Book Two: ShamelessI tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear and yank open the door to the men's locker room before stepping inside the space. Since the guys are on the field running drills, there's no chance of me walking in on a situation.Been there, done that, and caught quite the eyeful.It's only happened a couple of times, but the guys all grinned before hooting and hollering, calling my name with a wave. They don't seem to care in the least that they've been caught bare assed. A few of them actually seemed to enjoy strutting around and putting on a show.Me, on the other hand?My face turned about fifteen shades of red until it felt like I was in danger of self-combusting.Talk about embarrassing.The pungent stench of sweat and humidity hangs thick in the air as I walk past a long row of lockers and metal benches. When my phone buzzes, I fish it out of my messenger bag and glance at the screen.A text from my roommate pops up. There's a bonfire at the beach tonight and s
Book Two: ShamelessI yank open the door to the lecture hall and grind to a halt as my gaze coasts over the roomful of students laughing and chatting with one another. That's all it takes for uncertainty to crash over me again.What the hell am I doing here?I don't fit in.Or belong.I'm too damn old to be an undergrad.I shift my backpack. The heavy weight resting against my shoulder feels more like a blast from the past than my current reality."Hey, you gonna move or what?" an impatient voice says from behind.I blink and realize that I'm standing in the middle of the aisle near the door, holding up traffic. One glance over my shoulder shows a handful of annoyed people waiting to file into the spacious hall.A dull heat creeps into my cheeks as I step aside."Sorry," I mutter, feeling even more like a dumbass.It's so tempting to swing around and plow my way toward the exit. To forget about this idiotic idea of finishing up my degree and finally graduating.What do I really nee
Book Two: ShamelessProfessor Lindstrom flips the page of the syllabus, going over every bullet point in pain-staking detail. I wish I could say I'm paying attention, hanging on every word, but that would be a lie.I'm much too distracted by Mason Price, who's sprawled out a couple rows behind me. Every once in a while, I'll pretend to grab something from my messenger bag that sits on the thinly carpeted floor next to my desk. The excuse allows me to swivel just enough to glance in his direction and stare at the dark-haired guy who has been a constant presence in my thoughts since we ran into each other the other day.God, he's good looking.And I'm not the only one who thinks so. Most of the girls in his vicinity are turned in his direction, trying to catch his interest. It's a relief when he continues to stare straight ahead as if absorbed in the material.Levi nudges my shoulder. "This is so freaking boring."Knocked from my thoughts, I straighten on the seat and nod. "Yeah, it
Book Two: ShamelessI drag a hand through my hair before pressing the doorbell. When a couple seconds tick by, I shift and glance at the bottle in my other hand. The guy at the gas station wasn't any help when it came to picking out the wine. We both stood in the cramped aisle, staring at the limited selection before I finally decided that one at the midlevel price point was probably my best bet.I don't know shit about wine.What I know is beer.Here's my advice when it comes to beverages with hops and barley-the colder, the better.It's as simple as that.The forced smile falters when the front door opens and I find Poppy standing on the other side of the threshold.Well, shit.It never occurred to me that she might be here for dinner. Is it too late to bail on this evening?I'm thinking it is.Plus, when your boss gives you a time to stop by for supper on a Friday night, you show up.No ifs, ands, or buts."Hi," she says, hugging the edge of the door.The hesitant smile simmerin
Book Two: Shameless If there were any lingering doubts in my mind that Mason Price doesn't like me, they've been laid to rest this evening.He barely glanced at me the entire time he was here.I made several attempts to draw him out of his shell by asking questions or making comments. His gaze would reluctantly flicker in my direction before he'd give me a clipped response. It was like I was talking to a Neanderthal who couldn't do anything more than grunt out his answers. After a while, I gave up. There's only so much teeth pulling I'm willing to do.I have no idea what his problem is. My mind tumbles back to the other day. He must have taken offense when I offered my assistance. I was just trying to be friendly. All right…so maybe I was trying to come up with a way to spend time with him in order to figure out what it is I find so fascinating about the guy.I hate to admit it, but the more he holds me at a distance, the more tempting it is to break through the roadblocks h
Book Two: ShamelessWhen she remains frozen in place, staring at me like I'm an ax murderer come to chop her up into tiny pieces, my temper explodes. "What the hell are you doing out here alone on the side of the road?"She blinks as I eat up the asphalt between us with a handful of quick strides. I see the exact moment recognition dawns."Mason?" she whispers, relief flooding her voice as air rushes from her lungs."Yeah. You didn't answer the question. What are you doing out here at this time of night?"She swallows, the delicate muscles of her throat constricting, before glancing at the Volkswagen. "I don't know what happened. It just died."I shift my stance and look at the car. "Did any warning lights come on? Were there any noises right before it happened?""Um…" Her brow furrows as her teeth rake across her plump lower lip. "I don't think so."I narrow my eyes. "Weren't you paying attention?"Her gaze turns frosty as she straightens like I just rammed a two-by-four up her
Book Two: ShamelessI stare straight ahead as the truck barrels toward town. For the umpteenth time, my fingers rise to my lips before drifting over them in shock.Has anyone ever kissed me quite so thoroughly?It doesn't take much of a mental deep dive to come up with an answer. Most of the kisses I've received have either been tentative or lacking in any real passion.This was the complete opposite.It only took one brush of his lips to feel the pent-up aggression attempting to claw its way free. Almost as if it was a living, breathing entity. Honestly, the same kinds of feelings had coursed through me. Especially when he'd placed his hand at the base of my throat. His hold never tightened, the pressure never increased, but it was there just the same.A constant reminder of his dominating presence.I can't believe I'm even thinking this, but I liked it. I liked the way it made my heart thunder against my ribcage and my pulse quicken. There'd been something so commanding about
Book Two: ShamelessWhat the hell had I been thinking when I decided to tow her car to my place?Oh, that's right.I hadn't been.It's not even noon and already I can tell the day will be a scorcher. I drag my forearm across my brow to wipe away the sweat that's sprung up before grabbing a socket wrench and loosening the spark plugs on the Ford Escape I'm working on.I should have towed her car to Leon's, the garage I used to work at before I branched off on my own. Now that I'm coaching and going to school, I don't have as much time to get my hands dirty. If I take on more than I can chew, I send the overflow to him. We parted on good terms, and he appreciates the extra business.When more sweat beads my brow, I grab the hem of the T-shirt and pull it over my head before wiping my face with it and then shoving part of the fabric into my back pocket. Even with three fans oscillating in the pole barn, I'm sweating my ass off. Thank fuck I rolled out of bed early this morning and c