Palm South University: Season 3 Box Set

by Kandi Steiner

  He continues his slow, quiet assault the entire drive, and by the time we reach the hotel, I’m two feather-light touches away from orgasming in the back of a fucking taxi cab.

  Jarrett pays the driver as I sprint inside to the front desk, checking in with weak knees and an unbearable ache between my thighs. I swipe the keys from the counter as soon as the girl tells me our room number and barrel back outside, grabbing Jarrett’s hand and leading him inside through the lobby to the elevators.

  “Room 813,” I pant as the elevator doors close, pushing him against the wall. I cover his mouth with mine as he fumbles to push the button for the eighth floor. He runs his hands down my ribs and to my ass, cupping it firmly and pulling me flush against him as we ride up. The seam of my jean shorts rubs me in the spot I’m aching most and I gasp into his mouth, my orgasm already within reach. One more touch and I’ll fall apart.

  Jarrett’s lips don’t leave mine as we stumble down the hall to our room, him pulling his suitcase behind him as my hands get to work on his belt. He taps the plastic card to the scanner on our door and shoves us through, dropping his suitcase right behind the door before picking me up and carrying me to one of the beds.

  “Two beds?” he asks, breaking our kiss long enough to appraise the room.

  “I asked for a king, probably a mistake. Want me to run downstairs and have them fix it?”

  “Are you kidding?” he asks, looking back down at me with a wicked grin. “I’m going to fuck you on both of them.” He drops down on top of me, sucking the skin on my neck between his teeth and letting it go with a pop as I cry out at the sensation. “And then the floor. And the shower.” He kisses me again. “And that chair over there.” Another kiss. “And that desk. Definitely that fucking desk.”

  I giggle against his mouth as he unzips my shorts and tugs them down my thighs. I’ve missed him, mind and soul, but it’s his body that calls to mine first, begging to be touched, to be fucked. My eyes can’t devour him long enough, can’t get their fill of him before he touches me in a way that has them fluttering closed again.

  I wiggle my legs back and forth to help him with my shorts, making quick work of my tank top and bra in the process. When he hooks his thumbs under the lace of my panties and slides them down my legs, slowly pulling them one by one from each ankle at the end, he runs his tongue across his bottom lip and pulls me up until I’m on my knees in front of him.

  “I want that perfect fucking pussy on my face,” he growls, tugging my hair back with both hands and running his tongue along my jaw. “Now.”

  And this is why I want everyone to know this man is mine.

  Jarrett moves quickly until he’s on his back on the bed and I rip his shirt up and over his head, tossing it to the side before crawling up his body. I take my time, reveling in the feel of him underneath me. The man I was never supposed to have, now the only one I ever want.

  What has he done to me?

  I kiss every tattoo on the way up, tracing the ones I know with my tongue, eyeing the new ones with appreciation until both of my knees are braced on either side of his face.

  And then, his mouth is on me.

  I gasp at the feel of him, my orgasm already so close I can feel the first tingles climbing. His tongue circles my clit before he sucks it gently between his teeth, hands smacking my ass and pulling me closer to him. I arch my back, crying out with loud moans as I ride his face. Each swirl of his tongue sends me closer to the edge, and when he slides two fingers deep inside me, working them like I’m riding his dick, I go flying.

  His name is on my lips as I cry out, nails digging into the headboard, orgasm rocking me from the inside out. A numbing fire consumes every inch of me until I shake and shudder around him, and I barely have time to recover before he flips us.

  Jarrett kisses me hard, the taste of me fresh on his tongue, his hands hard on my thighs as he drags me to the edge of the bed. He breaks contact long enough to strip out of his jeans and boxer briefs and then my ankles are on his shoulders and he slides inside me mercilessly, filling me with a moan, his head dropping back.

  “Oh, my God,” I moan with him, fists twisting in the sheets as he wraps his hands around my thighs and pounds into me again. Every thrust hits deeper, and Jarrett lets my ankles fall to the side, leaning down to suck one nipple between his teeth as he curls his back, pushing in again and again, each time with more purpose than the last.

