“Thanks for hanging with us at The Library!” I said at the end of the song. It was a popular campus bar that didn’t get students in trouble when their parents asked where they’d been—and one of the few bars featuring under-twenty-one nights on Saturdays. “We’re taking a short study break.”
There were actually groans of disappointment!
“What the fuck?” Itch hissed when I turned to unstrap my guitar. “We had two more songs planned before our first break.”
“I’m thirsty, anyway.” Fitch stood. Sweat dribbled down his neck.
“Get me some water, will you?” I asked. “I gotta check on Jessica.”
Itch rolled his eyes as background music came on.
I hopped down from the low stage and made a beeline for my girl. Johnny wasn’t far behind me, of course.
“You sound amazing!” She threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek. I felt happy in an instant.
“I knew you’d be a hit,” Dane said. He fist-bumped me.
“Thanks, GD.”
“This is Van.” Jessica pointed to Man Bun. “We’re in the same art class.”
My mood plummeted. I tried not to glare at him as I lifted my chin in greeting.
“You guys swaggin’!” Van hauled a short girl with purple hair to his side. “I was just telling Tara you’re the best campus band we’ve heard.”
She bounced up and down. “Sugar High’s on fleak!”
Elyse laughed, and Josh leaned in to say something to her—maybe about freshmen.
Jessica said, “So Van and Tara are together.”
She caught my eye and smiled. Mystery solved.
Mackenzie stepped closer to me. “That was shit hot, Mateo.”
“Thanks. How are you?” She looked a little tired.
“Eh, not too bad, mate. My parents are coming next week to help with stuff.”
She probably didn’t want to say so, but I surmised her parents would help her deal with the prosecutor’s office. I felt sad that America had made an awful first impression on her.
“I never got to say thank you.” She reached her arms around me, and I hugged her back. Over her shoulder I saw Jessica smile as she blinked quickly.
“Here’s your water.” Fitch thrust a bottle at me after Mackenzie let me go. He and Itch joined the conversation, and soon we were back on stage.
“This song’s for a special girl,” I said. My gaze started at Jessica’s long black boots, floated up her black leggings, and crested to the soft curve of her breasts pressing against her shirt. Her blue eyes popped against her denim top. She ran her hand through her curls as she grinned at me. “It’s called ‘Curl.’”
Itch led with his bass guitar, and Fitch added a slower drumbeat. I hoped taking the speed down a notch wouldn’t upset our fans. Fans? I was getting way ahead of myself. I strummed my guitar and looked into her clear, vibrant eyes.
Curl
The shape of your blond hair
Girl
Your look that strips me bare
Unfurl
Our story, if we both dare
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
You take me high and low
Curl
Up next to your heat
Girl
Caught by your heartbeat
Unfurl
Fists against the sheet
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
You take me high and low
My voice started deep, climbed when I sang “high,” then fell when I sang “low.” Kind of what was happening in my jeans—only there was no falling back down. As Jessica swayed to the beat, her eyes locked on mine. I’d never seen her look at me that way before. Her gaze pulled me closer, scorched me with its heat. Her lips parted, and her chest swelled with each breath. Was she breathing hard for me? I felt breathless for her. Not a good thing when I was the lead singer.
The rest of the set was torture. I had to look away from her during several songs in order to remember the lyrics. But inevitably my eyes would find hers again, and everything around us blurred. After we played our last song, the cheers kept going, even louder than before. More people had shown up during our set, jamming the dance floor and bar.
Johnny approached as I unhooked my guitar from the amps. “We need to get you out of here.”
The bar owner was right behind him. “Awesome, guys. When’re you playing again?”
Itch, Fitch, and I shared a huge grin.
“We’ll be in touch,” said Johnny. He frowned at me as I took my time stowing my guitar in my case. “Let’s go.”
“Not without Jessica.” I straightened and looked for her in the crowd.
He shook his head as he took my elbow. “She’s meeting us by the back exit, horndog.”
