“Cool. Maybe we’ll see you there.” His eyes lingered on Gia for a few minutes before he followed Kevin and Buck down the stairs.
“Oh. Baby.” Gia fanned herself. “Please tell me those guys are single. And Quinn, thank you, thank you, thank you for asking me to come down here with you.”
I laughed. “They’re all single. But they’re players, Gia. I mean that in every way possible.”
She quirked an eyebrow at me as we stopped in front of my door. “You mean they’re only interested in mindless, no-strings-attached sex? Sign me up.”
“Gia.” Quinn shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Honestly.”
“So I’m not interested in a relationship. I just want to have fun for now. What’s wrong with that?” Gia flipped one hand over, her clear voice carrying as I pushed open the door.
“Abso-fucking-lutely nothing.” Matt stood just inside our room, leaning against my desk, his thick legs crossed at the ankle and his arms folded over his chest. “Welcome to Carolina U, sweetheart. I’m Matt, and I’m here to make your every fantasy come true.”
“Oh, my God, Quinn!” Gia grasped my arm and yelled into my ear as she leaned into the booth where I was sitting. “I can’t remember ever having this much fun. Isn’t it wild?”
I forced a smile and nodded. “Yeah. Wild.” I glanced up at Leo, who was in the middle of an intense conversation with one of the football players—I couldn’t remember this one’s name. As if he felt my eyes on him, Leo tightened his arm around me and brushed his lips over the top of my head.
“You okay, Mia?”
“Better than okay.” I snuggled closer.
“Do you need another drink?” He lifted the glass of melting ice in front of me and jiggled it. “I saw the waitress around here somewhere.”
“I’m good for now. If I drink anymore, I’ll have to go brave the rest rooms, and I saw that line earlier. No, thanks.”
Leo’s chest shook a little as he laughed. “You’re not wrong. But if you—oh, hey, Durham. I was beginning to think you got lost.”
The guy who’d just approached our booth was as tall as Leo and built like a brick wall. His blond hair was cropped close to his head, and wide green eyes crinkled in the corners as he grinned at us.
“Nah, just got held up helping a buddy.” His eyes moved to me, and his smile broadened. “You must be Quinn. I’m really glad to meet you.” He nudged Leo’s shoulder. “I hear about you. All the time.”
Gladness swelled in my heart. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Leo or his love for me, but hearing that he talked about me to his friends gave me a big happy.
And Leo seemed to agree. He lifted one big shoulder and nodded. “It’s true. I have no shame. Quinn, this is Tate Durham. I told you about him this summer, remember?”
“Of course. Tate, it’s really good to finally meet you.”
He offered me his hand, and when I took it, he gripped my fingers. “Same here.” His gaze flitted to Gia, still standing next to me, and I spied a spark of interest there.
“Tate, this is my friend Gia Capri. She goes to Birch with me, and she was sweet enough to play navigator for me today.”
He shifted his attention and his hands to Gia. “Hey. Welcome to Carolina.”
Gia nodded. “Thanks.” She flickered a glance up and down his body. “You’re a football player, too?”
Tate shifted his weight and hooked his thumbs in the belt loops at the front of his jeans. “Guilty. You a fan?”
Her brows shot up. “Of you? Seriously, dude. I don’t know who you are. I didn’t even hear your name.”
If that put-down was meant to be a killing shot, it missed entirely. Tate only cocked his head, one side of his mouth curling into a half-smile. “I meant a fan of the game. I don’t have any delusions of grandeur, sugar.”
Gia’s cheeks flushed. “I appreciate football as a sport, yeah. I think most of the people who play it are assholes, though.” She looked at Leo and added, “With a few possible exceptions.”
“Hey.” Tate spread his hands in front of him. “No arguments here. No one knows better than football players what dicks we can all be.” He grinned, and an adorable dimple popped up on his left cheek. “But not all of us are that way all the time.”
“Yeah? In my experience, you’re all nice eye-candy and decent dancing partners. You’re good for fun, as far as that goes.”
