Chapter 47
CONNOR
“Order for Bambi,” the barista calls out, and I grin to myself. It seems I couldn’t have timed this more perfectly.
It’s not technically stalking, just some light studying of her class schedule and every movement since leaving her lecture hall.
Wren knows that I’m meeting her at the Acorn to pick her up after classes today.
She just doesn’t know that I’ve been watching her since she left the library, and maybe enjoyed the sight of watching her ass parade around in those tights and…
oh, yeah… uhh… I really need to not get myself in a position where I’m caught with a raging hard-on in public.
The moment her order is called, I swoop in. My girl hardly has a moment to look up from where she’s been sitting with her head in her notebook, shouldering her bag, before I dive forward from my spot where I’d stayed out of sight, and steal her to-go order in one smooth motion.
“Hey, that’s actually my—” She’s distracted by gathering her things, hurriedly stuffing her phone away as she protests, then her lips flatten when she realizes it’s me.
“What are the odds? We gotta stop running into each other like this.” I give her a little wink before strolling off, keeping her hot chocolate hostage.
I’ve made sure to keep my hoodie pulled up over my cap, and I’m wearing training gear, nothing obviously branded with a Wolves logo.
It’s a little risky, but I’ve been to this café a thousand times without any issue so far.
I’d like to think they’re cool about me being just like any old customer, rather than being overly interested in the schedule of a pro rugby player coming in for his regular caffeine fix.
I hear Wren huff, and she follows at a cautious distance in my wake. Even though she trails behind me, it doesn’t stop me from being able to hear her cute little stream of grumbled threats about stealing her source of Omega joy.
My vehicle is parked around the back, purposely out of sight from the main street, and I hold the passenger door open as she ducks a quick look over her shoulder, then climbs in.
“You said you would wait outside.” She narrows a disapproving gaze my way while settling into her seat. Her hand reaches for the cup, but I hold it out of reach. “This is the exact opposite of waiting in the car, you know.”
“Oops? Guess I forgot?” I shrug, and instead of handing her drink over, I’m enjoying her feisty little growl when I shut the door and make my way to the driver’s side.
“Not funny.” Her huff and scowl are an adorable combo when I slide behind the wheel.
“Kiss to make it all better?” I lean across the center console, still withholding her cup.
“I must have trouble remembering anything when I’m separated from you for even five minutes.
A whole day with you? I’ve been living in agony for so long that it’s messed with my head. Take pity on a suffering Scotsman.”
She tries to hold back a smile, struggling to rearrange her expression into one of firm disapproval.
“Are you forgetting where we are? Suffering will be the least of your problems if anyone sees us together, then boom, my brother finds out. You really will be a dead man draped in a shroud of tartan then… and you might not live to see tomorrow if you don’t give me back my drink. ”
Damn. Why does she have to be so smart?
“Fine. That just means you owe me two kisses now… one for my bruised heart, and the other for my bruised ego. Knowing that you can withstand all this charm so easily is a travesty.” I gesture up and down my torso with her cup.
“I’ve worked hard to be this irresistible, I’ll have you know.
Pure blood, sweat, and tears were poured into making this sexy Scottish package. ”
Her lips twist, and she shoves the side of my face playfully. “Just drive already, big guy.” With a chuckle, I let her steal her hot chocolate and turn my attention to getting us moving.
She really does have a good point about not being spotted in a vehicle together, especially not around campus.
I mean, my windows are tinted, but there’s still a slim chance.
I’m not an idiot. This girl means everything to me, and I want to protect her, not potentially fuck everything up just because I’m clingy after being apart for a whole day.
Wren takes a long sip, then lets her head drop back against the seat.
“God, I needed that.” Her throaty hum of pleasure goes straight to my dick, especially when her eyelashes flutter heavily over her slightly pink cheeks from the cold.
It reminds me of what she looks like when my head is buried between her thighs, while enjoying watching her writhe on my tongue.
Fuck.
Focus on the road.
My shorts grow tighter, and I shift in my seat a little.
“How did classes go today?” I clear my throat, trying to picture boring things like professors and spreadsheets and textbooks in an effort to distract myself from the blood rapidly flowing to my groin.
