Page 54

53

Summer

C onnor leans against the stacks, bracing his arm against the wood of the shelves. He pants, his breath hot against my cheek. “Fuck, babe.” After the showdown with Rafe and my offer to tutor him, Connor pulled me to the library and to the stacks that are slowly becoming our place. He barely managed to shove my panties down before he was thrusting inside me.

“Did that feel good, big guy?” I purr into his ear.

Connor brushes his lips along my cheek, shakily searching for mine. “So fucking good,” he moans as our lips meet, and I kiss him deeply.

“What are you doing later?” Connor asks into my mouth, still pressing me against the stacks.

“Well, I have cheer tryouts today. Then I thought maybe you could come over, we could order dinner, and perhaps my dessert can be a mouthful of you…”

Connor groans, his cock throbbing inside of me. “Is that right?”

“Are you up for it, Morningstar?”

“Fuck, absolutely I am.”

“Perfect.” Connor reluctantly pulls out of me and then lowers me to the ground. He zips up his pants, and I look around for my panties, frowning when I don’t see them. The bright pink lace should be stark against the dark stone of the library floor, yet they are decidedly absent. I get onto my hands and knees to search under the stacks, hoping that maybe they just got kicked under there in the frantic, heated moment, but all I see are shadows.

“Con, do you know where my panties are?”

Connor finishes tucking his shirt into his pants and turns to face me. “They were on the ground.”

“Well, they’re not anymore.”

Connor helps me look, but it quickly becomes clear that they may be lost, destined to be found by some poor, unsuspecting, studious person.

“Commando, it is then, I guess.”

Connor cups my cheek. “My place or yours for tonight?”

“Mine,” I reply, considering the fact that while I have Alice sharing the dorm with me, he shares the house with his four brothers. I lean in, brushing my lips over his. “I’ll see you later, big guy.”

“See you later, succubus.”

“Do we have to?” Alice groans, repeating the same questions for at least the twentieth time since we left our last class.

I give her an exasperated look. “ You don’t have to, but I do. I’m doing this for Connor.”

“Stupid bird brain jock,” Alice grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest. “You know, to be a cheerleader, you have to be actually cheer-y . As in, you need to have cheer in order to lead.”

I glare at her.

“What? I’m just saying. You have that dark and mysterious, angry, don’t-talk-to-me vibe.” Alice glances at my face and continues quickly, “Which you know I love. But say you’re successful today, just don’t get all?—”

“Summer! Alice!” Ashley hurries over, holding a black and silver pom pom in each hand. Her smile is overly bright, though it wouldn’t surprise me if this is simply the way her face is stuck, thanks to what looks to be a painfully tight ponytail. “I am so glad you decided to try out! You’re going to do great. Just remember to relax and smile!” Ashley’s smile grows if that is at all possible, and Alice glances at me, giving me the most scathing look I’ve ever received from her.

“Like that,” Alice continues, her gaze wandering to Ashley and the rest of the squad. If looks could kill, this would be the biggest massacre Avalon has ever seen.

Alice and I join the group of nervous, prospective cheerleaders, and we start to warm up. Well, I do. Alice is more invested in sussing out the cheerleaders, and I’ve no sooner bent down to touch my toes when she abandons me to interrogate one of them. I can only see the back of her head, but I know she’s conspiring to get all the gossip. She’ll no doubt lock it away in the recesses of her mind, only to use it at the moment it will cause the greatest chaos.

Damn, my best friend is cool.

Ashley claps, drawing our attention as the guys flood onto the other side of the field to start their own practice.

“I’m so excited to see such an incredible turnout! So, as you know, there are three spots on the team, and there are thirty of you trying out, so you’d better bring your A-game!” Ashley grins and pulls out her phone, tapping at the screen. “Okay, everyone spread out. The first round is to see who can keep up with us.” Ashley taps again, and suddenly, there is a blast of music. The cheerleaders fall into formation and start their routine. The moves are basic and repeated to the rhythm of the beat. Alice throws me a mutinous look, and I grin at her as I copy their steps. Others follow, and a few cheerleaders seamlessly extract themselves from the dance to walk through the group. Ashley’s eyes scan us all as she dances, not missing a step.

