Be With Me

  Jase cursed again, and then his hand was wrapping around the back of my head. When he tugged me forward, my heart jumped. He kissed me. There was nothing slow about it. The kiss was fierce and hard. He kissed me like he was staking a claim or like he hadn’t done so in a very long time. Blood turned to lava in my veins. He broke the kiss, and all I could do was stare at him, my heart pounding crazy fast.

  I believed him.

  I don’t know why or how a kiss could prove what he said, but it did. To the day I died, I would believe what he said.

  He returned to his seat, breathing heavy, and hit the gas. The car started to move again. “That—that is what didn’t happen between her and me. Not ever, Tess.”

  Maybe it was the beer. The need to prove that I could be as sexy, daring, and alluring as the girl in his room without taking my shirt off or having her breasts. Or maybe it was the kiss. It could’ve been all the emotion rising in my chest and the lust that caused heat to pool between my thighs. Maybe it was all these things. It didn’t matter. My brain had clicked off, and I was already moving before any rational thought could form or I could think about the consequences. Or about the fact that Jase had a lot going on. Or about hurt feelings.

  I leaned over the center console, pressing my lips to the corner of his mouth. He didn’t jerk away as I slipped my hand between his legs, cupping him. Then he jerked, but against my hand. He was hard, straining against the zipper.

  “Jesus,” he groaned, and as I pulled my head back, I saw his hand farthest from me white knuckle the steering wheel. He cast me a quick sidelong glance with heavy hooded eyes. “What are you doing?”

  “Looks obvious, doesn’t it?” I moved my hand up, following the rather impressive length.

  He took a deep breath, shifting his gaze to the road. “Nothing is obvious when it comes to you.” He could’ve removed my hand or told me to stop. “Nothing you do in this fucking world is obvious.”

  The words mingled with the strange, warm haze invading my thoughts. My hands knew what to do. I’d done it before. Only a few times, but I imagined it was like riding a bicycle. You really couldn’t forget or do it wrong.

  Well, that was really an unsexy way to look at it.

  I flicked open the button on his jeans, carefully tugging the zipper down. The tinny sound seemed louder than the air coming in from the partially rolled down windows.

  Jase was breathing heavily as I reached in and wrapped my fingers around the warm, hard skin and eased him out. “Tess,” he ground out. A shudder worked its way through him, and he jumped against my hand as I palmed him. The Jeep slowed.

  His skin was red-hot, smooth as silk, and I was incredibly awed. There were a few seconds when I was mystified by the feel of him. I felt him from his base to the tip, and my stomach hollowed.

  “Aw, God, this is going to drive me crazy.” His voice was thick. “You really—”

  I stretched as far as I could go and lowered my head. The salty taste of his skin danced over my tongue. I moved my hand down slowly as I kept exploring, bringing him deeper into my mouth.

  “Tess,” he growled, his body flexing as I tasted him for the first time. As I moved up, I swirled my tongue along the head. “Holy shit, where did you learn that? Fuck. Don’t answer. I don’t want to know. I prefer to think you were born with that talent.”

  A laugh bubbled up and vibrated over him. He swore and his body tightened in response. Hmm. I had no idea a laugh in this position would do that to him. He was throbbing in my hand and in my mouth. Instinct seemed to take over as I matched my hand to my mouth.

  “You’re going to kill me—kill us.” His hips jerked, and I heard the engine roar. “Fuck,” he growled as I picked up the pace. “You’re killing me.”

  I smiled around him as I flicked my tongue along his head. Heat swamped me, moving down my body. I ached between my thighs. The few times I’d done this before I’d never been aroused. Not like this. It was like this was the first time I really wanted to do this, and that made me hot.

  A murmur of triumph was muffled as his free hand dropped to the back of my head. He threaded his fingers through my hair, loosening the bun as he placed the slightest weight on my head. He guided me for a few moments and then his hand slipped down, wrapping around my neck. His thumb found my pulse, gently massaging the skin until I was squeezing my thighs together.

