Hers to Take: Sideswiped Series, #0.5

By Avery Samson

Will he make another foul or will he be hers to take?

 

Tall, dark, handsome Marcus Johnson is not the man for her, although the universe definitely disagrees. For four years now, he has appeared and just as quickly disappeared from her life. She's had enough. She knows exactly where her life is going and she doesn't need some wishy-washy man slowing her down. Even if he has the most knee-weakening deep brown eyes and a voice that sends shivers down her spine. Oh and did she mention he's going to be a doctor?

 

He was raised to be a good man. Respect his elders, respect women, work hard, study even harder. It's how he's lived his life so far. Up until the fateful basketball game when she bounced on to the court with her short skirt and pom poms. Suddenly all he can think about is being bad, very bad. Because when it comes to the cheerleader of his fantasies, Dia Price, he's a complete disaster. He can't seem to stop messing everything up when he's with her. He just hopes he can fix it before it's too late.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Avery Samson
• Release date: Dec 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393828228

Book preview

1

DIA

H ey, the perky blonde says, plopping down next to me. I’m Lily. Soccer. I look over at the woman who has taken the chair next to mine. She is the exact opposite of me with her tall frame, long blonde hair, and lightly tanned skin. She’s grinning at me with perfect white teeth, holding out her hand.

Dia. Cheerleading, I answer, shaking her hand briefly. I actually made Varsity cheerleader this year. It helps that they needed the top of the pyramid. At only five-two, I’m pretty easy to throw and catch.

So, I see you got conscripted on to this committee too. I didn’t realize they have a student athletic committee until I got an email informing me that I was the representative. The girl keeps talking, but I’m only half listening. Still, I like her. Hey, I’m meeting my roommate for lunch after the meeting. Come with us if you have time.

Sure, I agree. Our visit is cut short as the meeting begins. I guess I can chalk Lily up as the first friend I’ve made on this campus. My roommate is nice, but since I was late registering, I have an upperclassman. She already has friends, so I don’t see her very often.

I moved here from Florida knowing no one before I came. I always thought I would head to New York City to study fashion merchandising, but I couldn’t resist the chance to continue my cheerleading career.

At lunch, I’m introduced to Izzy, a freshman from the Panhandle of Texas. She also didn’t know anyone, so we have something in common. One of Lily’s teammates, Claire, joins us shortly. It’s the best time I’ve had since I left home so far.

So have you met the chick who lives two doors down from us toward the elevator? Lily asks Izzy. Her roommate is Maggie? Izzy shakes her head. She’s crazy. I was visiting with Maggie in the hall last night. She was telling me her roommate has yet to shower. It’s like living on the sun here. How does that work?

I have a proposal, Izzy says. Let’s all go out for pizza Saturday night. We’ll invite Maggie. We can share our horror stories from the first week of class and blow off steam. We quickly agree before heading off for class.

By Saturday, I’m excited to see my new friends again. Lily waves me over to their table. Hey Dia, we’re discussing who is the hottest guy we’ve seen on campus so far. There are so many it’s hard to choose, she says.

You do know I have to see the football team all the time right now, right? They are all huge and hot. Coach hosted a pool party during two-a-days. Holy cow! And don’t even get me started on the baseball team, I add, hoping I’m not too forward.

You lucky bitch, Izzy moans. I’m so jealous. I grin at her. Yeah, I’ve definitely found my posse. There should be a law about admitting this much eye candy at any one campus. How am I supposed to maintain my scholarship under these conditions?

We laugh as we settle into a comfortable banter. By the end of the evening, we make a pact to try to do this every week. I’m already looking forward to the next one.

Between my commitments to the cheer squad, the sorority my mother insisted on me rushing and classes, pizza night is the only time I really get to see my new friends. With everything going on, I quickly begin to count on these nights to keep me grounded over the next couple of months.

I have come to learn a lot about my new friends.

