Falling For Temptation: A New Adult College Romance (Good Ol' Boys Series Book 1)

by Mj Hendrix

  I start to jog, unable to wait for him. My nerves are on edge, and he’s the soothing balm I need to feel on my skin. He laughs, holding out his arms. Someone else entirely possesses my body, and I’m running. Seconds later, I crash into him, and he lifts me into his arms. My legs wrap around his waist as my forearms cross behind his neck. I’m breathless as he supports my weight, holding me to him with his strong, corded arms.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he says, eyes sparkling.

  “Hey, handsome. You got plans for dinner?” I flirt.

  “Mmm, hopefully something that involves you,” he smirks.

  I’m about ninety-nine percent sure he has no idea he just made a sexual innuendo, but I still get heated, picturing it.

  “That can be arranged. You in the mood for something sweet?”

  His eyes focus in on me, darkening. Maybe he does get it…

  “Kiss me,” he commands.

  “If you wish,” I respond breathlessly.

  I bend down, and our lips meet, my hands on his jaw and roaming through his hair. His hands are trapped under me. He lets my tongue in, groaning quietly. We play with each other’s mouths for a few more seconds, lips slicked and hungry.

  “Get a room!” someone shouts.

  “Or don’t. Can I film?” another responds, followed by raucous laughter.

  Adam tenses, ending the kiss. His honey eyes look up at me, and he licks his lips, tasting me. He slowly lowers my body to the ground, wrapping me in a hug.

  “Sorry. I got…carried away,” he murmurs, pressing his mouth to my ear.

  His breathing is uneven, matching mine. I turn my face up to him, wondering what I would do for him and realizing, probably anything.

  “I like when you get carried away,” I whisper, brushing my fingers over his stubbled jawline.

  He closes his eyes, breathing in heavily.

  “Y’all are literally the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. Please do that every time you see each other from now on.” Kenna has caught up to us and is grinning from ear to ear like a dork.

  She’s holding her phone like she just took a picture.

  Adam releases one arm, keeping the other wrapped around my shoulders so we can walk.

  “Have you had dinner?” he asks me, leaning in and sending shivers down my neck with his breath.

  “No, that’s where we were headed. You?” I peer up, licking my lips and looking at his again.

  “Stop, or I’ll never be able to stop,” he whispers, his eyes reading mine.

  I laugh, biting my lip. He shifts uncomfortably.

  “Are we ever going to eat tonight? Hey, Harley, do me a favor and answer your phone, so I don’t have to wait so long for dinner,” Dan walks by us.

  “Hey,” Adam barks, grabbing his arm roughly. “Try that again.”

  Dan swivels to me, a plastic grin on his face. “Good evening, Harley. How are you?” he says sarcastically, jerking his arm out of Adam’s grip.

  “I’m wonderful. What’s your problem?” I question. I haven’t done anything wrong, so I’d like to know what his deal is.

  He startles, eyes blinking up at Adam, then back down at me. I look up at Adam to see him glaring at his brother.

  “What?” I question, the anxious tone spiking in my voice.

  “Nothing,” Adam grits out.

  Dan storms ahead of us. I step out of Adam’s embrace.

  “You’re not going to tell me what his problem is?” I ask, my voice low. Heat is beginning to crawl over my chest.

  He sighs, looking up at me. “He’s worried about…me being with you. Not because he has a problem with it. Look, it’s hard to explain and…” He trails off, rubbing his eyes, forearms flexing.

  My heart is beating out of my chest.

  “Try. Try to explain it to me. What’s the issue?”

  He doesn’t even know the worst parts about me yet. If what he does know is too much…he’ll never be able to handle the rest.

  He reaches for me, his finger brushing over my wrists and pulling me toward him. “Hey, hey…don’t be worried. It’s nothing you’ve done, okay? Please know that. This is a problem with him, not you. We were raised…differently. To believe that girls should look and act and…dress a certain way. You don’t fit that description, and he doesn’t get it.” His eyes are pleading with me.

