Up for Grabs (Up For Grabs #1)

by Heather Young-Nichols

  “He does now.” Speak of the devil. Cain invaded Alex’s personal space until Alex took a step back allowing Cain to slide in across from me. “You’re done here, Reed.”

  “I don’t know about that, Dorsey. Your girl here didn’t seem to think—”

  “Oversight on my part. Scurry along.” He waved his hand in a way that dismissed Alex Reed, who turned with a tense jaw and disappeared into a crowd of students.

  “You’re back.” Even though I tried to keep my excitement reined in, he heard it. And he let me know he heard it by giving me a cocky grin.

  “In the flesh.”

  “How was it?” I took a long drink of my caffeine, pop in this case, which would help me through my next class.

  “Boring, until my sister popped.” I snorted so hard the liquid almost came out my nose. “What? She did. We’re sitting there at dinner and suddenly she groans. I guess her water broke or something. I don’t know. Anyway, Vaughn, that’s the baby’s name, is a cute little guy.”

  “Tell her congratulations for me.” Then I realized what I said. “I mean … don’t. I don’t know why I said that. I don’t even know if—”

  “They know about you. Nothing too detailed, of course, otherwise my mother would be over here quicker than Reed ran off.” He reached across the table to intertwine our fingers. “So, what that asshat was talking about … ”

  “We don’t have to talk about it now. We’ve only gone out a few times and yes I’m counting when we’ve stayed in. It’s fine.”

  “Of course we count the staying in. The staying in is better than the going out.” He flashed what my mother would call a “panty dropping smile” which I’m pretty sure she got from a book. “But, just so it’s clear … I’m not seeing anyone else, I don’t want to see anyone else, and I’m not going to. You can decide whatever you want.” I started to say something but he shifted uncomfortably. “Although, I’d really rather you not see anyone else either.”

  “It’s not like I’ve got people banging down my door or anything,” I teased. “Except for Alex.”

  “Alex is a jackass. I went to high school with him. We’ve played soccer together since we were eight, and for whatever reason he always kind of tries to get what I have. I don’t know why.”

  “Ouch. Don’t spare my feelings or anything.”

  “That’s not what I meant, Flannery. You’re beautiful. Inside even more than outside. He’s always perceived a rivalry that I don’t participate in.” Cain cleared away my tray and threw my bag over his shoulder extending his hand to me. “Walk you to class?”

  I took the offered hand and nodded.

  He came back at the end of class to drive me home because he didn’t like the idea of me walking by myself at night. I told him I’d done it a million times before I met him and he pretended it was a caveman “my woman” kind of situation. I could see through the facade. He really was a nice, courteous guy. Which made me wonder about his family. His parents must’ve been good people to raise a son like him, and though, I wasn’t going to say it, I hoped to meet them one day.

  Chapter Seven

  “What’s up?” I answered without a hello. Kendra told me she was going to a party with Adam, even invited me. For her to call when they were out meant something was probably wrong.

  “Flannery, you need to come over here.” Her words were barely audible over the music blaring in the background.

  “I told you I need to study.” And I hated parties. Didn’t like the way people got all familiar because they’d loaded up on liquid courage.

  “No, I mean, your boy is pretty lit and he drove here, so if you don’t want him to become a stain on the road, you might want to pick him up.”

  It was almost midnight, not that I cared. It could have been three in the morning and I still would’ve gone to get him. Actually, I would go get anyone to keep them from drinking and driving, but with Cain in particular … there were still things I wanted to do that I needed him alive for. Knowing him the way I did, I assumed he wouldn’t actually drive in that condition, that he’d make other arrangements but I wanted to be sure.

  “I’ll be there in twenty. Kendra, don’t let him leave.”

  She agreed and told me where the party was and I quickly tied my Converse then headed out. Thankfully, the nicer weather stayed put and I didn’t have to deal with snow or ice as I trucked over on foot. My mind wandered. Of course, I’d seen Cain have a drink, he was already twenty-one so it was even legal, but drunk would be a new experience. In general, I didn’t like drunk people but it was Cain after all.

