by Kata Čuić
“This arrangement is going to be perfect for you.” He lifts his chin to someone behind me.
Almost immediately, a man appears at my side. His build is very similar to Alex—tall, lean muscles, and even similar coloring with black hair and green eyes. He smiles at me. He has dimples.
“Zack, Layla. Layla, Zack. We all know I’m Alex. Everyone acquainted? Great. Let’s go.”
They each take one of my hands. Alex leads us up the staircase, and Zack trails behind me. They have me boxed in. We are going upstairs. Even I know only one thing happens upstairs at frat houses.
Yet, the only thing I keep asking myself is—why did he call me Layla?
So, I’m still an asshole. Sue me. At least tonight, I’m an asshole with a cause. A worthy cause.
Zack’s on the losing end, but hopefully, Amira won’t be.
He glances at me for instruction—ever the good little second-string bench warmer who wants approval from a starter. He wants all right. He wants what he knows damn well he can’t have in football.
I don’t know how none of my teammates have noticed. Maybe for the same reason none of our close friends have noticed that Rob and Evie haven’t done the deed yet.
Willful ignorance.
But I notice. I notice the way Zack glances at other dudes on campus with as much lust as he checks out the women. He never breaks locker room code, but it’s gotta be hard as hell for him.
All those free-range dicks and hard bodies? Yeah. I’d hate to be in his shoes.
If I hadn’t tested the waters while Amira was running her own experiment, I might have never found this brilliant solution to everyone’s problems.
“You got condoms?” I ask him.
Amira’s face reddens. She glances at the dirty carpet.
I don’t know if it’ll get that far tonight, but I’ve gotta be prepared for anything.
Zack nods.
He’s wrapped in fake confidence. We’ve never had a heart-to-heart, but after watching the way he fumbled a make-out session with a chick at the last party, I’m guessing he’s a virgin, too.
That puts them on a level playing field at least.
What I don’t know is if he swings in too far in either direction on the sexuality spectrum for this to be a solid choice.
I pull the desk chair over to a corner of the room that gives me the best view and sprawl out in it.
Neither of them looks very convinced with this set up, so I unzip my jeans to make my motivations clear.
“You’re just gonna watch?” Zack asks. He seems as excited by that prospect as hoped for.
“Yeah.” I pull my dick out. “That’s what I like.”
I won’t let myself have what I’d really like, but this will do.
If only the pawns would play along.
“Kiss her,” I tell Zack.
She’s fucking gorgeous, so he doesn’t need to be told twice.
He wraps his hand around her neck and pulls her flush against him. She responds with a gasp that opens her mouth enough for him to gain entrance.
It’s not as practiced as I’d like for her to experience—not as thorough as I’d be—but it does the job. She’s panting by the time they break for air.
Zack cuts his gaze to the side, silently asking, Now what?
Suddenly, I’m not such an asshole. I’m providing valuable education for the both of them.
“Move to the bed. Learn each other’s bodies.”
Amira licks her lips. Her eyes are glassy. Is this really happening?
I nod and stroke my cock a few times.
He lays her down gently. She follows like a ragdoll.
Instead of laying on top of her like I would, he lays beside her, rolling her body up to meet his in the middle.
They resume their kissing while he gropes anywhere and everywhere. He’s not frenzied, but he’s not paying attention either.
“Firmer,” I tell him when his hand lands on her breast. “Deeper pressure. Pay attention to her cues. If her breathing picks up, you’re doing something she likes. If she pulls away, you’re being too rough.”
Amira arches her back against his touch.
He pulls away.
Damn. I played that all wrong.
“Kiss her neck. Suck on her skin. Learn her flavors.”
Second time’s a charm.
She arches in pleasure again, pressing her tits against his chest. He’s a quick learner. He takes it for the seeking it is instead of a retreat. His hand slides down her waist, around to the swell of her ass before he lifts her thigh over his hip.
I haven’t dry humped with clothes on since I was fifteen, but hell if there isn’t a different sort of zing firing through my veins. This is a kind of power I’ve never experienced before. It’s not the same exchange as when I’m with another body. I’m the driver of this car.
“Grab his ass,” I direct Amira. “Show him what kind of rhythm and pressure you want.”
A moan bubbles out of her throat when she listens like a good girl.
He casts me a quick glance.
She doesn’t notice, too caught up in her exploration.
I’m hard as a rock, so I don’t have to fake it too hard for his viewing pleasure. I slide my fist down to my base, then back up slowly.
“Take off her clothes,” I tell him. “Slowly.”
She lets him sit her up to pull off her tank top without any hesitation. She’s ready. She wants this.
“Play fair. Take turns,” I instruct them.
They do.
By the time his shaking hand is hovering over the clasp of her bra, I’m feeling a little more like an outsider.
“Is this okay?” he asks her.
She smiles. “Yes.”
I’ve never seen that smile before. It’s soft and sweet with just a hint of shyness.
“Grab the condoms out of your jeans before you forget,” I remind him.
“Oh. Right,” he breathes. He fishes a whole strip out of his back pocket.
She laughs. It comes from the pit of her stomach and fills the whole room with a bright light.