“And some of us might be able to take it farther than fun.” Tate’s gaze was level and fastened on Gia’s face. “If we had the right incentives.”
I glanced at the two of them: Tate with his relaxed stance and steady eyes, and Gia, who stood defiant, her hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans, a frown on her face. Electricity buzzed between them, and they both seemed to be hyper-aware of it.
Next to me, Leo whispered, “I’m not sure whether to send them back to their corners or suggest they get a room.”
I bit back a giggle. “Tate, why don’t you join us here? There’s space. And Gia, sit down, girl. Catch your breath. You were rocking it pretty hard out there with the guys.”
“I’m not ready to sit down yet. Come dance with me.” Gia stuck out her lip and gave me her best pleading expression. “The music is smokin’.”
I shook my head. “I want to stay here with Leo. Go on, have fun. I’m enjoying watching you.”
She shrugged. “Okay. I guess at least one of us should be enjoying herself.”
“Watch it, chick. I’m enjoying myself just fine here, thanks.”
“Whatever.” She spared Leo and Tate a passing glance. “See you boys later.”
I tracked her return to the middle of the jam-packed dance floor, where she was welcomed back by four massive guys whose dance moves ranged from admirable to pitiful. They were all bopping to a different beat, and I giggled.
“What’s funny?” Leo’s fingers tickled at my ribs, over the silky material of my shirt.
“Football players trying to dance.” I gestured to the group with my chin. “Just goes to show that moves on the field don’t always translate to moves on the dance floor.”
“Hey, hey . . . Buck does pretty good out there.” It was true; the ginger-haired halfback was doing more than just shuffling his feet. He had a few decent turns, and his arms didn’t just hang at his sides, dangling there.
“Okay, I’ll give you Buck. But the others?” I shook my head, closing my eyes. “Not pretty.”
Tate leaned over. “Your friend holds her own.” He jerked his chin toward Gia. “Dancing, I mean.”
“Gia holds her own everywhere.” I smiled as she executed a spin. “She’s one of the strongest women I know. And she’s wicked smart, too.”
“Single?” Tate’s voice was even, but I picked up the undertones of curiosity.
“Yup. And I’m not sure she’s interested in changing that. Not right now, anyway.” I tilted my head. “Of course, if the right guy were to come along and sweep her off her feet, that might all go out the window.”
Tate nodded. “Good to know.”
Leo cupped my face, sweeping his thumb over my cheekbones. “Is that what I did with you, Mia? Swept you off your feet?”
I turned my head to kiss his palm. “Every single day, baby.”
The music changed just then, seguing from the up-tempo dance beat to a slower song that I recognized from a few years back. Leo snagged my hand.
“Come on. Let’s dance.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? You want to dance?”
“With you? Hell, yeah.” He tugged me from the booth. “Anything that gives me an excuse to press your body up against mine and kiss you in the dark sounds like a winning idea to me.” He grinned unapologetically at Tate. “Sorry, dude. I’ve got limited time with my girl, and I’m not wasting one minute.”
Tate waved his hand. “I wouldn’t, either. Go for it.”
I let Leo drag me to the edge of the crowd, where he was as good as his word, wrapping one arm around my waist so that I was as
close to him as possible. In his other hand, he held one of mine, bringing it to his lips and kissing my knuckles as we swayed.
“See? I told you. Alllll good.”
I sighed and relaxed against him, laying my head over his heart and closing my eyes. “I’m half-afraid I’m dreaming. I’ve been wishing for this day for so long. I can’t believe I’m really here.”
“I know.” His voice rumbled in his chest. “When I’m at practice or playing, I can focus on just that and tune everything else out. But the minute it’s over, I go back to missing you like crazy.” He rubbed my back with his free hand and then slid his fingers to my neck, coaxing me to turn my head. When I lifted my face to his, he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me softly, no tongue, no pressure . . . just us, connected in every way we could be at the moment.
A few feet away from us, Gia was dancing with Kevin. They weren’t holding each other like Leo held me, just fooling around as they did an exaggerated sway. Gia was laughing at something he’d said to her. He gave her a little spin, and she lost her footing, teetering off-balance. She might’ve landed on the floor in a heap, but suddenly, another pair of strong hands managed to catch her.
