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Summer

“ S o? What did you think?” Connor asks, his eyes searching my profile as we walk through the campus. The weather is still mild, though there’s a nip to the evenings that suggests the beginning of fall.

I look at him, smiling. “Your parents are incredible, Con.”

He lifts our joined hands and loops his arm over my head, resting it along my shoulders. Mine drapes over my chest, our fingers remaining interlaced near my shoulder.

“They’re pretty special. They like you a lot.” He smiles down at me with the same awe that’s always in his eyes when he looks at me, but something has shifted. The burning desire to run has completely dissipated, and instead, my stomach coils with something else as we approach my dorm. I don’t want him to leave. Not yet, anyway.

I linger when we arrive at my front door, reaching up to nuzzle my nose along his jaw. “So, boyfriend…”

He snakes his arms around my waist, pulling me against his chest. “Girlfriend…”

I laugh. “You’re enjoying this far too much.”

“Oh, I’m going to be unbearable.” He smirks. “I’m already considering changing my jersey to say Summer’s Boyfriend .”

“Stop.”

Connor grins and pulls out his phone. I watch as he goes into drafts, pulling up a post he has all ready to go. The photo is from last week, during the clean-up after the party. I’m on Connor’s back, pressing kisses along his neck. His lips are pulled into a bright smile, his head turned as he kisses my temple. The photo is so sickeningly sweet, and I can’t believe I was ever a part of something so… mushy. The longer I look at the photo, the more I realize what Alice was talking about. We’ve been acting like a couple for weeks. The only one I’ve been fooling is myself.

Connor is about to press Post when I stop him to read the caption.

“Absolutely not,” I say, rolling my eyes and grabbing his phone. I delete the caption and start typing.

Connor cringes and takes his phone back, deleting the caption and retyping it again. He turns the phone to show me with a mischievous grin.

I laugh and press Post .

Connor shoves his phone into the back pocket of his jeans, and then his lips are on mine. He kisses me hard, desperate, and I deepen it. He presses my back against our door but then pulls back reluctantly. “I wish I could come inside.”

I stretch, brushing my lips over his teasingly. “Why can’t you?”

“My parents are waiting…”

“You can’t even stay for a few minutes?” I moan against his lips.

He groans. “It’s never a few minutes with us. But I’ll come by tomorrow with breakfast. My parents are leaving early tomorrow morning.”

I bite his lip. “But I’d make it worth it…”

“I know you would.” Connor groans again. “Fuck.”

I drag my nails down his chest, nipping and kissing along his jaw.

“Maybe just a few minutes…” Connor leans into my nails and moans low when I cup his cock through his jeans, squeezing gently.

He curses and grabs my hand, yanking me into my dorm and straight to my bedroom. “We have to be quick.”

The second my bedroom door closes, he’s on me. His lips against mine, his hands fucking everywhere as he pushes and tugs at my clothes, trying to get them off as quickly as he can. I pull his shirt over his head, only breaking the kiss long enough to get rid of the barriers between us. I yank his jeans open and shove them down. He kicks them the rest of the way off, and we fall onto the bed. Connor takes the brunt of the fall, and I shift to straddle him. I sit up and look down at him, sliding my wet pussy against his cock. My clit throbs as I grind it against his rigid length, and I moan.

Connor’s eyes are dark, his massive hands gliding up my thighs as he lifts beneath me, sliding his cock through my slick folds. “Please, Summer?” he moans, nearly writhing beneath me.

A tickle of dissatisfaction plays against my desire. I want to be the one begging … Fuck. I push that thought away and lift my hips. Connor’s cock springs up, the tip pressing against my sensitive opening. I brace my hands against his thick chest and slowly lower myself onto him. Connor looks down at where he’s pushing into me as I impale myself fully. I hiss and rock against him, the burn of the stretch now familiar and welcome. His eyes go wide.

“Wait, shit. We forgot a condom.” He pulls me off him and grabs his pants, fishing in the pocket for one. “Fuck…” He fumbles with the small foil packet, obviously in a desire-filled haze.

I take the condom from him and open it before slowly sliding it down his length. Moving back over him, I slam my hips back down. I cry out at the feeling of being full and take his hands, putting them on my hips.

“Dig your fingers into me… please.” I press his fingers into my hips, showing him what I want. He moans as he rocks his hips beneath me and tightens his grip a little.

“More… Please?” I beg, needing that thrill of pain.

Again, he increases the pressure, but it’s still not enough. I lift and drop down hard onto him. Connor cries out and thrusts beneath me, his nails digging deep.

“Shit, did I hurt you?” Connor asks, easing his grip and pulling back a little.

“Do it again. Fuck. Please?” I slam my hips down harder, getting wetter for him. When he digs his nails in again, I throw my head back, pleasure radiating through my body. I drag my nails down his chest, riding him harder and faster. I crave that bite of pain with my pleasure, but he is giving me just quick tastes that keep my orgasm just out of reach.