I’ve never heard that sound.
“Confident, are you?” she teases.
Amira never teases. She’s not the teasing type.
“I can go all night if that’s what you want.” He puffs out his chest.
I choke down a laugh.
She lays a flat palm against his bare chest. “Let’s see how you do with round one, big boy.”
I am so fucking proud.
The sting of her words evaporates when she lays down on the mattress then spreads her legs like the kind of invitation every man craves.
Zack cuts his gaze to me.
I gesture toward Amira’s fucking glorious naked body—flat stomach, big tits, small waist, flared hips. Her black hair fans over the pillow. She doesn’t seem to give a damn whose sacred space she’s invading now.
“Give the woman what she wants,” I tell him after too many seconds of hesitation. “Go slow. Be gentle. You don’t wanna blow your wad too soon.”
It’s an admission of truths that keep the power balance between them.
Thank Christ I don’t have to tell him to sheath up first. He remembers on his own.
He’s getting the hang of it, too. He doesn’t drive straight in. She whimpers and pleads, but he takes his time kissing her mouth, her neck, sliding along her folds that have to be so slick by now. At this point, it’s gotta be nerves holding him back.
My movements are slow, too. Not nearly lubed enough, so I spit on the head of my cock. Without a warm, wet body of my own, it’s all I’ve got. I squeeze my fist when he finally slides into her heat.
Amira cries out, and he freezes.
“Did that hurt?”
“Pay attention,” I hiss. “That was a sound of pleasure, not pain. She wants more, so fucking give it to her.”
His shoulders collapse. I drove that hit too hard for his fragile ego.
“Are you familiar w
ith the game of Simon Says?” Amira glances at me with so much hope in her eyes. It buries me.
“You…you wanna play a game?” Zack latches onto the idea.
“Perhaps we could play Alex Says,” Amira suggests. “We are obviously both new at this, but he is not. I do not want him to feel left out since he has helped us so far. It is not fair. It is not good sportsmanship.”
Zack’s ass clenches. He’s hoping I’m gonna top them both.
I’m not.
“Alex says slow and steady wins the race,” I say with as much calm as I don’t feel. “Try, try again.”
He does.
“What should I do?” Amira pleads.
“Alex says pull your legs up. Create some tension.”
She does. She moans. She likes this new angle.
His ass flexes with every measured thrust.
“Alex says pick up the pace.”
Amira’s moans fill the room in time with his thrusts.
He pistons in hard and fast, sharp jabs that cause her legs to slide down with every one of his movements. He’s too caught up in the tight pull on his cock to notice her moans have died down.
“Alex says make it good for yourself,” I grind out, my fist pumping up and down my cock in time with his thrusts. “Grind your clit against him. Squeeze your tits. Get there however you have to.”
Such a good girl. Her hips undulate in a slow rhythm up and down from the mattress. He’s pounding away, but she’s setting her own pace. With one hand, she kneads her tit; with the other, she digs her nails into his ass to draw him deeper.
Good thing Zack’s on the average size.
My cock juts out from my fist at the base.
He’s going to blow, but she’s not there yet.
“Alex says suck on her nipple,” I command. “She comes first. You don’t go before she does. Do something to distract yourself.”
He clamps his mouth where I instruct him.
She cries out. “I can’t! Oh, God, I can’t get there!”
“Yes, you can,” I bite. “Alex says if you want to, you can. Alex says own your fucking power.”
“Kiss me,” she tells Zack. “I need your lips on mine.”
I can’t mimic that.
He can. And he does.
Alex didn’t tell him to.
A long, low moan fills the room. She comes into his mouth and around his cock.
Warmth spurts over my fingers.
He follows her over the edge.
I’m spent.
Ragged breathing stifles the air.
“Was that…was that okay?” he asks as he pulls out.
I don’t have to tell him to hold the rim of the condom as he does it.
I don’t have anything to clean up my own mess with, so I grab a dirty shirt from the floor.
Amira stretches her arms over her head, a wide smile on her face. “That was wonderful. Thank you.”
He grins. “Wanna do it again sometime?”
“Are you asking for round two or for my number?” She giggles.
He rolls onto his side and wraps her in his arms. “Number. Definitely.”
Education complete but final exam utterly failed.
I’ve done all I can do.
I slip out of the room, unnoticed.
He won’t meet my gaze. Perhaps this is as difficult for him as it is for me.
“I expect you to text me at least once a day to let me know you’re still alive.” It is easier than telling him I will miss him dearly. That would violate his rules.
He nods. “You got it, Brain.”
“Be nice to Mike. You know you love him even if you won’t admit it.”
He finally snaps his electric blue eyes to my brown ones. “I’m not rooming with that asshole again next year! I barely made it through this year!”
I fight the smile that threatens to break my serious expression. “You will be a junior next year. You won’t be required to live on campus. Are you planning to move into the Sig O house?”
“Hell yes.” He grins. “Nothing but parties, easy sex, and beer in my future.”
“And football,” I remind him. “Who will do all your assignments for the next two years?”
“I have something lined up.” He winks.
