The Keeping Score Box Set

by Tawdra Kandle

  I’d never thought I was very interested in getting physical with guys. Hearing stories about girls in school who’d hooked up in dark hallways, at parties or in cars had sounded kind of icky to me. But now I understood. And it turned out that when it came to Leo, I was all about the touching and the kissing. I might’ve been pretty ignorant when it came to making out, but I was a fast learner. Probably because my teacher was the sexiest guy I’d ever known.

  We hadn’t had sex yet, but I was pretty sure that was just lack of opportunity. Leo knew how to make me feel good, and he never hesitated to make it happen. And even better, he taught me how to make him feel good. I was endlessly curious about how his body worked; I knew it from a hypothetical, abstract point of view, but getting down and dirty in reality? Yeah, I’d learned that nothing beat hands-on experience.

  I braced myself up with one hand so that I could sneak the other between our bodies, curving my fingers over the promising bulge in Leo’s jeans. I was rewarded when he hissed, canting his hips up toward me.

  “Hey, I said I was going to make you come.”

  “Mmmhmmm. But that doesn’t feel very fair. And why can’t we both get what we want?” I maneuvered until I got his jeans unbuttoned and slid my hand into his boxers. Desperate want surged in me when I touched him, already hard and ready for me.

  “Wait a second.” He reached down too, hiking up my skirt. I wasn’t ashamed to admit that I tried to wear either dresses or skirts when I knew Leo and I might have time together alone; it gave him easier access to me, and I was all for that.

  His clever fingers covered me over my underwear, stroking in just the right spot before he pushed aside the material, touching my wet folds.

  “God, babe. Mia, you’re so wet for me.” His mouth was still on my breast, and the vibration of his voice heightened the sensation. I closed my fingers around his cock, circling the head with my thumb and moving my fist up and down with increasing speed. Leo matched me movement for movement, until I was panting and begging.

  “There, baby? Right there? Is that where you want me?” His thumb pressed against my clit, and I cried out.

  “Yes—there. God, Leo. Oh, God . . .”

  “I’m close, Mia. I’m going to come. Are you—”

  He thrust a finger inside me, and that was all it took. I pressed down, riding his hand, mindless in my pleasure as I chanted his name over and over. At the same time, my hand fisted his erection until he grunted, shooting wet warmth over both of us.

  We were still breathing heavily, my body limp over his, when the alarm on Leo’s phone went off. He groaned, cursing.

  “Fucking curfew.” He ran his hands down my back, squeezing my butt and kissing the top of my head. “I want more time with you. No, correction: I need more time with you. And not in the backseat of a car.”

  “Tomorrow’s the last game, either way.” I kissed him, tangling my tongue with his. “Then things should ease up a little, right?”

  “Yeah.” He framed my face. “We’ll have a break on practices and games, until spring. I know it’s been crazy, babe. Thanks for putting up with this.”

  I smiled against his lips. “I’m sure you’ll find some way to repay me for my patience.”

  ***

  Nate had returned to school about a week before the championship game, and he’d agreed to sit with me at the stadium. I knew Sheri was worried about him being out in the cold, but the day had actually dawned a little more temperate, and although the air was still chilly, the sun was warm. I promised Sheri that I’d keep my eye on Nate and get him home if he began feeling bad.

  It felt as though the entire school was crowding the stands, but Gia had saved seats for us. The girls greeted Nate as though they were all long-lost friends, although they didn’t know each other well.

  “Dude, about time you’re here.” Gia folded Nate into a hug. At first he stood stiff, but no one was immune to Gia, I’d found, and in a few seconds, he patted her back, smiling faintly.

  I introduced him to Gia’s friends, and then there wasn’t time for anything else. We stood for the anthem and stayed on our feet for kickoff.

  This time, there wasn’t any drama on the field. Matt and Leo played the game as though they’d been born for this day, moving in perfect concert. The blockers were on fire, so that Franklin Township didn’t get in even one sack. Our running game actually worked for once. And the passes? They were more completions than in any previous Eatonboro game.

