by K. G. Reuss
I shoved all the thoughts out of my head as I stood in the shadows at the edge of the administration building later that day. Lexy came across the courtyard with a book in her hands. She kept her head down, her red hair billowing behind her. I rubbed my chest, the sweeping euphoria at seeing her rushing through me. The moment she was close enough, I reached out and tugged her into the small area I’d been in. She let out a squeal and struggled in my arms. I pushed her against the wall and pressed my mouth to hers.
Her body relaxed when she realized it was me. Her fingers twined through my hair, making me growl against her soft lips.
“You scared me,” she breathed out.
I chuckled softly. “You made my dick hard as I watched you walk this way. I had no choice but to kiss you.”
She giggled and nipped at my bottom lip. “I’m glad. I’ve missed you this week.”
“Mm, baby, you have me now.” I kissed her again, my hard length pressed against her stomach. “Fuck, I want you.”
“Come back to my place. You can have me.”
“Yeah?” I asked breathlessly, rubbing myself against her shamelessly.
“Yes.”
“Lead the way.” It took all my willpower to move away from her. She winked at me as she walked away, her ass shaking in her tight jeans. I rubbed my chest again. Fuck. What a vision.
We didn’t make it past the front door before I had her shirt and bra off.
“Where’s Ava?” I asked against her lips between kisses.
“Collin’s for their project,” she panted.
“How long do we have?”
“All night. She’s going to Rory’s after.”
I lifted her into my arms and hauled her to her bedroom where I laid her on the bed and quickly disposed of my clothes. She grinned up at me as I tugged her jeans and panties off, leaving both of us naked.
I settled between her legs in moments, my cock aching to bury itself inside her tight heat.
We kissed breathlessly as I ground against her center.
“I want you,” she called out. “Please, Travis.”
I didn’t hesitate. I pushed myself inside her, filling her in one fluid motion.
“Fuck, baby. You’re so wet for me.”
“Mmm,” she moaned out, her hips rising to meet my deep thrusts.
I kissed her lips. Her breasts, her throat, every inch of her I could get my mouth on.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” she choked out as her body trembled beneath mine. “So much.”
I hammered into her harder, fiercer, as she clawed at my back. In a quick motion, I turned her onto her stomach and lifted her ass up. She let out a cry as I thrust into her from behind, her glorious ass on display. I gave it a slap that left her hissing.
Fisting her mass of red waves, I tugged her head back amid her moans. “I want you dirty, baby. You my dirty girl?”
“Yes,” she rasped out.
I’d never been rough with Lexy a day in my life, but I was a guy who liked it rough. Maybe I did it to see what she could handle. I slapped her ass again, leaving my red handprint behind. She mewled, angling her ass up more for me, allowing me to push deeper into her hot center.
“Tell me you’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” she whimpered as I fucked her heat hot and fast.
“Tell me you love me.” I reached forward and wrapped my hand around her throat, tugging her head back. “Tell me you won’t hurt me, Lexy.” My words were raw and real, pouring out of me before I could stop them. If she left me, I’d be broken. The ache at the thought left my heart quivering in my chest.
“I love you. I won’t hurt you. I-I promise,” she cried out as her pussy spasmed around my cock.
My eyes practically rolled back in my head as she milked me dry, my orgasm rushing out of me like a tidal wave.
We collapsed on the bed together, her in my arms. I kissed her shoulders, her lips, her forehead before calming down enough to breathe.
“Promise you won’t hurt me either,” she whispered, her voice thick with exhaustion.
“I promise.” I kissed her fiercely, praying that I wouldn’t hurt her. But I was Travis Owens. I left a wake of devastation wherever I went. I just hoped I was able to handle being the husband Lexy deserved. Again, the worry rushed through me.
Don’t fuck this up, Owens. You’ve gotta make it work.
I swallowed and held her in my arms, the what ifs racing through my head.