Izzy is from a family that didn’t really have the extra money for her to attend a private college. She is completely focused on getting her nursing degree. She earned a large academic scholarship to come here so she works really hard at keeping it. She was matched with Lily by housing. I’ve never seen two people more different from each other that are so compatible.

Lily is from an affluent family here in town. I’ve met her family, including her gorgeous older brother, while swimming in her pool. She is an art history major hoping to land a career in a museum.

Maggie is also from town, but she was raised by a hardworking, single mom. She is an English major with her head always buried in a book. Sometimes we think she is the shy member, but then she breaks out with a racy comment making us all stare at her in shock.

We all got a good giggle watching Lily’s brother flit around her in the pool wearing a swimsuit that was obviously several sizes too small. She seemed to be oblivious to his attention, but the eye candy wasn’t lost on the rest of us.

Claire is the most interesting of us all. She’s on a soccer scholarship here from Oregon. The best I can figure, she talks to her family as little as possible. The only member she really talks about is an older brother. Her major is psychology with an emphasis in children. She is hoping to work with a nonprofit someday.

As for me, I’m the only double major in business and fashion merchandising. My dad owns a very successful architectural firm in Boca Raton, Florida where I grew up. I’m their only child, which means I was their total focus. My parents are amazing, but I always wished I had at least one sibling to grow up with.

As the summer turns into fall, I find myself adding basketball and soccer to the already full football season. I love when I get to cheer on the sidelines for Claire and Lily, but most of the time I spend on the edge of the basketball court.

Fortunately, neither the equestrian team nor the rifle team needs cheerleaders. Apparently pom-poms and horses don’t mix well. Cheering for the basketball teams is a nice change of pace. Mostly we stand off to the side cheering with short performances during timeouts. Halftime is still fun with stunts we are practicing for competition in January.

Between our football team making it into the playoffs and basketball conference play starting, I hardly have a break at Christmas. I don’t mind though. As much as I love my parents, I miss my friends.

By the time everyone makes it back to school, it’s the night of the game against one of our biggest basketball rivals. The Kansas team has been a standout underdog team this year, fielding a stellar starting line. Even though they started toward the bottom of the conference rankings, they have yet to lose a game.

With the game at home, all of my friends have showed up. They laughed about coming to cheer for the cheerleader. I have to hurry after lab class to make it to the game on time. By the time I jog around the court, both teams are warming up.

Tossing down my pom-poms, I spend a couple of minutes stretching in the corner before joining my squad. A couple of the players nod at me. I’ve had several ask me out but I’ve gently put them off. It would look ridiculous dating a man a foot taller than I am.

Dia! I hear from the crowd. Looking around, I finally see my friends giving them a big wave.

When the players head back into the dressing rooms, we run onto the court for a quick performance before they come back.

We stand at attention through the pledge and the national anthem, then cheer a short cheer when the starting line is announced. The Kansas team seems to tower over our players when they are announced. When they line up for the tipoff, we move back to the edge of the stands to wait for our first runout onto the court.

I’m a little in shock to find us leading the game at halftime. After our short performance for the fans, we are given a break until the teams come back on the court. Climbing into the stands, I sit down with my friends. Hey! I greet them each with a hug. I’m so glad everyone is back from the holiday.

Oh my God, Dia. Have you seen the Kansas player who keeps checking you out? Izzy asks me when I sit down.

You’re crazy, there’s no one checking me out, I say in denial. Even if he was, what would I want with a giant that lives five hundred miles away?

He’s really cute. The giant post on the left of the basket, Maggie says.

I roll my eyes at them. Whatever. I don’t date giants. It would never work. I don’t want to have to use a ladder every time I want a kiss.

We’re just saying he’s watching you. He even stayed a second by the door to watch the halftime show before running for the locker room, Maggie adds. Besides, can’t you climb trees? Everyone laughs.

When the teams start back onto the court, I grab a quick sip of Lily’s drink before climbing down from the stands. After hopping off the last step onto the floor, I take a quick look at the side