The Junior (College Years 3)

I break the kiss first and reach for the door handle. “Let’s get out of here.”

She doesn’t hesitate, exiting the car as fast as I do, both of us hurrying toward our apartment. Apprehension ripples through me as I wait behind her while she unlocks the door, worried Eli and Ava will be chilling in the living room and want to chat. We’ll have to pretend nothing’s out of the ordinary, and that will be difficult as fuck.

But when the door swings open and reveals the living room blessedly empty, my sigh of relief is extra loud.

Sending me a quick, questioning look, Gracie shuts and locks the door before turning to me. “Should we pack?”

I shrug one shoulder, hoping she’s not trying to get out of whatever we might end up doing. “It’s only for one night.”

“We can pack in the morning,” she suggests.

“Yeah, we can,” I agree.

She takes my hand and leads me to her room, closing the door when we both walk inside. I part my lips, ready to say something when she unexpectedly pushes at my chest, sending me toppling onto the mattress. I land with a grunt, another one escaping me when she crawls on top of me, her long, sleek body sliding over mine until her pretty face is hovering above me, our gazes meeting.

Molten gold tonight, I think as I stare into her eyes. I reach out, sliding my fingers into her hair, cupping the side of her head. So fucking beautiful.

“You’re looking at me like you’ve never seen me before,” she whispers.

“You haunt my thoughts all damn day,” I admit. “I’m looking at you like this because I can’t believe I finally got you where I want you. On top of me.”

She smiles, pressing her hips into mine. “We can’t do much tonight. I’m—scared.”

I stroke her hair and she leans into my palm, her eyes sliding closed. “After what happened to you? Are you still in pain?”

“Not really. I just—I don’t know. What if we do it and it hurts after? I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Her voice drops to the smallest whisper. “I haven’t had sex in a while.”

“Me either,” I confess.

Gracie cracks her eyes open. “Really?”

She almost sounds like she doesn’t believe me.

“When would I have time? If I’m not with you, I’m at practice. Or here. Or at work. Pretty much always with you,” I remind her. “I don’t want anyone else. I haven’t for a while.”

She grins, and she looks so damn pleased with my admission—and herself—that I smile in response. “I never thought I’d hear you say something like that.”

“Like what?”

“That you don’t want anyone else.” She dips her head, her mouth on mine, though she doesn’t really kiss me. “That you only want me.”

“I do. It’s true.” I grip the back of her head, pulling her in for a kiss. Our lips meet. Break apart. Meet again. “No one else.” I run my other hand down her back, across her ass, tugging her closer to me so she can feel my erection. “Just you.”

It’s on after that. Lots of kissing with tongues and heat. So much kissing. More than I’ve ever really experienced before.

Why the hell was I avoiding this again?

I push all other thoughts out of my head and concentrate on the girl in my arms, savoring her taste. The warm weight of her body on top of mine. Our hips are almost perfectly aligned and there’s no way she doesn’t notice my hard cock. It’s currently resting against her stomach and I lift my hips, trying to nudge her. Let her know what I want.

Damn I hope she wants the same thing I do.

She pulls away from me slightly, the sound of our heavy breaths filling the room. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“I’m not pushing for shit,” I say, my fingers kneading one of her ass cheeks, keeping it on top of her clothes, though I’m dying to touch bare skin.

Fuck it, I am touching bare skin. I slip my fingers beneath the hem of her short shorts, touching the silky-smooth curve of her ass and she moans low in her throat, her lids fluttering as she closes her eyes.

“Take your shirt off,” she demands, and I move so fast, I practically dump her off the bed as she rolls off me.