Read University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 Online
Authors: CM Doporto
University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (16 page)
He caught my gaze and his lips parted
into a perfect smile. A smile that warmed every part of me, including my heart,
which instantly remembered what it felt like to beat again.
“Hi.” He appraised me for a moment,
making every muscle and fiber move inside of me. How did he know how to make me
move like that?
“Hey.” I rose up on the balls of my feet
as I wrapped my arms around me. I could have stared at his perfect smile
forever. “Great game.”
He neared me until we stood face to
face. “I’m glad you came.”
“I couldn’t miss seeing you play your
last game of the season.” I warded off the heat consuming my cheeks.
“You look good in that jersey.” His eyes
settled on my chest and I shifted my weight to the side.
“Thanks. Although, some of the girls
didn’t like that I was wearing it.” I glanced over to the Silicone Triplets
that were gawking at us.
Raven smirked. “Don’t worry about them,
okay?” He tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear and then dragged his
finger along my jawline. Hot and cold shivers spread over my body as it begged
for more of his sweet affection.
“Great game, Raven.” A guy patted him on
the shoulder.
“Thanks, man.”
The people around us cheered and
congratulated him every few minutes, barely allowing us to talk. Raven thanked
them, shook their hands, and even fist-bumped those that supported how he had played.
I tried to subdue the happiness that gleamed from me, but I couldn’t hold it
back.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and
whispered in my ear, “Do you want to get out of here?”
Tingles spread from my head to my toes
and I froze. Raven was actually asking me if I wanted to leave with him? I
waited for every warning light to go off, but only one flashed in my mind.
Trust.
Could I trust him?
I wanted to trust him, but my past
interactions with him reminded me that his reputation and actions weren’t
worthy of my trust. Yet, he hadn’t done anything for me not to trust him. The
weight of my fear lingered, distorting my mind and making it hard to
distinguish what I really wanted. But deep down inside, I knew what I wanted.
Biting down on my lip, I nodded, not caring if anyone saw me leave with him.
He took me by the hand and led me
through the crowd. The Silicone Triplets huffed and muttered incoherent words
as we passed by them. Instead of reacting to their childish remarks, I ignored
them. I handed Delaney my cup as we exited the tent. “I’ll see you later.”
She took the cup and winked at me. “If
you don’t make it home tonight, I know why.”
Raven stopped and turned around. “Hey, I
heard that.”
Delaney’s eyes widened and a look of
dread draped over her face. “I didn’t—”
“Relax. I’m just messing with you.” He
grinned and she sighed in relief. Pulling me closer to him, he said, “I promise
to bring her home when she tells me.”
Holding back a giggle, I waved to her as
we crossed the parking lot.
“So, you’ve been in hiding?” He kept in
step with me as we walked toward his car.
I kept my eyes trained to the ground,
praying he wouldn’t ask me about Collin. I knew I would eventually need to tell
him my side of the story, because I had no idea what Delaney had told him, but
I wasn’t in the mood to talk about it. “I guess you can say that. I was going
through some personal stuff.”
“I understand.” The sincerity in his
voice told me he was being truthful. “I’m sorry to, um, hear—”
“It’s okay.” My stomach tensed and I
took a few deep breaths. “It wasn’t meant to be.”
He unlocked the car door and opened it
for me. “Well, I’m here for you if you want to talk or need anything at all.”
I swallowed the huge ball of nerves that
was working its way out of me. “Thanks, I appreciate it.” I got in the car and
he shut the door.
It felt good to know that he was willing
to listen to me, be there for me. Collin never offered me that. It was so
obvious why I couldn’t find love with him. I wondered if he was discovering the
same thing. I refused to ask Luke if Collin had confided in him about us. I
just wanted to move on with my life and being with Raven was allowing me to do that.
Raven slid into the front seat and shut
the door. We sat there for a moment in silence. The sun was beginning to set,
spreading hues of pink and purple across the sky. With one arm resting on the
steering wheel and the other on the console between us, he turned to me.
“Can I be honest with you?”
I pivoted in my seat, facing him. “Sure,
as long as I can be honest with you.”
We exchanged a silent agreement as our
gaze drew us closer together. My eyes searched his face, carefully examining
every detail from the defined arch in his brows to the scar on his right
cheekbone that disappeared in his slight five o’clock shadow. I watched as his
eyes scanned over me and then rested on my lips.
Lifting his eyes, he stared deep into
mine. “I’ve really missed seeing you.”
My heart pounded, telling me it was well
on its way to mending. I swallowed back the fear that replayed over and over in
my head.
Could I really trust him?
Not wanting to regret one passing moment
with him, I tossed the fear aside and told him how I really felt. “I’ve missed
you, too.”