“Date night tonight. You in?” I asked Lexy the following morning as I stood at her front door to leave. I wanted to get the perfect movie and have the perfect evening with her. My phone buzzed in my pocket, so I pulled it out and looked down at the screen.
Steph: Can we talk? Meet me please!
I peered up, seeing the disapproving look on Lexy’s face. She lifted her brow at me.
“It’s fine, baby. I’m not going to talk to her.” I darkened the screen and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “I love you.”
She melted into me. “I love you too.”
I grinned like a fool. Hearing those words from her would never get old. We’d come so far in such a small amount of time.
“We can finish up our project tomorrow. I’ve written so much down.” I kissed her again. “We’re going to blow this thing out of the water.”
She laughed and gave me a squeeze.
“When we’re done, we can tell Alex about us. Then you can show me that dress you bought for the awards ceremony.”
“Nope,” she tsked. “It’s a surprise.”
“No,” I groaned. “Come on. You know I want to see it. My parents are coming. I don’t want to look like a drooling asshole when you walk out. At least prepare me for it.”
“All I can tell you is it’s stunning, and I thought of you the entire time I had it on at the store.”
“Yeah?” I nipped her bottom lip.
“Mhm.”
“Give me a hint.”
“I’ll give you two. Red with a slit.”
“Fuck,” I growled against her lips. “Are you wanting a replay of our Vegas night?”
“Yes,” she murmured, kissing me. “If you’re up for it.”
I took her hand in mine and pressed it to the front of my jeans where my rock-hard cock strained against the material. “I think I’m up for it, honey pot.”
She giggled and rubbed my dick through my pants.
“Be good, dirty girl or we’ll have to start the morning all over.”
She laughed again and backed away as my phone buzzed once more in my pocket. The smile faltered on her face.
“It’s OK,” I murmured, kissing her. “Promise.”
“I believe you. Hurry up and come back to me.”
I gave her one final kiss before tearing myself away and leaving. Once I made it outside and into my truck, I looked at the message from Steph.
Steph: Please meet me? I want to apologize.
Sighing, I thumbed out a reply.
Travis: I’ll be at the library around two in the stacks. Meet me there.
I had to get this chick to understand we weren’t happening. Ever. If she wanted to apologize, I’d listen, but it was over. That Travis didn’t exist. The guy who’d fuck a chick at the drop of a hat.
This new Travis only wanted one girl.
Lexy Owens.
Sixty-One
Lexy
I’d made a promise to fix Alex and Ava. After another amazing night with Travis, I was ready to enact my plan. I arranged a meeting in the library with them. Of course, neither knew the other was going, but I wanted to get them together on neutral ground. I knew if they just saw one another, everything else would fall into place.
I couldn’t shake my worry about Steph texting Travis. I hated she still tried to talk to him. And Travis was too nice or too something to make her understand it was over, which made my nerves twitch with worry. I didn’t know why I was worried. Maybe it’s because I knew Travis’s history. But
he said he loved me. We’d decided to make this work. He was mine. I was his. I shouldn’t even be having doubts, but they niggled at my mind, wreaking havoc on me.
Lexy: I miss you already. Can’t wait to see you tonight.
Hoping the text made it to him so he could message me back quickly, I stuffed the phone back into my pocket, eager for his reply.
I needed to focus on something other than worrying about whether Travis had messaged Steph back after leaving this morning or not. My plan to get Alex and Ava was in full swing. They couldn’t shout at one another if we were in the library. At least that was my hope.
So that’s why I was sitting in the library with Ava, whispering about Mason and Rory getting close, when Alex showed up.
He slowed his steps when he saw us together. Ava stiffened.
“Please. Just talk,” I whispered, reaching for her hand and giving it a squeeze. “And don’t be mad at me for this. I love you guys.”
Ava nodded. Alex approached cautiously as I rose to my feet.
“Hey,” I greeted him, giving him a quick hug. “Did you see Travis today?”
