Page 25

Jackson

Muffled voices seeped through the walls, familiar enough that I easily recognized them to be Thea and Tanner. Still, I wasn’t inclined to get up. I didn’t want to open my eyes in fear that the memory of last night was actually just a dream. The thought of Thea, her perfect body writhing as she touched herself while I talked her though it, had been the hottest thing I’d ever witnessed. I was seriously considering suggesting we do that every week. You know, as a little tease with each other.

However, if I wanted to see it again, I’d have to drag myself out of bed and face her brother. A task I wasn’t exactly eager to take on, especially when I had no clue where things stood between him and Aster.

I kicked the covers off and pushed myself up, every muscle in my body protesting. Exhaustion weighed on me, and my arm throbbed—a consequence of last night’s intensity. Maybe I should’ve paced myself, but anyone in my position would’ve done the same.

As I walked across my room, the voices became clearer, and I could hear Thea asking her brother questions, who, in return, was giving her short, one-word answers. His grunts were a clear indication he didn’t want to talk about things. Typical Thea, she wouldn’t let him go until she got all the information she wanted.

Opening the door, I said, “Morning” with a yawn, stretching my arms, then scratching my stomach. When I locked eyes with Thea, her eyes filled with contempt, and I was reminded we were back to hating each other for the morning. Too bad. Seeing her pussy in all its glory last night was something I’d find hard to forget.

My friend was a completely different story. The usually fresh-faced, ready-for-anything guy looked even more tired than last night. Had he gotten any sleep?

“Long night?” Tanner asked as I dragged a hand down my face only to catch the scent of his sister on my fingers. I still hadn’t showered, and I wasn’t in a rush to wash her away. I was going to hell, I already knew that, but at this rate, I was getting a personalized welcome tour with my own special seat.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

Tanner looked at Thea who shrugged her shoulders. “Come on, I can’t be the only one who got no sleep from all the noise. You had to have heard it too.” Thea rolled her eyes and let out a breath of annoyance.

“I did. I can’t believe Jackson’s up to the same antics,” Thea said.

“What are you talking about?” I looked between the twins, waiting for anything.

“How many girls did you bring home last night?” Tanner asked.

“Girls?” I nearly stumbled on my words, and I could feel the anxiety bouncing off Thea. “I didn’t bring home any girls.”

“Yes, you did,” Thea stated, and for a split second, I thought she was ready to admit everything to Tanner. That we were finally going to out ourselves. Tanner seemed in a better mood, after all. “I can’t even look at you right now without wondering what kind of unholy disaster went down in that room last night. If this is going to be a regular thing, we might need to discuss a room switch—because, man, I did not sign up for front-row seats to that.”

“Switch rooms?” I grinned. “With your brother?” She nodded. “I gotta say, Thea, I knew you were into some kinky shit, but your brother?” My eyes widened as my eyebrows rose, and I let out a low whistle. “That is … well, that is surprising.”

“Not because I want to listen to that, you idiot. It’s because he’s …” She pointed her thumb at her brother, and my pulse spiked because all that angry intensity she had against me was right in the forefront. Why did I love riling her up like that?

Her cheeks were flushed, her chest was heaving, and she almost looked like she was about to—Oh, that was why I liked it so much, because it reminded me of her come face. Man, would I like to come on her face right now.

Thoughts! Keep your thoughts clean while you’re in the presence of others.

“He’s moving out soon,” Thea continued, a little slower as she looked at her brother with sadness. “He’s leaving college and most likely playing with the Charlotte Crossbills.”

“We don’t know that yet,” Tanner interjected.

Thea stepped closer to her brother. “If not the Crossbills, it will be another team. There’s no denying that you’re going to be drafted in a week; the only question is which team’s going to get you.”

Something silent passed between the twins, and for the first time, I believed twin telepathy was real. They hugged each other for a long time. So long that I started to feel awkward. So I blew out a breath and cleared my throat to remind them I was here.

