“I didn’t wear a condom.”
“I know. I’m covered, as long as you’re—” I raised my brows. It had been a long, long time since I’d let anyone inside me, and never without a rubber, so I was square. And yeah, I should’ve made Theo suit up, but I didn’t. I just didn’t.
“Yeah, I did the whole testing thing at my last checkup.”
“Good.” I touched the mark I’d left on his neck. “Then no worries.”
“No worries,” he rumbled in agreement.
I opened the powder room door, Theo behind me, but only took one step before I stopped. Amir was slouched against the opposite wall, his foot kicked up against it.
Shit. Fuck. I did not want to do this with him in front of Theo.
He slowly clapped his hands. “Nice show. I didn’t know you had it in you, Hells.”
I shook my head. “Not doing this tonight.”
He straightened, his attention over my shoulder, a smirk on his lips. To my surprise, he bowed his head. “Whitlock.”
Theo didn’t say a word. His fingers dug into my hips as he quickly steered me down the hall, leaving a laughing Amir behind.
“Do you know him?” I asked.
“Not really. Do you?”
“He went to my high school.” Not a lie. Not the entire truth, but not a lie.
“Mmm. I’ve seen him around at parties.”
I had a feeling Theo was answering me the same way I’d answered him. Half-truths were cousins to lies, but they weren’t lies.
I dropped it since I didn’t want him pressing me on my relationship with Amir. Theo didn’t need to know every single dirty, ugly thing about me—not when he had me feeling like I was his good girl and I wanted to keep that for a while.
We got drinks and found my crew outside by the pool again, kicked back on loungers. Theo and I grabbed the last available one, pulling it over to join the group.
“We thought you left,” Grace said.
Bash crossed his arms. “She sent me looking for you.”
Pen’s eyes rounded. “Then we…uh, heard you.”
Gabe fell into her chest face-first. “Don’t make me say what I heard.”
“We stayed here,” Bex added.
“Wisely, apparently,” Asher said.
“Go Helen.” Grace twirled her finger in the air.
“We weren’t that loud.” I crinkled my nose, refusing to be embarrassed.
“You were,” Gabe wheezed. “You very much were.”
Theo curled his arms around me, holding me tight while he shook with laughter. I settled into it, his arms, his hold, his nature that swept away all the bad to make room for the good. In the dark, I met Pen’s gaze. She was smiling at me in Theo’s embrace. I couldn’t explain to her we weren’t together, we were only...well, whatever we were, that this didn’t mean anything. I’d tell her later. For tonight, I sank into what I had at my fingertips.
It was my birthday, and one night with Theo as mine was the present I was giving myself.
* * *
Theo parked outside my dorm and walked up the stairs with me. Then he followed me inside the elevator.
“What are you doing?” I leaned against his chest, giving him most of my weight. I wasn’t hammered, but I was more than a little toasty, and Theo felt mighty fine.
“Taking you home.” He gripped my ass like he had every right to. And I guess he did, because I wasn’t arguing. I liked his hands there.
“Door-to-door service. Way to make a girl feel special.”
He practically carried me to my suite because the thought of walking bummed me out. Once we were inside, he kept me in his arms all the way to my bedroom. There, he set me on the bed and kicked off his shoes.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
His shirt went next. “Getting ready for bed. You should too, unless you want me to help you.”
I blinked. “But why are you getting ready for bed here? In my room?”
He continued stripping his clothes, like this was an everyday occurrence. “I’m sleeping here.” Hands on his hips, he stood in front of me in just his boxer briefs. My mouth salivated at the ridges of muscles at his hips. I would have leaned forward to trace them with my tongue if my head hadn’t been so spinny.
“God, you’re hot.” Oh shit. My hands flew up to cover my mouth, but it was too late. Theo knew my weakness—him.
He dragged his thumb down my cheek. “Arms up.”
My arms went up automatically, then my shirt was on the floor with his. “This doesn’t feel like sexy-time stuff.”
He chuckled under his breath. “Fuck, you’re cute when you’re wasted.”
“Not wasted,” I muttered. “Happily toasted. There’s a difference.”
Theo was digging through my dresser, and I didn’t question it. I also didn’t question the way he’d easily found my pajamas without asking me. That was just Theo, with his twinkly eyes and too-good-to-be-true nature.
I stood up to take off my shorts and pull on my boxers and tee. That was when I remembered my new necklace. Slipping it over my head, I handed it to Theo.
“Can you put it somewhere safe? It’s important.”
He held it in his palm, brow furrowed. “I haven’t seen this before. It’s beautiful.”
“Mmm…Grace made it. She gave it to me tonight for my birthday. Can you believe someone that pretty is also talented and sweet? I doubted her at first, but that bitch is legit.”
I started for the bathroom, but only got two steps before I was launched backward onto the bed, Theo landing on top of me.
“Hi,” I breathed.
“It’s your birthday.” Oh, he sounded displeased.
“Yeah.”
“It’s your birthday.”
I nodded. “I’m twenty, weee.”
I could practically feel the thunder booming in his skull. “It’s your birthday, Helen.”
“Yeah, it is. Why does that make you angry?”
His elbows bracketing my head, he shoved his fingers in the sides of my hair. “You didn’t think to tell me? Like an asshole, I show up late as hell to that party and don’t even wish my girl a happy birthday?”
I rubbed my feet on the backs of his calves. “It’s no big deal. I never make my birthday a thing.”
“Helen…” He growled my name like a warning, but since I was me, I didn’t heed it.
“If you’re worried about my friends thinking you’re shitty for not wishing me a happy birthday, don’t worry. They were more traumatized by the sounds they hear—”
“No.” His fingers fisted, tilting my head back. “I give a shit what they think because they’re your friends. But I’m not thinking about them. I’m thinking I would’ve liked to make an effort for you. I’m thinking I would’ve taken you to dinner, gotten you a present, something.” He rolled off me, rubbing the heel of his hand into his eye.
“Boyfriend things,” I whispered.
“Shit.”
I turned over, tucking myself into his side. His arm came around me, pulling me even closer. I was sleepy, and Theo was warm, so even though we were in the middle of something, I was close to drifting off. My fingers traced the ridges of his abs and hips, and for once, I didn’t want to climb on his dick. I liked this, being close, touching his warm skin, hearing him breathe. It wasn’t something I’d experienced before. I’d consider it a birthday treat.