Not bad. Nice ass. Looks pretty fit, too. “She’s leaving.”
“So go hold the door open for her.” She practically pushes me out of my seat. “Go!”
I try to casually run, which is impossible, but the girl’s almost to the door. “I got that!” I say, reaching for the door and pushing it open for her.
She eyes me. “Thanks.” Instead of walking through the door, she turns and scans the Student Union. “Where did you come from?”
Shit. I look like a friggin’ douche, just like I thought I would. Mindy is so dead. I see her at the table, giving me a thumbs up.
“Is that your girlfriend?” the girl asks.
“What? No! She’s my best friend, and she sort of put me up to this.”
The girl furrows her brow. “So you didn’t want to get the door for me?”
“Well, I thought rushing over here would make me look pathetic.” I motion to my arm, which is still holding open the door. “Which I’m kind of thinking is exactly what I look like.”
She laughs. “You’re cute.”
Well, that’s a welcome change to girls glaring and running off. “Thanks.” I pause. “Can I say you are too, or will that offend you?”
“I’m never offended by a compliment.”
“That’s what I say!” I let go of the door since this girl is obviously not going anywhere any time soon. “I don’t get why I can’t compliment a girl’s…” My eyes lower to her chest, but I quickly raise them again.
She takes a step back. “Yeah. Well, I’m on my way to class.” She motions to the closed door, so I reach out and open it again.
I nod because I’ve blown it and no words are going to change that now.
Mindy walks up to me. “What happened? It looked like it was going well, but then—” She smacks my arm. “What body part did you comment on?”
Damn her. “I didn’t get the comment out. I stopped myself.”
“No, you stopped the words, but I’m sure your eyes filled in the rest for her. You couldn’t see her ass, so I’m guessing you stared at her boobs. Am I right?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” I walk out of the Student Union and head back to my dorm.
“Did you at least get her name?” Mindy asks.
Crap! I didn’t even think to ask. “Not exactly.”
Mindy pats my shoulder. “You’ll do better next time.”
“Better with what?” Andy asks, jogging up behind us.
He and Mindy keep talking, but I’m tuned out because Mystery Girl is sunbathing in the quad. Today she’s wearing black shorts and a green tank top. Her shirt is rolled up again, showing off her stomach. God what I wouldn’t give to lick those abs. She sits up and looks in my direction, but I can’t be sure if she’s looking at me behind her sunglasses. She pulls her earbuds out and smiles. Okay, maybe she is looking at me. I smile back.
Mindy drapes her arm across my shoulders, which makes Mystery Girl cock her head. Crap, she must think Mindy’s my girlfriend, just like the girl from the Student Union thought.
I shrug Mindy’s arm off and back away from her. “What are you doing? You are totally ruining my game.”
Mindy’s head jerks back and she laughs. “What game?”
“Yeah, man. You have no game.” Andy laughs and claps me on the back.
Screw them. I’ve got plenty of game, and I’m about to show this hottie once and for all. I turn back toward the quad, but she’s gone.
Chapter Three
I can’t believe I blew my chance with Mystery Girl. All because Mindy had to touch me. Maybe she’s half my problem. Maybe girls just assume I’m with Mindy and that’s why they always shoot me down. They think I’m the dick who hits on other girls when he’s already in a relationship. That settles it. I’m firing Mindy as my wingman and setting some boundaries as far as touching in public.
I’ve spent my day in the quad, hoping Mystery Girl would reappear. So far nothing. I’m not sure how she got away so quickly. I only turned my back for a minute. This sucks big time. It’s almost dinnertime, so I hit up the coffee cart for a frozen mocha thingy Mindy always gets. I won’t admit it to her, but they’re awesome—like heaven in my mouth.
“I’ll have what he’s having.”
I recognize Mystery Girl’s voice behind me. Before my nerves can get the best of me, I say, “I’ve got that” and hand the guy enough money to cover both drinks.