  Defense rose to the occasion, and amazingly, when the final seconds ticked down, the Eatonboro Eagles had shut out Franklin Township fourteen to zip to take the conference championship.

  I turned to hug Gia and Nate. Gia was as excited as the rest of us, and I knew I’d tease her about that later. But Nate’s face was strained.

  “Are you okay?” I yelled over the screaming fans.

  He nodded. “Sure. Just a little tired, I guess.”

  I glanced down at the field, where I knew Leo would be looking for me. “Can you just stay put until I go down to see Leo real fast? Then I’ll come back and drive you home.”

  Nate began to answer, but Gia interrupted.

  “Quinn, you’re going to be down there a while with your guy. I can drive Nate home. I don’t mind at all.” She gave me a pointed look. “You have plans, don’t you? An errand to run after you see Leo?”

  I hesitated. “Yeah, I do, but . . .”

  Gia gave me a little push. “Seriously. You’re okay with that, right, Nate? I promise I don’t bite.” She winked.

  “Uh, yeah. Sure.” He stood up and smiled, but I could tell it was forced. “I’m fine, Quinn. Tell Leo I said congratulations.”

  “If you’re positive . . .” I gave Nate a quick hug, glancing at Gia over his shoulder, telegraphing her my thanks. “I’ll call you later. See you later, Nate!”

  This time, it wasn’t so difficult to push through the crowds. By now, everyone knew that I was Leo’s girlfriend, and more than one of our classmates patted me on the back as I passed. The cheerleaders still weren’t exactly my best friends, but most of them—aside from Trisha and her cohorts—were at least pleasant, nodding to me.

  To my surprise, Sarah met me as soon as I stepped onto the field, greeting me with a hug.

  “Wasn’t that an incredible game? You must be so proud of Leo.”

  I smiled, although I felt a little uncomfortable chatting with the girl my boyfriend had dated right before me. “I am. Always.”

  She nodded. “I’ve wanted to tell you for a while, Quinn—I’m happy you and Leo finally got together. I think it was one of those things . . . I won’t lie and say I wasn’t disappointed when Leo broke up with me, but I get it. And if it had to be someone, I’m glad it’s you. You’re a nice person.”

  “Thanks.” I fiddled with the strap of my purse. “I think you are, too. And I’m sorry for how things worked out. We didn’t exactly plan it this way.”

  “I know.” She laughed and shook her head. “Hey, easy come, easy go. It’s all good.” She glanced over her shoulder. “You better get over there. Leo’s going to wonder where you are.”

  “Yeah. I’ll see you later, Sarah.”

  It was easy to find Leo. He was at the center of the crowd, and I grinned when I heard what they were all chanting.

  “Go big or go home! Go big or go home!”

  Brent, standing on the edge of the team, caught sight of me. “Quinn! Get in there, honey. The Lion is looking for you.”

  Before I knew it, I was being passed from one massive set of hands to another, gently pushed until I was in the middle, where the one set of hands I wanted caught me.

  “Mia!” Leo pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me off my feet. “Babe, we did it!”

  I laughed, burying my face in his sweaty neck. “Congratulations, baby! I’m so proud of you.”

  He lowered me until my face was even with his and took my mouth, kissing me with more aggression and desire than he ever had be
fore. The bottom dropped out of my stomach, want and need filling me so that I couldn’t think of anything but Leo’s touch, his lips and his hands on me.

  “Excuse me. Can a lowly mom get in on this hugging business?” Lisa tapped me on the shoulder, and I nudged Leo.

  “Mom.” He let me down, dropping me gently on my feet, and took his mother in his arms. He was so careful, so mindful of the picc line in her arm, and when I saw tears streaming down his cheeks, I started crying, too.

  Lisa had already finished one cycle of chemo, and the plan was that she would begin the next one after Thanksgiving. The doctors hoped to put her into remission, after which they intended to begin her bone marrow transplant. We all knew there was a long road ahead, but Lisa never wallowed or let any of us do it either. She was cheerfully upbeat.

