Shutout (The Core Four Book 4)

by Stacy Borel

  “Mhmm.” I was chewing my food and didn’t care to say anything else that would make me sound stupid.

  “Well, I can go ahead and pop in a movie if you want to eat and watch.”

  “Okay.”

  He pressed a few buttons and an action movie I hadn’t even realize had come out started playing. Before long, I was completely engrossed and watching with wide eyes. One scene in particular had me gripping the small pillows lying next to me and Wrigley gave me a sideways smirk when I peeked in his direction.

  “Don’t laugh. This is seriously intense,” I scolded.

  He held his hands up in the air. “Hey, I didn’t say anything.”

  I turned in his direction. “You’re laughing.”

  He sucked in his lower lip and bit down. “Nobody is laughing.”

  I glared, trying to fight my own desire to smile. “Rude.”

  “Who’s rude? Not me.”

  “You’re teasing.”

  “Maybe a little. But teasing can be fun.”

  I gulped. “I suppose.”

  His eyes narrowed. He was watching my mouth as I chewed the inside of my cheek. “In the right situation.”

  “And what situations are those?”

  “Ones that require me to sit closer so you aren’t so jumpy,” he said slowly.

  Jumpy? Only thing that is jumpy around here is my heart. Holy mess, was he serious? I stared at him like he’d grown a second head. Sitting closer to him would mean I’d be closer. Closer wasn’t good. I’d be able to smell him. I’d be able to hear his breathing. He’d be at arm’s length. I don’t think my heart could handle the rapid beats that was already assaulting my body.

  “I’d be jumpy sitting over there, or here.”

  One side of his mouth tipped up. “Maybe, but I’m over here, so there’s a slight difference. I could protect you.”

  My brows came together but I couldn’t pry my eyes from his hazel ones. “You’d save me.”

  “Mhmm.”

  “From the TV,” I queried.

  “That’s right.”

  “Interesting.” What an odd conversation. I had no clue where this was even going.

  He patted the couch next to him. Oh my god! He wants me to get up and go over there. This was one of those moments in life where you pick door number one and there could be a glorious new living room set on the other side, or you could open door number two and there would be a box full of TNT and killer alligators ready to kill you. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that serious, but this was definitely a situation where I didn’t know if I should pick door one or door two. Either led to something that could change the direction of Wrigley’s and my relationship.

  Tentatively, and on shaky legs, I stood up and took a step toward him. He waited expectantly as I took another step, our knees nearly touching. I blew out a breath I was holding in.

  “Funny, you almost seem more nervous coming over here then you did sitting by yourself.”

  Did he always speak what was on his mind? Geez! Yes, I was nervous. He was making me that way and by the looks of it, he knew it to.

  “Are you purposely trying to make me squirm?” I asked.

  He cocked a brow. “Is it working?”

  “No.”

  “Liar.”

  “I don’t lie.”

  “That’s another lie.” He reached forward and grabbed my hand, pulling me towards the couch. I had no choice but to sit.

  The movie was still playing, but I had no clue what was happening. I was lost at this point. The attention from Wrigley was all I could focus on. Plus, I didn’t want to shatter this moment, however big or small it was. His hand let go of mine, but my leg was pressed against his. The warmth of him was about all I could bear and I was certain he could hear my heart pounding in my chest.

  When his fingertips brushed against my cheek, it took all I had not to jump. “Your cheeks are pink. Am I embarrassing you?”

  I risked a glance at him. He was staring at me and grinning devilishly. “Do you always speak your mind?”

  He chuckled. “When I can.”

  “When don’t you?” I tried not to lean into his touch.

  “When I know my mom would kick my ass for opening my mouth.”

  “Your mom is good like that.”

  A deep laugh came from his throat. I blinked and looked down at my hands that were clasped in my lap. I sat straight up, my spine stiff as a board. He was reading me. Gathering and processing information about me. Like a predator calculating his next move. I might as well have been swimming in that bayou again with him circling as he searched for a weak spot to attack. Lord, was all the air in the room being sucked out? I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

  “I think need to use the bathroom,” I blurted.