One of the cheerleaders stops in front of me. Her mousey hair is pulled back in a single braid, and I can’t help but notice the challenge in her stare as she eyes me. Never one to back down, it is nearly instinct to hold her gaze. She narrows her eyes at me before slowly moving on. Every so often, when someone messes up, the wandering cheerleaders tap them on the shoulder, the dreaded signal that they have not made the squad. By the end of the routine, only ten of us are left. Ashley grins at us all.

“Congrats on making it this far. Next, we’ll test your speed, agility, and flexibility.”

My gaze wanders across the field and invariably lands on Connor. I’m immediately captivated by the way his muscles flex as he catches the ball and throws it to one of his teammates. As if his gaze were a magnet drawn to mine, he lifts his head and throws me a wide, easy smile.

“So, everyone ready?” Ashley asks, and I grimace, looking at Alice. Fuck, I really should have been listening. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“Georgie, you first,” Ashley says, and a brunette shifter girl steps forward, smiling sheepishly. “High kick,” Ashley demands, clicking her pen, preparing to take down notes. Georgie does a high kick, and Ashley purses her lips, her pen flying across the clipboard. “Back handspring.” Again, Georgie immediately attempts a backflip, but her landing is wobbly. I grimace for her. “Okay, and handstand.” Georgie inverts into a handstand, her legs anything but straight. Ashley smiles at her. “Thank you, Georgie. Isabella will time you running the field now, and we’ll get back to you.” Georgie trots off, following a pink-haired cheerleader.

“Summer, you’re up!” Ashley grins at me, and we go through all the same drills. Ashley nods, making notes on her clipboard. “Okay, perfect. If you want to foll?—”

“I’ll time her, Ash,” the cheerleader with the mousy hair offers sweetly, though I can feel the dislike in her gaze.

“Okay, Tarran. Thanks!” Ashley says. “Alice! You’re up next.”

“Sorry!” I mouth to Alice as I follow behind the angry cheerleader.

“Okay, Summer , let’s see how fast you are.” She starts the timer without giving me any warning. I roll my eyes but immediately push into a run, setting a quick but even stride. My instincts call on me to lean into my powers, but I push them away, unwilling to utilize my natural abilities. Keeping them contained and dormant has become second nature, but what used to be a dull ache has become a dangerous, dark tempest desperate to be free.

I glance at Connor because not looking at him when he is in my vicinity is an impossibility. Irritation stabs at me when I see that the cheerleader who is supposed to be timing me is standing next to him with her hand on his arm. She throws her head back and laughs, the sound harsh, annoying, and overly loud even on the busy field. I change course and run over to them.

“Hi, babe!” Connor says, brushing her hand away and wrapping his arms around me.

“Hi, big guy.” I smile up at him.

“You’re supposed to be running,” the cheerleader grumbles.

I look at her. “And you’re supposed to be timing me.”

She tamps down her fury and turns her gaze back to Connor, fluttering her eyelashes unashamedly. “Anyway, Connor. I had a really good time with you at Finch’s party. We should hang out again soon.”

Connor blinks at her, seeming genuinely confused. “Oh, sorry, Tarrow. I’m not on the market.” He squeezes me and playfully bites my cheek.

“It’s Tarren,” she mumbles under her breath.

I laugh and swat at him. “My big guy looks sexy on the field. No one can resist him,” I say, wrapping my arms around Connor’s neck.

Tarren clenches her fists and stomps off, her braid swinging furiously against her back.

“You know, I’m probably not going to make the team now,” I quip, running my fingers through his blond locks.

Connor frowns. “Why?”

“Because Tarot hates me. And because you fucked up my times by being so irresistible that you attracted sour cheerleaders.”

Connor laughs, the sound full and joyous. “It’ll be fine, babe. Ashley is very fair when it comes to her girls!”

Connor leans in to kiss me, but Zach throws the ball, hitting Connor in the back.

“Hurry up, dickwad,” Zach yells.

I laugh softly and press a soft kiss to Connor’s lips before pulling back.

“Summer!” Ashley calls.

I sigh and try to hold back my eye roll. I press one last kiss to Connor’s lips before jogging back to the group.

Ashley claps her hands, grinning widely. “What a great effort! We’ll review all the data and announce our picks at the end of the week!”

Before Ashley even finishes talking, Alice grabs my arm and pulls me toward the exit. I try to get her to wait so I can say goodbye to Connor, but she just growls at me and walks faster. I wave at him as we pass, and he winks at me.

Alice slows down once we are outside the stadium. “Well, I hated every second of that,” Alice grumbles.

“I know, but I appreciate you doing it with me, Al.”