  “I want you…so much. You are not what I expected—in the best way possible. You’ve thrown my world into a free fall, and I’m on the edge of my seat with the excitement. I don’t care who says what. You’re mine…if you want to be.” His fingers brush over my cheek, trailing into my hairline. “Please let me prove that to you. I don’t care what anyone thinks, not even my stupid brother.” He finishes with his forehead pressed to mine, our bodies flush.

  I back away enough to see into his eyes. “Are you sure you…really want me? You don’t even know much about my past—”

  He cuts me off, “I don’t care what you’ve done. I don’t care who you’ve been with, how many, nothing. You’re perfect in every way.” He’s convinced, no shadow of a doubt.

  I sigh, relieved.

  “I believe you, and that’s enough for me. I just don’t get what his problem is. Is it the tattoos?” I ask, voice timid.

  “Partly, yeah. You just have that…sexy bad-girl thing. Which is exactly what I’m addicted to, so…” He smirks, looking over me. “Are you, uh, wearing pants?”

  I laugh. “Yes, they’re spandex.” I lift my oversize shirt to show him the volleyball jersey-type shorts.

  He gulps, focusing on my legs. “They look like panties. Which I’m at least glad you have some of those on today,” he says.

  I laugh, trailing my hand up to his chest and leaning up to whisper in his ear, “Are you sure you don’t prefer me without them?” I lean back, licking my lips.

  His gaze is glued to my mouth, and I notice a film of moisture has formed on his upper lip.

  “Yeah…maybe so. But I shouldn’t…I still need to take you on a date,” he mumbles, finger trailing up my back over my shirt.

  “Well, we were about to grab dinner, weren’t we?” I turn around, suddenly remembering Kenna was waiting for me.

  She’s gone, as is Adam’s group. They must have gone in ahead of us.

  “The school cafeteria doesn’t count,” Adam scoffs, threading his hand in mine and leading me inside.

  18

  Adam

  Harley’s legs could be the entire focus of a portrait session. One time, my mom made us take family pictures, and I remember the photographer snapping away hundreds of times when we were in the same position.

  That would make sense if the camera was trained on her golden legs. I could flip through photos of her for hours even if they all looked the exact same.

  “That shirt is gigantic,” I say as we get our food and find our group.

  Kenna is chatting with Dan and Silas easily while Levi silently pushes food around on his plate.

  “It’s a double XL. I stole it from my ex, but it’s too comfy to give up,” she says casually.

  My body stiffens as I feel heat drifting up my neck. The temptation to rip it off of her body overwhelms me. She glances up at me while she sits next to Kenna, and I sit across from her.

  She laughs. “Don’t look so constipated. I’m never giving up this shirt.”

  She takes a bite of a strawberry with a sly smile, and I watch her, enraptured by the way her tongue touches the red fruit. Looking down, I remember I have on an old, worn button-down in navy plaid.

  “What if we traded?” I start to unbutton it, hoping she agrees.

  Her eyes laser in on the expanse of chest I’ve revealed. She licks strawberry juice off her fingers, watching me.

  “Are you suggesting I take my shirt off right here in the caf?” she says, starting to stand and lift the hem.

  “No! What? Of course not. Let’s go to the bathroom,” I suggest.

  Thankfully, she sits back down.

  “Hmmm, inte
resting proposal…” she drawls, tapping her chin with a delicate finger.

  I watch her debate for a few minutes, whispering to Kenna, who laughs out loud at what she says. My gaze turns to my friends, and they all shrug like they don’t know how to interpret the whispers either.

  Finally, she turns to me, standing up. “All right, Farm Boy, let’s do this.”

  She’s got a challenging glint in her eyes.

  I stand with her, suddenly unsure if this is a good idea. I’m not about to back down now.

  “Great. Let’s go.” I start to follow her into the bathroom.

  In the corner of my eye, I catch Dan shaking his head, Silas and Kenna laughing, and a blushing Levi.

  She really does look like she’s naked under the shirt as I trail behind her. I drag my gaze up to the back of her head, unable to continue watching her walk. My stomach is tightening like the front of my jeans, the closer we get to the bathrooms, and I know this was a very bad idea.

