by J. Lynn
“That’s a first for you.” The hollows of her cheeks deepened under the streetlamp as her gaze drifted over me again. “Aren’t you cold?”
Winter, spring or summer, I was always in Nike flip-flops, shorts and a T-shirt. “Nah, this is perfect weather for me.”
Brit unfolded her arms slowly. “So how’s WVU?”
“It’s good. As expected.” I paused, and the strangest words came out of my mouth. “I haven’t been partying.” Not like I owed her an explanation, but my lips kept on moving. “Just going to classes and studying at the apartment I got up there.”
“I didn’t think you’d really kick off med school partying,” she said, propping a curvy hip against the side of my car. I liked how she was in no hurry to join the party. Neither was I. “I’ve never really believed that you’re a stupid party guy. No matter how much you acted like one.”
I opened my mouth to . . . I don’t know what. Feeling my face heat a little, I rubbed my palm under my chin. “How’s classes been for you?”
“Same old. Nothing really exciting to share.” She reached out, tugging on the hem of my old, worn university shirt. “You know, I think this is like the second time in forever that we’ve had a conversation where we haven’t insulted one another.”
Her small fingers were still wrapped around the hem of my shirt, and as I angled my body toward hers, her arm bent, brushing over my hip. “Is that a bad thing?” My heart kicked like a jackrabbit when she shook her head. “I didn’t think so either.”
She titled her head back and her eyes met mine. “I kind of like it.”
“Kind of?” I bent my head, and her lips parted on a soft inhale. Her eyes took on a hooded, dazed quality that hit me like a punch to the gut. It was now or never to get this shit out of my system so I could go back to normal. “I want to ask you something, Brit. Okay?”
“All right.”
I titled my head to the side and she shivered when my breath danced over her cheek. “Why hasn’t there ever been something between us?”
Brit didn’t answer immediately, but her hand remained on my shirt and hadn’t ended up across my face. “Maybe . . . maybe is because you’ve never asked.”
Muscles in my lower stomach tightened as I leaned in, placing my hand on the roof of the car behind her. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I asked in about every conversation we’ve had.”
“You haven’t asked, Ollie. You’ve insinuated about a hundred different sexual acts during our conversations, but you’ve never asked me if there was anything between us.”
I laughed quietly as her point made its way home. “You’re right. I haven’t, but I am now.”
She let go of my shirt and placed her hand on the center of my chest, searing through the shirt and branding my skin. “You also haven’t asked me out on a date,” she continued, and a small smile appeared as my eyes widened. “You haven’t asked me to even come over to your place without making some kind of innuendo. And you also haven’t even asked me for a kiss.”
“A date?” I got hung up on that. “I wasn’t sure where I could fit in asking you out in-between you threatening to kick me in the balls and walking away from me.”
Brit laughed, and the sound did funny things to my chest. “Maybe if you tried to fit it in, I wouldn’t threaten to do anything bad with your balls and I wouldn’t walk away.”
“So you’d do nice things with my balls?”
“Don’t be gross—”
I swooped down and kissed her. Yeah, I didn’t ask, but somewhere between her talking about dating and talking about my balls, I just stopped thinking. So I kissed her, and the moment my lips touched her, adrenaline rocked me. Like scoring a goal at the end of the game or being near an explosion, my entire body tensed and then hardened.
Her lips were soft like the finest satin and absolutely perfect. My mind was on autopilot as I flicked my tongue along the seam of her lips. When she opened them, a deep sound rumbled up from my chest. I tasted the faint trace of strawberries on her tongue.
She made a small, utterly feminine sound as she leaned into me. Desire arced as the kiss deepened, and I dropped my hands to the sides of her face, tilting her head back. I pressed her against the car and there was no way she didn’t feel what she was doing to me. My hand trembled slightly as I slid it to the nape of her neck, tangling my fingers in the soft edges of her blond hair.
