Players of Marycliff University Box Set, Books 1–3

by Jerica MacMillan

  Her eyes came up then, wariness settling on her face. “What do you mean by that? What have people been saying about me?” She started to push away again, but Chris tightened his arms, not letting her go.

  “That Isaac motherfucker has been running his mouth all semester,” he said darkly, remembering that asshole bragging to his friends. “You know the kinds of things he was saying over the summer. He hadn't been given a reason to stop yet. He has now.” He couldn’t keep his smugness out of that last sentence.

  “What does that mean?” She'd stopped trying to get away, but the wariness hadn't left her face.

  “I overheard him talking to his friends earlier this week.” He shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. “I convinced him that continuing to talk about you wasn't in his best interests.”

  “Did you beat the shit out of him?” Her gaze was direct and unflinching, just like the question.

  Since they were here to finally be honest with each other about everything, he didn’t see the point in lying. “Not quite. He could still walk when I was done, but he got the point.”

  Megan deflated in his arms, resting her forehead on his chest for a minute, and he relished the feeling of her in his arms again. Letting him hold her. He'd missed holding her this last week. So much.

  She lifted her head. “You didn't need to do that.”

  “Yes, I did.” He said it definitively, wanting to end any argument about this before it could start. “I’m never going to stand quietly by while some asshole talks shit about my girlfriend. Especially when I know what he's saying is a goddamn lie.” Megan's eyes grew wide, but he didn't let her say anything. He'd let her talk enough already. And he was tired of listening to this bullshit about how she thought she was just a convenient fuck buddy that didn't mean anything to him. If his actions hadn't been enough to show how he felt, then he'd damn well better lay it out for her.

  “How do you not know that you're more to me than just a fuck buddy? I spend every free moment with you. Which, admittedly isn't a lot during football season between practice and workouts and class. But fuck buddies don't talk every night they're apart. They don't do homework together.”

  “But we're also roommates, so doing homework together isn't that ridiculous.”

  Chris gave Megan a stern look for interrupting, especially to say that. “Do you think I'd do homework with you if you were just my roommate? Did I ever do that before we got together?” She shook her head and opened her mouth, but he kissed her, wanting to stop her from saying something stupid again. She stiffened at first, but softened under his mouth, opening for him, letting him deepen the kiss. She was more passive than normal, lacking the participation and enthusiasm that he'd grown used to, but at least she didn't pull away or slap him. The icy lump in his stomach that had taken up residence on Saturday night began to thaw, and the tightness in his chest relaxed, warmth spreading through him.

  He finally ended the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “Do you really not know how I feel about you?”

  Her dark brown eyes stared into his, not breaking his gaze as she shook her head. “Tell me.”

  “I’ve been going crazy since you left the party Saturday. Abby delayed me so I couldn't get out of there to talk to you, and Lance wouldn't let me see you that night at all. You wouldn't return my calls or texts, and all I've been able to think about is getting to you so I could explain what happened and beg you to forgive me. I even waited outside the tutoring center on Monday, hoping I could catch you there. I went home yesterday like I'd planned, but the whole way to Port Orchard, I just kept thinking about how wrong it was that I'd left without talking to you, without seeing you, without saying goodbye. I wanted to take you home with me to meet my family. My sister and her husband are there, and I know she'd get a kick out of you. She already thinks it's hilarious that some girl has got me going to classes and doing homework and set up to graduate in May.”

  “You want me to meet your family?” Her eyes glittered with moisture again, and he sucked in a breath, worried about why she was starting to cry again, but decided to plow on.

  “Of course. I just wasn't sure if you'd want to come. You never talk about your family. I didn't even know you were from here. I just assumed you were going home for Thanksgiving, so I didn't want to put you on the spot by inviting you to come home with me. I didn't think about it until I was on my way and everything just felt so wrong without you there. I'm tired of leaving you behind while I go out of town. I miss you when I'm gone. I don't sleep as well without you in my arms.”

  Chris took a deep breath, prepared to go on, but stopped when he saw tears making their way down her cheeks. “What's wrong?”

  Shaking her head, she let out a choked laugh. “I don't sleep well without you, either. Why didn't you tell me any of this before? I thought—god, I already told you what I thought. I've been falling for you for weeks, and I assumed you didn't feel the same way. I couldn't continue seeing you, knowing that you didn't care about me as much as I care about you. I've stopped myself from telling you I love you more times than I can count.”

  The air grew solid, and time screeched to a halt. Chris couldn't breathe.

  Megan loved him.

  She just said she loved him.

  Is that what this was called? This feeling that he could never get enough of another person? Like he was missing a piece of himself when they were apart?

  The mysterious thickening of the air vanished, and he sucked in a breath. “I love you.” He was breathing hard now, like he'd been playing an entire football game by himself. “Oh god, Megan. You have no idea how much I love you.”

  This time she kissed him, her mouth crashing into his. He crushed her to his chest, and her arms went around his neck. They stayed locked together until a car drove up and honked at them for standing in the middle of the road. Breaking apart with sheepish smiles on their faces, they moved back toward Chris's car, offering apologetic waves to the driver.

