That’s the deal, after all.
Once I’ve unpacked the sandwiches and put them on plates, I toss Austin a bottle of water and join him at the table, which is still covered with the remnants of my design project. I sit down and pluck a fry off my turkey and cheese sandwich as Austin’s gaze sweeps across the table. I chew slowly, realizing it probably looks like a total mess to the casual observer.
Austin leans back in his chair, massive sandwich untouched. “So what’s the deal with this competition anyway?”
“The American Coalition of Mechanical Engineers design competition is the competition for mechanical engineering majors.” I pause and take a sip of my water. “Think of it as the championship game. The winners are pretty much guaranteed job interviews with the top engineering companies in the country.”
“I take it you’re planning to claim one of those top spots.”
I grin. “Why enter if not to win? Besides, I need every advantage I can get when it comes to job placement.” I pop another fry in my mouth, savoring the greasy, starchy goodness. “I’ll be paying off my student loans until the end of time.”
The muscles in Austin’s jaw tense, but he nods in understanding before turning his attention to his sandwich. We eat in silence for a while, but it’s surprisingly comfortable. When he finishes eating, he turns his attention back to the mess that surrounds us.
“So what exactly are you designing?” He picks up one of the sketches from the table, and I cringe. It’s pretty rough. Definitely not my best work. “Is this a robot?” He holds up the drawing, interest flaring in his eyes.
“Yeah.” I tear a piece of crusty Italian bread from my sandwich and coleslaw drips over the edge of the paper wrapper. Leave it to Austin to hit up the one place in town that serves a Pittsburgh-style sandwich, complete with coleslaw and French fries. There’s no way I’ll be able to eat the whole thing. “This year’s contest is a Pick and Place race. The challenge is to design a robot capable of picking various size balls from tall plastic platforms and depositing them in a collection bin.”
It’s a quick and dirty description, but I doubt he wants all the boring details.
Austin arches a brow, and I catch a flash of his dimple before he speaks. “I’m guessing it’s a little more complicated than it sounds.”
“Little bit.” I pinch my fingers together so that only a small gap remains between them. “There’s a lot of work that goes into the design and construction phases. Plus a written paper and presentation that detail the engineering principles the team used to build the bot.”
“Does it include lots of differential equations and advanced calculations that would be too complex for a jock like me?” He laughs, the sound scraping over my skin like gravel. It’s sexy as hell, but I refuse to take the bait. I never said football players were dumb. Just that they have a tendency to think with the little head. Austin grabs the edge of my chair and drags it closer to his own. Our knees are touching and he’s looking at me like I might be next up on the menu. A bolt of desire goes straight to my belly. I’m going to have sex with Austin freaking Reid. It’s not the first time or even the second, but I swear, the thrill of it never wears off. “You know, I kind of like it when you talk nerdy to me.”
I swallow, my brain instantly short-circuited by the press of his body against mine.
And then I’m reciting the principles of robotics and offering him a tutorial on CAD. Like he wants to see how a technical drawing is built. Hell, maybe he does. He did just say nerd-talk was hot.
Stupid nerves. You’ve had sex with this man before. Get a grip!
But then it’s not just my knee he’s touching. He leans forward and pulls me onto his lap like I weigh no more than a paper doll, my legs straddling his hips. I can feel the hard ridge of his erection pressed against me, and it’s all I can do not to rock my hips as he strokes my cheek, brushing the damp hair from my face.
His voice is low and husky when he speaks again, sounding like sex personified. “That’s better.”
“Much better,” I agree, meeting his eyes as I rotate my bottom, giving sweet relief to the growing ache between my legs. So much for self-control. “Remind me again whose idea it was to eat first?”
He laughs and grips my hips, his strong hands pulling my body flush to his before crushing his lips to mine. Our tongues collide fiercely and a deep moan shatters the silence. Shit. Was that me? Doesn’t matter. Austin’s hands slide gracefully over my back and then they’re tangled in my hair, twisting it around his fingers as he tilts my head, baring my throat. He trails openmouthed kisses down my chin and neck, sucking and biting as he makes his way across my collarbone.
Another breathy moan rolls off my lips, but I’m beyond caring. My skin ignites like wildfire at the brush of his lips. I’m burning up from the inside out, desperate for more. His fingers are everywhere at once, moving hungrily over my heated flesh and leaving a trail of desire in their wake. It’s too much and yet…it’s not enough.
It will never be enough with Austin.
I grab the hem of his shirt and pull it over his head, revealing the chiseled muscles I’ve spent countless hours worshipping. In the back seat of his Jeep, in the visiting team locker room, against his bedroom door, and once in the library bathroom. Although, to be fair, that only took a few minutes.
A few glorious minutes.
I trail my fingers over his pecs, savoring the smooth, firm skin that covers every dip and ridge. There’s a fading bruise on his right side where the flesh is
