Turns out I was right.
Sinclair has always been the man for me. I knew it then, and I know it now. I just need to make him see it, too.
I look up at Sinclair, and he's already looking at me, a curious expression in his eyes.
"Feeling better?" I ask. My voice comes out as a whisper. This moment between us feels fragile like it could end any second, and I don't want to push Sinclair away by saying the wrong thing or speaking at all. Especially not when his lips are so damn close to mine. Is he going to kiss me again? I freaking hope so, because just being this close to Sinclair gives me all sorts of exciting, naughty thoughts. Like how my bedroom is just upstairs, and he could have me right now if only he'd take me…
I push up onto my tippy toes and pucker my lips, more than ready for another Sinclair kiss, but the door to the kitchen swings open, and Sinclair jumps two feet in the air. The ice pack drops, and we both bend down to grab it, knocking our foreheads together.
"Damn, you must enjoy getting yourself hurt, huh?" Brody laughs. He grabs some ice cream sandwiches from the freezer and tosses one to Sinclair, who almost drops it. "Here, let's go watch the end of the game." Brody nods his head for Sinclair to follow him into the living room, and like a good little sidekick, he does. But not before glancing back at me once with a regretful look in his eyes. I shake my head.
What does a girl have to do to get a kiss?
Chapter Three
Sinclair
"Watch this, fool," Brody says. He dribbles the basketball between his legs and pushes forward to make a layup. Except I block him, and he misses the shot entirely. I chuckle.
"Yeah, nice one," I tease. Brody lunges for me and somehow gets me in a headlock, which turns into a full-on wrestle. If the rest of our team members were here, they'd form a circle and start chanting, "Fight, fight, fight!" But Mr. Douglas just ignores us and flips another burger on the grill. They invited me over for dinner again, and despite knowing better, I agreed. But only because I know today Ally has night classes and there's no way she'll be able to corner me again. It's somewhat of a relief, but it hurts at the same time. My stomach has been in a constant state of turmoil since our kiss, and it only gets worse the longer I go on trying to act like it didn't mean anything.
It meant everything, and I want so much more than a kiss from Ally.
But I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. Not when she's like a sister to me. I put all my effort into getting out of Brody's damn headlock. I switch things around and push myself away from him in one fancy motion, only to trip on a lawn chair and skid to the ground, scraping my elbow up pretty nasty along the way.
"Oh, come on, boys. You're too big for roughhousing," Mrs. Douglas calls from the open kitchen window. She's preparing a salad and watching from inside like always. "Sinclair, clean that up. You know I don't like bloody messes." She does an involuntary shiver and looks back down at her salad mix. Mrs. Douglas isn't the best when it comes to blood.
I glance at my elbow. It's not bad at all, but I'm not going to disobey the woman who practically raised me. "Yes ma'am," I say, discreetly giving Brody the finger. He flashes me a smile and starts a conversation with his dad as I head inside. I take my shoes off at the back door and head upstairs to the bathroom, where they keep the first aid kit. I always wondered why they keep it upstairs when it's far more likely that someone would cut themselves in the kitchen or something, but I've learned not to argue with Mrs. Douglas. She likes things the way she likes them, and that's just how it is.
I reach the top of the stairs and swing the bathroom door open to find Ally surrounded by steam, her body wrapped loosely in a pink towel. She squeals and pulls her towel tighter.
"Jesus, Sinclair! You scared the shit out of me." Her cheeks flush pink, and she gives me a curious look.
"W-what are you doing here?" I stammer accusatorially.
She narrows her eyes at me. "Um, I live here?"
"No, I mean," I'm breathing like I just played a game, but it's only because I should absolutely not be looking at her right now, and yet I can't tear my eyes away. She's so damn gorgeous with her flushed cheeks and dewy skin. "I thought you had night class today."
Ally shrugs her shoulders, and the towel wrapped around her chest falls half an inch. I gulp.
"It was canceled. Shut the door, you're making it cold."
I don't move a muscle. I can't, not in the presence of this goddess. Ally rolls her eyes at me and shuts the door herself, turning the lock until it clicks shut.
Shit.
"What do you want, Sinclair?" she asks, her voice a sultry coo.
Every part of me screams that I want her, but I shouldn't give in. "T-the first aid kit," I stammer instead.
Ally inspects me all over until she finds the scrape on my elbow. "You just can't stop hurting yourself, can you?" She tsks her tongue and bends down to grab the kit from under the sink. Her towel is so fucking short that when she bends, I almost see everything.
Almost.
My heart practically jumps out of my chest.
I expect Ally to give me the kit and let me go, but I should know better by now. She's a tenacious little thing. Now that she's got me in her trap, she isn't letting me loose.
Ally washes my elbow for me and patches it up with some Neosporin and a band-aid. All in complete silence, the only sound between us our breathing and my fucking blood pumping past my ears. Every brush of her soft skin against mine has me growing harder for her by the second. I'm already hot as fuck from just being near her, and standing in this damn steam box doesn't help one bit. The smell of her coconut shampoo is intoxicating. I want more than anything to melt with her right here.
