Flirt: A Carlton University Novella

by Natalie Rios

“You’re fantastic on a man’s ego, you know that?”

  I blush, embarrassed because my comment had sounded a little rude. What I’m thinking now, that he sounds jealous of Theo, is even ruder though. “It doesn’t matter if he’s the starter. You’re still a football player at a D-I school.” He’s also the hottest guy on campus, much better looking than Theo the pale vampire. I keep that thought to myself though. “You don’t need to use an app like Flirt.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” he points out.

  “And neither did you,” I counter.

  “Fine. I do it for the thrill. Your turn.”

  Nope, nope! Not doing this. “I’m not going to answer. So unless you want to go through with the meet-up...”

  “Be serious, V.” And, oh, his tone. As if the mere idea disgusts him. Ouch. Though I guess it’s only fair I feel the sting after being a little rude to him first.

  “Right. Then there’s nothing more to discuss. We’re done here.” I reach to open the passenger door, but he reaches it first, forcing it to stay shut.

  “Wrong. You need to promise me you’ll stop using Flirt.”

  “Are you going to stop using it?” His silence and hooded expression tell me more than words ever could. “Okay, then. Like I said, we’re done here.”

  “Veronica...Flirt isn’t for girls like you-”

  That phrase again. “You’re not my father,” I snap. “You’re not my brother and you’re definitely not my boyfriend. Mind your business and let me out of this car.”

  This time when I reach for the door, he doesn’t try to stop me.

  Chapter Three

  Cameron

  I can’t stop thinking about her.

  It’s been two weeks since the Flirt meet-up fiasco and I’ve thought about Veronica Sanders every single day. I still can’t wrap my head around the fact she’s using Flirt in the first place. And the shit that’s on her questionnaire? Fuck. I will never be able to look at her the same way ever again.

  Look, it’s not that Veronica isn’t attractive. Quite the opposite, in fact. She’s like a sexy librarian. Petite, glossy brown hair tied back in a high ponytail, usually wearing these button down cardigans. All that’s missing to complete the conservative look is a strand of pearls.

  And then she’s got these warm, whiskey-colored eyes. Eyes a man can easily drown in.

  So, yeah, Veronica’s hot. In a quiet, conservative, classy kind of way.

  But the stuff she wrote in her questionnaire? Fucking hell. She wasn’t kidding when she said she had arrived prepared to give me a blowjob. She listed giving a blowjob as the number one thing she wanted to do on the first meet-up. Number two on her list? Having sex in the school library.

  So to recap: Veronica is hot, in a sexy librarian kind of way. And she wanted to have sex in the school library. And she kept using provocative words like dick and fuck and blowjob. Sitting in my car with her had been one of the most uncomfortable moments of my life because I was hard as a rock and had half a mind to take her right there. Right in the backseat of my car.

  Absolutely dangerous thoughts considering this is my baby sister’s best friend we’re talking about.

  But Veronica’s not a kid. And it’s not like Lia and I grew up with her or anything. Lia met her during orientation week their freshman year. I’ve wanted her from the moment we were introduced. Only problem was, she was dating some douche named Daniel at the time. I don’t poach women in relationships. She seemed happy and Daniel seemed like an okay guy. So I backed off.

  A year later, Daniel and Veronica broke up. I would have gone for it then, but Lia told me Veronica had been devastated by the break up. It was bad, Lia had said, messy in the worst possible way. And V was wrecked. So being a gentleman, I stayed away. Gave her the time and space she needed. Waited until she was ready.

  And apparently, I waited too long, considering she’s hooking up with random guys.

  To clarify, I’m not angry with her for the last bit. I mean, hey, I was about to do the same thing. I’m angry with myself for letting it come to this, the two of us turning to strangers instead of each other.

  I don’t know why she’s on Flirt, but I haven’t been able to connect with another girl since I met V. Being in a relationship just doesn’t feel right when I know I have feelings for someone else. At least with these Flirt hook ups, they know it’s temporary going into it.

  And Veronica’s on there, settling for temporary. Just like I am.

