The Core Four Series

by Stacy Borel

  I decided this was something I’d been waiting for. I had no clue if it was the pizza, the movie, or the make-up that had him coming on to me, but I needed to act on it. Or let him show me how. I didn’t have to have experience with this sort of thing to understand that his flirting may lead to more. I wanted to let it happen. I wanted to relax and let go enough to be like my free-spirited roommate and just have fun with this...whatever tonight was...no matter where it went. I’d always had dreams of what this would be like with him, and here I was wasting it in the bathroom. For all I knew, the moment could’ve passed by the time I got back out there.

  I dropped my head and sucked in a deep breath of air. Only my lip gloss was missing, but the rest of me still looked the same. Steeling myself, I raised my shoulders and opened the bathroom door. Just as I stepped out, I slammed right into a hard chest and nearly stumbled back into the wall except for the strong hands that caught me. His fingers gripped my upper arms and an intense stare met mine. I blinked.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know you were walking back here.”

  He took a step forward. His body was nearly flush with mine. “Everything okay?”

  Wrigley’s breath washed over me and it was intoxicating. “Yep.” I squeaked out.

  I couldn’t take my eyes away from his. He was in my personal space, unapologetically. One of his hands came up and gently brushed my hair back from my face.

  “Where did you come from?”

  I swallowed hard. His touched seared my skin. “I came from the bathroom.”

  He gave me the most sincere smile and tried not to chuckle at my nerves that were wreaking havoc on my senses. “No, I meant this. This girl who walked into my house with balls of steel and beauty to match.”

  “I dunno.” I said, stupidly in a trance.

  “I like it.”

  Wrigley stepped into me, now every inch of his front was pressed against mine. All of these new feelings were a lot to process. The consciousness of a male body on mine. The very smell of him was acting like a drug, making me beg for more. Every breath he took in, I took two. My chest rising and falling as he took in my every move. I felt like he was studying me.

  “What’s happening here?” I asked. My brain not connecting to the rest of my body.

  He trailed his fingers down my arm and the little hairs raised on end. My back was against the wall and I knew this was sensory overload. This wasn’t like being out on the water and he was holding me. This was deliberate. This was attraction. This was, no questions asked, him becoming physical and making it known he was seeing me. But was it with clear eyes?

  “Is it the make-up and hair?” I asked, curious and rambling.

  “Nah.” His stare was intimidating. “It’s more than that. I’ve seen you every day without all this.” He picked up a lock of my hair and twisted it in his fingertips.

  I licked my lips and his pupils dilated. “Then what? I’m not getting this.”

  “There’s nothing to get. I’m attracted to you.”

  My heart started galloping in my chest, and my stomach bottomed out. “You are?”

  “Mhmm.” He dipped his head down closer to mine. His lips only inches away.

  “Since when?” I asked breathily.

  He kissed my forehead and a thrill shot through my body. I tried not to quiver.

  “These past few months have been fun. You’re easy to talk to, we get along, we’ve known each other for a long time, and you’re beautiful.”

  I’m beautiful? My inner self blinked. “But we have known each other for a long time. I’ve liked you for a long time. This may all seem good now, but what happens when we go back home?”

  Why in the hell was I trying to be sensible when this was the one time in my life I should just let go and be senseless? Ugh, I was frustrating even to myself. I should just shut up and let him-

  Wrigley’s lips gently pressed to mine and every thought went out the window. The soft tender touch was almost shocking to my system and I could do nothing but hold completely still. At first it was a light peck.

  Once.

  Twice.

  Three times.

  Then it became more. Heavier and demanding. My mouth was shut but a tender lick from his tongue made me gasp and he took advantage. I parted my lips and he sealed his to mine. I’d never done this before. What I was doing was merely drawn from movies I’d seen and following his lead. I opened my mouth slightly and gave him entrance to advance. His tongue was soft and tasted sweet like candy.

