Page 57 of Stay
I leap from the chair to pace, and worry my bottom lip with my teeth before straightening my hair.
Deep breath in. Slowly exhale out.
Deep breath in. Slowly exhale out.
Before I can do it a few more time, there’s a knock on the door. Loud music pours in from the brightly lit hallway as I open it. People are laughing, yelling back and forth. Even though it’s against the dorm rules, a few guys swig beer from cans as they toss a football from one end of the hall to the other.
“Hi.”
When his gaze collides with mine, I’m once again struck by how good-looking he is. My fingers itch to plow their way through his dark shaggy strands. I have to shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans so I won’t do exactly that. This already feels like a mistake.
Nerves flutter about in my belly. “Hey.”
He glances around the room as if taking everything in before resettling on me again. His gaze is always so direct and forthright. Like he sees everything. Cole has already proven himself to be astute, always watching and anticipating my needs. He knows when to push and when to back off.
Two long-legged strides eat up the distance between us. He’s so close that I have to crane my neck to hold his gaze. Again, the urge to touch him surges through me. All the memories of us snuggled up and kissing in his bed rush through my mind. It doesn’t take long for desire to follow.
“I’m going to kiss you now, Cassidy.”
Even as he murmurs the words, he’s already on the verge of capturing my lips. My arms tangle around his neck before tugging him close, needing to feel more of him.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispers before delving in for more.
I’ve missed him too.
Way too much.
“You’ve been MIA,” he adds.
“I’m sorry, it’s been really busy.” It’s more than that, and I wonder if he realizes it as well. My guess is that he does.
It’s been almost a full week since we made that awkward drive back to the dorms. We haven’t seen much of each other since that day. He’s reached out, wanting to spend time together. I’ve kept him at a firm distance with excuses.
The truth is that I needed space.
Time and space to work through all the shit in my head.
I wasn’t sure what he would do. Maybe get fed up or irritated? Instead, he backed off, giving me the time I needed. He didn’t badger or hound me. If he had, it would have been much easier to get annoyed and cut things off.
When I’m wrapped up in his arms like this, all the protests grow silent. When I’m with him, a strange contentment washes over me.
“Do you have more work or are you finished for the night?”
My gaze darts away. I should keep working. I really should…
“No, I’m done.”
Without warning, his lips lower to mine. When his tongue sweeps across the seam, I open and he delves inside. That’s all it takes for me to melt against him. Unable to resist, I do what I’ve been dying to since I first opened the door. I tunnel my fingers through his hair.
A growl rumbles up from deep within his throat.
I don’t want to stop touching him, and I certainly don’t want him to backoff either. It’s tempting to stake my claim just like Brooklyn suggested earlier.
He licks at my mouth, nipping at the corners until I’m the one whimpering, needing more. After a few breathless moments, he kisses his way down the column of my neck to the collar of my shirt.
“Cole…”
Barely can I force his name out.
