It doesn’t take long to find one off to the side of the dance floor, and it is already opened. My hip rests against the frame, and I try to calm the adrenaline and my rapid breathing. Pulling out my phone, I text the new developments to my mom. Damn, I do really need to get a life.
I know she won’t see it until morning, but I still give her play-by-play action.
“Damn, can’t stand to be away from him that long?”
At the sound of a familiar, dark voice, I glance up into Tuck’s eyes. I shoot him a questioning look, and he only nods over his shoulder. Noah has his phone out texting as well. Just as I have calmed myself down, my fucking blood boils at his words. Part of me wants punch him in the baby-maker, and the other part is thankful the asshole is talking to me.
Without much thought I whip the phone in his face. “I’m texting my mommy, asshole.” He just shrugs and isn’t fazed much by my words, but I do sense some tension leave his shoulders. “And why would you care, Tuck? You can’t stand me.”
“It’s not that, Blue.”
“Then?”
He just simply shakes his head once again, not even attempting to offer an explanation. The lights in the whole house go out, leaving us wrapped in a pitch-black cocoon. A strobe light above the dance floor flicks out some lights, but not near enough to be able to see anything. Cellphones start waving back and forth with their flashlight apps on to the slow and steady beat of a song. And when I hear what song it is, I realize it may be one of the saddest love songs ever. Let Her Go floats in the air as the tone of the party slows way down, and I’m guessing this is when several bodies will clear out and boy parts meet girl parts behind closed doors in any slice of privacy they can find.
I turn to walk away from the window and am halted when Tuck wraps his hand around my wrist. His fingers easily overlap my tiny wrist, way overpowering me. I am about to finally lay into him and just let him know much he has ruined me, my ovaries, and hot man radar.
Before I have the chance to rip him a new asshole, he lowers his face to mine.
“I didn’t get a chance to say congratulations, Blue.”
He sweeps his sweet lips over mine with a little taunt of a kiss, and my knees buckle, and I literally sway. His hand goes to the small of my back, dragging me into him while his lips fully land on mine. I’m so stunned I don’t even attempt to be a partner in the kiss.
Tuck lets out a low growl that vibrates off my lips, awakening something within me, and my lips come alive. I kiss him back hard, trying to soak up his taste in one long, hard swallow. I’m the first to open my mouth to him, and he doesn’t hesitate as his tongue darts into my mouth. The room is still black and the song plays. I know once the lights go on that I’ll lose this Tuck, so I take full advantage of this opportunity.
The sweet taste of the man in my mouth drives away all common sense, and boy, does he know how to kiss as he runs his tongue all over the inside of my mouth. He shoves the small of my back into him, and I can tell just how excited he is. I want him like I’ve never wanted anything in my life.
I finally snap out of the luscious trance his mouth spun me into and kiss back and begin to explore the inside of his mouth with my tongue. I raise my hands to run them through his hair. Two fingers reach below his beanie, and he shakes his head, not breaking the kiss. I rest my shaking palms on the top of his shoulders and let him spin me around and push me up against a wall. He hikes one of my legs up and around his hip, and grinds up into me. My head drops back and I moan.
His lips trace down my neck, licking and sucking on anything he can find. I know the song is almost over and go in for the kill.
Firmly I place both of my palms on his cheeks and make him look at me.
“I want you, Tuck. I want you as a friend, and I want to touch you. Let me in.”
Just another growl and he’s devouring my lips like a hungry, wild beast. This time my hands trail from his cheeks back behind his ears with the intention of wrapping my arms around his neck. I feel Tuck tense up and don’t give two fucks. My right hand stalls a bit when it hits the bumpy and marred flesh behind his ear. I don’t leave it there long in fear of Tuck pulling away. My fingers interlock around the back of his neck and I kiss the fuck out of him, putting everything I have out on the line. I bite down on his bottom lip, and it’s not a subtle move as my hand reaches down between us and I grope his hard erection.
Still sealed to his lips, I tell him again, “I want you, Tuck.” My words are lost in our heated passion. The song ends and he pulls away, leaving no body contact at all.
“Congrats, Blue.” He steps back and slides his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Noah is a good guy. We’ve played together for years. He’ll take care of you.”
“I want you, Tuck.”
He slowly but steadily begins to walk away while staring at me, and with each step I slide down the wall until I’m on my butt with my head buried in my knees and tears are streaming down my cheeks. I don’t look up to see if he’s still watching me, and I sure as hell know I won’t feel his touch again. That greedy bastard, taking me like that and then leaving me and trying to deflect my feeling to his teammate. My blood boils with the sheer selfishness, but then again, I was the greedy one soaking it up.
God did give Tuck lips to kill a girl.
Chapter 9
The radiant California sunlight beams through the window and perches right upon my eyelids as if targets are covering them. I growl knowing Sophie left the blind open once again.
“Sophie.”
No response, and I don’t need to turn to see that she’s not in her bed. It’s something that’s becoming more and more common. I swear Lane pays off our dorm supervisor to allow so many sleepovers.
Bitching and moaning the whole way, I force myself out of my warm blankets, scamper across the cold tile, snap the blinds shut, and then jet back into my warm blankets. I close my eyes and wait for sleep to come to me again. The damage is done with the bright sun and the chilly, tingling pads of my feet.
“I swear, one day I’ll twat tap your ass, Sophie,” I bark out into the empty room.
My fists ball into the soft comforter, trying not to replay last night over and over in my mind. It’s not like I dreamt about the sound of my name being called, dancing at the house, and then those lips. Yes, each one of those haunted my dreams, and now I’m up to face it in full-force reality.
I do what every college student does and grab my phone from my nightstand to mindlessly troll shit on Facebook and Instagram. I make the huge mistake of stalking Stephie’s profile and can practically feel her venom pricking me from her nasty statuses. She’s clearly not thrilled and looks to be my biggest obstacle. I would’ve paid to see the look on her face. I bet it was the equivalent of having her lady nuts chopped off when my name was announced.
I grin and know Karma is a bitch, so quickly stop relishing Stephie’s pathetic life. This may be the longest and most miserable day of my life. No cheer practice. A whole day of nothingness, and it practically makes my skin crawl at the very thought. I lose myself in my phone, call my mom and listen to her ramble, shower, chow some yogurt, watch inappropriately funny-ass videos of people doing dumb things on the Internet, until Sophie waltzes into our dorm.
I’m happy for her and her relationship with Lane, but it would be nice to have a close friend to hang with. It just means I need to make friends with some of the other girls on the team, but I’ve been way too focused on practices.