by Lexi Lawton
She followed him to the end of the hall, and he opened a door. Kylie stepped into the room. After seeing this house, she didn’t think anything else could surprise her, but this room did. It was three times the size of her bedroom at Nammy Joyce’s house. Her room in the res hall was smaller than the closet.
“I put your stuff over there.” He pointed to the chair in the corner.
“Thanks.”
He nodded. “There’s a bathroom two doors down on the left. My room is right next door if you need anything. I’m pretty sure everyone has headed to bed, but if you want to go do something…”
“No, I really just want to sleep.”
He chuckled. “Me, too. I’m exhausted.”
She tilted her head and studied him. He was different. Quieter. Like he was hiding something. “Is everything all right with you and your dad?”
“It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. When I explained why I ditched school, he understood. And I promised, again, to pass all my classes. Things will be fine.”
“I apologized to him for dragging you away from school.”
His eyes widened. “You did?”
“Mm-hmm. I wanted him to know this wasn’t your fault.”
“Kylie.” He sighed. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know. I wanted to.”
“Thank you.” He turned to leave, then stopped. “Are you going to be okay tonight?”
She nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” Then she hugged him, burying her face against his shoulder. “Thank you for everything.”
He ran his hands up and down her back before pulling her tight to his body, groaning softly at the contact. “I’d do anything for you, Ky.”
She tried to pull back, to be able to see his eyes and his expression, but he held her tight, refusing to let her go.
Finally, he released her and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, have a good night.”
“Good night,” she whispered, closing the door. She changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed. Her head sank into the soft pillows, and she sighed. Xander had been unusually quiet since arriving. Was there more going on with his father that he hadn’t mentioned? Was he embarrassed to have brought her home to meet his family? His parents were so warm and welcoming. They’d opened their home to her without a second thought. Nammy Joyce had always been like that, too.
Kylie, I’m going to give you the secret to finding a man worth your time…meet his parents. The way a boy treats his momma will tell you everything you need to know. If he respects her, he’ll worship you.
She smiled as her grandmother’s voice whispered through her mind. Although she didn’t have the opportunity to watch Xander and his mom together very much, what she had seen warmed her heart. The Collins were a close, loving family, and she wanted to be a part of it. That revelation settled heavily on her chest, and she stared up at the ceiling. The room was dark and deathly quiet. She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind so she could fall asleep, but images of her grandmother’s empty house and her casket played behind her lids. She kicked the covers off and paced the room.
A soft knock made her jump. “Kylie?” Xander whispered.
She opened the door and let him in without a word.
“I heard you moving around. Everything okay?”
Nodding, she wrapped her arms around her midsection. “When it’s this quiet, my mind races. Makes it hard to sleep.”
“Want some company?”
“What about your parents? Won’t they be mad you’re in my room?”
He shrugged. “They’re sound asleep upstairs.” Xander held out his hand. “C’mon.” He led her to bed.
They lay facing each other. Kylie tucked her hands under the pillow while Xander propped himself up on his elbow. Being close to him always made her heart race, but tonight was different, like she was subconsciously preparing herself for a change, a shift in the relationship.
“I really like your family,” she said. “Although, I don’t think Ryder likes me.”
“Why’s that?”
She shrugged awkwardly. “He barely said two words to me.”
“That’s just Ryder. He’s always been the quiet one. Don’t take it personally.” He pushed a strand of hair off her forehead and trailed his finger down the side of her face, across her jaw.
She suppressed a shudder. “I really like Jules. She’s cool.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, she is. I’m glad my brother has her. She’s good for him.”
“They’re really in love. I can see it in how they look at each other, and they’re always touching and kissing.” She sighed and wiggled closer to him. “My parents used to be like that, too.”
“Yeah?” His hand moved from her jaw, down her neck, and over her collarbone.
“When I went to see my father in jail, I asked him why he is the way he is, why he decided to stop being my dad.” Tears burned her throat, but she refused to shed another tear for that man.
“What did he say?” His hand was now slowly tracing her side until it rested on her hip.
“Nothing. He wouldn’t even look at me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He loved my mother. I know he did. She was his world, and when she died…it broke him beyond repair. I don’t think he’s ever gotten over it.” She shook her head and adjusted so she was on her back.
Xander pulled her closer, his lips brushing her forehead, the gesture made more intimate by the darkness surrounding them.
“Do you think it’s possible to love someone so much that losing them can destroy you?”
“Yes.” His breath was warm against her cheek.
“That’s scary, don’t you think? Knowing one person has that much power over you.”
“The thought of losing someone you love is fucking terrifying. To actually lose them…I couldn’t begin to imagine. But personally, I’d rather go all in and take the risk than play it safe and never experience something as great as what Tanner and Jules have together.”
Smiling, she playfully elbowed his stomach. “When did you become such a romantic?”
“I’ve always been a romantic. I just hide it well.” He cupped her jaw and gently turned her face toward his. “And now I have a serious question for you.”
“Okay.”
“Are you ready for tomorrow?”
She furrowed her brow in confusion. “You mean for your mom’s birthday party? Yeah, I guess. Why?”
