Slow Play

  “Only because it’s helped me see what I want.” He tugs on my wrist, pulling me in closer. What does he mean by that? “Aren’t you curious, Alexandria?”

  He brings my hand up to his mouth and kisses the back of it, soft lips barely pressed against my skin. My legs feel boneless and I lock my knees to keep from falling. I want to die, just combust into a million tiny pieces. Never to be seen again. All from a simple kiss on the back of my hand.

  I wait breathlessly, my fingers trembling in his grasp. He lifts his head, his gaze meeting mine, dark and mysterious and so incredibly sexy I want to say yes to whatever he says next.

  “Curious about what?” I finally ask, proud that my voice is so steady. Inside, I’m an absolute mess.

  “What it would be like between us.” He takes one step forward and I take one back, suddenly needing the space. “I think we’d be good together.”

  “If you’re talking sexually…” I start and he shakes his head.

  “Does it always have to be about sex?” He smirks.

  This from the guy that lurks around bathrooms, looking to find a chick who’s down to fuck. Please. “With you, yes.”

  He chuckles, the rich sound sending a pulsing sensation throughout my body, settling in between my legs. “Maybe I want to do something different with you.”

  I frown. “Like what?” What, I don’t rate? This man is so incredibly infuriating. One minute I don’t want to ever see him again and the next, I’m breathless with anticipation for him to do something, anything to me to help ease the ache deep inside.

  Like the bossy asshole that he is, he pushes his way into my room, giving me no choice but to step back, letting him in. He shuts the door behind him and grabs hold of me, whirling me around so I’m pressed against the wall and he’s…

  Pressed against me.

  “Just a kiss,” he whispers, shifting his hips so I can feel every inch of him. And trust me, there are a lot of inches. “I’ve been dying to know what that mouth of yours taste like, Alexandria. Let me have one taste?”

  His voice is deep. Sensual. Intoxicating. I part my lips in anticipation, my eyes shuttering closed when his fingers drift along my jaw, his thumb tracing my lower lip. A shuddering breath escapes me and my mouth falls open.

  I want him to kiss me. I’m dying for it.

  And then his mouth is on mine. A soft press of lips on lips, mine parting at first touch, as are his. Electricity races through my veins, sparking my blood and I sigh, bathing his lips with my breath. He shifts closer, breaking the kiss as his hands lift to cradle my cheeks and then he kisses me again.

  I’m lost.

  Christ, her lips. They’re so soft, damp and warm and…giving. Eager. Clinging to mine as I kiss her again. And again. No tongue involved yet—what the hell is wrong with me— and I savor the taste of her. Learn the shape of her lips, hear the hitch in her breath when I take her lower lip between mine and gently tug.

  She likes that. I make a note of it for later.

  Alexandria melts into me, her hands braced against my chest before they slowly slide up to curl around my shoulders. The scent of her fills my head, sweet and clean and she tastes like toothpaste, all minty fresh and straight out of a freaking commercial.

  I stroke her cheeks with my thumbs and step closer, her head tilting back when I break our kiss. Slowly I open my eyes to find hers are still closed. A dreamy little sigh falls from her lips and the sound twists my stomach into knots. Fuck, the kiss was just as good as I knew it would be. Maybe it was even better—though I don’t know if that’s necessarily a good thing. More like a bad thing.

  Yeah. Bad. Real fucking bad.

  Her eyes slowly open as her tongue sneaks out and drifts across her lower lip. I wonder if she can taste me. If she wants more. I stare at her unabashedly, sliding my hands down her neck, over her shoulders, my gaze following the length of her body, taking in the thin tank and the tiny shorts…

  “Fuck, what are you wearing?” I sound like I’m in agony and holy shit, I am. I grip her shoulders as I step away from her, staring at her barely covered, incredibly sexy body.

  If that first touch of her lips on mine didn’t do it, seeing her like this certainly does. I’m so hard my dick is pressing against my fly, desperate to bust out and get to fucking.

  “I was going to bed,” she admits, her voice small. She stares at me, icy blue eyes hazy with lust. “I thought you were Kelli.”