  He closed his mouth for a moment, then said, “It’s down that way; first door on the left.”

  I flew from the couch as fast as I could. So fast you would’ve thought an ax murderer was chasing me. I was floored by what was happening. Finding the bathroom as quickly as I could, I accidentally shut the door too hard. “Sorry.” I called out. There was silence and embarrassment flooded my face.

  Flipping on the light, I leaned over the sink and starred at myself in the mirror. What in the ever-loving crap was going on? Wrigley was flirting with me. Flirting like he meant to. Flirting like he was attracted to me. And it was completely foreign. I had no clue what to do and any response from my mouth was like a five-year-old’s excitement that their parents just told them they were going to Disney World. The part that was confusing me was, why? Why tonight was he doing this when I’ve been around for the last fifteen years. I wasn’t new.

  I decided this was something I’d been waiting for. I had no clue if it was the pizza, the movie, or the make-up that had him coming on to me, but I needed to act on it. Or let him show me how. I didn’t have to have experience with this sort of thing to understand that his flirting may lead to more. I wanted to let it happen. I wanted to relax and let go enough to be like my free-spirited roommate and just have fun with this...whatever tonight was...no matter where it went. I’d always had dreams of what this would be like with him, and here I was wasting it in the bathroom. For all I knew, the moment could’ve passed by the time I got back out there.

  I dropped my head and sucked in a deep breath of air. Only my lip gloss was missing, but the rest of me still looked the same. Steeling myself, I raised my shoulders and opened the bathroom door. Just as I stepped out, I slammed right into a hard chest and nearly stumbled back into the wall except for the strong hands that caught me. His fingers gripped my upper arms and an intense stare met mine. I blinked.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know you were walking back here.”

  He took a step forward. His body was nearly flush with mine. “Everything okay?”

  Wrigley’s breath washed over me and it was intoxicating. “Yep.” I squeaked out.

  I couldn’t take my eyes away from his. He was in my personal space, unapologetically. One of his hands came up and gently brushed my hair back from my face.

  “Where did you come from?”

  I swallowed hard. His touched seared my skin. “I came from the bathroom.”

  He gave me the most sincere smile and tried not to chuckle at my nerves that were wreaking havoc on my senses. “No, I meant this. This girl who walked into my house with balls of steel and beauty to match.”

  “I dunno.” I said, stupidly in a trance.

  “I like it.”

  Wrigley stepped into me, now every inch of his front was pressed against mine. All of these new feelings were a lot to process. The consciousness of a male body on mine. The very smell of him was acting like a drug, making me beg for more. Every breath he took in, I took two. My chest rising and falling as he took in my every move. I felt like he was studying me.

  “What’s happening here?” I asked. My brain not connecting to the rest of my body.

  He trailed his fingers down my arm and the little hairs raised o
n end. My back was against the wall and I knew this was sensory overload. This wasn’t like being out on the water and he was holding me. This was deliberate. This was attraction. This was, no questions asked, him becoming physical and making it known he was seeing me. But was it with clear eyes?

  “Is it the make-up and hair?” I asked, curious and rambling.

  “Nah.” His stare was intimidating. “It’s more than that. I’ve seen you every day without all this.” He picked up a lock of my hair and twisted it in his fingertips.

  I licked my lips and his pupils dilated. “Then what? I’m not getting this.”

  “There’s nothing to get. I’m attracted to you.”

  My heart started galloping in my chest, and my stomach bottomed out. “You are?”

  “Mhmm.” He dipped his head down closer to mine. His lips only inches away.

  “Since when?” I asked breathily.

  He kissed my forehead and a thrill shot through my body. I tried not to quiver.

  “These past few months have been fun. You’re easy to talk to, we get along, we’ve known each other for a long time, and you’re beautiful.”