“Do you remember what I told you in the suite?”
His eyes shifted up toward the stadium for a quick second and then returned to
me. His look unraveled me, leaving me defenseless against his trap.
Was I ready for The Raven’s trap?
I was slipping effortlessly into it and
knew there was no escaping it.
Then again, I didn’t want to.
“You told me lots of things.”
He inclined his head and then rubbed his
chin. “I’m referring to the point I made about me not doing anything unless you
asked me to.”
“Oh, that point.” I dropped my hand on
the console and inched my fingers closer to his. “Yeah, I remember.”
Our fingers brushed against each other
and then interlaced. The roughness of his skin against mine sent an instant
razzing sensation up my arm. I hesitated for a moment and then said, “Raven,
can I ask you to do something?”
He rubbed his thumb back and forth
across my flesh, rendering my arm useless. “That depends on what it is.” His
eyes lit up and I hoped he knew what I wanted him to do.
“Will you kiss me?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Σ
To Be Continued
The Same Side
Book Two of the
University Park Series
Book
2 in the
University
Park Series
By
CM Doporto
The
Same Side
Book
2 in the
University
Park Series
Version
7
The
Same Side Copyright © 2014 CM Doporto
All rights reserved, including
the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without
written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in articles,
reviews, or posts.
Published
by:
http://www.cmdoporto.com
Cover
design by Cora Graphics
Edited
by Monica Black
Copyright
2014 by CM Doporto
This is a work of
fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual
persons, living or dead, business establishments, educational facilities,
events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. Any trademarks mentioned herein
are not authorized by the trademark owners and do not in any way mean the work
is sponsored by or associated with the trademark owners. Any trademarks used
are specifically in a descriptive capacity.
I’d
like to thank my husband for his continual support. I can’t do this without
you, babe. To my son, for allowing me to write when I should be giving you more
attention.
A
huge shout out to my critique partner, Sam. Your help has been wonderful and
I’m glad we work well together. Many thanks to my street team, CM Doporto’s
Heroes and Heroines. I appreciate your dedication and time with supporting my
books and getting the word out. A big thank you to Smexy Fab Four for managing
my street team. Thanks to Cora Graphics for creating another beautiful cover!
Many, many thanks to Monica for the edits on this book. You’re awesome! A big
salute to Barb. Your coaching and advice makes me a better writer. Love you!
I
would be remiss if I didn’t mention the bloggers and reviewers who take the
time to read and post reviews. Your support of indie authors helps get the
attention of readers we work hard to obtain.
A
huge thank you to you, the reader. Without you there would be no one to read my
story. I appreciate you taking the time to read it. I hope you enjoy it as much
as I did writing it.
Most
of all I want to thank our Heavenly Father for providing me with the
opportunity to do what I love, write.
To my Aunt Dorelia.
Thank you for telling
me all about
those vampire books.
If I’d never read
them, I doubt this story
would have been
written.
Chapter
1
Raven’s head tilted to the side and his
eyes captured every part of me with finite detail. My breathing stilled and the
incessant hunger that was building inside of me begged for release. I had
fought the feeling for way too long and I refused to wait another second,
minute, or day to experience what he had to offer.
I wanted him to kiss me.
No. I needed him to kiss me.
Kiss me and take my lips captive.
My heart pumped faster, waiting
anxiously as he moved closer to me.
A tender smile played on the edge of his
lips. “Are you sure you want me to kiss you?”
I nodded, unable to speak as my eyes
zeroed in on my target. His lips called to me, pulling me in until I breathed
in all of his air.
His mouth pressed to mine and my eyes
fluttered closed. He kissed me softly, touching my lips in a gentle motion. I
melted when the warmth of his hand caressed the edge of my face. My lips parted
and his tongue slid in effortlessly, and every muscle in my body relaxed. Our
tongues swirled together and I devoured his sweet taste. The kiss was
everything I’d ever dreamed of and more. Raven was a damn good kisser. If his
lips could reduce me to a puddle of water, I could only imagine what the rest
of his body could do to me.
He pulled away slowly. “Lexi?”
“Hmm?”
“Look at me.”
I didn’t want to let the feeling go and
even though he had stopped kissing me, I held on to it for as long as I could.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
Holding my gaze, he said, “You have no
idea how long I’ve wanted to kiss you.” He brushed his thumb across my lips and
it took every bit of my strength not to barrel into him and beg that he take
me.
I took a deep breath and counted
backwards from five, pacing the beats of my heart. “I’ve been dreaming about
you kissing me since the day I met you.”
For several seconds, we simply stared at
each other. The hunger in his eyes knitted me tighter in his trap and I was
truly helpless. If he was intuitive, I’m sure he knew what I wanted. And even
though every hormone in my body screamed his name over and over, I refused to
rush in to this. The last thing I wanted was to become another one of his hoes.