“Thanks. I didn’t think there were any gentlemen left on this campus.”
I take a deep breath before turning around to face her. My throat closes on me the second I take in her form up close. I’m about to become a babbling idiot, but I remember what Mindy said. “Hi.” Let’s see if that really works.
“Hi.” She smiles at me and then looks around. “Where’s your girlfriend?”
I knew it! Damn Mindy. “She’s not my girlfriend. Best friend, actually.” And former wingman.
“A guy with a female best friend—you don’t see that often. Unless…” She studies me for a moment, her eyes lowering to my crotch, which I’m sure is giving me away. “Nope. Definitely not gay.”
“Here you go,” the coffee cart guy says, handing Mystery Girl her drink.
“Thanks.” She smiles at me and starts to walk away.
This is it. I can’t just let her go, so I follow. “I take it you don’t have any male friends.”
She sips her drink, licks her lips, and lets out a little moan. “Mmm, that’s good.”
Holy shit. The things I want to do to this girl.
She eyes me as if she knows what I’m thinking. “Actually, I have quite a few guy friends.”
Weird. Why’d she question Mindy and me then? Unless she’s interested and just wanted to make sure I wasn’t already taken. “Just friends though, right?”
“Right.” She bumps my arm with her shoulder. “See you around.”
What? I replay our conversation in my head, but I can’t find anything I did wrong. “Wait. At least tell me your name.” I turn on the Hannigan charm and give her my best dimple smile. “Please.”
“It’s Fallon.” She turns away but glances over her shoulder at me. “That’s all you’re getting.” I open my mouth to protest, but she cuts me off. “For now.”
***
All night Fallon is the only thing on my mind. I ignore Mindy’s calls and Ace’s texts about another party. I even go to bed early just so I can hurry up and get this day over with. I want to wake up and see Fallon.
My first class is cancelled because the professor had a bad allergic reaction to shrimp, according to the note on the lecture hall door. Sweet! That means I can head to the quad and look for Fallon. I try not to run, but I’m too excited to take my time.
She’s on her blanket in the middle of the quad again. Does she ever go to class? Her black halter-top is pushing her boobs together. Damn, that’s going to be hard not to stare at.
“Hey,” I say, but she doesn’t budge. I realize her earbuds are in and she can’t hear me. She must have her eyes closed behind her sunglasses, too. I sit down next to her and gently tap her hand.
She jolts to a sitting position and yanks the earbuds out. “Crap, you scared me.”
“Sorry. I said hi first but you didn’t hear me.”
She looks around and hastily pockets her iPod. “What are you doing here?”
“Saying hello.” Did I misread her yesterday? I could’ve sworn she was flirting with me, but she looks terrified of me now.
“Oh.” She smiles. “Want to go for a walk?”
“A walk?” It’s not exactly on my list of top ten things to do with this girl, but whatever. “Sure.”
She leaves the blanket and heads toward the volleyball courts. She doesn’t say anything, just walks me over to the locker rooms outside the courts. I realize she doesn’t even know my name, so I say, “I’m Mike, by the way. I didn’t get a chance to tell you yesterday.”
“Uh huh.” She pushes me back against the locker room door.
My first thought is “holy shit” but then she reaches through my arm and unlocks the door.
“You on the team or something that you have a key?”
“Or something.” She takes my hand and leads me inside. Normally, being in the girls’ locker room would be a dream come true. But it’s empty except for Fallon and me. Nothing but rows of lockers, benches, and what looks like a hot tub.
“What are we doing here?”
“You talk a lot.”
“That’s kind of how you get to know someone, isn’t it?”
She undoes her halter-top and shimmies out of it, revealing a tiny black bikini. “I don’t know. I think there are other ways to get to know a person.” She slides her shorts off and kicks them aside. “You going in like that?”
“Going in?” She can’t mean that the way it sounds in my head.
