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FRESHMAN YEAR COLLEGE

MADISON

“Benny?”

I roll my eyes. Brian, my brother, constantly annoys me when he’s home on leave. He’s a big, bad Navy SEAL and a genuine hero. It doesn’t change the fact that he treats me like he’s my third parent. He’s the one who nicknamed me ‘Benny.’ He told my parents I was as cute as a bunny. My mother wouldn’t let him call me bunny, so it became Benny instead. Stupid story for a stupid nickname. I wish he’d just call me by my actual name.

Ugh. “What?” I walk around the corner from the open family room in my childhood home as he’s holding his phone out like it’s a snake.

“I need you to pick up Dix at the airport.”

I scoff. “Wait a minute! I’m not a chauffeur for your friend.”

“He’s not my friend. He’s my SEAL teammate. He’s family.”

I thrust out my hip and slam my palm on it with an annoyed, sour look on my face. “So, you pick him up.”

Brian puckers his mouth and clicks his tongue. “I’ve got a date.”

Rolling my eyes more deliberately, so he sees me. My mom stands at the doorway behind my brother, giving me the ‘go do what he asks’ sign. “Fine. But I’m not entertaining him. And I’ll have to take the truck because there’s no way he’ll fit in my little sedan.”

“Sure.” My brother is running out the door like someone’s chasing him. He calls over his shoulder. “Take him to get food. It’s late, and I’m sure he’s hungry.”

“Oh. Come on. I said…” He slams the door as my mother chuckles.

“You don’t mind Dixon.” Her eyes twinkle. Her petite frame no longer carries the extra weight she had a few years ago, and her dark blonde hair is now highlighted with more silver than color.

“That’s not the point, Mom. This is my vacation from school. I planned on binge watching some show while I chatted with Penny on the phone until the wee hours of the morning. Brian’s ridiculous. I did not plan on taking care of his teammate.” I use my fingers to make air quotes as my mother shakes her head.

“His plane lands in forty minutes.” She shrugs as she walks toward the front door with a profound goodbye wave above her head.

“Shit!” I grab my purse and the truck keys as I head to the garage. Dixon makes my panties wet. He has since Brian first brought him home three years ago. Not that he noticed me at all. I resembled a pimply giraffe with my long neck and legs. At twenty-two, he was so ridiculously out of my league, but a high school sophomore can dream, can’t she? When I met him, his huge frame filled the doorway, even more than my brother, and unlike my brother and the other boys around here, he’s hot. Rarely does a man tower over me, but he’s tall, like six and a half feet tall, with short blonde hair and piercing sea-green eyes that remind me of the water at a clear lake in the summer. I bite my lip as I pull the truck out of the garage. And his body is banging. More muscles than Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator . Put his body on the side of a bus and it would sell anything imaginable. I snicker. Not to mention cause accidents because who could take their eyes off him?

Our house isn’t far from the airport, so I don’t have to rush. Houses in our neighborhood are one of five cookie cutter designs. Different fronts and colors, but similar in style and structure.

I pull to the arrivals area at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, and he’s leaning against the wall chatting up some cute, dark-haired woman in a short dress. I hit the horn and wave as he slings his bag over his shoulder and walks toward the truck. He tosses the bag in the backseat and smiles. “Hey, Benny.”

“Dixon.” I motion to the woman who’s shooting daggers at me with her squinty eyes. “I hope I didn’t tear you away from something.”

He glances at the pouting woman standing at the curb. “Oh. No.” He gets into the passenger seat. “Where’s Bri?”

I side-eye Dixon. “You know.”

“Some woman?”

I nod as I pull the truck into traffic. “He’s been home for more than a day, so yeah. Where do you want to eat?”

“Huh?”

I blow out my breath. “Eat. You’ve had a long flight, and my mom is on some health food kick, so there isn’t much in the line of quick food at the house. She’s out with church friends, so we’d have to fend for ourselves at the house, anyway.”

He nods, leaning against the seat. “Where can I get a burger?”

“Mark’s. They’re good.”

His eyes scan my body as I drive. “I can’t imagine you eat burgers.”

“You don’t have much of an imagination, Dixon. I love burgers.”

“Aren’t you some star soccer player?”

His foolish comments are going to make me roll my eyes permanently into the sockets the more time I spend with him. “Athletes eat. I’m an athlete. Therefore, I eat.”

He nods. “I get it. Brian always shares the highlights of your college career.”

I turn and smirk at Dix. “Seriously? You need better things to read about. Sports, current events, porn.”

The satisfaction I feel when his jaw drops is palpable. Go me!

“What?”

“Porn. Dirty writing. Erotica. I imagine you can get online enough to surf porn, but you could get books that would travel with pics and cheap dialogue.”