  I tried to mimic his movements but still felt awkward. I was slower to press forward with my own advances. I didn’t want him to push me away if I tried to explore more of his taste. He was patient as I learned what he was doing, and I tried to do it myself. I quickly learned that you definitely breathed through your nose while kissing. I wanted to laugh at myself for overthinking in the moment. Then something else grabbed my attention.

  The entire line of him was against my body, but his hips ground into mine. I pushed back. Not to fight him, but because it felt good and I needed it. There was a hardness on one side of his shorts pressing into my pelvic bone. On its own accord, my hips shifted forward, trying to find relief. I knew my panties were wet and I was biting back a moan. Wrigley had an erection. One I had given him. I was turning him on and that knowledge alone was a heady feeling.

  When my hips thrust forward again, knowing I was pushing against him and bringing him pleasure, a groan came from his throat. An exhale of breath into my mouth made me want to swallow the sensations down and drink from this cup forever. Then something else happened. A large hand cupped my breast. I leaned into it, not realizing I needed to be touched. It was shocking and welcoming. My nipples hardened and I tried to let this feeling soak into my pores so I could remember it for the rest of my life.

  “Oh god,” I said against his mouth.

  I felt his smile and he brushed his thumb over the pert bud. I felt his erection jump in his shorts and I knew he was enjoying what he was doing. This seemed too much. I was losing my body to a man that knew what he was doing, while I was a novice just learning the ropes.

  I was battling with knowing what he was doing to me and how my body was being manipulated to respond to even the lightest of his touches, to knowing there’s no way this was even real. He said it wasn’t the little makeover. But before tonight Wrigley had shown little to no interest in doing anything like this. We were supposed to be friends. A friend who wanted advice. A friend who’d text or show up whenever he wanted to. And a friend who he’d clearly grown to rely on being there. Had I become his crutch?

  “Is this a good idea?” I whispered when his mouth traveled down my neck.

  He laced his fingers from one hand with mine and I felt his teeth scrape my earlobe. That made my core clench and a small moan came from my throat. Never in my life had I felt like this. Not even when I was alone in my room learning my own body and trying to figure out what felt good and what sent me over the edge. He was working my body up more than I’d ever was able to.

  “I think,” he started to say as the hand on my breast kneaded it a little firmer. “That when it comes to you, all thinking has been sent out the window. You’re doing something to my head, Hadley. You and that very smart mouth of yours has been driving me insane for the last few months. These lips,” he snaked his tongue out and swiped the tip of it across my lower lip tasting me. “I fucking dream about.” He pulled back and intently stared at me like a viper ready to attack. “And these beautiful, blue eyes of yours are pools that demand honesty and trust. Everything about you has been calling out to me. Your goddamn body and curves have done nothing but tempted me to explore them. Tonight has sent me over the edge. I want you.”

  I watched his mouth as the words were formed but I stopped listening after he’d said he wanted to explore me. My legs were Jell-O and the only thing holding me up was the weight of him against me. My brain was scrambled and swirling with turmoil. I wanted to be closer. I wanted to push him a
way. I wanted to ask a million questions. I wanted to melt into him and never come up for air. My insides were having a battle of wills. Brain versus heart. I truly couldn’t breathe.

  I wanted him more than I’d wanted anything in my life. He was testing my boundaries and I quickly realized I had none. When I let him walk into my life, he crumpled up the walls I’d set up to protect me from people like him. He’d tossed those walls aside like I’d built them with feathers.

  I tilted my head back, giving him better access to my throat. He nipped and kissed where he’d stung me with sharp teeth. “It’s just, is this too fast? Should we talk about this first?”

  “No,” he stated simply.

  “But what if I want to? I’ve never done this before.”

  He ground his hips upward and brought slight relief to my core, which was pulsating; impatiently waiting to be touched. I moaned.

  “I’m teaching you,” he growled. I could feel him trembling under my hands and I knew he was holding himself back from pushing for more.