  “I’m definitely not Kelli,” I say as I push Alexandria against the wall, my hands going to her waist, testing her shape, the slight curve of her hips. She’s thin, there’s not much to her and I think of my usual preference. I like ‘em with dark hair and eyes, short and curvy, lots of boobs and ass. Something to grab onto while you’re fucking her hard. Hey, I can even admit when I first saw Gabe’s girl I perked right up. Lucy’s totally my type.

  But I don’t dip my dick in a girl my friend is in hot pursuit of. Hell, those two claim they’re in love. Gabe’s all serious about her and I just…hell. It blows my mind. I look at Lucy now and see nothing but the name Gabe stamped all over her. Totally off limits.

  The primal need to keep a woman all for myself has never happened to me before but I think of some other guy touching Alexandria—like that nice guy Steven—and I see red. Fucking red.

  What does that even mean?

  “Why did you come here?” she asks, her voice low and soft. I lean down and press my forehead to hers, close my eyes and take a deep breath. I should lie and say I wanted to fuck her. Make it about that. Nothing but sex. That’s all it should be. That’s all it normally is.

  From the moment I’ve met Alexandria, nothing’s been normal. It’s like I’m in a different realm, especially tonight. Hanging out with dudes on a Saturday night playing video games while hoping I can get with the girl who’s crashed out on the couch. She thought I wasn’t paying attention to her but I heard every word she said.

  He doesn’t have any feelings.

  Yeah. I’ve been told that more than once. I’d heartily agree with that assessment.

  He doesn’t look like he stayed for me. More like he stayed for Call of Duty.

  She’s totally wrong about that one. The only reason I showed up was for her.

  “I wanted to see you,” I finally admit truthfully, lifting away from her so I can study her face. “But you were sleeping and they invited me to play so…”

  Alexandria keeps her head bent, her gaze downward. Her hands are on my chest again, her fingers playing with the three buttons at the top of my shirt and my body tenses up. I want to know what it feels like to have those hands on my bare skin. “I didn’t know you were a Call of Duty fan.”

  “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” I touch her chin, skim my fingers along her jaw. She lifts her head, her gaze meeting mine as she tilts her head up further, her eyes falling closed as she parts her lips.

  An invitation. One I’m not going to decline.

  I kiss her again, my hands going to the back of her thighs just as I deepen it. I lift her up easily, her long legs wrapping around my hips as I lick at the seam of her lips. She opens for me and I tangle my tongue with hers, groaning low in my throat at that first delicate, tentative touch. Her hands move up, resting on my nape before they slide up into my hair.

  Jesus, she feels good like this. Her clothes are so thin I can feel her. Soft and warm, blazing hot between her legs, right against the front of my jeans. I bet she’s wet. I bet if I sneak my hand beneath those tiny, indecent, fucking amazing shorts, I’d find nothing but a soaked pussy. All because of me…

  Someone raps on her door. Three short knocks that startle us both, making her gasp against my lips as I pause in my thorough examination of her mouth with my tongue. I lift my head and she drops her hands to my shoulders, the both of us deathly quiet as we wait for whoever’s knocking to go away.

  Go the fuck away.

  It’s quiet. I hear nothing on the other side of the door and we’re ju
st about to resume kissing when the knock happens again, louder this time. More insistent. If it’s Kelli I’m going to kill her.

  “Hey.” The voice on the other side of the door is distinctly male and slightly hesitant. “Alex? You in there?”

  Groaning, I close my eyes and thunk my head against the wall beside Alexandria’s. It’s Steven.

  Of course.

  “You need to…” Alexandria shoves at my shoulders. “Go or something.”

  I lift my head to stare at her. “Where the hell am I going to go?” I whisper, glancing around her tiny room. “You want me to hide in the bed?” I raise my brows, ever hopeful.

  “No. God, you pervert.” She unwraps her legs from around my waist and I reluctantly let her go, her feet falling to the floor with a gentle thump. “Uh, give me just a minute, Steven!” she yells at the door.

  I glare at her. “You’re really going to talk to him right now? Tell him to leave.”

  “Go.” She shoves at me. “Hide in the closet. I can’t let him see you in my room.”

