I Take It Back

by Liza James

  I pulled up my messages to find several new ones from Sav.

  Sav: GET IT GIRLFRIEND.

  Sav: I hope you ride the shit out of that cock, Em! FUCKING HAVE FUN!

  Sav: But wait, be safe and use a condom. You know what that is, right?

  Sav: Okay okay, I’m just kidding. But seriously ... be safe dude.

  Sav: Alright, well, because you haven’t responded to anything I’ve texted, I’m going to assume that you’ve passed out from the countless orgasms Tyler just gave you. YOLO. So, Logan and I are heading back to the dorm. Text me when you wake up because I want all the deets.

  Fuck. Me. Now.

  I was stuck here. It was well past midnight and when I quickly checked the Uber app, I couldn’t find any available drivers.

  I rolled onto my back and brought my arm over my face, resting over my eyes and letting out a tired sigh. I guess I could crash here with Tyler for one night, right?

  At that moment, Tyler walked back into the room and headed toward his dresser.

  “You staying? You can sleep in one of my t-shirts if you want? It’ll be way more comfortable than that dress, as sexy as it is.” He smiled.

  I nodded in agreement and decided this would probably be my best option. He threw me a navy blue t-shirt and a pair of boxers, so I picked it up and climbed off the bed, heading to the bathroom. Even though Tyler and I had shared such intimacy just moments ago, I wanted to change in privacy.

  As I walked toward the bathroom, his voice cut through the air. “You’re going to change in the bathroom? I literally just fingered your pussy and you don’t want me to see you change?” His words made me cringe as those warning bells sounded off in my head again.

  “Ha-ha. I know it’s weird, but take your eyes elsewhere, lover boy. You don’t get to see all of this just yet,” I said, motioning up and down my body. I had always defaulted to awkward jokes when I was uncomfortable in order to avoid confrontation. But it worked, and he laughed as he turned around to face away from the bathroom.

  When I came back into the room, Tyler was already under the covers, his eyes closed and his head resting on his pillow. I couldn’t tell if he was actually asleep yet, but I took this opportunity to quietly climb in beside him and faced the opposite direction, willing myself to fall asleep as quickly as possible.

  My mind kept replaying tonight’s events over and over on a loop, torturing me while I tried to convince myself that I actually had fun tonight. But if I was being honest, my failed bone zone attempt has pretty much ruined my entire week. My only comfort was knowing that this was a one-night stand, a casual hookup, and one that definitely wouldn’t be revisited.

  I closed my eyes and tried my hardest to force my mind to relax so that I could fall asleep and get out of here before Tyler woke up in the morning.

  Chapter 11

  It had been three long hours. I repeat, three damn hours since I had climbed into Tyler’s bed and attempted to fall asleep next to him. I knew he was solidly passed out because of his loud, vibration-inducing snoring next to my head. Which was driving me insane. I was a sound machine kind of a girl, I liked to know and control exactly what I was listening to while I slept.

  But this uncontrollable, gravelly sound he was making as the air pulled into his throat? I couldn’t do anything to stop it. Not my kind of a night for a good sleep. Not to mention the fact that my head was throbbing and my stomach was practically screaming at me for some food. I was surprised that alone hadn’t woken Tyler up yet.

  Another downside to staying the night with someone after a hookup? Your mind was left to wander, torturously circling back through the events leading up to this drunken mishap. And that was exactly what my mind was doing. Staring at the dress I had chosen to wear tonight, I felt like it held a sort of symbolic resemblance to how my night went. It started out with countless, careless shots, and led to meeting a seriously sexy guy who was actually nice and seemed genuine. Which was incredibly hard to find in college, especially at frat house parties.

  Talk about a magical unicorn.

  Then my awkward run in with Cade that left me stumbling away breathless and desperately searching for some kind of distraction.

  Cue Tyler and his soft, warm lips. I cozied up to him like it was going out of style and now my mind was reeling with the thought that I ran away from Cade and directly into someone else’s arms.