Matt stood there, his face serious, holding her. Gia straightened, and I could tell that her entire small body was tensed. She shook her head and faked a smile and laugh before she began to turn back to Kevin.
But Matt stopped her, gripping her upper arms and staring down at her as he drew her close. Gia let him hold her, barely moving in time to the music.
“Fuck.” Leo grunted out the word, just loud enough for me to hear him. “What the hell’s he doing?”
“Who, Matt?” I pulled away so that I could see Leo’s face. “Why?” Matt had flirted with Gia like crazy back at the dorm, but he’d driven to Moonie’s separately from us, and I hadn’t seen much of him since we’d arrived. But now . . . he looked like a man with a plan for my friend.
Leo scowled. “You know him. He’s an asshole. I love him like a brother, but he’s not a good bet for any girl.”
“I don’t think Gia’s looking for a marriage proposal. You heard what she said before. She just wants to have some fun. She works hard at school, and she came with me this weekend for a little down time.”
“I know Matt. And I know girls like Gia. It’s a bad combo.”
I traced a line down the side of his face. “Uh huh. But we’re not responsible for either of them. They’re both old enough to make their own decisions.” Walking my fingers around to the back of his neck, I caressed the line of short hair there. “And speaking of making decisions . . . how much longer do we have to stay here, with all these other people, when I’m fairly certain there’s an empty dorm room just about ten minutes away from us?”
His eyes lit up. “Are you serious? I’ve only been hanging out here because I didn’t want you to think I was some kind of animal who was only interested in getting you into bed.”
Wrapping my arms around him, I kissed his lips, thrusting my tongue into the warmth of his mouth so that there was no doubt about my intentions.
“Take me away from all this. Now.”
“Can we do this every day for the rest of our lives?”
Leo’s voice was tired but sated. I lay sprawled over him, not a stitch of clothes on either of us. His hand drew lazy circles on my back, and his breath was still coming in rapid puffs that stirred my hair.
“You’re sure Matt’s not coming back?” I asked the question for the third time. I trusted my boyfriend, but Matt had always been unpredictable. I wouldn’t put it past him to come bursting in, just to embarrass me.
“I’m sure, babe. I told you. He texted that he was taking Gia back to the motel, and then he was going to crash somewhere else tonight, with one of the guys. And Gia said the same thing, right, that he drove her back? You made sure she was okay with him?”
“Yeah.” I sighed. “She said she was.” I pressed my lips into Leo’s chest. “And in answer to your other question, I’m on board. This. Every day. Forever.”
“Excellent.” He rolled over so that we lay on our sides, facing each other. “Does it make me a wuss that I’m excited to sleep all night with you in my bed and wake up in the morning without either of us having to sneak out? We can actually be like normal people, have a little morning nookie, and go out for breakfast.”
“That doesn’t make you a wuss. It makes you a wise man who appreciates a rare opportunity.”
“That’s what I thought, too.” He trailed a finger down my arm. “How’s it been going at school, Mia? I know we’ve talked and you say everything’s good, but tell me really.”
I feathered my fingers through his hair. “It’s good. Classes aren’t too bad, and professors seem okay. Life’s pretty boring. I go to class, eat at the dining hall, hang out with Gia and Nate . . . study . . . go home and see my mother a few times a week. Sometimes Mom comes over to have lunch with me or take me to dinner.” I kissed his chin, bristly with scruff. “And on good days, I get to talk to my sexy boyfriend.”
He chuckled. “Your sexy boyfriend pretty much lives for those calls. How about the roommate? Zelda? How’s she working out?”
“Surprisingly well. I wasn’t sure when we first met. Actually, I thought we were going to hate each other. We’re very different. But she’s more than what she appears. She’s smart, even though she tries to downplay it. And she’s kind of . . . prickly, I guess, when you first meet her. Defensive. My mom says Zelda has a huge chip on her shoulder.”