  “Why the fuck not?” We’re whisper arguing with each other and it’s ridiculous. I bet Steven can hear us. Hell, I hope he can because I want him to know she’s mine. At least for tonight. I’m in her room, I had her in my arms and my tongue in her mouth not even a minute ago. That has to qualify for something—like she is mine, right?

  I’ve never laid claim on a chick before. This is a new thing for me.

  “Because I can’t! I just…ugh.” She runs to her closet and slides the door open, waving a hand for me to go inside the narrow space. She’s crazy. I could barely fit in there. Crossing my arms in front of my chest, I slowly shake my head.

  “No way. I can stand right here. Either you let him know I’m in here with you or crack that door open and peek your head out like you did with me,” I suggest. I’m not hiding. Fuck that.

  “Like that will keep him out. You barged right in.” She rests her hands on her hips and my mouth goes dry as I continue to stare at her. Seriously, that outfit she’s wearing hides nothing. Her nipples poke against the thin fabric of her tank, the hem rides up, offering me a glimpse of her flat, pale stomach and her legs seem to go on for miles.

  Fuck my life, she’s incredibly hot. I refuse to leave this bedroom without first getting a piece of that.

  Gotta have priorities, right?

  “He won’t barge right in,” I tell her, waving a hand at the closed door. “Trust me on that.”

  She contemplates me and I see the moment when she realizes I’m right. Shoulders sagging, she drops her hands from her hips and point to the corner near where her bed is. “Wait over there then, please?”

  Feeling smug, I go over by her bed, to the deepest corner of her room, and watch as she slowly opens the door and does as I ask, peeking her head around. Giving me a most excellent view of her ass.

  “You okay? Did I wake you?” Steven asks the moment he sees her, sounding like a concerned, pansy ass wannabe boyfriend.

  “I’m fine. Was just going to bed. What’s up?” I can hear the smile in her voice and I know she’s never spoken to me like that—with a sweet smile on her face and an even sweeter voice to match.

  I want that. Damn it, I will make it my life’s mission to hear her talk to me like that just once.

  “I wanted to say good night. I know we didn’t get to talk much and I feel bad about that. But you were sleeping and I didn’t want to bug you. Plus, I gotta admit…I hope I didn’t make you mad, coming over here to hang out with Conrad without asking you first.”

  This guy. I roll my eyes at his lack of game. He needs lessons on how to talk to a woman, stat.

  “It’s no big deal. You were friends with Conrad first, I get it.”

  “Yeah, but I need you to know I didn’t come over here just for Call of Duty and pizza.” He pauses and I swear I hear him shuffle his feet. “I came over here to see you too.”

  Irritation threatens to choke me. Guy upped his game, just like that. I can practically hear the mental awwww that’s happening in Alexandria’s brain right now.

  “I’m really glad you did,” she says softly.

  Unbelievable. She likes the sweet, aw shucks stuff.

  Meaning, I’m completely fucked.

  “Can I text you tomorrow?” Steven asks hopefully, his brown eyes bright and seeming extra huge behind his glasses.

  “Sure.” I shrug, not sure how I should respond. Indifferent maybe? I can’t flat out tell him no, that would be rude. But I don’t necessarily want to encourage him either. I feel like a jerk, having one guy in my bedroom while talking to another. I mean seriously, who am I, and what’s become of my life? I started this semester telling myself I needed to avoid guys and what, now I have a full-blown love triangle happening here?

  No, not a real love triangle. I’m not going to get involved with either of these guys. I don’t care how kind Steven is and what a great kisser Tristan is. They’re both banned from my life after tonight.

  Maybe…

  Crap.

  I press my swollen lips together and I swear I can still taste him. Terrible, horrible, arrogant, sexy, gorgeous him. I don’t like him, not really. The way Tristan looked at me right before I went to answer Steven at the door, his gaze running over my body like he could undress me with his eyes. So arrogant, so assuming.

  I want him to kiss me again. I want to feel his hands on me.

  Focus.

  Steven smiles and I smile in return because I can’t help it. He’s just so sweet and nice and I hate letting him down but…

  I’m going to eventually have to let him down. I can’t risk going on another date with him because I think he really likes me.