  My skin felt like it was on fire. My clothes were making me hot and I wanted nothing more than to have every inch of naked skin against his. It still wouldn’t be enough. I had to keep my senses here. I was losing myself to him. If I didn’t stop this, I would soon forget my own name. This was too risky. This was more than I’d anticipated. I was having a fantasy fulfilled, and I had to stop it.

  I brought my hands up and placed them on his chest. My fingers dug into him, gripping his shirt in my fists. God, this was hard. I never wanted this to end, but I had to. I needed to. I released him and slid past him. He nearly fell forward but caught himself with his hand on the wall.

  I was panting. “I need to go home.”

  His eyes were dark. I could see very little of that beautiful hazel I loved so much. He reached for me and I stepped back. “Hadley, don’t.”

  “Wrigley,” tears started to well up in my eyes. “I don’t know what’s happening. I’m disappearing with your touch and I am scared too much is going to happen.”

  He shook his head. “Stay. Just stay the night with me. Nothing more has to happen. We can talk and we can figure this all out, but please don’t go.”

  A single tear slid down my cheek. I wanted to oblige him. His voice was shaky and desperate. A sound I’d never heard from him before. “I’ll stay, but I need our distance. My head feels cloudy.” How was I going to text Aurora and tell her I wasn’t coming home without her freaking out thinking more was happening. Didn’t matter. I had bigger fish to fry.

  I conceded, nodding my head. He reached out to wipe my tear away. “It’s okay,” he whispered.

  “I’ll stay.” His shoulders raised and hope sparked in his eyes.

  This was going to be an even longer night than I thought.

  Chapter Eight

  WRIGLEY HAD LED ME to his bedroom and placed a t-shirt and a pair of boxers on his bed before stepping out so I could change. I wanted to get more comfortable, but I didn’t know how that was even possible at this point. While I was completely exhausted, it was more emotional than anything. My body was wired. I’d just done things I’d never thought I’d do with him. Wrigley was always just a fantasy. One I’d let slip through my fingers when I decided it was time to move on. Life was really cruel with its jokes. What he’d done to me in the hallway was incredible. It was amazing. It was life changing. But it screwed with my head.

  Taking a moment to catch my breath, I sat down on the full size bed and took in my surroundings. The room was plain for the most part. White walls, nothing hanging. I was slightly impressed he’d hung dark blue curtains, but it was all there was in the way of decoration. A bedside table was on the left and the bed was pressed against the wall in one corner. Wrigley’s bedding matched the curtains, which I was certain his mother made sure of. A long dresser was on the opposite wall by the door. On top of it were two different bottles of cologne. I got up, pulled the caps off of both and smelled. I liked one more than the other, but I had smelled both on him. Wrigley really didn’t need to wear cologne. He had his own scent that was divine.

  There was a lanyard hanging off the corner of the dresser mirror. I flipped it over and read it. It was to some EDM concert from last month. He and the guys had gone to an outdoor event. He’d invited me, but EDM wasn’t really my thing. Off to the side of the dresser was a baseball glove and a ball. A laundry basket half full of clothes was on the other side. The room seemed pretty normal except for being overly clean for an eighteen-year-old guy.

  I needed to change. I was spending too much time inspecting his space and not getting ready for an onslaught of questions I knew would likely come. Grabbing the shirt off the bed, I unfolded it and couldn’t help the smile spreading across my face. I remembered this shirt. It was Freshman year and Wrigley had been so excited that he was being recruited for a farm team just outside of Athens. I’m pretty sure that’s when he started being scouted by colleges and they took notice of his talent. I felt privileged that he was letting me wear it. Slipping it over my head after I’d undressed, I unfolded my clothes into a neat pile, I smoothed my hands down the shirt. The material was soft and comforting.

  There was a light knock on the door. “Is it okay if I come in?” Wrigley asked.

  “It’s safe.”

