Faking the Play (Hot Mess Harems #2)

8. Amelia

Chapter eight

Amelia

I was back in the soft, good-smelling cloud with no idea how I’d gotten there. Then I woke up a bit more and remembered that the cloud was actually Ethan’s bed. And he was in bed with me. Again.

This time, however, he wasn’t behind me. I was on my back, and he was facedown next to me. While that meant I had no idea if he was in the same condition he’d been in yesterday, the arm that had been around my waist before was higher now. As in, draped over my breasts with his hand actually resting on the side of one of them.

And judging by how tight my nipple was, my breast didn’t mind.

As I shifted slightly, I realized with a start that my breast wasn’t the only part of my body having a physical reaction to Ethan’s touch. I was wet. And not like I was just a little sweaty because I was overly warm. No, this was arousal so sharp that my panties were wet. And if I didn’t do something soon, they’d soak through to my shorts and then I’d feel like I peed my pants and Ethan’s bed and—

“You’re thinking way too hard for this early in the morning,” Ethan mumbled.

I turned to see him looking at me, a sleepy smile on his face. When he realized where his arm was, he gave me that damn sheepish smile that he used to give teachers all the time to get out of trouble.

And it always worked.

Apparently, it worked on me too, because I didn’t yell at him when he moved his arm slowly, letting his fingers brush over my breast as they went. Well, it might’ve been more about the shiver of pleasure that went through me than his smile, but the curve of his lips definitely played a role.

“Um, how did I end up in here?” I asked, still trying to orient myself. “Last thing I remember, I was on the couch.”

“We figured you’d be more comfortable in a bed, so I brought you in here,” he said, a pleased sparkle in his eyes. “I was gonna sleep on the couch, but you asked me not to leave.”

If it’d been anyone other than one of these three guys, I would’ve said they were lying, but despite my tragically bad taste in men, I trusted them.

And with that thought, the memory of my slightly hysterical verbal vomiting of information and self-doubt came rushing back, and my face flooded with heat.

“I am so sorry about everything I said yesterday,” I started to apologize.

Ethan shook his head, sitting up and looking down at me with a stern expression I’d never seen him wear before. “You have nothing to apologize for. You’ve had a shitty past couple days, and we’re your friends. That’s all there is to it.”

The moment stretched out between us, but before it could get awkward, someone knocked on the door.

“Hey, we’ve got doughnuts and coffee out here for anyone who wants it,” Logan called through the door.

“We didn’t know when your classes were today,” Ethan explained as he climbed out of bed.

My heart did a little dance at the sight of that athletic body clad in only a pair of shorts, and I pressed my thighs together. Fortunately, Ethan didn’t seem to notice as he headed for his bathroom.

“I’ll be out in a second,” he said. “If you want, you’re welcome to grab something from my closet to wear. We’re not exactly the same size, but I’m closer than the other two.”

Since the first of my two classes today didn’t start until ten thirty, I was more than happy to take them up on their offers of clothes and breakfast. Ten minutes later, we were all at their kitchen table with steaming mugs of coffee in front of us, eyeing the box of doughnuts in the middle of the table.

Logan broke the silence. “Are bear claws still your favorite?”

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at yet another thing the guys had remembered about me. It didn’t change the years we’d spent apart, but it did make me feel like maybe they hadn’t been as unaffected by my absence as I’d always thought.

“They are.”

I smiled as Ryan and Logan reached for the box at the same time. They exchanged quick looks with one of those silences that friends had when they could communicate without talking. I used to be able to do that with them, and I felt a glimmer of hope that I would have that again.

Logan handed me a bear claw on a paper plate, and Ryan passed me a napkin. To my right, Ethan rolled his eyes and grinned. With that ice broken, we made small talk about our classes, both the ones we’d had yesterday and the ones on our schedules for today. By the time we finished eating, something in the air shifted. It felt more serious, but not in a bad way. More like the three of them had something to tell me that they weren’t sure I wanted to hear.

“So, last night, after you fell asleep, the three of us got to talking about what you said.” Logan took point, just like he always had.

“I was upset,” I said quickly. “I’m calmer today.”

“You didn’t say anything wrong.” Ryan’s voice was quiet, but firm. “Listen.”

I nodded and motioned for Logan to continue.

“We can’t fix everything, but we think there’s something we can do to help with your reputation.”

I didn’t see how that was possible, but I didn’t argue with him. I appreciated that they even wanted to try.

“You need people to believe the truth, to believe you,” he continued, “and the best way to do that is to have people who already believe you supporting you. So the three of us are going to show just how much we believe in you by dating you.”

I blinked and shook my head, sure I’d misheard him. “What?”

“We’re each going to take you on a couple very public dates, to show everyone that we don’t think for a minute you slept with your professor.”

“And since we’re some of the biggest stars on campus, we can boost your credibility,” Ethan chimed in. “Everyone knows that the three of us aren’t hurting for dates, so if we’re competing for your attention…”

“You must be the most desirable person around,” Logan finished. He dropped a wink that sent a shiver down my spine.

“And we’re going to help you with the whole awkward and weird thing,” Ethan added.

I raised an eyebrow and he flushed. “Sorry. I meant what you said yesterday about how it’s hard for you to date, and you called yourself awkward and weird. I’m not calling you that, for the record—”

“Before Ethan sticks his foot any further into his mouth,” Ryan interrupted, “what he means is that we’re going to help you get comfortable being around and talking to guys.”

“I can’t ask you guys to do any of that for me,” I said. “I know we used to be really good friends, and I hope we’re on our way to being that again, but it’s one thing to be there for me when I’m in the middle of a crisis and something else entirely to pretend to date me. You guys have your own social lives and I don’t—”

“You haven’t heard what we want from you,” Logan smoothly interjected.

For a brief moment, I had the strangest, most erotic image in my mind of me “serving” the guys on my knees.

“We have to keep our grades up,” he continued. “Not only to graduate, but we have to stay eligible. We had scouts looking at us last year, but we need them to see us this year too if we want to get drafted.”

“So the plan is to play in the NBA?” The looks of horror on their faces were everything I could’ve hoped for. I managed to keep a straight face for half a minute before bursting out laughing. “I’m not that bad, guys. Not only do I know that it’s the NFL, I have actually been paying some attention to the team over the last four years.”

I didn’t tell them that I’d actually been just watching them. Things were going too well to mess it up by being creepy.

“Seriously though,” Logan said after we all stopped laughing. “We probably would’ve ended up getting a tutor at some point, so we might as well get the smartest person we know to help us right away, and then we won’t fall behind at all.”

Just like when we were kids, none of us brought up that Ryan would need the most help. It’d just work out that way and we’d never talk about it.

“Okay,” I said, “but we need to have rules about this dating thing.”

“Like what?” Ethan asked. “Because I want clothing-optional dates.”

I rolled my eyes. “Like no presents or going to fancy places. And I pay my own way.”

As the four of us debated various points, I couldn’t help the thrill of excitement that grew alongside my hope. I was going to do this, and maybe it could help fix things.