by Cala Riley
“There. The score’s tied.” She smiles at me.
“Oh, we’re making this a competition now?”
I move toward her, pushing her back on the bed.
She shrugs, a playful smile on her face.
“You little minx.”
“You love it.”
“I do.”
I press into her, leaning down to nip at her nipple. She squeaks before moaning.
“What are you doing?” she asks as I continue my assault.
“I’m going for gold, baby,” I tease, blowing on her nipple.
I give her other nipple the same attention before moving up her body. As I lay a wet kiss on her collarbone, she arches into me.
“Avi,” she whimpers.
Leaning forward I kiss her. “What do you want?”
“I want you inside of me.”
I pull back and lean over to the nightstand, looking for a condom, Cassi strokes me, making me hiss. “Are you ready?” I ask as I roll the condom on.
“So ready.” She sighs.
I go in for another kiss as I settle over her. We break the kiss and I stare down at her as I push inside. Cassi gasps as her pussy flutters around me, making me groan. I hold still, trying not to lose it.
“Shit, you’re so fucking tight,” I rasp.
“Move, Avi,” Cassi says as she bucks her hips into me.
I begin at a slow pace, loving the way she feels around me. Grabbing her under the knee, I lift her leg higher, making her gasp.
“Faster,” she demands, breathlessly.
I pick up my pace as she starts to pull my hair and scratch my back. I feel her fall over the edge and take me with her. I grunt as I shoot my release.
Wrapping my arms around Cassi, I roll us over, her on top of me. “Next time, I’ll last longer,” I quip, making her laugh.
“You’ll get no complaints from me,” she says as she kisses my chest. “I should get cleaned up.”
“Okay.” I let her up, knowing she’s right but hate letting her go.
Soon. I can hold her longer soon.
10
Cassi
“Hey, your phone just went off.”
I watch as Xavier continues to fold laundry, not paying any attention to his phone.
“Will you grab it and tell me what it is, please?”
“Sure.” I reach over and grab his phone off the desk and swipe to unlock it. “You should really have it password protected.”
“Eh, I do on what’s important.” He shrugs.
I look down and open the text.
Tinsley.
I frown.
“It’s Tinsley,” I mumble.
“Ah, what does she want?” he asks casually.
He doesn’t know what even seeing her name does to me.
“It’s a picture of her with a milkshake and she asked are you jealous?” I tell him, trying to rein in my anger.
Who does this bitch think she is?
“Ugh, that means she’s at Momma’s House,” he says wistfully.
“What the hell is Momma’s House, and why is she hitting on you?” I grit out, unable to hold back anymore.
Xavier laughs. “Momma’s House is a diner. And trust me, Tinsley isn’t hitting on me. Your jealousy is cute though.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means you have nothing to worry about.” He drops the shirt back into the basket and sits on the bed, facing me. “Tinsley is unapologetically in love with her boyfriend. You have no reason to worry,” he says reassuringly.
“Was there anything ever between you?”
He sighs. “What do you mean?”
“Did you two ever do anything? Were you in love with her? Because I’m sorry, I have a hard time believing all you’ve ever been is friends with someone as beautiful as her,” I say harshly.
“I don’t see why this matters.” He frowns.
“It matters to me. You’ve been avoiding this conversation. It’s time we’ve had it.”
I meant it too. While our sex life has been off the chain, he is still reluctant to talk about her. That can only mean one thing, but I need to hear it from him.
“You want me to be honest?”
“Yes,” I demand.
“Okay, Tinsley and I have always been friends first. When we met, our fathers pushed us together. They saw it as a business deal. What they didn’t see is that Tinsley already knew who she wanted to be with. Did we try dating to please our fathers? Yes. Did it work out? No. Did we kiss? Yes, but if I recall the line, it felt like kissing a sibling was tossed out.” He raises a brow. “You. Have. Nothing. To. Worry. About,” he says, slowly.
“And her boyfriend is fine with her talking to you, a guy she’s kissed?”
“Fin knows he’s the only one who has her attention.” He laughs. “The dude is cocky as hell. We might not be each other’s favorite people, but we respect that we both mean something to Tinsley.” He stands and grabs another shirt. “Now can you please stop trying to pick a fight? You have nothing to worry about,” he says as he folds the shirt and adds it to the pile.
I set the phone back down onto the desk and take a deep breath. He says I have nothing to worry about, but why do I feel like I do?
“You’re right. Sorry. I think I need some fresh air.”
I stand, moving from his bed, but he grabs my hand, pulling me back.
“Babe, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing. You said you have nothing going on with her and I believe you. Besides, it’s in the past, right? It’s not like she’s right here.”
“Even if she was, you wouldn’t have to worry. I don’t think about her like that anymore. She’s my friend. Nothing more.”
“Is that why you asked her to plan our first date?”
His eyes widen. “What?”
“When I posted that picture of us from the field and tagged you in it, she commented on it. She said something like she knew I would love it and that you were doing good. So did she plan it?”