  I’m beautiful? My inner self blinked. “But we have known each other for a long time. I’ve liked you for a long time. This may all seem good now, but what happens when we go back home?”

  Why in the hell was I trying to be sensible when this was the one time in my life I should just let go and be senseless? Ugh, I was frustrating even to myself. I should just shut up and let him-

  Wrigley’s lips gently pressed to mine and every thought went out the window. The soft tender touch was almost shocking to my system and I could do nothing but hold completely still. At first it was a light peck.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Three times.

  Then it became more. Heavier and demanding. My mouth was shut but a tender lick from his tongue made me gasp and he took advantage. I parted my lips and he sealed his to mine. I’d never done this before. What I was doing was merely drawn from movies I’d seen and following his lead. I opened my mouth slightly and gave him entrance to advance. His tongue was soft and tasted sweet like candy.

  I tried to mimic his movements but still felt awkward. I was slower to press forward with my own advances. I didn’t want him to push me away if I tried to explore more of his taste. He was patient as I learned what he was doing, and I tried to do it myself. I quickly learned that you definitely breathed through your nose while kissing. I wanted to laugh at myself for overthinking in the moment. Then something else grabbed my attention.

  The entire line of him was against my body, but his hips ground into mine. I pushed back. Not to fight him, but because it felt good and I needed it. There was a hardness on one side of his shorts pressing into my pelvic bone. On its own accord, my hips shifted forward, trying to find relief. I knew my panties were wet and I was biting back a moan. Wrigley had an erection. One I had given him. I was turning him on and that knowledge alone was a heady feeling.

  When my hips thrust forward again, knowing I was pushing against him and bringing him pleasure, a groan came from his throat. An exhale of breath into my mouth made me want to swallow the sensations down and drink from this cup forever. Then something else happened. A large hand cupped my breast. I leaned into it, not realizing I needed to be touched. It was shocking and welcoming. My nipples hardened and I tried to let this feeling soak into my pores so I could remember it for the rest of my life.

  “Oh god,” I said against his mouth.

  I felt his smile and he brushed his thumb over the pert bud. I felt his erection jump in his shorts and I knew he was enjoying what he was doing. This seemed too much. I was losing my body to a man that knew what he was doing, while I was a novice just learning the ropes.

  I was battling with knowing what he was doing to me and how my body was being manipulated to respond to even the lightest of his touches, to knowing there’s no way this was even real. He said it wasn’t the little makeover. But before tonight Wrigley had shown little to no interest in doing anything like this. We were supposed to be friends. A friend who wanted advice. A friend who’d text or show up whenever he wanted to. And a friend who he’d clearly grown to rely on being there. Had I become his crutch?

  “Is this a good idea?” I whispered when his mouth traveled down my neck.

  He laced his fingers from one hand with mine and I felt his teeth scrape my earlobe. That made my core clench and a small moan came from my throat. Never in my life had I felt like this. Not even when I was alone in my room learning my own body and trying to figure out what felt good and what sent me over the edge. He was working my body up more than I’d ever was able to.

  “I think,” he started to say as the hand on my breast kneaded it a little firmer. “That when it comes to you, all thinking has been sent out the window. You’re doing something to my head, Hadley. You and that very smart mouth of yours has been driving me insane for the last few months. These lips,” he snaked his tongue out and swiped the tip of it across my lower lip tasting me. “I fucking dream about.” He pulled back and intently stared at me like a viper ready to attack. “And these beautiful, blue eyes of yours are pools that demand honesty and trust. Everything about you has been calling out to me. Your goddamn body and curves have done nothing but tempted me to explore them. Tonight has sent me over the edge. I want you.”

  I watched his mouth as the words were formed but I stopped listening after he’d said he wanted to explore me. My legs were Jell-O and the only thing holding me up was the weight of him against me. My brain was scrambled and swirling with turmoil. I wanted to be closer. I wanted to push him away. I wanted to ask a million questions. I wanted to melt into him and never come up for air. My insides were having a battle of wills. Brain versus heart. I truly couldn’t breathe.