  “I’m not going to last. Ah fuck, I’m . . .” His hips powered up and he shook. He gripped the nape of my neck. “Tess, you have to stop or I’m going to—”

  I wasn’t going anywhere. I don’t know why. I never swallowed before. The idea of it wigged me out, but not with him. Apparently, it was my inner porn star. It took one more twist of my tongue, slide of my hand, and he shouted my name as he pulsed and spasmed.

  When it was over, I pressed a kiss to him before I lifted my head, tucked him away, and zipped up his jeans. His hand trembled against the back of my neck as I returned to my seat, the pressure of his fingers carving a brand into my skin.

  Jase stared straight ahead, lips parted and his chest rising and falling swiftly. Nothing was to be gained from his expression. I glanced out the window. The road was long and dark. I recognized nothing, so I knew it wasn’t Route 45. I was surprised he hadn’t wrecked.

  My gaze swung back to him when he lowered his hand. His jaw was tight, and he was still breathing heavily. My heart skipped and then took a magnificent tumble. Oh my God. I shouldn’t have done it. There was a thousand—no, a million—reasons as to why I shouldn’t have done that. So many I could write an epic guide on how to do the wrong thing. Maybe you shouldn’t give guys who had kids road head? How was I to know?

  I immediately started working up excuses. I’d been drinking. And I was buzzing. I hadn’t eaten much today. Maybe I had diabetes and was prone to random acts of head. Oh yeah, that sounded believable. Must write that one down for later.

  Without saying a word, Jase glanced over to me—no, to the side of the road. He cut over, slamming to a stop on the shoulder. I threw my arm out, catching myself before I face-planted on the dashboard.

  Car idling, he was eerily silent as he opened the driver’s door and got out. He got out of the car! The overhead light came on.

  “Holy shit,” I murmured as I watched him step in front of the headlights, his striking profile cast in harsh, yellow lights.

  Was he going to remove me from the car? Make me walk back from the middle of nowhere? That seemed like an excessive response. Right? After all, I think I gave him a pretty damn good orgasm. He should be thanking me—

  Jase wrenched open my door, and my gaze immediately dropped. The top of his jeans were still unbuttoned and clutch my pearls, that was hot.

  I took a deep breath. “Jase—”

  He clasped the sides of my cheeks and his mouth was on mine. The kiss was like the one before I came up with the brilliant idea of a blow job. Demanding. Hungry. The kiss brokered no room for anything but tasting and sensation. His tongue parted my lips, capturing the gasp. His head slanted, deepening the kiss as his hands slid under my skirt, wrapping around my hips. Lifting his mouth, he kept his eyes riveted on mine as he turned me in the seat toward where he stood.

  I squeaked as he tugged me forward to the edge of the seat. Reaching back, I slammed my hands down on the driver’s seat, elbows bent. A fierce, raw tautness etched into his face as he lifted my butt off the seat and hooked his fingers into the band of my leggings.

  There was a flash of understanding, and then he tugged them down, all the way to my ankles. Stunned, I flushed hot as my chest rose. Okay. He wasn’t mad. He was most definitely not—

  Jase lifted the edges of my shirt, and then kicked his head back. His throat worked. “Holy fuck, no panties?”

  No panties? What? Holy shit. I’d forgotten. My body burned twice as hot. “I . . . I don’t like to wear them with tights.”

  He snapped forward, curving one hand around my neck. “Perfect.” He kissed me again, thrusting his tongue in
my mouth. “That is fucking perfect.”

  And then his mouth was off mine and he was staring at me, his large hands dark against the skin of my thighs. Out of habit, I kept myself practically bare down there from years of dancing in tights, leotards, and skimpy dresses. There was no way to hide. Absolutely no way as he parted my legs.

  A deep, sexy sound rumbled up from him. “You’re beautiful, Tess. More beautiful than I could even imagine.”

  My mouth dried as my body sizzled from the inside.

  “Open up for me,” he murmured.

  I fought the urge to close my legs. Anyone could drive by. I had no idea where we were, how close to the frat house or any house. Hell, the police could drive by, but I opened for him.

  “More.”

  Heart pounding, I spread my legs, stretching my leggings around my ankles. His hands drifted over my skin, resting against my hips. All of this was insanely surreal. It was like a dream with tingling skin and heightened senses. My heart was beating so fast I thought I’d surely have a heart attack.

