Fraternize

by Rachel Van Dyken

“Yup.”

  “Stop me before I make a bigger ass out of myself and cry, Em, because I want you so bad it hurts to breathe.”

  “Who knew you were so romantic?”

  “I hide it well.” I smirked up at her. “I believe you, about Miller, but just to make sure he’s really out of here . . .” I stood and placed a hand on her chest and then tapped the side of her head. “And here . . .” I slowly tugged the sweatshirt off her body and tossed it in the corner. “I’m going to make sure you forget everything but my name.”

  “Oh yeah?” Her grin was huge, and her cheeks—damn those gorgeous cheeks—went pink for me like she was nervous about me touching her. And honestly, I was the one who was nervous. She was everything . . . and she was mine.

  Em was wearing a simple black sports bra. I’d never seen anything so sexy in my entire life, because it was on her. Well that, and even though I loved her ass, her breasts were a close second, heavy for me, perfect for my hands.

  “Grant?”

  “You’re saying my name.” I grinned triumphantly.

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure I like that smirk.”

  “What smirk?” I smiled harder. “This one? Right here? On my face? The one that says I’m going to have the best morning of my life and give you multiple orgasms while we wake up the neighbors? Don’t worry about that smirk. It’s kind of my thing.”

  I stalked toward her.

  She backed up slowly.

  “Making me chase my meal?” I tilted my head. “You know I’ll catch you.”

  “So now I’m your meal?”

  I licked my lips. “Every fucking inch of you.”

  “You swear a lot.”

  “You inspire it,” I fired back. “Now . . .” I leaned toward her until she fell backward onto the bed. “I’m going to make you mine.”

  “I think . . .” She grabbed my sweatpants and tugged. “That I’ve always been yours. I just didn’t realize it.” Her face softened.

  God, I loved this girl.

  “You love me?” she whispered.

  “Did I say that out loud?” I wondered.

  “Yeah.”

  Her awe-stricken eyes filled with tears again, but this time they were the good kind—the only kind I wanted to cause, ones brought on by happiness, not idiocy and me being a dick, again.

  She tugged my pants.

  I shoved them to the floor and pressed a rough kiss to her mouth, followed by another and another. My mouth was desperate for hers, my body hungry to be inside her. I’d been hard for her for months, and now that I had her, I just wanted to consume her. But unfortunately I’d grown a conscience, and a heart.

  And because it freaking pounded for her . . .

  I backed away . . .

  Took a deep breath and slowed down.

  “What’s wrong?” Em’s eyes searched mine.

  “Want you so bad,” I whispered against her mouth, “that all I can think about is feeling you clench around me.” I slid my hands down and gripped her thighs. “These spread for me, wide open, only to wrap around me so tight I forget my own name.” I pressed my hands against her hips and drew in a deep breath as I kissed her again, my tongue invading her mouth, imagining what it would be like to finally pump into her—make her mine. Her fevered skin only amped the anticipation. I reached for her bra and tugged it over her head. “I want to suck you until you’re spent, worship you until you’re so exhausted you can’t think straight, and then I want to do it over again.” My rough hands cupped her breasts as I leaned over and sucked each nipple until she was panting my name.

  I grasped her by the knees and eased them apart. My hand found her core. “You’re already ready for me, hmm, Curves?”

  “What can I say? You’re good with your mouth,” she teased.

  “Compliments get you more orgasms.”

  “I think you have the sexiest mouth I’ve ever seen.” Em leaned down and grabbed the back of my neck with her hand, pulling me until I was on top of her, my length pressed hard against her stomach, ready for her, already pulsing with anticipation.

  She crushed a possessive kiss to my mouth then grabbed my head with both hands and parted her lips; her tongue snaked around mine like she was trying to hypnotize me with her mouth. I fought for dominance, and she fought right back.

  My girl would fight back.

  I slapped her on the ass when she stopped kissing.

  And invaded her mouth over and over again.

  The last time I’d kissed this much before sex was high school.

