“You know Logan?”
Her eyes were still wide as she slowly moved her head up and down. Her cheeks were becoming pink again. “I know of Logan. Who doesn’t? Do you not realize how known your boyfriend and his brother are? I know their football stats. I know how many games they played together. I know they were a force to be reckoned with. Mason graduated, and Logan still did amazing with Fallen Crest’s record last year. How many did they win? Are you from Fallen Crest? I guess I don’t even know that. You may be from somewhere else. Wait. How did you meet Mason? I know I’m being really nosy, but I can’t help asking. I’m fascinated with everything. My dad wanted to go pro, and I think he knows their dad, too—something about business. Okay, I’m shutting up. I keep babbling and babbling, and you’re looking at me like I’m a psycho stalker. I’m not. Promise.” She patted herself on the chest before forcing herself to sit down on the bed and tuck her hands under her legs. “I just really like football. That’s all. I don’t want to get into either of their pants.” She squeaked, her entire face flaming up. “Shutting up. Now.”
There was a moment of silence.
The girl was stunning, and she was rattling off things about football, about Mason, about Logan, and even about James. I glanced at the storage totes she’d brought in with her and glimpsed a stack of magazines. The plastic was clear, and the images were blurry, but I could tell the pictures were of her.
This girl was a model and a football fan. “Logan’s going to try to hump you like crazy.”
“What?” Her head swung back up. She was confused until she saw where I was looking. “Oh.” She bit down on her lip. Her hands pulled from under her legs and twisted onto each other. “Yeah.” Her foot nudged the closest storage tote. “That’s my secret. I’m a model—or I was a model. I quit, so I could come to college.” A bitter laugh left her. “My stepmother’s not happy.”
“Your stepmother?”
“My dad got himself a new wife a few years back. It’s been…” She hesitated before continuing, “Difficult, I guess. But what did you say about Logan? He’s going to hump me?”
I grunted, moving to start unpacking my own things. “He’s going to try.” Damn, my roommate was a model. How cliché was that? “A model, huh?”
She let out a sigh, giving me a smile. “Former model. College student now, no matter how famous my mother would like me to be.”
“Your mom?”
“Yeah.” She turned and lifted a tote to her bed before pulling things out. She glanced up, tucking her hair behind her ears. “That’s the one thing my mom and my stepmom have bonded on—me. They both want me to keep modeling and do college when I can. But that’s not me. Neither cares about what I want. It’s what they want, you know?” She frowned slightly. “Look at me, burdening you with all my stuff. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to dump this on you, especially on the first day we’re meeting. And Mason Kade. Hello! I’m still buzzing from knowing that I know him, you know?”
I grinned. The ball of tension was loosening. “Well, we do have an entire year to get to know each other. I think this was appropriate first-day conversation.”
She laughed, her grin spreading wide. “I like you. Most girls instantly hate me.” She grew thoughtful. “Not you, though.”
“Trust me. I’ve had my fair share of chicks hating me.” Kate. Miranda. Cass. So many others. “You won’t get that from me.” Not unless you hurt me or my loved ones. All bets are off then.
“Hot damn, woman!”
A whistle sounded from farther down the hallway, and I knew I had two seconds to give my model roommate a warning.
Logan was coming.
MASON
Sam’s new roommate was Logan’s wet dream, which he made sure she knew. After watching the girl squirm for a good half an hour, I directed my brother to the hallway, kissed Sam, and said our good-byes. The roommate looked relieved.
Sam grabbed my hand before I slipped from the room. She asked, her voice hushed, “You okay?”
I cupped the side of her face. “Yeah. You?”
She nodded. Her hand fell to my chest, and she spread her fingers wide, just touching me there. I wanted to close my eyes, pull her into my arms, and take her to bed and forget Sebastian, forget his threats, forget Sam’s roommate, and even forget Logan waiting outside for me. I wanted all of that to go away in that instant, so I could be inside Sam like I’d been earlier that morning. Fuck. Something was telling me that the whole plan where she’d stay in her dorm every night for the first month wasn’t going to go as planned.
Sweeping a hand down her back, I rested it on her hip and tugged her into me. Fuck the roommate. I touched her chin and bent down, my lips brushing over hers. They opened, waiting for me, eager for me. Still holding her chin in place, I grinned against her mouth.