by Natalie Rios
“You’re still sassy.” That’s a strange comment and he’s looking at me funny.
“Um, yeah. Did you think I would change?”
“I don’t ever want you to change.” Something about his tone, low and deadly serious, sends a shiver up my spine.
And I seriously need to get inside. Before I do something stupid. Like fling myself at him.
“Okay, well, we’re here. Thanks for the ride-”
His hand latches onto my elbow and I swear an electrical current shoots through me, heating the skin from my elbow all the way up to my forehead. “Do you know what today is?”
On a wary shrug, I say, “Wednesday?”
“It’s the one month mark on our bet.” He lets go of my arm and holds out a piece of paper. A folded up check. And I start to panic. Does this mean he wants his kiss now?
“Oh, yeah. Forgot about that.” I let out a nervous laugh, looking everywhere but into his eyes. “Well, it’s been fun. If you ever need help deflating your ego, you know who to call.” I’m lunging for the door, but he’s there before I can even blink.
“You’re not going to take the check?”
Not if taking the check means I have to kiss him right now. “It’s getting late. Let’s talk about this before class-”
“You would rather kiss me in front of a classroom full of people?”
I play with the hem of my shirt. “Yes. I mean, no! I mean...” Oh, God. I’m botching this. Big time. “I don’t know that you’ve earned your kiss.”
Theo cocks a brow at me. “You’re shitting me, right? You know I held up my end. When I’m not doing team stuff, we’re either studying together, hanging out, or talking on the phone for hours.”
He’s not exaggerating. There are mornings I wake up to find my hand wrapped around my dead phone. He’s even called me after my shift at the club a few times, claiming to be too amped after practice to go to bed just yet.
“Oh, shit,” he says suddenly. “You’re worried you’re a bad kisser, aren’t you? My experience intimidates you.”
“Please,” I snort. “You’re so full of yourself. Bet you probably high five yourself every morning when you wake up too.”
“Only on game days. Most days, I just shoot the big guy upstairs a thumbs up for creating such a fine specimen.” He flashes me his secret dimple and heat pools between my legs. Even when he’s being cocky, I can’t resist that fucking smile. “So. Bad kisser?”
“Maybe I just don’t want to kiss you.” Liar, liar.
“Why? Are you afraid?”
I’m not afraid of kissing him. Whenever I picture his mouth pressed against mine, my heart races faster than a thoroughbred in the Kentucky Derby. Just the thought of kissing him has my body engulfed in flames and my hands trembling in anticipation. No, I’m not afraid of kissing him.
I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop kissing him.
“Come on, Perez. I promise I won’t tell everyone you’re a horrible kisser.”
It’s just a kiss, right? One kiss and I’ll get my check.
“Let’s just get this over with,” I mutter. Pocketing the check first, I grab him by the t-shirt and drag his face down to mine. I almost laugh at his comically shocked expression except the strangest thing happens when our lips meet.
A perfect fit.
Softly, he kisses me oh-so softly. A kiss so slow and luxurious, I can’t help pressing into him, yearning for more. One of his hands twists into my hair and the other cups my cheek, possessively holding my head in place. And now he’s really kissing me. Firm and fast and determined in a way that has my blood pumping and my toes curling.
Oh, God. I was right. I can’t stop kissing him.
My lips part of their own volition and he takes that as an invitation, sliding his tongue right in. On a moan, I eagerly tangle my tongue with his. His hands roam my body, sliding underneath my shirt and bra to cup my breasts. He runs his thumb against my nipple, in a slow rhythm back and forth, until they pebble.
All I can think is more and I burrow myself into him, so close I can feel his heart hammering.
He’s just as excited as I am.
Propelled by the knowledge, I stroke his cheek and fuck me. He’s got a bit of stubble, the scratchy feel of it wreaking havoc on my already frazzled senses.
“Fuck, you taste so good,” he groans. His lips leave mine to press hot, open-mouthed kisses along my neck. My entire body shivers as I grind against him, gasping when I feel the rock hard ridge of his erection.