  Chris held open Megan's door and closed it behind her after she climbed in.

  “Take me home,” she said when he got into the driver's seat.

  “What about your car?”

  “I’ll ask my brothers to bring it to me or we can get it tomorrow. I don't care. I just don't want to be apart right now.” She shot him a smile, but her face was serious.

  Maneuvering the car with his left hand, he held her hand in his right. “That's fine with me.” He was breathing easier than he had in almost a week. He'd drive Megan around himself and leave her car at her parents' house forever if it meant they were together.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Megan stumbled after Chris as he practically dragged her through the door, giddy and turned on. He whirled around once he was inside, pulled her in, and slammed the door behind her. With a flick of his fingers, he locked the door and pushed her against it.

  “God, I've missed you.” His mouth crashed onto hers, firm and demanding, all the softness and exploration from earlier by the lake, gone.

  Megan's hands went to his shoulders, first clutching him by the fabric of his sweatshirt, then pushing him back. “Where's Matt?” she asked, her breath coming fast and hard.

  With his face only inches from hers, she watched the minute details of Chris's expressions. Confusion passed over his face before the haze of lust lifted from his eyes for a moment after he processed her question. “Still in Westport, I'm pretty sure. Why?”

  “I thought you guys were driving over there together,” she clarified, “so if you're here, I was just wondering if he came home too.”

  Chris shook his head. “We drove separately. I haven't been very good company this week. Matt didn't want to be stuck in a car with me for six or seven hours. Can we stop talking about Matt now?”

  A smile stretched her lips wide, and she nodded. She only brought him up to make sure they weren’t going to give him a show. She was a lot of things, but an exhibitionist wasn’t really one of them.

  Chris's lip
s found hers again, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, tangling with hers. Megan sucked on it, and he groan groaned. Sliding his hands under her jacket and around her back, he moved them down to her ass to lift her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and hung on while he pinned her to the door, rocking his hips against hers. His cock, hard and ready, rubbed against her through the fabric of their jeans.

  Turning her head, she broke their kiss. Unfazed, he kissed down along her jawline to her ear, sucked the lobe into his mouth, and scraped his teeth over the sensitive skin. She gasped. “Chris. I need you. Now.”

  He lifted his head, a cocky grin on his lips, and kissed her hard once more before he pulled her away from the door and carried her into their room. Their room. She'd stopped herself from calling it that before, even in her own head. It had always been her room, and the other bedroom that he never slept in was Chris's room. Even though most of his clothes had migrated into her room a long time ago, she hadn't let herself think of him as sharing her room because that implied more of a commitment than she thought they had.

  Chris tossed her onto the bed. Their bed. Megan couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

  Yanking his sweatshirt and T-shirt off together, Chris stood before her in just his jeans, an answering smile on his face. “What are you smiling about?”

  Megan shook her head. She felt stupid trying to explain, so she didn't. “Nothing. Everything. I'm just happy to be here with you again.”

  He crawled over her, the look in his eyes that of a predator stalking his prey. Megan shivered in anticipation despite the fact that she still wore her cashmere sweater and a wool coat. Laying himself on top of her, he fitted himself between her thighs and pressed her down into the mattress, bracing himself on his arms so he didn't crush her. He kissed her hard before pulling back to look down into her face. His hazel eyes looked like a ring of gold surrounding the darkness of his dilated pupils. “I’m happy you're here again, too. I'd be even happier if you weren't wearing so many clothes.”

  Her mouth curved into a wicked grin to match his own. “It's hard to get undressed with you on top of me.”

  He hummed in agreement before he kissed her again, sat back on his knees, and pulled her up with him. “Get undressed. Now. I'm tired of waiting.”

  Megan opened her mouth to argue, but thought better of it and closed it. They wanted the same thing—arguing with him wouldn't help her either. Pulling off her jacket, she tossed it to the floor. “Fine. You need to finish stripping too.”

  With a grin, he stood up, undoing his belt, his eyes never leaving hers. She was topless before he'd gotten further than unzipping, and his eyes dropped to her naked chest. He leaned one knee on the bed again and reached for her, his hands running over her torso to cup her breasts. Her nipples hardened against his palms, and he tweaked them with his fingers before lowering his head to suck one into his mouth. She hissed when he scraped his teeth over it, hard enough to sting a little, but immediately made better with firm pressure from his tongue. Clutching his head, her fingers tightened in his hair as she arched into him. He sucked on her nipple, rubbing his tongue over it, and pulled back until he released it with a pop before switching to the other side.

  After spending a few minutes there, he stopped and looked down at her body, a soft groan on his lips. “You still have pants on.”

  “So do you.”

  He nodded absently, stood back up, and watched her fingers fall to the button of her pants. His eyes never straying from her body, he pushed his own jeans and boxers down. Shimmying a little and taking her time, she tugged her jeans and panties off, giving him a little show since he was watching so intently.

  With a whoosh, the room spun and she found herself on her back, Chris yanking her pants and panties the rest of the way off her legs and tossing them over his shoulder without looking. They hit the top of the dresser and knocked a few things over with a clatter and a thunk as something fell to the floor.

