A contented sigh fell past Virginia's plush, pink lips as my eyes stuttered open slowly, taking in the soft early sunshine filtering in through sheer white curtains and a body I'd dreamed of the previous night wrapped up in my arms like she was made for me.

Raven dark hair tumbled over her pillow, back pressed to my front, I darted a gaze around her dorm room and instantly became relieved that we were alone and her roommates hadn't returned the previous night. Or, maybe they had and had graciously slept elsewhere...

A peek of skin was showing from the blanket that was pulled up to her shoulders, but her white lacy bra was in perfect view due to my higher vantage point on the bed.

I could still recall the feelings that flooded me upon first seeing her vulnerable and without a barrier, and though we'd only made it to second base, it still was as intimate, if not more, than full on sex with someone else. This was different from those times, though. This actually meant something more to me than a quick fling. She meant more to me...

I hadn't wanted to push her any further, and I definitely didn't want to rush things anymore than we already had, so even though I desperately wanted to yank off her underwear and sink as deep into her as I could and make her scream my name just as I'd intended, I held back, wanting to savor the moment and the look of pure pleasure on her face while I finally took things further than just a kiss.

She mumbled out something in her sleep and I smiled, unable to stop staring at her side profile and her chest rising and falling with the deep breaths of sleep.

And then I remembered that I had to have been late for practice, especially if the sun was already coming up.

"Shit," I whispered out, but that alone woke V from her sleep and as she stretched her arms above her and her ass accidentally pressed against me even more, I swore that I could've missed a million practices and they would all be worth it to see the shy, confused and slightly turned on expression on her face as she realized she wasn't alone, that I was more than a little excited to have woken up beside her.

"Umm...did we really fall asleep that early last night?"

Meaning, did we actually both fall asleep at seven instead of staying up until at least midnight like I knew the both of us usually did considering her texting goodnight as late as I texted her the same sentiment?

"Yeah, I think we did."

She shivered after I spoke, like my words had affected her just as much as my presence, but soon after, her teeth bit down on her lower lip and I had to stifle the groan building in my chest, slowly easing off the bed and onto my feet while she sat up fully, ample breasts on display in her bra, something that I wanted to snatch off her body and throw to the ground while we finished what I'd started the night before, but I knew our team coach would have my ass handed to me if I was any later than I already was.

"I'm probably late for practice, and I'm sure the guys are wondering where I'm at. I never...well, I never stay over with someone."

Was she about to judge me for being the world's biggest player? She'd stopped talking to me for almost an entire week because someone had told her that I was still together somewhat with Mia, in whatever capacity the two of us had even been together in the first place, but thankfully she didn't seem phased.

It was actually a compliment, considering that she was the first girl I'd ever fallen asleep with in my arms. It was overwhelming, though, the fact that she meant so much to me already.

Maybe it was my father in me. He'd only known my mother for six months before they'd been married, and while she had turned into a completely different woman after his death, before, she'd been a loving wife and mother, attentive and sweet, caring, compassionate...

After, she just...lost everything that made her warm, everything that made her a mother.

I shivered as I remembered V's fingers trailing down the old scars on my back, the memories that those scars conjured being moments of my life that I desperately didn't want to think about when I was being intimate with her, or when I was with her in any capacity, but least of all when my lips were on hers and her fingers were in my hair and mine were in hers.

God, and just thinking about that again sent my plans of walking out of the room without a raging hard on into the trash.

I adjusted my pants while V wasn't looking as she sheepishly reached over and threw on a white tank top, doing nothing to hide the cleavage about to spill out of it and, my God, she was beautiful.

Screw morning breath, I reached over and surprised her with a deep kiss, hand clasped behind her head to keep her exactly where I wanted her and soon enough she'd melted into me, just as I had into her from the first moment our eyes ever connected, the first moment I'd heard her voice at the gym.

I had no idea what we were doing, but I knew that I was not going to question something that had already enriched my life, in more ways than one.

Leaning back, I locked my eyes with hers, and while there was a slightly dazed look on her features, it was the gleam and glow of her skin that I latched onto, because damn if she didn't look happy, a sentiment that I was positive I reflected right back to her.

"I'll text you. Do you work tonight?"

"Uh-yeah, actually I work the night shift. I'll probably be practicing for this upcoming showcase, taking advantage of the empty courts, if you want to be my audience?"

Her voice husky and thick from sleep stirred under my skin and as chills prickled along my spine at the thought of hearing her sing again, I nodded immediately, smile permanently in place.

"Of course. I'd never pass up an opportunity to hear you sing. It's a date."

A seriously breathtaking smile overtook her face and I couldn't help my matching one, a smile that I was sure looked silly compared to hers.

