Lessons in Gravity (Study Abroad #2) Read Online Free

to Madrid to hook up with another girl at another club. I know what I want now, and that isn’t another meaningless encounter. After being on the road for so long, I’ve had enough of those to last a lifetime.
    But one more look can’t hurt. It’s such a lovely backside. Just one more—
    My heart skips a beat, but this time it has nothing to do with her ass.
    It skips because she catches me looking.
    And then she grins. A devilish, lively grin that makes her eyes glitter. Eyes that flick down the length of my body to rest on my ass. Her grin twitches, lips pursed in what appears to be appreciation.
    It’s an entirely shameless perusal, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like it. It’s an eye for an eye—in this case, it’s an ass for an ass—although I do believe I got the better end of the bargain, as her behind is far, far superior to my own.  
    I wonder if she knows where I’ve been for the past year. Who I’ve been. If she was one of the hundreds of thousands of people who came out to see me playing with Juan Ramos at stadiums across the world.
    I wonder if she knows I’m that guy. The so-called rock star.
    I really hope she doesn’t.
    As much as I enjoyed being the star—let’s not kid ourselves, I enjoyed it a lot— it got tiresome toward the end. Being surrounded by women who loved the celebrity but couldn’t care less about the man left me feeling empty, and more than a little lonely. It got me into some trouble, too.
    I’ve missed the normalcy and the comfort of real life, of home . I’ve missed my family, being around people who love me for me.
    But I’ve really missed one person in particular.
    Rafa and I gather our drinks in our hands. Condensation runs down my forearms as we make our way back to the table.
    “Thank you very much,” Maddie says when I hand her a gintonic. She leans in. “I appreciate it. Almost as much as you appreciated my ass.”
    I run my tongue along my bottom lip, grinning. I shouldn’t flirt back. I’ve been burned by this kind of thing before.  
    But I can’t help it. She’s too fun, and too sexy, to leave hanging.
    “Might I ask what you thought of mine?” I say.
    “Delicious.” She sips her drink. “Absolutely delicious.”
    Rafa clears his throat. He’s looking at Maddie and me, a knowing gleam in his eye. Are we really that obvious?
    “Vivian and I are going to dance,” Rafa says, pointing his thumb in the direction of the dance floor. “Is it okay if we leave you two here together?”
    “More than okay. You guys go have fun.” Maddie hooks her arm through mine. She’s standing close now; so close I can smell her coconut shampoo. My pulse spikes. She smells lovely, like a tropical drink you’d sip in the nude while lying on a beach in the Caribbean. “I’ll take good care of Javier.”
    Viv gives Maddie a long, hard look.
    “You sure?” Viv says.
    Maddie lets out a breath, an impatient sound. “I’m sure. See you guys later.”
    And just like that, Maddie and I are alone.
    The music starts pumping, the floor bouncing in time to the bass. It’s crowded now, and loud. I scoot a bit closer to Maddie, my leg brushing hers.
    “So, you and Vivian—you’re in the same program here in Madrid?” I ask.
    “Yes—Meryton in Madrid, basically a semester in Spain for juniors. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Meryton University? It’s a liberal arts college in North Carolina, on the east coast.”
    I nod. “I know it. Famous for basketball, right?”
    “Right,” she replies. “Are you a basketball fan?”
    “A little bit. I went to university in the U.K., so I’m a bit more into rugby, to be honest. And then of course football—soccer—I love that, too.”
    “I went to my first match last week,” she says proudly.
    “And?” I arch a brow. “What did you think?”
    “It was so much fun. And so freaking loud. My ears were ringing for three days afterward. A pretty epic hangover didn’t help. Madrid won, and we had about