Lighter

by Gia Riley

  “Sophie! You’re scaring me.”

  “I got up too fast, I’m okay. Please, I’ll take the bus. Don’t bother your brother.” My head is killing me. I need darkness and a nap.

  “You aren’t taking the damn bus, Sophie. Kippy won’t mind at all. He’s here for us, you heard him the other day. He said so.”

  How do I tell her I don’t want to see her brother because I’m insanely attracted to him and he causes me to make poor life decisions that leave me wallowing in a pool of regret? “Cara, I’ll take the bus. Please drop it. It was bad enough he had to haul my hungover ass home this morning.”

  “Fine, but I don’t agree with your choice. I’ll be back in a little bit. I want to see what time Drew plans on leaving for class tonight.” With her freshly curled ponytail bouncing behind her, she swiftly leaves our room with her southern attitude in full effect.

  Already worn out from the day, I lie down on my bed, instantly comparing the thread count of my sheets to Kipton’s luxurious bed. I close my eyes and picture him shirtless, sprawled out with his head on his pillow and the thin sheet draped over his lower half. Only this time, it’s not covering him entirely, allowing me to see every solid inch of his manhood. I shiver from the thought.

  My mind begins to take things a step farther, as I mentally reach out and scrape my fingernails down the ridges of his abdominal muscles. I take my time inspecting every inch of his skin, placing soft kisses along the way. I dip my tongue in each valley before going up and over each toned group of muscles. Over and over, I continue until I reach the end of his glorious six pack abs right above the real prize.

  I pull my blanket up to my chin and start to inch my hand lower to the throbbing between my legs. Pretending my hand is his, I hesitantly touch myself. At first it feels wrong; almost shameful. But the faster I go, the better it feels. Easily working myself into a frenzy with a few quick strokes, I’m close to falling over the edge to the vision of Kipton touching me while kissing me passionately. His lips are all over me, his tongue working magic between my thighs. A few more seconds and my entire body explodes. I moan his name and ride out each and every wave of pleasure. Before I have a chance to catch my breath, my cell phone vibrates next to my head. I grab it, still slightly panting from lust overload. Tapping the talk button, I slowly open my eyes and see it’s Kipton on the other end. Panicking, I want to hang up, but can’t now that I’ve answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey.”

  I suck in a deep breath, his voice igniting my pulse a second time. I focus on calming each inhale and exhale, forcing away my blissful paradise.

  “Sophie? What are you doing?”

  “I was resting.”

  “Then why do you sound out of breath?”

  “Do I? I’m not. I was laying here taking it easy like the doctor recommended.” I was picturing you naked and you gave me the best orgasm of my life.

  “Is Cara there?”

  “No. Cara went to Drew’s room. I only got back about twenty minutes ago.”

  “So, you’re all alone?”

  “Yeah, I am.” Why is he asking so many questions?

  “Sophie, what were you really doing? Nobody gets that out of breath from sleeping unless they’ve woken up from a nightmare.”

  “Kipton. I’m fine. Everything is fine. What do you need?”

  “I need you to tell me the truth.”

  He’s not going to let this go. There’s no way in hell I’m admitting I came to the vision of him touching me. And inflating his ego will only potentially add to my troubles. I’ll stay silent until he’s forced to hang up on me.

  “Sophie?” He taps the receiver and pushes a few buttons. Both are too loud for my aching head to stand. I pull the phone away from my ear and curse, “Damn it, Kipton.”

  “Then just answer me.”

  I continue to ignore him.

  “Okay. If this is how you want to play it, then you can listen. Maybe I’m way off base here, but I don’t think I am. Maybe you did lie down with the intention of resting, but the second your pretty little head hit the pillow, you were reminded of being in my bed. When you couldn’t get your mind to focus on anything else, you started picturing all the sexy ways I could please you with my body. From there, you started touching yourself and from the sounds of it . . . I just missed the best part. Am I right, Sophie? Were we both naked too?”

  Holy shit! How did he do that? Was I that obvious? He’s shocked me right out of my silent treatment. “What! No. I was resting. Why don’t you believe me?”

