Tell Me You Want Me (2 page)

She rolled her eyes. Why did she have to stumble across his latest adventure?

She intentionally slammed her duffle bag into the nearest locker. "Oops."

The girl shrieked and covered herself, but Austin pulled the irritated cheerleader close and whispered something in her ear that made her glare at Jane. He kissed her cheek and sent her to get dressed. Then he winked at Jane and flashed that infamous smile. "Did you like that, sweetheart? Wanna be next?"

"
Your
next? Keep dreaming." She rolled her eyes again, and walked to her locker, ignoring the furious cheerleader scurrying from the room.

The bad boy strolled out of the shower, zipping up his jeans. He leaned against a row of lockers and folded his arms over his chest, watching her put away her soccer gear.

Jane shivered as his gaze roamed over her body like a pair of exploring hands, touching and lingering in places no other man had noticed before.

"Mm-mm, you're just the kind of girl a man likes to dream about."

Oh my God, did he really just say that? About me?
She couldn't look at him. He flirted with every girl on campus, so she knew it didn't mean anything. Still, he was flirting with
her
. Guys didn't flirt with her often—or at all. Not that it mattered. Pursuing her career was more important than flirting with guys.

She packed her bag and dug through her locker as if he didn't exist.

Austin ran his fingers through his wild hair and shifted his weight. His jaw tightened for a moment, but then that naughty smile returned. "I'll forgive you for interrupting if you promise not to tell the dean I was in here."

Jane laughed. "I won't have to tell. Everyone knows you're no stranger to the girls' locker room." Even Sara, her best friend and least athletic person on the planet, had told stories about Austin's favorite playing field.

"Ouch baby."

"Don't call me baby."

"Sorry, sweetheart." He grinned at her.

"I have a name!" She slammed the locker shut and glared back.

"I know you do." The grin started to fade and he shifted again.

"This school isn't that big. I know your name, Charles Austin Sinclair III." She smiled as that charming grin turned into an angry scowl.

"Don't call me that. Ever." He ground the words out through clenched teeth.

"Surely you must know my name."

"You bet I do." He paused, his eyes rolling to the right, searching his memory. "I'm just playing with you." The grin returned. "Or I'd like to."

She saw right through his little game. Well, she could play too. Obviously, he knew nothing about her, so she might as well have some fun with him. "You're not the only one...."

Actually, he was. Jane's mother hadn't let her date in high school, and the trend had continued right into college.
Focus on your studies, Jane
, her mother had told her.
Don't let boys distract you
.

"Oh yeah?" Austin's eyes lit up and Jane wondered what had sparked his interest. He moved closer to her. "Where do I get in line?"

She wanted to tell him to get behind her, but she'd just witnessed what he could do to a girl from behind. Might not be such a bad thing. The cheerleader had seemed to enjoy it. Jane wondered what it would feel like to let him touch her. She stole a glance at his hands. Such long fingers.... A little shiver ran down her spine and she bit her lip before she said anything stupid.

"Come on, sugar–"

"What's my name?"

"Um... Jenna."

"Wrong answer."

"Jenny."

"Keep trying." If he stuck with J names, he might stumble onto it.

"I will." He settled back against the locker next to her as if he belonged there. "Come have a drink with me and I'll figure it out."

I should say no.
"Isn't there a frustrated cheerleader you should be consoling?"

He chuckled. "Probably. She'll wait."

Jane had no doubt she would. "I need to study." School was more important than Austin Sinclair—or any other man.

"So do I, but I don't want to." He moved closer to her and brushed her hair back over her shoulder, caressing her skin. "I want to be with you."

His light, provocative touch dared her to ask for more. If his fingers felt that good in her hair, what would his hands feel like on her body? She stepped back, unwilling to allow those thoughts. "Do you always get what you want?"

"Yep."

Just a hint of a smile touched his lips, but his eyes—
oooh, his eyes
—promised she would get everything she wanted too. What did she want that he could give her? A little freedom, a little fun, and a lot of trouble.
Dangerous thoughts about a dangerous man.
Jane almost smiled in return. Did she really want that? She shook her head. "Why me?"