  And it’s this I’ll never get enough of. The touching, the kissing, the fucking. It’s this that reminds me that no matter the distance or the time, what we have is real. It sparks to life as soon as we’re together again, like no time has passed, like nothing can ever come between us.

  Unstoppable. That’s what we are.

  Pressing a hand hard into Jarrett’s chest, I push him back until he slips out of me, the backs of his legs hitting the edge of the opposite bed. I follow, dropping to my knees in front of him, running my hands along the hard length of him in appreciation.

  “I’ve missed this fucking dick so much,” I say, glancing up at Jarrett. He smirks, but as soon as I wrap my mouth around the tip of him, any trace of a smile fades and his eyes roll back as he groans.

  I work him into my mouth slowly, sliding down farther each time until he’s coated and wet. When I slide my lips all the way down to the base of him, fighting against the gag, he curses, flexing his hips forward. I pull back, circling my tongue over his crown before dipping down again, this time holding my breath so he can fuck my throat.

  When I palm his tight balls, I know he’s close, but he grabs me by the arms and yanks me up, kissing me hard once before spinning me around until my hands are braced on the other bed we’ve yet to fuck on.

  I climb up, braced on my hands and knees, and Jarrett slides his wet cock down the line of my ass before slipping inside my pussy again. He feels bigger in this position, every inch of him stretching me open as I arch my back and flip my hair back for him to grab.

  “I want you to come again,” he pants, hips rolling and pushing him in deeper.

  “Fuck, I don’t know if I can.”

  “Do you trust me?” he asks, tugging my hair and leaning down to suck the skin of my neck.

  I gasp, his cock so deep inside me now I’m seeing stars. “Yes,” I breathe, and Jarrett runs his thumb along my bottom lip before dipping it inside my mouth. I suck it gently, rolling my tongue all the way down to the knuckle and back.

  Jarrett groans, pulling his thumb from my mouth and sliding his hand down my back, over my ass. Then, before I have time to register it, I feel a pinch, and that same thumb slides inside my ass.

  “Oh, fuck,” I cry out, the new sensation rocking through me. He pounds in deeper, thumb working in the same rhythm, and it only takes seconds for me to fall apart again. I come hard, fire scorching me from the inside, and my moans are all it takes for Jarrett to come with me.

  We ride out our orgasms until the very last tingle, Jarrett slowly removing his thumb, both of us panting for air when he drops to the bed beside me and pulls me into his chest.

  I’m completely sated, thighs and hip flexors already sore as I trace my fingers over his abdomen and up to his chest, outlining the fresh ink there. It’s a brightly colored hourglass piece, sharp reds and purples lining the wings that frame the glass, the sand trickling down slowly, top half more full than the bottom.

  “I love this,” I whisper softly, still running my fingertips over the swollen skin.

  Jarrett pulls me closer, pressing his lips to my forehead. “And I love you.”

  I smile, rolling until I’m on top of him, my hair falling down to frame us under the curtains. “Well, two beds down. But we didn’t make it to the floor… or the shower… or the chair… or the desk.”

  “Oh,” Jarrett says with a smirk, hand sliding along my jaw before tucking into my hair and pulling my lips to his. “That was just round one. We’re not leaving this room until morning, I hope you know that.”

  And so I smile,
order us a pizza, and buckle in for round two.

  “I’m really glad I got to do dinner with you before Bear and I leave for Pittsburgh, Jarrett,” Skyler says just as another round of margaritas is dropped off at our table. “Seeing your eyes light up when you talk about your job… I need to find something like that.”

  Jarrett is completely surrounded by girls as we gobble up the last of our burritos and tacos at the best Mexican place off campus. Skyler and Erin sit across the table while Cassie flanks his left side, Ashlei and I rounding out the right side. And for the last two hours, he’s been drilled with questions, and he’s handled it like an absolute champ.

  “You get like that with poker,” Erin points out, tipping her glass toward Skyler.

  “Yeah, but can that really be a career? Like, a forever thing?”