  “Tell me the truth. Who were you imagining when you touched yourself?” I can picture his sexy grin as he’s saying these words and it turns me on even more.

  “This conversation is not happening. I’m going back to my nap. I’m hanging up now, Kipton.”

  “Wait! Say yes or no and I’ll drop it.” Why does he even care?

  “Yes or no.”

  “Don’t get smart with me, Sophie. Please tell me. I need to hear you say it.”

  “Jesus. Yes! Okay. YES!” I shout.

  “Fuck. That’s so hot, Sophie. I gotta go. I’ll pick you up at four for your appointment.” The line goes dead before I have a chance to respond or argue. Cara. I’m going to kill Cara. I roll over and bury my face in my pillow. I’d scream but my head is hurting too bad. Everything was fine with my life before I came to this damn school. Now I’m daydreaming about a guy who throws my entire world off its axis simply by looking at me. He’s never even touched me intimately and I can’t stop wondering about all the earth-shattering ways he could make me lose control. And what is it with this bed! First the pillow, now this.

  I close my eyes again, annoyed with both Kipton and Cara. My mind is still reeling from being caught, but I’m woman enough to admit I needed some relief. Kipton and I haven’t spent much time together, but it’s obvious my body wants him.

  I’m only laying down for a few seconds when the phone rings again. “Seriously?” I grumble. So much for getting any rest.

  “Aren’t you done harassing me yet?” I jokingly say into the receiver.

  “Sophie?”

  Shit. It’s not Kipton. “Yes. This is Sophie. I’m sorry I thought you were someone else.”

  Laughing, he continues, “That’s okay. This is Coach Evans. I was just calling to see how your visit with the doctor went.”

  “Hi. Um. It went as well as can be expected, I guess. He pulled me from practice and I have to have a scan done later this evening. I’m really sorry I have to miss some time. I’d rather be in the gym.”

  “It’s okay. Just do what they tell you to do so you can get back to your training. And let me know about your test results. I’m sure the doctor will send me reports, but I’d like to hear from you too.”

  “Sure. I’ll let you know. Thank you for calling.”

  “No problem, Sophie. Get some rest.”

  “I will. Goodbye.”

  Maybe Coach isn’t as bad as I thought.

  Now all I have to figure out is why Kipton wants me to leave so early for my appointment. Then, I can relax. Or at least try to.

  I WAS COMPLETELY THROWN FOR a loop the moment Sophie picked up the phone. Her surprise when she heard my voice combined with her sexy breathing clued me in. She was definitely up to something—and I hoped it was entirely sexual. Of course it could have been almost anything, but I’m a guy—and my mind defaults to sex with little effort.

  At first I was afraid to pry for details in case I was wrong, but I thought it would be fun to mess with her. Considering I was right with my assumption, I’m glad I asked. I only wish I could have watched her fall apart in person.

  I have a few hours before I have to pick her up, purposely leaving enough time for the two of us to stop and get some dinner. I’m not thrilled with leaving her all alone until then, but I didn’t want to push her too far out of her comfort zone. I wish she would have reached out to me on her own for a ride, but thankfully Cara called me before Sophie
put her ass on a damn bus instead. I told her and Cara to call me if they ever needed anything. Apparently, I need to refresh Sophie’s memory.

  I yawn for the millionth time today. My eyes burn and I know I should take a power nap. Having trouble dozing off last night, I finally had better luck once I stopped staring at Sophie. Waking up to her beautiful blue eyes locked on my naked chest had me instantly aroused. I’d wanted nothing more than to grab her tiny waist and show her exactly what she does to me, but I have to be patient. After today, I want her to see me as a person she can trust and depend on—one that cares about her as more than just a friend. Who knows, we could be as compatible as oil and water, but I won’t be satisfied until I taste her lips and find out for myself.

  I unlock the screen of my phone to find an incoming text from Sophie. My finger hovers over her name, but I hesitate. If she even tries to cancel, I’ll haul ass over to her dorm and show her how serious I am about taking her to her appointment. Cara warned me she can be stubborn. But so can I.

