by Snow, Jenika
I should’ve been focusing, but all I could keep thinking about was what Cannon had said this morning, how he’d looked into my eyes and said with such passion that he’d hurt anyone who tried to hurt me.
That he’d protect me no matter what.
I could’ve played it off like he was just being a friend, my best friend, but the way he said those words, the way he looked at me as he spoke them, told me something very different.
The crowd cheered and I blinked a few times to focus, watching as the guys showed their enthusiasm, the scoreboard showing the home team had won.
Cannon had won.
Everyone was going crazy, the girls chanting the players’ names, the players patting each other on the back, the marching band playing a victory song. And here I was, still sitting down, my mind a whirl of confusion, realization, and this feeling settling in the pit of my stomach that told me I knew what I had to do.
I had to tell Cannon how I felt. I had to be honest with him, but also with myself. I didn’t know how things would turn out, but they couldn’t possibly be any worse than this tug-of-war I was having inside myself over my feelings.
Resolve settled within me and I stood and made my way down the bleachers. Rachel and her friends were already down there, a group of players standing around them. I kept my distance.
I searched for Cannon, not able to see him among the sea of bodies, the air congested with this excited energy that was so thick I felt it cover me like a blanket.
I pushed through some of the people until I found myself on the track, still unable to find Cannon.
And then I felt hands on my waist, strong fingers curling gently around my hips, pulling me backwards into a hard, very masculine chest. I knew it was Cannon instantly, the scent of the cologne he wore mixing with the clear aroma of sweat filling my head. I felt drunk from my arousal.
I swore time seemed to stand still as he just held me. All I could imagine was the feeling of him holding me in a more intimate way, his fingers on my bare skin, his breath moving along the shell of my ear as he moved in and of my body slowly.
God, I could’ve moaned in that very moment.
But this whole interaction was only a few seconds, whereas it felt like a lifetime for me.
I turned around and tipped my head back to look into his face. He was already smiling, just the corner of his mouth lifting up, his gaze boring into mine. And I swore he lowered his eyes to my mouth. I licked my lips involuntarily, feeling that maybe he felt something a little bit more for me than just friends.
Or maybe that was wishful thinking.
“Hey,” I said softly and quickly cleared my throat. He still had his hands on my waist, and I wanted them there, wanted everyone to see that he was mine and I was his.
I was insane.
I hadn’t even told him how I felt. But surely the way he looked at me, the things I felt when he was near ... surely it just wasn’t in my mind, my imagination?
“Hey,” he said and that half smile turned into a full-on grin. “What’d you think of the game?”
I cleared my throat and took a step back, his hands falling from my waist. I ran my palms up and down my thighs. “It was incredible,” I lied, not wanting to admit that I’d been so caught up in my own thoughts, I hadn’t paid attention to the game.
He lifted his eyebrow and I knew he could tell I was lying, but that smile on his face still held true.
“Stella ...” he said in that voice that told me I didn’t have to pretend.
“I’m sorry. I missed quite a bit of it because I was lost in my thoughts.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me close, not giving me a hard time because I didn’t watch the game.
A few of the players came up and started talking with him, all of them oblivious to my presence.
“Dude, you coming to the party?”
“Yeah, it’s supposed to be fucking off the charts.”
“Lots of ass and beer,” the last guy said and I held in my groan and stopped myself from rolling my eyes.
That seemed to be what these guys were all about ... pussy and alcohol.
“Nah, I don’t really think I’m up for partying tonight.”
I felt Cannon’s fingers tighten gently around my shoulders.
“Dude, seriously?” one of them said.
“You have to come,” the second guy said.
“Yeah, you can’t fucking bitch out. It’s to celebrate the big win.”
I looked up at Cannon, his profile stoic as if he didn’t give two shits about the party.
“You should go,” I finally said and he looked over at me. For a moment I didn’t say anything, but I could feel the other guys watching us. “I’ll go with you, if you want.” Although I wasn’t really the partying type, if it meant I got to spend time with Cannon, I was all for it.
Besides, tonight I wanted to tell him how I felt.
Tonight I wanted to tell Cannon that I loved him, that I saw him as more than just my best friend.
14
Stella
We found ourselves at the party, bodies crammed inside, as well as out front and in the back. The house was on the outskirts of town, cornfields surrounding it, so the level of privacy was pretty extreme. It also meant there wouldn’t be any noise complaints.
For the last twenty minutes we’d been roaming around, plenty of guys, but mainly girls, clamoring for Cannon’s attention. I was pleased when he brushed all of them away, kept his hand wrapped around my waist, and refused to let me go.
Everyone kept handing him drinks, and after the fourth one being shoved at him, Cannon had started saying no. But I could see he was pretty buzzed, and I knew over time that the alcohol would only intensify in him.
“Are you thirsty?” he asked loudly over the rush of music.
I nodded. “But just water, or a pop,” I all but yelled back. Alcohol was the last thing I needed, even if liquid courage sounded heavenly right about now.
The look he gave me spoke volumes. He didn’t want to leave my side, but trying to maneuver ourselves through the thick crush of bodies also didn’t sound very appealing.
