Campus Player

by Jennifer Sucevic

  My hand slips free from hers so I can place my thumbs on the side of each pouty lower lip before gently pulling them apart until her pretty little clit is exposed. She gasps as I bury my face against the top of her slit. A whimper escapes as I run the flat of my tongue over her.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Three times.

  Her fingers tunnel through my hair as if to lock me in place. Doesn’t this girl realize that’s not necessary? There’s no way in hell I’ll willingly leave. Whatever she wants, I’ll give her. All she has to do is ask.

  The moment I swipe my tongue over her, sweetness explodes in my mouth. Fuck, she tastes so damn good. I’m not sure I’ll ever get enough. Need throbs through my veins as my tongue dips between her silken folds. I thrust in and out a few times before lapping at her with the flat of my tongue. My hands drift from her inner thighs to her waist as she writhes beneath me. The more I torture her, the creamier she becomes. I’m so greedy to learn every part of her. My mouth glides upward until I can nibble at her clit. The moment I suck the tiny bundle of nerves into my mouth, her hips jerk, and her back arches off the mattress. When her muscles become impossibly tight and her breathing picks up speed, I realize that she’s close to coming. Instead of backing off and trying to draw out the pleasure, I circle my tongue around her until she screams out her orgasm.

  My name on her lips is the best fucking sound in the world.

  One I plan on hearing more of.

  It’s only after her body turns limp that I lift my head. A dazed expression fills Demi’s face as she stares sightlessly at the ceiling. Pride expands in my chest at the realization that I was able to make her feel so good.

  I press one last kiss against her glistening lips before crawling up her sprawled body. As I reach her face, her gaze snaps to mine, and she blinks as if awakening from a long dream. I smack a kiss against her softly parted mouth. “Feel good?”

  “Yeah.” The sound she emits is more of a satisfied sigh than anything else.

  I smirk. She sounds totally out of it. “Better than good?”

  “Way better than good,” she admits.

  “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”

  A smile curves her lips.

  With my arms wrapped around her, I roll onto my back, taking her with me until she’s sprawled across my bare chest. A puff of air escapes from her before she settles against me as if she’s been there a thousand times before. Silence blankets us, but it’s not one that’s uncomfortable. Even though this is new, and it happened quickly, it's been a long time in the making.

  I strum my fingers over the delicate line of her spine, never expecting the weekend to turn out like this when I stopped to check on her.

  Had I hoped for it?

  Sure...but I never actually expected something to happen. And now that it has, I don’t want anything to ruin it. And I sure as hell don’t want her having second thoughts. That’s the reason I’m trying to hold off on sex. I want her to be one hundred percent certain about getting involved with me.

  “Are you okay?” As much as I want to believe she’s fully on board, I need her to verify it. I need to know that she doesn’t regret the intimacy we’ve shared.

  Demi lifts her head to meet my gaze. “Yeah.”

  I sift my fingers through the heavy fall of her hair, pushing it away from her face. I want to see every flicker of emotion as it crosses her expressive features. I want to know every thought that enters her head.

  Another silence falls over us before she asks, “What happens now?”

  The question is a two-hundred-pound weight sitting in the middle of my chest, making it impossible to suck in mouthfuls of air. At some point, before the weekend ended, the future—if we have one—needed to be discussed. I know what I want. But this is new for Demi. I need to play it cool and not overwhelm her by coming on too strong.

  “That’s up to you.”

  She remains silent for a lengthy stretch. It doesn’t take long for the stillness to become agonizing. “I’m not sure.”

  My heart stutters.

  Once.

  Then again.

  “I want to explore this,” she whispers, “but there’s a reason I don’t date football players.” For the first time this weekend, uncertainty churns in her eyes, and I’d bet my life that bastard Justin has wiggled his way into her thoughts.

  My hands drift to her cheeks. I need to touch her. That’s what grounds me.

  Slow. I need to take this slow with her.

  “We can do whatever you want.”

