“Yes.”
One simple word. One giant mistake. A piece of myself I’ll never get back.
I lurch forward, opening my eyes to complete darkness. My semi-reclined seat stays in its relaxed position as I sit up. Although dark outside, I can see enough to know my vision is blurry. I blink rapidly trying to get a clear view of the world around me, but it doesn’t come into focus. Not even Kipton.
“Kipton?” I reach out for the dashboard in front of me, holding on tightly.
“I’m right here, Sophie. You’re okay. You fell asleep on the way back. I didn’t want to wake you.”
Although I’m safe with him next to me, my clouded vision is freaking me out. Tears threaten to fall as my eyes glass up. “My eyes aren’t right. It’s fuzzy.”
Without missing a beat, Kipton turns the key in the ignition. “We’re going to the hospital.”
“No! Turn the car off. I want to go to my room and lay down. It’s probably a migraine and once I take some of the medicine you bought I’ll sleep it off.”
“Are you sure? It doesn’t seem right, Sophie.”
“Positive.” I don’t have any other choice without insurance to pay for the hospital bill. Plus, I can’t have my parents finding out about the party.
Reluctantly, he begins helping me out of the car. “Where’s your shirt?” I might not be able to see perfectly, but his smooth chest can’t be mistaken.
“I had it under your head so you wouldn’t get a stiff neck while you were sleeping.”
I peer up at him through my double vision. “You did that for me?” I’m shocked he would go to such trouble let alone sit in a car for an hour, half naked, while I slept.
He kisses my forehead gently. “Sophie, you underestimate me.” I’m about to apologize but he knocks the wind out of me when he picks me up, cradling me in his arms like a small child.
“Kipton! Put me down! I’ll walk.” Kicking my feet and clawing at his arms, I realize it’s a waste of time. I’m barely moving despite my efforts.
He laughs at my pathetic attempt to find the ground, making my entire body rub against his warm chest. Resigned to do things his way, I wrap both of my arms around his neck and hold on tight. As I crane my neck to make sure we don’t fall down the hill, his stubble tickles my cheek. Instinctively, I nuzzle closer, relishing in the connection far more than I should be. None of the excitement can be good for my already raging headache.
Assuming his efforts were to help me through the dark, I’m surprised when he doesn’t bother to set me back on my feet once inside the dorm. Instead, he keeps moving into the waiting elevator. “Hit the button for me, Tink.”
“Tink?” I question.
“Yeah, you’re all light and tiny. Like Tinkerbell.”
I stare at him and then at the round buttons on the elevator wall. But the numbers all blend together and I’m not sure which to push. It’s from the concussion, but I’m positive a tiny bit has everything to do with being wrapped up in Kipton’s arms. “Hit number three.”
I do as I’m told and then rest my cheek against his shoulder all while loving the safety of his strong arms. Kipton may be able to handle my concussion, but I can’t handle him knowing how fucked up I actually am. Because as much as I don’t want to admit it, I have way more than a crush on Kipton.
CARRYING SOPHIE INSIDE, I CAN’T stop thinking about the way her legs would feel wrapped around my waist as I held her up against the wall. She has a sweet sexiness about her and she’s absolutely clueless about how desirable she is. So much so that I often resort to teasing her like a middle school boy trying to get his first kiss. Hell, I’d probably blow from a first kiss with her at this point. But when we do fuck, and we will, I plan to show her exactly what’s been missing from her sex life. Me.
While I’d been preoccupied imagining every way I’d love to claim her, she was so exhausted she fell asleep in the passenger seat of my car. I might never get to see her beautiful face resting on my pillow or her tiny body cuddled up in my bed again, but I was willing to risk creeper status to soak up every second of her company tonight.
While we aren’t on an official date, I still tried to make the night memorable for her considering it revolved around shitty circumstances. But mark my words, when Sophie does let me take her on a real date, she’ll be the first to experience the Kipton romance package. Hopefully, she’ll see I’m not interested in a casual hook-up. But until then, I focus on the beautiful girl snuggled up in my arms and wait. I’ll wait for her to want us as much as I do because for the first time I’m not in a hurry.
“You can put me down now. I’m okay.”
“Your eyes?”
“It’s not as bad as when I first woke up.”
Squirming in my arms, her big blue eyes look anxious again, as if she’s slowly reconstructing her protective barriers. I’d love to know what goes on in that gorgeous head of hers. I agree to put her down, but not on her feet. Instead, I sit her on top of the old metal heating unit outside her room. It doesn’t look super sturdy, but she’s so tiny it doesn’t matter.
Her arms fall from my neck and rest on her thighs. Missing her touch immediately, I cage her in with my body, my palms on either side of her legs. Inching closer to her lips, she leans back, her head softly bumping against the wall. I reach for the back of her head to rub the spot that came in contact with the painted concrete bricks. “Watch your head, beautiful.”
“Sorry.”
I can tell she’s nervous when her voice cracks as she apologizes for bumping her own head. The way she’s fixated on my naked chest, blinking lazily while licking her lips, drives me crazy. I place my finger under her chin, lifting her head slowly so she has no choice but to look directly into my eyes. We stare at each other for a few seconds before she musters the courage to speak. “Are you going to kiss me?” she whispers.
“That depends.” I need to kiss her, but I also don’t want her running away from me afterward. Not to mention my sister told me I’m not allowed to touch her. Of course that only makes me want to touch her more, not to spite her, but because it tells me Sophie’s worth the chase.
“On what?” Her eyes are darting from my eyes down to my lips and back up again.
Encouraging her, I wet my own lips with my tongue. She surprises me when she lifts her finger to trace my bottom lip with her fingernail. Holy shit. The move is seductive, and her simple touch has me craving her even more.
As quickly as she touches me, her hands clasp together in her lap like she got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Of course that couldn’t be farther from the truth. She can do whatever she wants as far as I’m concerned.
“You’re allowed to touch me, beautiful.” She needs the reassurance as much as I need her to touch me again.
She tilts her head to the side. “Am I?”
“Absolutely.”
“Why?” she questions.
Before I can respond, there’s a loud thud against her room door followed by something heavy crashing against the floor. “What the fuck was that, Sophie?”
“I have no idea!”
She pulls me closer to her for protection as my free hand reaches for the door knob. I twist it, ready to rush in, but it’s locked. “Hand me your key.” She wiggles to the edge of the heater and I quickly grab her around her waist placing her feet back on the floor, forgetting how short she is.
“Thank you.” She blushes self-consciously and digs the key out of her pocket.
Taking it from her, I shove it into the lock. When I push the door open far enough to take a look around, I see red, orange, and every other color of the rainbow. Mostly I see someone about to get his ass kicked. I shield my eyes the best I can as two naked bodies continue grinding back and forth on each other oblivious to their audience. “Get the fuck off my sister!”