Player Read online

  Table of Contents

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Natalie’s Ramblings

  Also by Natalie Rios

  About the Author

  PLAYER

  NATALIE RIOS

  Player

  © 2017, Natalie Rios

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Natalie’s Ramblings

  Also by Natalie Rios

  About the Author

  1

  Allie

  I'M SO LATE.

  Racing up the steps of Baker Hall, I adjust my glasses with one hand, balancing my to-go coffee cup in the other. Just two more flights of steps and a long stretch of hallway separate me from the first class of my senior year.

  And I am going to be late.

  This isn't like me. I've never been late to anything in my life, especially not a lecture. But like an idiot, I allowed my best friend/roommate Lia to drag me to the kick off of what she calls "Final Fall Week".

  So far as I can tell, Final Fall Week festivities consist of hopping around from random house party to random house party and getting as drunk as humanly possible along the way. Not my idea of a good time, but I couldn’t leave my drunk bestie alone at a party. And unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to wrangle her home until about 2am this morning.

  I wasn't ready when my alarm went off at 7am. I still wasn't ready half an hour later when my coffeemaker dinged, alerting me the burner had shut off. And I'm still not ready now, running up the stairs just one minute before class starts.

  I finally make it to my floor. I just have to make it to the end of the hall now. If I sprint, maybe I won't be late -

  "Oof!" Unexpectedly hitting a wall, I hold out a hand to balance myself. A bit shaken from the impact, it takes a few seconds for my brain to register the warm sensation on my chest. "Fuck!"

  I forgot to close the cap on my cup. Nearly an entire cup of coffee is now flowing down the front of my t-shirt. Great. Not only am I late, but I’m going to walk in covered in coffee stains. Talk about a fantastic first impression.

  "Sorry, didn’t see you there.” I glance up at the male voice and my eyes meet his.

  It’s like being on a rollercoaster ride going max speed during its first drop. My mouth dries, my stomach plummets, my pulse begins to race. I stare into those all too familiar steel grey eyes for a couple of seconds before I realize what I’m doing and shake my head in an attempt to disconnect from their magnetic pull.

  They say when it rains, it pours. And it's fucking storming now. Because standing in front of me, smirking at my stained shirt, is the only person who can make this situation worse.

  Theo Montgomery. Womanizer. Asshole. And generally a pain in the ass.

  Theo is a rich, arrogant, playboy who (for reasons I don't understand) runs this school.

  Carlton University has a large campus. We are the Stanford of the East, a campus where you are just as likely to come across a future US Senator as you are an Olympian. The football team reigns supreme and as the starting quarterback for the Carlton University Tigers, Theo is Mr. Big Man on Campus.

  The fact we even go to the same university still irks me. I busted my ass to earn nothing but A’s just get into this school. I sacrifice sleep and a social life to maintain my scholarship. Meanwhile, Theo spent his teenage years tossing footballs and chasing anything in a skirt. Yet here we are, at the same school.

  Safe to say, I’m not a fan of his.

  “Allie Perez,” he says with a coy grin that only emphasizes how handsome he is.

  “Theodore Montgomery,” I return tightly. It’s not fair. I look like a dirty wet mop while he looks like he could be on the cover of a magazine. Wearing a light blue polo that compliments his tan skin and a pair of khaki pants, there’s not a single blonde hair out of place or even a crease on his shirt from our collision. He even fills out the shirt better than the last time I saw him, which was three years ago at prep school.

  “Are you naturally clumsy or only when you’re in a hurry?”

  Ah. And there it is. The reminder that he may look like a GQ model, but he doesn’t have half the dignity of one.

  "Only you would take pleasure in causing someone to spill hot coffee on themselves. What are you even doing here? There are laws against loitering, you know."

  "I'm not loitering. And, hey, what can I say? Any excuse to have a girl go topless for me. Even a straight-A one such as you," he smirks, not-so-subtly lowering his gaze to my chest.

  I roll my eyes at his pathetic double entendre. I'm sure there are girls on campus who laugh at every little thing he says, deluding him into thinking he is actually funny. "Yes, the straight-A student with the A cups. If only I cared about your opinion, your barb might actually sting."

  All I care about is getting to class. Preferably on time. And this entire interaction with Theo is only running the clock.

  Turning on my heel, I try to leave him in my dust.

  The prick follows me.

  "Where do you think you're going?" I demand over my shoulder, once again having to force my glasses back into place. I hate wearing glasses, but my eyes were too irritated this morning for me to wear my contacts.

  "Gee, let's see." Tapping his chin, Theo gives me an exaggerated thinking face. "It's 8am on a Monday and we're standing in the middle of a lecture hall on a college campus. Hmm, that's a tough one, Perez. But even a mere mortal such as myself can deduce I'm probably going to class."