  Maybe he let go because I wasn’t there. When I went to parties with him, which had only happened twice, he barely drank anything certainly not to get inebriated, but I hadn’t wanted to go tonight. Even though the party was across campus, the music filled the air before I turned onto the street. And I heard the jeers from two houses away. Drunk frat guys were assholes.

  Finding Kendra, Adam, or Cain proved difficult. They couldn’t fit one more person in that house and even being small didn’t guarantee being able to slip through. So, I decided to head around the other way and I’m pretty sure a couple from my Sociology class were having sex right out there in the open. Gross. Casey sat on the floor in the corner with a girl straddling her lap in the midst of an extremely heavy make out session. No idea who the girl was.

  Before I could make it around the couch, someone grabbed my wrist pulling me into his lap. I was about to give him a piece of my mind like I had the guy who grabbed my ass on the way in before I realized Cain hand been the one to grab me.

  “Hey,” he called into my ear and the smell of beer engulfed me. “I thought you didn’t want to come tonight?”

  “Kendra thought you might need a ride home.”

  Cain looked down sheepishly and nodded. “I may have had a little too much to drink.” His words slurred together. He tried using his thumb and index finger to show the “little too much” but couldn’t hold them steady.

  “Wanna go now?” I asked. He nodded. “Keys.”

  Cain dug and dug in his pocket before finally wrangling the key ring out and handing it over. When we stood up, he swayed before getting his sea legs back, then stumbled as we tried to make it to the door. Gravity wasn’t being very friendly to Cain Dorsey. We walked along the rows of cars. I kept pushing the door lock button on his remote starter waiting to hear his car beep so I’d know where he parked. At one point he put far too much of his weight on me, making my knees feel like they were about to give. I had to shove him back hard making him almost fall back the other way. Finally, we found his car.

  It took a lot of effort to get him into the passenger side. Once I did, I took a deep breath and leaned into the metal for an exhausted second before going back around to the driver’s side. Sliding the seat almost all the way forward, I started us out toward his apartment.

  “Come on, Cain, just a little farther.” I tried to coax him to the door once we arrived. The closer we got the slower he went. The stairs were the worst part. As I tried to unlock the deadbolt, he fell into me. That moment I really realized how much bigger than me he was. “Cain, hold on.”

  I did it. I finally got him inside and to his room. He collapsed onto the bed fully clothed, shoes and all. So, I set out to getting him a little more comfortable. Shoes first but then I contemplated how much of him I wanted to see. Realistically, the answer was all of him but probably not when he was drunk. Which meant leaving him in his jeans and t-shirt. At least I got him under the blanket and he looked asleep.

  “Don’t leave yet,” he murmured, as I cracked open the bedroom door. “Lay down with me for a while.”

  “Cain … ”

  “I’ll be good. Promise.” The promise sounded more like pwamous.

  Crawling in next to him felt natural. He wrapped his arms around me, my face buried into his chest. With hooded eyes he looked down and I had no idea how he was still awake. They closed slowly, opened even slower, then closed again. />
  “I’m falling for you, Flannery.”

  I wasn’t sure if he meant to say those words, or if he was dreaming or what. But hearing him say it sent a violent, completely lovely shiver through my entire body.

  “Maybe you should say that again when you’re sober,” I said softly back, knowing he wasn’t going to hear or remember.

  “Don’t leave yet,” he mumbled.

  “I won’t.”

  I waited until he fell completely asleep before I scooted to the side of the bed, slipped my shoes and coat on, then left his room as quietly as possible. Since he only lived a few blocks from campus, I got back quickly but man, our side was dead at that time of night. Or at least it was that night. Most of the parties stayed across campus with the Greeks but sometimes there were one or two in the dorm.

  It didn’t take long to fall asleep.

  ***

  The pounding scared the crap out of me. I sat at the desk in my room checking my email and sending a detailed one to my mom. I’d mentioned Cain to her on a few occasions but felt it was time to tell her I had a boyfriend. And fill her in on everything else going on in my life. As I was about to hit send, the pounding started from outside and since Ava wasn’t home, I knew I’d be answering the door. Someone was either pissed off or impatient.