"Why not? You're very pretty, and I can tell you need to have a little fun."

Fun. That might be enough for him, but not for her. She refused to be just another notch on his bedpost.

"I have other plans." She swung her heavy backpack over her shoulder and wobbled backwards when the books shifted, nearly knocking her to the floor. She had goals to accomplish, dreams to reach for. Fun played no part in her plans.

"Not anymore."

"Wow, that's overconfident."

"Come on, baby. Are you up for it?"

She ignored that challenge and shot back one of her own. "Say my name."

"What's the matter... Gina?"

"Wrong again."

"I'm really bad at names."

He probably rarely made the effort to remember them, not when
baby
or
sweetheart
would do. "I noticed, but I hear you're good at everything else."
Did I say that out loud?

Austin laughed. "That's true. I may not remember your name, but I will remember what you like in bed, where you like to be touched, how you like to be kissed... and where." His voice got soft and husky as he backed her up against the lockers, his body almost touching hers, his lips close but still so far away. "Come with me, and I'll give you something to remember."

A little thrill shot through her body, and for a moment Jane debated tossing her books on the floor and grabbing the fun he promised. Austin pursued pleasure without reservation, without hesitation, and apparently, without rules. How else could he go from screwing a bouncy blonde cheerleader to seducing boring bookworm Jane in the space of a few minutes?

"No." There. She finally said it.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" He leaned back to look at her.

She couldn't help but laugh. "I figured you wouldn't understand that word." She pushed him away.

He stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes intent on her. "Oh, I understand plenty. You think you can resist me."

"Yes, I can."
But do I want to?

"You think you're immune to my charms."

"I am."
For now.

A slow, practiced smile curved his lips, and something dangerous danced in his eyes. "We'll see how long that lasts."

She had a feeling it wouldn't last long at all. "Are we done now?" She held her bag tighter and headed for the door.

He followed her. "Not by a long shot, darlin'."

She stopped and fixed her eyes on him.

"Julia."

"Still wrong." When she reached the locker room door, he held it open for her. Nice move, but she could practically see his ulterior motive taunting her in his eyes.

"The next time we meet, I won't be so nice." Austin winked at her and disappeared down the hallway.

Jane leaned back against the wall and caught her breath.
Darn it.
She'd said
no
. No next time.
So why am I thinking about a next time?

***

Austin jumped in his Jeep and drove home , still thinking about the girl he'd met in the locker room—not the cheerleader, but the soccer babe. He couldn't believe she'd said no to an innocent drink. Okay—not so innocent. Dirty thoughts had run through his calculating mind. A drink might have loosened her up a little and then.... He didn't hear "no" often, if at all. Still, he was no quitter. He wouldn't take no for an answer until she said it, and meant it.

He opened the door to his apartment, and a football bounced off his head. "What the hell?"

"That's why you're a quarterback instead of a receiver." Jack Wheeler laughed.

"Remind me to trade you in for a prettier roommate," Austin grumbled, his head throbbing. "One who doesn't throw like a girl."

"Carrie was looking for you. Man, was she ever pissed." Jack tossed the football into his bedroom and sat down on the couch. "What did you do to her?"

Austin dropped his backpack on the coffee table and sat down in the recliner next to the couch. He remembered doing some very interesting things to Carrie, but nothing that would— "Oh yeah." He chuckled. "We kinda got interrupted."

"Busted again? You're gonna get kicked out of school if you're not careful."

"Nah. Dean Francis will never boot me." Austin had a lot of practice talking himself out of trouble.

"Yeah, you're lucky the dean is an
understanding
woman."

"Luck has nothing to do with it."

"So who caught you this time?"

"Another girl."

"Oh man, no wonder Carrie was so mad. Did one of your exes catch you?"

"Nope. I've never met this girl before. I've seen her around, but for the life of me, I can't remember her name."

"I'm not surprised. What does she look like?"