  Yup, I’m still kicking myself for it.

  The facts are these: Flirt says we’re a match. I’ve wanted her for a while now. But she’s my little sister’s best friend and possibly still vulnerable from her break up with the douche.

  As you can see, there’s been a lot of internal struggle these past couple of weeks.

  Which is how I ended up here. Parked outside of their apartment on a Friday night, debating whether or not I should ring the doorbell.

  I know Lia isn’t home. She texted me an hour ago saying she was on her way to a party at my frat house. Their other roommate, Allie, had been heading out the door when I pulled up. Which leaves Veronica Sanders home alone on a Friday night.

  I could change that. Step out of my car, ring the doorbell, talk to her. To say what, I have no idea. But the alternative, remaining in the car and possibly getting caught by Allie or my sister, makes me look like a stalker. Plus, I waited a whole year for this: an opening with a less vulnerable Veronica. What are the odds of this opportunity ever coming my way again?

  Propelled by that thought, I march to their apartment door and ring the bell.

  “Be right there!” Veronica calls out from inside and just the sound of her voice has my heart thudding hard against my chest. Opening the door, she lets out a surprised “Oh!”

  “Hi.” I flash her my most charming smile, but unlike most other girls, Veronica instantly averts her eyes. I hate it when she does that. Is because I make her nervous? Scared? I can’t think of a single thing I’ve done to make her feel uncomfortable around me. “Can I come in?”

  A bright pinkish color spreads across her cheeks. Still not meeting my gaze, she steps aside. “Um, sure. But Lia’s not here. She’s at the Kappa party tonight.”

  “I know. She told me.” Making my way into their living room, I make myself at home on their couch, listening as V fumbles with the front door. She’s really nervous tonight, more so than she usually is around me. Maybe she’s still embarrassed by the whole Flirt thing.

  “You just missed Allie.” She walks in and takes a seat on the futon directly across from me. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she tucks her chin into her knees, effectively hiding the bottom half of her face.

  “I’m not here for Allie.” Her face scrunches as she tries to figure out what I’m doing here.

  “Oh.”

  “So you’re not going out tonight?” The question is more of rhetorical one. She’s currently rocking a black Carlton sweatshirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. Not exactly a Friday Night Out kind of outfit, but still something completely new to me. I’ve never seen her without a cardigan on. I honestly wasn’t even sure she owned anything else.

  Lifting her head up, she narrows her eyes at me. “Not unless there’s a pajama party somewhere on campus. What are you doing here, Cam?”

  The million-dollar question.

  Fuck it. I’m tired of waiting. I want Veronica, even more so now than a month ago. And I’m going to take this Flirt thing as a sign from above that it’s time for me to make my move.

  “I notice you’re still on Flirt-” I begin.

  “Not this again.” Rolling her eyes, she tucks her legs underneath her. Well, at least now I have a full view of her beautiful face. “Look, we need to just pretend it didn’t happen-”

  “But it did happen,” I cut her off. “And since you haven’t deleted your profile, I know you’re still on the app.”

  The ruddy cheeks are back, though her lips are flattened into an unamused strai
ght line. “That’s none of your concern.”

  “As your...friend, it is my concern. You seem determined to have random sex. Doing so with strangers isn’t safe. So why not me?”

  Her brows furrow together. “I’m sorry? I don’t follow. Why not you...what, exactly?”

  “Why not have random sex with me?” I try not to let her astonished expression deter me. “Flirt thinks we’re a good match, sexually speaking. And I have to admit, I was completely game for your planned meet-up. A blowjob followed by library sex? Fuck, yeah. So why not explore this-”

  “Wait, wait, wait!” Launching out of her seat, Veronica begins to pace. “Did I miss something? Just a few weeks ago, you thought the idea of the two of us hooking up was completely laughable.”

  Huh? Did I miss something? I mentally replay the last couple of weeks in my head, but I haven’t even seen Veronica since the failed Flirt meet-up. I seriously have no clue what she’s talking about.