  Was that normal? Why would I go searching for another guy in place of him? Cade meant nothing to me, not a damn thing. It wasn’t like I even liked the guy, let alone was friends with him. Oh, and those electrifying urges that surged through my body, igniting my skin when he was around?

  That was just the buzz of the alcohol. Definitely.

  In the end, I succumbed to the hunger and very slowly climbed out of Tyler’s bed to sneak downstairs. Careful not to wake anyone in the house, I moved on my tiptoes in hopes to keep my steps quiet.

  I came to the kitchen and made my way toward the fridge, opening it up. I was ready to stuff my face with the first edible thing I saw. But I should have known, this frat boy fridge was exactly that ... a frat boys’ fridge, full of nutritious necessities.

  As in, beer. Lots and lots of beer.

  But as I glanced through the cluttered shelves, I caught sight of a pizza box that was shoved carelessly behind a thirty-rack.

  Please let there be pizza left.

  As I peeked inside the box, I was greeted with two single slices left over.

  Thank god.

  I closed the fridge door after I pulled out the cheesy goodness and leaned my elbows on the counter while I ate in quiet peace.

  “Well, isn’t that a sight to see, Bambi.”

  I jumped up at that voice, bumping my head against cupboards above.

  “What the fuck, Cade? You scared the shit out of me! Why do you always sneak up on me like that?” I said in a harsh whisper, trying to keep quiet. Cade let out a deep, low laugh at my expense.

  “I don’t mean to, you know. You’re just easy to scare and you don’t pay attention to your surroundings. I was already down here when you practically galloped down the stairs.” His voice was smug as he leaned up against the wall that lead into the staircase.

  Oh Jesus, here we go.

  I rolled my eyes and continued eating my pizza, hoping that ignoring him would make him go away.

  “Tyler that shitty in bed, huh? You had to sneak away before morning?” A pang of guilt hit me and for a split second. I wondered how he knew? But then I realized he didn’t, and he was just making a stupid joke once again.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but he was ah-mazing in bed,” I stated—extra enthusiastically—pulling the second piece of pizza out of the box.

  “Ha, I’ll take that as a yes, he was total shit. That’s unfortunate. You should have ditched him when I told you.” He stepped closer to the counter, leaned on it and reached over to pull the cheesy slice from my hand.

  “Hey! I was eating that!” I said, standing on my tiptoes to reach over and grab it back. Instead, his hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me closer to him. The counter separated us but that didn’t stop the feeling that enveloped my wrist at his touch. My breath hitched in my throat at the contact, and I glanced down to where we joined briefly before meeting Cade’s eyes again.

  “Ask me again. Nicely this time,” he whispered roughly.

  He stared straight into my eyes and focused his steady gaze. The instant flood of heat was back and beginning to build in the pit of my stomach. It slowly spread outward and left goose bumps rising across my skin.

  “Keep it,” I said quietly as I pulled my wrist out of his grasp.

  Before I knew it, he had walked around the counter and was standing in the kitchen with me. Only inches left between us.

  “Why are you wearing that?” His voice was low, a husky breath above a whisper. His eyes trailed down my body, over Tyler’s baggy shirt and boxers.

  “Are you serious? Because I crashed in his room and
didn’t have anything else to wear to bed. Would you rather me sleep naked?” I asked, but quickly realized how that last comment could be taken in several different ways.

  “That depends, would you be sleeping with Tyler? Or with me?” He shifted so that his arms were on either side of me, resting on the counter behind me and holding me in place. His face was leaning closer to mine and I could feel his hot breath dance across my jaw.

  My head was starting to go fuzzy, but I assured myself it was because of the massive headache and hangover I was feeling from last night.

  “I don’t understand you,” I whispered, searching his eyes for some kind of answer, some kind of indication as to who he really was.

  After a beat of silence, he leaned backward and I was frustrated at how I instantly missed him being closer. “Let’s go for a swim,” he said as he reached forward and took my hand in his.

  Chapter 12

  He was crazy.

  “What? No! It’s three AM, Cade. I’m not jumping in the pool right now.” Uncontrollably, my voice rose to a higher pitch as fear shot through me.