  I wanted him more than I’d wanted anything in my life. He was testing my boundaries and I quickly realized I had none. When I let him walk into my life, he crumpled up the walls I’d set up to protect me from people like him. He’d tossed those walls aside like I’d built them with feathers.

  I tilted my head back, giving him better access to my throat. He nipped and kissed where he’d stung me with sharp teeth. “It’s just, is this too fast? Should we talk about this first?”

  “No,” he stated simply.

  “But what if I want to? I’ve never done this before.”

  He ground his hips upward and brought slight relief to my core, which was pulsating; impatiently waiting to be touched. I moaned.

  “I’m teaching you,” he growled. I could feel him trembling under my hands and I knew he was holding himself back from pushing for more.

  My skin felt like it was on fire. My clothes were making me hot and I wanted nothing more than to have every inch of naked skin against his. It still wouldn’t be enough. I had to keep my senses here. I was losing myself to him. If I didn’t stop this, I would soon forget my own name. This was too risky. This was more than I’d anticipated. I was having a fantasy fulfilled, and I had to stop it.

  I brought my hands up and placed them on his chest. My fingers dug into him, gripping his shirt in my fists. God, this was hard. I never wanted this to end, but I had to. I needed to. I released him and slid past him. He nearly fell forward but caught himself with his hand on the wall.

  I was panting. “I need to go home.”

  His eyes were dark. I could see very little of that beautiful hazel I loved so much. He reached for me and I stepped back. “Hadley, don’t.”

  “Wrigley,” tears started to well up in my eyes. “I don’t know what’s happening. I’m disappearing with your touch and I am scared too much is going to happen.”

  He shook his head. “Stay. Just stay the night with me. Nothing more has to happen. We can talk and we can figure this all out, but please don’t go.”

  A single tear slid down my cheek. I wanted to oblige him. His voice was shaky and desperate. A sound I’d never heard from him before. “I’l
l stay, but I need our distance. My head feels cloudy.” How was I going to text Aurora and tell her I wasn’t coming home without her freaking out thinking more was happening. Didn’t matter. I had bigger fish to fry.

  I conceded, nodding my head. He reached out to wipe my tear away. “It’s okay,” he whispered.

  “I’ll stay.” His shoulders raised and hope sparked in his eyes.

  This was going to be an even longer night than I thought.

  WRIGLEY HAD LED ME to his bedroom and placed a t-shirt and a pair of boxers on his bed before stepping out so I could change. I wanted to get more comfortable, but I didn’t know how that was even possible at this point. While I was completely exhausted, it was more emotional than anything. My body was wired. I’d just done things I’d never thought I’d do with him. Wrigley was always just a fantasy. One I’d let slip through my fingers when I decided it was time to move on. Life was really cruel with its jokes. What he’d done to me in the hallway was incredible. It was amazing. It was life changing. But it screwed with my head.

  Taking a moment to catch my breath, I sat down on the full size bed and took in my surroundings. The room was plain for the most part. White walls, nothing hanging. I was slightly impressed he’d hung dark blue curtains, but it was all there was in the way of decoration. A bedside table was on the left and the bed was pressed against the wall in one corner. Wrigley’s bedding matched the curtains, which I was certain his mother made sure of. A long dresser was on the opposite wall by the door. On top of it were two different bottles of cologne. I got up, pulled the caps off of both and smelled. I liked one more than the other, but I had smelled both on him. Wrigley really didn’t need to wear cologne. He had his own scent that was divine.

  There was a lanyard hanging off the corner of the dresser mirror. I flipped it over and read it. It was to some EDM concert from last month. He and the guys had gone to an outdoor event. He’d invited me, but EDM wasn’t really my thing. Off to the side of the dresser was a baseball glove and a ball. A laundry basket half full of clothes was on the other side. The room seemed pretty normal except for being overly clean for an eighteen-year-old guy.