“I’ll be fine, Cannon. I can handle myself in the time it takes for you to get some drinks.” I gently nudged him, a smile on my face.
He looked unsure, hesitant. He looked like he wanted to argue, but I straightened my spine and nudged him again, gesturing for him to go because I’d be okay.
Cannon left and headed toward the kitchen, glancing back at me intermittently like he thought I’d disappear.
So I stood there and waited for Cannon to come back, feeling eyes on me, knowing everyone was watching me and probably wondering what the hell I was doing here. I was wondering what in the hell I was doing here.
I heard the sound of something crashing to the ground, and glanced over to where I knew Cannon was, where he’d gone to get us some drinks. Cannon stood toe to toe with some guy I’d never seen before, but then again, I didn’t know the majority of the people at this parry.
I felt out of place.
People moved to the side and I saw the cause of the crash, a keg having fallen off the counter.
A brunette pushed her way through the crowd and got between them, a very stupid move on her part because I could see the anger on Cannon’s face as he looked at the guy he was about to fight.
I pushed through the crowd of people that were now huddled around Cannon and the guy that was about to get his teeth busted in.
“Cannon?” I stopped beside him. “Come on. Let’s just go.”
Although I knew how sweet and kind Cannon could be, the truth was, he had a pretty short fuse when someone crossed him.
“How about you get the hell out of here?” the guy said to me. “Both of you,” he added, talking to the brunette now.
“He’s right, Stella. Step to the side as I put this motherfucker in his place.” Cannon cracked his knuckles.
I could see that he wasn’t going to stop this. Whatever the guy had
said or done, it had pissed Cannon off enough he wasn’t going to let this go.
I reached out and touched Cannon’s arm until he looked down at me.
“Don’t stop this, Stella. I can’t. This fucker was talking shit and now he needs to be put in his motherfucking place.” His voice was hard, like steel.
“Cannon, let’s go. He’s not worth it,” I said again, knowing that if Cannon was going to go through with this, there was no stopping him. He wouldn’t end it until the other guy was lying flat on his ass. “Let’s you and I just go somewhere, talk, get away from all this … bullshit.”
He looked over at me and I could see the anger start to dissipate the longer he stared at me. He shifted so he faced me.
“That’s right, Cannon, listen to the bitch.”
Dammit.
Cannon smirked and turned back to face the asshole.
And then he cocked his arm back and slammed his fist right in the center of the guy’s face.
15
Stella
We found ourselves back at my house, my mom asleep, so it was easy enough to sneak Cannon into my room. I shut the bedroom door and leaned against it, my palms flat against the cold wood, my heart racing. I watched Cannon walk over to the bed and sit down. He looked massive on my small twin-sized mattress.
Looking at Cannon right now did funny things to me, things that had my nerves rising and my pulse racing.
You act like you’ve never been in the same room with Cannon before.
“I should go,” he said and stood, but was unsteady on his feet. Yeah, he’d had way more to drink than maybe I assumed.
“Hey,” I said softly and walked over to him, grabbing his thick arm to steady him.
He sat back on the bed and a deep sound left him on impact. Thankfully my mom’s room was at the end of the hall, a good chunk of length from where my room was, so hopefully she couldn’t hear us.
“You’re not going anywhere.” I sat beside him. “How much did you drink anyway?”
He looked at me and lifted his hand, rubbing it over his jaw. “I’m starting to think those shots the guys were handing me might have been too much.”
I smiled, but I knew it didn’t quite reach my eyes. I wasn’t surprised I hadn’t paid attention to how much he’d been drinking. I’d been so out of place, like a fish flopping around on dry land surrounded by all the people who ignored me on a daily basis at school.
“Just stay here tonight,” I whispered. He stared in my eyes, not moving, not speaking. And then he lifted his hand and cupped my cheek, causing everything in me to freeze. I felt my mouth part as I stared into his eyes, as he stared into mine.
“Your mom will be pissed if she knows I’m here, staying the night in your bed.”
I wanted to reach out and run my fingers through his hair.
“She won’t find out. We’ll just be quiet and I’ll have you out before she even wakes up.” I smelled his cologne, a spicy scent that had desire coursing through me. I was wet, my nipples hardening, this tingling sensation moving through me so fast I couldn’t handle it.
He opened his eyes and glanced over at me, our gazes holding once more. I felt the air growing so thick it wrapped around my body. Beads of sweat started to cover my temples, droplets lining the area between my breasts.
I didn’t know how long we stared at each other, but then I found myself lifting my hand and placing it over his, feeling the warmth of his skin, wanting to open myself up.
“Your birthday’s tomorrow,” he finally said softly and let go of my face, placing his hand back on his lap. “Eighteen,” he said even softer, his gaze going down to my lips, causing my heart to jump in my throat. He cleared his throat and lay back.
“Yeah,” I said, my throat thick. “But it’s not a big deal.”
“It is though,” he said, this little slur in his voice. “I want to spend time with you. I want to make it special.”