  When I opened the door, Cain stood there, freshly washed, in dark jeans and a dark blue long sleeved V-neck. How he rarely wore a jacket and never got cold, I had no idea. Part of his face was hidden under dark sunglasses. A necessity, I’m sure, due to last night’s party.

  “Hey.” I smiled. He didn’t.

  “Sam said you picked me up last night?” He leaned on an arm against the door jamb.

  “Yeah. Come in.”

  Instead of sitting on the couch in the common room, Cain headed into my bedroom and made himself comfortable on the edge of my bed. He’d been in there before but it was such an odd site. He was big and the room small, especially the bed. The sunglasses got tossed onto the desk next to the computer where the email to my mom still sat open.

  “What happened?” He asked.

  “Uh…” I sat facing him on the bed, glad I’d already cleaned up the room. “Kendra called. Said you needed a ride so I went over.”

  “To the party?” I nodded. “Was I an asshole?”

  “No.” I giggled. Actually giggled. “You were kinda funny. But I realized something.” His eyebrows shot up. “If we’re ever in a fire and you’re unconscious and it’s up to me to get you out, you’re gonna burn.”

  He laughed then winced. Poor baby.

  “Why is that?”

  “There’s no way in hell I could lift you. You kept falling into me and putting all your weight on me. I almost broke.” He laughed quieter this time. “Seriously.”

  “Sorry.” Cain eyed me carefully. “Anything else?”

  “Well,” I decided to play with him a little. “You did ask me to lay down with you.”

  “Oh, God. I didn’t … try to get you pregnant did I?”

  “No.” It came out like a bark through the laughter. “You wanted me to stay for a while but promised to behave, which you did.”

  “Hey, how did you get home?”

  “Walked.”

  “What time?” He asked.

  “I think I got home around one thirty or so.”

  “You walked home alone in the middle of the night?” I nodded. “Don’t ever do that again. If you need to for any reason, just take my car. When it comes up missing I’ll find you.”

  “Ok.” I snuggled into him, pushing him down to lay side by side on my tiny bed. My hand started caressing his abs and chest under his shirt to which he sighed. “You did say some things though.” His body tensed but he didn’t ask. “You don’t want to know?”

  “Not sure.”

  “You said … ” I did I bring that up? The thought of that talk at the time made me feel on the verge of peeing my pants or something. I became a nervous little yappy puppy that leaves a trail behind them. “You said that you’re falling for me.”

  Cain’s entire body relaxed. “Is that all?” I nodded. “Ok.”

  Pushing myself up required removing my hand, which all the sensitive parts of my body protested, but I wanted to get a look at his face. I watched him until he cracked under the pressure.

  “I’m good with that, Flannery. It’s the truth, though I probably shouldn’t have blurted it out while I was drunk.”

  “You didn’t blurt anything. It was more of a murmur. Like maybe I wasn’t supposed to hear it.”

  “You were.”

  I shimmied back into place, putting my hand under his shirt, trailing my fingertips along every line of his chest and abdomen. Before long, his chest rose and fell rhythmically, letting me know he’d fallen asleep. I stayed there for a while enjoying the feeling of being next to him, of being comfortable with him. A burning desire threatened to overtake me and I knew I had to get up and do something else.

  Trying to get over him was another thing altogether. The only way I could figure it out was to throw one leg over, basically straddle him and hop off. However, once I got into position, I had to force myself to keep moving. Looking down at his peaceful, beautiful face I started to wish we were doing something else entirely. I decided then and there, when the time came, I had to try being in the power position. Something about it turned me on.

  Once I got off him, I went over, finished sending Mom’s email then moved on to some homework. That got finished and I didn’t know what else to do. I was hungry but didn’t want to leave him there and settled for a small bag of chips and a diet soda, some of the only things I kept on hand in the room. I propped my feet on the end of the bed, ate the chips, and watched him sleep. Eventually, after one, he woke up and looked down his nose at me chomping away.

