Another laugh escaped me. “I was just going to say the same thing.”
“Hmm,” he murmured, then leaned in to brush a featherlight kiss to my lips. “Still early, sleep.”
Carding my fingers through his hair gently, I couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “You sleep, I’m fine right here.”
Eyes flickering open again, he raised his brows. “Staring at me?”
“Hmm-hmm.” I gave a little nod. I didn’t think I’d ever get tired of looking at him. When he slid his hand down to my back and wrapped his arm around me, I was ready for the tug as he pulled me closer, breast to chest, and eased a thigh between mine. The heavy weight of his erection was right there, pressing against my belly.
This was where we’d gone of script the week before. Not that I was complaining. I skated my nails lightly over his scalp, and he made a small humming noise before nuzzling another gentle kiss. Morning breath was a thing, but it didn’t seem to bother Jake, and when he teased my lips apart with his tongue, I fisted his hair. One hand on my ass, he squeezed, then tilted my leg higher.
Lazy kisses grew fiercer, and then he kissed a path down my throat. The bite of his stubble stung, even as his lips soothed. Groaning, I dragged his head back, then nuzzled my own licking, biting kisses to his throat. When I began to suck a spot right over his pulse, I swore Jake growled.
He speared two fingers into me, but I was more than wet enough, even if I was still sensitive and swollen. The languid heat pooling in my middle caught fire, and I bit down on his shoulder.
His quiet, but emphatic “Fuck” sent a pulse straight through me. He curled his fingers and traced his thumb over my clit. It didn’t take much to edge me higher. Then he pulled his hand away, and I whined.
“Easy, baby girl, I know,” he promised me and pressed his fingers to my lips. I opened right up to take them, sucking them clean, and he stared at me blankly for a long moment before releasing another, emphatic “Fuck.”
He tumbled me on my back as he reached over, and I realized he’d snagged his wallet.
“Fuck.”
No more condoms.
“I’ll buy some today.” I promised as I kissed a path down his chest.
“Wait…yes!” He let out a whoop and showed me a condom tucked right behind his driver’s license. I raised my brows. “And you don’t have to buy them, baby girl. I’ve got a whole box at home. I’m just going to put them in the car from now on.”
A delightful shudder went through me as he tore the foil. I enjoyed the way he slid the condom into place, and then he nudged at me, pushing my thigh higher before sinking in one long, continuous thrust.
This time, my eyes definitely rolled back in my head. All I could feel was Jake, filling me to the brim. His expression tightened, and then he threaded his hands with mine and pushed them over my head. One hungry kiss later, he began to rock into me and I thrust up to meet him.
The intensity of the night before had been blunted, but I wanted him no less and eddied higher and higher on coiled tension as his chest scraped against my nipples. His hips ground against mine, and his cock impaled me as though fighting to get deeper. Every kiss stole my breath, and when the orgasm hit, I wasn’t expecting it. I just kind of splintered over in warmth as it flooded out of me, and Jake bit off another curse as his rhythm stuttered, and then he buried his face against my throat as he shuddered.
I savored the way he felt as my inner muscles fluttered around him. The weight of him bearing down, the way he clung to me, and the soft press of his lips while he kissed his way back to reclaiming his breath. The bristling sting of his stubble only added to the myriad of sensations swirling through me.
Despite the lack of hurry, neither of us had lasted long. When he finally loosened his grip my hands I dragged them up to rub up and down his back. “I don’t want to go to school,” I admitted, the words slipping out of me.
“Me neither,” he agreed in a muffled voice. The huff of his breath against my neck tickled. Dragging his head up, he looked at me with a smile. “But we have to go.”
I groaned and closed my eyes. “Why?”
“Hey,” he whispered, his voice softening, and I opened my eyes to find him studying me with a concerned frown. “Why don’t you and Coop ride with me today?”
“Because I have a car and you have football practice after school,” I reminded him, even if I winced at the reminder he couldn’t play yet. He brushed his bruised knuckles down my cheek lightly.