“Uh, for a minute this morning. He said he had to meet someone,” he answered, glancing at Ava. The ache of missing her was clear as day, but I bristled at the mention of Travis meeting someone. Everything in my head said it had to be Steph, but I shoved it away and reasoned that maybe he was meeting Coach or Mason.
“You two talk. I’m going to grab a documentary from the stacks,” I said, clearing my throat.
“Wait. You know about us?” Alex looked at me with crinkled brows.
“I do. Ava told me.”
“And you weren’t pissed?”
I shrugged. “Guess you owe me one, big bro.”
He narrowed his eyes, studying me for a moment before he nodded. “Guess I do.”
I waved at them, giving Ava a hopeful smile, before heading to the stacks. I paused as I reached the edge of it. I could hear a feminine giggle and heavy breathing.
“Steph,” Travis said, breathy. “Just, listen.”
I froze, my heart in my throat. I didn’t know if I had the courage to move forward to see what was going on. Bracing myself for the worst, I peeked through the cracks between book and shelf to find Steph with her shirt unbuttoned, her breasts on full display before Travis.
“Baby, I remembered,” she purred, reaching up to cradle his face. He still didn’t move. “You said to meet you here. I’ve been waiting for hours for you.”
“Uh, yeah, but, Steph…” He let out a nervous laugh. “Uh, I didn’t mean—”
“I know what you meant, baby. After all the time we’ve spent together and the things you’ve told me, I knew you needed this. When you texted me to meet you here, I hurried over to be ready. So here I am.”
I ground my teeth. He never answered my text from earlier, but he had enough balls to message her back.
I wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry. So instead, I stood watching, needing confirmation.
Confirmation of what I feared.
I said a silent prayer that the Travis I’d come to love wouldn’t betray me. He wasn’t that heartbreaker anymore. He couldn’t be, but everything about the moment screamed he was exactly who he always was.
Sixty-Two
Travis
I pulled out the documentary on ancient Egyptians, sure Lexy would love it. I’d gotten her more yellow roses since they’d been a hit before. And I planned on making her dinner. Grabbing the documentary was the last piece to the perfect evening puzzle I’d been working on.
But then Steph showed up. It wasn’t a huge surprise since I agreed to meet her. But the moment her tits came out, I realized what a mistake I’d made by mentioning the stacks, the fuck spot for students wanting a quick lay.
“I have been listening, baby. Come on,” she cooed.
“I’m married, Steph. For real.”
“So?” She giggled again. “No one is going to know, Travis. Besides, even you said you were confused about everything a few weeks ago when we talked.”
She reached for me, and I stopped her by clasping her hands, unsure how the hell I was going to get away from some bare-chested girl in the stacks without the smattering of students in the library knowing.
“Come on,” she coaxed, trying to reach for me again.
I shook my head.
“N-no, Steph. What are you doing?”
“Travis,” she whined. “You never tell me no.”
“I am right now and have been for weeks now, Steph. Come on. Don’t do this. You know how I feel about Lexy.” My words were so soft she had to lean in to hear them.
“What about what you said about not knowing? What about what you said when we went for that drive in my car a few weeks ago about maybe just doing this to sort out things in your head?”
I shook my head at her again in disbelief. “Steph, that’s not… that’s not what I said at all—”
I didn’t get to finish my sentence because she lunged forward, her naked tits pressed to my chest, her mouth on mine. We stumbled sideways. I held her as I lost my footing, and we fell to the floor in a heap, her on top of me, kissing me wherever she could.
In my experience, only crazy women did this. And it took that moment for me to without a doubt realize I didn’t want another woman but Lexy ever again. Having Steph all over me made me feel like I needed a shower to wash the gross off me.
The sound of a book crashing next to my head had me trying to untangle from Steph faster.
I looked at the end of the bookshelf, hoping no one was there to witness the embarrassing scene when my heart fell like a lead weight into my guts.