My pulse pounded in all of the major points, but it was more than just a physical reaction. There was something about kissing her that felt like it was the first time and sure as hell wasn’t the first time, but it felt right in a way that made me want to get away from her as fast as possible and somehow get even closer.
Her hands slid up my chest, fingers digging into my shoulders as she kissed me back. Girl gave as good as she got. But that didn’t surprise me. I always imagined that Brit would be this way. A beautifully packaged little firecracker.
Not too distant laughter tugged at the edges of my consciousness. I broke the kiss, catching her sweet lower lip as I pulled back before I did something crazy. Like lifted her skirt and sank into her softness right here on the side of the road.
“You didn’t ask,” she whispered, breathing heavy.
“I didn’t.” I kissed the corner of her lip and then the other, not sure why. “Can I kiss you?”
She laughed huskily, causing several parts of my body to tighten to the point of pain. “You just kissed me, Ollie.”
“But I want to kiss you again.” I smoothed my thumb over her cheek, surprised by how true that was. “I’ve never been big on kissing, Brit. What’s the point in it? But with you, I could fucking kiss you all night long. And throughout tomorrow, too.” To prove my point, I lowered my head and caught her lips. “I could kiss you all weekend.”
In the dim light, her eyes searched mine as they filled with keen wariness. “And how many girls have you’ve said that to?”
I rested my forehead against hers. “None. Hand to God, I’ve never said that to another girl.”
Her hands drifted back down to my chest and flattened there. I expected her to push me away then, but she didn’t. “Why me?” she asked. “Why now?”
Damn, that was a good question. I closed my eyes, and for a moment, I just enjoyed the feeling of her being close to me, of her hands on me, our lips inches apart and breaths mingling. When I opened my eyes, I lifted my head.
“I miss you.” Hell. I totally blurted that out. Her eyes widened. Might as well go with it. “I missed you more than Cam and Jase. And I don’t really know why. But I miss your smart mouth. I miss how you never give into me. I miss looking forward to seeing you. And when I leave on Sunday, I know I’m going to miss you even more now that I know how you taste and feel.”
Brit’s chest rose against mine as she studied me. She didn’t respond immediately, and I could feel the heat creeping into my cheeks. Perhaps I said too much, because suddenly, I felt like I’d should be reading poetry and getting in tune with my sensitive side.
“You’re a romantic at heart, Ollie. I never would’ve guessed that,” she said finally, and my brain actually cringed. “I always knew you were smarter than you acted.” Her lashes lowered as she trailed her hands to my lower stomach. “I always knew there was more to you than partying and getting laid.”
That made Brit probably the only person alive, besides my parents and baby bro, to know that.
“And I’m not saying the partying and the joking around is an act. I know it’s not,” she said, lifting her gaze. “You’re just a laid-back guy who wants to have fun. I’ve always liked that about you, but I . . .”
My heart was pounding like I was running the bleachers. “But what?”
“But I like this side of you better,” she whispered, her eyes searching mine again. “I just wish I’d seen it sooner.”
“Me too,” I admitted, voice oddly thick as I smoothed a strand of hair back behind her ear. “Is it too late?”
I don’t know what Brit was thinking
in that moment as she stared at me in the silence, but my chest exploded with her next words. “We have tonight, don’t we?”
WE HAVE TONIGHT.
That could mean only one thing—a thing I could so get behind.
It was finally going to happen.
I was like a fifteen-year-old boy about to see boobs for the first time. Hell, to want something as badly as I’ve wanted this for so long, it was like taking every Christmas Eve as a child and rolling them into one.
So I was rattled.
Off my game.
Brit went inside to say hi to her friends and as I did the same, I watched her hug Avery and Cam’s little sister.
“Seeing your sister all grown up and at a frat party makes me feel old,” I told her brother.
Cam snorted as he took a drink from his bottle. “You and me both.” He stiffened as he followed my gaze to where the girls were huddled together and then pinned me with a look that would’ve shriveled my balls. “Don’t you be getting any ideas about her.”