  But I realized I didn’t really have a choice in the matter as he pulled me to the back of the house and toward the French doors that lead out to the patio.

  “Cade, come on. I can’t go swimming, I have nothing to wear!” I explained, grasping for the last argument I could make that may hold any sort of merit.

  Stepping outside, the chilly air felt like a brick wall slapping against my skin at three AM. The logical part of my mind was telling me I should go back inside and that getting into a pool at this hour with this guy was a dangerous idea. But every inch of my body was screaming the opposite.

  The back patio and pool area was stunning. I had no idea Theta Chi even had a swimming pool, but the strings of light that ran above us kept the area bright enough and at a comfortable, intimate level. There was a jacuzzi on one end, smaller than the lap pool but definitely luxurious. There was even a fountain in the center of the pool. It was small, but added a certain appeal that, mixed with the underwater lights, tempted my warm body to release all caution and dive in.

  “Take off Tyler’s clothes and just swim in your bra and panties. It’s just like a bathing suit, Bambi. And it’s heated, so you’ve got nothing to lose. Well, actually, you have a little to lose.” He winked, already removing his shirt and taking off the sweatpants that clung dangerously low on his hips.

  I told myself not to watch, I really did. But damn, as his heavy arms lifted and gripped the back of his shirt? I couldn’t look away. He pulled it up and over his tight, broad shoulders and dropped it on the ground next to his feet. His back was even better than I remembered it from the other night as he gave me an entire view of the wide expanse. His long, corded muscles were that of a fighter, ones he had worked and earned after countless hours dedicated to his craft and in the gym. They spanned out from his spine, dipping and raising around his shoulder blades which sported a black, tribal-style tattoo. It started on the upper right side, twisting up and over his shoulder before making its way down his bicep. He was in a pair of tight, black boxer briefs that clung to him in all of the right places.

  I quickly glanced behind me, thinking I heard a loud pounding noise behind us. But no, I realized it was actually my own heart thundering inside of my chest, throbbing in between my ears.

  “No, no fucking way.” I crossed my arms over my chest and mentally forced myself stay put. Cade turned and was walking backward toward the pool, his arms outstretched in front of him, urging me to join him.

  And that was when I really knew I was in trouble. The lights above us shined down on him, highlighting his body and throwing shadows across his skin.

  If I thought his back was sexy? His chest and stomach were off the charts. He had to have absolutely no body fat. His skin was stretched tight over lean muscles made of steel that showcased his perfect six-pack and taught muscles spanned across his sides. His pecs were defined and broad in ways I hadn’t even realized were possible. Tyler didn’t hold a candle to him. In fact, no one held a candle to him. But deep down I knew it wasn’t fair to compare anyone else to him. I was simply trying to distract myself from the possibility that this guy could be any different from any of the other guys before now.

  He was just like the others. Nothing special.

  Just fine.

  “Alright, leave the shirt on, but take off those hideous boxers. You’re lucky I’m even allowing you to keep his shirt on. I should burn that thing,” he said just before he jumped in the pool, sporting a cannon ball and splashing warm water all over me. “See? The hard already part’s done. I thought you wanted to ‘let loose and have fun?’ Now get in here, Bambi.” He was at the edge now, holding out his hand for me to take and mercilessly using my own words against me.

  He was right though, I did want to have fun tonight. Which I definitely ruined after my awkward casual hookup with Tyler. Maybe getting in this swimming pool at three AM with Cade-freaking-Davenport, wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world? Savannah would freak out, in the best possible way, when I told her.

  I rolled my eyes and groaned when I finally muttered, “Okay.”

  Leaning forward, I quickly shimmied out of Tyler’s boxers and kicked them off to the side. Straightening up, I was thankful that shirt was long enough to still hit me about mid-thigh. I stepped forward and ignored Cade’s hand, jumping in on my own volition and sinking to the bottom in order to completely submerge my hair. I shot back up and swept my hair off to one side while catching my breath.

