Full Court Devotion (4 page)

He
nodded. “I can understand that. You told me you’re going to change the world.
How?”

Kazlyn
gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Well, hopefully change it for some children. I
want to get a master’s in speech pathology, so I can help children with speech
problems. Here and hopefully in some third-world nations.”

“Wow.
That’s great.”

“What
about you? You’re going into P.E.?”

“I’ll
have a double bachelor’s in physical education and exercise science this spring.
I want to coach, but I want to understand all the facets of the human body and
exercise, so I can really help my students be successful. So many coaches made
a difference in my life. I’d love to do that.” He took her cocoa cup, set it on
the table, and wrapped both of his hands around hers. The heat from his fingers
seemed to spread throughout her entire body. “After I play in Europe.”

Her
eyebrows shot up. “You’re playing in Europe?”

“I’ll
start a month after I graduate. I’ve just got to decide which team.”

“Wow.
That would be amazing.” But the thought of him being in Europe made her sad.
Crazy. She didn’t even know him that well and next year she’d be in the middle
of an intensive master’s program. “How long would you stay in Europe?”

“At
least five years. It’s a big commitment, but the money’s amazing. I could help my
mom pay the house off and setup college funds for my sisters. Then, hopefully,
I could come back to the states and coach high school or college.”

He
just kept impressing her. A double bachelor’s degree wasn’t easing through
school like some of the other athletes she’d met. She loved that he wanted to
make great money, so he could take care of his mom and sisters.

A
slow song drifted to them from the ice-skating pond. Ty tugged her to her feet.
“Will you dance with me?”

“Sure.”
Dance.
How she missed it.

She
rested her face against his chest. His clean smell radiated through his coat.
He was so well-built, making her feel safe and setting her heart thumping at
the same time.

The
dance ended all too soon and she started shivering the moment she left his
arms. Ty must’ve thought it was because she was cold, the truth was she
immediately missed being surrounded by his strength.

“I’d
better get you home,” he said.

Kazlyn
knew the night couldn’t last, but she didn’t want to leave his side.

The
drive home was full of light-hearted banter and when he left her on the
doorstep with one more gentle hug, Kazlyn thought she must be in heaven. It was
the middle of the night before she realized he’d said nothing about seeing her
again and hadn’t even asked for her cell number. Maybe he hadn’t enjoyed the
date as much as she had.

Ty
could’ve
kicked himself. He’d been so into the hug on the doorstep and arguing with
himself whether he dared try for a brief kiss, he hadn’t stopped to think. Kazlyn
had whispered goodbye in a husky voice that seemed to say she was as affected
by the hug as he was. He’d walked away grinning. He was in his truck and driving
home before he realized he hadn’t asked for her number or what her schedule was
like the rest of the weekend. As serious as she was about school, he doubted
she’d want to go out during finals week, and she was going home Wednesday. He
was an idiot.

“Ty?”

His
head snapped up and he realized he was daydreaming about Kazlyn during a
time-out. Coach Anderson’s narrowed gaze told him he hadn’t fooled anyone.

“I’m
here, Coach.”

“Well,
stay here.”

They
broke the huddle and Ty went into play mode. Basketball was such a part of him,
he could initiate and respond without really thinking about it. The crowd’s raucous
cheers just fueled the experience for him. He had three dunks, fifteen
rebounds, and twenty-eight points before the night was over. He felt like he
was on top of the world.

Running
up the tunnel after the game ended, he heard the sweetest voice call his name.
He glanced up, stopped dead, and one of the assistant coaches ran into him from
behind. “Sorry, Coach.”

Coach
Maughan shook his head and followed Ty’s gaze up. He smiled, slapped Ty on the
shoulder, and walked around him.

Kazlyn
leaned over the tunnel edge. A warm grin lit her beautiful face. Her green eyes
sparkled like a Christmas tree, set off by a red sweater. “Great game.”

“Thanks.”
He thought she’d probably say she needed to study, but he had to ask. “Will you
wait for me?”

She
nodded and he couldn’t hide his happy grin.