  Instead of answering, she nibbles at her lip and glances away. I can almost see the thoughts as they crash through her head. The push and pull. The tug-o-war taking place inside her as we speak. “I’m not sure how my dad would feel about this. It’s always been an unwritten rule that I stay away from his players.”

  Coach.

  He’s definitely an obstacle that will need to be dealt with in the near future. As much as I don’t want to get on his bad side, Demi is well worth the risk. The feelings I have for her aren’t going to change anytime soon.

  “I don’t want people talking about me.” Doubt and sadness flicker in her dark eyes, giving them a hollowed-out appearance. As much as I can’t blame her, I hate that she’s focused on the bullshit that occurred this week.

  “I don’t give a damn what anyone says,” I growl. “Let the fuckers talk. All that matters is you.”

  Some of the confusion dissipates from her expression as her gaze softens. “I know it’s stupid, and I shouldn’t care, but I do. It’s happened so many times now.” Her brow furrows as she glances away. “And Justin...”

  Fuck that guy.

  I should have beat the piss out of him instead of popping him in the nose. Maybe then, he wouldn’t have run his mouth all over campus like a little bitch.

  She’s waffling. I see it written clearly in her eyes. Demi is scared of the blowback she’ll receive when people find out we’re together. At some point, her father will discover the truth, and she’s afraid of what his reaction will be.

  My chest constricts. “If you want to keep this on the downlow for the time being, then that’s what we’ll do.” The words sound wooden and taste like ash on my tongue. “Okay?”

  More than anything, I want her to tell me that she doesn’t give a crap about the gossip or her father.

  Her muscles loosen in relief. “You really don’t mind?”

  Fuck yeah, I mind, but if that’s what she wants, then that’s what we’ll do. It sucks. I want to yell from the rooftops that Demi is mine. I don’t want other guys looking at her without the knowledge that there will be repercussions. And I want the jersey chasers to stop throwing themselves at me. I’m a taken man. There’s only one woman I want. Unfortunately, it looks like I’ll have to wait a little longer for her to claim me the way I need her to.

  “Yeah,” I lie, “it’s fine.”

  Now that the future has been settled, she relaxes, stretching her lithe body until she’s able to brush her lips against mine. “Thank you.”

  Even though the situation is far from perfect, a sigh of contentment fills me.

  Demi might not realize it yet, but there’s not much I wouldn’t do to make her happy or keep her safe.

  26

  Demi

  “If we look at this outcome variable—”

  Instead of paying attention to the textbook splayed open on the table, Rowan’s gaze is fixated on his fingers as they graze my inner thigh. A trail of goose flesh forms in their wake, and I have to stop myself from visibly shuddering. It would only encourage him to keep up his antics.

  “Rowan,” I growl. Any moment I’m going to self-combust, and I can’t afford to fall apart in the library. We’re already drawing enough unwanted attention.

  All right...Rowan is the one drawing all the attention. Half a dozen girls have already sauntered past, giving him little waves and bright smiles. He acknowledges them without encouraging their behavior
.

  Am I jealous?

  Ha!

  Maybe a teensy bit.

  I’d like nothing better than to claim him publicly so these girls would back the hell off. But we agreed to keep our relationship quiet for the time being.

  When Rowan flicks his eyes at me, I know that I’m in trouble. A smirk simmers across his lips, and I find myself gravitating toward him before snapping to attention with a scowl. Even in the middle of the library, he’s able to make me forget myself and the reason we’re here.

  He cocks a brow and asks innocently, “Is there a problem?”

  My attention becomes ensnared by his lips.

  You have no idea what the man is capable of with that mouth.

  So.

  Much.

  Pleasure.

  It’s enough to make my eyes cross.

  He wasn’t kidding when he said he loves to play south of the border. I’ll be completely honest...it’s not something I ever thought I’d enjoy. Of course, I’ve heard girls talk about it. But come on...it seems so intimate. To let someone touch you like that...

  And now I can’t get enough of it.