He makes a low growling noise in the back of his throat, the vibrations of which I can feel throughout my body. And then his lips find mine again, thrusting his tongue into my mouth with skill and confidence.
The door behind us swings open.
“I thought I heard you-”
Camilla grinds to a halt, gaping at us. On a squeak of panic, I tear away from Theo and awkwardly clasp his hand in mine. Give it a fast shake. Like a fucking loser, I’m shaking his hand. “Thanks for the ride. See you in class. Bye!”
“Allie, wait!” he shouts, but I’m already across the threshold, dragging my cousin inside with me. Slamming the door closed, I bolt the locks. All three of them.
“Um, what just happened?” Camilla asks.
“Night, prima!” I sound breathless, but it’s fight or flight right now. And I’m flying like an eagle, stumbling towards my room with an alacrity born out of desperation.
“Oh, no you don’t!” Hot on my heels, Camilla lunges ahead of me and blocks the entrance to my room. Crossing her arms, she arches a brow. “Explain yourself.”
“There’s nothing to explain. He gave me a ride home so I wouldn’t have to take the bus. No big deal,” I shrug, trying to act nonchalant even though I can still feel his lips against mine.
Camilla impatiently taps her foot. “And you decided to thank him with a kiss?”
“No...” Think, Allie, think. But it’s as if the kiss has fried my brain and I draw a big fat blank.
Why? Why did it have to be so good? And why did it have to be with him?
“Allie? Are you okay?” Camilla’s brows knit together with worry.
“Perfectly fine! Just tired. I need to go to bed-” I try to duck underneath her, but she shoves me back.
“Nope! Not until you explain yourself first.”
“I could tackle you,” I warn her.
“But you won’t. Because you love me and would never hurt me,” my cousin smirks. Damn it, she’s right. Camilla’s half my size and a bit of a priss.
“Fine, but you can’t tell anyone.”
Camilla hooks her pinky through mine. “Pinky swear.”
Exhaling, my words come out on a whoosh. “I lost a bet and I had to kiss him.”
“You lost a bet? What the hell kind of a bet involves kissing the school’s star quarterback?” My shoulder jerk doesn’t satisfy her. “Seriously, Al? A bet? He had his tongue down your throat because of a bet? That’s what you’re going with?”
“It’s the truth!”
“Fine. Fine. Will you at least tell me how it was? He has to be a good kisser, right?”
“It was...” Magical. Thrilling. Electrifying. Everything. “Nice.”
“Nice?” Camilla snorts. “You lost a bet, had to kiss Theo Montgomery and it was nice? Do you realize how absurd you sound?”
A moment of awkward silence descends, with Camilla glaring daggers at me while I try not to fidget under the scrutiny of her gaze.
"Admit it,” she says, breaking the silence first. “You like this guy."
I shrug. That's the closest to a verbal admission I'm willing to go. “It doesn’t matter. You know how I feel about college guys.”
Camilla sighs. "Look, I know you're convinced all college guys are horn-dogs or whatever, but I don't think it's healthy to classify people like that. You're making a generalization based on something one guy said to you years ago."
I blow out a frustrated breath. "It wasn't just one guy. There was the last g
uy I had sex with, who only texted me when he was horny. And Veronica's douchebag of an ex who had the nerve to make her feel guilty for wanting to have sex all the while he was cheating on her with the entire Pi house."
"Okay, three guys. You're writing off all college men because of three guys?"
I have nothing to say to that because, well, it does sound kind of ridiculous when you put it like that. But I would much rather hold on to that belief than consider the alternative, which is that there’s something wrong with me.
Besides Taylor, I haven’t had too many date offers while at Carlton. Actually, I’ve only had two date offers in my entire life. Plenty of offers to hook up, but not a single one of those guys wanted to take me out first.
So is it me? Do I give off the vibe of only being interested in sex? Or maybe I don’t look like girlfriend material? I know I don’t dress up as much as some of the other girls on campus, but Veronica dresses like the female version of Mr. Rogers and she landed Cameron. Which leads me back to my original question: is it me? Am I the problem?
