivy and then back at me. I nodded.

  “Hey, we’re going out for pancakes. You guys
wanna come?”

  Ivy spun around and looked at Rimmel. “Is he coming?” She looked at Braeden.

  “Girl, you know I’m the highlight of your day.” He grinned at her, and she rolled her eyes.

  “You guys are like the loudest people on the earth,” Missy yelled, pulling the pillow off her head.

  “Is that a yes for pancakes?” I asked.

  “Is there coffee involved?” Missy groaned.

  Rimmel laughed.

  Ivy stood up and shooed me and Braeden to the door. “Let us change.”

  “We ain’t got time for that,” Braeden said. “You’re so high maintenance, if we wait on you, we won’t eat ‘til tomorrow.”

  “Should I just wear my pajamas, then?” Ivy asked, her voice dripping with sweet sarcasm.

  “You’ve looked better,” Braeden deadpanned.

  She launched herself at him, her fist swinging. I caught her and towed her backward.

  “Out!” Rimmel ordered. B and I vanished into the hall.

  “You’re losing your touch with the ladies,” I told him, highly amused.

  “I might agree. If I thought she was a lady.”

  I grinned.

  A few minutes later, Ivy and Missy came out into the hall. Both of them were dressed down with their hair up in ponytails. Missy was wearing a pair of sunglasses, and Braeden laughed.

  “You gotta lay off the sauce, Miss.”

  “Ha-ha,” she muttered.

  I pushed open the door and stepped in the room before Rimmel could come out. I wanted to take the last opportunity to be alone with her for a while.

  I had answers to get.

  She left the ripped-up jeans and boots on but replaced the black shirt she was wearing for a long-sleeved white T-shirt. Over top was a pale-blue sweater with a short hem and a large white heart on the chest. Because the sweater was short, her T-shirt peeked out from beneath it and skimmed her hips.

  “Ready?” she asked, picking up her bag.

  “Rimmel.”

  Her shoulders slumped a little. “It’s just a bill, Romeo.”

  “I thought you had insurance.”

  “I did too,” she muttered.

  “What?”

  Her sigh was heavy. “Apparently, I no longer have a policy.”

  “How does that even happen?” I wondered.

  “According to your mother’s file, my father lost his job. My insurance was through him.”