We made our way back to his truck, drinks in hand. The fall days were still reasonably pleasant, but once the sun set, the evenings turned bitingly chilly.
“How’s packing coming?” he asked, taking my free hand in his.
I sipped my white hot chocolate. “I’ve got lots of the small stuff taken care of already. It’s probably premature, but I’m excited to get the heck out of there.”
“Me too. The new living arrangement will be way better for you.” He paused, forehead creasing. “Though I don’t love the idea of you on the train at night.”
“It’s a five-minute ride,” I said. “Three stops.”
He grunted but said nothing, which in Chase terms meant he didn’t agree but didn’t want to argue with me. Stubborn man.
I elbowed him gently. “I don’t have any evening classes, anyway. The only time I stay late is when we’re on deadline for the paper.”
“Good,” Chase said. “I’ll pick you up on those days.”
“What if you have a game?”
His eyes gleamed. “Then you’ll be there watching me.”
“Sometimes, Carter.”
“All the time, James.” He grinned. “Starting with our next game. We have to win this one. It’s a male pride thing now.”
I laughed. “I’ll come. But honestly, you don’t have to pick me up from campus every time I stay late.”
“But I want to.” His tone brooked no argument. “Besides,” he added, “it would be a good excuse to squeeze in sleepovers.”
“Do we need an excuse?”
“I guess not.” We came to a stop by the truck, and he dipped, his lips meeting mine. A rush ran through me, electric and exhilarating. I curled my fingers around his coat and pulled him closer. He slanted his mouth against mine, deepening the kiss for a moment.
“Let’s go,” he said when he pulled back, nodding to the truck with a crooked grin. “I want to make good on what I said earlier.”
No time was wasted once we got back to Chase’s. We stumbled into his bedroom in a blur of kissing and groping, sighs and murmurs. Mouth still fused to mine, he shut the door behind us and locked it, then steered me over to his desk and switched on the lamp.
After another minute, we broke apart, breathless and dazed.
He gave me a slow, deliberate once-over in the dim light of his room. “You are wearing entirely too much clothing, James.”
“Oh yeah? What are you gonna to do about it?” I asked, giving him a playful look.
“I’m not going to do anything.” His voice turned dark and satin-smooth, like rich black coffee. “You’re going to take it off for me.”
Oh…my.
My pulse kickstarted, sending a surge of adrenaline through my veins.
“You want me to strip for you?”
“Uh-huh.” He nodded, lips tugging into a rakish smile. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
“I might need a few drinks in me first,” I said. “Like, approaching XS number of drinks.”
Chase slipped his warm hands beneath the fabric of my sweater and ran them down the sides of my torso until they landed on my waist. Ducking his head, he skimmed his lips along the curve of my neck, alluding to kisses without delivering.
“I know you don’t have a shirt under that sweater,” he murmured against my skin, “so there are only two layers between me and you in a bra and underwear. And I can take those off with my teeth.”
Heat unfurled between my legs at his offer. He planted a line of soft kisses starting below my ear, followed by a nip on the top of my shoulder. I drew in a soft breath of surprise, and a low chuckle rumbled from his chest.
“You are so beautiful.” He kissed my neck again, featherlight. “And hot.” He moved higher, kissing my jawline. “And sexy.”
Winding his hand in the hair at my nape, he angled my face up to meet his, mouth crashing down on mine. I drew in a breath, parting my lips as his tongue slipped inside. Kissing him was like an instant kill switch for my brain. Everything else ceased to exist as the need in my core surged, growing nearly too great to ignore.
His other hand slid around to grip my behind, squeezing possessively. A wall of warm muscle pressed against my breasts as he drew our bodies close enough that I could feel exactly how much he wanted me. I splayed both palms on his chest, probing the muscle that lay beneath his shirt.
Then he slowly pulled away, pivoting us both half a turn. Still facing me, wearing a devilish smile, he took a few steps backward and lowered himself to sit on the edge of the bed.
Once in a while, I found myself awed by him. Surprised on some level that he was mine.
This was one of those moments.
Dark, tousled hair and a devastatingly perfect face. Eyes I could get lost in and a smile I couldn’t say no to. And while he was still fully dressed, I knew the body that lay beneath that shirt and those jeans too. Smooth skin over taut muscle, power and prowess contained within.
Tipping forward, he placed his elbows on his thighs and gave me an expectant look. My attention fell to his powerful forearms for a beat before sliding down to his big hands. Strong, skillful hands that I very much wanted on my body again.
I toyed with the hem of my sweater, then paused, pretending to think. “You want me to take this off?”
“Very much so.” Chase grinned.
Heart pounding, I took a step forward, watching the rise and fall of his chest quicken as I drew nearer. He observed me, rapt with desire. Although I felt self-conscious, having such an effect on him was empowering.
I came to a stop just out of reach.
“I guess I could.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I slowly lifted the hem of the soft knit sweater and pulled it over my head before tossing it onto the floor.
His expression turned hungry, his eyes tracing my body from head to toe with such intensity that I could almost feel heat glide across my skin.
With another step closer, I was standing between his legs. Our gazes locked as he looked up at me, his eyes taking on a predatory gleam. Masculine energy radiated off him, carefully restrained but ready to pounce, to ravish.
I tilted my head questioningly. “Now what was I supposed to do?”
“Fuck it.” He shook his head, letting out a low laugh. “This is a failed experiment. I can’t keep my hands to myself.” With nimble fingers, he unbuttoned my jeans, tugging down the zipper. He pulled them all the way to the floor, and I stepped out of them and nudged them aside with my foot.
A soft gasp escaped from the back of my throat as he gripped me from behind, yanking me up against him. His mouth landed on the sensitive skin below my navel before he kissed his way down my body. I let out a throaty sigh, running my hands through his soft, dark hair as he made good on all his promises.
The following days passed in a blur. Lectures, homework, the paper, and Chase occupied nearly all of my free time. Plus, a movie with Zara and Noelle on Friday and a Falcons game with Siobhan on Saturday. Unlike the game before, they won—including an assist from Chase. The win put him in a very good mood. We didn’t get much sleep that night and slept in late on Sunday to make up for it.
But if I thought my average Sunday blues were bad, they were nothing compared to facing down a Monday when I had to see Paul—especially after a perfect weekend. Talk about a rough way to start a new week.
With no small amount of dread, I headed to meet Paul at a coffee shop on campus after my psych class. Hopefully, a public setting would ensure he wasn’t too much of a jerk. But Paul was basically Diet Luke, so how he would behave was anyone’s guess.
I arrived first, so I ordered a large vanilla latte at the front and tipped the barista with the change. Normally, I would have grabbed a berry muffin or banana bread to go along with it, but I had no appetite in light of my expected company. Then I grabbed a table off to the side, praying Paul would stand me up so I had an excuse to not write the article.
Not two minutes later, he crushed my hopes by appearing. Damn.