“You realize you’re going to meet my entire family, right? Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…”
“Oh, that?” She waved her hand dismissively. “That’s nothing. Easy peasy.”
He laughed. “And you called me a bullshitter?”
“I’m a blast at parties, remember? I’ll woo them with my witty banter and stellar personality. By the time it’s over, they’ll love me more than they love you.”
“I have no doubts about that.” He ran his thumb over her lip, lowering his face to hers. She held her breath. “I want to introduce you as my girlfriend, Ky.”
All the air rushed out of her lungs, and her heart stopped. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
Xander Collins just asked her to be his girlfriend? This had to be a dream. Or a mistake. She blinked several times, but he was still there, staring down at her, waiting. “So, when you say you want to introduce me as your girlfriend…?”
“I mean I want you to be my girlfriend. I want to be your boyfriend. And I want us to go to the party as a couple.”
“Right… Can I think about it?”
He groaned and flopped onto his back. “You can never make anything easy, can you?”
Even in the dark, she could see the smile on his face, the outline of his dimples, the twinkle in his eyes. She folded her arms on his chest and rested her chin on them. “Oh, come on. We both know being easy is boring.”
“You definitely keep me guessing.” He tucked his hands behin
d his head.
Scooting up so her lips were poised above his, she whispered, “Of course I’ll be your girlfriend, Xander.”
Chapter Thirty-One
“It’s about damn time.” Laughing, he hauled her over on top of him, and she brought her knees up to rest by his waist, straddling him. “I figured you’d make me wait days or weeks for an answer.”
“I thought about it.” She pressed her mouth to his, sinking down onto his hard, warm body. She was officially his girlfriend! Happiness pumped through her veins, making her dizzy with joy. She’d have to call Celeste and tell her.
“Probably would’ve served me right to have to wait.” He nipped at her bottom lip and smoothed his hands down her back, gripping her ass. “Thanks for taking mercy on me.”
“You’re just lucky I like you.”
“I’m the luckiest fucking guy alive.” He wrapped his arms around her and rolled over so she was beneath him. He parted her lips with his tongue, dipping into her mouth for a heated kiss as he spread her legs with his knees and settled between her thighs.
She gasped at the feel of him, hard and thick, pressing against her sex. “Xander?” She ran her fingers through his hair, sighing at how the dark locks stood on end in a sexy, messed-up, just-rolled-out-of-bed way.
“Hmm?” He moved his mouth down to her throat, lightly scraping his teeth over her neck, inducing a full body shudder. “I love how your heart races every time I kiss you.” He pushed his hips forward, rolling them just enough to make her gasp again. Desire pooled in her belly, seeping lower until her panties became damp with her arousal. “I want to touch you again,” he whispered, sensually biting her earlobe.
“Right now?”
“Yes, now.” He slid his hand up her shirt, his fingers whispering over her ribs, creeping toward her breasts.
She put her hands on his chest and shook her head. “No way.”
He froze, then slowly rose up onto his arms and peered down at her. “No?”
“Yeah. No. We’re in your parents’ house,” she whispered harshly. “We can’t do…that kind of stuff here. What if they hear us?”
He laughed, his eyes dancing in the darkness. “They’re sound asleep on the third floor. They won’t hear us.” He settled next to her, hands tucked behind his head. “Besides, do you really think Tanner isn’t in Jules’s room right now, doing a hell of a lot more than cuddling?”
She stared at him.
“And have you heard anything?”
“No…”
He turned his head to look at her, brow raised. “Still sticking with no?”
She took a deep breath. Her body tingled and throbbed with the need for his touch. Her ribs were covered in goose bumps from where his hand had been. Every nerve in her was screaming yes, but she remembered the noises she’d made last time, how intense it was when she came, how loud she’d been when she cried his name. Could she really disrespect his parents and their home like that, especially when they were sleeping a floor above them?
“It’s really okay if you don’t want to,” he said.
“I know.” She chewed on her lip. “You seriously don’t think they’ll hear anything?”
“No. Tanner always sleeps with Jules when they’re here. If my parents ever do hear something, they never mention it.”
“Yeah, but Tanner and Jules are together.”
“So are we, remember?”
Her heart took off fast, making her breath catch. She’d been waiting and hoping to be with him for weeks, and now that he was her boyfriend, he wanted to do naughty things. No way would she deny him. Or herself. “I think”—she rolled onto her side—“I should be the one doing all the touching tonight.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I’m dead serious.” She ran her finger across the waistband of his pants, dipping just low enough to feel a light dusting of hair.
He sucked in his stomach and groaned. “You really expect me to lie here while you touch me, and not touch you, too?”
“It’s only fair considering that’s exactly what you did to me last time.” Heart in her throat, pounding so loud she could barely hear her own breaths, she reached into his pants and was rewarded with hard male flesh. She wrapped her hand around his cock and slowly stroked up his shaft.
“Holy fuck.” The words rushed out on a raspy exhale. He fisted a handful of her hair and brought her mouth to his for a desperate, passion-filled kiss.
She rubbed her palm over the head, and he moaned into her mouth.
“God, that feels incredible.” His chest rose with a heavy breath.
