Campus Crush

by Ashelyn Drake

  Ben’s right. We’re going to fall hard for each other.

  I don’t think a single speed limit is observed on the drive back to my dorm, and it makes me laugh more than once.

  Ben shoots me a sideways glance. “You have to tell me what is so funny? I mean, considering why we left the restaurant, you’re sort of killing me right now.”

  “Sorry. I just can’t help noticing how eager you are to get back to my room.”

  He reaches across the seat, sliding his hand onto my leg and slowly up my dress. “Oh, and you’re not eager?”

  “Not fair.” I stiffen in the seat, but his hand keeps climbing.

  “You can tell me to stop, you know.”

  Oh, I know, but I don’t want to. I lean my head back on the headrest and close my eyes.

  “Mindy?” He pulls his hand away, but I grab it and turn to look at him.

  “I thought my silence was answer enough to your statement.”

  “You’re going to make me crash this truck, aren’t you?”

  “You’re the one touching me, not the other way around.”

  He looks at me and sighs. “You have no idea what touching you does to me.”

  ***

  The rest of the ride goes by too quickly, and before I know it, we’re in the parking lot of my dorm and Ben’s not touching me anymore. I’m breathing heavily, and Ben grabs the back of my head, pulling my lips to his.

  “How do you feel about cold food?” he asks, leaning his forehead on mine.

  “That’s why they invented microwaves.” I bite his lower lip.

  He laughs. “You know I think I do remember their first commercial slogan being, ‘So college co-eds can get it on and eat later.’ That was it, right?”

  I kiss him again because he’s so damn cute. Finally, I push him away, and he looks at me like he did something wrong.

  “What is it?”

  “I can’t stand having your truck between us.” I pat the middle console and open my door.

  “Hang on.” Ben gets out and rushes to my door. He grabs my waist and lifts me out of the truck, letting my body slide down his as he places my feet on the ground. “If we don’t get to your room soon…” He takes a few deep breaths.

  I grab the food from the seat and close the door. “Man, are all freshman guys this sex-crazed?”

  Ben takes my hand. “It’s not about the sex, Mindy. It’s about you.”

  He keeps coming out with these lines that make me melt on the spot. He might be the most romantic guy I’ve ever met. I’m so lost in him that I almost don’t notice Noelle and Andy on our way inside.

  “Hey, Mindy,” Andy says. His eyes go back and forth between Ben and me.

  Ben turns to me, waiting for an introduction.

  “Hey. Um, this is Ben. Ben, this is Andy and his girlfriend, Noelle.”

  “Hey.” Ben nods at them.

  “You have a great singing voice,” Noelle says with a smile.

  “Thanks. It helps when you’re inspired,” Ben says, and it’s all I can do to support my own weight.

  “Aw!” Noelle smiles and loops her arm through Andy’s.

  “All right. Let’s go,” Andy says. “The new guy is making me look bad.”

  “Have a good night, guys,” I say as they walk by us.

  “You too,” Andy says in a knowing voice.

  “Are we that obvious?” Ben asks.

  We walk to the elevator, and I press the button. The car is already waiting at the bottom, so we get on and I press the sixth floor button. “Sorry. Andy’s friends with Mike, too, and—”

  Ben presses me up against the wall, his arms and legs straddling me. He buries his head in my neck, and I watch the numbers on the display, willing them to go faster so we can get to my room and not be interrupted.

  The elevator dings and the doors open, but Ben isn’t stopping. “Ben.” I gently push him away and see a few girls from my floor giggling at us.

  “Hi,” Ben says to them as he takes my hand and leads me to my room.

  “I’m going to get quite the reputation because of you, Benjamin.” I unlock my door and step inside.

  He puts the food down on my desk and walks over to me, placing his hands on my waist. “How do you do this to me?”

  “Do what? I think you’re the one who just made me look bad in front of those girls.” I motion toward the hallway, but Ben reaches around me and pushes the door closed.

  “I mean how can you make me want you so bad.”

  “I’m not doing anything.”

  “I don’t mean it in a bad way.” He brushes my hair behind my shoulder. “I just don’t know how you’ve made me feel so much when I just met you.”

  He’s made me feel plenty. Especially on the ride back here from the restaurant. “Believe me, the feeling is mutual.”

  “Good.” He nibbles on my bottom lip. “Because I’m not about to let you go anytime soon.”

  “You don’t have to.” I can’t help wondering if he thinks because I’m older than him, I’ll get bored and leave him. I have no plans of going anywhere.

  “I meant what I said earlier.” He kisses my neck.

  “We both said a lot. What part are you talking about?”

  He looks into my eyes again. “I’m falling for you, Mindy. And I’m going to do everything I can to make you fall for me, too.”

  Chapter Five

  He said it again! I don’t know what to think or feel about this. I’ve had guys ask for permission to kiss me before, but none has ever told me that they planned to fall in love with me and make me fall in love with them. I can’t help feeling like he’s putting pressure on whatever this is between us.

  “Ben—”

  “Fuck. I freaked you out, didn’t I?” He steps back and turns away from me.

  “No, it’s okay. It’s just that saying something like that makes it feel like we’re in a relationship, when really we just met.”

