Page 70 of Campus Crush
“Well, now we’re not.” Drew’s smirk was infuriating.
Before I could fight with them anymore, the front door opened again and Gordy walked in.
“What areyoudoing here?” I asked, completely exasperated with my housemates now. I wasn’t sure where he’d been, but he told me he had plans tonight.
He shrugged. “My plans fell through. What are you guys watching?”
“Abby and I,” I enunciated, emphasizing each word, “are on a date watchingThor: Ragnarok.”
He stared at me and Abby and then his gaze moved to Drew and Liam before they bounced back to me. “Well, if you wanted privacy, you should have watched it in your own room.”
Abby let out a choked snort beside me that quickly turned into a full belly laugh, and I couldn’t fight the grin that spread across my face. “This is amusing to you, huh?”
The smile that lit up her face made my heart race as her beautiful brown eyes connected with mine. “I mean, I’ve got to be the luckiest girl on campus to be on a date with four of the best players on the hockey team.”
Liam sat forward and opened his mouth, but I held up my finger. “Don’t even say it. I don’t share,” I said.
Abby’s cheeks blushed my favorite shade of pink and Iwrapped my arm around her, holding her close. Then I let out a heavy sigh, giving in to the losing battle. “Fine, I guess we’re all watching the movie.”
It was well past midnight by the time the movie ended. The guys had been decent company, keeping their commentary mostly funny rather than obnoxious. Abby had laughed at their jokes, once again proving how seamlessly she fit in with my friends and making my chest tight with an emotion I wasn’t quite ready to name.
Now we stood in the entryway as she gathered her things, and I was worried about her driving home this late at night.
“What if you stayed here?” I said, the words coming out before I could overthink them.
“With you?” Her eyes widened slightly, a mix of surprise and something else—anticipation, maybe—flickering across her face.
“Yeah, my bed’s big enough. And I’d feel better knowing you’re not driving this time of night.”
She nibbled her lip and I used my thumb to pull it away from her teeth. The soft fullness of her bottom lip beneath my touch sent a jolt of desire through me. “You know, every time you do that, you make me want to bite this lip. You have no idea what you do to me, do you?”
“No,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
I bent my head down, close enough that our foreheads nearly touched. “You make me feel things I’ve never felt before.” The admission felt raw and honest in a way I’d only ever allowed myself to be with her.
She swallowed thickly and looked up at me, her eyes filled with vulnerability. “I’m a virgin,” she said quickly like she was confessing a crime.
I suspected as much, based on things she’d said and how she’d acted before, but hearing it, feeling the weight of those words, knowing eventually I would be her first—and if I was lucky, her only—hit me hard. The responsibility of that trust settled over me, and I knew in that moment I would do anything to be worthy of it.
“We’re not having sex tonight,” I told her, my voice gentle but firm.
The spot between her eyebrows furrowed. “We aren’t?” A hint of confusion—maybe even disappointment—crossed her face.
I shook my head, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “No, because I want it to be special for you, and losing your virginity after the guys just crashed our date is really not romantic in the slightest.”
She giggled and the sound warmed me to my core. “No, I suppose it’s not,” she said, her shoulders relaxing. “So then what would we do?”
I kissed her nose, loving the way it scrunched up in response. “Well, first I’ll get you into one of my T-shirts.” I kissed her cheek, feeling the silkiness of her skin against my lips. “And then I’ll pull you close.” I kissed her other cheek, breathing in the light vanilla-citrus scent of her body lotion. “And then we might make out a little bit, if you want.” I kissed her lips, gently at first, then with more pressure as she responded before I reluctantly pulled away. Fuck, I loved kissing her. “And then we’ll go to sleep.”
Her pout was adorable, her bottom lip jutting out just enough to make me want to capture it between my teeth. “That’s it?”
I laughed, pressing my forehead against hers. “That’s it for tonight. I want to take my time with you, Abby. I want it to be perfect.”
She nodded, her features relaxing into an achingly tender expression. “Okay.”
I took her hand and led her to my bedroom, closing the door behind us. My room was probably the cleanest in the house, mainly because I’d cleaned it before she came over. My queen-sized bed was pushed to the right against the wall, covered in a dark blue comforter I’d purchased a few weeks ago. My dresser, closet, and desk were on the other side.
I pulled out a clean T-shirt from my drawer and handed it to her. “Bathroom’s through there if you want to change,” I said, nodding toward the en suite and suddenly grateful that I paid more to have the primary bedroom. The other guys had to share a bathroom, and I didn’t like the idea of them seeing her in this state of undress.
