by Heather Long
“Sold,” Archie murmured, then gave me a kiss before he scooted out of the booth with the folder in one hand and his phone in the other. “Gonna go call him now.”
And he was off.
I stared after him a beat, and Ian chuckled as he trailed his hand up to wrap around my nape. “He’ll be fine, Angel. He just has to make sure everything is good enough for you.”
He really did try to fix everything. “You know, I haven’t even finished reading everything in that folder.”
“It’s all fine,” Coop told me. “Before the day is over, Archie will know all the nitty gritty and everything in the small print.”
But that really should be me doing that. Still, it was hard to tell them no. At Ian’s gentle urging, I turned and met his kiss. The slow massage of his lips against mine and the teasing of his tongue had me sighing, and the tension melted away.
Course, I could just let them fry all my brain cells, too.
He lifted his head and smiled at me.
“You two are adorable,” Jake snarked, then threw a napkin. “Stop hogging her.”
“Not my fault you called shotgun for her,” Ian teased without looking away from me.
I rolled my eyes and he gave my nape a squeeze as I turned back to my pizza, but he curled his arm around my shoulders and it was just nice to be cuddled. Seriously, I loved the girlfriend perks. Across the table, Coop wore a grin as he watched me and I crossed my eyes at him, which only made him laugh.
“So enough about me…” I began.
“Not possible,” Jake said with a wink. “But do continue.”
Okay, warmth spread through me, even if he was just teasing. “Anyway,” I said through a laugh. “How are your days going?”
“Meh,” Jake said.
“Not bad,” Coop grunted. “But…I always thought senioritis was a myth.”
“No myth,” Ian agreed as he took a sip of soda. “I keep thinking of all the things I could be doing if I weren’t here.”
“Yep,” Jake agreed, and I stared at all three of them.
“Really?” I turned that over in my head. I mean, I did miss having them around all the time. I’d gotten very used to having them just right there. But I still got to see them in classes.
“I love you, Baby Girl, but yes, really. Not all of us are as enamored of the academic process.”
“Or being away from you,” Archie tacked on as he slid back in next to me. He offered me the folder back. “Grandpa is going to check the program, but he has heard of it. He’ll call back with the details and let me know if he has any concerns.”
“Feel better?”
“Yes,” he said. “Thank you.”
Lunch passed almost too swiftly after that, and we were back at school. But at least it was study hall. Jake dragged me to the farthest corner of the library, where a table had been set up in a little nook between shelves as far from the librarians and the others as we could get. It was also tucked up in the engineering reference section.
One hardly anyone used because according to Jake and Archie, it was hideously out of date and the best resources were online. After setting our backpacks down, he slipped his arms around me and pulled me down across his lap before kissing me soundly. Not that I was complaining, but we were kind of at school.
I didn’t get any of those words out around his tongue demanding access to mine, or with how his fingers dug into my hips and urged me to rock forward. The erection he sported had a tangle of lust coiling in my belly.
“Jake,” I whispered against his lips when he dipped his fingers beneath the waistband of my jeans. When the hell had he unbuttoned and unzipped them?
“Shh,” he whispered, nuzzling kisses along my jaw. “No one comes back here. No one can see. And I’ve missed you.”
He had two fingers under my panties and speared into me even as I surged up. I sucked in a breath and tightened my thighs as he worked his thumb against my clit. We should so not be doing this. Mouth on mine, he sucked on my tongue as he plunged his fingers in a series of relentless strokes even as he circled my clit.
The orgasm ripped out from under me, and I damn near drew blood biting down on my own lip to keep from crying out. I was still shaking when he eased his hand out of my pants, his pale blue eyes shimmering with smug satisfaction as he licked off his fingers one by one. “Best post lunch dessert ever,” he whispered, and a shudder went down my spine.
I glared at him, but I doubt there was any heat to the expression at all, because seriously. What brain cells managed to survive that pleasurable onslaught were still pinging off each other in some mad dance. Panting, I looked at his watch as he continued to clean his fingers, and little shudders raced through my system at the promise of his tongue savoring the taste.
We had time.
“You’re sure no one comes back here?” I asked around the time I found my voice.
“I’m positive, Baby Girl,” he assured me. The husk in his voice just did things to me. I wiggled off his lap and fixed the button on my jeans and zipped them up. I couldn’t do anything about my now-soaked panties, but turnabout’s fair play, right?
His eyes widened as I went to my knees and then undid his jeans. The shock registered, and he darted a look up past me. “Worried?” I teased as I undid his belt. The fact that his ring winked at me as I unzipped his jeans just sent another shiver through me.
I loved that ring.
I loved the meaning behind it.
I loved the fact that Jake had gotten it for me.
I loved him.
“No,” he said with a bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed. He tracked my every motion, and I swore his cock jumped when I ran my hand over it.
“Good.”
Then I pushed the where we were out of my head as I swiped my tongue across his slit, catching the drops of pre-cum.
“Just keep quiet,” I whispered, and I felt more than heard his groan as I swallowed around his cock. I’d gotten much better at this over the last few months and I’d almost mastered my gag reflex, so I could take him all the way to the root and he bumped into my throat.