I don’t think my self-esteem can handle going down that rabbit hole right now.
"What about guys like Cameron?” Camilla interrupts my thoughts. “Or your lab partner Nick? They're both sweethearts."
"Exceptions to the rule."
"And Theo can't be?"
A knot of uncertainty forms in the pit of my stomach. Maybe I am being too quick to judge him. All of my other assumptions about him have been proven wrong so far. He's not a spoiled arrogant asshole. Well, he's definitely arrogant, but he's also sweet, considerate, hardworking, and driven. With the taste of his lips still lingering on mine, my heart and body would love to grant Theo an exception.
But Theo being a player isn't an assumption, it's a fact. One I've witnessed firsthand numerous times over the course of the semester. Forgetting that would be foolish. And I am not a fool.
Shaking my head, I stubbornly cross my arms over my chest. "Look, I get what you're trying to say, but it's hard for me to concede the point when the guy in question has a reputation for being a huge manwhore. He flat-out told me he doesn't date. Said relationships take too much time and effort."
"And yet he's been spending a lot of time with you lately." She holds up a hand at my protest. "I'm not saying you should marry the guy. Or even date him. All I'm saying is you should be a little bit more open-minded when it comes to college guys. One of them just might surprise you."
Camilla pushes off the door and walks to the end of the hall before calling back, "You can't hide from him forever. You two have class together."
Crap. She's right. I'm going to have to face Theo eventually.
I close the door to my room, not even bothering to undress before climbing into bed and curling up with one of my pillows.
Two days. I have two days to get my shit together before facing Theo in class.
So we kissed. Big deal. People kiss all the time. I'm perfectly capable of having a normal conversation with him without passing out, right?
Right.
But maybe I should give Camilla's suggestion a try? Just to be safe? It might be time for me to give another college guy a chance.
Theo: Are you watching the game today?
Me: Are we going to do this every week?
Theo: Yes.
Me: Why?
Theo: Because every week we’ve done it so far this season, we’ve won.
Me: You’re superstitious?
Theo: Hell yes. A lot of athletes are.
Theo: Come on, I need to hear an excuse now.
Me: No hablo Ingles.
Theo: Weak, but I’ll take it.
Theo: So are we cool?
Me: Why wouldn’t we be cool?
Theo: Idk, maybe because we kissed?
Me: You kiss lots of girls, Theodore.
Theo: I do not WTF
Theo: I’m going to call you.
Me: No! We’re cool, pinky swear. I just meant it’s not a big deal. You have a game to get to. Good luck :-)
I watch the three dots appear and disappear from my screen several times, like he’s reconsidering what he’s typing. Then finally, after several long minutes, his reply comes through. Just one word.
Theo: Okay.
17
Theo
“DID you hear Levi was wandering around campus naked last night?” Mo asks, Harrison and Jackson snickering behind him.
“No,” I grunt, remaining in the push-up position and only half listening as they launch into their tale. Driving my right elbow up, I raise the dumbbell in my hand up towards the ceiling, making sure to form a straight line between my two hands. Hold for three seconds, then bring my arm back down and repeat.
One-arm reverse flies. I fucking hate them, but they’re supposed to build rotational strength and flexibility. Added bonus? It’s a physical way for me to let out some of my pent up frustration.
Allie’s been acting weird since the kiss. She barely talks to me during class and she’s not her usual saucy self when we study together either. She made one snippy comment the first time I sat to study with her since our bet ended, but it came off as more mean-spirited than her usual barbs.
“Oh, so you’re still going to sit with me even though our bet’s over?” Allie asked.
I froze because it’s been a while since she’s taken that snide tone with me. “I thought you said we were friends. Friendships don’t end with bets, right?”
She shrugged, completely ignoring me in favor of her chemistry textbook. “Suit yourself. Oh, and before one of your groupies interrupts us...” Without sparing me a glance, she slapped a piece of paper on the table. “Since you’re so fond of collecting phone numbers.”
