“Nat, wait!” the bartender calls after us, but Natalie ignores him with a soft laugh.
“Wait a minute, you didn’t pay for our drinks?”
She shakes her head, leading me toward the back, where there might be some open tables. Doubtful though. “I always get a couple of drinks out of him every time I show up, and he knows it. He just likes to act put out.”
“Well, thanks.” Coming to a stop, I raise my glass toward her before I take a tiny sip, grimacing. “Oh shit, that’s strong.”
“He delivers a heavy pour, even with the free ones. I’m sure his boss hates him.” Natalie laughs, chugging from her glass before she grabs hold of my wrist. “A table just freed up! Let’s go!”
We dart toward it, not minding that it’s littered with empty cups, a plate full of congealed leftover nachos, and a pile of crumpled napkins lying on top of it. Natalie shoots ahead of me, falling into one of the empty chairs with her arm raised, clutching her glass, most likely so it won’t spill.
A few guys show up at the same time, intent on getting our tiny table before us and I swing around, ready to plop my butt in one of the empty chairs when I hear a, “whoa there.”
Just before my ass lands on the lap of a very firm, very warm male.
Humiliation washes over me and my face is on absolute fire as I try to get up but big hands clamp around my waist, keeping me in place.
“No need to run off. You can stay awhile.” The familiar voice is so close to my ear, I swear I feel his lips brush it.
A shiver steals through me and I lean to the left to find…
I’m sitting on Knox Maguire’s lap, his eyes going wide when he registers who I am.
“Wait a sec. Do I know you?” he asks.
FOUR
KNOX
Her pretty faceis very familiar, but I can’t quite place it. From the irritated scowl she’s wearing, I’m guessing I should totally recognize her. And maybe I should, but…
I don’t.
That’s the problem with the women on this campus. They fully expect me to remember them from some fleeting moment at a bar, a brief encounter after a game, or maybe a quick hello as we pass each other on campus. I sound like an asshole, even in my own head, but I meet a lot of people.
A lot of women.
With the vast amount of people who talk to me almost every single day, I can’t be expected to remember them all. I’m already bad with names. It’s impossible to keep up.
“No, you definitely don’t know me.” She squirms, trying to get away, her pert ass doing things to my dick that could become embarrassing in about five seconds. I clamp my hands tighter on her waist, trying to keep her from moving so much, and she struggles even more. “Let me go.”
My hands spring away from her and she leaps off my lap as if I’m on fire. “Sorry.”
She whirls on me, her eyes blazing with anger. “You stole my chair.”
“I sat in it first.” I glance over at this girl’s friend, who’s watching us with an amused expression. “Right?”
The friend’s face turns solemn, and she nods, her gaze going to the girl with the nice ass. “He did sit down first.”
“It’s how you ended up on my lap,” I add, my gaze searching her face. Itisfamiliar, I just can’t quite place…
Wait.
The bookstore.
I snap my fingers, pointing at her. “You helped me.”
“Oh really? How so?” the friend asks, looking intrigued.