Tell Me You Want Me (12 page)

"You are, and you always have been. You got me through some pretty horrible shit when we were in high school. You're good enough for me. But if you don't believe that, Jane won't either." Jack punched Austin's shoulder and yawned. "Goodnight."

Austin sat on the couch until he couldn't keep his eyes open. Was he good enough for Janie? Maybe. Could he risk that rejection again?

He wasn't going to figure this out tonight, not with his body still revved-up and his brain spinning its wheels. He dragged his sorry ass to his room, undressed, and crawled into bed exhausted—completely drained, and not in a good way. Every time he closed his eyes, images of purple lace, pretty toes, and perky nipples bombarded him. Sweet dreams.

A goodnight blessing? No, a curse.

Sweet dreams, yes. Sleep, no.

***

Well then, she could wait and wish and hope Austin would find her, or she could go find him herself. So she did.

All day, Jane searched for Austin, but she never found him. They didn't have any classes together, and he never went to the library. Where would he be?
The football field, dummy.
Now that she thought about it, she'd only ever seen him around the gym and the athletic fields.

She got away from soccer practice as soon as she could and hurried over to the football field.

Austin spotted her right away. "Hey, Janie, go deep!" He launched the football at her.

Jane kept her eye on the ball, took two steps to her left, one step back, and caught it with ease.

"Nice moves." He jogged over to her.

She laughed. "I just came from soccer practice, so I had to resist the urge to kick it back to you."

"I'd love to see that." He lifted her face in his hands and touched his lips to hers—soft and gentle—promising more in the right time and place.

That kiss erased any doubt that Austin wanted to see her again. She didn't even mind that he'd kissed her in front of the entire football team. She'd said she didn't care what other people thought of her.
Start living up to it, Jane
. "I, um, came over here for a reason, but I can't remember what...."

She raised her lips for another kiss, and he responded without hesitating.

"You just can't get enough of me."

"Besides that."

Austin laughed.

"I wanted to apologize for Sara, for the way she treated you."

He nodded but didn't say anything.

"She's not usually that mean. I don't know why she doesn't want me going out with you."

"She's just looking out for you." He shrugged, but avoided her eyes.

"Not the first overprotective friend you've pissed off?"

His smile held a tinge of remorse. "It's the price I pay for choosing to play the field."

She decided to let that go. "I told her I could take care of myself."

"You don't need to."

"Yeah, because if you do hurt me, I'll kick your ass through the goal posts."

His eyes turned playful again. "You can try."

"Don't tempt me."
Such a cute ass too.

"Ah, Janie, I know so many ways to tempt you."

"I believe it." His standing there looking at her with those dangerous blue eyes was doing the trick quite well, thank you.

"Hell, I was awake all night thinking of ways to tempt you." He moved closer and ran his fingers through her hair. "And thinking of ways to make you give in."

Her heart beat faster. "Really?"

"I got no sleep at all. How about you?"

"I slept great." Her skin suddenly felt as if she'd stepped into an oven.

"Huh."

"After I... um...."
What am I saying?
Do
not
tell him about that!
"Never mind."

Austin cocked an eyebrow. "After you what?"

"Nothing." She clapped her hand over her mouth to hide the naughty little smile coming on.

"After you took matters into your own hands...."

Jane shook her head, but her quick breath and hot face betrayed her dirty little secret.

"Why you little.... Do you have any idea how big a turn on that is?"

Is that just his cup or...?

"Was it good for you?" He gave her a sinful smile. "Too bad we're not alone, or I would definitely—"

"Hey Austin!"

"Kill someone." Austin swore, and shot a look at Jack that stopped him in his tracks.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. Aaron and Greg want to know if we want to pitch in for pizza tonight."

"Sure. Sounds good. See you later."

Jack waited.

"I don't have any cash on me, so go away."

Jack shook his head. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" He winked at Jane.

"No."

"No class." Jack took Jane's hand and lifted it to his lips.

Austin rolled his eyes.