“The hot tub.” She gestures over her shoulder. “Unless you have somewhere better to be.”
“No. Not at all.” My clothes are off in seconds, and I’m standing in my boxers.
Her eyes lower, and she smiles. “I see you’re ready.”
Damn! This girl has to know how this looks and sounds. It can’t all be in my head. “Fallon, what’s going on here?”
She leans into me, her hands running down my bare chest. “I think you know.” She reaches up on her toes and nibbles on my lower lip.
That’s all the encouragement I need. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into a kiss. The girl has a seriously gifted tongue. It dances around mine, daring me to deepen the kiss. I happily oblige. Her hands reach between my legs. She’s not wasting any time.
“Get in,” she says.
I pull back, wondering if she means she wants to do this right here.
“The hot tub,” she says with a laugh.
“Right.” I give her my hand and help her in before sliding into the water beside her. Damn, her body is even more appealing soaking wet.
She smiles and presses her body up against mine. “Nice, right?”
Nice doesn’t even come close, but before I can respond her lips are on mine again. I’m not sure how this is all happening, but I’m not about to stop and question it. And if I’m dreaming, I hope I never wake up. Her fingers slide down my chest and tug on the waist of my boxers. She’s completely taking the lead, and nothing could be sexier. She pulls back slightly and undoes the tie on her bikini top. Her boobs are perky and staring me in the face. And I thought my room had a nice view.
Fallon wraps her arms around my shoulders and then her legs wrap around my waist. I cup her ass in my hands and take one of her nipples in my mouth. She throws her head back and moans in pleasure. She’s a girl who knows what she wants. My lips trail up to her neck, and I bury my head there for a few minutes, listening to the hotter-than-hell noises she’s making. Finally, she pulls my lips back to hers and lowers her legs so she can slip her bikini bottom off. Before I can remove my boxers, she has them off too, and not once did her lips leave mine.
The girl is seriously talented. Her legs wrap around my waist again, and before I know what’s happening, I’m inside her. She does all the work. I just sit back and enjoy it. God, do I enjoy it. She’s panting and her chest is heaving in my face, which I take full advantage of, taking nibbles here and there at her nipples. She cries out and arches her back. That does me in. I’m crying out right along with her.
“Wow,” I say, as she lowers her legs and pulls away from me.
She smiles. “Everything’s better in a hot tub.” She climbs out, fishing her bikini from the water in the process. I watch her walk around naked as she hangs her wet bathing suit in one of the lockers and then puts her shorts and top back on without anything underneath them. The thought makes me ready to go again, but she’s almost out the door.
“Hey! Wait up a second.” I pull myself out of the hot tub and yank my shirt over my head. I tug my cargo shorts on and toss my wet boxers into the trash by the door. No way am I carrying them back to my dorm. That would lead to too many questioning stares.
Fallon pauses in the doorway and turns back to me, but she doesn’t say a word.
“You’re just going to run off? Just like that?” It seemed like she was enjoying herself. No way was she faking that, so what’s with the quick exit?
“Sorry. I have somewhere I was supposed to be about ten minutes ago.”
Oh, so she’s late because of me. I can’t help smiling. “I’d say I’m sorry I made you late, but there’s not a single part of me that is sorry about what we just did.”
She smiles and walks away, leaving me to wonder when I’m going to see her again.
Chapter Four
“You had sex?” Mindy’s eyes widen. “That wasn’t part of the plan. You were supposed to find a nice girl—someone you could have an actual relationship with.”
“Who says I didn’t?” I definitely want to have many repeats of my encounter with Fallon today, and I’m not at all opposed to being her boyfriend.
“So you want more with this girl?” She crosses her arms, not believing me.
“Yes. Why is that so difficult to believe?” I lace my hands behind my head and reposition myself on my bed. If Mindy’s going to go all girl on me, I might as well be comfortable.
“You know you did this backwards, right?”