  But with Em, if the kissing was this good, I was willing to wait for the sex, though my body was screaming at me.

  Em gripped my length and pumped her hand twice.

  With a growl, I shoved her hand away. “Baby, as good as that feels, the last thing we need is the guys somehow finding out that I couldn’t make it all the way.”

  “Oh.” There went those pink cheeks again.

  “Love the way you blush for me.” I jerked away the rest of her clothing and reached into my nightstand.

  Her eyes widened a bit when I slid the condom on.

  I waited.

  Waited for her to panic.

  Waited for her to say it was a mistake.

  That I was a mistake.

  That the past was more powerful than the future.

  Instead, she leaned up on her knees and reached for me, wrapping her arms around my neck before pulling me down on top of her. She kissed me, drowning me with her scent and the way her mouth drugged me into submission, a guy who typically screwed and walked.

  Her lips quivered beneath mine.

  I kissed her harder.

  I kissed away her memories.

  I kissed away the hurt.

  And I swore that I’d take all that pain—the pain she’d been carrying alone—and carry it for her.

  My jaw clenched when I nudged into her and stopped, again waiting, waiting for something. Because girls like her weren’t girls you pounded into and gave a high five afterward with a bottle of water and a signed T-shirt.

  She was—everything.

  “You okay?” I gritted my teeth as sweat slid down my cheek and onto her naked chest. I leaned down and licked across her breast.

  She arched beneath me, pulling me farther in.

  Making it harder for me to go slow.

  Making it harder for me to not lose my mind.

  I ached. I’d never been so tight—so hard, so ready.

  “Grant.”

  I didn’t realize I was closing my eyes until she said my name. I glanced down at her.

  “I’m yours.” She hooked her feet behind me and jerked me toward her.

  I died.

  I almost died in that bed.

  Would have died, but my body had other plans as I gripped the headboard and tried not to pass out over the most gorgeous woman I’d ever met, with curves made for me.

  With each thrust, a surge of ecstasy crossed her features.

  “Grant!” She threw her head back against the pillow as I invaded more, beginning to move at a faster pace before suddenly remembering to slow down because I didn’t want it to be over. It had to last forever.

  I wanted to be fucking buried in that bed.

  Still balls deep inside her.

  She stretched for me, every slick movement better than the last as she gripped my biceps and cried out.

  Panting, I started moving again, circling my hips, finding every spot she never knew existed. It was never like this. It had never been like this.

  With a shudder, she locked eyes with me and bit down on her lip so hard it turned white.

  “Get there, baby,” I panted as another wave of pleasure hit me, making it impossible to hold back anymore.

  Her mouth dropped open, and with a piercing scream, she fell back against the bed, her face completely blissed out. I followed with a climax so swift I couldn’t help but add to the loudness factor. With one last slam into her, the bed smacked the wall, and I was kissing
her again, my fingers grasping her hair, tugging pieces as I rode out the last of my orgasm still inside her.

  Tongues fought, teeth knocked, and then she was rolling on top of me. I had more in me. I wanted more.

  “One hour,” I promised. “Give me one hour, same place, no clothes allowed.” My chest heaved, and her hair splayed across my chest as she stared down at me and laughed.

  “I think we put a hole in the wall.” She pointed to the headboard.

  “I’ll buy a new wall.” Yeah, I was still not in my right mind. She was naked, on top of me, and her breasts just wouldn’t quit staring me down. So, I did what any sane man would do.

  I licked them.

  Sucked some more.

  And went on to give my girl two more orgasms before my body was ready for round two.

  “So . . .” I said a few hours later, noticing the bedroom looked like it had been hit by a hurricane, and we were the only survivors. “Are you going to move in or what?”

  “That—” She slapped me on the chest so hard I coughed. “Was a horrible way to ask!”

  “I’m a guy!” I said defensively.

  She arched her eyebrow, crossed her arms over her chest, and then tugged a sheet across her naked body.

