by J. C. Hayden
“I need you after class.”
“Brody…” I whispered. I took a step back, but he closed the gap by taking a bigger step forward.
“It’s fucking crazy,” he said, his voice so low I could barely hear him. “I just need you, like, all the time—”
“Brody—”
“And there’s no way I’ll make it until tonight.”
My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, and when Brody reached out and caressed my arm, just a slight touch, I shivered so hard that it made me glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was trying to come in. Brody ignored my look and moved his hand so that it turned into a grip, rather than a gentle touch. When he yanked me toward him I didn’t even have a chance to respond in any type of way because he was turning me so my back was against the bathroom door and his mouth was a breath from mine.
“Brody—”
“One kiss,” he whispered, eyes heavy lidded with lust, searching my own in a silent plea.
I knew I couldn’t deny him. But I also knew I had no self-control when it came to my need for him. I didn’t know if either of us could take just one.
“One,” I repeated. He smiled slowly and nodded. I licked my lips as he started to lean closer, but I put a hand on his chest to stall him.
“Just one, and then we go back to class and you behave the rest of the time.”
He arched an eyebrow. “I will if you do.”
“Promise me, Brody.”
His face softened into a look of sincerity. “Just one. And then I’ll be a good boy.” He crossed his heart with his finger and then murmured, “for now,” right before he brought his mouth down to mine.
I immediately wrapped my arms around his neck as he molded our mouths together, our tongues meeting frantically. I poured everything into that kiss—all of the tension from the past hour, all of the need and desire I felt for him, all the words clogged in my throat that I wanted to say to him about how much he meant to me, how I didn’t want this to end, how in less than six weeks he had suddenly become one of the most important people in my life.
I couldn’t say the words, so I used the kiss to tell him.
And he seemed to be telling my something as well because he was kissing me like he never had before, like he was trying to get closer, like he was desperate, like he couldn’t get enough.
He didn’t separate his mouth from mine as he bent down to grasp the back of my thighs and lift me so my back was against the bathroom door and I had to wrap my legs around him. I felt his erection pressing against me and I thrust my hips a bit to move along his length as he sucked on my tongue roughly.
I was out of my head. I wanted him so badly. Right fucking here. I needed him inside me like I needed to breathe. And it wasn’t until I heard a loud laugh from the hallway that I gasped and pulled my mouth from his. He seemed to become aware of our surroundings as well because he dropped my legs back to the ground, brushing his mouth along my jaw before moving back to give me one last gentle kiss.
“We have to get back,” I whispered breathlessly against his lips.
Brody nodded, panting, his forehead pressed against mine. “After class,” he said roughly. I looked up at him, my eyes locking with his when they opened, and I saw the dark promise there.
As we stood there, staring longingly at each other, I remembered the night before when he had taken me roughly against the wall. He had mauled me as soon as I’d gotten into his apartment. I remembered him carrying me into his room, still inside me, and laying me down and undressing me the rest of the way, kissing me all over every inch of my body as he undressed me until I was so needy, my skin so on fire, that I practically begged him for more. I remembered how tender that time had been, how it had nearly brought tears to my eyes when we came at almost the same time, just like that night of the jazz concert. I remembered after when he had just laid on his side looking at me, not saying anything, my stomach in knots because I didn’t know what I was supposed to do, how I was supposed to act. So I’d just stared back, getting lost in his eyes, just as I was at risk of doing right now.
“Okay,” I breathed. I was lost to him when he looked at me this way. I was lost just like the night we had first been together and he had asked me to stay. Who was I kidding? I’d been under his spell then, and I was even further under it now.
I reached behind him to open the door to the bathroom and push him out. He gazed at me briefly before obeying, and I went to splash my face one more time before going back to the classroom. My cheeks were flushed and my hair was a bit wild from his hands running through it. I combed my fingers through my hair and tried to breathe and calm my racing heart. I rushed back to the classroom just as Callum was wrapping up our group discussion. He threw me a questioning look and I gave him a soft smile as if to tell him I was fine. He thanked us all for our contribution, just as the professor announced the end of class for the day.
As I was packing my things, Brody walked over to me and leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Meet me in the parking lot in ten minutes.”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond, and I was smiling to myself when another voice caught me by surprise.
“What did he want?”
I jumped and looked up to see Callum looking at me, his hands in his pockets. “What?” I asked quickly, looking up at him. Most of the other students were gone, but there were a few pairs of people lingering, apparently wanting to continue the discussion about the reading.
“Galen,” Callum said, looking toward the door.
“Oh,” I laughed nervously trying to brush it off, thinking quickly. “He was just saying hi. He wants to know what Gabe wants for his birthday,” I added when he didn’t look convinced. “Wants to meet up later to talk details.” I just prayed that Callum didn’t know that Gabe’s birthday wasn’t until October.
“Cool,” he said slowly, giving me one last curious look before he turned to head back to the front of the room. “Text you later?” he asked over his shoulder, pausing to look at me. I nodded, trying to smile brightly, determined not to think about Brody or what was going to happen soon until I was well away from my best friend.