  The door creaked open and Wrigley stood in the doorway, his long brown hair was a disheveled mess as if he’d been running his fingers through it over and over. He appeared stressed. I wanted to go to him and comfort him, but I was afraid we’d end up the same way we were less than thirty minutes ago.

  I sat down on the corner of the bed, unsure of where to look or what to do with my hands. I started picking at my finger nails.

  The side of his mouth tipped up. “That brain of yours is going.”

  I nodded. “Mhmm.”

  He leaned against his dresser, his broad shoulders relaxed. “Let’s talk about it.”

  I looked up at him. “Just like that? You want me to blurt out what I’m thinking.”

  “Yep.”

  “I don’t work like that, Wrigley.”

  “Oh, I know you don’t. But tonight you’re gonna need to. Because what happened out there,” he pointed to the hall, “can’t just be ignored.”

  Uh, sure it can. We just go about things and pretend. I was the queen of pretending. It would take some work, but I was pretty sure I could go through life without talking about it.

  “Then talk about it.” I said, almost too huffily.

  He jerked his head back. “Why do you seem annoyed?”

  I blew out a large breath. “Because, Wrigley, not everything is simple.”

  “True, but I’d like for us to figure out what that all meant.”

  “Why does it have to mean anything?” That was way harsher than I’d planned for it to sound.

  He stood up and crossed his arms, his jaw working back and forth. I was riling him up and I didn’t know why. All I knew was that I was baiting him. I wanted the fight.

  “Because, Hadley, we’ve been friends for a long time and shit like that can ruin friendships.”

  I tried to look calm, but I knew I looked anything but. My eyes were wide, my make-up slightly smudged and my hair could use a good brushing. “Then explain. If you are wanting to talk about it, which by the way is such a chick thing to do, then how about you start. What did it mean?”

  He tried hard not to smile. “Did you just call me a chick?”

  “Sorta.”

  He leaned back again, trying to relax. “I wanted to do it.”

  “Why? I don’t get it.”

  “What’s to get?”

  I was two seconds away from slapping him. Why was he being so aloof? “I’m just trying to understand it, that’s all.”

  He appeared baffled. “What in the hell is there to understand? I told you I was attracted to you. You come walking in here looking fucking edible and you expect me to what—refrain?” He laughed but it wasn’t funny. “Hadley, are you delusional?�
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  Anger was beginning to fuel my argument. An argument I felt needed to be had. We hadn’t had one since the beginning of this newfound friendship and he’d expected it all to be fine and dandy. Sorry, but no.

  “Don’t insult me, and compliment me in the same sentence, Wrigley.”

  He raised a brow. “I didn’t. It was two sentences.”

  I pointed a finger at him. “Okay, I’ve had enough.” Standing up from the bed, I marched over to him, my chest rising and falling. I may have been a lot smaller than him, but I felt I could be intimidating if I wanted to be. “You listen to me. I have been in your life since we were flipping three years old at the same damn daycare. I have tried everything under the sun to get your attention and to get you to notice me. It’s not my fault you are picking right now to show your sudden attraction. I’ve been here all along you big—” He took a step towards me, so I thought better of name calling.

  “What in the hell are you talking about, you’ve been here? Why am I just hearing this now?”

  “Are you dense? Why would I just come out and tell you I liked you?” I snapped.

  He was genuinely confused. “Why wouldn’t you?”

  Lord help me explain it to this man. “If you hadn’t noticed, I wasn’t exactly the most popular kid in school. We’ve been over that part already. People like me don’t just express undying love to someone.”

  “Love?”

  “You know what I mean.”

  I dropped my shoulders and went to sit back on the bed. I was feeling overwhelmed with the explanations and how to pick and choose my words. How I told him this could make me sound like a damn stalker.

  “Do you have any idea what it would have done to me socially and personally if I’d told you in high school I’d had a crush?” He shook his head. I dropped mine and started clicking my nails. “I would have been made fun of. You would have told your buddies, and they all would have started rumors. Texts would have gone flying, and I would have once again been the joke. I was already a social pariah.”