“How about we go grab a bite to eat? I’m
starving and if I don’t—”
He stopped and smiled. He didn’t have to
finish for me to know what he thought. I nodded and relaxed back in the seat.
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“I’m really craving Mexican food.”
“Perfect.”
We exited the parking lot of Park Hill
University’s stadium and headed down the street. Raven reached over the console
and took my hand, holding it in his. His rough skin felt good against mine and
through his touch, I could sense that he missed me just as much as I missed
him. Being with him made me so happy. It took my heart to a place where it
finally felt free to beat on its own. My only fear was Raven destroying it. But
I had to take that chance, otherwise, I’d never know.
He pulled up to a Mexican restaurant off
7th Street and a slight heaviness hit me. The last time I had been to that area
was with Collin and my friends when we went bowling. I internally shook off the
hurtful memories and concentrated on getting to know Raven better.
Spanish Christmas music filled the air
and colorful lights decorated the hodgepodge of 1950s car parts scattered
throughout the restaurant. For a Saturday night, the place was empty. The
hostess led us upstairs to a booth in the corner and we sat opposite of each
other. I looked over the menu and decided on a light dish, since I hadn’t been
eating too much over the last month.
“Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?”
Raven glanced up from his menu.
I closed mine. “No, not really.”
“I’m sorry.” He frowned. “Why not?”
Shifting in my chair, I considered what
I would tell him. Did I really want to admit how pathetic I was? “I, um…”
“If you don’t want to talk about it, I
understand.”
I shook my head. “It’s okay.” Leaning
against the table, I confided in him. “I actually stayed in bed instead of
going home to eat with my family.”
His eyes widened and a look of sympathy
settled on his face. “Were you sick?”
“No.” I looked at the table, ashamed to
reveal the truth. “I mean, I told my family I was sick.” I grabbed my napkin
and unrolled it. “But I wasn’t. I didn’t want to be around my mom. She won’t
stop hounding me about my breakup and…” I took in a deep breath. “So to save
myself from the agony, I chose to lie to them instead.”
“Wow. I’m sorry.” He placed his hand on
top of mine and the tension released.
For some reason, I wanted to tell him
everything. Explain to him how screwed up my life was and how I was dying to
find a new one. He was so easy to talk to, and it was like I had known him my
entire life. “Thanks. It hasn’t been easy.” I grasped his hand for support. “I
basically grew up with Collin and everyone expected us to marry. I just went
along with it because he’s all I’ve ever known. But deep down, I knew we didn’t
love each other.”
“It takes a lot of courage to admit that
and do what you did.”
“Yeah, it does. I just want to be happy
and… well, loved.”
“I understand. I’m sure there are women
who just go with it and then several years later find themselves in a nasty
divorce.”
“Exactly. And Delaney helped me realize
that.”
I wanted to tell Raven that he was the
one who opened my eyes, but I refrained. I wasn’t sure if that was something he
was ready to hear.
“Thank God for that. Otherwise, we might
not be having this conversation.” He grinned.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“So, why are your parents so
overbearing?”
“My mom got pregnant with my older
sister when she was in high school. I guess they felt that if they directed all
our steps, that wouldn’t happen to us. To be honest, I never really thought I
was missing much.” I stalled for a moment. “I just did what I was told, wanting
to be a good daughter.” My throat tightened and I pushed the lump down with a
tough swallow.
“Sometimes it takes a rude awakening to
realize there’s more to life. Believe me, I know.”
I nodded, quickly wiping away a stray
tear.
A tall, skinny guy stopped at our table.
“Sorry to keep y’all waiting. Can I bring you something to drink or are you
ready to order?” He had on short-sleeve shirt and shorts, as if it were summer
time, and a purple ball cap that he wore backwards.
“Do you know what you want?” Raven
hesitated, as if unsure if he should tell the guy to come back.
“Yeah, I’ll have the chicken fajita
salad with the dressing on the side.”
The waiter nodded. “And to drink?”
“Water with lemon, please.”
“No problem. And for you?” The guy
didn’t bother to write anything down, committing it to memory instead.
“I want the beef fajitas, tortillas,
refried beans, and rice. The whole works. And a tall glass of sweet tea.”
“You got it. And by the way, great
game.” The waiter patted the table and smiled at Raven.
“Thanks, man.”
“If you need anything, just holler. My
name is Brock.”
“Thanks, Brock.” Raven handed the guy
our menus and he walked off.
I couldn’t help but smile. Being
recognized and appreciated by total strangers had to be thrilling, not to
mention, ego boosting. “Do you ever get tired of that?”