“Yeah, but Archie can run you two home after, then you can take your car to work.” He lulled me with his gentle voice and I wanted to say yes, but at the same time… “And you won’t have to worry about your car at school. We’re going to split our time, make sure one of us is always with you. No more of this crap at school. You won’t have to worry about anything.”
“Okay, I’m not scared of what they did to my car.” It came out harsh, and maybe I was trying to convince myself. Then again… “That pissed me off.”
“Me, too,” he agreed. “I don’t want anyone messing with you.”
“But running away isn’t going to do anything other than make them think they’re right about us.” I lifted my shoulders. “And I guess, in a way, they kind of are.”
He scowled. “No, they’re not. You—are perfect. They’re a bunch of assholes.”
“We also don’t know who they are.”
“Yeah we do,” he said with a snort, then eased up as he slipped out of me, and we both groaned a little. As he rolled off the bed to dispose of the condom, I sat up and blew out a breath.
“We really don’t,” I called after him.
“Then that means we need to be more cautious,” he said as he came back. “Not less.”
I really didn’t want to go to school. Pulling my knees up, I rested my arms on them. “I don’t want to give whoever it is any more ammunition. I don’t want them to decide to target your car or Archie’s… you’re already benched. What happens if Ian is?”
“I’m benched because of what I did.” He crossed over to the bed and caught my hands and tugged me up until I was kneeling on the bed, and he could drop a kiss on my lips. “The only thing I regret is that jackass said anything in the first place.”
“Jake…”
“Let us watch your back?” He was holding my hands in his, the grip firm yet gentle. “Please?”
“You already talked to Coop, Archie, and Ian, didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” he said. “We talked about it yesterday.” He tucked my hair back away from my face. “None of us want to see you getting anymore crap.”
If I didn’t take my car, Mr. Thorns was going to have to find a new way to send me a message.
“Okay,” I said, then put a finger to his lips at his sudden smile. “But only for a couple of days. I like my…”
“Your independence. Trust me, we know.”
My alarm went off on my phone, and Tiddles popped up with a meow. “Duty calls,” I said, and he grinned.
“Then breakfast.”
Then breakfast.
As much as I didn’t want to get up or shower again or even get dressed, I made myself do it. The reluctance to go to school was new, and Jake thought it had to do with the car. Maybe it did. Or maybe it was the fact I liked just being held, and we really couldn’t do that at school.
Making a face, I shoved off the bed. Better get started, or I’d never leave.
Coop leaned against the fridge when I came out, Jake had gotten dressed faster than I. In fact, he’d even brought clothes with him last night. I’d missed that part, the extra clothes in his backpack. His smirk had been almost adorable, as was the kiss he left me with in the bathroom before heading out to pour cereal.
The shit-eating grin Coop wore had my face heating. “Did you two have fun?”
“Don’t be an ass,” Jake warned as he passed me a cereal bowl.
“Hey,” Coop said, spreading his arms. “Genuine question here. We’re still BFFs, and Frankie needs someon
e to talk to about these things. You know, compare notes and get advice.”
Oh. My. God.
I stared at Coop, even as Jake thumped him. He did not just say that. Coop’s laughter filled the kitchen.
“Ass,” Jake muttered, then looked at me. “Ignore him.”
Still blushing, I said, “I planned to.” Then stuffed a spoonful of cereal in my mouth as Coop chuckled. He joined us at the table and hooked one of his feet against mine.
“You know you’re still my favorite,” he assured me. “Right?”
Jake snorted, but I had to smile.
“Yes,” I admitted. “I do.”
“And I’m always here if you need to confide in me. Especially if anyone isn’t up to snuff…”
“I am going to beat your ass,” Jake threatened without any real heat, and I laughed for real this time.
“Ha, see, I can still make her smile.” Coop winked at me. “Besides, Frankie and I have a date on Saturday.”
Saturday.
“Fuck.”
At the exclamation, they both stared at me and I winced.
