“Jack Carter doesn’t date. He sleeps with girls and all their friends. ” Melissa’s mouth curled with disgust.
“So that’s the infamous Jack Carter, huh?” I was intrigued. This guy’s name was all over the school papers and online.
Melissa threw an arm over my shoulder. “The one and only. ”
“Is he really as good as they say?” Jack would be eligible for the Major League Baseball draft after the season ended. Everyone said he’d get drafted within the first five rounds. And apparently that’s a pretty big deal.
“His ego certainly thinks so. ”
“Typical. ” If there’s one thing I know, it’s athletes. They’re all the same. Superstitious, cocky, insecure egomaniacs. Yes, I realize the words are contradictory, but most are somewhat normal guys. They just hide behind a hundred-foot-tall brick wall, built entirely on ego. Plus, they don’t know any better. They’ve been baseball players their whole lives; they don’t know how to be anything else.
“What is it with you and assholes, Cass? Jack Carter’s a world class jerk and you need to stay away from him. ”
“Hey!” I stomped my foot and firmly placed my hand against my hip. “The question isn’t, ‘What is it with me and assholes. ’ It’s more like, “What is it with most guys being assholes?’”
“Valid point. But still. You already know up front this guy’s a player, so why bother? You’ll only end up hurt. ”
“Not if I hurt him first,” I mumbled under my breath.
“Trust me, you won’t. Jack Carter doesn’t get hurt by girls. Promise me you’ll stay away from him. ” Melissa pinned me with a glare to let me know she was serious.
“I promise I’ll stay away from him. ” I batted my eyelashes, my tone of voice insincere.
“Ugh! Don’t say I didn’t warn you. ” Melissa pushed her way through the crowd and I watched as Jack stopped her before she passed him. He reached an arm out for her and she moved it away, her foot tapping against the ground the way she always did when she was irritated. He turned to eye me and she matched his gaze before gesturing wildly and shaking her head no. A wide smile crossed his face as Melissa threw her arms up in the air before storming inside the front door.
Jack walked, no, make that sauntered, over to where I stood. His black cargo shorts and tight-fitting gray baseball t-shirt did a number on his body. The definition of his ar
m muscles rippled against the fabric, accentuating his well-defined shoulders on his six-foot frame as his arms swayed. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at me like I was some tiny, helpless creature who didn’t have a clue it was about to get eaten alive by the most beautiful, albeit dangerous, creature in the jungle.
I almost felt violated.
Dirty.
Like I needed a shower to scrub that look off my body.
It wasn’t until he got close enough that I could read the writing on his shirt. It said, “No Glove No Love” with a picture of a catcher’s mitt in the middle.
What a Pig. Yes, with a capital P.
Two can play this game.
Defenses up.
“So you’re Melissa’s roommate?” The words came out smooth like butter, his voice deep and sexy.
“You’re a genius,” I said, going for my most uninterested tone.
“Hey now, don’t be mean. I just wanted to meet you. ” He looked me in the eyes with a focused, unbreakable stare. “You have beautiful eyes. ”
“Nice shirt. ” I gave him a disgusted once-over, trying to cover the fact that I wanted to laugh. It was clever, but I’d be dammed if I would admit that to a guy like him.
He looked down and smirked. “Ah, you like that? I think it’s a pretty responsible message I’m sending out, don’t you?”
I said nothing, questioning whether anything that came out of this guy’s mouth was genuine or not.
“What? Cat got your tongue? You don’t believe in safe sex?”
Was this guy for real? “What do you want?” My lips pursed together, making my tone harsher than I had intended.