“What the fuck do you know about porn?” His cocky smile has receded to be replaced by shock.

“I read erotica. It’s a great way to pass the time when we’re traveling.” I flick my head at him again. “And close your mouth. A fly’s going to fly in it.”

“Damn. How old are you now?”

“Nineteen. And you?”

“You know damn well how old I am. I’m the same age as your brother, twenty-five.”

I shrug. “You just seem so much older than that. Those gray hairs peeking around that buzz cut make you seem much older.”

The laugh he offers bounces around the cab of the truck and warms my heart. My damp panties are now soaked. It’s a happy, deep laugh like Santa would make only sexier. “I’m glad you think I’m funny.”

He smirks. “Funny is not the word that comes to my mind about you.”

I’d love to ask what word does, but I don’t have any intention of inquiring. I pull the truck into the parking lot at Mark’s Burger Joint and turn off the engine. Dixon stares at me like a lion surveying his prey. “What?”

He offers a sly smile before he reaches for the handle and bounces out of the truck, coming to a stop next to the driver’s door. “Here, let me.”

He holds the door as I step down, grabbing my bag on the backseat and handing it to me. “Thanks. Nice to know chivalry isn’t dead.”

“Did Brian give you any idea when he’d be back at your house?”

“No.” We head across the parking lot, making a beeline for the double glass doors. “I’m guessing late tonight.”

He mumbles, “man whore,” under his breath, and I couldn’t agree more.

A server lifts two menus and motions for us to follow her into the restaurant. Various eyes watch us as we walk together. Dixon’s arm wraps around me with his hand resting lightly on the small of my back. It feels like possession. It isn’t, but a girl can wish. He leads me to the booth as the server hands me a menu. She nearly drops his, making googly eyes at the sexy man.

“What would you like to drink?” She stares at Dixon.

I can almost see drool in the corner of her mouth. I smile at my own joke. “I’ll take water with lemon.”

Dixon smiles. “If you’re driving, I’ll take a beer.”

The server lists a half dozen beers. Dixon is too busy surveying the restaurant and doesn’t look like he’s paying attention, but chooses one as she writes it down on her notebook and turns away.

The gorgeous man leans back against the booth and outstretches his arms. “Brian hasn’t mentioned, so whatcha’ studying?”

“Pre-law.”

His brow lifts. “You hoping to be a lawyer?”

“Eventually.”

The server sets down the water and his beer. “Are you ready?”

“Uh. We need more time. I haven’t even looked at the menu.” The woman could be courteous enough to look at me when I answer. But she stares at Dixon, shrugging as she walks off.

Dixon focuses on me. “Eventually?”

I take a sip of my water and set down the glass. “Yeah. If I go pro, I’ll need a job to support myself, and then when my career is over, I’ll need a future.”

“Why do you need a job on top of playing pro soccer?”

“The salary is pathetic. So, it’s necessary. Women make less than professional men athletes, and unless I’m a star, I’ll make low five figures.” Dixon continues to scan the restaurant, sipping his beer, looking like he’s waiting for someone to jump up and cause trouble.

He nods. I don’t expect a reply because what can you say about that?

A few minutes later, the server arrives back at the table and breaks the uncomfortable silence. “Ready?”

I hand her my menu. “I’ll take a burger with cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, and light mustard.”

“Fries or tater tots?” She can’t keep her eyes off Dixon.

“I’ll do fries. Thanks.”

He smirks, noticing that I’m annoyed at the server’s behavior. “I’ll take a double burger the same way with tots.” She collects his menu and walks away. I wait. He’s going to ask more questions. It’s what he does.

“Brian mentioned you’re doing really well on the soccer team. I didn’t know college soccer was a thing, at least for girls.”

Way to sound like a misogynist. “There are many women’s sports in college, Dixon.”

His smile increases as I realize he’s just pushing my buttons. He focuses his gorgeous eyes on me. “Got a boyfriend?”

I shake my head. “No time. I’ve got a guy friend to scratch the itch.”

The color drains from his face, and I have to stop myself from beaming. I caught the arrogant man off guard. Yay, me! I steel my face and drink water from my almost empty glass. The women that had been trying to engage him have stopped, and I have a chance to notice the new movie posters hung on all the walls.

Dixon clears his throat. I turn and his surprise turns to a glare. “You shouldn’t do that.”

Here we go. “Do what?”

“Have random sex.”

I set my glass down. “It’s not random. Bobby and I have been friends since high school. He’s a football player and busy, like I am. He doesn’t want anything more than I do. It’s just good sex.”

He scoffs while rolling his eyes. “How good can a nineteen-year-old boy actually be?”

