University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (44 page)

“Good afternoon,” a security guard in
full tactical gear greeted us as the dark tinted window slid down.

“Hello. We are here for Park Hill
University’s press conference.” He handed the guard the passes.

The guard studied them for a second
before handing them back to him. “Drive to where that man is standing and he’ll
direct you where to park.”

“Thank you.” Steve closed the window and
drove forward.

“Sweet.” Raven’s eyes lit up as we were
directed to the front row where all of the VIP and pro-football players parked.
His smile quickly turned sour when we passed a group of fans displaying a sign
with
The Raven — MVP
written in big, bold letters.

Raven wouldn’t be the MVP. At least, not
for this game. I unfastened my seatbelt and scooted next to him. “Your time
will come,” I whispered in his ear as I rubbed his arm in a soothing manner.

“But now is my time and I screwed it
up.” His jaw tensed and his face hardened. I couldn’t argue against that fact,
but I had to believe he would get another chance.

“It’s not over until it’s over,” I
reminded him.

A half smile escaped his lips. “Where
did you hear that from?” He inclined his head in my direction.

“A really great football player.” I
winked.

He smiled and gave me a quick kiss.
Steve opened the door and we got out. Mr. Marshall adjusted his suspenders over
his round belly and then Steve helped him into his dark gray suit jacket.

“Don’t forget this.” Steve handed him a
bowtie.

“Oh yeah, hate those damn neck chokers.”
The attorney buttoned his white dress shirt and then gripped the black, white,
and gray striped tie with his thick, chubby hands and clipped it on his collar.
He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his face and then put on
a cowboy hat, covering his partially bald head. Steve handed him two small
bottles. One he sprayed all over him, and the other he poured in his mouth and
then spat. He had a Rico Sauvé primping going on, but it seemed to work for
him.

He grabbed a worn leather briefcase from
the front seat and shut the door. “Alright, let’s go.”

Steve handed us our media badges and we
followed him and Mr. Marshall into the stadium.

A journalist with a cameraman approached
us and Mr. Marshall immediately held up his hand. “Save your questions for
inside, folks.”

“Are you representing Raven Davenport?”
The journalist bypassed his request, but the stout attorney held his position
and ignored her. Refusing to give up, she turned to Raven. “Is it true that you
won’t be playing in the bowl?” Her short, red bob bounced as she trekked after
us.

Raven smiled at her politely. “No
comment.”

“Hospital reports indicate you were
hospitalized for alcohol poisoning and drug usage.” She extended her hand,
holding her phone close to Raven, ready to record his response, but he remained
quiet. His jaw worked from side to side and his brows furrowed while his hand
tightened around mine. Hearing those statements must have struck a sensitive
spot within him. I prayed he’d be able to make it through the press conference.

Steve stopped in his tracks and stepped
in front of the reporter and her cameraman. “You heard Mr. Marshall, save it
for inside.”

“Just trying to do my job.” She brushed
her hair away from her face and flashed him a flirtatious smile, as if hoping
to convince him for that exclusive story.

“And I’m just doing mine,” Steve replied
with a bit of gusto. The journalist dropped her hands in defeat and then walked
off with her cameraman in tow.

We entered the facility and were
directed down a hallway to a private waiting area. Sleek fixtures and shiny
railings guided us down a long corridor. We passed through a set of double
doors and entered what looked like the
behind the scenes
passageway for
players and coaches. Being in a pro-football stadium was incredible and a
little exciting, but I reminded myself that we weren’t here for a joyous
occasion. Heaviness settled over me and my body caved inward. Raven was right —
it should’ve been his time. Instead of getting ready to explain why he wouldn’t
be playing, he should’ve been preparing to explain how they were going to sweep
their opponent. This totally sucked.

We walked past a door marked
Press
Room
, stopping at a door marked
Private Offices.
Steve opened the
door, obviously familiar with where we were going, and presented a lady at a
desk with his access badge.

“Hello. I’m from Marshall Law Firm,
representing Raven Davenport. I requested a private office.”

The young lady fluttered her faux
eyelashes at us. “Yes, of course. Let me verify that we have a room reserved
for you.” Her long blue and white painted fingernails with blinged out silver
stars on the tips danced across the keyboard.

“Okay. I have the
Porter
room
reserved for you.”

“Will we be notified when it’s time for
the press conference to start?”

“Yes,” she squinted at the computer
screen, “a message will be sent via text to 682-439-0856.”