Damn, I loved Secret Service. “See ya, Fitch and Itch.”
Johnny hustled me to the rear of the bar, where a backup agent blocked patrons from following us. The students still got plenty of photos with their cell phones. I knew video of my performance was probably already all over the Internet—I hoped I didn’t sound out of tune.
When I reached the door, Karen stood next to Jessica. She handed me a sandwich. “You need this?”
I peeked at my pump and nodded.
“Eat while you wait here,” she ordered. “I’ll get the car.”
After she left, Jessica and I stared at each other. Johnny was probably somewhere behind me, but I wasn’t thinking about him. I focused on the soft blush of her creamy cheeks. My mouth felt dry. “So you’re coming over?”
She licked her lip. “Is that okay?”
“Perfecto.” When I inched closer, she inhaled. Her lip was wet, and I longed to suck it. She blinked at me, her expression intriguing and inciting.
“Vámonos,” said Johnny from behind me.
I placed my hand on the small of her back, and we jogged out into the chilly night air. But I didn’t feel cold.
After I shared the sandwich with Jessica in the backseat—and Karen forced another one on us—Jessica turned to me.
“Your band name’s Sugar High?”
I studied her face. Did she like it? “For now. We almost had a smack-down trying to decide.”
“Really? What else did you consider?”
“Fitch wanted it to be Ritch, for Ramirez, Itch, and Fitch.”
Her head tilted. “Isn’t combining your names kind of lame?”
“That’s what I said! So then I suggested Honey’s Sweet.” She gave me a blank look, and I scowled. But I couldn’t be mad at her for failing to recognize an old-man song. “It’s from ‘Forever in Blue Jeans’ by Neil Diamond.”
“Oh!” She nodded. “I like that.”
“Yeah, but Fitch thought it was too obscure. And from that look you just gave me, he’s right. Then Itch came up with Sugar High.”
“High for Highbanks?”
“Yeah. And at my first rehearsal, I passed out from high blood sugar. They’ll never let me live that down.”
“I remember that.” She looked sad, then brightened. “Plus, Itch is so hyper, it’s like he’s on a sugar high.”
I nudged in. “And you make me high, sugar.”
I felt her grin against my lips as we kissed.
Jessica grabbed my hand when we arrived at the greenhouse, and I followed her like a happy puppy into my bedroom. Once I closed the door, she was on me.
She pinned my shoulders against the door as her mouth smooched all over mine. I tasted turkey from the sandwich and inhaled her soft, alluring scent. My hands slid down to her hips to draw her closer. Her fingertips skated along my collarbone and began to unbutton my black shirt.
I thudded the crown of my head against the door when her lips skimmed down my neck and suckled on my exposed chest. Dios. All the blood drained from my head. I fumbled for the buttons of her shirt. She pushed off of me with a smirk and ripped open the top snap below her collar. Quick tugs on the remaining snap buttons left her denim shirt on the floor, revealing a lacy pink bra and the soft cont
ours of her lean abdomen.
Beautiful. Her milky skin called for me. I unbuckled my belt and tossed it to the side as she unzipped her boots. I nuzzled her neck and breathed in her skin. She smelled sexy and fresh. “Can’t get enough of your perfume.”
“Thanks. Elyse let me borrow it.”
“What’s it called?”
She ran her hands through my hair. “Squeeze, I think.”
“Like this?” I tucked her into me, wrapping her so tight that our bodies suctioned together. I couldn’t get close enough to her. Her skin felt like velvet under my touch.
Her hands pressed into my spine, like she felt the same consuming hunger. “You’re strong,” she murmured.
I felt strong in her arms. Our energy sparked, infusing me with excitement. But when she reached in to unbutton the rest of my shirt, I froze.
“What’s wrong?” She leaned back and searched my eyes.