“Actually, we didn’t. We were standing up in the hot tub and—”
She holds her hands up to stop me. “Good Lord! I beg you not to finish that sentence.”
I smirk. “You’re the one who brought it up.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
Okay, so I did, but it’s so much fun to make her freak out. “I wouldn’t have really given you the details.”
“Sure you wouldn’t.” She shakes her head. “Do you really think you can take a step back now and get to know her after you’ve already slept with her?”
I shrug. “Why not? You can’t tell me sexual tension doesn’t get in the way when you’re trying to get to know someone. We took care of that.” And if I have to take care of it a few more times in the process of getting to know Fallon, I’ll gladly do it.
The hardened look on Mindy’s face disappears. “You really like her? It’s not just physical?”
“I don’t really know yet. All I know is her name is Fallon, she likes French vanilla coffee and those frozen mocha things you drink, and she’s amazing in bed.”
She smacks my shoulder.
“What? I intend to find out more about her. I just haven’t had the chance yet.”
She gives me her “bullshit” glare. “So, when are you going to see her again?”
If it were up to me, I’d be with her now instead of getting the third degree from Mindy. “I don’t know. She said she was supposed to be somewhere, so she took off pretty fast.”
Mindy’s brows pull together. “That’s odd.”
“What? That she blew off other plans to be with me?” I’m still feeling high over that.
“But she didn’t. She slept with you and ran off.”
I bolt upright. “I can’t believe you’re trying to ruin this for me. This girl is insanely gorgeous—way out of my league—and I got her.”
“You slept with her. You don’t have her.”
“I even used your stupid ‘hi’ line. The least you can do is be slightly happy for me.”
Her eyes widen. “My ‘hi’ line? All I did was tell you to act like a normal human being.” She gets up and starts pacing my room.
“What’s your deal? I listened to you, took your advice.”
She stops pacing and faces me. “Mike, you are so much better than this.”
“We don’t even know what this is, so why are you freaking out?”
She walks over and takes my hands in hers. “Because I don’t want my best friend to be thought of as nothing more than a guy who can’t keep it in his pants.” She lets go of me and shakes her head. “Why can’t you let everyone else see the real you? The guy I see all the tim
e?”
Because I’d never find a girl that way. “I can be myself around you. You don’t care if I talk smack or cry at sad movies.”
She cracks a smile. “You cry at commercials, too.”
Of course she’d bring that up. “It was one commercial.”
She lets out the laugh she was obviously stifling. “A coffee commercial.”
“The old guy looked like he was about to croak!”
“See. This is the guy girls will go crazy over. Be this guy.”
“What if Fallon doesn’t like sensitive guys?”
“Then she’s not right for you.” Mindy steps toward me and playfully kicks my shin. “Just promise me you’ll do more than have sex next time you see her.”
That’s a promise I can easily keep. “Deal.”
She grabs her bag and heads for the door. “For the record, I mean you should talk—not do other freaky stuff you didn’t try last time.” She holds two fingers in front of her eyes and then flicks them at me in the “I’m watching you” signal.
I shake my head. Sometimes it’s like she can read my mind.
I spend the rest of the day looking out for Fallon in the quad. I feel like a total stalker, but I don’t know any other way to catch up with her. We didn’t exchange numbers and I don’t even know which dorm she’s in. But it’s like she’s disappeared. Finally, I give up and go to bed. At least in my dreams, I’ll have no trouble finding her.
***
I step out of my dorm expecting to find Mindy, but instead I see Fallon holding two cups of coffee.
“For me?” I flash my dimples as she hands me a cup.
“Sorry I had to run off yesterday.”
“No problem.” I motion toward my class and she walks the rest of the way with me. “So, what are you up to today?”
“The usual. Classes.”
“And sunbathing in the quad?” I sip my coffee and realize that totally sounds like I’ve been watching her. It might be true, but I don’t want her to know that. I expect her to run away again, but instead she smiles.
Campus Crush Page 2