Lexie gives me a little wink. “You wouldn’t have it any other way, babe.”
“True,” he finally sighs in agreement, “very true.”
Since Lexie isn’t showing any indication of removing herself from my person anytime soon, I’m forced to point out the obvious. “You might want to get off me before your boyfriend has an embarrassing moment in his shorts.”
I’m joking, of course.
Sort of.
“You don’t have to get off her on my account,” he quickly chimes in as he continues to ogle us.
Lexie rolls her eyes at me.
“Have I mentioned just how hot you look in that thong?” His voice sounds all heated up and I’m seriously considering shoving Lexie off me before something unfortunate, not to mention awkward, happens and I’m no longer able to look this dude in the eyes ever again.
“Jeez, Lex, did you have to molest me while only wearing a thong?” No wonder her boyfriend is all but sporting a woody over there.
“Be happy you didn’t arrive ten minutes later, I wouldn’t be wearing anything at all.”
I shake my head just a bit to loosen that mental image from my brain. “That wasn’t something I really needed to know.”
Continuing to grin down at me, Lexie smacks my lips with a big wet sloppy kiss. “Goddamn but I missed you, Ivy.” Then she does her damnedest to squeeze the very life out of me before finally rolling gracefully to her side.
“I’m glad to be back, too.” Even as the words automatically spill from my mouth, I realize that I don’t necessarily mean them. There’s a fairly large part of me that wishes I were still living my life in Paris. With an ocean between me and my dad, I didn’t have to dwell on him and the new family he created for himself so quickly after my mom died.
My dad’s life carried on while mine fell apart. And even though it’s been five years since she died, the ache still feels painfully tender. What being back here at Barnett means is that I no longer have an excuse not to visit them.
Shaking those thoughts away, I realize I’m still sprawled out on the carpeted floor. I blink my eyes a few times as a handsome face peers down at me before crinkling into a large friendly smile. But I don’t bother hoisting myself up just yet. Instead, I say in my most formal tone, “Mr. Sullivan, I presume.”
His grin intensifies, making him appear even more striking than I’d originally thought. Lexie had, quite naturally, gushed about how gorgeous her new guy was. And it’s not like I didn’t believe her, but… it’s quite obvious she wasn’t exaggerating.
Like at all.
Because Dylan Sullivan is seriously hot.
Golden blond hair, deep brown eyes, sculpted jaw, and athletic body.
And according to Lexie, he treats her like a total princess. Which is exactly how it should be. Lexie deserves someone who appreciates just how smart, loyal, and gorgeous she is. She’s a damn good friend and I’m lucky to have her in my life.
“The one and only,” he beams in response, throwing a flirty little wink in for good measure.
Oh, this guy is totally dangerous all right…
Could they be more perfectly suited to one another?
I absolutely love it.
“Umm, isn’t your father Dylan Sullivan the first?”
He shrugs his big broad shoulders at Lexie’s question. Self admittedly, I’m kind of a shoulder and arm girl myself. And Dylan Sullivan certainly has nicely chiseled ones.
“Shhh, you’re ruining the moment, babe.”
That being said, Dylan offers me a big hand, which I grab hold of, before being immediately hauled off the floor and set back onto my sandaled feet. I dust my backside off before my gaze slides back to Lexie. The unexpected glassy sheen of tears shining in her big brown eyes has my own widening in confusion.
“Lex, why are you-”
I don’t even get a chance to wrap my lips around the last word before she’s once again hurtling herself in my direction. Her arms slip quickly around my body before tugging me close.
“I missed you, Ivy-Girl,” she whispers fiercely against my ear, “so damn much! Fifteen months is a long time to stay away. Don’t ever leave me like that again.”
I’m not normally an emotional person, but her heartfelt words have me suddenly choking up. I squeeze her to me, feeling just as happy to be back here with her as she is to have me.
Pulling back to search my eyes, she quietly admits, “I was afraid you might decide to stay over there.”
That just goes to show you how well Lexie knows me. What I don’t mention is that I tried my damnedest to make that happen. To finish out college, find a permanent place to live, a dance gig, all so I could postpone coming home indefinitely. Because being back here, even though this is a new apartment, still reminds me that my mom is dead and my dad has moved on and I no longer have a home to return to.
Not one that feels like home used to feel.
“I’m just so glad you’re finally home.”
“Me, too,” I whisper as hot licks of emotion prick the back of my eyes. I hug her tightly one last time before finally releasing her.
Lexie and I have been best friends since fourth grade when her family moved in down the block from mine. We made it through middle and high school with our friendship intact and decided to apply at some of the same colleges so we could room together. Luckily Barnett was on both of our short lists. It has a highly regarded fashion design program for Lexie and a kick ass dance program for me.
There’s absolutely no one in this world I can count on like Lexie Abbott. I’m actually a little ashamed of myself for failing to remember that. I guess in trying to escape all the painful memories, I forgot about the good stuff too.
Lexie backs up until she’s standing directly in front of Dylan. As soon as she’s close enough, he wraps those huge arms around her before pulling her flush against the front of his body. Looking ridiculously contented, he settles his chin on top of her head like he’s done it a hundred times before.