  Ignoring him, I pick up the pace. I can't believe I'm about to walk into a lecture hall covered in coffee, but I don’t really have much
of a choice. Today is syllabus day, the day you meet your professor for the first time and go over the course objectives. Since this is an intro level class and all of my friends are seniors, I don’t know anyone I can ask to borrow their notes.

  "You have got to be kidding me," Theo mutters from behind me.

  "You're still here? I thought you had a class to get to."

  "I do. Apparently the same one as you." Those words stop me dead in my tracks. A brief survey of the hall confirms, yup, there is only one classroom in this area.

  I didn’t think it was possible for my stomach to plummet any lower, but it’s now past my knees. "You're in Sociology 101?"

  "Yup." Ugh. There’s that smug smile of his. The one that has all the girls fawning over him like he’s a cute puppy instead of a weasel inhabiting the body of a beefed up frat bro. "Study partners? I promise I won't touch your chastity belt, no matter how hard you beg.”

  It hits me then. This little interlude with Theo has eaten up more time. "Fuck!" Turning on my heels, I make a quick dash for the classroom.

  "Is that an invitation?" Theo quips.

  We both make it to the door at the same time, except the stupid door is stuck. I try pushing it a few times, but it won’t budge. Maybe the professor locked it?

  “Here, let me try,” Theo offers and suddenly, his chest connects with my back. My breath hitches, spine tingling in a way I don’t like.

  “I got it,” I snap, trying to nudge Theo away from me while also pushing the door.

  “Jesus, Perez. What crawled up your ass this morning?”

  “Well, considering I didn’t get to drink my coffee, you could say I’m a little cranky.”

  “Sorry-” he starts, but the door suddenly gives way, causing us to fall into the deadly silent classroom.

  "So nice of you to join us," the professor drawls from my right. "Please, have a seat."

  Damn it. The entrance we burst through is located right at the front of the room and only several feet from the professor's podium. Worse yet, seating is stadium style. Meaning there is absolutely no way I can sneak into a seat in the back row. Nope. The entire class watches us march up the steps to find seats.

  And my shirt is still wet. Dirty and wet.

  The whispers start the moment Theo plunks down next me. "What are you doing?" I hiss as quietly as possible, taking in all the stares. I know how this whole situation looks. We strolled into class together late, with me looking like I hadn't gone home last night. And now we’re sitting together. Me, sitting with Theo Montgomery, Carlton's biggest player.

  Fuck buddies, is the message conveyed by every pair of eyes on us.

  "In case you didn't notice, these are the only empty seats in the room," Theo whispers back, causing me to groan. Everyone knows there's this unwritten rule in college. Wherever you sit your first day of class is your unofficial assigned seat for the rest of the semester. There is no upsetting the beautiful balance that is obtained from our undocumented seating chart.

  Which means, barring someone dropping the class, I’m stuck next to Theo for the rest of the semester.

  Okay, this isn’t a big deal though. I just have to sit next to him for a couple of hours a week. Hours that will be spent taking copious amounts of notes and absorbing the material being presented by the professor. I'll be too busy to notice Theo's even there.

  “Does it make you uncomfortable?" he asks with a smirk. "Sitting so close to me?"

  Yes. "I'm not uncomfortable," I huff. “I just don’t want to sit next to you.” Because I don’t like him. It has nothing to do with his scent flooding my senses. Fresh earth mixed with dark spice. I mean, who likes that kind of stuff? Not this girl. Nope. His cologne is just too overwhelming. I’ll have to remember not to breathe in too deeply when I’m around him.

  "Hey, Perez. Can I borrow a pen?" I dig through my bag for an extra one and set it on the arm of his chair. "Thanks."

  I’m way too...aware of Theo the rest of class. Granted, the asshole does everything humanly possible to make his presence known. Tapping his pen, shifting in his seat, brushing his knees against mine.

  He’s doing it to torture me. Because he knows I hate him just as much as he hates me. And if his goal is to get under my skin, it’s working. Mostly, I’m infuriated with myself. So what if his big, muscular thigh is dangerously close to touching mine. So what if the elbow leaning on the armrest between our seats is resting just inches away from my bare arm.

  He’s just trying to use his blatant sexuality to throw me off. Not going to work, buddy. The rest of Carlton’s female population might swoon at his every move, but I know better. I know him better. He’s nothing but an arrogant meathead who likes to fuck with women. Literally and figuratively.

  Assholish behavior is to be expected from Theodore Montgomery. Today, he managed to catch me off guard, but I’ll be ready for him next time.

  I spend the majority of the 90-minute lecture grinding my teeth and plotting his demise.

  Theo

  Riling up Allie Perez is way more fun than I thought it would be.