He
pointed at the other tunnel. “I’ll come out of the locker room over there.”

“I’ll
be there.”

Ty
winked and ran up the tunnel. He was going to set a record for quickest shower.
Hopefully the coach’s speech wouldn’t be long.

***

Kazlyn
watched Ty go, then straightened and hugged herself. She’d only made it to the
last half of the game, but she wished she’d seen it all. Ty was even more
amazing to watch now that she was completely infatuated with him. It had been
well worth taking a break from studying.

“You
finally figured it out.”

Kazlyn
turned around to face the same teenage girls from last week. “Thanks for
setting me straight. I don’t want to miss out.”

“You’re
so lucky,” the redhead gushed.

“Yes,
I am.” Kazlyn gave them one more smile, and then made her way to the other
tunnel.

Fans
and some cheerleaders filtered past her to the exterior door. A burly guy with
longish blond hair and an Aggiette dancer hanging off each arm leered at her as
they walked past. Kazlyn wrapped her arms across her chest. The guy winked
slyly before the girls tugged him from the tunnel. Kazlyn shivered.

“Hey,”
an older gentleman’s voice pulled her from the fear of that wink. “You were
with Ty last night at Takara.”

“Yes.”
She recognized the couple from the restaurant. She suddenly felt awkward, maybe
they thought she was just after Ty because of what an amazing athlete he was.
“Um, thanks for dinner.”

“Don’t
know what you’re talking about.” The guy ducked his head, obviously hiding a smile.

The
wife slapped him on the shoulder. “You’re so transparent.” She turned to Kazlyn
and said kindly, “Ty’s a great guy. You must be something special if you’re
dating him.”

Kazlyn
smiled. “Thank you. He is a great guy.”

They
said their goodbyes and proceeded out into the icy darkness. A few of the
cheerleaders waited for the players with Kazlyn. She forced herself not to feel
jealous. They were beautiful girls, flashing a lot of skin, and here she was in
a turtleneck sweater and jeans, covered from neck to toe. Ty had said he was a
Christian, too. Hopefully he appreciated modesty.

Ten
minutes later, a few coaches came out of the locker room door. Kazlyn tried to
be patient and not think about the studying she should be doing. It was worth
it to be with Ty for a little while, and he’d acted so glad to see her.

When
Ty finally burst out of the locker room door, several of the cheerleaders
squealed his name. One rushed over to give him a hug. Ty smiled and said thanks,
but his gaze was on Kazlyn.

He
broke away and crossed the distance. “Kazzy.” He took her hand. “Thanks for
coming.”

She
gnawed on the inside of her cheek, suddenly sweating from the pressure of his
hand and the look in his eyes. “It was great to watch you play.”

“Thanks.
Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“I’m
betting I could talk you into dessert.” He looked down at her with a lifted
eyebrow.

“Sure.”
Kazlyn blushed, for some reason picturing something different than sugar when
he talked about dessert.

He
wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Kazlyn was over a foot shorter than him,
but she felt beautiful and tall in his arm, even though she probably looked
like his little sister. They walked through a picturesque winter night, down
the hill away from campus. Snow fell softly and it was much warmer without the
wind. When Ty directed her into the Bull’s Head, Kazlyn hesitated. She’d never
been in the restaurant; she just didn’t fit in with the typical college crowd.
Ty gave her a gentle smile and enveloped her small hand in his palm. Kazlyn was
pretty sure she’d follow him anywhere as he ushered her through the door.

They
were accosted with cheers and congratulations the second they entered the
restaurant. Ty asked for a booth in the back. Maybe he understood how
uncomfortable she was with everyone watching her, wondering who the lucky girl was
with the superstar. The hostess escorted them through the crowded restaurant.
Ty bumped people’s fists and received a couple of hugs. He held onto her hand
the entire time and introduced her to a few people who must’ve been actual
friends, not just fans.

They
settled into their seats and Kazlyn took off her coat and gloves. “Wow. You
seem to deal with all the attention so well.”