  Jase’s quicksilver gaze held mine as he lowered his head. He went right for it, as bold and determined as I had been with him, but this . . . this was different. Intimate in an entirely unique way. I jerked when his warm breath neared and cried out when he kissed me between my legs—a sweet, heart-stopping kiss.

  And then he devoured me.

  His mouth was on me—hot, wet, and shattering. The strokes of his tongue were determined, teasing and shallow, and then relentless and deep. My head fell back as my thoughts spun. Panting heavily, my hips moved as raw sensations pounded me into the seat. My body was a tempest. I was out of control. My hands slipped over the vinyl and my head hit the driver’s seat. I arched my back as he delved deep.

  “Jase,” I moaned, my body coiling tight. Every part of me tensed. From the muscles in my fingers, all the way down to my toes. It was like being onstage, when the music started, and I glided into my first move—that moment when my body was locked up tight, ready to bloom and follow the call of the music.

  “Keep saying my name.” His fingers bit into my skin, eliciting a hiss of pleasure from me. “And I’ll never stop. I swear to you.”

  I’d die if he kept up. I was dying now. I cried out, completely lost as my body spiraled and liquefied. I couldn’t breathe as release whipped through me, throbbing and pulsing. My legs trembled, my hands opened and closed, grasping air. There were these strange soft sounds echoing in the Jeep, and it took me a few seconds to realize they were coming from me.

  Vaguely aware of him moving over me, I felt his lips on mine, tasting myself on his lips. I was in a daze as his hand smoothed over the skin of my thighs, and he whispered my name. Those calloused fingers drifted down my legs. He pulled my tights up, fixed my shirt, and helped me sit up, putting my feet back in the Jeep. I’d lost a shoe in the process. He found it, slipping it on my foot.

  I leaned my head back against the seat, dragging in breaths as he buckled me in. A shiver danced over me as he ran a hand up my arm, to my cheek. He turned my chin toward him. I blinked my eyes open.

  “If you say we shouldn’t have done that or if you apologize . . .” I yawned. Sexy. “I will punch you in the balls.”

  One side of Jase’s glistening lips hitched up. “I wasn’t going to say either of those things.”

  “Oh?”

  “No.” His thumb smoothed over my lower lip. “I was just going to tell you that was the best . . . the best goddamn drive down these roads I’ve ever had.”

  Thirteen

  Jase stopped at McDonald’s on the way back to my dorm, ordering us a sweet tea that we shared. I think we’d worked up quite a thirst. I felt like I had no bones or muscle and I was floating in my seat, tethered down by the seat belt. The euphoria seeped through me. It was like finishing a dance number at a competition and walking off that stage knowing I was going to take first place.

  Actually, this was better. More tangible. If I closed my eyes, I could still feel his hands on my legs and his warm breath dancing over my most private place.

  Tomorrow I’d probably bury my face under a rock, but right now, I didn’t care. I didn’t want to think about anything. I just wanted to ride this wave, because I hadn’t felt this good in months.

  Jase pulled into a parking spot near the entrance to the dorm. I forced my limbs to work as he hopped out and came around to the passenger side. He opened the door as I unbuckled my seat belt. My fingers felt detached.

  When I slid out of the Jeep, I looked up into his eyes. A big smile stretched my lips as he reached between us, taking my hand in his. He closed the door and as I stepped forward, I stumbled way to the right.

  He chuckled, tightening his hold on my hand. “Easy there. You keep it up and I’ll think I really swept you off your feet.”

  I giggled, thinking that he’d most definitely been doing some sweeping. He led me to the sidewalk and my feet got tangled up a bit. I tripped and then laughed again.

  Jase stopped, looking down at me. In the overhead lamps, and the way the shadows played across his face, I thought he looked like someone who stepped straight out of a dream. “Did you drink at the party?”

  “Maybe?”

  The relaxed half smile faded. “How much have you had to drink tonight?”

  “Ah, three? Four? I don’t know.” I paused. “I don’t really drink. With dancing, you know? Can’t dance when I’m drunk. Well, I could, but it wouldn’t be that good.”