  “If it’s what you really love, why not?” Jarrett asks.

  He makes a good point, and Skyler chews her cheek.

  “It seems like that’s how you feel about your job, Jarrett. Like you really love it and there’s nothing else you want or need to be happy,” Cassie adds.

  Jarrett smirks, casting a glance at me before tucking me under his arm. He presses a kiss into my hair, holding me close. “There is one thing.”

  The girls sigh in sync, and I can’t help but swoon a little myself. After spending all night with him in the hotel last night, I didn’t think the trip could get any better. But we spent the day at the beach together, and now he’s getting along with all of the people who are important to me.

  I thought I couldn’t get in any deeper with him, but here I am, sinking without a single care to save myself.

  Jarrett tips my chin up and kisses me sweetly before turning the conversation back to Cassie and her plans to go pre-med. All I can do is watch him, eyes memorizing the sharp edges of his nose, the line of his jaw, the curve of his small smile as he listens to my best friends tell him about themselves. An ache rolls through me at the thought of him leaving again, not knowing when I’ll see him, not knowing how long we’ll be long distance.

  Jarrett is so good at being alone. He was a loner when I met him, perfectly content in his one-bedroom apartment taking care of himself. He’s had to his entire life, ever since his mother passed away when he was thirteen. I didn’t even know he’d gone through that, not until he was taking care of me when I was sick last semester.

  He’s self-sufficient. Independent. Completely fine on his own.

  But I need him.

  Before Jarrett, I didn’t need anyone, either. I wanted guys, sure — but just to get me off. I was perfectly content doing it myself if the right guy wasn’t around, and when they were around, that was all I needed them for.

  But Jarrett snuck inside my heart. He opened me up when I was sure the doors were locked forever. I was like a succulent, needing little attention to survive, and now he’s transformed me into a weak little rose in the palm of his hand, desperate for his care.

  I’ve never felt so vulnerable, and it scares the ever-loving shit out of me.

  “I’ve got this,” Jarrett says when the waitress brings our bill, and all of the girls light up, their eyes catching mine. They know it, too — how deep I’m in — and I wonder if they’re happy for me or worried how they’ll save me when it all goes up in flames.

  Jarrett holds me close to him as we walk the short distance to Ralph’s, one hand tucked into the back pocket of my jeans. We fall a little behind the group, and I feel him watching me.

  “Stop overthinking,” he says. “You’ve got self-sabotage written all over that beautiful face of yours.”

  I chuckle, leaning into him. “I’m just going to miss you, that’s all.”

  “I just got here.”

  “But you’ll still leave in three days.”

  Jarrett frowns, pulling me to a stop when we reach the parking lot of Ralph’s. I wave the other girls to go in without us, keeping my eyes on my feet when it’s just Jarrett and me.

  “Do you remember what you asked me that day I took care of you when you had that nasty sinus infection?” Jarrett asks, knuckle finding my chin and forcing me to look at him. “You asked me how long it would take you to chase me away. And what was my answer?”

  “You can’t chase someone who’s not running.”

  Jarrett nods, his dark eyes searching mine. “I’m still not running, Jess. Distance hasn’t changed the way I feel about you, and it won’t change our relationship if we don’t let it. I know this is hard.” He pauses, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “I know I’m asking you to love a man you can’t always touch, and I know that’s not fair.”

  “And I know how important this opportunity is to you,” I counter, leaning into his touch.

  He frames my face with his hand, thumb rubbing the line of my jaw. “You’re important to me, too.”

  “I know.”

  For a long moment he just holds me, and I watch him, knowing I’m not making it easier for him to stick to his decision when I make him doubt us in any way.

  “We’re going to make it through this,” I whisper. “I won’t lie and say I’m not scared, but we’ll be okay. I know we will.”

  Jarrett sighs, relief washing over him as he tugs me into his chest and wraps his arms all the way around me. I inhale the smell of him, wishing I could bottle it up, wishing I could keep us in this moment forever.

  “Want to throw me in the back closet for old time’s sake?” I ask with a grin, pulling back from his hold and grabbing his hand to lead him inside.