Ty
shrugged. “It’s only a pain when I want to be alone with a beautiful girl.”

“That’s
why you requested the back booth.” She blushed, thrilled he wanted to be alone
with her.

“We
should’ve gone somewhere else, but I really like the food here. I didn’t think
about it being so crowded right after a game.” He studied her. “Does being with
me and all the attention bother you?”

She
didn’t know how to answer him. She was proud to be with him, but didn’t like
feeling every eye on her. She went for flippant. “Only when the girls hug you.”

He
smirked. “You should know, I’d much rather be hugging you.”

“Good
answer.” She loved his answer, but a part of her wondered if that was just how
guys who dated a lot of girls talked. How would she know when she’d rarely
dated anyone?

He
ordered fried pickles and a pizza while Kazlyn got a frozen brownie sundae. She
didn’t like the sound of frozen, but it was chocolate so she figured she
couldn’t go wrong.

Ty
reached across the table and took her cold hands in his warm grasp. Tingles
spread up her arms. His touch was magical and the look in his eyes made her
stomach flip.

“I
was so mad at myself last night.”

“Why?”

“I
didn’t get your number or make a plan to see you again. I decided tomorrow I’d just
stalk your apartment until I found you.”

Kazlyn
laughed. “Would knocking on the door be so hard?”

“I
never thought of that.” He cocked his head to the side and his eyes twinkled. “I
knew you were a smart one.”

“Sometimes.”

“Do
you have time to do something next week?”

She
sobered, thinking about all the studying she needed to do in the next few days.
“I’m going to leave Wednesday as soon as I’m done with my last final, and I’ll
have to focus on school until then.”

Ty
nodded. “I guess I’ll just have to settle for texts and long stints of Facetime
to get me through the holidays.”

Kazlyn
couldn’t hide her smile. “It might be good to get to know each other better
without the physical attraction getting in the…” Her face flamed red. “I can’t
believe I just said that.”

Ty
squeezed her hands. “I’m sure it’s hard being so attracted to a guy with
giraffe legs.”

“I’m
sure it’s hard being so attractive.”

“You
should know,” he countered with a broad grin.

The
waitress brought their food and Kazlyn felt the loss of Ty’s hands on hers, but
thoroughly enjoyed talking to him throughout the meal. He walked her home and
gave her a hug again, promising to keep in touch throughout the holiday. Kazlyn
wished it could be more now, but she appreciated him being willing to let her
study. She wanted to spend every minute with him, but still had her doubts. She
kept hoping that she wasn’t just another number, maybe she was someone special
to him like he was becoming to her.

Tuesday
night
Kazlyn dragged her feet as she made her way down the hill from the library to
her apartment. Tomorrow was her last final. She was pretty sure her GPA would
stay above three-eight, but barely. She was having a hard time caring right
now. She’d pray hard, take her test in the morning, and then go enjoy her mom
and brothers for two weeks. Next semester would be soon enough to stress about
grades again.

An
arm wrapped around her from behind and pulled her off the sidewalk. Her bag
slid off her shoulder, thumping on the sidewalk. She squealed in surprise, but
at the same time wondered if it might be Ty. Maybe he’d just got done
practicing and saw her.

The
guy jerked her closer and she realized the body pressed against her back wasn’t
close to Ty’s height and this man smelled like strong cologne, not Ty’s clean,
crisp scent. Another hand wrapped around her mouth cutting off the scream that
built inside and then exploded from her throat. She started praying with every
ounce of faith for protection from whoever restrained her.

Kazlyn
squirmed against the firm hold and flung her head back. Her head connected with
the person’s face. The man cursed and flung her around to face him. Trees
shielded them from foot traffic or the road. Only someone coming out of the
Spectrum could see them and all the windows in the huge building looked dark.
Fear pulsated through her body. Sweat raced down her back, even though it was freezing
outside.

“What
a beautiful little surprise,” the man said, hazel eyes tracing over her face. He
tossed his shaggy blond hair.

Kazlyn
immediately recognized him from the basketball game. She couldn’t forget the
way he’d leered at her and then winked. She shuddered.