  Cade was already standing directly in front of me, a grin stretched wide across his face as he instantly picked me up in his strong arms and threw me a foot or so in the water.

  “What the heck! You’re going to wake everyone up!” I loudly whispered as I splashed into the pool. I tried to hold my laughter back in my lungs.

  “Let them wake up, I hope they do and find us here actually having fun,” he mocked as he moved to come near me again. But this time I turned and swam away from him, nearly escaping his hands as they reached for me.

  “Oh, hell no, you aren’t getting away that easy, Bambi.” He lunged forward.

  Just when I thought I had out swam him, his arms came crashing down around me, pulling me backward and against his chest.

  I was breathing heavily when I turned my head up to look up at him and was met with his clear, blue eyes staring intently back at me. His hands dropped from my shoulders and slid around my waist, moving lower and resting possessively on my hips. The simmering burn underneath my skin was rising to the surface under his touch.

  My breathing changed and I knew he was sensing it, because he gently pulled my hips tighter against him, allowing me to feel the outline of his thick, hard cock against my lower back. A shiver shot up my spine at the contact, and my heart began racing in my chest. Before I let myself over think things, I turned around to face him and let one of my hands rest on his bare chest. Immediately, I noticed his tattoos again. The tribal one from his back was beautiful and masculine in its thick, black lines that curled and twisted around his bicep and across part of his chest. He also had a tattoo on his forearm, a black and white landscape of incredibly tall trees and thick forage.

  He noticed my rapid pulse—because I swear it was practically audible—and one of his hands left my hip to drag upward. He grazed across my stomach, the side of my breasts, across my collarbone before he gently gripped my chin. He tilted it higher so that I could look into his eyes.

  “Who else do you call Bambi?” I asked before I could stop the words from leaving my mouth.

  A sweet smile crept across his face when he answered, “No one,” as if it was a matter of fact and I actually found myself believing him. Even though he had countless different ladies dripping all over him constantly, I somehow knew that the term Bambi was holding a special place, only for me.

  An unmistakable but quiet surge of happiness pulled through my chest, and I pressed myself against him tightly in
response. The feeling of his hot, wet chest against my cold, soaking wet t-shirt and bra was causing a clenching deep in the pit of my stomach. A desire to run my hands all across his body was clouding my vision.

  “Why? What does that even mean?” I needed to know more, and I couldn’t even explain why. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t control the things I was saying to him, the things I was feeling as he touched me. It was strange and unfamiliar. Each of the few times I had been around Cade, it seemed like he was awakening a new, powerful feeling inside of me.

  There was a slow, burning fire moving down my spine and settling in places I didn’t realize I was missing before. There was a primal, instinctual need growing inside of me that felt so incredibly natural to this moment.

  “It means innocence, at least to me. When I look at you, I see something pure, something innocent. Beautiful.” His words touched and reached into places inside of me that had been so dark for so long. But as much as I would like to believe the things he was saying, I knew they weren’t true. I was the farthest thing from innocent. After the accident all those years ago, I was changed. I had made mistakes I wish I could take back, I had regrets, and I wished I could change my past for a million different reasons.

  Wait, oh god, did he think I was a virgin? Was that what this ‘Bambi’ thing was about?

  “Uh, wait. Do you think I’m a virgin or something? Because damn, you’re going to be disappointed. I’m definitely not, and—”

  Count on me to ruin the mood.

  “Oh my god, shut up. I didn’t think you were a virgin,” he said, laughter causing his shoulders to shake and his abs to flex. Not that I was noticing or anything, but I’d be lying if I said the thought to run my fingers across his stomach hadn’t crossed my mind.

  Suddenly, he took the beat of silence as an opportunity to lean down and bring his lips to mine. Immediately, our kiss was leagues different than what I had shared with Tyler earlier. With Cade it was fueled by something much larger than a casual hookup. I could feel the blaze under my skin rising to the surface as his mouth began taking control over our kiss and I became eager to catch up. My breathing was sporadic and uncontrolled as his hands slid down my waist and over my backside, gripping and sending bolts of pleasure ripping through my body.