  He crosses his arms and keeps his back to me. “So, you’re only looking for a hook-up.” He nods. “I get it.”

  “No.” I reach for him and turn him around again. “That’s not what I’m saying. I just don’t want to put too much pressure on us. You know? It kind of seems like it might do more harm than good.”

  “Do you want me to leave?”

  I tug on his arms so he uncrosses them, and I step into his body. “Please don’t go.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah. If you want, we can heat up our food, watch some TV, and take it from there.” I want him to stay so I can get to know him better. We already know that we’re attracted to each other, and physically we’re a perfect fit. But I still don’t know much about him.

  He nods. “I’ll heat up the food.” He rubs my arms and smiles before he grabs the food from my desk and heats it up in the microwave.

  I sit on the bed and turn on the TV. My cell chimes, and I grab it from my purse. A text from Mike is on the screen.

  I hear you’re having a good night. :)

  Andy has a big mouth. And so do you. We need to talk. I text back.

  Got to run! Have fun. Don’t corrupt the boy too much.

  I know better than to respond. Mike will just ignore it. But I will be having a talk with him later about revealing information about me to a stranger.

  “Everything okay?” Ben asks, handing me my plate of food, while his heats up. I notice he heated my chicken up and put it back in my salad. I was going to eat it all cold, but that was really sweet of him to go through the trouble to make sure my salad was the way it was meant to be eaten.

  “Yeah, just Mike.”

  “Let me guess. Andy texted him that we’re together.”

  “Exactly. I’m starting to think I need new friends.” I pull my legs up on the bed and sit Indian style.

  Ben shakes his head. “Nah. They’re looking out for you. That’s good.”

  “Come on. Mike gave up information about me at the prospect of a date with a freshman girl.” I take a
bite of chicken.

  Ben sits down on the edge of my bed. “Are you sorry he did?”

  “No, but Mike had no idea we’d hit it off when he talked to you.”

  “You don’t think he knows you well enough to know you’d be into me?” He reaches up and wipes my bottom lip with his thumb.

  I’m tempted to push my food aside and crush my lips against his, but I take a few deep breaths instead. I need to know more about him than what he tastes like. “He does, but I still don’t really know you.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “How about the same kind of things you asked me at dinner?” I take another bite of my salad.

  “Okay. Well, I grew up in a small town in New Jersey called Blairstown. I went to a private school where my dad taught and played basketball for two years, but I sucked so bad the coach finally asked me to quit.”

  “Ouch.” I try not to smile, although I find it kind of funny.

  “Yeah, well if my dad didn’t work there, I’m sure I wouldn’t have made the team in the first place.”

  “Tell me about your dad.” I look down at my salad, trying to hide my interest in the story that’s obviously there. Something about the way he avoided talking about his dad earlier really has me wondering.

  “He went to Timberland, married my mom a few years after he graduated, and now he’s a science teacher.”

  No mention of the organization his dad founded here at Timberland. Why is Ben being so secretive about this? “That’s it?”

  The microwave beeps, and Ben gets up. He brings his food back to my bed and gives me a questioning look. “What else is there to say?”

  I pat the bed next to me. “Go ahead. You can eat here with me.”

  “I’ve been told I’m not exactly a neat eater. I don’t want to get crumbs in your bed.”

  “That’s what vacuums and washing machines are for.”

  “Wow, you’re a wealth of information about household appliances. You’ve already taught me the real reason for microwaves, vacuums, and washing machines.”

  “Imagine what I’ll teach you tomorrow.” I smile as I take another bite of my dinner.

  Once Ben starts eating, he loosens up again. I can’t believe the whole “falling for you” conversation derailed the night so much. I know it’s my fault. I freaked out. But what girl wouldn’t? It’s too soon. Ben’s really sweet and the connection between us is undeniable, but I’m not ready for the L-word.

  When we’re finished eating, we curl up and watch reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I used to love the show as a kid.

  “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen every episode,” Ben says.

  “So you like a girl who can take you in a fight?” I ask, angling my head so I can see him since he’s lying behind me and my head is on his chest.

  “Tough chicks are hot.”

  “Glad you think so,” I say, turning back to the screen.

  He takes his hand and gently tilts my head so I’m looking at him again. “Are you saying you think you could take me?”

  “Oh, I don’t think I can take you. I know I can.”

  Ben’s lips part in a smile. “You are on, girl.”

  I jump up, excited to wrestle with Ben. Ever since he pulled away from me, I’ve been dying to get my hands on him. Wrestling is the perfect excuse.

  “Eager, are we?” He laughs as he stands up.

  I crouch down and bob back and forth on my feet. “Nervous?”

  “Don’t do that. You look adorable, and it’s making it really difficult for me to think about fighting you.”

  Good to know. “Is that an excuse I’m hearing, Benjamin?”

  He lunges for me, scooping me into his arms and gently placing me on my back on the middle of my floor. “I love it when you call me that.” He’s on top of me, his lips inches from mine. He leans in to kiss me, but I roll out from under him.

  “No fair. We never said we were starting.”

  “You don’t think I can take you down again?” He holds his hands out in front of him, motioning for me to attack.