“You
want to go somewhere where I can warm you up, sweetheart?”

Kazlyn
yanked backward, but couldn’t break his grip. “I’m going nowhere with you.”

He
shrugged. “I think you are. I saw you at the game. I could tell you were into
me.” He pulled her into his chest again, her arms crushed in his iron grip. She
could smell spicy gum as he lowered his mouth to hers. Kazlyn let him get close,
then she leaned forward and bit his lip. He howled and backhanded her. She
screamed from the pain and fear.

“Get
your hands off her.”

The
guy flipped Kazlyn around, shielding himself with her body. He yanked her
against his chest. She glanced up at Ty and a sob escaped. Her body went limp
and the guy had to support her. “Ty,” she whispered.

“Hey,
Ty,” the guy called out. “How are ya?”

“James,”
Ty returned, his voice cold. “Get your hands off my girl.”

“Oh,
she’s yours?” James’ voice matched Ty’s, sending a spike of ice down her spine.
“I didn’t see it stamped on her forehead.”

“Let
her go.”

“Or
what?”

Ty’s
fierce glower almost scared her. “First, I’ll beat you until you can’t say the
word football, let alone play next year. Second, I’ll have the cops pick up
your sorry butt for attempted rape.”

James
barked an unsteady laugh. “It’s your word against mine.”

“The
coaches aren’t going to help you out this time—no second chances, remember?”

James
used one hand to brush his hair out of his eyes and Kazlyn took advantage of
her arm being freed to elbow him in the nose. At the same time, she stomped on
the inside of his foot as hard as she could. Blood erupted from his nose and he
screamed, shoving her at Ty, who caught her. James cursed and took off running
toward the parking lot. Ty hugged her close for a second, and then let her go.
“I’ll be right back, Kazzy.”

He
sprinted after the guy.

“No!”
Kazlyn screamed. She raced after them both, slipping on the ice and cursing
their long legs. As she reached the upper parking lot, a car door slammed and
the rev of the engine sent trickles of fear down her spine. “Ty!”

A
silver sports car raced toward Ty. Ty jumped onto a cement block and hauled
himself up a metal fence to avoid being hit. The car spun away and squealed out
of the parking lot. Ty climbed down, dialed 911, and reported what had
happened. He reached her a few seconds later and pulled her into his warm
embrace. “Oh, Kazzy, are you okay?”

“Thanks
to you.”

“You
did great. I think you broke his nose.” He tilted her chin up and grinned at
her.

Kazlyn
felt time stop. His dark eyes seared into her with pride, warmth, and a desire
she felt reflected in her own soul. He dipped his head and lightly brushed his
lips over hers. Fire started in her abdomen and spread. He raised his head and
stared at her with a longing she couldn’t deny. Kazlyn grabbed his head and
brought his mouth to hers again. This time the kiss wasn’t light or short. Ty
lifted her off her feet and kissed her in a way no one had ever done, the
safety and passion intermingling perfectly.

After
several wonderful minutes, he lowered her and just held her close. “I’m so glad
he didn’t hurt you.”

“Who
was that guy?”

He
shook his head, closing his eyes for a second. “Running back for the football
team. Pompous jerk who should’ve been convicted of rape already. I know a few
girls who should’ve pressed charges. One tried and they didn’t stick.”

“Oh,
my.” Everything went dark for a second. Thank heavens for Ty’s strength holding
her up.

Sirens
ripped into the parking lot. They were separated and taken to the campus police
headquarters. The police also found James and arrested him. Kazlyn went through
several rounds of questioning before the police took her home. They told her
she was free to go to Montana for the holiday tomorrow, but she’d probably need
to testify in January.

Kazlyn
didn’t get a chance to talk with Ty again. She found herself almost wishing it
wasn’t Christmas break. She remembered the kiss and wanted to try that again
when she hadn’t just been threatened. She was grateful to him and just wanted
to be with him. She’d never felt so desired and cherished, but she’d just have
to wait to see him again. Patience was not fun.