“Great. Is Coach Anderson nearby?”

“Yes, he’s in the
Washington
room,
which connects to the locker rooms and the media room. You will enter the Press
Room through those doors,” she said, pointing to a set of doubled doors behind
us.

“Thank you.”

“Your room is down the hall on the
left.”

Steve retrieved his badge. “Thank you
for your assistance.”

“Let me know if you need anything.” She
clasped her hands together and gave us all a big smile.

We entered a room the size of a small
bedroom, equipped with a couch, table and chairs, and a bathroom. I took a seat
on the couch facing a large, flat screen TV affixed to the wall and Raven sat next
to me. Over the next hour, Mr. Marshall prepared Raven for his press
conference, reviewing the statements that Steve put together. He briefly
touched on the option of Raven pressing charges against Jared and Raven quickly
informed him they would talk later about his decision. I hoped that he would.
To my surprise, I found out that Jared was kicked out of school and off the
team last year for misconduct. I made a mental note to find out what he had
done. Shortly after that, Coach Anderson entered the room.

Raven stood up and shook his hand.
“Coach.”

“Raven. You’re looking better today.”

“I’m feeling better.”

“Good.” Coach Anderson wrapped an arm
around him. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, sir. Mr. Marshall has prepped me
on what to say.”

“Perfect.” The coach turned to Mr.
Marshall and Steve and shook their hands. “I wish we were meeting again under
different circumstances, but it is what it is.”

“I can’t disagree with that.” Mr.
Marshall pursed his lips.

Coach Anderson opened the door. “Let’s
go, son. We’ve got a room full of people.”

Raven put on his jacket and turned to
me. “Wish me luck.”

I lifted onto  the balls of my feet and
gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Always.”

Σ

The entire drive home from the press
conference was painfully quiet. Raven sat far away from me, staring out the
window. I only hoped he wouldn’t have a change of heart — again — when we got
home. It seemed like every time Raven slipped or took a fall, he distanced
himself from me — as if he felt he didn’t deserve to be with me. All I could do
was assure him that everything would be okay and he’d get past this with me by
his side.

The press conference seemed to go as
well as expected. Coach Anderson spoke first, announcing that Raven would not
be playing in the bowl game. That had spurred the media into a
thirsting-for-answers frenzy, making it the hottest ticket in college football.
Raven joined in the discussion once the crowd calmed. The media had shown him
no mercy, bombarding him with the touchy and difficult-to-answer questions.
Poignancy laced through me as I watched the man I love bare all his shame and
disappointment for the world to see. Raven did exceedingly well, though —
holding his ground and responding as Mr. Marshall and Steve had advised.

As soon as Raven opened the door to the
apartment, I headed straight to the bathroom. My lower stomach had started
cramping during the press conference and I pleaded with my body to wait until I
got back to Raven’s place. Although I was hoping my period would start, I had
forgotten to grab a tampon before we left. I sighed in relief at the tell-tale
sign of Aunt Flo making her appearance.

“Everything okay?” Raven asked as I
exited the bathroom.

“Oh, yeah. Everything is great.” I
smiled and then stopped when our eyes connected. The sparkle in Raven’s
beautiful hazel eyes was gone, replaced by a heart-wrenching sadness. I had to
be careful with what I said and how I said it. Every emotion I displayed could
be interpreted in the wrong manner and I didn’t want him to walk out on me again.
I stalled for a moment, not sure what to tell him. Talking about my menstrual
cycle wasn’t something I was used to doing, especially with a guy.

A visceral feeling took over, helping
staunch the uncomfortableness when it came to this subject. “I, um… I got my
period,” I said in a hushed voice. I had to get past the embarrassment. It
wasn’t something that ever came up when I was Collin. Probably because we
weren’t having sex and he never planned on it. Discussing it with Raven seemed
a little odd, but since we were having sex, I felt compelled to tell him.

“Oh.” Raven frowned and his shoulders
dropped. “That doesn’t sound like fun.” His arms formed a circle around my
waist and he pulled me close. “How long does your period usually last?”

My eyebrows shot up. Raven definitely
didn’t have a problem with talking about my menstrual cycle. In fact, he was
making it easier for me. “Um, usually four to five days.”

“That sucks.” His hands slid down my
back, resting on my butt. “I’m not sure I can wait that long.” I felt a change
in the air. The solemn Raven had vanished, replaced by a predatory calling that
told me it wouldn’t stop him from getting what he wanted.