  His grin was a little sheepish, but soon turned wicked again as he pounced on her. She spread her legs while he situated himself between them again, in the same place he'd been minutes before when they'd both been clothed. She sighed. It was so much better when they were naked. His cock rubbed against her, the head bumping into her clit every time he moved.

  He reached for the nightstand, pulled out a condom, and sat up again to roll it on. His hand went between her legs, sliding a finger inside her, spreading her wetness around, rubbing it into her clit, adding another finger. Tingles shot up her spine from the pressure of his fingers inside her and the way his thumb circled around her clit. She arched, moaning, enjoying the way he watched her reactions. Her hands trailed to her breasts, and she tugged at her nipples. If possible, his eyes darkened further. He licked his lips, leaning forward and replacing one of her hands with his mouth. He pulled his fingers out and positioned his cock at her entrance. With one thrust, she was fully impaled.

  She arched, welcoming his invasion. God, she'd missed this. She hadn't gone so many days in a row without him since they'd gotten together.

  Threading his fingers through hers, he held her hands above her head, his eyes never leaving hers. She wanted to close her eyes or turn away, the raw intimacy of their eye contact while he moved inside her so slowly and exquisitely almost too much, but the force of his gaze compelled her to stay. Each thrust made her gasp, almost crying out. She wrapped her legs around him to trap him with her body as much as he trapped her.

  He brought his knees under him and released her hands. Wrapping his arms underneath her, he levered her up and onto his lap, the new position causing her to sink onto him even further. She wrapped her arms around his neck and started to unwind her legs from around his back so she could plant her feet to get some leverage, but one of his hands smoothed down her leg, a silent command to stay as she was. He guided her movements as she rocked against him, his hands under her ass, her arms on his shoulders helping her, but every thrust slow and torturous. Finally when she wasn't sure how much longer she could take this slow pace, he leaned her back in his arms and picked up the tempo. One hand came around, cupping her face, his thumb placed just over her lips. She sucked it into her mouth, her tongue swirling around it and Chris sucked in a breath.

  His thumb came out from between her lips wet and shiny. He ran his hand down her body, between her breasts, over her belly, until his palm rested on her mound. His thumb dipped between them, circling over her clit, his touch light, the pace slow. As his thrusts grew faster, the pressure from his thumb grew firmer, circling faster and faster until he pressed it against her clit on one hard thrust, and she shattered, her head thrown back, eyes closed, her back arched over his arm, her hands still clutching at his shoulders and her legs tight around his waist.

  After her orgasm passed, her limbs were limp and she had trouble holding onto Chris. He lay her back on the bed, taking her mouth in a searing kiss while he pounded into her, her legs still wrapped around him as he followed her into that shuddering oblivion.

  He collapsed half on top of her, his arms gathering her to his chest and their legs tangled together. They stayed that way until he started to grow soft, and with a groan, Chris got up, his fingers wrapped around the base of the condom.

  When he crawled back into the bed with her, he gathered her against his chest again, dropping a kiss on her mouth. “I hope you got plenty to eat, because I don't plan on letting you out of bed until morning.”

  She smiled up at him. Warmth spread through her chest, and a sense of rightness settled over her. “I can get on board with that plan.” She kissed him back.

  They ended up foraging in the kitchen after a few hours, reduced to cleaning out the back of the pantry and getting creative, promising each other they'd go to the grocery store the next day to buy the pies they'd missed that afternoon and stock up on real groceries.

  It was the best Thanksgiving Megan could remember.

  EPILOGUE

  Megan made her way down the steps of the Co
rbin Coliseum along with the rest of the graduation attendees. Mike, Chris's dad, led the way, his broad shoulders cutting a path through the crowd, making it easy for her to follow him to the graduation reception in the student center. Chris and his mom Sharon, who had been his escort in the ceremony to put his academic hood on him, were meeting them there rather than trying to find each other in the crowded coliseum.

  Once outside, Mike turned toward Megan and let her catch up to walk beside him. He smiled down at her. “Thanks again for helping Chris get on track. I don't think he would've graduated without your help.”

  Megan waved away the compliment. “You keep thanking me. Chris was the one who decided to get serious and do it. He put in the work. I just helped him get organized.”

  “Still. Sharon and I appreciate what you've done for him.” His eyes, the same hazel as Chris's, beamed down at her, matching the warm smile on his face. He draped an arm across her shoulders and squeezed her close for a second before releasing her. Megan managed not to stiffen, getting more used to the casual displays of affection from Chris's parents that she'd never had from hers, especially not her own father. They were free with hugs, kisses on the cheek, and other gestures with Chris, and by extension Megan. As a couple, Mike and Sharon were often touching when they were together. Nothing gross, but they held hands and sat snuggled together on the couch. It was easy to see where Chris got his penchant for displays of affection with her.

  Once inside the student center, they moved more slowly, both of them scanning the crowd until they found Chris and Sharon. Sharon hugged Megan when they approached, squeezing her tightly before releasing her and stepping next to Mike, who slid his arm around Sharon and pressed a kiss to her upturned mouth. Megan smiled when Chris did almost the same thing to her, though he had to bend over more.