She reached forward and placed our lips together once more, her boldness shocking me for a moment before I responded immediately, tugging her up off of the bed and into my arms, eliciting a small squeak of surprise from her lips that caused me to smile against her, wondering how the hell I'd never crossed paths with her on campus before.

We pulled apart, and one look at my almost dead phone told me that if I didn't leave soon, I would say fuck it to practice and spend the rest of the day tangled up with her, kissing her, lavishing in everything that she'd be willing to give me, and while I wanted that almost as much as I wanted to have her father as my coach, I knew that if I didn't put a premium on my playing that there wouldn't be a player left to coach because I'd have already lost myself in everything that is Virginia Bruins.

"Bye," she whispered, fucking teeth on her lip and when I responded with the same word, she pulled her hands in on herself, probably just remembering that she didn't have any pants on, a fact that wasn't lost on me in the slightest and was one of the reasons why pulling away and doing what I was supposed to, because doing the 'wrong' thing felt so damn right.

Five minutes later, I was speeding across the campus parking lots, cutting through traffic cones and kids milling around taking their time to get to the earliest classes of the day as it was only ten til seven, so thankfully I wasn't actually late, but if I didn't dress out and make it onto the courts in less than five, then I would be considered as much.

Wilt and Miles shot me confused and suspicious looks when I raced into the locker room like I had smoke coming from my shoes, one of them trying to discreetly pass the other some money like I wouldn't notice.

"The hell's that about?"

They jumped at my words, pretending like they had no idea what I was talking about, Patrick on the outskirts of the conversation scratching at the back of his head and also pretending to mind his own business when I knew for a fact he'd ben speaking with the two of them as soon as I'd entered.

"Nothing, man. Chill. You're the one that's late," Wilt reminded me, something that I definitely didn't need reminding of in the first place, but the cageyness of his words was cluing me in on something going on that they weren't telling me about.

"Pat?"

"Look bro, it was all in good fun. Maddie said-"

"Well actually it was Wilt and Maddie, but go off."

I turned my attention to Miles who'd been the one to accept the money and accuse both Maddie and Wilt of something.

"What, was there a bet I'd be late today or something? What's going on?"

"There was a bet, but not what you're thinking."

"Miles!"

While Wilt tried his best to keep the secret I raised an eyebrow while simultaneously pulling off my shirt that still smelled of V's perfume and rerouted my brain to the conversation at hand.

"So there was a bet involving me. About what?"

"Look, Maddie was saying you'd get bored of Virginia and get back with Mia. I guess she was right, since you were late and we stopped by your dorm and you weren't there."

I huffed out a bark of laughter at their conclusions that they'd all incorrectly drawn.

"Nah, I was with V. Maddie's just making shit up now. I broke things off with Mia a few days after I met V. It's not like that with her, anyway, so maybe you should all mind your business about who I date and focus on the game."

"Date? Wow, didn't think things were getting serious between you and Virginia," a feminine voice proclaimed from somewhere out of sight, and I immediately knew that it belonged to Maddie as Patrick stiffened up.

"Maddie? You shouldn't be in here," he stammered out, cheeks turning as red as the hair on his head, and even with the height on the guy, he still reminded me of a little kid who'd been caught in a lie, though I wasn't sure why he looked so guilty in the first place.

"Just dropping by to bring you your protein shake that you forgot at my place this morning. I made sure everyone was decent before coming in."

That was...questionable. In order for her to make sure we were all decent, she'd have had to peek in anyway, and probably waited until we all had our pants on before barging in. It was more than rude, especially considering if a man did that in a woman's dressing room, the tone would be completely different and veering to the creepy watcher territory.

"I don't think you should be in here, Maddie," I ground out, pissed that she was in our personal space and that she had been spreading rumors not only about me and Mia, but especially because they revolved around V.

"Chill, Eli. I'm just like one of the guys, right? Hey, barbecue at my rental this Thursday. I'll have all your favorite beers. Eli, I even got that special grapefruit beer that you like. Come on, we can even watch your game tapes!"

She'd saddled up next to Patrick, and while the two had never seemed more into each other, there was an undercurrent of tension that I wasn't sure most others had caught on to.

"Yeah, we need to go over plays anyway. Everyone in?"

I turned to Wilt, and while I would've been inclined to say yes, I'd definitely want to see what V was doing that day first, but if the whole team was going, I wouldn't have much of a say.

"Yeah, whatever. Come on, we need to get out on the court."

Maddie smiled triumphantly, like she'd just won, but what exactly it was, I wasn't sure. That girl was up to something, and while before I'd had my reservations about her dating Patrick, she'd proven herself to be a good person, so I tried to push my doubts about her to the back of my mind and focused on another, much more important woman in my life.

And then I spent the rest of the day counting down the hours, minutes, and seconds until I got to see her again.