  “Only if I let you.”

  He laughs. “Oh, you think so?”

  “Watch.” I lunge for him, keeping low and hoping to knock him off balance, but he’s too strong. He wraps his arms around my waist and flips me over. The next thing I know, I’m on my back with him on top of me again.

  “You were saying?” He raises an eyebrow. “By the way, what does the winner get? I mean, I think I should be entitled to a prize, don’t you?”

  “Okay. The winner gets to decide how we spend the rest of the evening.”

  His eyes light up. “I like that.” He leans toward me again, his lips brushing against mine. I reach down, and he moans when he realizes I’m going for his jeans. He slips off me to give me better access, and I roll on top of him, pinning his shoulders to the ground.

  “I’d say that’s a pin.” I smile and sit on his stomach.

  “You little cheat.” An approving grin spreads across his face.

  I raise his arms up over his head. “Say I’m tougher than you.”

  He smirks. “Not happening.”

  I increase the pressure on his hands. “Say it.”

  “Or what?” He wiggles underneath me. “You know I can get out of this if I want to.”

  I lean down so my lips graze his ear as I whisper, “But you don’t want to.” I let go of his hands and look him in the eyes.

  “No. I don’t. I’m yours, Mindy.”

  Shit. He brought us back to that place again. Julia’s words ring through my mind. I’ve let down a lot of walls for Ben, but there’s one I’m clinging to. He’s so sure we’re supposed to be together, that we’ll fall in love, yet I’m guarding myself against loving someone again. Losing Mark hadn’t destroyed me. I understood why we had to break up, and I never really expected a high school romance to last. But now that I think about it, I haven’t said the L-word to anyone but Mark. Maybe the break-up affected me more than I realized. Looking at Ben now, I know I have to let go of my past.

  “I’m scared.” I admit.

  “Of what.” He lowers his arms and places his hands on my hips. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No. It’s not you.”

  He holds his hand up. “I beg you not to say ‘It’s me.’”

  “Actually, it’s Mark.”

  “Mark?” Ben’s face twists in a combination of confusion, hurt, and anger. “Who the hell is Mark and why am I just hearing about him now?”

  “Relax.” I place my palm against his chest. “Mark was my boyfriend in high school. We broke up years ago—before I came here.”

  Ben exhales for the first time since I mentioned Mark’s name. “Oh.”

  “I’ve been with other guys since him, but I’ve never loved anyone but him.”

  “And you’re afraid to because you think you’ll get hurt again.”

  I nod.

  “I won’t hurt you, Mindy.”

  “But we just met and you already seem to know what’s going to happen between us, or at least what you want to happen.”

  He presses his finger to my lips. “Some things are worth rushing into. I don’t want to sit around and waste time that I could be showering you with attention.” He smirks and raises an eyebrow. “Or just showering you.”

  I laugh and lightly smack his chest.

  “Do you get what I’m saying? I might be impulsive, but I know what I want and I go after it.”

  “Like a little kid in a toy store?” Maybe this is a younger guy thing.

  The look in his eyes softens, and he cocks his head to the side. “Mindy, you’re not a toy to me. You know that, right?”

  “Yeah. That’s not what I meant.”

  “Good because I promise I’ll be everything you’re looking for in a guy. All you have to do is let me.”

  Let him. That was the whole point of going out with him in the first place. So why am I holding back now? “Okay.”

  “Okay?”
/>
  “Yeah. You’re right. I’m the only thing standing in my way. It’s time I move on.” Time I forget about losing Mark and work on finding who I’m supposed to be with. Because for all I know, I’m sitting on his stomach right now.

  “Just tell me what to do,” Ben says.

  Looking at him, I know the answer. “Be you. Be the guy who got my attention at the social. The guy who made me kiss him in front of a room full of people. The guy who went out of his way to find out what my favorite coffee is.”

  “I’m so glad you didn’t think that was stalkerish.”

  “No guy has ever gone through so much trouble for me. I’m tired of watching everyone else find their perfect someone and me being alone. I don’t want to be alone.”

  “You’re not.” Ben reaches up and cups my face in his hand.

  I’m not sure if I want to laugh or cry, but I do know I want Ben. I lean down, resting my body flush against his, and kiss him with no intent of stopping.

  Chapter Six

  I wake up with Ben lying next to me in my bed. His arm is wrapped around my waist, and I don’t need to turn around to figure out he’s not wearing any clothes. His warmth makes my heart flutter, as does the feel of his body pressed against mine. As much as I don’t want to get out of bed, I have to. My first class is at eight a.m., and it’s already seven fifteen. I need to shower and grab something to eat so my stomach doesn’t growl all through my business lecture.

  I carefully remove Ben’s arm, not wanting to wake him. He was probably smart enough not to schedule eight a.m. classes. He stirs but doesn’t wake, so I slip out of bed and grab my towel from the hook on my closet door. I hug the soft blue towel to my chest as I stare at Ben. The sheet isn’t exactly covering him anymore and I’m enjoying the view too much to start my shower. My back-up alarm beeps and I rush over to it, yanking the cord from the wall. I fall in the process, getting tangled up in my towel.