I’m sure he does. Another of Alex’s rules—always have a back-up plan.
“Layla! Hey!”
We turn toward the voice that echoes across the parking lot.
What a loser, Alex says with a subtle shake of his head.
Be nice, I command with my eyes.
Zack pants in my ear when he wraps me in a warm hug, “I’m so glad I caught you before you go. I thought I might miss you.”
“I was waiting for you to come give me a proper goodbye.” I pull away to smile at him.
“Wow.” Alex whistles. “You gave up a good one, man. Not too many women I know who would wait around for a goodbye from their ex.”
I cut him a scathing glance for that unnecessary emphasis.
“She is a good one.” Zack gives me another squeeze before releasing me. “That’s why I cut her loose when I made the starting lineup this year.” He winks at me though his defense is clearly meant for Alex. There is no bad blood between us. “A woman like Layla deserves to be the center of someone’s world, not the second string.”
“Go do and be great things, Zack Bettington.”
“Same to you, Layla Khoury.” He surprises me with another hug. His whispered words are for me, alone. “Thank you for the memories.”
“Thank you as well,” I return.
He was not my first. Not really. Nothing can be gained by admitting that.
As soon as he’s out of earshot, Alex lets loose a burst of laughter. “He still thinks your name is Layla? Where the hell did he get Khoury from?”
I shrug. “It is my mother’s maiden name. Why did you ever tell him my name was Layla in the first place?”
“I was hedging my bets.” Alex tips his head to and fro. “I was pretty sure he’d be named a starter this year. If my guess was right, he would qualify for a tutor. I didn’t want to rock the boat for you if that happened. I didn’t count on you two going all boyfriend/girlfriend on me.”
And here, I was hoping Alex wanted to keep a small piece of me for himself. Like the naïve, sheltered girl who couldn’t go through with a one-night stand after all. Much unlike the woman who wasn’t sure she could keep a meaningful relationship a secret from her overbearing parents.
I suppose this is really goodbye then. I open my arms. “I know it is against your rules, but are you unwilling to hug me now? You may never get another chance.”
“You’re the worst. You know that, right?” He wraps me in his solid arms and whispers in my ear, “I’ve slept in your bed plenty of times. You know damn well that rule is bendable.”
His counting is bendable. He has slept in my bed exactly twice. The first night when he confessed to me his reasons for helping me. Then again, in September of this year. The second anniversary of his friend’s sexual assault. I suspect my memories of Zack will fade with time. I worry Alex’s memories of that day never will.
“You promise to take care of yourself?” I ask him.
“You promise you haven’t just bought yourself a few more years of freedom by attending a PhD program in California?” he fires back. “You’ve gotta put your foot down, Brain. Own your power. I know damn well you have it in you.”
I am not so sure. I was powerless to fall under Alex’s spell, no matter how much I resisted. “Text me every day, and you will be the first to know of my decision.”
He tightens his arms around me. “Don’t to this to yourself, Amira. You’re worth so much more than anyone’s second string.”
“Perhaps you do not know me as well as you believe.”
He rests his forehead against mine. “Well, you know me. If you call, I’ll be here.”
I have been waiting for two years. Even if I wasn’t always strong enough to admit it t
o myself.
“I may take you up on that,” I lie.
As excited as I am to make a clean break across the country, I am also terrified. I have never allowed myself so much freedom before. Never set myself up so spectacularly for failure without fear of falling. Alex has taught me that fear is the truest freedom.
The rules are made to be broken. It is our choice which ones to hold dear and which ones to abandon.
He presses his lips against my forehead. “I could have loved you, but that wouldn’t have taught you shit.”
I laugh even as I cling to his shirt. “You couldn’t love me if you tried.”
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you believe.”
“You’re the one who taught me I want more than amazing sex,” I remind him.
He shakes his head as a smile toys with his mouth. “I have failed you in so many ways.”
“So long as I can still call you when it all comes crashing down around me.” I smirk. “I will even allow you to say I told you so.”
“Don’t think I won’t.” He laughs, then turns me around and pats my ass to send me on my way. “You can call me to tell me you found what you’re looking for, too.”
“Don’t think I won’t. I hope you find what you are searching for as well.”
He spreads his arms wide, a ruler here until he conquers a bigger kingdom. “I’ve got all I’ll ever need, but I promise not to give you the gory details of all my future conquests.”
I smile at the image of him in my rearview mirror. I know exactly why he said that. He was giving me the strength to walk away.
To Be Continued…
Pre-Order Personal Foul.
The Rules are always changing.
Amira Deep learned how to be someone else—someone powerful, in charge of her life, and the kind of woman who takes what she wants. She didn’t put in all the hard work of throwing off her nerdy, virginal ways in college only to be run out of her dream job by the man who taught her everything she needed to know. As the new sports psychologist for the Orlando Sharks, her happily ever after is finally within reach.
Until an unplanned pregnancy threatens to dash all her dreams to stardust. Her old mentor is ready and waiting to be her knight in shining armor, but Amira’s never been a damsel in distress. He can play her baby daddy, but she’s never going to give him her heart. She learned that lesson the hard way.