She looked a little bit like... someone else.
She'd
worn glasses too.
Damn it, why did I have to remember that?
"Pretty brunette, green eyes. She wears those sexy librarian glasses."

The soccer babe had looked familiar, but he'd never notice her in a crowd. She blended in and disappeared, but now that Austin had taken a good look at her, he'd noticed a beauty he'd never seen before. She hadn't worn her glasses at practice, so he'd admired her gorgeous green eyes. The rich brown hair she usually kept pinned up flowed over her shoulders, curling a bit where sweat made it damp.

Jack nodded. "Nice."

She had a toned and athletic body—the kind made for
full contact
sports. "Not a lot of curves, but she looks like the type who has stamina. I'll bet she could keep up with me in bed." That thought raised him to full attention. Natalie was slender and delicate. The soccer babe could easily kick her ass.

"I'll bet you'd like to find out."

"Oh yeah. Sweet apple-sized breasts with fat nipples I could see under her shirt." Natalie had grapefruit-sized....
Stop comparing!

Jack laughed. "Okay, you noticed her body. So what's she like?"

"Stubborn. She refused to go out with me, and she wouldn't tell me her name."

"Did you ask her?"

"Uh...." Austin relived their conversation in his head. "No, I didn't think of that."

"Dumbass. You'd have forgotten it by now, anyway."

"Probably. Too many women in my life. I get them all confused." Not that he complained. He knew all the in-demand girls, the easy girls, and the girls who played hard to get.

But he didn't know
her
.

"Wait... you asked her out and she said no?"

"Yeah. Surprised me too, but she'll have a different answer next time."

"It might help if you knew her name. Some girls like that."

"It might help if you weren't such a smartass. She plays soccer. Any idea who she is?"

Jack smiled and his eyes danced. "Nope."

"Damn it." Austin jumped off the couch and wrenched open the fridge. He grabbed a beer and popped the top off, hoping it would wash away the sudden flood of bad memories swirling around him. "She reminds me of Nat."

Jack raised an eyebrow and joined him in the kitchen. "How?"

"They're the same type: book nerd, top of the honor roll, math club president or some bullshit like that."

"How do you know your soccer girl was president of the math club?"

"I don't." He snarled and polished off his beer, slapping the empty bottle on the table. "She has that look... like a dumb jock isn't good enough for her."

"She's a jock too."

Austin snorted. "I swore I'd never fall for a girl again. I can't."

"So she looks like Nat?"

Austin shook his head. "Not exactly like her. Just the glasses." He searched the fridge for another beer, but the case was empty.

"That doesn't mean she's gonna...." Jack put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's not gonna do what Nat did to you."

The one time he'd ignored his father's advice; the one time he decided to take a risk and give his heart to a girl, she'd rejected him. "Damn right. I will not fall for this girl. Keepin' it casual. Just fun. No promises."

"There ya go." Jack grinned. "What are you gonna do about Carrie?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Carrie." He'd already decided to be done with Carrie. "I'll make it up to her."
Okay, not quite done.

"And then?"

"Then I'll find out who this soccer babe is and make her say yes."
Over and over.

Jack shook his head. "I've known you since the third grade, and I can't think of a single girl who's said no to you and meant it."

Austin smiled. "She will not be the first."

"Wanna bet on it?"

"Loser buys me a six-pack."

"Loser buys
me
a case of Coke."

"Nope." Austin smiled. "I will not lose."

Ugh. Why can't I get him out of my head?
Jane shoved the refrigerator door shut and tossed the mushrooms on the counter next to the green pepper. A twisted thought tickled her brain as she picked up the knife... but no, she didn't want to hurt Austin. She inspected the knife, catching her reflection in the shiny blade. Frustration, excitement, nervousness—but no anger—showed on her face. Something else too.
Aroused? What does that look like?

Jane chopped the mushrooms like a skilled chef. Cooking was her favorite escape. When she created a recipe, everything else melted away—the pressures of school, her mother's strict rules, and a yummy young man who had no business interrupting her life to begin with.