Page 14 of Players Break Hearts (Campus Kings #3)
Sam
Standing in front of the mirror, I fix my hair one last time, trying to ignore my shaky hands. I’m so nervous about my non-date with Tucker.
Eden appears in the doorway to my bedroom. “You look good.”
I laugh, tugging at the seam of my Harry Potter shirt that says Books turn Muggles into Wizards . “Not dressed like this.”
“He won’t care what shirt you wear. When he sees you, he’ll think about how it will look on his floor.”
Anxiety washes over me when I think about anything more than sitting next to Tucker to watch a movie. “Maybe I should stay home. This is a bad idea, right?”
She steps into the room and presses her hands on my shoulders, glancing at me through the mirror. “Don’t be such a coward, Sam. You can do this. Think of the big picture.”
Eden hugs me from behind, wrapping me in her warmth.
“You have the upper hand this time; remember that. Tucker is the king of this campus. Getting closer to him will give us a bigger advantage.”
I nod, now realizing what she means. “Good point. The closer I get, the more we’ll learn about all of them.”
Our secret, one no one knows, has helped pay a portion of our tuition. We’ve used our investigative journalism skills since the beginning of the semester to earn extra cash.
Eden dated the president of Delta Sigma Phi to gain easy access to his fraternity brothers. That’s the beauty of being an average girl. Heads aren’t turning when I walk into a room. When The Queen approached us, we couldn’t turn down her offer.
“She will want details about your date with Tucker,” Eden says. “Pump him for as much info as you can get.”
I flash a wicked grin. “Easy.”
Crowded doesn’t even cover the current situation in the SAC. I scan the large, open room on the top floor for Tucker. He’s well over six feet tall and easy to spot most days. But not tonight. I’m too short, the surrounding guys towering over me, making it hard to see past them.
Standing on my tippy toes, I take another look, startled when strong hands wrap around my middle. I know it’s him before my feet hit the floor. His scent, clean linen, and spicy aftershave fill my nostrils. Tucker always smells so damn good.
“Looking for me,” he says against the shell of my ear.
My body responds to his touch instantly, his deep voice hardening my nipples. I can’t deny the effect he has on me. What I felt for him years ago hasn’t faded with time. Knowing what it’s like to be with Tucker makes me want him more.
But I can’t.
I won’t.
This isn’t right.
I shouldn’t even be here with him.
And yet, I am.
I suck in a deep breath, nerves shaking through my body as I peel Tucker’s hands from my waist and spin around to face him. “You showed. I’m shocked.”
“Don’t be,” he growls.
“You promised to behave yourself.”
He laughs. “I am.”
“No more touching.” I move my hands to my hips while giving him my best resting bitch face so he knows I mean business.
His eyes follow my hands and rake over my breasts before he meets my gaze again. “You got it, boss.” A crooked smile crosses his lips. “No touching.”
“Friends,” I remind him.
He nods and then threads his fingers between mine, leading me deeper into the room.
Tucker couldn’t even make it two seconds before he broke the rules.
With his skin brushing against mine, it’s harder to fight him.
Heat travels up my arms, igniting a fire inside me.
I’m angry with myself because I like how he makes me feel.
A massive projection screen is on the wall, paused on the opening credits of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone .
Tucker releases his grip on my fingers, and I miss his heat the second it’s gone.
But I’m also relieved because we’re in public, where students in my class can see us holding hands.
One complaint to Professor Frazier, especially after my previous warning, could cost me a job.
Tucker bends down to speak to the guys and girls in the front row. They lift their bags, blankets, and food, sliding to the right to make room for us on the floor. We’re at the dead center of the screen, our view unobstructed.
Everyone caters to Tucker. So, he expects me to grade him on a curve. No one has ever told him no. Well, he can kiss my ass. There’s no way in hell I’ll go easy on him. I meant what I said to him.
We sit with our legs crossed on the carpeted floor, staring at the screen silently. He doesn’t strike me as the Harry Potter-loving type. I would have guessed comic book movies.
I tap Tucker on the knee to catch his attention, now aware I broke my rule.
“Which book is your favorite?”
He gives me a blank stare. “What’s yours?”
His expression hasn’t changed.
Does he even know what I’m talking about?
“Hmm… I love The Deathly Hallows because it’s the book that ties everything together and wraps up the story, but I think my favorite is The Goblet of Fire. I love the competition aspect of the book.”
Another confused stare from Tucker. He nods, biting the inside of his cheek. “Right, I feel the same way.”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
“I guess Hollows,” he says, using the wrong word.
I think of Hermione, my favorite character from the books, her voice in my head saying, “It’s hallows, not hollows.”
Asshole.
He sure as hell had me fooled.
“You will do anything to pass the class, won’t you?”
His eyebrows rise in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“You know nothing about Harry Potter.”
Instead of replying, he laughs, using the awkward pause between us to concoct his next lie. “Not true. I love Harry Potter.”
“Okay, then answer this question. Which of the Weasley brothers dies?”
“Um… Harry.”
I shake my head, unable to contain my laughter. “Fred. Oh my God, I can’t believe you, Tucker. Did you pretend to like the same things as me to get in my pants or to con your way into an A?”
“Both,” he admits.
“Unbelievable,” I grunt.
I press my palms to the floor, ready to leave, but Tucker grabs my arm. He tightens his grip to hold me in place. Our eyes meet, and when they do, I can’t breathe. I’m angry, frustrated, upset, and in no mood to deal with him anymore.
“I’m sorry, Sam.” His baby blues burn a hole through me. “I’m trying.”
“Why lie? It wasn’t necessary.”
“I Googled a few things after my brother pointed out that your screen name has to do with Harry Potter. I haven’t watched the movies or read the books.”
I snort. “Obviously.”
“But I’d like to watch them with you.” He points at the projection screen. “So, don’t leave.”
His words cut deep, hitting me where it hurts. I’m so used to men giving up on me that I don’t even know what to do with someone wanting to spend time with me. Maybe I’ve been focusing too much on the past. I can watch a movie with him and decide whether to bother after tonight.
“Okay,” I whisper. “I’ll stay. Consider this your last chance. It’s the only one you’ll get from me.”
A smile turns up the corners of his mouth. “You won’t regret it.”
Over an hour into the movie, my ass goes numb from sitting on the hard floor. I rock back and forth, and when that doesn’t work, I stretch my legs and lean back, using my palms to support my weight.
Tucker brushes his lips along my ear, the heat from his breath sending chills down my spine. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I say in a hushed tone. “I just need to move around.”
He sits back and pats his chest. “You can lean on me. Get comfortable.”
Even in the darkness, I can see the cocky smirk on his lips. He’s such an ass. He’ll use any opportunity to touch me. So, why am I taking him up on his offer?
I curl up next to Tucker, and he hooks his arm around my back, pulling me into his chest. It’s as hard as a rock, chiseled to perfection.
So are his arms. Holy shit, his biceps are massive.
Now, my body is even more aware of him. All of him.
And I can’t stop thinking about Tucker in inappropriate ways.
We stay this way until the person next to Tucker spills their drink on the floor before us. I squeal without meaning to be so loud. Tucker moves me to the side as the liquid splashes his jeans and sneakers. The girl on his right offers him her blanket to dry off.
Tucker dabs at the soda on his jeans and sneakers and sighs. “I need to wash my hands,” he tells me. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll go with you. My legs are killing me.”
He helps me up from the floor, and I hate that I like the feel of his skin against mine. I shouldn’t be thinking about him this way. But I ignore the warnings sounding off in my head like missiles firing and allow him to lead me into the hallway.