"I'm Jack, this idiot's roommate and lifelong friend. You must be—"

"Mine." Austin pulled her hand away from Jack.

She laughed. "I'm Jane. It's a pleasure meeting you, Jack."

A few inches shorter than Austin, he had broad shoulders and thick muscular legs. His blue eyes were playful and his dark brown hair a bit on the long side, but she liked it. Maybe Austin saw him as competition. He certainly could be.

"The pleasure is all mine." He turned to his roommate. "She's even prettier than you said. Be good to her or I might have to steal her away from you."

Austin laughed. "Good luck with that."

Jack leaned close to her, but not so close that Austin couldn't hear. "When you get tired of this guy, let me know." He winked at Austin. "I know how to treat a lady."

Austin pulled her close. "It's a good thing you're no lady or— Ouch!" He got an elbow to his ribs for that. "Jack, go away. Janie—" His eyes hid nothing. "—you need to be punished."

She caught her breath. His smile made her ache.

"I see you remember that."

"Okay, I am outta here." Jack slapped Austin between the shoulders.

"It's about time," he grumbled.

"Jane, nice meeting you. I'm sure I'll see more of you." Jack gave her a suggestive smile.

Austin stepped between them. "Not if I can help it."

"Do something about her knee, will ya? She's bleeding all over the place."

"Holy hell, Janie. What happened?"

All three of them looked at her right knee—bruised, swollen, and dripping blood all the way down to her cleats.

"Oh, I got kicked in practice. Soccer hazard."

"You just noticed that?" Jack cuffed Austin upside the head. "Some sports doc you're gonna be."

"I wasn't looking at her knees," Austin growled through his teeth. "Janie, sit down. Jack, get me a towel, a bandage, and an ice pack."

He helped Jane to the bleachers, then flexed her knee up and down, making sure nothing was broken, and that she had full range of motion. He wiped the blood with the towel and sent Jack for some soap and water.

"This will sting a little." He cleaned the dirt from the wound and wrapped her knee with the bandage.

A tear escaped her tightly closed eyes, but she didn't complain.

"Keep the ice on as long as you can. Walk on it, but don't put your full weight on your knee. Don't let it get stiff."

"Yes, doctor," she teased him.

"I mean it. You have to keep it moving if you don't want any permanent damage."

She laughed.

"What's funny? Did you get kicked in the head too?"

"I'm sorry. There's a dirty joke here somewhere about playing doctor with you." She wiped tears from her eyes. "This isn't quite how I imagined it."

"You won't be laughing when this thing wakes you up throbbing in the middle of the night."

They both laughed at that one.

"Believe me, I know." He winked. "All right, woman, get off your ass and try to walk."

Austin and Jack took her arms and helped her walk to the gym.

"It doesn't really hurt that much." She hadn't even noticed she was injured until Jack pointed it out.

"It will," the guys said in unison.

"I gotta hit the showers," Jack announced, breaking up the party. "I'll see you two later."

"Bye," Jane called after him. "I like him. He's a lot nicer than
my
roommate."

"Can't argue with that."

"So you're interested in sports medicine?"

"Yeah. I blew out my knee during a game freshman year, and Coach took me to a clinic specializing in athletic injuries. The doctors were amazing. They helped me recover fast enough to finish the season and start again the next year, but...." He looked at her, and then held her arm a little tighter. "I'll never play beyond college. I'll never make it to the NFL."

"I'm sorry." She put her arm around him.

Jane remembered that game. The whole school feared they'd lost their most promising quarterback, and everyone cheered when Austin came off the injured reserve list.

"I can't scramble like I used to. That's why I depend on my arm and a good running back like Jack. So when I had to figure out what else to do with my life, I decided I wanted to help other athletes like me."

She hadn't expected Austin to be the one with a plan, with goals, with a purpose. "And here I thought you stayed in school for the cheerleaders."

"Yeah, that's a definite perk." He leaned back against the gym wall, taking her in his arms. "I'm a pre-med major, so I don't spend all my time at the gym. I even go to class now and then."