When she's finished patching me up, Ally stands too close for comfort and looks up at me with those big, green eyes. Time seems to stop while we stare at each other. Then she presses herself against me, wraps her arms around my neck, and pulls me down for a kiss.
On autopilot, I wrap my arms around her waist until she fits against me perfectly. Her lips on mine, her arms around me, this is everything I've ever wanted. Half of me wants to forget about everything else but this moment, and the other half is freaking out because I can't have her, and we shouldn't be doing this.
My eyes dart to the window overlooking the back yard. It's steamed up, sure, but what if Brody sees? Fuck, what if Mr. Douglas sees?
"What's wrong?" Ally asks, her hands trailing down my chest.
I fight to catch my breath. "We can't, Ally," I whisper.
"Why not?" She slips her hands past the waistline of my pants and pulls me closer.
I shake my head. "Because it was just one kiss, and it didn't mean anything."
Ally raises an eyebrow. "I beg to differ." She glances downward at my overeager erection now pressing against her stomach.
Fuck.
Ally kisses me again, relentlessly, slipping her tongue into my mouth. She's determined to make me come undone, and to be honest, I fucking love her for that. But she of all people should know why we can't be together. She's like a sister to me, it can't be right. But Ally has always been a rebel. She never apologizes, and she always knows what she wants. If Ally wants me now, then there isn't a chance she won't have me. Her determination is infectious, and suddenly I'm possessed by the need to give her what she wants. Nothing else matters except making Ally feel good.
I give in to temptation, letting all my inhibitions melt in the heat between us. My hands find their way to her ass, and I lift Ally up onto the countertop. Her delicate fingers tug at the bottom of my shirt, and I help her remove it. Ally traces every line of my bare chest with her soft fingers until her hands find the waistline of my basketball shorts. She slips her hand into my pants and finds my throbbing cock, just as I run my fingers up her thigh until they find the curly hairs between her legs. Ally gasps and throws her head back.
I kiss her jawline and blaze a trail down her long neck to her heaving breasts, at the same time searching for that spot I know she'll love. My
fingers find her wet and hot and so incredibly ready for me. I nibble on her upper boob's soft skin and thrust my fingers into her at the same time. Ally forgets all about my dick and cries out in ecstasy.
"Shhh," I whisper, kissing her earlobe.
"Do it again," she pants. I work her towel loose and marvel at her naked body when it falls to the countertop. Her smooth curves are mesmerizing. Ally has grown into a fucking gorgeous young woman. She's smart and witty as all hell, more determined than anyone I know, and she doesn't take shit from anyone. She's independent and sassy and everything I want in a woman. She isn't a little girl anymore. She's a fucking woman, and Ally's looking at me like she wants me to ravish her.
So I fucking do, and it feels so wrong and so right.
I suck on her breast, playfully nibbling on her nipple and enjoying the sounds of her struggling to keep quiet. She's completely lost interest in grabbing for my cock now, focused entirely on keeping quiet. She's panting and whining and on the verge of tears as I toy with her pussy, relentlessly rubbing circles against her clit until she's dripping wet and the smell of her sex fills the air. She starts to cry out again, but I press a kiss hard against her lips, drowning out the sound. I'm throbbing hard for her, but nothing else matters until I make her come.
Ally's core muscles contract. She's dripping wet for me. She slows her gyrating hips, and I watch her face relax as her muscles slowly release my fingers inside her. I rest my forehead to hers, breathing heavily. Her cheeks are flushed, and she's panting still, and it's a gorgeous sight. She smiles up at me and reaches for my cock, just as there's a knock on the door.
"Ally, hurry the hell up, dinner's ready," Brody's muffled voice comes through under the door. "And don't use all the hot water."
"I'm almost done," she calls out, cool as a cucumber. Meanwhile, my heart is in my throat.
"Where's Sinclair?"
She rolls her eyes and gives me a can you believe this guy? look. "I don't know, just let me get ready in peace, will you?"
"Sheesh, somebody's moody." He stalks off down the hall, and Ally and I let out a shared breath.
"Sinclair," she starts, but I grab her towel and wrap it around her aggressively, shame pouring over me.
"I'm so sorry. I never should have… that was…"
"Amazing," she smiles at me. "Let's do it again."
I press my lips together. That was far more than just another kiss, and way fucking better than amazing. I want to live every moment like this with Ally. If I thought I wanted her before, I don't even know what to call this. She's ruined me for anyone else. But the problem still remains. If Brody finds out about us, he'll kill me, and I'll not only lose my best friend, but I'll lose all of them, Ally included. It's an impossible decision, but one I have to make.
"I'm sorry," I say, before darting out the door and downstairs, disappointing the woman of my dreams as I leave her behind.
Chapter Four
Ally
The next few days go by in a blur, because I can't stop thinking about that day in the bathroom. Sinclair's hands were fire on my skin, his fingers worked me to the edge, and I've never felt so alive.