“As nerdy as it sounds, today was actually really interesting. We were doing a deep dive into legacy branding and nurturing longevity in a community. It got me thinking a lot about the Wolves and Wagging Tails.”
“Oh yeah?” I glance across, and her blue eyes are sparkling. She’s so fucking beautiful, I still can’t really believe Wren is my scent match. In moments like this, it fucking kills me I can’t run out and yell it to the world.
She rambles animatedly about the ideas she has for merchandise and developing some specific breed-themed segments on the dog shelter’s social media, and how she has ideas for ways to promote the shelter that could involve members of the team.
And the whole time she talks with her hands, her face lights up.
I keep imagining being able to introduce her to my family, of what it would feel like to be able to video call them and share Wren with Mom and Dad, my brothers, or even to fly home and stay awhile during our offseason. They’ll adore her.
I’ve never brought anyone home before. The closest I ever came to introducing them to anyone was whenever Ace would be around, if we found time to catch up for a call.
And now that I think back on it, I was all clammy palms and nervous sweats the first time I introduced them.
God, it was so stupid that even though he’s just my roommate, it felt like they were meeting my boyfriend.
Which was all very one-sided, unrequited obsession of me.
So yeah, I’m officially terrible at this, because he has no idea that’s the way I’ve been looking at him.
And I kinda feel like I’m keeping a massive secret from Wren by not admitting to her that I’ve been harboring secret feelings for him for a stupidly long amount of time.
Connor Renfro. Certified relationship disaster.
“Oh god. I’m boring you, aren’t I?” Wren laughs and pokes my shoulder. “Where did I lose you? Around about the time I started talking market segmentation, or was it the bit where I nerded out on consumer profiling?”
I quickly flash a grin. Probably shouldn’t admit that I’ve been lost since the moment I started fantasizing about her and Ace tangled together naked. Yep. Definitely won’t go dropping that bomb.
“It’s possible you might have given me a new kink.
” Cupping myself with one hand through my shorts, I then slide a heated look in her direction.
“We might need to get into some roleplay with those textbooks and pretend to be study buddies. A little late-night education could be very insightful. Guide me to understand the curriculum a little better.”
Her blush is all too telling. As is the flood of perfume that makes me have to stifle a groan when all that delicious peach essence fills my nose.
“Sorry.” She winces. “Probably shouldn’t… ahh… admit certain interests to each other while you’re driving.” My girl squeaks and tries to hide her reaction in the lid of her nearly empty drink. Tipping the cup all the way back, the last of it drains into her waiting mouth.
That makes my neck heat. “Interests, huh?”
Her eyes are a total giveaway, sliding to the place where my hand rests over my throbbing cock.
“Umm…” She swallows, sets the drink in the cup holder, and that little pink tongue of hers darts out to wet her lips.
There’s a tiny smudge of chocolate at the corner of her mouth, and as she goes back to slowly gather it up, I almost give in and pull off the road, fuck the consequences of being seen together near campus.
“Interests?” she squeaks, repeating the question back to me.
“Tell me more, Bambi.” I squeeze again, trying to will myself to settle down. We’re not far from Theo’s place, but I don’t need to cause headlines by getting into a crash because I was too horny to see straight.
“What?”
“Tell me. I wanna know.”
“About what?”
“This little fantasy of yours.”
“No, you don’t.” She shakes her head, attention still glued to my hand.
“Yeah… I really do.” I press down with the heel of my palm.
Jesus. Having her eyes on me and scent infiltrating my every cell is like a drug.
“Is it the study thing? A little academic role play where we’re both sneaking around in the stacks of the library together?
Because I tell you now, that’s really fucking hot. ”
“Well… yeah… that…” Her mouth hangs a little parted, but I suspect it’s more than what she’s letting on. “But also, umm, this… this works for me, too.” One hand waves vaguely in the direction of my torso.
I’ve never gripped the steering wheel harder. My knuckles blanch.
“Coming back from training? Or is it like the whole sweaty rugby player thing in general?” My heart feels like it’s about to take off. Because if that’s the case, then I’m gonna gladly give my girl her fantasy every damn day of her life.
Let’s face it… it’s mostly my own fantasy, too. I’ve just never had the guts to tell Ace, or anyone, that before.