  And I’m really attracted to someone else.

  A someone else I can feel looming nearby. His commanding presence seems to fill the entire room and I can’t believe Steven doesn’t sense it. Sense him. My body is still vibrating from that kiss, from having Tristan’s hands all over me. I wrapped my legs around him and he pressed up against me like he wanted me to, oh I don’t know, dry hump him or something?

  I go hot at the thought. I probably could’ve got off on his leg like some sort of demented sicko. So embarrassing.

  “I’ll see you later then?” Steven asks, his voice cutting through my thoughts, bringing me back to reality.

  “Yeah.” I smile wider, clutching the handle so hard my sweaty palm nearly slips off it. Nerves jangle inside me as I start to close the door. I need this conversation to end before I say or do something stupid and ruin it. “Good night.”

  “Night Alex.” The door clicks shut on the sound of my name passing Steven’s lips and I press my head against the wood, closing my eyes. I hear Steven walk away, hear Tristan moving about my room and then he’s right behind me. Standing so close I can feel him, the heat from his body, the scent of his skin.

  He places his hand at my waist, fingers slipping beneath the hem of my tank, touching my bare skin. Not an accident. I know what he’s doing.

  And it’s working.

  “I thought he’d never leave,” he murmurs hotly against my neck just before he kisses it.

  I lift my head away from the door and tilt it to the side, giving him better access. He takes it, his mouth burning a path of damp kisses along my neck, the extra sensitive spot behind my ear. I shiver, pulling away from him but he just chases after me, his hand still at my waist, his mouth at my neck.

  “Tristan.” It takes everything I’ve got to say the next words. “Stop. Please.”

  He does. His hand drops, his mouth is gone and I turn to find him watching me, his expression downright savage. His eyes are wild, his hair a mess—from my hands I might add—his lips red and swollen and just like that, I want to jump him. Push him down onto my bed and have my way with him.

  But I don’t. I stand my ground. Stand by my instincts. And they’re screaming at me to get him the hell out of my room.

  “I think you should go,” I say, swallowing hard. The
slightest tremor tinges my voice and I hate that. I don’t want to seem weak. He sees a soft spot and he’ll go in for the kill.

  I know his type. I’ve dealt with them before. Confident, good-looking guys from wealthy families who get whatever they want, whenever they want. Including girls. I’ve let a few of them get me in the past.

  No chance is it going to happen now. They’ve all hurt me at one point or another including my father. I’m concerned this particular one will knock a solid punch into my self-confidence…

  “You really want me to leave? Even after that little performance for Steven?” He sounds incredulous. He’s probably never been told no in his life.

  “It wasn’t a performance. I can’t—deal with the both of you tonight.” I grab a hoodie off the back of a nearby chair and slip it on, zipping up the front and covering myself up completely. The disappointment in Tristan’s eyes is obvious.

  “So he’s a contender?”

  “For what?”

  “For you.” He takes a step forward, coming closer and I want to throw my hands up in front of myself to make him stop. “You want him? Steven?”

  “I…” My voice drifts. The answer is no. I’m not going to play either of these guys, and I’m definitely not going to play them against each other. “He’s a friend.”

  “Just like I’m a friend?”

  “I wouldn’t call us friends.”

  “You want to be friends with me, Alexandria?”

  Is he for real? “Do you want to be my friend, Tristan?”

  “No.” He shakes his head and for the quickest moment I’m disappointed. Sad. Upset. All of it. “I want to get you naked and fuck you. Big difference.”

  My mouth drops open. He is… “You’re unbelievable.”

  “I’m honest. That’s what makes it so hard to deal with, you know?” He comes toward me and I back up, my butt hitting the wall. Again. Why does he always corner me? Because he knows at first chance I’ll just run and hide? “You can’t tell me you didn’t feel it when we kissed.”

  “Feel what?” I ask weakly. He’s so close. His chest brushes against mine and I tilt my head back, my gaze meeting his. His eyes burn with an intensity that seems to touch something deep within me, making it incredibly hard to breathe.