  He smacks my ass with a smile of his own. “You’ve got to find some cowgirl boots first. You know, to keep the memory authentic.”

  I laugh as we dip inside the glass doors, joining the girls along with Clinton, Adam, and a whole slew of their brothers. And the rest of the night is easy, Jarrett getting along with everyone he talks to, and me letting go of my fears, if even just for the night. We dance and laugh, drink and play, and when last call comes and goes and I’m back in the sheets with Jarrett, I know only one thing really matters.

  I’m in love with a man who loves me, too.

  Whether it’s forever or just for right now, I vow to make the most of every minute I can say that.

  IT’S A BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY day in Franklin Park, a borough right outside of Pittsburgh where Mac’s family lives. We’re all seated at a large picnic table in their backyard, plates of ribs and potato salad and everything in-between piled high around us.

  Clinton warned me that the weather was pretty unpredictable in Pittsburgh in September, so I packed everything from shorts to a thick rain jacket, but we were welcomed by a temperature in the mid-seventies and blue skies with puffy white clouds slowly flowing by. After melting in South Florida for the past few months, it’s a nice change.

  What’s even nicer is the change I’ve seen in Clinton.

  It’s been a short trip, but even just a few days spent with his baby brother has brightened him back into the Clinton I know and love. We went to a Pirates game, let Mac and Clayton show us around their new school, and even took the cable car up the Duquesne Incline for touristy pictures since this is my first time to the city. But the truth is it wouldn’t have mattered what we did while we were here. Just being with Clayton has made Clinton smile again, and that’s all I ever wanted.

  “Needless to say, she’s begging for me to take her to homecoming,” Clayton says, finishing his story about a girl in his math class. He scoops a big heap of macaroni and cheese onto his plate before passing the bowl to his big brother. “But I mean, I don’t want to rush into anything. I’ve got decisions to make. So many choices, you know?”

  Mac rolls his eyes. “Yeah, so many. Her, your right hand, however will you choose?”

  Everyone laughs, except Clayton, who grabs a toothpick from the small holder and pegs Mac in the nose with it.

  “Clayton likes to pretend like he’s such a little thug,” Mac’s mom says, her voice sweet and slow like molasses. She’s a little shorter than me, w
ith a tiny button nose and dark freckles on the apples of her caramel cheeks. “But he’s a good kid. Finished eighth grade with straight A’s last year and seems to be on the same path in high school. And he does it all while juggling football, too.”

  “It’s true,” Mac’s sister, Kia, agrees. “Already making a name for himself and he’s only been in high school for a couple of months.”

  “Yeah, makes me look bad. Thanks a lot, Clayton,” Mac chimes in.

  It’s hard to tell if Clayton is blushing, but he wears a shy smile, forking up a few macaroni noodles before popping them in his mouth.

  Clinton is beaming, his chest puffed out with pride like a dad. “That’s my baby brother. What position are you playing now that you’re in high school?”

  “Wide receiver.”

  “And what are your stats so far this season?”

  He shrugs. “Well, we’ve only had a few games, but so far I’ve got a little over three-hundred receiving yards and four touchdowns.”

  “That’s really good, Baby Bear,” I say, winking with the use of his favorite nickname. “Especially for a freshman.”

  Clinton’s smile takes up his entire face, and he puts his fork down, turning to his little brother in earnest. “I’m really proud of you, Clayton. Keep up this hard work and you’ll get to go to any college you want to.”

  “I want to go to PSU,” he says easily, mirroring Clinton’s smile. “Just like you.”

  It’s a private moment between big brother and little brother, and Mac’s dad feels it, too, turning the conversation to me to give them a moment as Clinton claps Clayton on the shoulder with pride in his eyes.

  “So, Skyler,” Mr. Harrison says between bites of his ribs, his fingers covered in barbecue sauce. “Bear tells us you’re entering a pretty big poker tournament this upcoming summer.”

  “I haven’t officially decided yet, but I’m seriously considering it.”