“Gods, Connor… More!”

“Summer. Fuck…” He digs his finger in hard and pulls me down as he thrusts up, slamming his length deep into my belly. My orgasm teeters on the edge and then surges through me, my whole body bowing from the pleasure. Connor roars, the tight clench of my body sending him into his own release.

I circle my hips, pulling every last bit of pleasure from both of us before slumping forward, my sweat-slicked body pressing against his.

Connor runs his finger through my hair, panting as we both come down from our orgasms. “Fuck…” He moans as he presses his lips to my forehead.

I laugh softly. “Did I make it worth it?”

“You have no fucking idea, babe.”

I laugh and then roll off him, allowing him to get up. I cover myself with my sheet as he stands on shaky legs, pulling on his pants.

“Con?”

“Hm?” He glances at me, his lips pulled into a satisfied smile.

“Why did you freak out so much when you realized about the condom?” I look away, feeling my cheeks heat. “I mean, we’re not sleeping with anyone else.”

Connor sits on the edge of the bed, brushing a lock of my hair away from my face. “Well, we’ve never spoken about it, and I didn’t want to just jump to it without discussing it with you.”

I nod. “Okay, well, give your parents my love.”

“Babe.” He waits for me to look at him, “Feeling you without a condom was… fuck. I want more.” I search his eyes. “Do you not want to use condoms anymore?”

I tilt my head, watching him. “Well, we’re exclusive. Plus, I have the contraceptive rune. So?—”

Connor leans in, kissing me hard. “Then we won’t use them anymore.”

I pull back, cupping his cheek. “Were you going to talk to me about it?”

Connor thinks for a moment. “I’ve never done it without one before.”

“Me neither, but I’ve also never been a girlfriend before.”

“I like being your first,” Connor says with a wide smile.

“You should get back to your parents.” I laugh and kiss him again.

Connor pouts a little. “But I’ll miss you.”

I trace the strong line of his jaw with my lips.

“Thank you for coming to dinner. I know it wasn’t easy for you, but I’m happy you came.”

“Me too, big guy.”

Connor stands up. “I wish I could stay longer.”

“Breakfast tomorrow, though, right, boyfriend?”

He bends down and starts smothering my face in kisses. “Just try to stop me.” He gives me one last deep kiss before tearing himself away.

I stretch out on the bed, savoring the slight ache between my thighs, before sighing happily. I pull on pajamas before going to Alice’s room and climbing into bed with her. She’s in almost complete darkness. The only light is coming from the television. She’s watching that shitty vampire drama show again. The characters are speaking in some vampiric language, but Alice doesn’t even ask before turning on the subtitles, so I know what the fuck is going on.

“Okay, so Demetri is fucking Hectore, but Sylivia has just found out she is having a baby that was conceived the night they all were part of this major orgy. Sylivia is married to Demetri but is in love with Toma. Oh, and Hectore and Toma are brothers.”

I blink at the screen. An extremely pale lady is sitting on a throne, holding what looks like a still-beating heart.

“Oh, that’s her pet heart. It’s called Ruiz.”

I look at Alice. “How do you watch this shit?”

“Excuse me? I Got the V from His D is the best thing on television.”

I laugh and grab my phone to scroll through Nexus . The post from Connor is at the top of my notifications. I accept it, and it pops up on my page. I wonder if 1015 will see the post. The ever-present grey blob is a constant watcher of my stories.

“Did you see Connor’s post?” I ask, shoving my phone away and glancing at Alice.

“I did. What made you take the plunge?”

I smile, looking up at the ceiling. “I mean, how could I not?”

“He’s annoying like that. I’ve tried so hard not to like him.” Alice shrugs.

My phone starts vibrating like mad, and I glance at it, seeing the likes coming through for the post. “Fuck, this post has hundreds of likes already.”

“Well,” Alice smirks, “you are dating the most popular guy at Avalon.”

I sigh, a little more uneasy than I was a moment before. “I’m not sure that I want to be in the spotlight.”

“Summer, I hate to tell you this, but I think regardless of whether you decided to become official with Connor, you were never going to be a wallflower.”

“I didn’t…” I glance at her. “Make a mistake, did I?”

Alice tilts her head. “Does it feel like a mistake?”

I turn inward, trying to focus on my gut instinct. Since the first night I escaped, I have listened to it, and it has never steered me wrong. But this is completely uncharted territory. I wish someone would give me a fucking map.

“No,” I answer honestly.

“Then that’s it, but if you want, we can still kill them all,” Alice adds, returning her attention to the television.

“Oh, by the way, we’re going to try out for the cheerleading team.”

“What? Why?” Alice blinks at me.

“Because I want to, and you’re my best friend.”

“I respect the guilt trip.” She sighs heavily. “Fine.”

I climb out of bed. “I’m going to bed. Con is coming round for breakfast in the morning.”

“Night, Sum.”

“Night, Al.”