“Whatever! We can’t even get to the party. My cousin knew how to get there.”
“Sarah.”
“This sucks!” She threw her hands in the air. “My cousin is going to die. I bet she went ahead without us on purpose. She’s such a bitch.”
Marissa’s arm tightened around me. Her chest rose and she rubbed a hand over her face. “Alex probably knows where Cord lives.”
Sarah’s gaze snapped to me. “Do you?”
I was stuck. I did. I didn’t want them to know. “No.”
I could see the disappointment.
“This sucks!” Sarah yelled again. “We drove an hour for nothing. My cousin won’t pick up her phone. Hussy.”
“Well, whatever,” Marissa lashed out at her. “I didn’t come just for the party. I wanted to see Alex anyway.”
“Congrats. She’s wasted and can barely stand up.”
“I know, which is why we’re taking her home. Alex, where do you live? We’ll give you a ride back.”
“At the college.”
A small grin graced her features before she patted my arm again. “Okay, you give us directions and we’ll take you there.” We turned and began to walk down the street.
As we went to a car and drove away, I wondered if I should tell Marissa about Chandra. I kept quiet. Something told me she wouldn’t care. She had never cared before about cheating, she definitely wouldn’t care about a maybe-girlfriend that Cord had now. And I didn’t even want to think about why Sarah Shastaine was there. More bad feelings would overwhelm me and in my state, I knew I’d say or do something that I couldn’t take back.
She’d just better stay away from Jesse.
But then I closed my eyes. I’d wake up the next morning and all of this would be a dream. Marissa being here didn’t make any sense. She’d left me like Angie, like my parents. They all left me.
When I woke, I was a hungover mess. Stumbling to the bathroom, showering, dry heaving, and trying to dress was a two hour process. There were lots of breaks and a few of those where I had to rest my head on a cool countertop. Beth ran into me as I was going back to my room and asked where I had disappeared to from the party. They’d returned to search for me. This information was welcomed. I hadn’t liked the feeling that they had abandoned me since they were the only two people I spent time with. Beth also gave my bag back. I’d left it in Hannah’s car. When I went inside, I checked my phone.
Zap me twice and kick me in the arse.
I hadn’t imagined Marissa’s presence the night before. She called and left me two messages, along with a text saying she was heading to town. She wanted to meet up for coffee or a drink.
I erased the text. There was no way I wanted to have that awkward conversation, especially after she saw my wasted state the night before. I didn’t regret getting so drunk, but I wasn’t signing up for another round in the near future.
Then I scrolled through the rest.
Jesse called a bunch of times and left six text messages.
Where are you?
Can we talk?
I’d like to talk. I’m sorry.
The last three had the same sentiments except he said they were having a party and he’d like me to come.
I thumbed a response back, feeling my ego get a little boost. Crazy night, didn’t have my phone. Did you know Marissa and your exgf are in town?
I didn’t wait long. My phone buzzed back right away. Yeah, M called the house phone. We moved houses, but same number. Want to meet for lunch?
I checked the time. It was 11:45. Sure.
Will pick you up in twenty.
K.
Instead of waiting in my room, I finished dressing and grabbed my book bag. I wasn’t sure what Jesse had planned so I brought my laptop and enough homework that would last me the entire weekend. Then I went downstairs and parked my bottom on the curb. Before he showed, the back stairwell door opened behind me.
Beth plopped down beside me. Kicking her legs out, she leaned back and yawned. “Who are you waiting for?”
“Jesse.”
“Ah. The mystery man.”
I frowned as I heard the amusement in her tone. It wasn’t amusing to me. “Who are you waiting for?”
“Who do you think?”
I grinned at her. “Your hunky Sal?”
She snorted. “He’s a good guy.”
Really?
She added, “Rough around the edges, but he’s loyal to the extreme. He was surprised by you last night.”
“Because I wouldn’t drink the Wild Turkey?”
“That and because you didn’t give a damn who he was or even where we were.” She laughed as she readjusted and hugged her knees to her chest instead. “Most people piss their pants when they step foot into a party like last night. You didn’t seem to care at all.”
“Because I didn’t. Your crowd doesn’t scare me. I could tell they all cared about you and I was there with you. So…” I let the sentence fade.
From the silence that hung afterwards, I could feel her studying me. After another few moments, she sighed in surrender. “You’re a different bird, aren’t you?”
I glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
It was at that time when Jesse pulled into the parking lot and wheeled to a stop in front of us. Beth gestured to him. “Not many would keep a relationship secret with the biggest star at Grant West.”
Standing, I gave her a crooked grin. “Not many know who I am here. I’d like to keep it that way.”
She frowned and I knew the wheels were going again. I hadn’t meant to sound mysterious, just that I didn’t want people pitying me when they heard about my older brother’s tragic death or my parents’ neglect. Too many stares and too many whispers hadn’t helped my grief back home. Coupling that with the target on my back that’d be there once people knew my connection to Jesse sounded like my worst nightmare. I wasn’t stupid. I knew it’d get out, but I had every intention of prolonging that as long as possible.
As I got in, Jesse flashed me a grin. It melted my panties. Oh boy. Those black shades on him were lethal to my hormones. Beth was a forgotten thought as he peeled out of the parking lot. When we met Hannah’s red Camaro, I was grateful his windows were tinted.
“Isn’t that your friend?” Jesse asked, turning onto the road.
I nodded and twisted around. Beth hopped into the Camaro and Hannah wheeled the car around to follow us. If I’d been driving, they would’ve been behind us within seconds. Jesse went fast. They were a speck behind us before long.
“Where are we going?”
He ignored that question. “I’m sorry I haven’t called.”
I frowned. I wanted to tell him I hadn’t cared, but I was trying to keep the lying only to myself. I said nothing instead.
“There’s a lot of shit going on with my dad. I can tell you, but I don’t want to. I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Why are you telling me this?” We weren’t a couple. I wasn’t his girlfriend.
“Because the press might get wind of it and I don’t want you hurt that I never said anything. I just,” he let loose a deep breath. “I just don’t want to deal with it.”
“Cord said something was going on.”
“Yeah.” He smirked at me. “He also said you didn’t seem too worried about me, said that you told him not to talk to you in classes too. Are we your dirty secret?”
“More like I’d be yours.”
The smirk flattened. “Are you fucking with me?”
My eyes widened when I heard a savage tone in his voice. I hadn’t expected that. “No, but you two are the basketball celebrities. I’m a nobody.”
His hand had clenched around the steering wheel. As his chest loosened and he let out a constrained breath, his hand never unclenched. “You’re not a nobody. I don’t ever want to hear you say that again.”
I wanted to be a nobody. It was easy that way. But I forced a bright smile. “Where are we going?”
&nb
sp; “I’ll tell you when you tell me about your crazy night.”
Ugh. I groaned, just thinking about it. “Don’t make me sick. Recanting it makes me want to vomit.”
“You were sick last night?”
I nodded. “I was sick after the first stop in our crazy night of adventures.”
“First stop?” His grin widened so I was graced with his dimples. They were rarely seen and only two people knew of their existence, one of them was dead. Laying my head against the seat, I felt his gaze on me. He was studying me, much the same as Beth had done, but I felt warm under his perusal. Anyone else and I would’ve been prickly and getting ready for a fight if the scrutiny lasted too long. Not with Jesse. Everything was different with Jesse.
“I’ll tell you if you tell me where we’re going.”
He wheeled the car onto the highway and took a left. “Tiffany’s throwing that picnic.”
Oops. I’d forgotten.
Darn.
“And since my roommates are all going to be there, that means the house is going to be empty…” He glanced over as he let his statement hanging. His eyes darkened with lust and I groaned, feeling my own spark up in answer. One look and that was all it took.
I’d forgotten how much power Jesse had over me. “I thought we were in a fight.”
He shrugged. “We fight. We make up. Always have.”
My grin mirrored his. Always will.
With that shared look, everything else melted away. I wasn’t a freshman. He wasn’t a sophomore. He wasn’t even my brother’s best friend. It was only him and me and my heart picked up its pace. The car couldn’t get to his house fast enough.
Jesse reached over and slid a hand between my legs. I leaned back, closing my eyes, and concentrated on breathing as his fingers began working their way around. It wasn’t long before he had dipped them inside my pants and I helped him move the pants for better access.
He murmured, deep throated, “Scoot down.”
As I did, a moan escaped me. What he could do with his fingers. Then they dipped inside of me. I grabbed onto the seat belt above my head to hang onto as he began going in and out. When he slid two in, my hips moved with him.
His breathing became labored. I wasn’t the only one affected by this. As I rolled my head to him and opened my eyes, I knew mine were nearly black. They were wanton. I didn’t care that he could see how he affected me or how much power one touch from him could render me a puddle mess.
