Page 15

noah

The Omega Sig house is one of the older houses on Greek Row. If the torn-up wallpaper or busted blinds weren’t proof enough, the furniture is a collection of mismatched couches, lawn chairs, and bean bags.

I lean against the ornate built-in bookshelf that’s filled with trophies, empty cups, and something labeled a ‘Princess Diana beanie baby,’ in a dusty box.

Being posted up here still seems like a better option than leaning against the wall.

Gabe got stabbed by a rogue splinter doing that a few weeks ago.

It’s not surprising the house is falling apart, considering they put all their money into a beer and party fund rather than repairs.

Not my house, though, so it’s not my problem.

Two of our forwards, Shane and Carter—or Gopher and Candy, as their housemates refer to them—are members of the fraternity. This works out for us because we always have an open invitation.

Tired of standing around with an empty water bottle in hand, I move through the party, nodding and high-fiving a few people along the way. A hand of claws caresses my shoulder, and I shuffle back, slipping under a circle of guys who are getting ready to do a shotgun .

I lose the hand of whoever was touching me, but keep my eyes roaming over the party as I back up into the kitchen.

“Hey! Watch it.”

The corners of my mouth instantly quirk up because I’d recognize that pissed-off voice anywhere.

I spin on my heel and feel my smile falter slightly in shock.

I was expecting to see Savannah’s signature scowl across her face, her body covered in her usual attire of leggings or yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt.

Tonight, though, she came dressed to impress.

Still in her same white sneakers, her bare legs peek out of a short, sparkly skirt.

I remember being distracted by those legs when I first met her on my balcony, but tonight, I can’t take my eyes off them.

They’re tan and toned, and they look unbelievably smooth.

My fingers itch to dig into her thighs and find out if that last part is true.

Unlike the night I met her, there are no goosebumps along her legs—there couldn’t be, not with the heat pouring from my eyes, dousing her body in flames.

I drag my gaze up to the little sliver of skin between her skirt and her green tank top.

It hugs her body like a second skin—like it was goddamn made for her.

It’s so tight, it gives me the perfect outline of her breasts, and I can practically feel the weight of them in my hands.

Just when I’m about to pull my gaze away, her nipples peak, and there’s a twitch in my pants at the sight.

“What are you, my fucking shadow now?” There’s no bite to her tone, but the mouth on this girl makes me feel and think unspeakable things.

I drag my hand across my lips, attempting to hide how much I enjoy her little quips, and how I was just undressing her with my eyes.

“Ahh, come on now. You can’t fight the magnetic pull between us.” I smile, leaning my hip against the counter.

“Is that what you’re calling it?”

“Does sexual attraction sound better to you? ”

She pauses, running her tongue along her teeth, assessing me. Fuck, that’s hot. She’s got a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue. It was the first thing I noticed about her, but now I can’t stop myself from wanting that mouth of hers in every possible way.

“No. That just sounds even more delusional.”

I stand up straighter, looking down to her pursed lips, and then up to the faint twinkle buried in the depths of her eyes. “I’ll call it whatever you want, as long as you admit it.”

She lifts her chin higher, stepping closer to me. “I’m not admitting anything to you.”

“So, you agree—there’s something to admit.”

“Are you always this cocksure?”

My eyes widen as I tilt my head, a playful smile pulling at my lips. “What about my cock?”

She opens her mouth, eyes glaring at me, and crosses her arms just below her breasts, showing off the plump swell. “You’re incorrigible.”

I dip my head toward her slightly. “Yeah, but I’ve got you right where I want you.”

“And where exactly is that, besides annoyed?”

“Ten bucks and a kiss says that by the end of the night, you’ll be eating out of the palm of my hand.”

A party with a blaring sound system and drunk college kids somehow lulls into a near silence when I look at her.

Her lips twist, like she’s assessing what her next move will be.

The chill of her hand seeps through my skin as she wraps her delicate fingers around my bicep and slowly lifts up onto her toes.

Suddenly, I’m right back on my balcony with her.

This time, I’m not going to let her get away with just a quick peck on my cheek.

I hold still, not wanting to alarm her, and allow her to continue coming on to me.

Her sweet, citrus breath dances along my lips, and when I close my eyes, she whispers, “Never going to happen, Golden Boy.”

I almost choke under the bucket of ice water she douses on me, but Savannah only pulls back, smiling up at me with satisfaction.

I crack open a new water and bring the bottle to my lips to hide my smile.

“You’re not drinking tonight?”

I shake my head, close the water, and give her the short answer.

“I’ve got a game tomorrow.” I leave out the part where I don’t drink the night before games—not since I went to a party in high school, had a few beers, and only scored one goal the next day.

My dad found out and made me do iron cross drills for hours.

Every time I stopped, he added an additional hour.

That wasn’t a punishment for underage drinking, either.

It was a punishment for drinking the night before a game.

She nods her head in understanding. “Lucky for me, I don’t.” She smiles, lifting her chin towards the bottle of Patron beside me.

I grab a tall ‘ Alcohol You Later’ shot glass and pour the tequila to the rim.

I skip the precut fruit on the counter, slice a new lime, and Savannah watches me with her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

She can try to deny this thing between us until she’s blue in the face, but I smile to myself, knowing that she’s not immune to me like she claims to be.

I’m more determined than ever to prove that this attraction between us isn’t one-sided.

I wrap my hand around hers, turning it over, and place the lime between her delicate little fingers.

“Come.”

Her low, square-cut shirt gives me a head-on view of the way her breath just got caught in her chest. “W—what?”

“To my game tomorrow night.”

She blinks once, and I stare deep into her chocolate-brown eyes, holding her gaze—not allowing her to look away. It takes her two heartbeats to recover, to square her shoulders, lift that defiant little chin of hers, and tease me with her seductive eyes. “What’ll you give me if I do?”

Her taunt goes straight to my head—and then rushes down to my cock. Did she forget that she’s the one who is anti-hockey player? I could play this game with her all night.

I slide my hand from hers, down to her wrist, closing my fingers around her until I can feel her pulse flutter against my thumb.

It’s heavy and quick, mimicking the way my blood is currently coursing through my veins.

Slowly, I lift her hand to my mouth and lick the space between her thumb and index finger.

Her jaw falls and I sprinkle a dash of salt on the now wet spot.

“Anything you want,” I whisper, before letting go of her wrist. My breath stops short, waiting to see if she folds or if her stubbornness will force her to go through with this shot.

With her eyes dead set on me, she swipes her tongue over the spot I just licked, and it’s me who’s in the hot seat now. A feral rumble sounds deep within my chest and I know that image will be forever burned into my brain. I’ll see her lapping up that spot every time I close my eyes now.

She throws the shot back but before she can put her lime to her mouth, I hold another one out in front of her pink lips.

A glint of surprise fills her eyes, but as quickly as it comes, she hides it with something more like amusement.

Her gaze flirts with the piece of fruit and then back up to me. “Go on, Savvy.”

Eat from the palm of my hand.

For a minute, I think she’s going to remember that she’s holding her own, but to my absolute pleasure, she closes the millimeter of space between us and wraps her mouth around the lime.

The faintest touch of her warm lips hits my fingers, and my erection continues to grow against my zipper.

She gives the lightest suck imaginable but it’s the way her fiery eyes lock on me that seals my fate.