“No. Not really. I was having trouble figuring out where to take you that would mean more than dinner and a movie. I called her to ask for her advice. Hell, her and Sage helped.”
Adding the third girl’s name isn’t helping my temper, it flaring worse with each moment.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were already so worked up about her, I figured it was best not to mention it. I’m sorry that you think I didn’t plan that date, but I did. They only helped lead me in the right direction. All the work? That was all me. I didn’t even see the comment or I would have explained it then.”
“I deleted it. I didn’t want to taint the memory.”
“Listen.” He leans in pressing a kiss to my lips. “We can keep arguing about this, but at the end of the day, I can’t change the past. Yes, we had a very minor thing, but it’s over now. It has been for a long time. Long before you. She’s still my friend, though. I won’t stop being her friend just like as much as Finley may hate it, she won’t stop being mine.”
“I didn’t say you had to stop being her friend.”
He throws up his hands, turning from me. “I don’t know what you want from me. What can I say to make this better?”
A real commitment, I think to myself.
I can’t say that though. He said from the beginning he didn’t want serious. Until he makes that decision, I’m stuck in the friends with benefits circle.
“Right now? Nothing. I just need some time to myself. I’ll call you later?”
He lets out the breath he was holding, turning to me before pulling me in. He presses a kiss to my lips.
“I’ll be here. No matter what. Take all the time you need.”
Walking out of his room, I can’t help the dread that fills me. I feel like our relationship is a ticking time bomb. One wrong move and it can detonate and destroy everything.
I don’t think I would survive it either.
Xavier
> It’s been two weeks and I don’t know what’s going on with Cassi. Ever since the day she read the text from Tinsley, she’s been distant.
Sure, she is still spending time with me, but it’s different. Sure, we still kiss and have sex, but when it’s done, she makes excuses of why she has to leave.
It’s killing me.
I’ve tried talking to her about it, but she’s made it clear she doesn’t want to discuss it.
Part of me wants to ask Tinsley what to do, but the other part feels like that would be a betrayal to Cassi.
When did my life get so complicated?
“You look like you’re sucking on something sour. What’s wrong, bud?” Jack pauses his game, looking at me.
“Nothing.”
“Ah. Girl problems.”
I throw a pillow at him.
“Hey, don’t be mad at me because you ignored my advice.”
“What advice was that?”
He chuckles. “I told you that Ace was one of them girls. You went after that anyway. Now you’re fucked.”
“That’s not what this is.”
“Sure, that’s why you’re here moping on your bed instead of being out with the sexy as fuck firecracker of a girlfriend of yours. Just admit it. You fell for her.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.” I swallow hard at the admission. “We never put labels on it.”
“I see. Well, since that’s the case, you wouldn’t mind if I take her for a spin?”
I jump off the bed, punching him hard in the arm.
“Ow, what was that for?”
“Being an idiot.”
“I’m just saying. Stop playing games and claim her. We both know you want to.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Really? That sounds like a line a woman would use.”
“Fuck you, man. You asked.”
He shakes his head. “Fine. Let’s have a pussy ass bitch session. Tell me what makes it complicated.”
I debate not telling him, but in the end, I need someone’s advice.
“She’s jealous of Tinsley. Plus, I don’t think she’s resolved anything with that Jared guy. It’s a mess.”
“First.” He holds up a finger. “Of course she’s jealous of Tinsley. The girl is your best friend, but even if she wasn’t, it’s in women’s DNA to be jealous of other women snooping around their man. Think about it this way, if Cassi had a male best friend, do you think you could be so calm and collected about it?”
I think over his words. Even the thought of another man being close to her makes my skin itch. “I would if she said they were just friends. I would trust her.”
“Well, it’s obviously an insecurity of hers. You should talk to her about it.”
“I’ve tried.”
“Try harder, man. Life isn’t easy. It takes work. Now onto my points.” He holds up a second finger. “Number two, you have your own insecurities. Why are you even still worried about Jared, man? I haven’t seen them around each other in a long time, man. That girl spends all of her time here with us or with that sexy friend of hers. It’s obvious to me it’s over, so why are you still stuck on it?”
“Past experience and before you ask, no, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Whatever, man.” He holds his hands up. “Sounds like to me you need to stop comparing Cassi to your past. She’s her own person. Until she gives you reason to believe otherwise, you need to treat her as such.”
“I guess.”
“Good. Now, are we done with all this feelings bullshit? I need you to pick up a controller and help me beat this kid’s ass. I swear he’s probably a fourteen-year-old, but the fucker keeps killing me.”
I chuckle. “Did you seriously only get deep with me because you had ulterior motives?”
“Of course, I did. Why else would I go out of my way to look like a pussy?”
Shaking my head, I pick up the controller. “I hope you get knocked on your ass one day.”
11
Cassi
My worst nightmare is here and standing in front of me.
For the past two weeks, I’ve been stuck in a funk. My head has been overanalyzing everything with Xavier. Part of me wants to tell him I need more from him. I need a commitment, but then the other part says I’ll lose him if I push too hard.
