Virgin in the Middle

“There’s unexpected, and then there’s crazy.”

“What’s the matter? Do you think something else unexpected might happen if you room with us?” Anthony doesn’t move, doesn’t touch me, but he doesn’t need to. His eyes feel like a touch, that’s how closely he’s staring at my body, studying my curves. Making me hot all over.

I snort. “Of course not.”

“Well then, what’s the harm in sharing a bedroom?” Vin’s smirk widens. “If you’re so sure nothing will happen…”

“It’s just…” Shit. He’s got me there. I mean, what is the problem, truly? How is this different from sharing with girls? I already know myself—I am single-minded and determined. I’ve never been swayed by a hot guy before. Why would this be any different? I shake my head and shoulder between them into the room. My shoulders brush both of their chests at once—their bare chests—and it takes everything I have not to shiver in delight at the touch.

“Nothing. There’s no problem,” I say, striding over to my bed to unzip my bag. “It’s fine.”

“Good.” When I turn back around, Anthony is leaning in the doorway, studying me, as Vin goes back to changing.

When Vin strips off his shorts, down to his boxers, I flush bright red and turn back around. Though not before catching a glimpse of the bulge at his crotch, or his long, muscular, totally tanned legs.

“I… Er… I left some stuff downstairs…” I start to say, but Anthony beats me to it.

“What do your bags look like?” he asks, straightening, and grabbing a T-shirt from his top bunk bed. “I’ll grab them.”

“Oh, no, I couldn’t, it’s—”

“Least we can do to make up for making our lovely new roomie uncomfortable on day one,” he interrupts, narrowing his eyes at me with a pointed smile.

Now I feel even worse. Not only did I react horribly, but they’re being so nice about it. Ugh. “Um… They’re just black bags, like this one, but with pink tags…” I nudge my bag with a toe. “I’ll come with you.”

He shakes his head. “It’s no trouble. Stay here, unpack. Get to know Vin,” he adds, with a wink that makes me glance over at Vin’s side of the room.

Oh, god. Vin has nothing but a towel on now, wrapped around his waist, displaying the pointed V of muscles that lead straight to his groin. I feel like I’m in the movie Fight Club come to life, standing between Brad Pitt and a more muscular Ed Norton.

“Um,” I reply.

But when I turn back around, Anthony is already gone.

“Don’t mind him,” Vin adds as he bends over, scooping up a shower caddy, and sliding on flip-flops. “He just has a hero complex about helping beautiful damsels in distress.” His eyes dart back over my body as he says that, and I didn’t know I could blush this much. Shit.

The tingle of tension in my belly starts to unknot, growing into something stronger. It’s Vin I can smell now, as heady as Anthony, but somehow darker. Anthony smells like pine trees and fresh air and a mountain hike, whereas Vin is more like the earthy smell after a sudden rain. Real, tangible. Way too close to me.

“Sorry I reacted so badly,” I add, swallowing hard to ignore the tightening in my throat, the dryness in my mouth. “I was just surprised. It’s not that I hate guys or anything.”

“I certainly hope you don’t,” he responds, laughing. “That would be a sad day for our half of the species.”

To distract myself, I turn away and start rooting through my bags. “So did you guys play the roommate lottery too?” I ask, my back to him.

“No,” Vin responds, surprising me. “I’ve known Anthony since we were kids. But we wanted to room with a third person. Change it up a bit.”

When I’m not looking at him, it’s almost possible to have a normal conversation. Maybe I’ll just have to do this all year. Speak to them with my eyes closed or my back turned.

Then again, maybe it will get easier to ignore them when they put some damn clothes on.

“That’s cool,” I say, still rooting through my stuff.

“We figured this would be a good way to get to know new people. To find unexpected new connections.” As he speaks, his voice nears me.

The hairs on the back of my neck rise, tingling, and I can feel him standing just a few feet behind me. His stare feels like a touch, as if his hands are already running all over my body.

Great. Just what I need. Childhood best friends and I’m turned on by both of them. This doesn’t at all have disaster written all over it.

Luckily, before either of us can say anything else, the door pops open again. Anthony strides through, all four of my other bags on his arms. He drops them on my side of the room without even breaking a sweat or breathing hard. I blink, realizing he just did in one trip what would’ve taken me another two hikes up those stairs.

“Thank you,” I stammer, surprised.

“No problem. Extra workout,” he adds with a wink as he deposits the bags on top of my bed. “That all you brought?”

“All?” I ask, surveying what seems to me like a ton of clothing, not to mention more than enough accessories and the small bundle full of my makeup and toiletries.

Anthony shrugs. “Just figured sharing a room with a girl would mean a lot more… stuff. But I’ve got more crap here than you do.”

I glance over my shoulder at his and Vin’s side of the room. Suddenly, it’s easy to find Anthony’s closet—there’s two closets side-by-side on that side of the room, both open. One is spilling over with clothes, towels, jerseys in what looks like every size, shape, and color. Not to mention more than a few bags of what seems to be workout equipment. Vin has the workout equipment, but probably less clothing than I knew it was possible to own—just two pairs of identical jeans, four identical black T-shirts, a leather jacket, and a neatly ordered stack of his exercise gear.

I almost laugh at that. “Guess you’re the over-packer in this room,” I say.

“Not the first time,” Vin replies, laughing as he punches Anthony’s shoulder lightly. He’s still wearing his towel, and he shoots Anthony a pointed look as he heads for the door. “You know, we’re going to miss coach’s dinner meeting if we don’t clean up soon, right?”

Anthony grimaces and turns away from me with one last glance, his gaze seeming almost regretful. But he grabs his shower caddy and towel and pads out of the room after Vin anyway. I’m left alone, stunned, in the middle of a pile of lacrosse equipment, the guys’ heady scent still lingeri

ng in the air.

I cross the room and shove open the window, hoping the cool fall air outside will cleanse the room of them—not to mention clear my head.

That done, I pull the sheets I brought onto my bed, then flop down face-first onto it and grab my phone. It’s 6 pm here, which means it’s only 3 pm on the West Coast, so Nita is probably only just getting to her dorm. She might be busy with orientation at her school or off meeting new friends. But I need the distraction right now, so I text her anyway.

Just got moved in. How’s it going on your end?

It takes a few minutes, but the text window soon lights up with her response. Still at the airport, waiting for my luggage. You’re so lucky you could drive there. It was hell to try and cram everything I own into just two oversized bags.

I grin, hearing the text aloud in my best friend’s voice. Yeah, well, that’s what you get for running so far away from me, I say with a couple added tongue-sticking-out emojis for emphasis.

You know I had to do this. It’s my dream school.

I know, I admit. I’m just teasing. I’m proud of you really. It’s ballsy, moving that far away. I couldn’t handle it. Hell, I’m freaking out just being here, a few hours’ drive from home.

You’re going to rock this year, Nita replies immediately. Talking me up like she always does. If anyone can utterly own freshman year, it’s you.

I don’t know about that… I’m typing, just as the dorm room door swings open again. I start, glancing up and locking eyes with both boys, dripping wet from the showers, their hair running across their foreheads into their eyes, chests bare and glistening with droplets of water. Only the towels around their waists hide their bodies from me, and those towels are not doing a very good job of concealing… well, anything.