  She whispered something in Leo’s ear, patted his cheek and then turned back to hug me. “Wasn’t he something, Quinn? I’m telling you. This boy of mine.”

  Leo slung an arm around each of us. “It was all for my two best girls.”

  “Sure it was, you big sweet-talker.” Lisa poked her son in the ribs. “Now let your old mom go. I need a nap after all this excitement.” She gave both of us a stern look. “Go out and have fun, you two. Celebrate. But please be careful. Be smart.”

  I blushed, pretty sure I knew what she was talking about. My own mother had taken to giving me the responsible sex talk at least once a week, even while she also cautioned me against making any impulsive choices.

  “You and Leo are young and in love. I get that. Believe me. But Lisa and I are young, too. Too young to be grandmothers. And you two both have big, bright futures ahead of you. Don’t screw them up.”

  I didn’t intend to mess up anything. I’d grown up hearing all the warnings about safe sex, I’d gotten the lectures in health class, and I knew about condoms, birth control pills and abstinence. Just like the male body and how to give it pleasure, up until now, all of those things had been abstract. Hypothetical.

  But tonight, that was changing.

  Leo

  A team party after we won the championship game was a given. Matt’s grandparents had graciously opened their home to us, and the place was filled.

  Now whether or not the elder Lamperts knew that they were hosting us was another matter. I knew that they’d been at the game; they’d congratulated both Matt and me on the field. But then they’d taken off for a huge benefit in New York. Matt swore that the party was their idea, but sometimes it was hard to tell where the truth ended and fiction began with Matt.

  Still . . . I wasn’t complaining. I was here, surrounded by all of my friends, beer in my hand, and even better? My girl, my Mia Quinn, was on my lap, her sweet little ass nestled over my dick in a way that was making me even hornier than I already was.

  She’d been a little mysterious since we’d gotten to the party. Not in a bad way, but she’d refused the beer I’d offered her. That wasn’t completely weird, because Quinn never drank that much, but she’d also asked me to stick to just beer tonight.

  “I don’t want you to pass out tonight.” She’d kissed my neck. “You know I have plans for my own celebration.”

  That sounded promising—definitely promising enough to keep me from drinking too much. Not that I was planning on getting wasted, anyway, but now I had even more incentive.

  Since the game had ended around four, the party had been in progress for several hours when I noticed that Quinn was checking her phone more than usual.

  “Mia, have you got another date tonight? You look like you’re expecting a call.”

  She grinned. “I’m checking the time, you doofus. I promised Matt I’d let you stay here and party until nine o’clock, and then you belong to me.”

  I raised one eyebrow. “Uh huh. Now that sounds promising. What time is it, anyway?”

  “Eight fifty. I owe Matt ten more minutes.”

  I shifted, bringing her core more fully over my dick. “Babe, Matt’s upstairs doing God only knows what with Trish, Kaley and Lori. He’s not going to be done doing them in the next ten minutes, and he’s not going to know if I leave early.”

  Quinn sighed. “Yeah, but I’ll know. And I promised.”

  I cocked my head. “When did you and Lampert come to this meeting of the minds? Weren’t you just telling me last night that you thought he didn’t like you?”

  She nodded. “Yes. But we talked this morning when I took him out to breakfast.”

  I sat back, staring up into her face. “You did what now? With who?”

  She smiled serenely. “I took Matt out to breakfast this morning. I told him that we didn’t have to be best friends. He didn’t have to treat me like the little sister he never wanted. But I’m in your life to stay, and so is he, so we had to figure out how to work together.” She lifted one shoulder. “We compromised.”

  “Mia.” I ran my finger down her jaw, tracing a line on her neck. “You never stop amazing me, you know?”

  She grinned and widened her eyes. “You ain’t seen nothing yet. Hey, guess what? It’s nine. We’re good to leave.” She jumped off my lap and tugged on my hand. “You, Leo the Lion, are officially mine now.”

  ***

  “Where the hell are you taking me, Mia?” I peered out the window of her car at the passing lights.

  She slid me a look. “Me to know, you to find out. Remember?”