◆◆◆
I blinked my eyes open and sucked in a deep breath as morning light seeped into the window and bathed my face and naked body in sunlight. It took me a few moments to remember where I was—only a few moments because I had been in this room so often for the past several weeks that it felt more like my own room than my room at Talia’s and my apartment.
Apparently both Brody and I had kicked the blankets off in the middle of the night because they were all crumpled at the bottom of the bed. The two of us were nothing but a tangle of naked limbs, too tired to do anything but collapse into each other.
When my eyes found Brody’s face, I adjusted so that I could turn fully to look at him, and I smiled. I loved when I woke up before Brody because it gave me the chance to look at him freely. In the morning, I didn’t have to hide my emotions, I didn’t have to hide how I felt, what I wanted. I was able to look at him when no one was watching, not even him, and study the lines of his face, the curvature of his bones, the color of his lips, and I was able to adore everything about him without fear that he would see too much and run for the hills.
In the morning, he was mine.
I reached down and pulled the blankets up as I snuggled in closer, but not so close that I couldn’t look at him. He was sprawled on his stomach, but when I scooched closer, I saw the corner of his mouth lift. He raised one of his arms so he could drape it over me as I laid on my side watching him, fighting back the silly grin that wanted to explode across my face.
“Morning,” Brody murmured, his mouth half covered by his pillow, eyes still shut.
The grin broke free on my face. “Morning,” I said.
Brody opened one eye and gave me a teasing look. “What’re you doing?” he asked in a slightly strained voice as he turned his head more toward me. His voice was raspy from sleep, and I loved the sexy
sound.
I shrugged. “Waiting for you to wake up.”
Brody’s arm around my waist tightened just a fraction. I wasn’t even sure if he was aware of it.
“I like waking up next to you,” Brody said.
The tone of his voice was casual, like he had complimented my hair, but it made my heart race and my skin tingle.
“Me, too,” I said quietly. And then, so he wouldn’t know how much I loved those words and what they meant to me, I said, “Unless you’re snoring.”
“I don’t snore, Murphy,” he said calmly before he pounced. Before I knew it, I was pinned underneath him, panting with anticipation. My mouth parted as he leaned toward me with a sly smirk on his face, and I was just about to lean up and close the gap when Brody did a double take and swore loudly.
“Is that the time?”
I craned my neck so I could see the old-fashioned clock on the bedside table that I knew was a gift from his grandmother on his twenty-first birthday. It read 9:16.
“I suppose,” I said when I looked back at him.
“Shit, I have to go,” Brody said, rolling off of me quickly. I bit my lip when I saw the evidence of his arousal as his naked body climbed out of bed.
“Why?” I asked, turning and propping my head up on my hand, not bothering to cover up.
Brody glanced at me quickly over his shoulder, taking in the sight of me and then groaning before crawling over to me and putting his mouth against mine. I giggled and rolled to my back, wrapping my arms around his neck and opening my mouth against his. I tried to get closer, but he held himself up on straight arms to keep a good distance between us.
“The soccer final is this afternoon,” Brody said against my mouth. “Gabe wants us early.”
I kissed him again before saying, “Oh.” I had completely forgotten. I tried to pull him down to me but he wouldn’t budge. “Stay in bed with me,” I whispered as I moved my mouth to bite a spot on his neck that always made him crazy. He groaned just as I said, “Soccer can’t suck your cock like I can.”
“Murphy,” Brody growled against my mouth before kissing me again. I smiled into his lips, feeling sultry and triumphant, but then Brody pulled back. “Fuck, I have to go,” he said again, but he didn’t move.
Brody looked back up at the clock and then down at me again. “Hate leaving you.” My heart thumped as he leaned in and pressed his mouth to mine. This time he rested his body against me as I spread my legs and welcomed him with a small moan in the back of my throat. “Your cousin is going to kill me,” he said, his voice low and lusty. He thrust his hips against mine, his hard cock sliding between my already wet folds. “He wanted us down there at nine to go over strategy.”
“You’re already late,” I breathed as I wrapped my legs around the back of his thighs. “Be a little later.”
“Catrina,” he groaned. He kissed me for a little bit longer, the kiss long and slow and just the way I liked it. Then he said, “I want you.”
I knew he wanted me. The proof of it was rubbing along the sensitive flesh between my legs. I was moving with him, trying to get him inside. I wanted him, too. Desperately.
“After the game,” he whispered into my mouth. “If we win, you can be my prize, and if we lose”—he tugged my bottom lip between his teeth, making me arch into him—“well, I guess I’ll just have to get lost in you and forget about soccer.” And with one last, long kiss, Brody rolled off. I whined as he walked to the bathroom door. “Either way, whatever happens after the game will be amazing.” Then he winked and disappeared behind the door.
I heard the sound of the shower a few moments later, and I didn’t know why but my heart was racing like crazy in my chest, making me feel shaky and off balance.
And then it hit me like a ton of bricks.
I’m in love with him, I said in my head. I’m in love with Brody Galen.
“Fuck,” I said aloud to myself.
Chapter TWELVE
Catrina!”