  “I never said-”

  “You said girls like me shouldn’t be on apps like Flirt. And now suddenly you think it’s a good idea for us to have sex?”

  Getting up, I snag her arm the next time she walks by me. “V. Let’s get a few things straight. I never said the idea of us hooking up is laughable.”

  She snorts. “It was implied.”

  “Am I laughing, Veronica?” I demand, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her to look up at me. Keeping my voice low and serious, I ask her again, “Does it look like I’m laughing?”

  “No...”

  “Good. On to point number two then.” Letting go of her shoulders, I wrap strands of her hair around my hand. Veronica has beautiful hair. Long, straight and a glossy shade of chestnut. And now I know it’s soft, too. Tugging on it a bit, I wait for those gorgeous whiskey eyes to focus on me. They’re wary, but not skittish. I consider that an improvement. “I stand by what I said. Hooking up with strange men you don’t know is dangerous. But I’m not a stranger. You’ve known me for years.”

  “Okay, but I still don’t get it. What’s changed?” Shoving her way out of my hold, she takes a step back. “I thought you said I’m not that kind of girl.”

  I study her for a moment, the way she’s nibbling on her lower lip. She’s avoiding my gaze again, eyes rapidly darting to and away from mine. But this time, I notice the wonder and excitement in her eyes every time they happen to clash with mine.

  Huh.

  I assumed she was flustered because she was embarrassed I caught her using Flirt. But what if she’s not embarrassed? What if she’s intrigued, but doesn’t know what to do about it? What if underneath the conservative clothes and the shy attitude there’s a vixen trying to claw her way out?

  I took a huge chance by coming out here tonight, but what if I needed to take an even bigger chance?

  In for a penny, in for a pound.

  I reach for my belt buckle, grinning at her gasp. With the belt out of the way, I unzip my jeans.

  “Wha-what are you doing?” Her eyes, wide as saucers, aren’t darting away now. Nope. I’m pretty confident they’re locked on my cock, but just in case...My grin widens along with her eyes. Yeah, she’s definitely watching me stroke myself against my boxers.

  Stepping out of my jeans, I rest a hand on my hip. Tease her a bit by toying with the waistband of my boxers. “I should know better than to judge a book by its cover.” With that, I drop my shorts. “Why don’t you come over here and show me exactly what type of girl you are?”

  Chapter Four

  Veronica

  I must be dreaming. After Allie left for work, I must have dozed off on the couch. Fallen dead asleep. And considering I’d been thinking about Cam all day (actually, every second of every day since our failed meet-up), he had subconsciously made his way into my dreams.

  Really, it’s the only rational explanation I can come up with for the image in front of me.

  Cameron Schmidt, who’s a perfect ten on the Richter scale, naked from the waist down. In my living room.

  And, unless I’m completely misreading the situation, he’s inviting me to suck his cock.

  But nope, this is not a dream. It’s actually happening. Cam is here, half naked. And he wants me.

  The way I see it, a challenge had been issued and I can answer it in one of two ways. I can blush and stutter out a refusal, march back into my room and be the girl everyone thinks I am. Or I can go over there and put his dick in my mouth. Be the girl I’ve always wanted to be: sexy, confident, and bold.

  No matter which option I go with, things are bound to be awkward after. But only one option gets me a night with Cameron Schmidt. And let’s face it, this is an opportunity that may never come around my way again.

  So I try my best to still my thudding heart as I slowly make my way to Cam. His face remains expressionless until I lower myself onto my knees. “Holy shit!”

  The words are whispered in awe and I don’t stop the smug smile that spreads across my face. Tilting my head back, I look up into his shocked eyes. He’d doubted me. Doubted I would even go this far. “You don’t know me, Cam.” And then I slide my tongue over the head of his cock.

  “Fuck...” The word escapes his lips on a hiss and I can tell he’s fighting the urge to close his eyes. To just throw his head back and enjoy. But his eyes pinpoint mine like a laser, watching my head tilt back. Watching as I tease him with small licks and bites along his shaft.