  She stops in front of the family and wheelchair-accessible bathroom instead of going into the ladies’. She pushes the door open and gestures that I enter.

  “Uh, okay, I guess I’ll take mine off, and you can…” I stumble over the words as I walk in.

  Before I can protest, she follows me, letting the heavy door click shut behind her. She locks the dead bolt and turns back around, hands on her hips.

  “You first or me?” Her head cocks to the side.

  I slowly start to unbutton again, feigning confidence despite the sweat breaking out on my lower back.

  “Let’s do it together,” I suggest. My voice is hoarse, giving away my distress.

  She grabs the hem at the top of her thighs, lifting it marginally. She keeps lifting with each button I undo. Our faces are twin statues, zeroed in on the new skin being revealed. Goose bumps prick my arms, and I notice her thighs look the same. The pace is torturously slow.

  We make eye contact right before I get to the last button, and she pulls the shirt over her head. My last button comes undone at the same time I do.

  Her skin is covered in ink, which I saw at the beach party. The intimacy is increased a hundredfold because we are alone…and she’s wearing a scrap of a violet bra. It’s made of a thin, lacy fabric that doesn’t seem to be big enough to properly cover her. My oxygen supply is much lower than it should be as I gape embarrassingly at her tantalizing female anatomy. I can’t force my eyes away, my self-control crippled. The image over her breasts is an antique pocket watch with vines running through the chain.

  My eyes burn over her skin, trailing down to her flat tan stomach. The half-finished tattoo of the girl with cartoon hair is the most predominant one, the other side of her torso bare.

  The air is suddenly thicker and harder to breathe.

  She steps toward me, and I blow out a breath. My shirt is still on my shoulders, and she pushes it off of me, resting it on my elbows. Her cornflower-blue eyes are boring into mine as we both survive without air. Her eyes drop to my chest as she reaches up to press her delicate hands against my pecs. She rubs them down, torturing me, and I suck in a breath.

  “What are you—” I breathe out, nearly losing my control.

  “Just checking the size,” she says, her voice a rasp.

  Her hands ignite my skin everywhere they touch, fingers exploring the ridges of my stomach. She pauses at the waistband of my jeans, slung low on my hips. She bites her lip, debating her next move.

  I’m about to pass out from the anticipation.

  She suddenly removes her dangerous hands, pulling her shirt back over her head, covering herself. I blow out a breath.

  “I changed my mind. I don’t wanna trade,” she says, pulling my shirt up over my shoulders, doing the two middle buttons, then turning to unlock the door.

  Words won’t form in my mind as I recover from the whiplash. Was she messing with me this whole time?

  “Come on.” She grabs my hand, pulling me out into the hall.

  A guy walking by gives me a fist bump. “Damn, that never happens to me.” He looks over Harley approvingly.

  I wrap my arm around her shoulders, using my other hand to adjust myself before we’re out of the hall. She laughs and sticks her hand into the back pocket of my jeans.

  “Come over,” I blurt out, looking down at her pink lips.

  She smiles, nodding.

  “You’re still not getting this shirt,” she leans in to whisper as we walk up to the group.

  “Hey, Kenna’s coming over to watch a movie. You in, Harley?” Dan asks as we approach.

  Kenna is smiling. Levi looks like he might be getting sick.

  “Sure,” Harley replies, squeezing my hand.

  We all go to return our trays, and I take Harley’s with mine.

  How am I ever going to resist her when she looks and smells and sounds the way she does? She’s walking ahead of us, arm looped with Kenna’s as they giggle and whisper to each other.

  Silas slides up next to me.

  “So, that was…interesting,” he says low enough to not be heard. “What…happened back there?”

  “Uhhh, nothing really. She changed her mind.” It’s not a whole lie, just a partial one.

  “Well, you came out, looking like she’d made you eat a cockroach.”

  I almost feel like that would’ve been easier to recover from.

  19

  Harley

  Adam’s dorm is the same size as mine and Kenna’s, but it’s definitely tidier. The others are starting Man of Steel in Levi and Silas’s adjoining room. We’re supposedly making popcorn.

  His and Dan’s beds are stacked like bunks with their desks on the opposite side of the room.

