Part 3Seducing The Grumpy Campus Coach

I swapped my camp uniform for a slinky sundress, applied a subtle layer of makeup, and headed to the campus market for a bottle of water and a fresh towel. I found an empty seat in the stadium stands.

When I saw Lachlan take a break, I immediately called his cell phone.

The moment he picked up, I launched into my plan.

"Coach!" I chirped, making my voice extra sweet. "Could you do me a favor?"

"I made a bet with some classmates yesterday. The deal was: if I gave you water and a towel and you accepted it, they owe me fifty bucks. If you refuse, I owe them. Please help me out!"

I watched as Lachlan smiled, looking down at his phone. "What's in it for me?"

"Hmm…" I pretended to think deeply. "How about we use that fifty dollars to grab dinner? I heard that new Korean BBQ place downtown is amazing. Want to try it?"

He was silent for a moment, taking a slow drink from his own water bottle. Then, slowly, he replied, "Okay."

"Awesome, Coach. See you after the next half." I hung up, smiling triumphantly.

Of course, there was no bet. It was a complete lie.

I waited until practice was over and was gathering my things to go down and deliver the goods when I looked up and saw Lachlan was already sitting beside me.

His face was suddenly inches from mine. I was caught completely off guard, staring right into his eyes. The faint, salty smell of sweat mixed with his cologne—the scent of pure male adrenaline—hit me, making my heart flutter inexplicably faster.

I shivered, completely startled.

He moved silently. Like a predator.

He extended his hand, beckoning for the water in my grasp.

I tried to act nonchalant, handing him the bottle. I could feel dozens of eyes on us now, along with the rising tide of whispering.

I felt certain they were talking about me.

I hadn't planned for my grand gesture to be quite this public!

"I said I was going to bring it down to you, so why did you come all the way up here?" I whispered through gritted teeth, suddenly feeling incredibly guilty.

"It's more efficient," Lachlan said, taking the towel to wipe his neck. "It saves me the trouble of having to reject other people. Saves my breath."

It might save him trouble, but I was probably going to be the hot topic on the campus message board for the next three days.

No, wait, I was probably already being dissected by every girl with a smartphone.

I hated him. I was even more convinced he did this on purpose.

No!

I couldn't back down now!

"Lost in thought?" Lachlan waved his hand in front of my face.

I snapped out of my stupor and looked at him blankly.

Lachlan's lips quirked. "You're totally zoning out. I said I'm free tonight. Just let me change first."

I nodded dumbly.

Before he left, he added, "And don't sit out in the sun. Your face is already bright red."

Once he was gone, I frantically touched my cheeks. They were burning. I took out my compact mirror and saw that the heat was rising through my foundation.

No, no, this wasn't right.

It had to be the sun.

We settled into a booth at the Korean BBQ. We hadn't been there long when a whole team of guys rolled in.

That would have been fine, except they immediately started yelling "Ma'am!" and "Future Mrs. Shaw!"

Me: ???

Don't call me that! We hadn't even had a first date!

But I couldn't deny, I kind of liked the sound of it.

I played the role of the shy, flustered girlfriend, a lamb ready for slaughter, but they only lingered for a moment before Lachlan shooed them away.

I ate my food, my mind racing, trying to figure out what my next move should be to truly reel this man in.

I still hadn't figured out a surefire plan by the time we finished dinner. Just then, I overheard someone talking about the Campus Fall Fest. This gave me an idea. To keep him around longer, I suggested we check out the festival.

The closer we got to the quad, the denser the crowd became.

I seized my chance, grabbing his hand and pulling him forward. "We have to hurry! We need to get a good spot!"

As I spoke, I lightly dragged my index finger across his palm.

I ran a few steps, then glanced back. I realized the hand I was holding belonged to Lachlan, and I instantly let go, feigning embarrassment. "Oh, sorry! I was so excited, I just instinctively grabbed your hand like I would my girlfriend's."

It was a total performance.

The light was dim; I couldn't make out his expression.

But I wasn't worried. Men, after all, simply needed to be slowly tempted and they’d be yours.

We arrived at the stadium quad. It was packed and noisy, but a gentle melody was floating over the crowd. We found a spot near the stage. Just as one song ended, someone yelled Lachlan's name.

We both turned. It was the guy who had just performed.

"Didn't you say you were busy tonight?" the singer asked. Then he noticed me standing next to Lachlan. He paused, then gave an exaggerated wink, thumping Lachlan's chest. "Betrayal, Shaw! You're breaking the bro code."

"Well, since you're here, play a song before you leave."

Lachlan couldn't refuse. He went up on stage and performed.

He chose a mellow acoustic song—something like The Atlas Ghosts' track, "Momentum."

He played the guitar, the stage lights bathing him in a soft, ethereal glow, making him so radiant I couldn't tear my eyes away.

"I thought I’d be drifting," he sang.

"Leaving all my looking back to the sunrise."

"…"

That was a song I'd recently shared on my social media.

I stared at him, and he met my gaze. His eyes were filled with a tenderness that made my heart pound wildly.

I couldn't help but wonder: Was this the same Lachlan Shaw who put us through hell during drills this morning?

He felt like a completely different person.

The event was winding down, and it was getting late. I told him I needed to head back. Lachlan nodded and walked me to my dorm building.

Before leaving, I clasped my hands behind my back, tilted my head, and offered a sweet, innocent smile. "Coach, you were amazing tonight."

Then I took a step closer to him, looking up into his dark eyes, my smile genuine this time. My voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, meant only for him. "And you also looked… kind of hot."

Oh, I was good.