I laughed as I folded my arms. “Your sister is hot, but it’s not who I’m looking at.”
Understanding and a bit of relief flashed across his face. “Ah, Brit?”
I didn’t respond, which was strange, because I never had a problem with talking about the object of my attention in detail before. Wasn’t because I was embarrassed about her or any shit like that. Everything with Brit was different. I’d feel like I’d be insulting her if I starting talking about all the things I planned on doing with her to Cam.
“Want a beer?” he asked, motioning over to the fridge in the corner of the garage that was eternally stocked with beer.
“Nah.”
Cam looked like I’d just told him I was planning on entering priesthood, and a wry grin twisted my lips. “I’m not going to be hanging around tonight.”
He glanced back to where Brit stood with his girlfriend and sister and then he chuckled. “I take it neither will Brit?”
The back of my neck tingled in an odd way. “Nope.”
“I got ya,” he replied, taking a swig of beer as he picked up a Ping-Pong ball.
“Where’s Jase?” I asked, changing the subject.
Cam shrugged. “No clue. He’s around here somewhere. Steph was looking for him, so I’m sure she’s got him cornered somewhere.”
I was hoping to get cornered with Brit soon. Lingering a couple of more minutes, I told him I’d swing by tomorrow afternoon. When I graduated and left for grad school, a lot of the partying shit had been left behind. I was ready to get out of here.
Stalking across the garage, I joined Brit. “Hello Avery and Miss Teresa, how are you doing this fine evening?”
Teresa giggled, and upon close inspection, her eyes had that happy, glazed look. I wondered if Cam realized his sister was close to being trashed. “We’re doing good.”
“Great.” I captured Brit’s tiny ponytail. “I need to borrow you for a second, si?”
Brit’s eyes went heavenward, but her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink. “I’ll be right back. Senor Fucktard can’t want me for that long.”
“It’ll be a while,” I corrected, and her blush traveled down her neck.
Taking her hand, I steered her out of the garage. “They’re watching us, aren’t they?” she asked.
I glanced over my shoulder. “Yep. They are grinning and whispering.”
“Great,” she moaned.
We stopped midway on the driveway, and I looked at her. “You don’t want them to know we are . . . well, whatever it is we’re about to do? If you’ve changed your mind about this”—please God, tell me you haven’t changed your mind—“we don’t have to do this. We can stay here and chill. That’ll be cool, too.”
“No. I haven’t changed my mind.” She tugged on my hand as she started down the driveway again, and I about dropped to my knees and starting praising Jesus. “And I’m not embarrassed to be seen with you. It’s just . . .” She looked away, focusing on the road ahead.
“It’s just what?” I probably should’ve let it go, but I was curious. “I know I have a reputation, Brit. And you’ve never seemed shy of saying what’s on your mind.”
She cast a grin over your shoulder. “Okay. I know you’re not into relationships and all of that and I don’t want them jumping to conclusions. Like I know they will.”
“What kind of conclusion?”
“Oh, I don’t know. That this one night is going to lead to an epic romance.” She turned to me, walking backward. “I know that’s not what you’re really about. And I’m okay with that. I mean, I’d be okay with . . .” Her nose scrunched up the cute way it always did whenever she was about to say something she didn’t want to. “Anyway, I’m okay with this. I want to know if you have a reason to be so cocky,” she teased.
Oh, I had a reason, but for some asinine purpose, I wanted to ask her why she didn’t think I was into relationships. Which was stupid, because my track record showed why. I shouldn’t care that she wasn’t going into this expecting anything other than great sex, but I kind of did.
We stopped by my car, and she slipped her hand free. “We could go back to my dorm. My roommate’s gone for the weekend.”
“Works for me.”
She flashed a quick grin. “I’ll lead the way then.”
As she started to pull away, it felt too much like a random hookup that could’ve been any number of girls I’d picked up at a party or the bar, and that didn’t settle right in my gut. Brit was different, and this was the first time for us, probably the last time.