Chin. I wished I’d had some alone time in the bathroom before she’d started removing my clothes. I swallowed and felt my heart pounding. Just do it. Unbuttoning the shirt, I looked down as I slid it off my shoulders. It pooled at my feet. My naked torso revealed the ugly insulin pump.
Her soft fingers lifted my chin, and I looked into her eyes. But I didn’t see disgust or uncertainty there. She gazed at me with the kindness she’d always shown, and the same hint of desire her eyes had held all evening.
“You’re so fit.” She traced the curve of my pectoral muscle, which was nowhere near as defined as Alejandro’s. “I love your body.”
She did? I studied her, but saw no sign of dishonesty.
I held my breath when her hand trailed down to rest on the tape covering my infusion set. “What do I need to do?”
“I…I’m gonna disconnect the pump.”
“Okay.” She smiled at me.
I turned toward my chest of drawers to prepare an alcohol swab. When she came up behind me, I stilled. Her wet lips pressed kisses down my neck and back, flowing like liquid down my spine. Tingles electrified my arm, and my hand trembled as I removed the infusion set.
Once I’d placed the pump on top of the chest, I spun around and clasped her face, needing her mouth on mine again. In between kisses she unzipped my jeans, which relieved some of the building pressure. But my body jolted when she reached in my boxers and touched me. Pressure’s back.
She grinned when my eyes practically rolled to the back of my head. “Take off my bra?”
I was eager to comply. Soon I had her perky breasts cupped in my hands, her taut nipples pushing into my palms. She tossed her head back as I fondled her soft skin. “Ahhh.”
She tugged down her leggings, and when she stepped out of them, I noticed the curves of her strong calves. My eyes slid up the line of muscle on her long thighs. There were those sculpted legs that gave her great “walls.” Doing all kinds of things to my blue balls.
Standing only in her pink panties, she reached for my jeans, shucked them down my legs, and dispatched them quickly. My boxers tented as I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got great speed.”
“Oh, yeah?” She turned to pull down my covers, then arranged herself on my bed with her arm propped at the elbow. Her blond curls tumbled over one breast. “I’ve got even better endurance.”
Holy Lord. I tried to remember to breathe as I indulged in her gorgeous body. “I’m keeping the sensor in,” I said, pointing to the circle of tape near my hip. “So don’t be too rough with me.”
She laughed and stretched out on the bed like she slept there every night. I wish.
I climbed in next to her, and my hand skimmed up her thigh as she feathered my lips with weightless kisses. When my fingers progressed toward her panties, she deepened her kisses.
“Yes,” she breathed, and I touched her wetness. She gasped, then moaned as my fingertips moved over her. She cheered me on with her words and her body.
And I was about to explode, but I didn’t want to push her too fast.
“You’re ready for this?” I asked her.
Her eyes opened, and she stared at me for a moment. “I’ve done this before.”
My heart seized. She must’ve felt me tense because she said, “No, uh, I didn’t mean with him.”
Dios. We both knew who she was talking about.
“I had a boyfriend in high school. We…um…”
I withdrew my hand from her panties.
“Duncan and I tried…” Her face pinked as she averted her eyes. “Well…”
Just who was this Duncan? What a stupid name.
“What about you?” she asked, looking right at me.
My eyes widened.
“Have you ever been with a girl?”
I squirmed. “So, I told you about Joey, right?”
Her eyes tapered. “I thought you said she was a friend.”
“She was! She is. It’s just…” How could I explain this? “We knew we didn’t feel that way for each other, but we didn’t want it to be awkward the first time with someone we did have feelings for. We just helped each other out, you see.”
She looked unconvinced.
“Joey’s dating a guy at Berklee. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
The tension faded from her eyes. “I better not. ’Cause I’m very possessive of my rock star boyfriend.”
The fierceness in her gaze got me hard again. “And I’m possessive of my swim star girlfriend.” I pressed into her hot mouth, moving against her, trying to relieve some pressure but only making things more intense with the friction of our bodies. Her hands whisked my boxers down my legs, and I returned the favor by peeling down her panties as our tongues collided.
