Page 56 of Beastkin
“Forty-seven,” he said, pride evident in his voice. “You thinking of getting a jersey?”
I laughed. “That would be subtle.‘Hey everyone, look at me wearing the Beastkin player’s number for no particular reason.’”
“Fair point,” he chuckled. “Though I’d love to see you in my jersey sometime. Maybe here… injustmy jersey.”
The image made the heat pool in my stomach again, and I feltKarrick’s responding arousal through our bond. At this rate, I was never going to get out of his room in five minutes. But I wasn’t sure I cared. Instead, I crawled into Karrick’s lap and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“I love you so much,” I murmured, biting his lower lip.
“Fuck…” he groaned, his hands already on my ass. “I love you too, Phoenix. More than anything.”
Chapter 22
Phoenix
“Does this look okay?” I asked the moment I met Lila at the student center.
During the week I’d teleported off campus to the outlet stores up in Sevierville to buy some new clothes. I was tired of the stuffy, old-fashioned things my parents always made me wear. Now I was dressed in a pair of form-fitting jeans, brown leather boots, a white t-shirt, a gold and black flannel, and a cute scarf that had little pumpkins on it. I thought it was the best outfit I’d ever worn, but Lila made a little bit of a face before she broke into a wide smile.
“Well,” she sighed, shaking her head. “You definitely look gay. And a little bit like a hipster somehow.”
“Is that… good?”
She furrowed her brows. “Do a turn so I can see it all.”
I did as I was told, turning slowly on the spot.
“Well,” she said once I came back around to face her. “If your goal was to make Karrick want to fuck you, I think you pulled it off. Your ass looks great in those jeans. It’s a cutebasic-white-girlsort of look, but it works on you.”
I felt my cheeks heat up at her blunt assessment. “Basic white girl?” I sputtered, looking down at myself uncertainly. I wasn’t even sure I knew what that meant.
“In the best possible way,” Lila laughed, linking her arm through mine. “Trust me, it’s a compliment. You look approachable and cute instead of like some uptight rich kid whose parents dress him. Karrick’s gonna lose his mind.”
I wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about that, but I decided to take it as a win. We made our way toward the stadium, joining the stream of students heading to the homecoming game. The crisp October air carried the scent of autumn leaves and the distant smell of concession stand food.
“Okay, so what exactly do I need to know about football?” I asked as we approached the entrance.
“Absolutely nothing,” Lila said cheerfully. “We’re just here to look pretty and cheer when our team does something good. Which is usually when everyone else cheers, so we can just follow their lead.”
The stadium was already buzzing with energy, students and families filling the bleachers in waves of gold and black. We stopped at the concession stand first, loading up on popcorn, sodas, and way too much candy. I insisted on paying for everything, still riding the high of my small rebellion and more than happy to spend my parents’ money. They had enough anyway.
We found seats about halfway up the home side, giving us a perfect view of the field. I tried not to seem too eager as I scanned the sidelines for any sign of the team, my heart doing an annoying flutter every time I caught a glimpse of someone in a jersey.
“Relax,” Lila murmured, nudging me with her elbow. “You look like you’re about to vibrate out of your seat.”
I forced myself to lean back against the bleacher behind me, trying to appear casual as I unwrapped a piece of chocolate. The sugar melted on my tongue, but it did nothing to calm the nervous energy thrumming through my veins.
The crowd suddenly erupted in cheers, and I nearly jumped outof my skin as the team came jogging out onto the field. My eyes immediately found Karrick among the sea of gold and black uniforms. He was impossible to miss, towering over most of his teammates. His Beastkin form made him look even more imposing in the football gear, and I felt my mouth go dry watching the way his muscles moved beneath the tight jersey.
“There’s your boyfriend,” Lila sang under her breath, and I elbowed her sharply in the ribs.
“Shut up,” I hissed, glancing around to make sure no one had heard her. “We talked about this.”
But I couldn’t stop myself from leaning forward slightly, my hands gripping the edge of the bleacher as Karrick lined up with the other players for warm-ups. When he glanced up at the stands, scanning the crowd, I felt my heart skip a beat. For one terrifying, wonderful moment, I thought our eyes might meet across the distance, and I had to resist the urge to wave like some lovesick fool. There was a slight pulse of recognition through our bond as our eyes met at last. Then he turned back to the rest of the team, determined to keep things discreet like we’d planned. Even so, I could feel his excitement that I was there, watching him play.
“So, explain to me again what position he plays?” I asked, trying to distract myself from the fluttering in my chest.
Lila shrugged, stuffing a handful of popcorn into her mouth. “Defensive back, I think? Or maybe linebacker? Something withbackin it.” She chewed thoughtfully. “All I know is he runs really fast and knocks people down, which seems perfect for him.”