“I can make it feel even better.”
“I don’t think that’s possible.”
Grinning, she released her hold on him and tugged his pants down. Her fingers grasped the base of his shaft, and she looked up at him. His eyes were wide, almost as if he couldn’t believe what she was about to do, or that she had the confidence to do it.
Propping himself on an elbow, he gathered her hair away from her face, holding it tightly. “I want to watch.” His eyes were half a shade away from black.
Knowing Xander wanted to watch had her cheeks flushing. Her tongue barely grazed the head of his cock, and his hips jerked up. “Fuck.” His fingers fisted tighter in her hair, holding her in place.
His reactions spurred her on, swirling through her and giving her an extra boost of confidence. She smiled seductively and licked around the ridge before sucking him into her mouth. He was so big, so hard, her lips were stretched in delicious pain.
“My God, Ky, the way my cock looks in your mouth…” His eyes rolled back, and he groaned loudly.
She resisted the urge to hush him as she drew back and then closed her lips around him again. He filled her mouth so completely, his unique taste lingering on her tongue. “Mm-hmm.” Her moan vibrated down his shaft, making her lips tingly numb. She stroked his shaft while she sucked him harder and deeper.
“Shit.” He grunted and fell back to the bed. His thighs tensed. “Feels so good.” He began to slide between her lips, and she took all of him each time, deep into her throat. His ass clenched. “Ah, God, your mouth is like pure fucking heaven.”
Popping him out of her mouth, she licked the tip again. Her clit was swollen and aching. Regret consumed her mind. Telling him not to touch her was the dumbest thing she could’ve said. Her heart pounded, and she closed her eyes, savoring the taste of him, reveling in the knowledge she was getting him off. That he was enjoying it.
She lightly dragged her teeth up his cock, and then took him into the back of her throat again, making him shudder. His ragged breaths turned to pants, and he swelled in her mouth.
“Ky, honey, I’m gonna come.” He attempted to reach for her, but she swatted his hands away.
“Uh-uh.” She continued to suck and stroke him until he was fully sated.
He came amidst a string of curses and moans. His body quivered as his orgasm subsided. “You were right.” He took several deep breaths. “You managed to make it feel better. So much fucking better.”
Smiling, she licked her lips and dragged her body up his, pleased with herself for satisfying him. “You’re good with your hands; I’m good with my mouth.”
“Fucking right you are.” He kissed her. “That was the best blow job I’ve ever had.”
She wasn’t so sure she believed that, but it was a boost to her ego. “You’re staying here tonight?” She settled next to him, and he wrapped his arm around her.
“I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”
…
Kylie sat at a vibrantly decorated table inside one of the most lavish and expensive hotels she’d ever been in. Mr. Collins had rented the ballroom for his wife’s birthday. It must have cost a small fortune. After several rounds of toasts and speeches, Xander’s parents took to the dance floor. They were cheek to cheek, swaying to the soft, slow music. Everyone clapped. They looked so happy and in love.
Once the song ended, Xander took her
hand. “C’mon.” He led her around the massive room, introducing her to one person after another. There was no way she’d ever remember everyone’s names. “Aunt Mel.” He hugged a plump, blond-haired woman who appeared to be in her mid-fifties.
“Xander!” She patted his cheek. “You’re looking good. College agrees with you.”
He laughed. “Yes, it does.” He tugged Kylie’s hand. “Aunt Mel, I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Kylie.”
“Girlfriend?” Her eyes widened and lit up. “It’s a pleasure.”
“Yes, it is.” Kylie smiled like an idiot. Hearing him call her his girlfriend would never get old. “Xander mentioned you helped plan all of this. It’s beautiful.”
“Aw, thank you, dear.” Someone called for her, and she excused herself.
“Dance with me?” Xander didn’t wait for an answer before he pulled her out onto the dance floor.
“Thank you for inviting me to this.”
He spun her around and then hugged her close to him. “Everyone is staying here tonight, so we’ll have the house to ourselves.”
“Okay.” Her voice cracked. Did this mean something more would happen between them tonight? Nerves filled her belly. “You don’t want to stay here, too?”
“No. I want you all to myself.”
…
Kylie changed out of her dress and put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Then, on shaky legs, she headed to Xander’s room. He greeted her at the door, smiling. She stepped inside and froze. There were lit candles everywhere, the flickering glow giving the room a cozy and romantic atmosphere. Soft music played in the background, and there were actual rose petals scattered about the floor and on the bed. Her heart all but stopped at the sight before her.
Xander led her to the bed, and he sat, but she remained standing, unsure what was going on. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer so she was standing between his parted legs. Then he lifted the hem of her shirt and kissed her belly button. He looked up at her, his eyes dark with desire.
That look in his eyes said it all. Her breath caught. She ran her fingers through his hair, tugging enough to tilt his head back before lowering her mouth to his. His lips parted slightly, and then his tongue glided over hers ever so softly. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she savored the taste of him, of his hands on her bare skin, his hot breath mingling with hers. Everything about this kiss, about this moment, was absolutely perfect, and she was terrified it was all a dream. She pulled away and sighed.