He fisted my hair as his muscles went rigid. I showed him the exact amount of mercy he’d given me as I cupped his balls and began bobbing my head with swift, sure strokes as I added pressure with my tongue.
He hissed out a breath, then another, and then I couldn’t hear him breathing at all. Slanting a look up, I found him staring down at me, almost red-faced as he held his breath, and then he came so hard and so fast, I nearly choked on his release.
The tautness of his hand in my hair kept me in place as I swallowed every drop, and then he sagged back as I lifted my head. My jaw ached, but nothing could hold back my smile as I tucked him away gently and pulled up his zipper. He could fasten his own belt. Tugging me up, he kissed me hard and sweet, his breath ragged as he whispered.
“That’s one of the hottest fucking things you’ve ever done to me,” he said. “I’m pushing you more often. I like this.”
So did I.
Smoothing a hand over my hair, I settled into the chair next to his and accepted the bottle of water he offered, even as I preened under the awe in his stare. I’d just recapped the water when a freshman wandered into the row and hesitated when he spotted us. Jake stilled, then glared at the interloper.
It took the kid no time at all to retreat, and I had to bite my lip as Jake glanced at me with a wince.
We stared for a beat, then we both cracked up.
Yep. We were crazy.
But I loved it.
Still, even with how great the day was going, I knew it was coming. It didn’t happen until I hit the bathroom between sixth and seventh, but Maria walked in as I washed my hands and our gazes locked in the mirror. There were a couple of sophomores there too, and they had been blatantly whispering when I walked in and silenced as soon as I disappeared into a stall. They lingered at Maria’s arrival for whatever happened next.
Yep. Gossip for the mill.
One of the sophomores giggled, and Maria flicked a cool look at them. They didn’t seem moved until I joined in staring at them, and then they were shoving each other out the door. With a glance back at Maria, I finished washing my hands.
“So, it’s true?”
“Depends on what it is.” I wasn’t trying to be coy. Maria hesitated as I grabbed a paper towel and dried my hands. There was no more putting it off.
I faced her.
“You’re dating all of them.” It wasn’t a question.
“I am.”
Surprise flickered across her face. Like she couldn’t believe I’d admit it. I had to admit, her floundering amused me, a little. But Maria and I were okay. I felt bad about what happened to her. I was sorry she’d been hurt.
I would never be sorry I had Jake.
Or any of them.
They were mine now.
“Wow,” she said slowly. “I didn’t think you’d just come right out and say it.”
I shrugged, then fixed my backpack. “I have nothing to hide.”
Not anymore. They could all suck it.
“You know people are going to call you a slut.”
The corner of my mouth kicked up before I could even restrain the reflex, and I snorted. “They called me a slut before I dated anyone, apparently. If I’m going to do the time, I might as well enjoy the crime.”
With that, I headed to the door, then paused and glanced back at her.
“You could do me a favor though.”
“And that would be?” She looked really skeptical.
“If anyone asks, you feel free to tell them the boys are off the market. They’re mine, and I have no intentions of sharing them anymore.”
And I had been sharing them, whether intentionally or not.
“Just ask Sharon my feelings on the subject… You know if she’s had her nose fixed yet?”
Maria almost smiled at that and then shook her head. “I’ll take your word for it.” Before I could open the door though, she added, “Hey, Frankie?”
“Yeah?”
“You make sure they treat you right.”
“They already do,” I told her with a real smile. “Later.”
Out of the bathroom, I swallowed the first bit of shakiness and blew out a breath as I hurried to seventh. I’d texted Jake I had to make a pitstop at the bathroom and I’d meet him. Thankfully, he’d taken me at my word and wasn’t waiting for me right outside the door.
No, he was just down the hall where he could see it.
Which meant he saw Maria come in.
But all he did was raise his brows. “All good?”
I grinned and tucked myself under his arm. “It’s perfect.”
Chapter Two
This One’s for the Girls
“So, no go?” Rachel asked as I flung myself down on her bed. We were trying something different today. I’d come to her. She always came to me. My work. My classes. My car. My apartment. I’d been to Rachel’s all of twice in the past.
She was not big on her family.
Seriously, I got that.
“Not that bad,” I admitted, staring up at her ceiling. There were little stars everywhere. The kind that would glow in the dark, and there were fairy lights strung on the walls, around some of the pictures and weaving around the posters. They were on, but so was her desk lamp and bedside light. Still, it gave the room a cozy effect. “Marsha’s great. But the new girl is apparently working out really well, and one way or another, I’m gone after May or at least by the end of the summer…”
“And she needs to train the new Frankie,” Rachel guessed. Clearly, she’d been working on homework when I got here, but she twisted the desk chair around to face me. While I was still in jeans, she’d thrown on some cutoffs and a T-shirt. It was a little too chilly for shorts yet. But her place was kind of warm.
The Mannings lived smack in the middle of one of the new developments for our area. New as in it had been built about ten years earlier or so. I was pretty sure Rachel’s family was one of the first ones to move in out here. They had a great view of the green belt and a huge backyard, but no pool.
