Trouble's What You're In

by Danielle Allen

  Was he right?

  I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was some truth to what Jay had said. Jay and I had a flirtatious relationship, but we never talked about feelings. Going to bed and waking up with him brought something to the forefront. But I didn’t know he had feelings for me because I didn’t even know I had feelings for him. I knew that we had something special, but I tried not to think about it too hard because I was scared of what it would reveal.

  He was there for me when I needed him—like always. On the other hand, he took care of me in a way he’d never had to before. Even before we’d had sex, he touched me in a way he’d never touched me before. It was tender and loving and somewhere along the line, my feelings evolved or revealed themselves—one or the other. But the thought that maybe he was right in assuming that I only was ready for more after what happened with Aiden ate at me.

  Jay was being insecure because of how he found out what happened in the basement… and then the flowers… and then Gino’s… and then the diner. Okay… yikes!

  Admittedly, I could see where he would feel like there was something between me and Aiden. But whatever had brewed between me and Jay had been brewing forever. He, of all people, knew I didn’t have sex with people I didn’t have real feelings for.

  I spotted Carter’s leather-bound notebook and froze. “Wait, one goddamn minute,” I muttered.

  Even Carter knew that something was between us prior to anything that happened over the last couple of weeks. And as far as my sexual attraction to him, I’d acknowledged that before even talking to Aiden!

  I ended up masturbating to Jay and then wanted him all weekend! I removed my jeans. And he knows that!

  In just a tank top and my panties, I grabbed the notebook and marched across the hall and opened the bathroom door. The curtain was closed so I couldn’t see him, but he knew I was there.

  “What are you doing?” he called from the shower.

  I flipped to “My Third Eye Love You” and I was about to read it but hesitated. I didn’t need someone else’s words. I needed my own.

  I put the notebook on the sink. “You have some nerve,” I started, my voice came out more forceful than I intended. I went to the shower and pulled back the curtain.

  “What the hell?” He rubbed his face, looking over at me in alarm. “You’re getting water all over the floor!”

  My eyes swept up and down his sculpted body as the water stream washed soap away. “I’m sorry about how all the Aiden stuff looked. That was unfortunate and the timing wasn’t great, but you’re not going to act like I just wanted to have sex with you as a reaction to what happened with Aiden.”

  “Okay. Can we talk about this when I get out?” He continued washing with me watching, turning into the stream of water. “You’re getting water everywhere.”

  I pulled off my tank top and stepped into the shower with him. Yanking the curtain to close it, I pursed my lips. “Happy now?”

  A ghost of a smile played on his lips as he eyed my bra and underwear. He shook his head. “What are you doing?” he asked with an amused sigh.

  “No, what are you doing?” I countered, putting my hands on my hips. “What you said was out of line.”

  “No, it wasn’t.”

  “Yes, it was. You jumped to conclusions instead of talking to me.”

  “It’s not jumping to conclusions if I’m following your lead and listening to your words. You said you didn’t want anything to happen between us and nothing happened. Then we fucked all night. And then you wanted to be best friends. Then you got mad because I’m not in your face about your boy. And then when I call you out, you interrupt my shower.” His gaze dipped down to the black lace before locking eyes with me again. “Like I said, you don’t know what you want.”

  We were inches apart yet still not touching. My nipples were hard, and the damp lace was stimulating them. I let my hands slide off my hip and I squared my shoulders. All I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him, but I couldn’t read his expression. “I do know what I want.”

  He searched my face. “What do you want, Brooklyn?”

  The knot in my belly tightened. “I want you.”

  “I’m going to keep it real with you. I want you too. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for our friendship to fuck again.” His dick twitched and I had to pretend not to notice. “I can’t do the back and forth. Especially not with you.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want to be able to take a shower in peace,” he groaned.

  Licking my lips, I asked again. “What do you want, James?”

  He stared at me like he was debating whether he was going to answer the question. I saw in his eyes when he made his decision. “I want you. All of you.”

  Even though my body reacted as if he’d asked me to bend over, I felt like he didn’t just mean it in a sexual way.

  “What do you want?” he asked me again, imploring me to want all of him as well.

  “I don’t want to lose my best friend—”

  He interrupted, his brows creasing in frustration. “So, why are you in the shower with me?”

  “Because I love you!”

  The words slipped out of my mouth so easily that I didn’t have a chance to overthink anything. Standing in the shower with him, I felt free of anxiety or guilt or anything else that held me back from saying it before.

  He searched my face. “You what?”

  Staring up at him, I whispered, “I’m in love with you.”

  Jay crashed his mouth into mine, pulling my body into his. His growing erection hung heavily between us, jabbing me in a tantalizing way. He broke the kiss and just stared at me in awe. “I’m in love with you.”

  As the water pelted his back and sprinkled on me, Jay brought his lips close and hovered over mine. I waited for his mouth to cover mine, but when it didn’t, I opened my eyes.

  As if that was what he was waiting for, he smirked and unclasped my bra. Once he’d freed my breasts, he slid my lace thong from my body. He dropped both in the tub. I was going to pick them up and move them, but he kissed me in a way that stopped me dead in my tracks.