  His hands fist into my hair and give it a little tug. For encouragement, I realize. He likes this. Emboldened, I run the flat of my tongue up and down his shaft, pausing only to lightly suck the tip.

  “Veronica...”

  “Hmm?” The sound comes out as more of a hum and Cam groans, as if he enjoyed the vibrations made by the sound.

  “Suck it. Prove to me that you want this,” he demands.

  I smile up at him before taking him deep into my throat. His reaction is immediate and enthusiastic. “Fuck yes!” His hands weave through my hair and I give another little hum before pulling back to swirl my tongue over the tip. Bobbing my head up and down, I take as much of him as I can. All the while, Cam is totally into it. Moaning and grunting his enjoyment. Until...until I cup his balls.

  He yanks me up then, plastering me against his torso. “That’s enough of that.”

  “But I wasn’t even finished,” I pout.

  “You want me to come in your mouth? Have my juices spilling out of these?” He lightly traces his thumb over my lips and my body gives an involuntary shudder.

  “I seem to recall that being on the meet-up agenda.” The reminder of how this all started is a total wake up call.

  I just had this guy’s dick in my mouth. For whatever reason, he stopped it. And now we’re standing here, arguing about whether or not he should have finished.

  It’s official: I’m never going to be able to look Cam in the eye again.

  “Don’t do that.” His words are an order, one that draws my eyes to his again in question. “Don’t turn shy now. You were hot as fuck five seconds ago. A sexy siren. We’re not going back to you blushing and trying your best not to look me in the eye.” Fuck, he noticed that? “Especially now that I know what you’re really like under your conservative mask.”

  I guess he’s right. I’ve already revealed to him that I’m a closeted freak. But I can’t help feeling a little bit ashamed. You would think being single for the last year would have helped me become more comfortable with my sexuality, but it hasn’t. I still feel guilty and dirty about some of the thoughts I have.

  I can’t deny Cam is reacting a million times better than Daniel ever did to my sexual advances. But still, I hesitate. Because even though he seemed to be enjoying himself, he still stopped us.

  “But...” I nibble on my lip. The answer could potentially be embarrassing, but there is no way for me to know without asking. “Why did you stop?”

  “Are you asking me or the floor?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You.”

 
; “Then look at me.” Another command. Who knew Cam could be so bossy? Though secretly, I like it. I like a man who knows how to take charge. Something about the authority and confidence in his voice was just so damn sexy to me.

  “I stopped,” he continues when I finally meet his gaze, “because I didn’t drive out here tonight to come in your mouth.”

  “You didn’t?” There’s a note of dismay in my voice that has the corners of his lips quirking.

  “No. The library’s closed for the night so your meet-up fantasy is going to have to wait for another day.”

  “Oh,” is my lame response. “So you came out here to...talk?”

  His smile turns positively devilish. “Whipping my dick out isn’t exactly conducive to talking.”

  “Right,” I squeak and I want to look at the floor again. Burn a fucking hole through it to avoid this entire awkward conversation and make it easier for me to deal with my budding shame.

  I did this. I pushed too far and now Cam doesn’t want to continue. My cheeks grow warmer with each passing second and I wonder how long I can ignore him before he just leaves.

  But by now I’ve figured out if I look away, he’s only going to order me to look at him again. And he’ll wait for me to do it too, dragging this entire conversation out even longer than necessary. So I brace myself and keep my eyes on his.

  He rewards my bravery with a soft caress along my jawbone. “Good girl. I didn’t come in your mouth because I’m going to come in your pussy.” My mouth gapes open with a gasp, but he doesn’t give me much time to process his words. “Now, tell me how long it will be until your roommates get home so I know what I’m working with. I’ve got plans for you, Veronica Sanders.”

  Chapter Five

  Cameron

  I think I’ve figured it out.

  Veronica is either embarrassed or ashamed of her sexuality. When she was on her knees, sucking my cock, she was into it. I know she was. There was an undeniable enthusiasm in her every lick and suck. She had no trouble making eye contact with me then, during such an intimate moment. If I hadn’t stopped her, she would have let me finish in her mouth.