Eric by Jody Kaye (uplifting novels .TXT) 📕

nothing to lose because she’d already lost by giving him up.

Brier paid for her beer and the cougar tattoo which Bill transferred to her face with a combination of suds and saliva. She cheered, hollered and tried to fit her heart back in the compartment that she’d put it in three years ago. After holding her ground for such a long time, Brier told herself that maintaining it was in everyone’s best interest, not just her own. No slip-ups or thinking that just once with him wouldn’t hurt her chances of becoming the person she wanted to be. Drew would hold her back. Just like any other man, he’d expect her to give up on her dream to become a cop and the criminal justice degree that she was spending her hard earned money on would be a waste.

What’s worse is that when her trust fund finally did kick in, Drew could be first in line holding out his palm for the green. Brier had seen the way other men, who were only interested in what the Kingsbrier name could do for them, treated her sister. Likewise, the floozies that her brothers brought home drove Brier up a wall. The only exception to those bleached blonde bimbos was her sister-in-law, Ginny. She’d married Brier’s younger brother, Eric, after high school and they lived on what they had.

Texas State was already up by three in the first when they scored again. It was an amazing play. Brier jumped into Bill’s arms. He caught her tiny frame, pressing it against him as she slunk down the front of him. With her breast pressed hard against his chest, they kissed before he let her feet hit the ground. She meant nothing romantic by it. Brier was just living in the moment. The crowd around them went wild as both of them realized that they’d been featured on the giant screens.

The line changed and so did the pace of the game when the junior Seminole quarterback took to the field again. Drew had been disgusted with the sloppiness shown by both himself and his teammates during the last play. And what he saw on the Jumbotron made his blood boil. It was as if Brier needed to rub his face in it every time he was near her.

With the next play, Drew threw a seventy-five yard touchdown strike to cut into Texas’ lead, silencing the crowd in the once rowdy stadium. By half-time, they were leading. In the fourth quarter, it wasn’t that Texas had given up, it was that Drew refused to give in.

Brier’s heart was beating fast as they walked back into the dorms. She was desperate to pull up the game highlights on the internet and check the changes in Drew’s stats from last week’s game to this one. However, the throng of subdued fans who had been rooting for the home team was keeping her in check. Watching your team lose while your childhood friend played the best game so far of his college career was like attending a wedding and a funeral simultaneously.

Her mouth quirked several times as Bill commented on Drew’s prowess. The more he used the f-word as a slur, the wetter Brier’s panties became remembering what her high school years had been like in the back seat of Drew’s car.

Angela and Rochelle arched their eyebrows as they sat down on the pushed-together beds they shared in the triple this year. Brier silently pleaded for them to keep what they knew to themselves.

It was easier said than done when a gruff voice growled, “Get out.”

Drew towered over Bill. Behind him were two just as strapping men who had just showered and smelled delicious. They grabbed the boy by the shoulders and forced him out of the room. Then, after Rochelle and Angela made a hasty retreat, they stood with arms folded like sentries blocking anyone from entering.

“You should be gone by now,” Brier stammered.

“Yeah, well, they probably would leave without one player, but three they’ll hold the plane for. Besides, this isn’t going to take long.” Drew stalked towards Brier. She stumbled backward and he pinned her up against the wall on her side of the room. The baby blue eyes that she was so familiar with were filled with rage and anger instead of their usual kindness. Witnessing the kiss at the game in high definition—even if from her point of view it had been innocent—had pushed Drew too far. He was as pissed as she’d ever seen him.

“I’m not letting you get away with this again. You think you can push me away. You still haven’t figured a damn thing out about us.” He tipped up her face to his and bent his body to catch her mouth before she could explain or protest.

The kiss lasted forever and was over too soon. Brier was breathless, her whole body was on fire wanting Drew the way they’d been as teenagers.

Drew cocked an eyebrow and laughed, reassured that his visit had hit the mark he’d intended. Other than the one time he had underestimated her, Drew knew Brier inside and out. He didn’t mind waiting for her, but he’d be damned if Brier was going to make him feel a fool until she was ready to admit what they had. Tonight was just a reminder that no one would ever come close to loving her the way he could.

“What was that for?” she asked, wide-eyed and unsure of herself. Part of her wanted to kiss Drew again. The other half wanted to rake her fingernails across his face for the scene he was creating. The war going on inside of her head was taking much space to even be able to orient herself in the room, let alone manage a cohesive thought or comeback.

“Because I know you’ll never stop me.” Drew walked out of the room and down the hall with his comrades-in-arms surrounding him. The whole floor had come alive hearing that members of the opposing team were there. Bill shouted obscenities at the trio as they marched towards the dorms bank of elevators. Angela and Rochelle were scurrying protectively back into the room to see if Brier was okay. She ran out, stopping to hold the doorframe for support. Her knees ready to give out.

“Fuck you, Drew Newhouse!” she yelled. In a flash, Brier became livid. How could he embarrass her in front of everyone by acting like a neanderthal? Who did he think he was? She was also totally turned on, which made it worse when Drew called over his shoulder not bothering to look back, “Anytime, sugar. I’m the only one who knows just the way you like it.”

They both had a year and a half of college to go and, on top of that, Drew knew that until Brier had been to the police academy there was no way she’d back down. Supporting her dream sucked, but he was willing to do it.

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