  “No! Shit, don’t do that. No clothes! No sheets, baby. We talked about this, come on . . .” She flung a pillow at my face, and I dodged it. “Hah! Missed—” The second one clipped my ear. Damn girl should have played baseball. “Em.”

  “Yes?” She tilted her head, arm raised with a third pillow. “What would you like to know, Sanchez?”

  “Wow.” I whistled. “So, my last name’s somehow turned into a curse word. Nice.” I took a deep breath. “Will you please . . .” She smirked. “Move into my apartment and share this amazingly comfortable ten-thousand-dollar bed with me?”

  “Ten grand?”

  “Is that a yes or a no?”

  “For a bed?”

  “Em?”

  “But why?”

  “Because I need sleep. Really, can we divert our attention back to the answer to the question?”

  “But—”

  “Em—” I growled. “Killing me, Curves.”

  She lifted her shoulder. “Yeah sure. Whatever. That works.”

  “Seriously!” I yelled.

  Em tossed the pillow lightly in my face then dropped the sheet and put her hands on her hips. “Yes? Maybe?” Guilt washed over her face. “I have my dad to think about, I can talk to Connie and maybe figure something out, she can stay later, he does text well and—”

  “Curves.” I whispered her name. “You realize when I asked you to move in with me, it’s with full knowledge that together we’re going to figure out how to get your dad the best care he needs right?”

  Tears filled her eyes. “That’s not your job, you don’t have to—”

  “I know I don’t. This is pure want. Besides, I’ve been doing research and, the point is . . . I want to take care of you. Let me.”

  She nodded. And then whispered. “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry. I was too busy thinking about all of the things I was going to do to you since the minute I stopped talking and your chest started heaving. Did you say yes? And does that mean I can make you scream again? Because I think it’s a good thing Miller’s not home right now.”

  “Probably why he left.” She nodded.

  It was silent.

  Shit. I shouldn’t have said his name.

  “I’ll always be friends with him.” She crawled over and then straddled me with those gorgeous thighs. “But this bed, this ten-thousand-dollar bed—Crap, that’s so much money—”

  “Baby, focus.”

  She huffed. “This bed . . . is the one I’m going to be in. These arms . . .” She gripped my biceps. “These huge, golden, amazing arms . . . are the ones I’m going to be held in—”

  I didn’t let her finish.

  I kissed her so hard I was afraid I was going to hurt her.

  “Love you so much.” I gripped her head and then laid her down next to me and started to show her again, just how much.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  MILLER

  I went to practice earlier than necessary. Mainly because I knew that once Sanchez and Em talked things out, I wouldn’t want to be within a one-mile radius of whatever the hell sort of bedroom gymnastics they were going to be a part of.

  I ran a few laps around the stadium and started to stretch, when some of the cheerleaders made their way onto the separate section of practice turf they typically took over either right before our practices or sometimes during.

  Em wasn’t there yet.

  For months I’d been trying not to love her, trying not to want her, and now that I knew the truth about our friendship and about the way she felt for Sanchez, it just seemed so . . . normal.

  The world hadn’t ended.

  The sky hadn’t fallen.

  My life wasn’t over.

  But the crack in my heart . . . it was still there, just not as painful since I’d talked with her, since we’d made our peace and I’d watched her walk away.

  But it was there.

  And it made me wonder if sometimes the greatest loss you ever feel is something that nobody will see when they look at you.

  Because when your heart breaks, somehow it keeps beating.

  Mine felt broken, but I knew it wasn’t. I knew I was just feeling sorry for myself that while I had been her past . . .

  He was her future.

  We both deserved to move on.

  I just didn’t know how.

  Because it sucked to finally realize I never had. I’d just lived in a constant state of anger and limbo when it came to Em, and now that I was released from all that shit, I didn’t know what to do.

  “Hey, stranger.” Kinsey put her hands on her hips and stood by my side. “What exactly are we looking at?”

  “Grass.”

  “Grass,” she repeated. “How very interesting. And is there something about this grass that intrigues you? Or are you just having a moment?”