I literally ache for him. My stomach hurts thinking about him, and I've touched myself a hundred times since then, hoping to feel a shred of the same way he made me feel, but it's useless. My yearning for Sinclair is all-consuming, and nothing will fix me except for him. But it isn't just Sinclair's touch that I want so badly. It's all of him. I want him to want me enough to kiss me in front of everyone, in front of Brody and my parents. I want Sinclair to take me on a date and treat me like something other than his best friend's sister. I want his damn letterman jacket for God's sake!
The good girl in me should be more patient and understanding as to why he might be acting hot toward me one minute and cold the next. After all, it's probably a little crazy to expect one kiss to change the fundamental nature of our relationship overnight. But it isn't fair that he gets to choose when to want me and when not to. Especially when I want him all the time.
I bite my inner cheek and pull my skirt up. The women's locker room is busy as my cheer mates chat each other up and prep themselves for practice today. I should be chatting up a storm with them about the upcoming season and frat parties and boy talk galore, but the only boy I want is Sinclair.
I wish he would just stand up to Brody and tell him how it is—that he wants me, and he doesn't care if Brody has a problem with it. I roll my eyes then because that won't happen, and I know it. I wish my brother wasn't so damn overprotective. He's got that stupid Alpha Male complex, and the last time someone from the team made a comment about me, he knocked him to the ground right then and there. It's a good thing my dad is the coach because anyone else wouldn't have put up with his beast mode retaliation.
I get why Sinclair is afraid to admit his feelings for me, even to himself, but if Brody is so picky about who I go out with, wouldn't dating his best friend be a no-brainer? The truth is, when I let myself think logically about this, I, too, get a little scared. Not because I think Brody would actually hurt Sinclair – hell, they're practically brothers. It's because I don't want him to hate me.
He thinks of me as this perfect princess, and I don't want to ruin that vision he has of me, but it simply isn't true. I was never an angel, and that's even more true now that I'm older. I think it might actually give him a heart attack to know I'm not a virgin. I shiver thinking about what he would do to the nameless guy I slept with drunk in high school if he found out. I have no idea what he’d do to Sinclair if he found out about us, which makes everything we do in secret feel incredibly dangerous.
But isn't that part of the fun?
I let these thoughts capture my mind until I'm ready for cheer practice. When the girls and I head down the hall toward the basketball court, that's when I see him.
Sinclair walks with the men's basketball team down the hallway toward us to the men's locker room. Some of the guys whistle at the other cheerleaders as our paths cross, but none of them are whistling at me (Brody's made sure of that). However, I distinctly notice a set of gorgeous brown eyes staring me down. My breath catches in my throat when I see him, and my feet slow down of their own accord.
Sinclair slows, too, until he's at the back of his pack. Before I know it, it's just the two of us alone in the hallway.
"Hey," I say, but Sinclair bends down and kisses me fiercely before I can continue.
He pushes me up against the wall and caresses my cheek with his large, manly hand. He doesn't let up, and his lips devour mine needily, but it's different from how we needed each other before. I can't quite explain it, and I decide it doesn't matter. I want to catch this moment in a bottle, just in case he never kisses me again. Tears sting my eyes at the thought that this could be our last kiss, but I will them to remain put, and instead focus all my efforts on returning the passion Sinclair is showing me. If it is our last kiss, it should be memorable for him, too.
I run my hands through his hair, and Sinclair cups my face gingerly, which feels so at odds with his kiss's intensity. He pulls away too soon, and we catch our breath, staring at each other in silence.
"So, you haven't forgotten about me," I say.
"Fuck no. You're all I can think about."
Relief floods my system. And here I was, going crazy. I smile up at Sinclair. "Same here." It's quiet for a moment while we stare into each other's eyes. "So, what now?" I finally ask.
"I think it's time I take you on a date."
Chapter Five
Sinclair
Going out with Ally is even more fun than I expected it to be. We don't do anything crazy—we grab a pizza from a place on Main Street and eat it together on the grassy quad, but I've never laughed so hard in my life. Ally is a gem. She's gorgeous and silly and witty as ever. She gives me shit and turns me on and… God, she's perfect.
Once Ally and I finish eating, we lay on the grass and stare up at the stars for hours, talking about everything and nothi
ng. It's incredible how easy it is to talk to her. I mean, Brody has always been my best friend, but Ally gets me in a way I think he never could. There's something else between us that feels special and sacred. It's like Ally is a part of me. She already knows so much about me, hell, we grew up together. My whole life has already been spent with her, yet I can't wait to learn more about her.
"What are you smiling about?" she asks, a hint of a laugh in her voice.
"You," I say. Ally leans forward for a kiss, and the moment her soft lips touch mine, I'm a goner.
We quickly find our rhythm, but this kiss isn't needy and desperate like our last. This one is calm and patient, slow, and hot. It's like this kiss knows that nothing can come between us, that despite the veiled threat named "Brody" hanging in the air, we have all the time in the world. We sit like that for hours until our lips go numb, and even then, we don't stop.
Tempt University: Year One: A College Romance Collection Page 17