I tugged her back to me. Caught off guard, she placed her free hand on my chest to balance herself. Her chin rose and her lips parted, but I caught whatever she was about to say with my mouth as I cupped the nape of her neck with my other hand. I kissed her deeply, something I would’ve never done on a hookup, because hell, hookups were kind of like business transactions at this point.
Brit stiffened for just a tiny second and then relaxed, melding right into me as her tongue slipped over mine. When her hand clenched the front of my shirt, I lifted my head and grinned down at her.
“I’ll be right behind you.”
“Okay. All right.” Cheeks flushed, she backed away, blinking several times. “You do that.”
I chuckled as she wobbled away, but the amusement quickly vanished once I was in my car, behind hers, and I was driving the short distance to campus.
Hell. I was nervous.
I hadn’t been nervous since I lost my virginity and even then I’d just been too damn excited to get really anxious. Oh, but I was sweating now. Ridiculous.
Brit found a parking space close to her dorm, which gave me a little more time to pull my dumbass together. She’d waited for me at the entrance, and I draped my arm over her shoulders, telling myself to play it cool.
I didn’t need to turn into a fumbling idiot now.
Her dorm room was small—two single beds pushed against opposite walls. A shared desk and TV in the corner. It was obvious which side of the room was hers.
One bed was covered with clothes.
“Yours?” I asked, nodding at the bed.
Brit blushed as she hurried over to the bed. “How’d you guess?”
“Ah, you’ve never seemed like the kind to be into neat and orderly.”
“Is that a bad thing?” She scooped an arm full of clothes and headed toward a small closest.
“Not to me.” I kicked off my flip-flops. “It fits you.”
“It fits me,” she repeated quietly as she used her hip to nudge open the closet door. I grinned when she unceremoniously dumped the clothing in the closet. “Would you like anything to drink? There’s some stuff in the small fridge under the desk.”
“I’m good.” I moved to help her, but she gathered up the rest of her clothes before I could interfere. “Where’s your roomie?”
“With her boyfriend for the weekend.” Tugging her hair down, she turned to me as she ran her fingers through the blond l
ocks, working out the kinks. “I can turn on the TV.” She toed off her flats and started for the desk. “Or some music. We can—”
I caught her hand, drawing her to a stop. “You’re nervous.”
She opened her mouth and then snapped it shut. “Yeah. Kind of.”
My heart did a weird flip. “So am I.”
Her brows rose. “Really? You?”
I laughed at her question. “Why is that such a surprise?”
“Well, you’re . . . you have a lot of experience at this.” She toed with the edge of her dress with her free hand. “Not that I don’t, but you’re always so confident.”
“So are you,” I pointed out, but relieved I wasn’t the only one who felt out of my element.
She grinned. “This is different though.”
Our gazes collided and held. “Yeah, it is.”
She drew in a deep breath and then bit down on her lip as she slipped her hand free. I watched her go to the desk and bend slightly at the waist. The back of her dress rose, revealing shapely thighs. She opened a laptop and after a few seconds, a low hum of music drifted into the room.
I had no idea what song it was, because I was too focused on her curve of her backside and the graceful way in which she straightened and turned to me. She leaned back against the desk, head tilted to the side.
And I was already hard.
For a moment, I couldn’t move from where I stood. That stupid-ass saying floated through my thoughts. Be careful what you wish for. I had it in front of me and wasn’t sure what to do with it. Well, I had a lot of ideas, but none of them seemed good enough. Suddenly I wished I’d gone about this differently. Like maybe taken her out to dinner first, because it wasn’t that late. Or to the movies. Or we could’ve hung out at the party. Together.
But she was here and so was I.
Her eyes met mine, and I reached down, wrapped my fingers around the hem of my shirt and lifted it over my head, letting the material fall wherever it landed.
Pride and a razor-sharp anticipation swelled inside me as her gaze left mine, and moved slowly over my chest and down to where the shorts hung low on my hips. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen me shirtless, but it was the first time in her room, by her bed.