  I can’t get enough of Rowan.

  Want to hear something crazy?

  I’ve all but begged him to sleep with me, and he refuses. He keeps telling me that we need to wait. He wants me to be sure.

  I am sure, dammit!

  I want him.

  Now!

  All right, maybe not this second. Oh, who am I kidding? If he gave me even the slightest indication he was ready, I’d pack these books up so fast his head would spin. Jeez. I’m worse than a guy. I totally have sex on the brain. It takes effort to clear away those unruly thoughts and focus on the task at hand.

  What were we working on again?

  Ugh. I’m like a walking hormone.

  “You need to focus so we can get through this,” I grumble, ignoring his question. We’ve been at it for almost an hour and only have a couple more problems to plow through. Then we can get out of here. Maybe go back to my place. If Sydney isn’t home, I can try to—

  “Trust me,” his voice drops so low that it strums something deep inside me, “I’m focused.” The calloused pads of his fingers continue to dance across my inner thigh, inching closer to the vee between my legs. “Laser-focused.”

  There shouldn’t be anything sexy about the slide of rough skin against mine, but damn if there isn’t. These running shorts were a bad idea. I should have covered myself from head to toe.

  At this rate, Rowan will end up flunking statistics.

  “Unfortunately, that laser focus isn’t where it belongs,” I point to the book, “on stats.”

  “Nope.” He leans so close that his warm breath feathers over the outer shell of my ear. Another delicate shiver works its way down my spine. “At the moment, there’s something else on my mind.”

  When his fingers brush against my core, I shift in my seat before cautiously glancing around. We’re certainly not alone. Students surround us as they study at nearby tables. Apparently, everyone and their grandmother decided they needed to work at the library this evening. The place is surprisingly packed for a Monday night. When we arrived on the second floor, people were already camped out at our usual table.

  “Rowan,” I mutter, simultaneously loving and hating the way he drives me crazy.

  “We’ve plowed through most of the assignment. We deserve a break.” He waggles his brows. “I’m sure we could find a dark corner to make out in.”

  I hate to admit how tempting the offer is. It’s reluctantly that I pull away until there’s a safe distance between us. “You shouldn’t touch me like that.” I clear my throat and attempt to stomp out the arousal that has flared to life between my legs. “There are too many people watching us.”

  “Does it really matter?” He toys with my fingers under the table where they’re partially hidden.

  My teeth sink into my lower lip.

  We’ve been sneaking around for a week, stealing time together when no one is looking. Sydney remains blissfully unaware of our relationship. Which means that Rowan and I can only spend time together at my place when she’s at class or with Ethan. Luckily, they’re on again this week, so it’s worked out perfectly. We can’t go to the house Rowan rents off-campus because he lives with a bunch of football players.

  It's only been within the last couple of days that the rumors Justin spread around campus have started to die down. The last thing I want is to resurrect them again. Especially, when the gossip would be true.

  “I need a little more time.” Guilt slices through me as I drop my voice to a whisper. “That’s all.”

  Emotion flares to life in Rowan’s eyes, and for a moment, I steel myself for an argument. I can’t blame him for wanting our relationship out in the open. It’s not like I’m embarrassed to be with him. It’s more the fact that I’m the head coach’s daughter. And these rumors about me screwing the football team always seem to pop up at the most inopportune times. I don’t want people to think that. Rowan doesn’t get to fuck me as some kind of bonus for being the star player. Even the thought makes me sick to my stomach.

  “Fine.” As the tension drains from him, his broad shoulders loosen. “I’ve waited this long; it won’t kill me to wait a little longer.”

  A burst of relief explodes inside me. I hate that I’m doing this to him, but I’m not ready to out our relationship yet. “Thank you.”

  He shrugs as a glimmer of mischief leaps into his eyes. “I’ll let you make it up to me later.”

  My brows rise with interest as a smile simmers around the edges of my lips. That’s one thing I like about Rowan—he’s never bent out of shape for long. It’s like a quickly passing summer storm. There and gone before you know it. “And how exactly will I do that?”