I ignored the paper she kept trying to shove at me. “Okay, what’s going on here? You said on Saturday we were cool.”
“Yup, so cool. Ice cold, even,” she insisted.
“Is ice cold a good thing?”
“Yeah. I mean, the only thing cooler than being cool is ice cold.”
I tapped the slip of paper on the table. “What’s this about then?”
“I’m giving you my roommate’s phone number because she asked me to.”
“Your cousin?”
“No, my other roommate. Lia.”
“Schmidty’s sister? You think I’m interested in Schmidty’s sister?”
A splash of pink crept across her face as she shrugged. “Blonde hair, big boobs. She’s your type. Anyway, I’m just hooking up a friend with another friend. Isn’t that what friends do? Play matchmaker?”
I don’t want Allie to be my fucking matchmaker. I just want her. I would have told her as much, but she put her headphones on and started blasting Drake. Not even Queen, but Drake, an artist she knows I can’t stand. At a much louder volume than normal, I might add.
I didn’t take the number and when I tried to talk to her the next night, she brushed me off and slipped her headphones on again. Even snuck out while I was talking to a fan.
Then the next couple of days, she had to work late at the lab and didn’t have time to stop by the library. Who knows if that excuse is even true.
Message received, though. She doesn’t want to talk to me.
Three sets of ten reps on each arm. Done. Getting up, I walk over to exchange the two dumbbells for one larger one and then lay flat on the bench. Holding the dumbbell in one hand, I keep my arm straight and then lower the weight, bringing it close to my chest. Fire it back up, then repeat.
I only throw with my right arm so I do single-arm dumbbell presses with my left to keep both sides of my body balanced. Three sets of fifteen reps and then my morning workout will be complete.
“And then the girl kicked him out of her apartment, buck ass naked,” Mo blabbers on. “Not a stitch of clothing on him.”
“This is why I don’t fuck with crazy chicks, man. Leaving you high and dry in your birthday suit...” Jackson snickers, not looking the least bit sorry for Levi’s predicament.
&nb
sp; “Shut the fuck up. At least I get chicks, which is more than can be said for you lot,” Levi growls.
“How did you get home, anyway?” Mo asks. “Please tell me you didn’t walk around campus naked.”
“Oh, man. Please tell me there’s video of you walking around campus naked,” Harrison hoots.
“A...friend helped me out.” A weird smile curves along Levi’s face, the cheesy kind you see in movies. “Dropped off some clothes for me.”
“A friend?” Jackson snorts. “Your friends are all standing right here, man. The correct term is fuck buddy.”
“Fuck you. I’ve never touched Camilla.”
Camilla? As in, Allie’s cousin Camilla? No. Can’t be. Allie’s cousin is a freshman and if there’s one group of women Levi steers clear of, it’s freshmen.
No, they’re probably not the same Camilla. I’m just obsessing over Allie, per usual.
“You taking her to the Halloween party as a thank you?” Jackson asks. I try not to roll my eyes. Did they come here to exercise or gossip?
“Hell, no,” Levi snorts. “I don’t do dates. Though speaking of party dates, Sunshine says he’s taking Allie.”
I drop the dumbbell and raise my torso into a sitting position on the bench. “What did you say?”
Levi’s lips curve into a shit-eating grin. “Ah, he speaks.”
I don’t have time for his bullshit games, not when all of this rage is brimming inside of me. I get up and walk over so we are standing toe-to-toe. “What the fuck did you just say?”
“What, the part about you speaking?” I grab him by the shirt in warning. “Oh, you mean the part about Sunshine taking Allie to the Halloween party.” He shoves me away and takes over my spot on the bench. “Heard it straight from the horse’s mouth last night.”
When? When did he ask her? At the Kappa party last week, before we kissed? She would have mentioned it then, right?
“Sunshine said he’s taking Allie?” I repeat, fists clenching and unclenching at my side. “My Allie?”
“Tall girl with a tan and a fat ass. The description matches, but is she your Allie though? Considering she’s accepting dates from other men-”