“Jesse,” I murmured, my voice husky with need.
He bit out a curse. His own was hoarse. “We’re here. God, we’re here.”
I was ripped from his car. My legs wound around his waist and his lips slammed onto mine. He held me with a hand behind my head and one under my ass, urging me closer against him. My hips started moving up and down, sliding against him. A deep growl came from him as his tongue demanded entry. Pressing me against a wall, his hand slid underneath my shirt. His hand moved to cup my breast and his thumb rubbed against the tip. I gasped from the sudden sensation. They mingled with the throb that was making me crazy. Jesse used that moment to slip his tongue inside. I melted against him.
Our tongues slid against each other, savoring the feeling, as he lifted me from the wall. We were moving again. It seemed too long until he lowered me to a bed, then his hands reached for my shirt and it was off. The bra was next, then my jeans. As he bent over me, his hands paused on my hips before he drew them down slowly.
My eyes widened. I was ready to burst. A warning growl from me was all he needed. He flashed me a smile and whisked off my pants. When he pulled my panties next, I reached for his shirt. It was off in a flash—oh lord—I gulped. I had missed that pack of muscles. Jesse didn’t have a six-pack, he had a twelve pack. Every muscle stuck out as he bent over me, his lips claiming mine again.
His pants were next and he stood in his boxer briefs.
He was drinking me in as I was doing the same. My fingers twitched to touch him all over and when I couldn’t hold it back any longer, my finger curved on the inside of his underwear and I pulled him down. He grinned, a delicious and sinfully melting sight as he caught himself just before he would’ve fallen on top of me, but that’s what I wanted. I wanted to feel his hard body on mine, heavy and commanding, as he slid inside of me.
Jesse had other ideas. He propped himself up by his elbows and bent low to my lips.
Good gracious.
He touched my lips softly, so softly and so tenderly, I was writhing underneath him. “Jesse,” I rasped out.
He slid his nose across my cheek in a caress. “Mmmm?” Then his hand slid up the side of my ribcage and cupped one of my breasts.
I was panting. “Please.”
“Wait.”
He bent low again, this time his lips touched where his hand was. His tongue swept around my nipple. I gasped, arching my back, and grabbed onto his shoulders. I pressed him against me, but his shoulders bulged underneath my touch as he held himself away. His entire body, its weight, was a tease in itself.
I wanted more.
Twining my legs around his waist, I jerked down. He came into contact between my legs and both of us let out groans. He gasped against my breast, moving up and then licking my neck. “I’m trying to take this slow.”
I used my legs to push down his boxer briefs. “Fuck going slow.”
His eyes jerked up to mine.
I licked my lips.
He closed his eyes and his hand became rough on my breast. “Fine. A hard fuck, Alex. That’s what you’re asking for.”
My heart lurched. My hunger grew insatiable for him.
Then he swept off his underwear, had the condom on in seconds, and grabbed underneath my hips. I had little warning before he jerked me down and then slammed into me.
I gasped, coming alive in his arms, but he wasn’t waiting. He reared back and thrust farther inside, then again and again. The hunger in me rose and I moved with him. Hanging onto him, my hips synched with his and we were bristling with pent-up aggression and need. It’d been so long. As he pounded into me, gripping my hips in his hands, he nestled into the corner of my neck. His lips began trailing kisses down and then up until he met my lips again. His tongue slipped inside and moved in rhythm with us.
White hot pleasure coursed through my body. I felt it building.
Jesse grunted and braced himself against his headboard. Clenching onto it, he used it for a deeper access and the top of my shoulders hit against it as well. His chest was above my head now, as he kept moving in me, I bent forward and licked over him. His body shuddered underneath me. Grinning and drunk off him, I leaned forward as far as I could to taste as much as I could of him.
“Alex,” he gasped above me.
I looked up. He’d been watching me. His eyes were molten black now and I paused, held suspended by his gaze for a moment. He kept thrusting into me and then he grunted with one last push and I was sent hurdling over the edge.
Crying out, he joined me and his body jerked some more until he positioned back on the bed. He curled behind me with his arms wrapped around so I was enclosed within his shelter. Running a hand up and down my arm, he pressed a kiss to the back of my neck. “You okay?”
My heart was still fluttering in my chest. “Yeah…” Holy hell. I’d forgotten what it was like with him. “I’m going to be sore.”
His hand caressed over my thigh and dipped between my legs. His lips moved against my shoulder as his fingers started to rub me. He