When You're Ready (27 page)

Professor St. James either misread my silence or didn’t care, so she kept talking. “I certainly didn’t get there by crying, even when I wanted to,” she let out an exhausted sigh. “Look, you’re a smart girl, Ms. Chambers, and you have a lot of potential. If you were a silly undergrad who was
just
trying to scrape by I wouldn’t be this hard on you. But you have a future.”

I looked up in disbelief. “I do?”

“Of course. Like I said, I wouldn’t push you so hard if I didn’t recognize your potential. But you’ve got to work for it, Ms. Chambers. And this paper,” she held up my essay between her perfectly manicured fingers, “is a start.”

“But what about my scholarship?”

“You still have the final paper. If you continue to push yourself to be fearless, and back it up, you can pass my class.”

“Really?” I said shocked Professor St. James had faith in
me
.

“Yes, really. But,” she cautioned and my head snapped to attention, “if you half-ass it, I promise you’ll be taking this course again next quarter. However, if you bring you’re A-game you might just be my undergraduate assistant in the fall.”

My eyes grew wide. “Seriously?”

She pursed her lips and smirked. “Seriously.” Professor St. James flipped on her computer and began typing. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to work.”

“Oh…of course,” I stood and collected my things.

My meeting with Professor St. James didn’t go as planned, but it wasn’t a total wash either. Even though she’d given me a C-
plus
, not a B, she’d said it was possible to still pass her class. Even more amazing, she said I had potential.

I stumbled out of her office trying to make sense of everything. Yes, I was still on the verge of losing my scholarship, but for some reason, I had a little more hope. Sure, Professor St. James was a hard ass, but apparently she was in
my
corner. I just had to live up to her expectations.

When I got into the reception area I noticed Scout wasn’t there.

“You boyfriend…” the girl at the desk said, smiling, “said to meet him downstairs.”

“Thanks,” I called, before plodding through the hallway and down the staircase.

I saw Scout sitting on the steps outside Rolfe Hall and plopped down beside him. “Sorry that took so long,” I smacked my lips against his cheek. “Thank for being so patient.”

“No problem, baby. Everything okay?”

“Not really, but it might be.”

Scout scrunched his eyebrows together and grabbed my hand. “I don’t get it. Explain.”

“Well, Professor St. James read my
entire
paper, that’s why I took so long,” I sighed.

“And? How’d it go?”

“She gave me a C,” I chuckled, but Scout grimaced. I’d been talking his ear off the entire week about needing at least a B, so he knew a C was the last thing I wanted. “
Plus,”
I added.

“Ouch. I’m sorry baby. She’s clearly a bitch.”

“Yeah, definitely. But she also said I had potential. And if I play my cards right—and work my ass off on the final paper—I can pass the class
and
be her assistant in the fall.”

“Wow,” Scout said, as shocked as I was.

“Crazy, right? I guess she’s not so bad,” I shrugged, remembering her little pep talk. “I just have to wow her with my final paper. If I do that, everything will fall into place. My scholarship will be intact, I can pay my tuition, and I’ll be one step closer to achieving my goal.”

“Which is?

“Not ending up like my mother,” I said, staring across the quad. “Enough about all that, though. What were you up to while I was hanging with the dragon lady?”

“Just walked around…” Scout said, sounding vague. I couldn’t blame him for wanting to stretch his legs, but part of me wondered if he enjoyed the scenery—and the cute coeds—a little too much.

“Sorry,” I said again. “I had no idea it would take so long. If I had known—“

Scout kissed me on the forehead, quieting me. “It’s okay baby. I don’t mind at all. Besides, I have a surprise for you.

“A surprise?” I clapped my hands in excitement like a kid on Christmas.

“Actually, I have two. First up, tomorrow I’m taking you to meet my boys Jason and Fernando. There’s a big barbeque in Zuma we usually ride out to every year, and this time I’m taking you.”

“To meet your friends? But,” I pulled away from his grasp and stared into Scout’s eyes, “what if they don’t like me?”

He broke into a throaty laugh and pulled me back against his side. “You’re kidding, right? They’re going to
love
you.”

“But you don’t think it’s too soon?”

“Nola, they’re my family…and I love you. It’s time.”

I rested against him and tried not to freak out. Meeting Scout’s friends was a really big deal. If they didn’t like me, Scout and I would probably be over. His friends had been there for him his entire life, and I knew that nothing—even me—could come between them. To say I was scared would have been a huge understatement.

“Relax, baby,” Scout said, seeming to read my mind. “Seriously, they’ll be eating out of the palm of your hand, and you’re going to have two new crazy brothers. Trust me, okay?”

“Okay,” I whispered, not sure if I actually believed him.

“Now, for the second surprise…” I was hoping Scout stopped by the bookstore and picked me up another UCLA t-shirt or a new pair of sweats since he’d been ragging on my worn-out ones all week, but he pulled a small white envelope from his pocket instead.

“Open it.”

I stared at the envelope trying to figure out what it could be. It looked like a greeting card, but Scout wasn’t the sentimental type who relied on Hallmark to speak for him. If he wanted to tell me something sweet he’d just say it flat-out; it was one of the things I adored about him.

“Go on,” he nudged my side and I ripped open the envelope and started reading.

When I got to the end of the card I gasped
.
“What….what did you do?”

“Something I’ve been wanting to do since we met.”

“Scout, this is—“

He covered my mouth with his, slipping his tongue between my lips and quieting my protest. Even though I’d turned down his money, Scout had gone and paid for my tuition…without even asking.

I wanted to be angry, wanted to push him away and
insist
he take his money back and let me handle my tuition on my own. I wanted him to know that I didn’t need his cash, or his pity, or his charity, just him.