Breaking eye contact with him, I traced
the circumference of the button on his shirt, contemplating whether I should
tell him I had been late. Our relationship had reached a different level,
especially after spending a week with him, and since I was planning on staying
with him for another week before the dorms opened, I thought he should know. I
just hoped it wouldn’t scare him off. That was the last thing I needed. “It’s a
good thing I did… I was late.”

Raven leaned back, trying to catch my
line of sight. “How late?”

So much for that thought.

“Almost a week.” I finally looked at
him, searching for any sign that he wasn’t going to freak out. My heart pounded
and my legs went limp. “And I’m never late.”

His hands retreated from my waist and he
took a step back. Darkness circled around his pupils as the inner demons
released. I leaned against the wall, unable to support my weight. Folding his
arms across his body, he remained silent for a moment. What was he thinking?
Maybe I shouldn’t have told him. Would he leave me again?

Dumb ass!

He’d just left one disappointment, the
last thing he needed to hear was that I had been late. I had the worst timing —
for everything. I told my mind not to go there, but it did, and horrible
thoughts ravaged my head, taking those intimate moments with him that I
cherished and discounting them as foolish.

“Lexi, I would never tell you what to do
when it comes to your body, but have you considered getting on the pill? I
mean... it wouldn’t be good if you got pregnant.”

A tiny part of me, deep within my soul,
cracked like a mirror that had been dropped. Instead of it shattering into a
million pieces, it caused a bad nick, leaving a permanent mark. Hearing those
words hit me harder than I had thought. Even though having a baby right now was
the last thing I wanted, it still hurt. I pressed my lips together as my throat
tightened and my eyes watered. “Yes, I was just thinking that I should probably
go to the health center when school starts again.”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

“Then I’ll do it. Because the last thing
I want—”

Raven quickly scooped me into his arms,
stopping me mid-sentence. My head jutted back like I had whiplash. One moment,
he didn’t want to get me pregnant, and the next, he was literally sweeping me
off my feet and carrying me toward the bedroom. The tears of pain quickly
turned into tears of joy. Hearing that didn’t scare him off after all. Had he
successfully battled those demons?

“Is for me to worry about knocking you
up. If you’re on the pill, we don’t have to be cautious.” A devious expression
formed on his face and I knew what he wanted.

Me.

The Raven was back.

He laid me on the bed and I kicked off
my shoes. I quickly took off Delaney’s jacket and threw it on the chair behind
him.

“Good toss.” He looked over his
shoulder, noticing how the jacket caught the edge of the chair.

“This really sexy football player showed
me how to throw.”

“Did he?” Raven undid his tie and
unbuttoned his shirt and I felt the rush of adrenaline from my head to my toes.
“I know a few other things he can show you.” He unfastened his pants at
lightning speed and whipped off his belt, dropping it to the floor.

“Sounds fun.” I ogled him and his eyes
bored into me, revving my desire for him.

“Oh, baby, you have no idea.” His pants
hit the floor and my stomach did a somersault. He was more than ready for me
and God knew I was ready for him. “I plan on making up for lost time.”

I grabbed his tie and pulled him on top
of me. I eased his shirt off and my eyes widened in delight as I took in each
section of his body for my viewing pleasure. Every ridge of his chest was well
defined and it caused every nerve ending in my body to tingle. My lips dropped
to his chest and I traced every line with my tongue. His fingers tangled
through my hair as I covered every inch of his torso. If I weren’t careful, I
would end up pregnant, because I honestly couldn’t get enough of Raven
Davenport.

Before I knew it, he had me stripped
down to my bra and panties. Raven’s lips devoured my flesh as he kissed and
sucked on my neck. My fingers splayed across his broad chest as I kneaded his
smooth, tanned skin, unable to get enough of him. His fingers danced across my
stomach and my body quivered in excitement. That was when it occurred to me. I
was on my period. And he knew it.

“Um, Raven.” I squirmed underneath his
body, unsure whether I wanted to have sex while I was bleeding. “Did you forget
that I’m on my period?”

Slowly, his lips stopped and he took in
a long breath. “No. I just thought we could mess around. Unless that makes you
uncomfortable.” His hand glided up the inside of my thigh and my back arched
into him. The teasing was killing me.

I wanted him.

All of him.

Not tomorrow.