So when he told me his best friend, Tinsley, was coming to town unexpectedly, I reluctantly agreed to meet him in the quad so he could introduce me to her.
It was a mistake.
Watching him laugh and hug this gorgeous girl is hell on my confidence. The girl is so glamorous. She fits into his world better than I could ever hope to.
They both turn toward me, so I try my best to mask my face. I must not do a good job because Xavier gives me an odd look.
“Tin, this is Cassandra, we’re, um...” I don’t miss what the silence says. We are complicated. “Friends. We’re friends. Cassi, this is Tinsley. She’s my best friend.”
I internally cringe as she reaches forward hugging me, but I manage a small pat on the back and smile.
“It’s so great to meet you. Xavier has told me so much about you. I’m only here until tomorrow, but maybe we could do dinner together? I’d love to get to know you better.”
The peppiness and sincerity in her voice makes me want to puke. Or punch her. Maybe both.
Okay, not really. Any other time, I think I would love to be friends with this girl. She seems sweet, but there’s one slight problem with her.
Not that she’s gorgeous, or that she’s sweet. No, the problem is she holds Xavier’s heart in her hand even if she doesn’t know it.
I can see it in the way he hugged her tightly. Or the way his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw her.
My heart aches at the love he holds for her.
I want that. No. I need that, but I want it from Xavier.
Fuck, I’m in deeper than I thought.
“I have to get going. I just remembered I told Mara I’d help her get ready for a date tonight.”
Another odd look crosses Xavier’s face.
He knows Mara, and I have been on the outs, but I couldn’t tell him I was going to meet Rebecca. I could see her across the quad with Jack.
Xavier steps closer, pulling me in for a hug, but his arms remain stiff. “I’ll call you later?”
“Sure. I might go to bed early though.”
He attempts to lean down for a kiss, but I pull back.
Before he can respond, I hightail it out of there like a damn coward.
I absentmindedly rub my chest thinking about them. I can’t even be mad about the whole situation. He was honest from the start.
He told me what happened with them. How she chose this other guy over him. I think that’s why he was reluctant to start something with me in the first place. I had my own baggage that seemed awfully similar to hers. The difference is, I chose him. She didn’t.
I was the idiot who believed that he chose me too, but seeing her, how could he?
Now I’m sitting here looking like a fool while he gets to spend his time with the girl he’s in love with, sans the boyfriend he claims she has.
Why is she here anyway?
Xavier made it sound like this boyfriend of hers would be an alpha to the max, never letting her out of his sight. But I didn’t see him anywhere today.
Did they break up? Is she here to claim her second prize after tossing out the first?
By the time I get to my room, I’ve worked myself up. I begin to pace, trying to calm my heart.
Minutes later, the door opens behind me.
“Whoa girl, what’s up?” Rebecca asks.
“Fucking men. I hate them.” I pace the room.
“I agree, I think. Want to expand?”
“Xavier’s best friend Tinsley is here.” I stop to face her. “She’s a fucking model, Rebecca. She’s wearing designer clothes and her hair was laying perfectly even after getting off a fucking plane.”
“
I see. You’re jealous.” She smirks, making me scoff.
“Not at all. I’m just giving in to the inevitable. He was in love with her. He admitted it to me himself. He said it was over, but she came here. By herself. Without that boyfriend of hers that he assured me was all over that. Fuck, he could barely introduce me to her. It’s obviously his life here in Texas is a dirty little secret. I want to fucking punch him in the throat.”
“Whoa. Chill out, girl. Let’s not go get violent and end up in jail. Orange is not your color, honey.”
I lay back on my bed, huffing. “You’re right. He’s not worth it.”
Rebecca smiles as she gets up from her bed. “That’s the spirit. Now the best way to get over a man is to get under another one. This calls for a girl’s night out.”
“Fuck it. Girl’s night out.” I jump off my bed, meeting her at the closet.
Rebecca puts on our “getting ready” playlist and by the third song, my heart is lighter. My heart still aches, but it’s manageable at least.
Don’t think about it. I tell myself.
“Wear this. It will turn heads for sure,” Rebecca gushes.
I turn to see her holding out a black dress with intricate ties across the chest. I recognize it immediately. I wore it on Halloween two years ago. Of course, my dad made me cinch up the ties so my chest wasn’t showing. He said no one needed to see a half-dressed vampire.
I smile. “This is perfect.”
I change into it, loving the way the soft fabric feels on my skin. I tie the front loose before going and looking into the mirror.
I look good. Damn good.
The dress is on the shorter side, which will make dancing a little harder, but I don’t mind. This is for me. I’m going to go out feeling gorgeous tonight for me.
I probably won’t get under another man like Rebecca suggests, but I sure as hell will dance with a couple.
I’m going to do everything I can to forget Xavier Walsh.
Xavier
“I’ve never been to a country bar before.” Tinsley’s eyes are wide as we walk through the door.
I smile. I remember it being a culture shock for me as well my first time here. Especially the dancing, which is why I brought Tinsley. She will love the dancing.