  Sophie: You know my appointment isn’t until six, right? You don’t have to pick me up until 5:30.

  Kipton: We’re going to dinner first.

  Sophie: Why?

  Kipton: Because we need to eat. And I want to discuss a few things.

  Sophie: What if I’m not hungry and don’t want to talk?

  Kipton: Then you can sit and listen.

  Sophie: Am I in trouble?

  Kipton: Not yet.

  Sophie: You’re being weird.

  Kipton: Do you like weird?

  Sophie: Not that I know of.

  Kipton: Then what do you want me to be?

  Sophie: Asleep.

  Kipton: Why?

  Sophie: Because every time we talk or see each other I do something stupid.

  Laughing, I type out a teasing response but delete it before sending. I shouldn’t make fun of her when she’s already feeling vulnerable. She has been caught in some interesting situations though. It’s crystal clear how much I affect her and hell if it doesn’t turn me on. Instantly I’m hard again from the thought of her sweet voice coming undone in her bed, writhing back and forth from the thought of my touch. The next time she loses control, I want to be responsible for it—in person. Deciding to keep things bland and basic so we can get through her appointment tonight, I type out a standard response, making sure she complies.

  Kipton: See you at 4.

  Sophie: Okay.

  That was almost too easy, but I’m glad she didn’t fight me on it.

  Although I’d rather catch up on some sleep, I need to shower so I have time to talk to Cara about the interest she seems to have taken in her resident advisor. The last thing I want is for her to get kicked out of the dorm for crossing some stupid rule in the code of conduct. My sister doesn’t always have the best judgment when it comes to guys.

  As soon as I step under the warm spray of water, I tilt my head back and let it cascade over my face. With my lack of sleep combined with my pent up sexual energy, there’s no way I can leave this house before I take the edge off. Otherwise, I can’t be held responsible when Sophie ends up in my bed instead of at her appointment.

  It’s shitty of me to revert to the mental picture of her wasted and dancing practically topless at the party, but it’s too perfect not to get me off in a matter of minutes. My orgasm rips through me so powerfully; I have to steady myself against the shower wall. If it’s this good just thinking about Sophie, I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like buried inside of her. When I realize I’m game for round two, I turn the dial all the way to the right, allowing the subarctic temperature of the water to wash over me, hopefully sending my insatiable desire down the drain. I can’t walk around with my jeans strangling my dick all night.

  WITH METALLICA BLARING FROM THE speakers of my car, I tap my thumbs against the steering wheel and bob my head to each drum beat. I pull up to Sophie’s dorm and instinctively glance at her room window. I don’t know what I’m expecting to see, but the curtains are drawn as they should be.

  Once inside, I sign in at the front desk and wait for permission to go upstairs.

  “Room 301?” The guy manning the desk questions as he checks my name on the list.

  “Yeah. My sister lives there.”

  “I’m their RA.”

  I eye him tentatively and although he looks nice enough, I need to get to know him before I make any decisions one way or the other. “So you’re Drew.”

  He smiles. “I take it Cara mentioned me then?”

  “You could say that.”

  He laughs and looks very okay with being the topic of our conversation. “You two have plans?”

  “No. She has class.”

  He nods his head knowingly. “Ahhh. The roommate.”

  Hell yes, it’s the roommate. Has he not noticed? On second thought, he better never notice. “Dude, it’s not like that. Sophie needs a ride and Cara offered my services.”

  “She looked like hell this morning when she strolled in here. Cara mentioned something about a concussion. Sucks.”

  “That it does. I better get up there. I’ll see you around.” I start to walk away, but my brotherly instinct kicks in full force. I turn around and clear my throat which makes him look up from his paperwork. When I have his full attention, I continue, “By the way, if you hurt my sister I’ll kill you myself.”

  He nods his head and smiles. “Noted.”

  “Have fun tonight,” I yell over my shoulder before the elevator doors close behind me. Despite my warning, I’m actually glad Cara has a thing for him and not some other douchebag. At least Drew has his priorities straight and seems responsible. He’s making my job easier and he doesn’t even know it.

