He was coming inside me.
“Holy fuck.”
His head was still back as his whole body was tense and all of his muscles were rigid. “That was amazing,” he said huskily, his chest heaving as he was catching his breath.
Reality and the room was coming back to me.
The knocking had stopped.
I was still half raised off the mattress, my hips and stomach, but as Cruz disengaged, I rolled upright so I was half sitting on the edge of the bed. He took a step back, taking the condom off, but I reached for him. He paused, his eyes narrowing before he tossed the condom into the garbage by my desk.
I tugged him back. I was still drunk, and I didn’t want him to leave.
“What?”
“Stay the night.”
His head moved back a little. “We’ve never done that before.”
I nodded, feeling an itch inside of me. I didn’t know why it was there, why now, but I recognized it. I’d felt it at other times, just a few and knew I’d want him more than once during the night. I wouldn’t be satisfied until early morning.
Wait.
He had a game tomorrow. “No, never mind.”
He stiffened, his hand catching my wrist and jerking me up so I was on my knees and eye level with him. “What just happened there?”
I licked my lips, feeling this need for him again even though I knew he couldn’t go so soon. But I slid a hand down his chest, going all the way to him. “The mood I’m in, you’re not going to get any sleep.”
“So?” He was starting to get distracted, watching my hand.
“You have a game tomorrow.”
“So?” He was still watching, even more distracted.
“So.” I squeezed him, just slightly.
He groaned, raising his head so he could see me.
“You need sleep. You stay, and you won’t be getting any.”
He raised a hand to my chest and pushed me back so I was lying on the bed again. He crawled over me, his mouth finding mine, and then moving down my throat. “Good news for you, I can sleep on the bus.”
My knees bent in the air as his mouth traveled farther down my body.
“Cruz.” I had one hand lost in his hair.
“Hmm?” He was at my stomach, and he blew some air there, teasing me. He grinned at me, looking up via my body.
God. He looked so good down there. “Are you sure?”
Another flash in his eyes. “Oh yeah. I’m not quite ready to go yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do other things.” And with that, his mouth settled firmly over me.
I was squirming in the next second.
I was exploding a few moments later, and before I could gather my senses again, he was sliding right back inside.
I wanted to do this all night long.
I needed to do this all night long.
7
CRUZ
“Dude.”
Wes said as he swung into the seat next to me. I’d picked the middle range on purpose. Not in the back where guys tend to play their music or video games, and also not up in front where one of the coaches might see me and pull me in for a chat. They liked to connect with their players when they could, but not today for me. It’d been fucking phenomenal with Mara last night, but she had warned me. I needed sleep, badly. We had a good four-hour ride before our pre-game skate so I was planning on using it.
“Dude, move.”
“What? You serious?”
I gave him a nod. Loved the guy. He was my floormate too, but I was meaning business today. Wes liked to chat. I was not into that today.
He studied me a second before sighing and nodding. “I’m seeing what you’re putting down, but I’ll stay till the rest of the guys sit and then switch.”
I gave a nod, holding up my fist.
He met it with his, settling in and pulling his phone out.
I had mine out and put in headphones, slipped on my shades, and sat back to start sleeping asap.
I had a game to rest up for.
8
MARA
“Mara? A word?”
It was the TA for my abnormal psych class. It was typically reserved for upperclassmen, but since I’d done so many AP psych classes at my high school, I was the only freshman in this one. The professor had no problem with me, but the TA was a different matter. She’d been singling me out in class for the last week.
“You want me to wait?” Wade asked.
It’d been a shock when he showed up in class this week, saying he had to transfer in after deciding to drop another class, but it was kinda nice at the same time. I was also learning that Wade was a little bit of a ladies’ man. A lot of girls liked him. They liked to say hi and they liked to smile at him, and they really liked to surround him right after class.
I shook my head, putting my stuff in my bag at a slower rate. Then nodded to the girl who was waiting to talk to Wade. “Thinking you got something else going on anyways.”
His head jerked at seeing her, but he swung back to me. “You sure?”
I gave a small nod. “See you later.”
“See you at home?”
But I didn’t answer because the girl called Wade’s name and I saw the TA waiting for me, her arms crossed over her chest. I approached, my bag on my back and I was holding onto the straps, letting my elbows swing around. “You wanted to see me?”
“You’re a freshman?”
I nodded.
Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you did to get in here, but I really recommend that you wait a year before taking this course. We cover all the disorders, and Professor Chandresakaran is having us do field trips to some facilities.”
“So? What’s that got to do with me?”
“You’re a freshman.” She spoke as if that sentence, by itself, was an explanation.
“What does me being a freshman have to do with any of this? I’ve taken my AP psych classes. I’m on level with the coursework.”
She looked around the room, and seeing some students standing and talking to each other, she inclined her head. “I’m going to speak frankly here. I don’t think you’re mature enough for these field trips, or to fully comprehend the coursework that we go over.”
I snorted. “And you think me being a sophomore would help ‘mature’ me better?”
“Don’t take this personally. It’s not. I check out each student before they’re able to attend these field trips. I do this to protect the individuals at those facilities, and you’re the one I keep coming back to. There’s a question mark by your name and after talking to some people, I’m hearing how you’re only known for parties and lately there was a physical altercation you were a part of? That worries me. If I can’t clear you to go on these trips, you will fail this class.”
“You can’t do that.”
“We can. I can. We’re not state-funded. We’re a private university, and I take this work very serious.”
“So what? You want me to tell you all the difficulties I’ve had in life or something?”
“You went to Fallen Crest Academy. That school has a reputation of privilege and wealth.”
“You can’t judge me on that criteria.”
She stared at me. I stared at her.
“Look.” She sighed. “We’re not to the field trips yet. I do have my concerns, but I’m willing to hear you out. If you’re willing to risk it and miss the deadline for changing a course, I’ll watch how you do in the upcoming assignments. We have our first quiz next week so that’ll be the beginning of it. Sound fair?”