I deadpan. “At least three orgasms for me for each session. He’s thick and long, exactly what I prefer.” This is a whole new way to flirt with a hot man. Bobby and I aren’t exclusive, and if it weren’t for my own fingers, I’d never have an orgasm with him, but Dixon doesn’t need to know that.

“If Brian knew what you were doing, he’d have a heart attack.”

“My mom knows.” I move my long blonde hair over my shoulder. “I can’t say she’s thrilled about the ‘friends with benefits’ plan, but she wants me to be happy.”

His jaw is back down, hanging like a dog waiting for a treat. “You told your mom you’re screwing some guy?”

My forehead wrinkles as I think about how far I want to take this conversation. It would be nice if he didn’t see me as some kid. “Mom understands I’m not a kid anymore. Sex is a healthy activity. She encouraged me to get birth control in high school.”

“Wow.” He leans back in his seat. “You have a totally different relationship with your mom than I imagined. I assumed she’d be protective like Brian.”

“Pfft. Brian wants to be another parent. If he knew I was having regular sex with a friend, he’d blow a gasket.” I raise my eyebrow. “He’s a hypocrite. No one is a bigger man whore than Brian.”

The server brings our meals, and we continue to chat about things. I learn about how he was orphaned at seven. He bounced around foster and group homes until he landed in one that worked. He smiles when he tells me he had to get permission from his foster mother at seventeen to enlist. Listening to him talk about how he and Brian met in Basic and went on to become SEALS warms my heart. By the end of the meal, I feel like I know him so much better than when he visited with Brian a few years before.

We step away from the booth and walk out the door into the cool night air. “Thanks for bringing us here.”

“You’re welcome.” I hit the remote on my dad’s truck to unlock as Dixon walks around to open the driver’s side door. “Thanks.”

“Yep.” He heads around the truck and gets in. “Does your mom go out a lot at night?”

“Enough, I guess. She spends Wednesday nights at church. Dinner is served there, so if you don’t go with her to church, you have to figure out your own dinner.”

He bobs his head. “That seems fair. I’m sorry I missed your dad’s funeral.”

I pull the truck out of the parking lot. “I understand. Brian barely made it home in time and left the following morning.”

The house is dark when we get back to my childhood home as I raise the garage door. “Shouldn’t your mom be home by now?”

“Yeah.” I put the truck in park and slide out my door. “She probably stayed at a friend’s house.”

Dixon opens the door that leads into the kitchen. “Does she do that often?”

“Over the last two months or so, yeah. Dad’s been gone almost three years. She’s finally moving on.”

The clock on the oven reads ten after nine as I flip on the overhead light. “Want some eggnog?”

“Sure. I haven’t had eggnog in years. Usually, I’m in some jungle at Christmas.”

DIXON

The woman throwing her head back and laughing in the kitchen isn’t the girl I met a few years ago. She’s grown up. Brian talks about her like she’s ten. Benny is so right when she says he’d lose it if he knew she was having sex with a guy. Hell, he thinks she’ll be a virgin until marriage. I can’t blame her. I love sex and have no interest in any kind of relationship. Once is always enough. Her beautiful voice catches my attention. I should call her, “Madison.” She’s not “Benny” anymore.

“Dixon?”

“Huh?”

“You weren’t listening.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. Jet lag, maybe.” I can’t exactly tell her I’m thinking about her having sex and wishing it was me. “What did you say?”

“I asked if you have any plans this week.”

“Oh. Brian and I are going hunting tomorrow near your family’s cabin.”

I nod. “I got a buck there last year.”

“Did you? Wow! I wasn’t aware you liked to hunt.”

“Dad took me when I was eight for my first hunt. I winged the deer he brought home that year.”

“Bri and I are thrilled that we both got leave and could be here to go hunting in the North Zone. He mentioned you had a cabin in North Texas near that area for deer hunting.”

Benny, I mean, Madison nods. “I was planning to go, but Bri pitched a fit.” She holds up her fingers and makes air quotes. “It’s a guy’s adventure. No girls allowed.”

I shake my head. “He’s nuts. The more the merrier.”

Stepping to set her glass in the sink, she speaks. “My mom put you in the second bedroom on the right, the one next to mine. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks for picking me up at the airport.”

“Welcome.” She strolls out of the kitchen, and I will my cock to stand down. Brian would fucking murder me for my dirty thoughts about his sister, let alone the itch I want her to scratch. I stay for a few minutes after rinsing our glasses. Ugh. I don’t need any temptation with the girl next door to my room. Walking up the stairs, I study the family photos that adorn the walls. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to return to the house where I lived with my parents, with photos and reminders of me and my family. Melancholy seeps into my brain when I realize that life and house don’t exist anymore. My parents died when I was young, and everything from the life I had before foster care was buried in the bottom of a dump outside of Denver.