  She doesn't even look at me when I ask to borrow a pen. Glares daggers at me when I tap said pen on the side of my chair. Snorts in disgust when our knees bump after I shift slightly towards her in my seat. Her expression is priceless when she shoots out of her seat at the end of class, rushing out of the room like a bat out of hell.

  Without her pen.

  Not one to pass up a golden opportunity, I quickly pack up my things and chase after her. Since my legs are significantly longer than hers, I catch up to her just as she’s exiting Baker Hall. "Hey, Perez! You forgot your pen."

  She quirks a brow at me. "You chased after me just so you could return a $0.15 pen?"

  "No," I admit. "I wanted to see your face when you realized you’re now going to be late for your next class too." Her jaw drops and I can't help grinning as I watch her run off again.

  Yup, I thoroughly enjoy ruffling Allie Perez's feathers. The way her cheeks burn and her lips flatten as she attempts to keep her cool brings a grin to my face. The Allie I remember was always so calm and collected. Unflappable. I like being the one who can get her worked up.

  "Yo, Montgomery!" Turning, I spot my friend Sunshine. His name's not actually Sunshine, it's Taylor. But he's from California, wears his blonde hair in a long ponytail and surfs. Sunshine earned his nickname the second he walked through the door on pledge night. Whistling after Allie's retreating back, he slides me a knowing grin. "Who's your friend, T?"

  I know what he’s getting at, but me and Allie Perez doing the nasty? Never going to happen. She’s hot, in a sexy, exotic librarian kind of way. Golden-hued skin just a tad past sun-kissed and thick dark hair she wears pulled back in a tight ponytail. Thick black frames hide almond-shaped eyes the color of warmed over chocolate framed by the longest, curliest eyelashes I’ve ever seen.

  Yeah, she’s hot. But hot doesn’t make up for the amount of animosity polluting the air when we’re in the same room. Most of it coming from her. I don’t know what I ever did to her, but I’ve been on Allie’s Shit List for years. So while I wouldn’t mind hooking up, it’s never going to happen.

  I shake my head at Sunny. "She sits next to me in sociology, that's all."

  "In that case, can I get an introduction? She looks like a wild one, showing up to class in last night's clothes. I mean, dude, was that vomit on her shirt?"

  "Coffee," I correct, frowning over at my friend. "She spilled it this morning. How exactly would wearing a vomit covered t-shirt to class be a mark in the pro column?"

  "It means she knows how to party," Sunshine grins widely. Translation: he thinks she's an easy lay.

  "Allie doesn't party."

  "Oh, so you do know her? I thought you said you only had the one class together."

  "We went to prep school together." Unfortunately.

  "Prep school?" Sunshine shoots me an incredulous look. "She doesn't look like the prep school type."

  I�
�m not sure what he means by that so instead of responding, I head towards the cafeteria. It’s 9:30am and I still haven't eaten breakfast. I have a team meeting at 10am, which gives me half an hour to grab something.

  Sunshine follows me. "How come I've never seen her around before?"

  "I told you, she doesn't party."

  Honestly, there were stretches of time I completely forgot Allie Perez even went here. Campus is huge, with about 7000 undergraduate students, but I mostly see the same people every day. My classmates, frat brothers, and the team. I have no idea what Allie’s major is, but this is the first class we’ve had together. She doesn’t party and she’s definitely not a football groupie.

  To Sunshine, I say, “I wouldn’t be surprised if she spends Friday through Sunday at the library.”

  "Can you hook a brother up?" Sunshine asks, voice sounding entirely too hopeful for my liking.

  "Dude, no. Allie Perez is the devil in disguise, trust me. Senior year at prep school, she gave me grief whenever football practice ran over and I showed up late to debate practice. And then, when I pulled a prank at homecoming, she led this petition against me."

  "A petition?" Confused, Sunshine falls behind me on the griddle line. I’m craving an egg and cheese on a croissant this morning. And maybe a couple of slices of bacon to fortify me for practice later.

  "Yeah. I stole the mascot from our rival school, spray-painted it with our colors, and then strung it up the flag pole in the main quad right before the homecoming game. Allie led the charge to ban me from graduation as punishment. She had a petition she asked people to sign and everything."

  "Did you get to march?"

  "Yeah, but that's not the point. She went after me for no good reason."

  "I hear you," Sunshine nods, and I know he’s already moved on. Sunshine has the attention span of a goldfish. No doubt he’s already spotted another girl to pursue. "You entering the draft this year?"

  Ah, fuck. Not this conversation. The draft is all anyone wants to talk about these days. I get it, it’s not every day you meet a future professional athlete in the making. But football doesn’t sum up my entire personality. It would be nice for someone to ask me about something else for a change.