Not in five days.

Now.

“We can do that,” I whimpered in a low
voice.

“I promise I won’t touch you there,
unless you want me to.” His hardness pressed against me and I lost all
self-control. Raven knew how to supercharge my body and I decided it was time I
explore the unknown side of me.

“How about I pleasure you? Ya know… take
some of that stress away that’s been beating you down all week?” I stroked the
side of his head, gliding my nails through his hair. With deliberate intent, I
licked my lips and prepared myself to do what I had read in my romance books,
even though I had no idea how to do it.

“Only if you want to, baby.” Raven
studied my face carefully, as if searching for the true answer.

 “Let me show you how much I want to.” I
flipped him on his back and willingly threw myself into The Raven’s trap,
diving in headfirst.

***

Raven and I slept for what seemed like
eternity, trying to rejuvenate our bodies and minds. Being wrapped in his arms
restored everything, eroding the doubt, fear, and pain that taunted my mind. I
gave him everything he needed and more, even though he asked for nothing. I
love him and I wanted to him know it.

Feel it.

Never doubt it.

Slowly, I began to open my heart,
exposing myself to him and praying that he wouldn’t break my heart again. I had
been through so much, I wasn’t sure my heart would mend the next time. I had to
take that leap of faith. Even though I had no idea how it would turn out, I
knew Raven Davenport was worth it.

I didn’t push him to watch the bowl
game, but, to my surprise, he wanted to. I think he did it mainly to support
Josh and Shawn. We even invited Luke and Delaney to come over. At first, I
wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but we had a good time. Raven and Luke seemed
to be fine, and I was excited to hear that my brother agreed to train with him
later that week. It reaffirmed that he was on his way to recovery — not only
physically, but mentally. Having a good attitude and owning up to your mistakes
are part of the battle and Raven faced them head on with determination.

PHU beat their opponent by a Hail Mary
pass thrown by the second string quarterback, Kyle Reeves, in the last fifteen
seconds of the game. Josh caught the ball and ran it in for the winning
touchdown after Shawn hurt his ankle in the third quarter. We were all relieved
to hear it was just a bad sprain. The game was so exciting. I never realized
how much I enjoyed football over baseball. It made me happy that he supported
his teammates, even though he didn’t get to play. It was hard for him, but he
did it. And I was so proud of him.

Wednesday arrived quicker than we
expected and Raven was faced with his next challenge — meeting with the
academic dean and the ethics committee. The fate of his career was in the hands
of these people. Coach Anderson informed him that he would be present and not
only would they decide if Raven would remain on the football team, but also if
he would be allowed to remain enrolled at PHU. If they kicked him out of
school, then he couldn’t play. The situation was more serious than I had
thought.

Raven had met with Mr. Marshall on
Monday for advice on the situation. I was slightly disappointed when I found
out that he refused to press charges against Jared. When I asked him why, he
told me that he had done some things in the past for Jared that he wasn’t proud
of and if he brought him down, he’d go down, too. He said Mr. Marshall advised
him to leave Jared out of it and move forward. It bothered me, but I did press
him further for details. I just did everything to keep him in good spirits. We
had to stay positive and believe that they would give him one more chance.

“Everything is going to be all right,
man. Trust me.” Josh hooked an arm around Raven’s neck. “Just be honest with
them. They’ll see that it was a slip and that you’re going to keep on the right
track.”

Raven stared at the floor, his face
tense and body stiff. “I know. Your uncle feels that they will believe me and
I’ll get another chance.”

Josh patted Raven on the chest and
squeezed him in a tight hug. “That’s right. You’re going to be back on the
field for spring training. Mark my words.”

Shelby flashed me a wide-eyed look and I
shot her a meek smile. I hoped Josh was right. Rumors were flying sky-high, but
we did our best to ignore them. Some were in favor of PHU keeping Raven while
others felt he’d had his chance. It was fifty-fifty and only God knew what
would be decided.

I handed Raven his suit jacket. “We
better go. You don’t want to be late.”

He glanced at his watch. “Yeah, that
wouldn’t be good.”

Josh grabbed his keys from the coffee
table.

“What are you doing?” Raven asked as he
put his jacket on.

“I’m driving you up there. We’re going
to wait with Lexi and your mom. Is that’s okay?”

“I think that’s a good idea.” Trish
adjusted Raven’s tie and then straightened his collar, making sure her son
looked acceptable.