“Lexy?” I choked out, stumbling to my feet, my hair a mess from Steph ravaging it. Steph whined behind me, but I ignored her, rushing toward Lexy whose face had gone white as a sheet.
“Baby…” I said a silent prayer she’d listen. She snapped out of it, so many emotions flickering across her face I wasn’t sure which one would settle. But then there it was. Devastation.
“Lexy, baby, it’s not what you think.” I reached for her. She flinched away like I’d struck her.
“No. No,” I whispered, trying once more to get to her as she backed away. I knew she was looking over my shoulder at a topless Steph.
Again, I reached for her, hoping to explain it was a misunderstanding or whatever the hell it was, but Lexy’s hand shot out, striking me so hard my head snapped sideways.
She raced away from me, her red hair whipping behind her. I couldn’t let her go. I rushed after her, the sting from her slap making my face ache. She had a hell of an arm on her.
“Lexy! Wait!” I shouted.
Alex rose to his feet as Lexy ran past him to Ava, who wrapped her in a hug, confusion on her face. This was a fucking disaster.
“What the fuck is going on?” Alex demanded, big brother coming out to play.
“Lexy, please. It wasn’t what you think. I-I don’t like her like that. I made a mistake. Lex, please. I love you—”
“Wait.” Alex held up a hand and looked from a sobbing Lexy to me. “My sister, dude? My fucking sister is the girl?”
“I’m sorry. Just, please, Lex.” I tried to move past Alex, but he held his arm out, stopping me.
Steph approached with her shirt buttoned crooked and her hair a mess. Fuck! She needed to just go away!
“You son of a bitch,” Alex snarled as his eyes took in what seemed to be an obvious explanation. That I’d been screwing around with Lexy and then was caught in the stacks with Steph, who everyone knows I’d fucked before and she’d been in and out of our house the past few weeks before I told her to stop.
“Alex, man—”
I didn’t get to finish my sentence because Alex’s fist met my face like a lightning strike. I stumbled back, my ears ringing. A security guard approached, a man much smaller than Alex and me. He’d get his ass kicked if he intervened. He looked like he knew it.
“Fuck you. Stay away from her.”
Alex turned and stormed away, taking Lexy and Ava with him as I clutched my bleeding nose.
Steph reached for me, but I jerked away from her.
“Get the fuck away from me,” I growled through the blood in my mouth.
I marched out the door, not bothering to cast her a second look.
Sixty-Three
Lexy
“Here, sweetie. Have some tea,” Ava offered gently as I lay sobbing in my bed later that night.
“No,” I managed to choke out.
“Hun, come on. You should drink.”
Knowing she wouldn’t leave me alone, I sat up and sipped at the tea, my heart aching beyond anything I’d ever felt before.
“Hey,” Alex called out softly, coming into the room. Ava glanced between us and got to her feet, leaving me and Alex alone.
He sat on the edge of my bed.
“Wanna talk?”
I shook my head. He let out a sigh and then took my cup from me and placed it on my dresser before moving to lie beside me.
“Come here, Lex.”
I stared at my brother whose arms were open and moved to him. He pulled me into a hug. It reminded me of when we were kids and I’d gotten in trouble for something. He’d come to my room, give me a hug, and tell me everything would be OK. Then he’d stay with me through the night. He’d build a blanket fort and bring me food when I refused to leave my room.
I cried hard into his neck as he held me, assuring me the pain would eventually go away. When I finally calmed down enough, he spoke. “Want pizza? I’ll order us one, and we can watch old movies all night.”
“We’re a little too old for blanket forts and pizzas,” I whispered.
“Nonsense. Come on. Get cleaned up. I’ll order, and when you get back, Fort Hale will be fully ready to combat tears.”
I sat up, needing to take my mind off Travis and my broken heart. I knew what I’d seen. It was like I predicted it at the beginning of the semester when the project started.