"That's why we never see each other. I'm a business major."

"What kind of business?"

"I haven't decided." She had an idea, but she wasn't ready to tell anyone about it, so she changed the subject.

"So, have you changed your mind yet?"

"About sleeping with you?" Austin nuzzled her neck. "Hell yes, first chance we get—"

"No!" Jane laughed and pushed him away. "Have you changed your mind about lo—"
Good lord, what am I asking him?
Her smile faded and she looked down at her bandaged knee.
Of course
, his first thought was about sex. What had she expected? "Forget I asked."

"No, I won't forget." He frowned, his blue eyes penetrating her. "Did you think you changed my mind already?"

She shrugged, not looking at him. "I hoped."

"Hope is a useless emotion too."

She stepped back and searched his face. "What made you so cynical?"

"Life did. Real life, Janie." His eyes narrowed. "There was this girl in high school...." He shook his head and started over. "The night my parents split up, my dad told my mom he loved her, but it didn't do any good. They still got divorced and they still hate each other."

"It doesn't have to be like that."

"Does anyone have a choice? Do I?"

"I believe we can choose to be happy." She looked into his doubting eyes, hoping he would see her confidence and believe it too.

He shook his head. "I'm glad you believe that, Janie, because I don't."

"What do you believe in?"

A wicked grin lit up his face as his gaze slid over her body, stripping her defenses. "Hot sex, cold beer, and the last-second Hail Mary pass."

But his grin faded all too quickly.

"I believe—I
know
—that dreams can be shattered in a moment." He took a determined step toward her. "I believe in taking what I want with both hands and never letting go."

He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back, kissing her lips, her neck—whatever his mouth could reach—then slid his other hand down her back, grabbed a handful of her ass and pulled her up against him.

His passion and conviction thrilled her to the core. "Wow! I can't believe how much that turned me on." As quickly as it had started, their fight ended... for now.

Austin half-laughed, half-groaned, and turned her back against the wall. He slid both hands under her thighs, picked her up, and wrapped her legs around his waist, pinning her against the wall with his body.

Her knee throbbed, but she ignored it, focusing on the throbbing between her legs. She couldn't tell if the aching pulse came from her body or his. Didn't matter. It felt good either way.

"Tell me you want me." He whispered the words on her skin.

"I want you, Austin."

"Tell me what you want me to do to you." He rocked against her, imitating what he wanted to hear.

"Oh...." She bit her lip and shook her head.

"I know you want to."

She nodded.

"But you just can't say it."

"Not yet."

He kissed her, exploring her mouth with his tongue, teasing her with his lips. "I will hear you say it."

She saw the sparkle in his eyes and turned away. That devil was using her own words against her. Her heart pounded and her knee throbbed. "Ow!"

"That's not what I wanted to hear." He set her down gently, and put the ice pack back on her knee. "Sorry, Janie, I wasn't trying to get you so excited."

"Yes you were."

She pouted and he laughed.

"Damn right."

He kissed her lower lip and her heart started pounding again.

"That cute little pouty lip makes me wanna do things...."

"Ow!"

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You can make it up to me."

"Mmm... I will." His lips twisted into a grin and his laugh sounded like pure evil, pure sex. "But I can't tonight. I have an exam the day after tomorrow I gotta study for."

She raised her eyebrows and laughed. "Of all the excuses I imagined hearing from you, studying never even made the list."

"Hey, I'm a serious student... sometimes."

"I'll believe it when I see it."

"Yeah, whatever. I need to focus on this exam for the next couple of days, but after that you're fair game."

His gaze swept her body, making her tingle. She gathered her thoughts enough to continue their conversation, but struggled to put a sentence together. "What class is it for?"

It took him a while to answer, and when he did, an embarrassed smile screwed up his face. "Anatomy."

She laughed so hard her ribs hurt. "Anatomy? Aren't you already an expert?"

"You tell me."

Ooo.
Jane stopped laughing and grabbed his jersey to pull him close. "Maybe I can help you study." She slid her hands down his chest.