I find his belt and pull at it, freeing one of the clasps. Kip grabs my hand, cursing under his breath. “I don’t want to take advantage of you, Skyler. You’ve been drinking. A lot.”
I shake my head, laughing as I kiss him again. “Drunk as a freshman with a fake ID or sober as the day I was born, I want you, Kip. Please.” I rock my hips against him and he groans, his grip on my wrists tightening as he fights his urge. “Give me what I want.”
His hands free my wrists and I undo his belt quickly before he bucks his hips up enough to slide his jeans down, kicking them off the rest of the way. I’m only wearing a scrap of a thong under the t-shirt he put me in and I can’t wait any longer. The ache in my stomach for him to fill me is consuming, driving every thought, every movement. As soon as he pulls free from his boxers, I slide my panties to the side and come down on top of him in one fluid motion. Kip’s eyes roll to the back of his head and we moan together, the pure ecstasy of him inside me controlling both of us.
I ride him slow and steady at first, my hands weaved into his hair and my mouth hard on his. Each time I come down against him, he bucks his hips, meeting me in the middle and causing a friction right where I need it. My moans grow louder and I bite my finger, not sure if any of the girls are home in the next room.
“I love the noises you make for me, Skyler,” Kip breathes, running his hands up my thighs to the small of my back. He helps me ride, pumping into me harder and faster until it’s too much and I feel myself start to come apart. I can’t hold it any longer, I’m too eager for the burning numbness to destroy me.
“Oh my God,” I breathe, moving my hips faster. “I’m coming.” My breath leaves my chest, expelling itself and leaving me to fight for air as the waves of my orgasm crash over me, wave after wave. Kip growls, biting my lip as I moan into his mouth and I feel him release inside me. We come together, each of us falling apart at the seams while being stitched together. Loud colors invade my mind and by the time we finish, I’m shaking uncontrollably, breathless. Hopeless. Completely caught up.
For a moment we just lay there, him still inside me and our foreheads pressed together as our breaths steady out. Slowly, I move off him and pull the covers up over both of us. I find my place on his chest again and my already heavy eyelids stop fighting to stay open. Just before I fall asleep, I feel words coming from my mouth. I’m not sure if I control them, but I don’t disagree with them, either.
“Don’t leave me, Kip. You can’t leave me now. You can’t hurt me now. You can’t. Please, tell me you won’t hurt me. Promise me.” The words fall out of my mouth quickly before they start to slowly fade, my mouth too tired to say anything else. The alcohol mixed with the exhaustion from today and the calming of my orgasm lull me closer to my dreams. I feel Kip swallow hard but he pulls me tighter, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. Just before I fade out, he whispers.
“I promise.”
When my eyes flutter open, I’m greeted with my Little’s piercing green eyes. She’s smiling and slowly shaking her head.
“You’ve been cuddling with me all night.”
I groan, my hand finding my forehead as I lean up on one elbow. “I have?”
She laughs, nodding. “I didn’t realize you liked to be big spoon.”
My head is pounding, so I try not to laugh but fail. Glancing to the left, I spot two small pills and one of the plastic cups from the bathroom full of water. There’s a note on a napkin just next to the cup with a large circle and a small line of script in the middle of it.
I smile, remembering our conversation from last night before reaching for the pills and chasing them down with the water.
“So, you and Kip, huh?” Cassie asks. I nod, still smiling at the note. “You definitely caused quite the scene last night.”
I shrug, not really caring anymore. “Well, people will get over it. I’ll only be the topic of conversation for a few days, I’m sure.”
“Have you talked to Ex yet?”
I frown, my stomach sinking a little. “No, why? Is she okay? She seemed fine last night.”
“I’m sure she’s good,” she says, but I can tell there’s something she’s not telling me. “I just think maybe you should have told her before everyone else found out. There were a lot of eyes on her when you kissed him, too.”
Ugh, I didn’t even think about that.
“You’re right,” I groan. “I’ll talk to her after the tournament. Things have been so weird between us all semester… I just want things back to normal.”
Cassie smiles. “It’ll all work itself out, Big. Don’t worry about it today. You ready for this thing?” She throws back the covers and slowly moves over to the closet, sifting through it as I massage my temples.
“Yeah,” I say confidently, which is surprising considering how hungover I am. But, even so, my focus is locked in. I’m going to win this tournament today. No doubts, no other possibilities – I will win. “What are your plans?”
Cassie pulls a long, black and white chevron maxi dress over the light blue bikini she’s slipped on and fusses with her hair in the mirror. “I think we’re just going to lounge by the pool for most of the day since we’re at sea. There are supposed to be some fun games up on the deck and I’m sure the frat boys will make it interesting.”
I laugh. “That is a definite. You should stop by for the final round of the tournament. It’ll probably be around seven or so.”
“I love how you don’t even question if you’ll be at the final table. You just know,” she observes, her brows raised. “You’re such a bad ass, Big.”
“I’m just ready,” I correct her, smiling. “And when I’m ready, no one can take me down. No one can beat me.”
There’s a knock at our door just as Cassie finishes packing up her pool bag. She swings it open, revealing Kip in nothing but a pair of red board shorts and Ray Bans.
Cue mouth watering.
“Well, I guess I don’t need to wish you good luck then,” Little says, winking back at me before excusing herself. She smiles at Kip as she scoots past him and he gives her a slight head nod before making his way inside.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he says and my stomach flutters at his words. He holds out a can of Red Bull and I exhale a long breath.
“You’re a life saver,” I say, popping open the can and drinking half of it in one gulp. Kip eyes me, smiling.
“You ready to go?”
I pull my hoodie on and check myself in the mirror. The make-up is from last night, but I’ll be wearing sunglasses, so I’m not that worried about it. Everyone will be outside while I play today, anyway.
“Yep, let’s do this.”
We make our way to the seventh deck, making a pit stop for mimosas on our way to the casino. As we walk, Kip holds my hand in his and I can’t help but feel exhilarated at the touch. There’s no more hiding, no more games – it’s just me and him.
“You don’t need to sit in here and watch me all day,” I say, pulling him to a stop just outside the casino. “Go hang out on the deck and enjoy the weather. It’s too pretty to be stuck inside.”
He smiles, his blue eyes even brighter against his tan skin. “I want to watch you play. I promised a game of water basketball with the guys this morning but then I’m coming back and I’m all yours.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
He cuts me off. “Again, I want to. Besides, we still have tomorrow in Key West before we head back to the port.”
I nod. “Okay, but if you get bored just go outside. It’s not a big deal.”
Kip laughs. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“What?” I blanch. “No, I just –”
“I’m joking.” He cuts me off, pressing his lips to mine and effectively taking the breath I needed to finish the sentence. When he pulls back, he eyes me curiously for a second before asking, “What’s my lucky number?”