  I smirked and ducked my head. “I’m having one of those moments guys get when they realize they’re selfish tools.”

  “Don’t worry.” She patted my arm. “Jax has those every day.”

  “Well he’s a guy so . . .”

  “Right.” Her bright-blue eyes blinked up at me with amusement. “Well, are you gonna cry now?”

  “Hell no,” I barked, and then I whispered. “Already did that last night.”

  She burst out laughing. “Ah, Miller, you win some . . . you lose some. I’m guessing this is one of those losing scenarios?”

  “Honestly, Em’s with the better man. I’m glad I got my best friend back, but sad we had to go through so much shit to get there.”

  She slapped me on the shoulder. “Think of it this way, Miller. There’s more fish in the sea. I mean I’m not saying that from experience because a certain shark named Jax seems to be really talented at scaring them all away and I’m probably destined for a nunnery or a life with multiple cats, but yeah, Miller, loads of fish—tanks of fish. Besides, we live in Bellevue. Ocean’s just over the ridge.”

  I stared down at her. “No fish at all?”

  “Not even a minnow.”

  “Damn Jax.”

  “You have no idea. I have a plan to get him laid so that he’ll stop locking me in my room.”

  “Wait.” I frowned. “Back up. You live with him?”

  “See?” She shrugged. “Hell. I live in hell, but he has a ninety-inch flat screen that I get to watch all the away games on so . . . I’m easy, what can I say?”

  I nodded appreciatively. “Tough trade-off though.”

  “Know any single girls who can steal his virginity?”

  I choked on my spit. “I’m sorry did you say—”

  She made a face. “I mean I’m not sure, but he’s so freaked out over people wanting him for his money and fame that he rarely lets them get close.”
<
br />   Jax took that unlucky moment to walk onto the field.

  “Maybe even just foreplay.” I shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.”

  “Even a boob, like one flash, maybe two.”

  “Three flashes. Always go for three, Kins.”

  Jax stopped stretching and stared at us. His eyes narrowed, and then it was as if the dude had discovered a cure for cancer, he grinned, rubbed his hands together triumphantly, and walked off.

  “That look, right there. He had that look when he locked me in my room so my prom date couldn’t find me.”

  “Dude does a lot of locking.”

  “I think he’s under the impression that it will break my spirit.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it.

  It felt nice.

  To know that I could still laugh and actually mean it, to know I could have an entire conversation and not once think about Em.

  “I’ll help,” I found myself saying.

  She grabbed my arm. “Shut up! Are you serious?”

  I shrugged. “Eh, why not? I mean the guy’s good-looking, rich, famous, and actually a legitimate human being. We’ll find a fish for him, then find you something bigger than a minnow.”

  “Hah!” She elbowed me and looked up. I’d never noticed how pretty her eyes were, how crystal clear the blue was. “I tend to like bigger . . . fish.” She swallowed and quickly looked away.

  I stared at her like an idiot, with a grin probably twice as wide as necessary.

  “Big fish, huh?”

  “Just . . .” She waved me off, laughing. “Shut up.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. I like big fish too, Kins!” She walked off and saluted me with her middle finger.

  “Glad we’re friends!” I called back.

  She did a little twirl and blew me a kiss.

  I dodged it and pointed at Jax.

  She burst out laughing and skipped over to her brother and planted a giant kiss on his cheek, then pinched it.

  He rolled his eyes.

  And suddenly, as I stretched my hands over my head and continued doing my warm-ups, things didn’t feel so bad.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  SANCHEZ

  I couldn’t wipe the grin from my face. I hated that guy. The one who smugly puffed out his chest like he was the shit after a banging round of sex.

  I clenched my fists; the leather of my gloves made a tightening noise as I rounded the corner and made my way onto the field. Em had already run the opposite direction after I’d slammed my mouth against hers in front of at least half my team. Staking my claim. Daring any of them to say shit against me for fraternizing with one of the sexiest cheerleaders I’d ever met. Mine, she was mine, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let anyone stand in the way of that—not even Miller.