  “Okay, but do you know where you’re going?”

  Quinn rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. The sexy guy on the telephone GPS is telling me. Besides, I’ve been here before. I just need a reminder about where to turn—”

  As if on cue, a deep voice with an Australian accent floated over the speakers. “Your destination is on the left in two-tenths of a mile.”

  Ahead of us, on the left, I saw only one tasteful, well-lit sign. I turned back to gape at Quinn. “Is that where we’re going? That hotel?”

  She bit the corner of her lip. “Yeah. It is. Is that . . . okay?”

  I swallowed hard, suddenly just a little bit terrified. And incredibly turned on. “Uh, yeah. That’s okay. But what . . .?”

  Quinn turned the car into the parking lot, coasting along toward the back of the building. She found a spot, put the car into park and took a deep breath. “All right. Here’s the deal. I made these reservations a week ago. I told my parents that I was going home with Gia after the party tonight. I drove down here this afternoon, after the game, while you were getting changed, and I checked in. I have the key in my purse.” She patted the bag. “So we can go in there, and we can just hang out. Make out. Be together. Watch TV, chill.” She raised her eyes to mine. “Or we can go up there, and I can take off my clothes, and yours, too, and we . . . you . . . we can have sex.”

  My heart was pounding so loud that I could barely hear her last words. She looked so nervous, so unsure of what I was going to say.

  I unbuckled my seat belt, turned in my seat, and reaching across to Quinn, I slid my hands around to rake through her thick hair. Moving slowly, I touched my lips to her in the lightest brush of a kiss.

  “Mia Quinn. You . . . you destroy me. Just when I think I know you . . . when I think you can’t surprise me . . . you do this.” I kissed her again, this time a little deeper. “There is nothing I want to do more than to make love to you tonight. If that’s what you want, too.”

  Her eyes gazed into mine, shining with love and need. “I want.”

  ***

  The hotel room was simple and tasteful. A big king-sized bed dominated the space, and I glanced at Quinn, wondering if it made her nervous. But typical Quinn, having made up her mind, she was all in. She bounced on the end of the bed, grinning at me.

  “They asked if I wanted a king or two queens, but I figured after all those nights in the back seat of your car, having more room would be a good thing.”

  I laughed. “You’re not wrong. But how did you manage to even get this room? I thought you had to be at least eighteen to book at a hotel.”
>
  Quinn looked a little guilty. “Gia helped. She has a friend who works here, and she had it arranged for me to pick up a key. I paid extra as a gurantee that we wouldn’t wreck the room.”

  “Quinn Russell. I’m impressed. That’s some serious plotting you did there.”

  She flushed, but I could tell that she was pleased. “Okay. Now I’m going into the bathroom to get freshened up. You, get naked and wait here for me.”

  I saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Oh.” She paused outside the bathroom door. “There are condoms in the nightstand drawer. I hope I bought the right ones.”

  I shook my head, amazed all over again. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?”

  She shrugged. “I tried.”

  Once the bathroom door had clicked behind her, I stripped off my Henley, kicked off my shoes and tugged my legs out of my jeans. And then, obeying orders, I slid under the cool cotton of the covers.

  I’d only been lying there a few minutes when the lights in the room dimmed. She didn’t turn them off altogether, but the lighting was definitely of the mood variety. I blinked a minute, letting my eyes adjust.

  And then she was there. Quinn stepped around the corner, into my line of vision, and for a matter of seconds, I actually forgot to breathe.

  Her hair was down, spilling around her face. Her arms and legs, still sporting a little leftover tan from the summer, were bare. And on her body, she wore my jersey.

  It was huge on her, of course. Quinn wasn’t tiny, by any means, but I was still half a foot taller than her and outweighed her by almost a hundred pounds, probably. The jersey hung low on her shoulders, dipping enticingly between her breasts.

  She walked toward me, her eyes glued to mine, and then crawled onto the bed, kneeling at the foot.

  “Baby.” I breathed the word and held out one hand. “Look at you. How did you . . . where did you get this?”