Her mouth skated down the center of my chest, then veered toward my pump. I held my breath, but inhaled when her warm breath hit the area just below the sensor tape. When she kissed my skin, I shivered.
I lunged for a condom in the drawer of my bedside table, and Jessica tried to help me slide it on. We were both so excited that it took several attempts—and countless laughs—before we got it right. Despite our earlier confessions, it was obvious we were both inexperienced. But as soon as I entered her, our bodies knew what to do.
We rocked together, and I couldn’t believe how good she felt. Her roving hands and soft moans told me she was into it as well. I let her lead, and that was fine by me. Ecstasy. It wasn’t long before the heat deep in my belly detonated as I came. It was even more mind-blowing when her legs squeezed around me a second before her entire body shuddered. Her eyes closed, and her breaths came fast and short. I could feel our hearts racing together.
I held her as our synchronized breaths began to slow. She opened her eyes, gazing up at me with a look that zinged straight to my heart. A look that felt like love. “How do you say wow in Spanish?”
I smirked. “How ’bout increíble?”
“That’ll do.” Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright.
I drank her in. “I didn’t think I could get higher.”
“What?”
“Earlier tonight, at The Library—they actually liked the songs I wrote. They danced. They cheered. It was the best feeling. I never thought I’d feel as amazing as I did in that moment. But then…”
Her mouth curled into a grin. “Are you saying I’m a better high?”
“The best.” I kissed her smile. Eventually I let her go to take care of the used condom, and when I returned to the bed, my fatigue hit me.
Her eyelids drooped as well. She accepted me back into her arms. “This means a lot to me, tonight. Thanks for swimming in my lane.”
I considered what she was saying. Had it helped her to make love after what she’d been through? I aimed for a light response. “Thanks for not letting me drown.”
“Siempre.” She kissed my collarbone.
I felt like I would drown if I ever lost her. I hoped we could stay together no matter what lay ahead. It meant so much for me to be there for her, to help her. Just like she was there for me.
I looked into h
er eyes. “Everyone plays guitar alone, but we can play side by side.”
She gazed at me for a long minute, then swallowed. “I like that.” She closed her eyes and snuggled into me.
A few minutes later, I ignored a soft rattle at the door. But when it happened two more times, I groaned.
Her eyes flew open. “Johnny’s not coming in here?”
“No.” I sighed. “Brat Cat wants in.”
“Awww. Let him in.”
I rolled my eyes but got up. A leering whistle sounded behind me, and I turned to see her ogling my butt.
“Sugar, you are one sexy muffin,” she cooed.
I smirked on my way to the door. Escuincle bolted in once I opened it a crack. He skidded to a stop as he stared up at the mattress. “He’s not used to seeing you in my bed.” When she raised the sheet and exposed her luscious, long legs, my breath hitched. But I could get used to seeing you in my bed. Real fast.
“C’mon, Squinky.” She thumped the mattress.
Soundlessly he leaped, then circled a few times before curling up by her belly button. Her light giggles lifted my spirits. “His fur tickles.”
I turned off the light. “I’ll show you tickles.” I barreled back into bed, and she squeaked and snickered as I tickled the hell out of her. She retaliated to my apparently sensitive bottom and had me laughing as well. Escuincle darted out from the sheet to the end of the bed, glaring at us until we settled down.
“He disapproves of our tickle fight,” I said.
She traced my jaw with the faintest of touches. “He’ll get over it.”
We faced each other with our heads on the pillows, our legs tangling under the sheet below. I pulled the blanket over us and stared into her eyes.
I was almost asleep when Jessica started in my arms. “Your fump,” she said. “You need to reconnect it, right?”
Her eyes glittered in the darkness, and I had trouble getting a breath. This girl…it was like God made her for me. I gave her a peck on the lips then left the warmth of our cocoon to take care of things.
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