  “I’m sure you’ll—”

  “Hi, Rowan!”

  A chorus of soft female voices has me jerking away. I grit my teeth, tired of this happening. We can’t go anywhere without him being bombarded by groupies.

  My gaze flies from Rowan to the trio of girls who hover next to us. Two are brunettes, and one is blond. All three are soft and curvy. The dark-haired girls look suspiciously similar. Maybe they’re twins. Although, it’s difficult to tell because they’re all wearing matching T-shirts with sorority letters stamped across their oversized chests and tiny white shorts. Now that I’m scrutinizing them more closely, I realize their hair and makeup look the same. As if there’s a strict dress code that needs to be adhered to, or they’ll get kicked out of their exclusive club.

  I wince at the snarky thought. That’s not who I am. I don’t hate other girls for being different. I have my priorities, and they have theirs. Neither is right or wrong.

  The lack of sex is definitely getting to me.

  “Hey.” Even though Rowan leans back against the chair, he keeps my fingers firmly ensconced in his beneath the table.

  They don’t seem to notice. Or maybe they don’t care. Since Rowan has never dated one girl specifically, he’s been claimed as public property. And these chicks...apparently, don’t mind sharing. I, however, am quite territorial. As far as boyfriends are concerned, I don’t play well with others.

  In a blatant bid to get his attention, one of the girls tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “We missed you Saturday night at the house.” She inches closer to him. “I thought you were going to stop by.” Her voice drops, becoming low and sultry. “It’s been a while since we partied together.”

  My brows rise.

  Partied together?

  I get the feeling she means something else entirely.

  “Yeah, sorry.” Rowan clears his throat. “I was busy.”

  This is the downside to dating athletes. They’re usually a hot commodity on campus and have a shit ton of options available to them. When I attempt to pull my hand from his, he squeezes my fingers, refusing to relinquish them.

  “Do you girls know Demi?”

  I’m treated t
o a chorus of unenthusiastic greetings before their attention returns to Rowan. In approximately three seconds flat, I’m sized up and found lacking. Quite honestly, these are precisely the type of girls I imagined Rowan spending time with.

  I look nothing like them.

  They probably consider it sacrilegious to leave their sorority house without being fully made up with every hair in place. Hell, they probably have glam squads. I, on the other hand, consider myself ahead of the game if I’ve thrown my hair up into a ponytail or messy bun. Bonus points if my top matches my bottoms. Which is why I wear a lot of jeans. What doesn’t go with denim?

  My thoughts exactly.

  “Maybe we’ll see you tomorrow? Sigma Tau is having another bash.” Blondie trails her fingers over his bicep. “It’s supposed to be epic.”

  Oh right...

  These girls. They’re still here, cooing at Rowan. And there’s not a damn thing I can do about it because I told him that I want to keep everything on the down-low. I can’t stake a claim just because I’m feeling strangely insecure. The air catches at the back of my throat as I’m struck with the realization. That’s exactly what this ugly emotion coursing through me is.

  Jealousy.

  It takes everything I have inside to bite back the moan of displeasure. I’ve never liked anyone enough to feel this strongly. Not even when I found Annica with Justin’s dick stuffed in her mouth did I feel one iota of possessiveness. Honestly, I didn’t care.

  “Um, probably not,” Rowan says, knocking me out of those disturbing thoughts.

  One of the brunettes thrusts out her lower lip into a pout, making her look like a child on the verge of a tantrum. If she’s going for sexy, she’s completely missed the mark. But then again, maybe this is the kind of behavior guys find attractive. How would I know? It’s not like I’ve ever tried to be alluring. I’m not into acting coy, fluttering my lashes, or sticking my chest out in a bid for attention. That kind of behavior is ridiculous and, quite frankly, beneath me.

  “That’s too bad. Parties are always more fun when you’re there,” one of the twins says.