“Sorry, Saturday. Cheryl is being really insistent that we go get Homecoming dresses together, and when I couldn’t come up with a better time, she decided Saturday at seven was perfect.” I winced again. “I can cancel on her,” I said. “But I kind of don’t want to, and at the same time, I do need a dress, but I said we could go out…”
“I’ll go with you.” Coop said. “Problem solved. We’ll find you a pretty dress, ditch the ditz, then go have fun on our own.”
“She’s not a ditz,” I argued. “And really? You’d go with me to pick out a dress?”
“Why not?” He propped his chin on his fist. “It’s hanging out with you, right? You need a dress. I get to see it before anyone else. Oh, I’m definitely in.”
On that sentence, Jake scowled. “I want to see it, too.”
“And you will,” Coop told him, almost smug. “After me.”
“Where are you going shopping?” Jake asked as he turned to me.
“Nope,” Coop said. “It’s also a date, that means…”
Means?
Jake made another face.
“What does it mean?”
“Nothing,” Jake muttered. “We just agreed we wouldn’t step on each other’s dates.”
They’d discussed this?
Embarrassment flooded me for a whole new reason. Mostly because I liked the idea they’d actually discussed me, right?
I caught them both watching me, a hint of worry in their eyes, and I smiled. “That’s—really kind of sweet.”
Relief filtered through Jake’s smile, and Coop exhaled. It was sweet. I couldn’t believe they’d worked it out. I hadn’t wanted them to fight. Did this mean it really wasn’t a problem for me to date them all?
Could I really have all of it?
Dates with all of them, making out while still being friends? Hanging out like we always did, just with even more benefits? Was that all something I could have?
Seriously?
My chest grew tight. It seemed far too good to be true.
“We should get going.” Jake’s words jolted me out of the mental spiral, and I sucked down the milk in the bowl. It took me two minutes to rinse it out, then grab my backpack. On my way back to the door, Coop caught me in a hug, and then his mouth claimed mine.
I barely had time to brace my hands against his chest, when he stroked his tongue against mine. Dizzy, I gripped his shirt for balance as he seemed to sample me with these even, gentle strokes, and then coaxed my tongue forward. The heated suck of his mouth sent a shiver all the way to my core.
The sensual ache between my thighs echoed the pull, and I was pretty sure the blush scalding my face covered other parts of my anatomy. Awareness of Jake behind me—even as Coop deepened the kiss—made me shudder all over again.
There weren’t enough swear words for the topsy-turvey in my system. Dragging out my lower lip, Coop lifted his head. His gray-green eyes were a lot darker at the moment, and his heart hammered beneath my hand. “Needed a good morning kiss.” Running his thumb over my lower lip, he smiled. “Good morning.”
“Hi,” I answered, then nipped his thumb, and his grin grew.
Jake let out a little sigh. “That’s still hot.”
“I liked it,” Coop said, loosening his hold gradually. “Wouldn’t mind just staying here today…”
My thoughts exactly.
“Unfortunately,” Jake said. “We can’t.”
“Buzzkill,” I muttered, and he laughed as he slid his hand over my ass and then wrapped an arm around my middle, pulling me neatly away from Coop.
“I’ll make it up to you,” Jake said before giving me a kiss that had me curling my toes and panting. They were turning me into a mess and expected me to go to school.
I think I hated them.
“I promise,” he finished before nibbling another kiss at the corner of my mouth. “Maybe even over lunch if you wanna ditch the guys?”
“Hey,” Coop protested. “Foul ball. Also—I see what you mean, that was definitely hot.”
Jake chuckled, looping an arm over my shoulders as I swayed a little. Everything in my system hummed from those kisses. Hell, it hummed from the last several hours.
“Just saying, the backseats lay down.”
Coop stared at him, but I gave Jake a shove as I laughed. “I am not going to be a cliché, thank you very much. It’s bad enough I let you talk me into driving me to school while you all babysit me.”
“Awww,” Coop switched gears, slipping his arm around my shoulders after I scooted away from Jake. “Don’t be like that, Frankie. That’s on all of us. Remember what we talked about?” And as light and effortless as his voice was, I did remember.