Raven shrugged. “Sometimes. Especially
if I want some privacy.” He leaned forward, keeping his gaze steady on me. The
restaurant buzzed with a low chatter but the way he looked at me, it was as if
no one else existed.
The waiter promptly returned with our
drinks. He placed a basket of chips in front of us along with hot sauce,
guacamole, and cheese dip. “It’s on the house.”
“Thanks.” I grabbed a chip, unable to
resist the tempting food that I’d deprived my body from over the past month.
“Thanks, Brock. I’m starved.” Raven
immediately took a chip, dipped it in the guacamole, and shoved it in his
mouth.
“It’s kind of nice to get special
treatment.” I dipped another chip in the cheese sauce.
“I won’t deny that.” Raven loaded a chip
with everything. “But right now, I want to give you all the special treatment
you need.” He winked and I nearly choked.
Kill me, why don’t you?
“You alright?”
“Yeah.” I gulped my water and patted my
chest. “Just went down the wrong way.” After the food cleared, I said, “If I
seem a little hesitant or tell you I’d like to take things slow, you’d
understand, right?”
He swallowed and then took a drink. “Of
course I do. I just want to get you to know you, Lexi. Explore everything about
you. From the sweet dimple that forms on your right cheek when you smile, to
the curl in your pinkies when you play the piano, and the little shake of your
hips when you walk.”
“I wiggle when I walk?” I bypassed all
the sweet talk and focused on the last part. “Is my butt that big?”
“Relax.” Raven laughed and he tilted
back his head. “Baby, your ass isn’t fat. In fact, it’s tight,” he growled low
in his throat, “and looks too damn good.”
“Oh, well, um… thanks.” His gaze
lingered on me and the air suddenly became thick, making it hard to breathe. A
new warning sign told me to proceed with caution, but I zipped past it. Why did
his words strike a fire in me? The muscles in my rear tensed and I made a
mental note to tell Delaney I wanted to try that Yogalates class with her. If
Raven was checking out my butt, I had to make sure it looked good. Saggy cheeks
dotted with hail damage would surely scare him.
He leaned back in his chair and rested
his arm along the top of the booth. “But don’t worry. Like I said, I won’t do
anything unless you ask me.”
Would you take me right now, on this
table?
“Lexi?”
“Huh?”
“Did I say something wrong?”
I shook my head, trying to think past the
tempting thoughts that cluttered my mind. “I promise you, I’m good. In fact,
I’m better than good.”
The waiter appeared with our food and I
was glad. I was an emotional train wreck. One moment, I was excited about being
with Raven, and the next, I was mad that Collin hadn’t fought for me. But after
a month of not hearing from him, I knew I had done the right thing. He didn’t
love me enough to marry me. Despite knowing that, it still hurt, and the pain
told me that I wasn’t over Collin, at least not completely. But I couldn’t deny
my feelings for Raven. There was something about him. Not only was I happy with
him, but also sensed a connection like I’d never experienced before.
We ate our food, chatting a little more
about my overbearing parents and how they ruled my life as well as my
brother’s. Raven sympathized with me and assured me that I didn’t need to feel
guilty about wanting to live my life. His support gave me the confidence that I
had made the best decision.
I placed my fork and knife across my plate
and relaxed against the seat. “We’ve been talking all about me and I really
haven’t asked you anything.”
Raven scraped the last of his beans from
the plate with a tortilla. “Go ahead, shoot. I’ll tell you what you want to
know.”
“For starters, how was your
Thanksgiving? Does your mom make a big feast?”
“Actually, my granny does. My mom and
her sister help with the side dishes and pies. She lives in New Orleans and we
usually go there every year. This year I missed out because of the game.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
With a slight mouthful of food, he said,
“It’s no big deal.” He cast a flinty expression, but I could tell it bothered
him. “I actually went to my friend Josh’s house.”
“That’s good. So you were able to have
turkey and all the fixings.”
“Yep. His dad makes fried turkey and
it’s the best.”
“Hmm. Never tried it.”
“Well, you’re missing out.”
The waiter appeared again and took my
plate. “Can you bring the check when you get a moment?” I pulled out my wallet
from my purse, prepared to fulfill my promise of paying for the next meal.
“The manager said it was on the house.”
“Wow, thanks.” I was slightly
disappointed that I wasn’t able to pay but grateful for the act of kindness.
“Thanks, man. Tell him we appreciate
it.”
“Will do. Can I get y’all anything else?”
“I’m good.” Raven turned toward me. “Do
you want any dessert?”
Only if it’s you.
I let out a small giggle and they both
gave me a weird look. “I think that will be it for now.” The waiter loaded up
his arms with the dirty plates and scurried toward the kitchen.