Like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
I can’t help but feel thrilled that Lexie has finally found someone who appreciates the amazing woman she’s grown into.
Unwilling to get anymore sappy than I already have, I shake my head. “Do you two come with barf bags? Because I’ve only been here for about ten minutes and you’re already making me sick to my stomach.”
They both flash big white cheesy grins at me. I want to roll my eyes before sticking my finger down my throat like I’m going to puke. “I suppose you’re going to be practically living here with us?” Yep, I can already see how this is going to go. Dylan will be our unofficial apartment mascot.
With big innocent eyes, she says, “Didn’t I mention that Dylan lives in the apartment next to us with two guys from the football team?”
“Nope,” I shake my head, “you definitely did not mention that. I guess that makes things convenient.”
“Totally convenient,” Dylan adds with a sly grin aimed in my direction.
This time I actually do roll my eyes. “So which room is mine?”
In her exuberance, Lexie all but jumps out of Dylan’s arms before leading me down a short hallway. As I trail after her, I’m immediately reminded that she’s only wearing a thong.
I mean, sure, she has a great ass but still…
“Er, maybe you should put your shorts back on before you give me the grand tour.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dylan open his mouth. My narrowed gaze slices to his. “Don’t even say it,” I warn.
Biting her lip, Lexie stifles another laugh before dashing into her bedroom. In twenty seconds flat she rejoins us sporting tiny white shorts. Then she leads the way into a sunny little room before doing her best auto show model imitation as she gestures with wide sweeping movements to all the wonderful amenities my room has to offer.
She points towards the two large windows lining the wall. “Look at all the gorgeous sunlight that pours in!” Then she throws open the bi-fold c
loset doors. “And a humongous closet for all the clothes you brought back from Paris.” Her arms instantly drop to her sides as she quickly swivels towards me. Her auto show model imitation is totally forgotten in lieu of possible new stylish European clothing. “You did bring me back some clothes, right?”
For just a moment, my eyes travel around the room taking everything in. It’s not huge by any means but after living in Paris, it sure feels like it is. I’m used to about a third of the space. So this feels pretty damn luxurious. I can’t even imagine what I’m going to do with all this space to myself. Then my eyes fall to the double sized mattress shoved up against the far wall and my heart actually swells with unfettered joy.
Oh my god, it’s so big! I’ve been sleeping on a twin bed for the last fifteen months. I literally can’t wait to spread out on that huge mattress. Maybe roll around a bit. Make some snow angles… minus the snow. Already I’m looking forward to hitting the sheets tonight.
I just spent a little more than eight hours on a plane with a two hour layover in Amsterdam. And France is six hours ahead of us. So… I’d like nothing more than to fall into bed right now for a nice long nap.
When I don’t immediately respond, a thread of worry weaves its way through her voice. “Ivy?” Her concerned tone snaps me right out of my thoughts.
“Of course I did,” I finally say. “There’s a short, thigh length pleated skirt, two hand woven scarves, one cashmere sweater, a gorgeous black knit top and these creamy trouser pants that your ass will thank me for.”
If watching Lexie sprawled out on top of me, wearing nothing more than a lacy little thong and a tank top is Dylan’s idea of a wet dream, hearing about all the beautiful clothes I brought back from Paris is hers. We’re talking flushed cheeks and dilated eyes here.
And yes… it’s entirely possible Lexie could have an embarrassing moment in her shorts. Although I hope not.
“Oh, I can’t wait to see them,” she squeals in delight, practically jumping up and down with unbridled enthusiasm.
Fashion design is Lexie’s life. She was a budding fashionista way back in middle school before I ever cared about what top went with what bottoms. Thank goodness for Lexie or I probably would have been much more of a walking fashion disaster than I was.
So of course I scraped together enough money and perused a few vintage boutiques to find unique pieces I knew she wouldn’t be able to get here in the States. I hope she loves them half as much as I think she will.
“What about some hot French lingerie?”
Since Dylan is standing directly behind Lexie, she doesn’t bother turning around to admonish him. She simply rams her elbow right into his gut. He grunts in response. If she hadn’t done it, I probably would have.
“Just stand there and look pretty,” she mutters under her breath.
My lips twitch at her words because he is definitely pretty.
Lexie gives me a little wink as if she can read my mind. “Don’t let his good looks fool you, he’s smart, too.”
Of course he is.
Because gorgeous and smart are exactly the kind of guys Lexie attracts. While I, on the other hand, had the sad misfortune to fall for a hot athletic jerk who assured me he was going to remain faithful to his study-abroad-girlfriend when in actuality, he started hooking up with other girls as soon as above-mentioned-girlfriend was out of the country.
I’ve had the last fourteen and a half months to get over Finn McKenzie. And I have. I am totally over him. Unfortunately he’s been calling and texting almost relentlessly for the last week, which means he’s been occupying my thoughts way more than I’d like.
Perhaps I should say he’s been trying to call and text. Because I haven’t bothered to pick up his calls or respond to his rather lengthy and apologetic text messages. I mean, can you seriously believe that? The guy has some nerve reaching out to me after what he did. Is he really so delusional as to think we’re just going to pick up where we left off now that I’m back at Barnett?