But when it came to helping me out, it was clear Scout Clayborne certainly would not take no for an answer, and no matter how much I wanted to prove I was not my mother, and not beholden to any man, I couldn’t help but melt into him and say, “Thank you.”

Un-freaking-believable.

30
Scout

“Nola, we’re going to be late. Come on, baby, let’s go.”

She had been holed up in the bathroom for the last hour and a half getting ready for the barbeque. I could tell Nola was nervous because she kept running through outfit after outfit, changing her jeans, blouses, and shoes looking for
just
the right ensemble to meet my friends. I told her she was being silly; Jason and Fernando couldn’t care less what Nola had on, but she tore through her clothes anyway.

Honestly, I was a little on edge myself, but not because I was worried my boys wouldn’t like Nola, but because anything could go down at the party. Hogs & Heifers was a whole lot of fun, but the crowd was a mix of biker gangs, motorcycle enthusiasts, show-offs, and wannabes who felt important because they were in the mix. Fernando, Jason, and I usually rolled with a group of guys from the old neighborhood. We weren’t actually a gang or even a club, but we called ourselves “The Pack” because we all hailed from Pacoima. I was praying that the barbeque went off without anyone getting
too
out of line, but I knew that whatever happened my boys would have my back.

I plopped down on the couch and checked the time again. “Baby, come on! If we don’t leave soon we’re going to be stuck in traffic. We need to—“

Nola walked in the room wearing a thigh-skimming summer dress that showed off all of her curves. Her normally curly hair had been blown straight and now brushed against her cleavage, drawing my eyes—and probably
everyone
else’s—to her round breasts. She looked even more gorgeous than usual, and I could not let her go out like that unless I planned to fight every guy who glanced her way.

“How do I look?” she asked, standing in front of me.

“You look…
amazing
.” I ran my hands up her hips, letting them rest on her waist. “But you’ve got to change.”

“What? Why?”

“Baby, this is a biker barbeque. I
cannot
let you leave the house looking like this.”

“Let me?” Nola put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. She was sexy as hell when she flashed a little attitude.

“Trust me. You go out there in this dress and I’ll end up in jail.”

“What are you even talking about, Scout?”

“If some guy gets a little to free with his mouth, or his hands, I’ll be forced to take him down, baby.”

“Scout, you take down websites, not people, or were you lying about being a tech nerd?” Nola chuckled and shook her head.

“I’m just saying. You can’t wear this dress today.”

“So, I’ll be saving you from some jail time if I change?”

I nodded and kissed her stomach. “Exactly. Besides, you can’t ride a Harley in a dress.”

“Wait…I’m getting on your bike?”

“Yeah, the event is called
Hogs & Heifers
for a reason.
Hogs
are motorcycles, baby.”

Nola pulled away and looked down at me. “Can’t we just drive? Those things are dangerous. Do you know how many people die from motorcycle accidents every year?” she asked, all worked up. “I’ve never been on a motorcycle before and I don’t even have a helmet.”

“Baby, I’ve been riding bikes since I was 17. I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. You trust me, right?”

“Yeah, but…”

Nola looked at me with doubt clouding her pretty hazel eyes and I pulled her into my lap. “But nothing. You can always trust me, Nola. I would die before I let
anything
happen to you, okay?”

She stared into my eyes and nodded. “Okay…but, I still don’t have a helmet.”

“I’ve got that covered. All you need to do is go change into something that doesn’t make you look hot as hell.” She started to giggle, and I nuzzled her neck. “Seriously. Do you have any burlap sacks up there? That might work.”

“Shut up, Scout.” Nola stood and started toward the stairs. “I can’t believe I’m going to ride a motorcycle. I guess you’re about to pop my cherry…again,” she winked.

“Keep talking dirty and something else might get popped.”

“Whatever,” she smirked, “you’re
so
bold from way across the room.”

“Oh yeah?” I quickly closed the space between us, wrapped my arms around Nola’s waist, and pressed her into the wall. I slid my hands under her dress and slipped a finger inside her panties. Nola gasped and let out a faint moan when I grazed her clit. “What were you saying again?”

I twirled my finger inside her, causing a groan to climb out of Nola’s throat. “Scout,” she whined, “we’re going to be late.”

Our lips met and I tasted her tongue, while Nola ground her hips into my finger. I added another one, increasing the pressure on her clit and eliciting another, louder, moan.

“Shit…” Nola said through lidded eyes.

“I see you’re still talking dirty, baby. Looks like I’m going to have to teach you a lesson.”

I dropped to my knees and put my mouth where my fingers had been, feverishly licking, sucking, and lapping up Nola’s sweet juices. She writhed against the wall and ran her ringers through my hair, pushing me deeper into her. My dick was painfully swollen and I wanted to fuck her until we both came repeatedly.

“Sc…Scout,” Nola panted, “I want…you….please?”

She tried pulling off my shirt, but was too overcome with pleasure. Nola’s body started trembling uncontrollably and I knew she was about to reach her peak. Instead of pushing her over the edge, I stopped, quickly unzipped my jeans, and plunged into her.

Nola wrapped her legs around my waist and I pounded her against the wall like my entire life depended on it. Up until that point, Nola and I had been making love—

sweet, pure, satisfying
love
that you shared with The One you wanted to be with so completely it hurt. But at that moment we were
fucking
—hard and aggressive, like two horny people who needed a release.

I buried my face in Nola’s neck, sucking the flesh until purple marks sprang to the surface. She dug her nails into my arms, sending a painfully sexy reminder to fuck her harder, faster. Happy to oblige, I picked up the pace, plunging deep inside Nola’s pussy until I couldn’t tell where I ended and she began.