He wanted me to trust them to protect me, and to do that, I needed to keep them in the loop. I hadn’t expected it to be like a closing of the guard around me. “Yes,” I said. “I do. But we’re going to be late if we keep loitering.” Though skipping school sounded better and better.
The butterflies in my stomach had butterflies all the way to school, even with Coop sitting in the middle of the backseat and leaning forward to talk to both of us. The tension from the kisses diminished some at least, until I noticed the hickey I’d left on Jake was clearly on display.
Crap.
Hopefully my hair covered the fact my ears were burning. What had been vital to me while we were wrapped around each other in my bed seemed almost out of bounds in broad daylight. As we pulled into the parking lot, Jake reached over and caught my hand.
“We didn’t do anything wrong,” he said quietly, and I cut a look at him. I was so wound up, I was going to make this bad for Jake.
“I know,” I said then blew out a breath. “I have no idea why I’m so nervous.”
“Cause you’re Frankie,” Coop said lightly. “You think through everything you do at least fifteen times, and you are always revising your plan to be the most effective.”
I made a face and looked at Coop. “I sound awful.”
“Nah,” he teased. “You sound like you. We like you just how you are.”
“Yep,” Jake said, parking and then turning to face me. “And because we have to behave when we get out, baby girl, believe me when I say I like every part of you. The overachiever to the cuddly girl to the friend I know likes the same damn dorky videos I do. Got it?”
Hard not to.
“Got it.” I bit my lip because I wanted to kiss him. But we couldn’t do that here. So I tried to lighten the mood. “Still not going for a lunchtime quickie in the back of your SUV.”
A smile sparkled in his eyes, and he gave my hand a squeeze before shutting off the engine. “Damn, there went my cunning plan.”
Coop snorted. “Not really that cunning.”
And since I could pile on, I said, “Or a plan,” as I got out. “But I like your enthusiasm.”
Jake and Coop paused a beat, and then they both cracked up
. It helped to settle the butterflies. Not as much as I would have liked, but it did help. A glance across the parking lot to where I usually parked made me a tad wistful. Ian’s bike wasn’t there either. He’d parked up closer in one of the smaller spots he could easily fit in. I guess they’d confirmed the plan.
It didn’t take us long to find Archie and Ian inside, or the coffee and chocolate covered donuts waiting for us—along with my preferred apple fritters. Damn, they were going to spoil me.
No one commented on Jake spending the night, though Archie studied me pretty close for a few minutes. There were spots of laughter in the cafeteria as I walked across it. But I told myself it was paranoid to think it was about me.
Breakfast conversation turned to Friday night’s game. Ian worried Jake being out was going to weaken their defensive line. Not that they could do much about it. Coop teased them about going dress shopping with me, and Archie wore much the same expression Jake had on the subject, but Ian looked bemused.
“Just make sure I know what color,” he said, not rising to Coop’s bait. Gaze lingering on mine for a long moment, Ian smiled. “I already know I’m going with the best girl.”
Dammit, and I had just gotten my blushing under control. Then the conversation devolved to a new video game coming out the following week. When Coop suggested we spend part of his birthday playing the new one, I didn’t make a face.
It was his birthday.
Archie winked at me when he said, “Let’s not make it an all day thing though, yeah?”
I could have kissed him for that. Course, Coop said, “Nope, I was thinking we could all go to mini golf, or maybe drive up to the big amusement park.”
Laughter eddied around the table, but Archie just shook his head in amusement at the mini golf. It wasn’t long before we had to pack it in, and true to their word, the guys didn’t let me go anywhere alone. Coop and Archie walked with me to my locker, and I gave them the note that had been inside.
If they recognized the handwriting, they didn’t say anything. After, Archie walked me to first period, and then halfway to second where Ian hooked up with us in the hall for the hand-off, and it was very much that. After second, Ian walked me to French, then reminded me to wait for Coop, he’d pick me up on the way to lit.
Changes and Chocolates: Untouchable Book Two Page 25