It wasn’t like I had a pool either. Archie and Ian had pools. Jake didn’t. Well, technically, Coop and I had the pool at the apartment complex, but yeah, we hadn’t gone swimming in it since Ian’s parents had one built in their backyard.
“Yeah,” I said, dragging my wandering attention back to the subject at hand. “So, I can take two shifts of whatever I want, and she’ll get the other two. Marsha even offered to let me just be a floater—you know, fill in when someone is sick if I wanted. That way, I stayed employed but I could have my time back.”
Sometimes, I thought Marsha must be on the far opposite end of the spectrum from Maddy. Kind of a universal balancing effect.
And now I sounded like Coop.
A smile tilted my lips. Guess he really had rubbed off on me, in more ways than one.
A pillow slapped against my head, and I laughed as I blew some of the errant strands of hair out of my face.
“You went all dewy-eyed. Which one of the assholes were you thinking about?”
“Coop,” I admitted. Tucking the pillow beneath me, I rolled onto my stomach and kicked my bare feet up into the air. No one wore shoes in Rachel’s house. Her parents would have a conniption. Shoes didn’t even come in the house. They were set neatly on a stand in the vestibule. Well, guests did anyway, mine were the only shoes there. The family had a stand in the garage.
“Uh huh.”
I glanced past her to where the condom cactus sat in a prominent spot and bit back a smile. I didn’t stare at it too long, ’cause I didn’t want to draw her attention to it. Especially since she’d added a little flag name tag to it that said “Asshat.”
That was adorable.
“Anyway,” I circled us back because the conversation about work was troubling me more than I wanted to admit. “If I’m going to work for Mason’s and for Marsha, I want to actually do my job.”
“And you’ve kind of missed it.” If Rachel was guessing, she was doing an excellent job. Then again, Rachel seemed to get me without a lot of effort on my part.
That was something I planned on changing, which was another reason I’d offered to come over and hang out here rather than invite her back to my place.
Well, that and the four sexy distractions currently occupying my apartment. I loved having them there, but it did make girls’ night challenging. Especially a rather spontaneous and unplanned girls’ night.
“I have missed it,” I admitted. “But not as much as you might think.” Guilt stabbed me on that last bit, and I cut a look at Rachel. “I loved working at Mason’s because Marsha’s great and it can be fun, don’t get me wrong. But it was also brutal, and I ran my ass off. I am honestly okay if I never see another shake again, and it really kind of put a crimp in my love of burgers.”
“Well, anything that damages your love of food,” she teased with a smile that invited me to join her in laughing at me. Which, I could, because yeah, I got it. I liked to eat.
“But I feel bad.”
“Girl, anyone ever tell you that you overthink the shit out of things?”
“I don’t know, Rach, let’s talk about dissecting poetry and planning out a loving campaign with roses and poems and little gifts to brighten someone’s day without getting anything in return.”
“Pfft, I got to enjoy your joy,” she countered. “That was totally something in return.”
“Fine, but you still thought an awful lot about it. So I’m not the only one who overthinks, hesitates, pulls back, reassesses, then plans again.”
Her nose wrinkled, and she cut her gaze skyward as if debating it. Then nodded. “Fair enough. We are a lot alike that way.” The corners of her mouth tilted. “Probably why we could rub each other the wrong way.”
“I thought it was because we locked horns over that writing projec
t in seventh grade.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes at me. “We didn’t lock horns.”
“What do you call it?” I challenged.
“You’re a control freak.” She fired off that answer without missing a beat.
“I’m a control freak?” I snorted. “Me?”
“Yes, you, Frankie Curtis, are a control freak. ‘Here, Rachel, let me break down the assignment so we can just split it in half. Then we can both work at our own pace and neither of us has to rush.’”
“Is that supposed to be how I sounded?” I debated whether I should be offended or not.
“It is how you sounded. Oh my god, Frankie, have you ever listened to yourself? In seventh freaking grade, you had a breathy, soft, butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth voice. Now it’s a little deeper and huskier, but it’s got that bedroom quality to it.”
I shook my head. “Still pretty sure I didn’t sound like that, and we’re straying from the point. Splitting it in half was the best way to go, we’re too competitive and…”
“And you didn’t know at the time if I could keep up, so you figured if you split it in half, you could do both parts and then substitute your work for mine if I sucked.” Arms folded, she propped her feet up on the edge of her bed and stared at me, daring me to disagree.
“Well, I didn’t have to do that.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Because I wouldn’t let you just send me off to do my half, I made you stay after school every day with me until we got it done.”
Oh yes, I remembered. Jake, Ian, and Coop had given me hell about it, too. That, and I ended up having to walk home most days after because the bus had already come and gone. Maddy was always at work, so she wouldn’t have time.
To be fair, Rachel’s mom offered to bring me home that first night, but she’d made a face at our apartment complex, and after that, I just would rather skip that experience.
“And you argued with me on every single point we researched, even when I had facts on my side.”
