My heart was racing as she turned to face me. Her smile was nefarious and alluring… all at the same time.
I was stunned. Speechless. Powerless to move. All I could do is watch as she strutted my way, crossing thigh over lovely thigh.
“And I’ve wanted to do this for a long time too.”
Claudia reached up, and her hands cradled my face. I bent down for her, and my whole body shivered as she pressed her mouth against mine.
Oh… oh wow.
It was like slipping into euphoria. Her lips were sweet and wonderful, and tasted vaguely of rum. Our tongues met, and somehow they danced together like they’d been doing it all along. We kissed like lovers who’d shared a thousand lifetimes, and who hadn’t seen each other in a thousand more.
All rational thought faded away. Holly, school, this whole big mess — everything, including the jealousy and even the heat I’d felt at watching her kiss Brandon and Hunter. All of it was gone in a instant, leaving me only to bask in the pure rapture of kissing this beautiful creature. This girl — no, this woman — who I’d wanted for so long.
I was shaken awake by gentle laughter as Claudia finally pulled back. The others were staring, and even clearing their throats. Apparently we’d been kissing longer than the both of them combined.
“Easy there Romeo,” Brandon quipped.
I was still in shock. Still reeling from the experience of kissing someone new, someone so gorgeous and utterly perfect. But I was also relieved. Relieved that Brandon could laugh again. Relieved that Hunter was no longer furious with him… or at least, a lot less mad than before.
“There,” said Claudia at last. She looked pointedly at each of us in turn. “All settled up.”
The room fell silent again as she slipped past us. All three of us watched wordlessly as she made her way up the staircase.
“Goodnight boys,” she said, no
t even looking over her shoulder. “If we need to, we can talk more about this in the morning.”
We watched her until she was gone, then turned to face each other. For the first time in history, all three of us were speechless.
“We’re going to need to discuss this,” I said at last. “Aren’t we?”
My two fraternity brothers stared back at me. Eventually, they nodded.
“Oh yeah.”
Nineteen
CLAUDIA
I woke up groggy but not hungover. In fact I felt pretty good. Pretty good until…
HOLY. SHIT.
It came flooding back to me, all of it, in one giant, heart-stopping wave. I could recall every word, every statement. Every hot, fiery kiss…
Claudia… what the hell did you DO?
I ended the torment, that’s what I did. Or at least, I thought so last night. Looking back at it afterward, beneath the unforgiving scrutiny of the light of day? Maybe I’d acted a little hastily. Or recklessly, more like it.
I sank my face into my hands. I’d given in to Brandon, sure. After the whirlwind night of fun we had together, that simply couldn’t be helped. But then, in my desperate attempt to make things right, I’d gone way too far. I’d kissed Hunter. I’d kissed Colin…
You didn’t just kiss them, the little voice in my head reminded me. You damn well made out with them!
“Shit.”
I went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. Crying over what happened wasn’t going to make it go away. The best I could do was damage control, and maybe blame some of my behavior on raging hormones, the full moon, or the strange frivolity of Halloween night.
Yeah… that’s not gonna cut it.