  “Are you the top or bottom?” I ask as we walk in.

  “Bottom. Which do you prefer?” he asks, toeing off his boots.

  “Hmm, I like to switch it up,” I say, nibbling my lip.

  His face scrunches in confusion as he looks over at the bunks.

  “I’m not talking about the bunk,” I say on a laugh.

  He sits down on the bed, face pensive as his thoughts seem to churn. I walk up to him, pushing on his chest lightly. He leans back on the pillow, his wide honey-brown eyes focused on my lips. I climb up onto his lap, straddling his hips and pulling a gasp from him. My shirt rides up, and his eyes follow the movement. His trembling hands reach for my calves, lightly tracing down toward my ankles.

  I reach for the hem, pulling it up over my head. Adam swallows, but his eyes lock into mine—so respectful.

  A group walks by in the hall, laughter drifting through the door. The sound of our labored breathing is the only noise after they pass.

  My hands move from the bottom of his shirt up, pushing the tiny buttons through the slits of the fabric. I glance up at him after each one, and his eyes begin to roam over my pebbled skin, sending shivers down my back.

  I finally reach the top one closest to his throat. He gulps as I spread the fabric, revealing the toned, muscular ripples of his stomach. The dusting of blonde hair in the center of his chest moves as his breath rises and falls.

  I lean down to kiss the hollow point at the base of his throat, feeling his speeding pulse under my lips.

  His hands suddenly seize my waist, and I gasp at the unexpected contact.

  He’s done letting me control this, apparently. One hand reaches up to hold the back of my neck, gently forcing my head down.

  Our mouths are as close as possible without touching when he speaks, “I get what you meant about being on top…”

  His lips claim mine with an unhinged passion, revealing his desire for me. Things are different this time. My chest is pressed to him, and we kiss like it’s our sustaining life force. My hands are running through his hair as I grind on his hips.

  I suck his bottom lip in, and he boldly moves both hands under my butt. He squeezes, breathing heavily into my mouth. This is a borderline mauling, and he grunts, lifting me up to rise onto his knees and lay me down on the bed. A p
art of his weight settles over me, but he holds most of it up.

  He’s in full control, demanding my attention to where his hands are exploring my outer thighs and butt. He won’t stray to the good parts, not even my chest. His mouth starts to trail over my ear and neck, using his tongue to taste my skin. I’m on fire everywhere, senses overloaded. I’m itching for him to touch me.

  My hand reaches over his jeans to get a better idea of what he’s working with. The change in him is immediate as his entire body locks up.

  “What?” I whisper, my hand still holding him.

  “I…I can’t…” His breathing is getting worse even though we stopped.

  “I want it,” I rasp, bold and honest.

  “I…you have no idea how badly I want it too…” He’s choked up, barely capable of forming words.

  His body is still completely tensed up, and I wiggle underneath him.

  “Keep kissing me,” I beg, “please.”

  “Harley…you’re the greatest temptation I’ve ever faced.”

  Panting and desperate, he reaches a hand to remove mine.

  “Then, what’s stopping you?” I question, placing my hand on his bare shoulder.

  He rolls off of me, breathing like he just swam underwater for ten minutes. I lean up on an elbow, tracing his pectorals with a finger. He tilts his gaze to mine and reaches up to press a thumb to my bottom lip.

  His voice is barely audible when he says, “You’ve never been treated right. You don’t have to say it—I know. I’m not joining the line of Kyles who have just taken you to bed. You’re going to know I’m different. I’m going to show you that you’re more than…your body and your beauty. I want this part first.” He presses a hand over my heart, eyes meeting mine with intensity.

  Suddenly, I know that he’s the most dangerous man I’ve ever met because he won’t settle for my physical being.

  He wants it all, body and soul.

  If I was ever going to give my heart away, it would be to him. Can I possibly risk it, knowing he could crush me in the end?

  The rest of the week is a whirlwind of classes, work, and passionate late-night make-out sessions, where Adam insists we keep our clothes on. He hasn’t mentioned the date again, and I’m waiting for him to make the first move on it.