Talia was waving at me in the stands of the soccer stadium about halfway up on the Klein side of the field. I had managed to shower after Brody had left and I had gotten my fill of rolling around in the bed smelling his scent after he left to head down here. My hair was still damp but I had thrown it up in a long ponytail, accompanying my maroon jumper with a giant golden ‘K’ on the front and tight blue jeans. Talia, of course, looked fantastic. Her makeup was all done, and her eyes were lined so she looked even more feline than usual. Her hair was in her usual sleek black bob, and she was wearing gold bangle earrings and a tight, long sleeved red cotton dress.
“Where were you this morning?” Talia asked when I squeezed in between her and Carver.
“Fell asleep in the library,” I said. It had become my go-to excuse for why I was often out of the apartment at night lately.
“Again?” Carver exclaimed.
Talia narrowed her eyes at me and looked like she wanted to say something, but Carver spoke up again.
“I think you’re working too hard,” he said, nudging my shoulder with his.
I looked at him and smiled, but I didn’t get a chance to respond because the players were entering the field and the stands were roaring.
I looked down as the opposing team was walking in a straight line onto the field. The team—I think they were the warriors or the Indians or something offensive that made me clench my jaw when I saw their mascot—took their positions with their captain walking to the center to stand in front of the referee. She was a thin older woman with a white hair, a serious expression, and pursed lips. She stood there intimidatingly as the other team captain moved to stand next to her for the coin toss.
A moment later, Callum came rushing over and squeezed in between me and Carver. I gave him a quick side hug, and he tried starting a conversation with me, but right then, the Klein team started walking onto the field. The stands went wild, drowning out any possible words that Callum wanted to say.
Those starting on the bench came out first, first the forwards, then the midfielders, followed by the defense. They jogged toward the Klein side of the field to stand and wait for the starting line up to be announced.
The announcer began with the starting forwards, one of whom I recognized as Julian Henderson, a good friend of both Brody and Gabe’s who wasn’t there the night of Truth or Dare Gone Wrong. After the forwards were called out to the field, the announcer followed up with the midfielders and most of the defense. When he got to one of the last defenders, I held my breath because I knew what was coming next.
“Your Kleeeeeiiiiiiiin goalie, BRODYYYYYY GAAAAALLLEEEENN.”
The stands roared and shook as people screamed and stomped their feet. My heart raced as Brody jogged onto the field, grinning and waving to the crowd as he hustled out to take his position in front of the goal net. My stomach did a weird flip, and I bit my lip to try to contain the smile that was trying to fight its way onto my face.
“And now, ladies and gentleman, the moment you’ve been waiting for! YOUR KLEIN TEAM CAPTAIN, GAAAAAAAAABE KEEEEEEEAAAAAAATOOOOOOONNNN.”
My own yells of excitement got swept up in the crowd as my cousin ran out onto the field, waving to the stands just like Brody had. I was so proud of him in that moment that I wanted to burst with it.
A few minutes later, though, the coin had been tossed, and the whistle blown. I couldn’t help the knot of tension that gathered in my stomach as my cousin started the game off for Klein.
The game was one of the most intense that I had seen in all my years at Klein. It didn’t take long for Brody’s easy demeanor and lazy grin to turn into an intensity that I had never seen on his face, not even in all the times that I’d seen the Klein Bears play soccer. He was fierce in front of those posts, only once even coming close to letting in a shot the entire game, and even that was only because the person trying to score had done a terrifically strategic feint.
Brody seemed… almost angry every time the other team took a shot against him. Even from where I wa
s sitting in the stands I could see his face redden every time one of the opposition came anywhere close to the net. It wasn’t like him at all from what I had seen over the years. In fact, he usually kept that same casual demeanor throughout games that he’d started with at the beginning. Nonchalantly blocking shots like he was swatting away flies.
It could have been that it was the last game of his Klein soccer career, but I had never seen him like this before, and it was, frankly, a huge turn on.
I kept watching the intensity in his features, feeling my stomach flip or my heart jolt in my chest each time he made a particularly wild save or risky dive. I’d chewed my lip so much that it felt sensitive and raw. Normally when I watched the team play I spared a lot of time for my cousin, who seemed to command the field with his skill, but today I only had eyes for the Klein goalie.
The clocked ticked down, halftime came and went, and still no one had scored a single goal. After halftime, Brody looked even angrier and more determined than before, and Gabe seemed to be following his best friend’s lead, looking huge and fierce as he ran back and forth on the field. My eyes were zeroed in on Brody. I saw the tension in his shoulders, the hardness on his face, the firm clench of his jaw. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him.
And that was why, when the stands exploded just as the clock was almost out of time for the entire game, I hardly realized what was happening. Except that Brody was running away from the net and towards the center of the field now. I turned and saw Gabe jumping into the air as a loud buzzer sounded, screaming his head off as he turned and ran right into the direction that Brody was running as well. The two best friends embraced violently when they met in the center of the field, and my eyes welled with tears as I watched the two of them celebrate their incredibly hard-earned victory together.
I knew how hard both Gabe and Brody had worked, and I giddily laughed to myself as I remembered the night Brody had been so exhausted from practice that he’d fallen asleep before I could even begin my seduction.