  “What are you doing?” He sounded like he could use a drink and was probably still quite a bit sleepy.

  “Watching you sleep.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you’re there. It’s a nice view.” I ate two more chips. “How’s your stomach?”

  “Fine. What’d you mean?”

  “I’m hungry. I think we should get some food, but if you’re going to barf, I’ll go by myself.”

  Cain chuckled deep in his chest. “Food would be good.”

  “Uh … ” I pulled my bedroom door shut after changing my clothes and running a brush through my hair. I would’ve smacked on some make-up but Cain insisted I didn’t need to so I didn’t. “I feel kind of skeevy, so I think I have to confess.” His eyebrow quirked up. “I kind of … sort of … molested you in your sleep.”

  “What?” His smile couldn’t have been bigger. “What’d you do?”

  “Well, I don’t think I can confess everything, Cain. There needs to be surprises in a relationship. I will say there was no skin-to-skin contact.”

  Cain’s fingers wrapped around my wrist yanking me hard against him. His chest really was like a brick wall. His brown eyes smoldered as he took in my entire face finally settling on my own eyes.

  “You can molest me anytime, but, Flannery, for the love of God, wake me up. I don’t think that’s something I want to miss.”

  Chapter Eight

  Cain and I spent as much time together as we could manage while still keeping our grades up. Of course, he had to work out to keep in shape for the next soccer season and I wanted him to have time with his friends. And I wanted time with mine. While he was constantly on my mind, I wasn’t the girl who got a boyfriend and dropped everything else.

  I loved spending cold winter nights snuggled up next to him on his bed watching a movie or talking over it. There were so many stories I wanted to hear, some I even wanted to tell, but the longer we were together, a month by then, the further the physical part progressed.

  It started with a kiss. Initiated by him. He acted as if he couldn’t stand not to have his lips on mine another second. I loved that. The fullness of his mouth covered mine making me sigh and
melt into him. Cain was an excellent kisser but I didn’t spend any time whatsoever thinking about how he came to be that way.

  His hands wandered slowly from their favorite place on my hip to inch up under my shirt. His skin on mine was warm and magical making my stomach drop like the first hill on a rollercoaster. I’d never been big on thrill rides, but this one I wanted on over and over.

  Then it took a turn. The kiss became less sweet, more need and desire, his tongue exploring my mouth, mine exploring his. I pulled away to try and catch my breath. But his shirt needed to come off and I made it happen. Every muscle jumped when my hands raked down his chest and up his back. Hard planes I could trace forever. A groan grumbled in the back of his throat which had me smiling against his lips.

  Back on top of me, his weight pressed all the places I needed him to. Cain’s lips left mine, trailing down my neck to my collarbone nipping it with his teeth. Slowly, so freaking slowly, he kissed the hallow of my neck then headed south, painstakingly hitting every spot he could as he undid each button on my top, driving me crazy. His lips made my skin burn and ignited something inside me like never before.

  Finally, my shirt laid completely open allowing his hands access. After kissing the swells of each breast, he lightly trailed lips and fingers down my stomach to the top of my jeans then came back to claim my lips again. Working on hormones, the tips of my fingers went inside the band on his jeans to be met with a very anxious part of his body. He froze, searching my eyes for any sign that I wanted or needed him to stop. He wouldn’t find anything. I didn’t want to stop. Honestly, I couldn’t believe I had the nerve. Clearly, Cain knew exactly what he was doing but I so did not. I didn’t even mind the flush covering every inch of my body.

  Liking his reaction to my touch, my little fingers went on to unbuttoning his pants then I took his erection in my hand. I had no idea if I was doing the right thing, how to handle the uh…situation since it was my first encounter with a penis up close. But I pushed the nervousness and doubt away. After a couple of strokes on my part, Cain’s fingers circled my wrists, pulled them up next to my head and held them there as he went back to work on my mouth. My bra had a front claps, which he had no problem snapping apart and pushing the cups aside to bare me to him.