Apparently he is.
We’d been together for about six months before I left for Europe. And yes, I knew having a long distance relationship would be difficult but I was still willing to give it a shot. I’d really grown to like Finn. I literally hadn’t been gone more than two weeks when Lexie Skyped me about what Finn had been busy doing… which had been, in case you’re wondering, other girls.
And that, my friends, had been the end of that.
Lexie’s advice was to forget about my cheating asshole of an ex by hooking up with a bunch of hot French guys.
I hooked up with two semi-hot French dudes and buried myself in dance which was the reason I’d been accepted to study at the Conservatoire de Paris in the first place. After a few months, my heartache lessened. I stopped thinking about Finn, my dad, his new wife, their kids and I just concentrated on soaking up everything I possibly could.
It took some time to adjust but after about two months, I found myself with an amazing new life in a city renowned for its art and culture. There was no way I was going to allow anything to ruin this once in a lifetime opportunity. After about ten months, I stopped thinking about Lexie and coming back to Barnett University and started wondering if maybe I could live here for the rest of my life.
Or, at the very least, the next few years.
When I mentioned this possibility to my dad, he made it perfectly clear that he would not be footing the bill for a life in Paris and said, in no uncertain terms, he wanted me back at Barnett come August. Undeterred by his directive, or perhaps because of it, I’d searched for enough scholarship and grant money to pay for me to continue studying in Paris. Needless to say, I hadn’t been able to pull it off which is exactly why I was back at Barnett for my junior year.
“So, do you like it?”
My eyes swing back to Lexie who is standing there with all this hopeful expectation lighting up her eyes. A tiny smile tugs at the corners of my lips because it really is good to see her after all this time apart. “It’s absolutely perfect.”
Looking very much like the best friend I left behind fifteen months ago, a huge grin spills across her beautiful face right before she hurtles herself at me for a third time.
Chapter Two
Hang onto your panties ladies, because Roan King is kicking off the first day of the fall semester by stripping off his shirt... and yeah, it's definitely a majestic sight to behold. Is it possible that he’s even more ripped and gorgeous than last year? Someone hand me a napkin, I'm starting to drool over here... KingOfCampus.com
How could I have forgotten that jet lag is a total bitch?
It should really be called ass lag or maybe even ass drag would be a more accurate description because my ass is literally dragging on the ground and it's only nine fifty in the morning. I have a whole freaking day stretched out ahead of me.
Oh god… that thought makes me want to weep.
I just want to lie down right here in the middle of campus and cry.
And no amount of highly caffeinated beverages seems to be helping with that affliction either. Because I've been steadily pouring them down my throat since I pried open my blurry eyes this morning. My fingers are tightly wrapped around drink number three as we speak.
I hate to say it, but it already feels like I’m off to a crappy start. Here it is the first day of classes and I'm practically running clear cross campus because I’m late. Why exactly did I think packing up my entire life in France and traveling home the day before fall semester started was such a brilliant idea?
Oh... that’s right... I had wanted to squeeze every single moment I possibly could out of Paris. Which, come on… you really can’t blame me for. Because of that, I'd spent all of yesterday unpacking and organizing. Basically running around like a chicken with my head cut off before collapsing onto my lovely double sized bed at midnight. And then I’d slept for eight solid hours.
Yeah. Eight blissful, dead-to-the-world hours.
And I'm still dragging like I hav
en't slept a single wink.
Hauling my ass out of bed this morning had been a monumental accomplishment on my part. I'd wanted to pick up my books at the campus bookstore before they ran out which actually happened to me freshman year. Unfortunately the line at the bookstore had been way longer than I’d anticipated which has now made me late for my ten o’clock business ethics class.
I can't believe what a bunch of freaking procrastinators go to this school!
I, on the other hand, have a completely legitimate reason for waiting until the last minute to get my books... Okay... fine... yes, I could have technically ordered them online... But I hadn't wanted to think about Barnett until absolutely forced to. Because thinking about Barnett meant I had to accept that the life I’d created for myself in Paris would be coming to a screeching halt.
So now here I am, trying to hustle my way across campus.
In dire need of something to pull me out of this mental fog, I hoist the Frappuccino to my lips. Instead of giving me a much needed jolt of energy, it just makes me feel even more jittery than I already am. My sunglasses are sitting on the bridge of my nose, shielding my eyes from the overly harsh sunshine I would be all but basking in on any other given day. My super-sized iced coffee drink is in one hand while my phone is in the other because it keeps pinging with incoming messages. My bag is slung across my nonexistent chest. As I move along the wide sidewalk towards Adler Hall, it feels as if I'm fighting exhaustion with every step I take.
I honestly don't know how I'm going to make it through an entire day like this without falling into some kind of narcoleptic state. My eyelids are just on the verge of drooping when I crash into a hard body. Instinctively I clutch my phone in one hand as my half-filled coffee drink gets dumped all over the person who has the sad misfortune to end up colliding with me.
I may not have been fully awake before this unexpected collision, but I certainly am now. My mouth falls open in shock and a fair amount of horror as I watch icy brown droplets course their way down a male t-shirt covered chest.
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