  Nibbling and sucking on my lower lip, he aroused every sexual urge in my body. He drew back teasingly before doing it all over again. I felt my clit throbbing, begging for that same type of attention. The back and forth between kissing me and teasing me with the anticipation of the kiss made me tremble.

  His hands roamed down my back and over my ass before he palmed each cheek. Letting the slickness of my skin guide him, he traveled up to my nipples. They were dying for attention so as soon as he tweaked them, I gasped.

  He kissed along my jaw and made his way to my neck. He kissed, sucked, and nibbled his way to owning my body. I had goosebumps by the time he kissed his way back to my lips.

  I loved the feeling of his wet body sliding against mine. There was something so sexy about the idea of shower sex. “I love the way you touch me,” I moaned into his mouth as his hand moved down my belly.

  He pulled away slightly and stared at me as the pads of his fingers slipped between the apex of my thighs. “I love touching your body. I love hearing you moan. I love tasting you…everywhere.”

  “Jay…” I dragged his name out as he found my clit.

  His eyes sparkled and the look he was giving me caused a familiar ache to reemerge.

  “Stop looking at me like that,” I murmured as he played with me. “We don’t have a condom in here.”

  Supporting me with one arm, he lifted one of my legs and placed it on the side of the tub. He took my hand and wrapped it around the brass shower curtain rod. “We don’t need that.”

  I pulled out of the kiss to make a face. “Yes, we do.”

  Jay chuckled as he lowered himself into the tub. “Hold on tight.”

  When his tongue replaced his finger, it felt so good that my foot slipped. I never felt like I was going to fall because he had his arms holding me securely in place. With my free hand on the
back of his head, I let myself succumb to the sensation.

  “Jay,” I purred as he tilted my hips and suctioned his mouth to me.

  He took long, lush licks before sucking on my clit again. My body tensed and he groaned, focusing on the spot that caused that reaction out of me. My entire lower body started to quiver, and my head lolled back, hitting the shower wall. I felt like I was going to pull the rod down as I came on his face.

  “Oh God,” I groaned loudly. After a few heaving breaths, I looked down at him. I noticed how the water was raining down on his face. “You’re going to drown.”

  He kissed his way up my body. “Drowning in your pussy would be a hell of a way to go.”

  When he found my lips again, we hungrily devoured each other. He was rock hard, stabbing me in my belly.

  “I want to feel you inside me,” I told him softly, wrapping my hand around his dick.

  He pulled back the curtain and grabbed two plush towels. He wrapped one around me and then wrapped the other around his waist. I patted my face with the towel and then glanced at myself in the mirror on the way out the bathroom.

  “My hair got wet,” I complained. “It’s going to be a mess tomorrow.”

  “Brooklyn.” He grabbed a fist full of hair and gently tugged. My head tilted back, and he bent to put his lips against my ear. “It’s going to be a mess in a few minutes.”

  I giggled as he nibbled my earlobe.

  I faintly heard my phone ringing in the office, but Jay pulled my towel off. When I turned around, he dropped his.

  Nothing else mattered at that point.

  …

  Chapter Fifteen

  “The season has been terminated. It’s over,” I said in shock as I finished reading the email for the second time early Thursday morning. “Since the scholarship already processed for the classes, I-I can stay for the rest of the semester if I pay”—I cleared my throat— “the prorated amount by the end of next week.”

  “What’s the prorated amount?” Jay asked, pushing himself into a sitting position. The bed dipped as he moved me so that his arm was around me, holding me. “Do they tell you that at least?”

  I turned my phone so that he could see it. “Sixty percent.”

  He whistled. “Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah, um… I think it’s time to tell your mom.”

  “I know,” I whispered, staring at the email in disbelief. “I mean, I knew this was a possibility, but to have it right here in black and white.”

  “Did they give a reason?”

  I met his gaze. “Misconduct. And I’m on probation effective after a review.”

  He shook his head. “You didn’t even do shit. This isn’t right.”

  “I’m being penalized for something I didn’t do. For being associated with people I don’t even fuck with like that. It’s not right.”

  “You already filled out that paperwork for financial aid and grants for spring semester. So really, you just need to figure out how to pay sixty percent of this semester.” He chewed his bottom lip as he picked up his phone. “Ten thousand dollars by next Friday.”

  I groaned and let my head fall onto his shoulder. He kissed my matted hair and then my forehead. “I’ll help you figure it out.”

  “Thank you.” I exhaled audibly. “I need to call Kim. She called last night.”

  “Do you think she’s up?”

  I picked up my phone and looked at the time. It was just after seven o’clock in the morning. “Maybe not. I’ll wait until eight.” I touched my hair. “I should probably wash my hair, so it’ll be presentable. Coach Ainsley called a mandatory meeting for this afternoon.”

  “If the team is terminated, how can she call a mandatory meeting?”

  My jaw dropped and I lifted my head to look at him. “You’re right!” I paused as the thought hit me. “But it probably has to do with the review. If there’s any way to get a probation or misconduct off my record, I’m willing to do it.”

  “That’s true.”

  Cuddling up to him, I nuzzled into his neck. “Last night was incredible. Sorry to start the day off with bad news.”