  “Shit.” He hung his head and took a stuttered breath. “You’re drunk?”

  “God. You do sound like a dad,” I yakked.

  He shot me a blank look.

  “All right, I wouldn’t say I was drunk.” I yawned as I turned toward the dorm and then glanced over my shoulder at him. He still held on to my hand, but our arms stretched out. “I wish I could teleport myself into my dorm.”

  His brows rose. “Yeah, you’re a bit drunk.”

  Was I? I couldn’t tell. The buzzy, happy feeling could be from the beer or the orgasm. “I’m going to go with orgasm.”

  “What?” He laughed deeply.

  Tugging on his arm, I smiled when he started walking. “I feel good—better than I’ve felt in months. And I’m going to say that it was the orgasm and not the beer that is making me feel this way.”

  Another deep, alluring laugh rumbled from him. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You should.” We were still horribly far away from the door, and Jase wasn’t moving quickly enough. Maybe he would stay. I didn’t think Debbie would be back for a long time. We’d have the place to ourselves. And we’d have a bed and—

  “I didn’t know you’d been drinking.”

  Stopping at the somberness in his tone, I spun around and nearly lost my balance, which didn’t help my case. His hands landed on my hips, steadying me. “You regret it, don’t you?” My happy bubble was about to burst. “I’m not plastered. I know exactly what I was doing. I wanted to do it. Maybe it wasn’t my smartest idea—”

  “I fucking disagree with that,” he commented, eyes glimmering for a moment. “It was brilliant, but . . .” His features softened as he placed his large hand against my cheek. “If I’d known you’d been drinking, I would’ve stopped you.”

  Tilting my head to the side, I tried to figure out what that meant. “And if I wasn’t drinking?”

  “I think you know the answer to that.”

  I guess I sort of did. “But I’m not drunk. I wanted to do that to you. I wanted—”

  Jase groaned. “You have got to stop talking like that.”

  “Like what?” My brows knitted.

  “Telling me that you wanted to. Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad to hear that, but it makes me want to let you do it again. And for me to do it again. But I wouldn’t want to use just my tongue.” He pressed his forehead to mine, and I drew in a shaky breath at his closeness. “I’d start with that, but I’d want to use my hands and I wouldn’t stop there.”

 
His words scalded my cheeks, and maybe I was a bit more intoxicated than I realized, because a rush of boldness invaded me. “I wouldn’t stop you.”

  He closed his eyes, and a deep sound came from the back of his throat. “God, Tess . . .”

  I swallowed hard, and then tilted my head, lining up our mouths. “Jase?”

  There was a moment of hesitation, and then he kissed me softly, a gentle sweep of his lips over mine. A barely there touch that somehow affected me more than any of the other kisses. “I know you’ve been drinking. I don’t want that hanging between us.”

  “But—”

  “We’ll talk more later. Okay? Right now, let me just get your not-drunk-but-slightly-tipsy cute ass upstairs.”

  “You think my ass is cute?”

  He pulled away, laughing. “Baby, your ass is like my own personal holy ground.”

  “Oh my God . . .”

  A grin appeared. “Come on.”

  “I can’t believe you just said my ass was—ah!” I squealed as Jase slipped an arm around my waist and lifted me up, holding me to his chest. Stars cartwheeled for a few seconds. “What are you doing?”

  He looked down at me, eyebrow arched. “Getting you to your room.”

  “Carrying me is necessary?”

  “Yep.” He strode across the pavilion. “Card?”

  Wiggling around, I dug it out from my back pocket of my skirt. He hefted me up and managed to grab it without dropping me. I didn’t protest when he asked me to open the door and caught it with his foot. Resting my head against his chest, I closed my eyes. Seconds passed and the gentle bob of his steps swayed me back into that pleasant state. We needed to talk. About stuff. Serious stuff. And waiting until tomorrow was probably a bad idea, but I snuggled closer. Being in his arms, well . . .

  Tomorrow could go screw itself with a rusty spork.

  Much of the trip to my room was like being underwater, and opening my eyes required way too much effort. As usual, our suite was empty. He used his elbow to turn on the light.