Leo slid his knee up between my legs, pressing his muscled thigh to the part of my body still throbbing from his touch. “I’m not going to lie, babe. She sounds like she’s a little challenging.”
“She is. But she’s also funny and kind in unexpected ways. Odd and quirky, yes, but never cruel or mean. And she’s much better than Gia’s roommate, Ellie.” I shuddered. “That chick’s a basket case. She flips out if Gia breathes too loud or texts too late. And she gets drunk every weekend and picks up strange guys. Gia’s miserable with her.” I spanned his broad chest with the palms of my hands. “I think you’re bigger here, you know? In a good way, I mean.”
“You mean all my hard work is paying off? Glad to hear it. That’s really why I do it, you know—the daily practices, lifting every morning, running sprints—it’s purely to make my body more attractive to you.” Leo smirked.
“As long as you have those priorities lined up right.” I buried my nose in his neck. “You smell so good. I need to take another one of your shirts home with me. The one you left me this summer is starting to lose your scent.”
“Sure. You can go through my drawers and take your pick.”
“No, I need one that you’ve worn and not washed.” I gave him a gentle shove, rolling him to his back and balancing myself above him. “It’s got to smell like you, not like some generic laundry detergent.”
“Fine.” He stared up at me. “God, Mia. Sometimes I forget how fucking beautiful you are. But look at you.” He swept my hair back away from my face. “You make me forget to breathe.”
I ventured one hand lower, between us, sliding it down the planes of his chest, over his flat stomach, to trail my fingers over a part of his body that was beginning to sit up and take notice again. Taking his cock into my grip, I moved my hand up and down once. “Maybe I can remind you to inhale and exhale again.”
Draping my body over his, I began to slither down, raining small kisses over Leo as he groaned. “I think what you’re doing now is more likely to stop my heart. But don’t let that slow you down.”
I shot him a saucy grin. “Don’t worry, I won’t.” Lingering just south of his belly button, I ran my tongue over the ridges in his lower abs, making them jump. “I think you’re more cut here, too. You been rocking the crunches, Lion?”
He huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I’ve had to up my game there. But you know, no one down here calls me the Lion. I was hoping to leave that back in South Jersey.”
“Okay. It�
�s just between you and me.” Stroking his engorged cock with my fingers, I lifted my eyes to his face, watching as I took just the head into my mouth. Leo arched his neck, his jaw clenching.
“Mia . . . my God.”
“Hmmmm?” I slid my lips lower, taking in more of him and circling the tip with my tongue. Bobbing my head, I sucked hard and then went down even further, relaxing my throat so I didn’t gag. He was throbbing heat, so hard that I wondered how it didn’t hurt.
His hips began to pump against me, and I cupped his balls, fondling them, relishing his hiss of breath.
“Mia . . . babe. God, I’m close. If you want to move . . .”
I raised my mouth just long enough to speak. “I’m not going anywhere. I want you. All of you.” Holding the base of his erection, I took him deep, my cheeks hollowing with the intensity of the suction.
Leo thrust upward, his fingers knotting in my hair as he roared my name, pulsing into my mouth as he gave me everything he had. I stayed with him, swallowing several times and stroking him as he came down from the crest.
“My God, Mia.” He grasped me under the arms and hauled me up against him, burying his face in my neck. “You . . . you just destroy me, every time. I think I’m going to be the one to give you everything, and then you empty yourself out for me. Again.” He rolled over, caging me between his arms. “I’ve always known I don’t deserve you, but sometimes I realize how utterly unworthy of you I am. I don’t know why you love me, but all I want is for you to keep doing it, forever.”
I framed his face in both my hands, drowning in the soft gray of the eyes I loved. “I think that can be arranged.”
Freshman Year
May
“Hey, Wellman. Give me a hand here, will you?”
Tuck’s voice held more than a little frustration as I came into our room, drying off my hair with a towel. He was sitting on his bed, his arms braced on either side of his body so that the muscles popped out. His jaw was clenched, and he was staring at the floor, where a thick hardback book lay.
The Keeping Score Box Set Page 41