Alice mumbles something that sounds like, “You’re welcome,” and I can see the smile playing on her lips. I wonder if anyone has ever shown her gratitude before.

We stop at the cafe on the way home, and I order a very berry smoothie for myself and a tropical spiced blood smoothie for Alice. I pull out my phone, about to pay when a large shifter approaches. His dark eyes are fixed on Alice as he taps his card against the machine.

“Actually, we got it,” Alice growls.

The machine beeps once, and he smiles wolfishly. “Already done, sweet cheeks.” He winks at her and then swaggers away. Alice stares after him and then glances at me when she’s managed to fix her face into a look of ire.

I smirk at her, one eyebrow raised.

“Damn it,” she says, stomping over to the other end of the counter.

“What?” I ask, following her.

“Pretty sure I’m going to hate-bang him later.”

The barista puts our smoothies on the counter. I pick mine up and take a long sip before saying, “You should. He’s hot.”

Alice pulls out her phone and taps at the screen.

“What are you doing?”

Alice starts scrolling. “I’m ordering a new ball gag. He seems like a talker.”

“And cuddler…” I feign a shudder as we leave the cafe. I’m a total fraud, given that I enjoy a little dirty talk, and with Connor, I’m not entirely opposed to a cuddle.

Ugh. The smoothie curdles in my stomach at even the silent admission. Connor is ruining me. I don’t even recognize myself anymore.

“Gross,” Alice hisses, taking a drink of her smoothie.

“Well, at least he bought our smoothies.”

Alice gives me a withering look as we approach the dorm. “Holy fuck. The bar for men is subterranean.”

I laugh, shrugging. “I don’t know. Mine is pretty all right.”

Alice rolls her eyes. “Please. Connor doesn’t count. Even I like him.”

Connor knocks on the door an hour and a half later, and Alice lets him in. She’s dressed for going out, wearing tiny leather shorts and a top that looks like it is made of fishnet, her black bra visible beneath it.

“Big date?” Connor asks.

“Gross, no.” Alice rolls her eyes, closing the door behind him.

“She’s going to fuck a shifter,” I clarify, greeting him with a kiss. “He bought her a smoothie, and she’s going to thank him with her snatch.”

Alice sputters. “I am not! I’m going to tie him up naked in the woods and leave him there.”

Connor thinks for a moment. “What kind of smoothie?”

I laugh, kissing his jaw. “Sure you are, Al. See that, Con? All you needed to do was buy me a smoothie.”

“Maybe I’ll take his cock and mount it on the wall as a trophy of torture,” Alice growls.

“Not the direction I would have gone with the decor, but…” I ponder for a moment.

“Who’s the shifter?” Connor asks.

Alice looks indignant, almost offended. “I don’t know his name. That is not information I need.”

“Right, right. Sorry.” Connor holds one of his hands up, the other squeezing my hip. “What does he look like?”

Alice shudders. “He looks like a talker. Luckily, my ball gag just arrived.” Alice holds it up, the black leather strap gleaming dully in the light.

Connor presses a kiss to my neck. “What’s wrong with a talker?”

“He looked like he’d want to cuddle.” I grimace.

“What’s wrong with a cuddle?” he asks, wrapping his other arm around me.

I roll my eyes at how much of a sap he is. He and I are so different, yet we both bend to accommodate the other. We strive to ensure we’re both comfortable and satisfied, emotionally and physically. It is a dance where we give space and come together when needed.

“With a one-night stand? What’s right with it?” I counter and turn to wrap my arms around his neck, enjoying being enveloped in his strength.

“I was supposed to be a one-night stand, remember?”

I reach up on my tiptoes, kissing him tenderly. “You were supposed to be a tipsy hookup until you stopped mid-make-out to feed me a sandwich.”

Connor laughs. “You were trashed, and I wanted to not be a one-night stand. I knew that first night I wanted to be more to you.”

“Ugh, you guys are gross. Later,” Alice says, leaving the dorm.

“She’s right. You’re so grossly mushy,” I say, tunneling my fingers into his hair.

“You’re one to talk,” Connor groans and grips my hips.

“So, dinner will be here in thirty minutes, and I believe we had some… interesting plans for the evening that we should probably get started on.”

Connor slides his hands down to cup my ass. “Well then, Tuatha De Daanan, better get to it.” He picks me up, and I wrap my legs around him, giggling as he carries me to my bed.