Page 20

Sensitive as she is fierce, she dismisses my rudeness and hands me a beer, her visceral reaction to me easy to read. “I missed you.” I watch her face closely to see if she’s lying. I don’t think she is.
Those words. So simple, yet powerfully disarming. You know that pain in the hollow space behind your throat? The one that reminds you you’re human after all? I hate that fucking spot.
Curious stares of those around us, and the women I’ve been dodging all night, linger. I gaze up at her, unsure what to say. I hate the steady pulse in my chest urging me to reach out and touch her. I stay seated in the chair, laid-back and relaxed, unfazed physically, but emotionally, a wreck. I look to the bar, to her dad and his watchful eyes.
“Well, don’t be a stranger,” she teases. “I’ve seriously missed you guys so much.” And leans in to hug me. She does the same to Shade, who’s next to me. He smirks my way. He knows. Though I know they’re friends, I think it’s just for appearances that she hugs him because the entire time, she’s looking at me.
Sitting across from me, she makes small talk, tells me she’s proud of me, but it’s all a front to deter the stares around us. And I play the part too. I act casual and uninterested, as if she’s just another acquaintance. If only they knew the things I’ve done to her. If only they knew what she does to me.
Twenty minutes pass and I can’t take it anymore. I stand and whisper, “I’ll be in my room.”
It’s an invitation, should she take it. With a heavy sigh, I leave in hopes she’s going to follow me.
In my room, it takes thirteen minutes for her to follow. The moment the soft knock comes, it’s as if an electrical storm pushes through the room, intensifying with each step I make. When I open the door, it’s as if I’m going to explode. Can you feel it? Can you sense it in her expression when she sees me? I stand at the door, leaning in, one hand on the knob, the other on the frame.
Her eyes rake over my body, as if she’s searching for something. Naturally, I don’t have a shirt on. I’m hardly ever fully dressed, but that’s beside the point. I blink, absolutely terrified of the power she has over me and my willingness to drop to my knees and beg her to drop out of college for me.
“Hey,” I say, an edge to my voice she hadn’t been expecting. “How’s college life?”
She brushes her dark hair from her shoulder, rolling her eyes playfully. “You mean, who’d I fuck while I was gone?”
Pretty much.
“I’ll fuckin’ kill ’em,” I tease, smiling, but I’m not. Not at all. I will and she knows it.
Our eyes catch. We stare. I don’t think either one of us breathe. Burning with bitterness, her silence to my question slaughters me.
Her voice is soft, her stance, unsure. But then she levels me with a disbelieving look. “I wasn’t kidding, Roan. I missed you. Likecrazy.” Her voice is ragged, emotional, and I’m beginning to wonder which one of us believes our fucked-up version of love is the right one.
Still, relief floods through me, the intoxicating escape she provides is undeniable. “Wasn’t sure if you were talking to Shade, or me.”
“You, alwaysyou.”
She doesn’t realize it, but she has the holeshot. If you don’t know what that means, it’s the money shot in a motocross race. The perfect line into that first gnarly corner that can make or break the race for most riders. And Ophelia Valentina Hadley, she has it.
With her words, my heart wants to explode. Don’t you dare tell her that. I’ll deny it. I exhale through my nose, my gaze dropping to the floor as I set the bottle on the nightstand. Running my hand over my face in frustration, I try to rein in some composure. It’s just… there’s history here and while I want to forget the last time we were in this room together and the truth she revealed, I can’t quite let go of it like I want to.
Without words, she steps inside my room, her hand on my cheek as she shuts the door behind her. I lean in, locking the door, and then without waiting, I close the gap between us, crashing my lips into hers. For a moment, it doesn’t sink in that she’s here and we’re kissing. We’ve barely said two words, yet our bodies can’t deny the connection.
I told you it was powerful. I never craved anything in life like I do her. Her lips are warm, soft, and everything I’ve missed in the last year. My desire, it’s driven by pure need. Months and months of wishing I could see her and now I’m giving in.
She hums against my lips, fisting my hair in her hands. Gripping the cheeks of her ass, she wraps her legs around my waist. I devour her with kisses, my tongue wildly seeking hers. It borders on embarrassing. My hand moves to the back of her neck, the other one under her ass. I move, losing my grip but instead, spin her around so she’s against the wall. My lips assault hers with a passion I’ve never given another. I surrender to her, completely, giving her everything I have to give.
I think about the after before it comes. The “then what?”, the meaning, the definition I know she’ll want from me. And while I’d gladly give it, she’s still so young and not ready for it. My thoughts are fleeting, given the lack of blood flow. I groan into her mouth when she slips further down the wall, the heat of her pussy directly over my cock.
Before I’m ready, she breaks the kiss. Her eyes land on mine and if I had to guess, she’s waiting for me to say something profound. I’m not sure, so I start with “I missed you too.” A hint of a smile is hidden by me pressing my lips to hers again.
I told her I loved her once and that only started a string of unfortunate events, so I’m not saying it again. What I’m going to do is show her just how much I missed her. Physically that is.
Bringing her to my bed, I strip her shorts off, taking her panties with it. She sits up, laughing, and removes her shirt and bra. I kiss her thigh and she squirms beneath me. I lay my hand across her stomach, kissing her again and nipping at the tender skin. “No moving.”
Leaning back on the bed, she smiles.
Her skin is hot to the touch, already greedy for me by the slickness on her sweet, wet cunt. “Do you remember the first time I made you come like this?” I whisper, biting, sucking, rolling my tongue over her clit.
She nods, unable to form words. Do you see the pink cheeks, the heavy breathing, the pure fucking need radiating through her? She wants this just as much as I do. She grabs a hold of my neck, trying to urge me up, but I don’t move. I slide a finger along her slit, needing more from her.
Her body arches off my bed, reeling for more. She claws at my shoulders and as she comes, it’s my name on her lips and my tongue buried deep inside her pussy.