  Knocking on the girls’ door, I wait for one of them to answer. I purposely came a few minutes early so I’d have to come up and get Sophie. Nobody answers, but I can hear music playing. Twisting the door knob, I slowly peek inside in case one of them is standing close to the door. I snicker when I spot Sophie singing into her brush as she fixes her hair. She’s never going to win a Grammy, but it’s incredibly amusing.

  “Ahem.” Quickly shutting the door, I look over my shoulder and see Cara standing with her arms crossed. Oh here we go.

  “It’s creepy to find my brother peeping into my bedroom! What are you doing Kipton?”

  “Oh, calm down. Nobody answered when I knocked. I was entering slowly so I didn’t scare anyone.”

  “And it’s not scary to find you with one eyeball pressed into the crack of the door? If anyone saw you, I’ll just die.”

  Maybe she has a point. “I’m sorry, Cara.”

  “If she’s even naked or half-dressed I’ll get you kicked out of here. I know people, Kipton! She may be the current object of your lust, but she’s my roommate and I really like her. So back off!”

  I salute her authority which only pisses her off more. She punches me fairly hard for a chick, but not with enough force to make me flinch. Backing away from her door, I let her go inside ahead of me. Sophie jumps as soon as the door fully opens, realizing we may have heard her rocking out. When she sees me smirking, her cheeks flush. I wink at her, making her blush even more. Something tells me we’re both thinking about her pleasuring herself right now. If Cara wasn’t here, I might even take a chance and kiss her. Shit, I’d love to kiss her right now. But I can’t.

  She tosses a few things in a purse large enough to carry a few groceries before resting the straps on her shoulder.

  Jingling my keys back and forth between my hands, I give her all the time she needs to finish up. “You ready, Sophie?”

  “Yeah, pretty sure I have everything.” There’s still plenty of room inside her giant bag, so she very well may find more shit to stuff in it. Instead, she walks over to the door. Expecting me to leave, I wait until she’s standing next to me before I open it. Nudging her playfully, she smiles back at me. “What?” she asks.

  “You look extra short today.”

  “Kip
ton, really? Don’t pick on her,” Cara adds as usual. Her and her damn rules.

  “I’m used to it, Cara. I hear it all the time back home. I’m aware I’m vertically challenged.”

  Although she was full of life a minute ago, she suddenly looks tired. I also don’t miss the dark circles under her eyes. At least she covered up the hickey. Not that I’d mind if people assumed I put it there, although one on her inner thigh would be so much more fun.

  “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not offended,” Sophie says while nudging me as she brushes past me.

  I’m left staring at her perky ass. Cara gets in my face, whispering as quietly as she can while still telling me off. “Kipton, I swear if you fuck up my living arrangements, I will kick your ass! Stop it, now. Off limits, remember? And stop checking out her ass!”

  I put my hands on her shoulders, forcing her off her tippy toes and out of my face. “Down, girl. I can’t make any promises. Gotta run, sis.”

  I hear her growl in frustration as I jog down the hallway to catch up with Sophie. “She’s extra feisty today.” Sophie smiles up at me and I swear it’s the most gorgeous smile I’ve ever been given. If she keeps that shit up I definitely won’t be able to hold back much longer.

  “You do look nice; I was just joking about being short.”

  She glances up at me, but only gives me a quick one word response. “Thanks.”

  We walk side by side, relatively quiet the entire way to my car. She’s nervous as usual, but there’s definitely something else on her mind tonight. Right now she seems indifferent to everything. Then again she has a head injury so her mind’s probably reeling. I open her door for her, watching her slide into the passenger seat. Sophie grabs for her seatbelt right away while I close her door.

  I follow suit and when I turn the key in the ignition, my radio is shouting out lyrics on full blast. Quickly grabbing the dial, I lower the volume. “Sorry about that.”

  “Not a problem.” She doesn’t even look at me, instead choosing to stare out the window on her side of the car. Checking my rear view mirror, I back out of my parking spot. It’s a short fifteen minute drive to her appointment, so I choose to take her to the famous fifties diner located in the plaza across the street from the imaging center. This way, we can sit and talk for as long as possible before the test. I’m also dying for a patty melt.