  “I’m waking up next to you. No news can ruin that.”

  Leaning my head back, I looked up at his beautiful brown eyes and smiled. “It’s still wild to me that we’re waking up like this.”

  “Last night was wilder.”

  I let my head fall back as I laughed. “This is true. And this is exactly why I have to wash my hair today. You know that’s a three-hour task.”

  “Well you better start now if you have that meeting at noon,” he pointed out.

  He was right. But I didn’t want to leave his arms.

  “I have a question,” I asked, still grinning up at him.

  He kissed me. “What’s up?”

  “Now that you’re my boyfriend—”

  “Boyfriend?” he sputtered. “Where did that come from?”

  My eyebrows flew up. “Where did that come from?” I balked. I was trying to push him off me, but he kept readjusting his arms around me, keeping me next to him. “You want to fuck me all night, tell me you love me, completely mess up my twist out, and then act like you have no idea why I would think you’re my boyfriend?”

  His eyes danced with unabashed merriment. “I’m kidding!”

  “I’m going to get my best friend to kick your ass for leading me on like this,” I told him, scrambling out of his arms and standing next to the bed.

  “Well then I’m going to get my girlfriend to kick your ass. And she’s on the dance team so she’ll kick the shit out of you.”

  I burst out laughing. “What?” I put my hands on my hips. “Complete honesty… you don’t think I can fight?”

  “I’ve never seen you fight, but I think you could handle yourself.”

  I made a face. “So, what was that kick comment about?”

  “I don’t know if you have hands, but I know you have kicks.”

  I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. I dropped back on the bed and placed my hands on my belly. It felt like I did a thousand sit-ups. “I hate you.”

  He kissed all over my face. “Do you still hate me?”

  I peeked at him through my lashes. “Maybe.” I puckered my lips and waited until I felt his meet mine. “No.” He kissed me again. “I love you.”

  “Mmm…” He rolled me on top of him and kissed me again. “I love hearing you say that.”

  “I know what you’re trying to do, and I need to go wash my hair,” I giggled as I felt his dick pressing against me.

  “I’ll let you go under one condition,” he bargained with me.

  “And what’s that?”

  “I want you to be my girl—”

  I recoiled, rolling off him. “Your girl? You’re moving a little fast, aren’t you?”

  “What can I say?” He smirked. “When you know, you know.”

  I wanted to say something smart, but as I looked in his eyes, I knew there was nothing but forever for us. My cheeks heated.

  “Since we’re together now, you know that means what’s mine is yours?” I pointed out. I gave him one final kiss before getting out of the bed.

  “Don’t touch my strawberry milkshake, Brook,” he chuckled. “I’m not playing with you.”

  I walked out the room. “It’s like both of ours.”

  “I’m not playing with you!”

  I went to the bathroom to shower and wash my hair. As I was doing a hot oil treatment, I called Kim. She didn’t answer but she called me back a few minutes later.

  “Hey, I’m sorry I missed your call last night,” I said as soon as I answered. “Are you okay?”

  “There’s a lot of stuff going on,” Kim whispered.

  Her tone made my hair stand on end. “What’s going on? Kim, what’s wrong?”

  “Olive is missing.”

  I gasped. “What do you mean Olive is missing?”

  “I talked to her on the way to your place. I called her on the way to the police station and she didn’
t answer. I’ve been calling her since Monday, and she hasn’t answered or called me back.”

  I started pacing. “Have you been to the house?”

  “I dropped by and no one answered the door. All the cars were there though.”

  I stopped in my tracks and squeezed my eyes shut. “Shit.”

  “Yeah. I’m thinking they either know about Trevor or they know I went to the police.”

  “Have you talked to Trevor?”

  “Not since I broke things off with him on Monday. I figured his dad was going to find out about my statement and I didn’t want any contact with Trevor after he found out about it,” she explained.

  “That makes sense.” I started pacing again. “Thank you for going to the police.”

  “You don’t have to thank me for that. It was the right thing to do. And besides, even if budget cuts dissolved the UFIT Dancing Divas, we still have to stick together.”

  I smiled. “You’re right about that.” I paused. “I feel like none of this would’ve ever happened if they didn’t dissolve the Divas. We wouldn’t be involved with any of this… or any of them.”

  “I was thinking about that, too!” she exclaimed. “This whole thing is too much. And now that Olive is gone…”

  “Do you think something happened to her?” I speculated uneasily.

  “Yes. The PROs are the stereotypical arrogant, entitled assholes that everyone knows them to be. But the cheerleader set you up for arson and then lied to the police. I think they are the dangerous ones. And all it would take was for Olive to corroborate what we told the police for their entire lie to fall apart. I was worried about her staying there with them. She was worried about still staying there! And now… I don’t know,” she sighed. “I told her to be careful and to watch her back and now she isn’t picking up her phone or returning any messages. She hasn’t posted on social media either.”

  “What was her last post?”

  “A picture of her the night of the party.”

  We were both quiet.

  “I know you got the email. We still need to discuss that,” Kim said.

  “Yeah.” I suddenly heard people in the background. “Are you heading to class?”