I smiled and before I knew it, he had his hand on mine, twining our fingers together. We didn’t speak for long seconds. “What did that guy say to you that made you so angry?”
Cannon exhaled and removed his hand from mine to rub his eyes. “It’s nothing.”
I knew that was a lie.
“Cannon?”
He opened his eyes so he was looking at me again. “First he asked why I’d brought you. Then he said it was obvious.”
“What was obvious?” I said right away.
Long moments passed before he finally spoke again. “He asked why I wanted you.”
Everything around me froze.
“Why you wanted me?” My voice was barely audible, and my breath hitched. He watched me intently, his gaze clear despite the alcohol flowing through his veins. I found myself leaning forward, not really sure what I was doing, if I could stop myself.
“Stella?” His voice was soft.
I went to reach out and touch him, but stopped myself at the last minute. But it was clear he didn’t like that because he grabbed my wrist gently, smoothing his thumb over my pulse point.
“Cannon.” I said his name softly, having no idea how to respond, how to be honest about how I felt.
But now seemed like the perfect time.
He pushed himself up until he was resting his upper body on his elbow, causing his muscles to tense. I couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe. I stared into his eyes and felt something shift in the air. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the heat that suddenly seemed to fill the room, but I felt myself leaning forward.
Cannon let go of my wrist and cupped the side of my face at the same time he leaned in. Time seemed to stand still as I watched him come closer, as I felt the sweet liquor-laced scent of his breath move along my lips.
When our mouths were just inches apart, I closed my eyes and moved that bit of space that separated us. It was like I was on auto pilot. Everything inside of me yearned for this.
That first touch of my lips against his was like pouring gasoline on a fire. Sparks shot from my mouth, all the way through my body, and settled right between my thighs. The feelings moving through me were intense and potent.
Cannon took the lead, moving his lips on mine, slow and easy. He pushed himself up all the way now, slipped his hand behind my neck, and curled his fingers against my skin. I tilted my head at the same time he did, and together we deepened the kiss.
He slipped his tongue into my mouth, stroking the very tip of mine with his. He moaned when I did the same thing. He moved his hands to my face and curled his fingers on my shoulders, pulling me closer to him so our chests were pressed against each other.
“Stella,” he groaned against my mouth. “Straddle me. I need you.” His voice was gruff with desire. I pulled away and looked into his face.
“Cannon…”
“Stella.” He said my name softly. “Straddle me, baby.” His tone was hard, as if he couldn’t handle himself, couldn’t control his emotions. He shifted so he was resting back against the headboard. I found myself looking down his body, at how his T-shirt molded to his abdomen, how his six-pack was in stark display. I lowered my gaze even more until I saw the very large, very impressive bulge he sported. His cock pressed against the fly of his jeans, and I swallowed the thick lump in my throat.
That was because of me.
That was for me.
God, I was so wet.
“Come on, baby, I want to feel you on top of me.”
Cannon had his hands on my waist, and he was hauling me on top of him. His mouth slanted on mine and he took me with a force I’d never felt before, not from Cannon, not even from myself. The groan that spilled from him was loud and I greedily swallowed it. With my legs spread wide over his, my pussy was in direct contact with his stiff hard-on.
My panties were soaked. I shifted on top of him and gasped as the movement caused Cannon’s erection to rub against me. His zipper caused a little pressure against me, and I couldn’t help but moan, didn’t even try and stop.
But I had to be
quiet. My mom was just down the hall.
“Fuck, baby.” He dragged his lips across my jaw and licked and nipped at me. I let my head fall back and my breath left me.
I gripped his broad shoulders and curled my nails into him. A hiss escaped his mouth, but I felt how he got harder and knew he liked it.
“Are we doing the right thing, the smart thing?” I asked softly, although in my heart I knew this was what I’d wanted for so long.
He leaned in and kissed me softly, and I closed my eyes and just absorbed the feeling of having Cannon here beside me. When he pulled back I forced my eyes open and tried to get control of the euphoric sensations moving through me.
“Stella, I think this is perfect. I think this is the best idea we’ve had in a long time.”
Yes. It was perfect.
16
Stella
Cannon slid his hands along my back, pulling me in close, and slanted his mouth against mine. I sucked on his tongue, but he pulled away far too soon. He moved his lips down my jaw and made his way down to my neck. The light feeling of him sucking at my pulse point had me shifting on top of him again. He groaned and moved his hands to the small of my back, then lower to my ass.
He started moving me back and forth on his jean-clad erection, creating a delicious rocking motion that sent hard jolts of pleasure straight to the center of my body.
“That’s it, Stella. God, you’re so sweet.” He panted against my neck, and the fact he was having just as hard a time as I was at controlling himself turned me on even more. “Yeah, baby. That’s so it.” He started lifting his hips slightly, grinding himself on me. “I can feel you, can feel how hot you are.” His mouth was back on mine, his kiss so hard and demanding that I couldn’t keep up, but that was okay.
That was really, really okay.
“Cannon,” I found myself whispering.
“Stella.” He groaned my name. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted you?”