“How’d it go with Aster last night?” I asked so quietly there was potential he didn’t hear me, and I was kind of okay with that.

Tanner chuckled bitterly, staring at the orange juice he’d placed on the counter. “She said she wants to talk tonight.”

“That’s a good thing, right?”

Tanner glared at me with a cocked brow, and I responded by doing the same thing. “Guessing you forgot what tonight is, then.”

I looked between Thea and Tanner, neither of them talking, so I raised my hands in exasperation. “Well, how am I supposed to know if I forgot something if no one is willing to tell me what I forgot?”

“Dinner with the dean,” Thea stated. Her lips were pressed into a frown, beyond unimpressed with me, so I threw her my usual smile, hoping that would get me back on her good side.

“Ah, I didn’t forget about it, I just filed it to the back of my mind since I had more important things to think about.” Wondering if Thea was wet right now was one of them.

“Do you have your suit?” Thea asked. I nodded. I had a suit in the back of the closet, so that wasn’t much of a test over if I was lying. “I don’t mean your birthday suit either.” She crinkled her nose in disgust again, making me smile. “No one wants to see that.”

No one but you.

My dick was getting hard, which was inappropriate in the context, so I walked around the kitchen island and took a glass from the cabinet and poured myself a cup of orange juice.

“Did Aster give you any indication about how she was feeling on the phone?”

Tanner shook his head. “No. Nothing. She was whispering because she was with her parents, who were completely confused over why I left early.”

“She didn’t tell them?” Thea asked.

“Apparently not.”

Thea’s smile grew wide. “Brother, why didn’t you start with that? This is the best news ever.”

“How so?” I asked, as it seemed like Tanner was reluctant to speak, and I might’ve been fucking his sister on the sly, but he was still my bro at heart. He didn’t want to talk, so I’d take some of the heat off him and ask questions myself.

“Well, if it were over, she would have one hundred percent told her parents it was because Tanner asked for her hand in marriage. It doesn’t make sense otherwise. You’re both crazy in love with each other, and you’re supposed to be moving to her hometown. It’s a storybook romance, and there’s no reason for you to break up.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better about this? It’s not. In fact, you’re kind of making me feel worse.”

She shook her head. “Look, trust me, this is a very good thing. I promise you.”

“I’m not sure I’d trust her, T. I know she’s your sister and all, but how many dates, let alone relationships, has she been in since she got here?”

Thea’s mouth dropped, and I had to stop myself from laughing. The sheer annoyance on her face was something to be admired.

“Jackson,” Tanner mumbled. We were already back into our usual routine. Me annoying Thea, Thea being offended enough for everyone on earth, and Tanner on the side just hoping we’d shut up at some point.

She looked me up and down with her lip curled. “Oh, you really think you’re hot shit, don’t you? Better to be picky than to be a pick-me.”

“Pick-me? Are you calling me a pick-me?” She nodded, her brow arching in challenge. “I thought that was you?”

Okay, that might have burned a little too deep, but I was all for realism. Thea placed her hand on her chest. “Me … a pick-me. I don’t recall bringing any woman I could find home just to tick off my roommates.”

“No, you haven’t. If you brought a woman home, I wouldn’t be angry. I’d be delighted and ask if I could watch.”

“Jackson!” Tanner yelled, but I ignored it; I had more important people to fry. Mainly my girlfriend.

“Bet you would. I bet you’ve not even seen a pussy since you got here, and you were just watching porn with your buddy online. What’s his name? Liam? I’m not judging. From what I know, the guy is hot. Bet you love talking to him while watching girls get off over people that aren’t you.”

Wow. The venom. I’d get her back for that later.

I clicked my tongue, letting my gaze sweep over her. Damn, did she look tempting? That ridiculous purple onesie shouldn’t have been attractive, but somehow, she made it work—too well. Good enough to eat … again. Hell, I wanted her back in my bed so bad it hurt.

“Careful, Pyro. You almost sound a little jealous.”

Her nose crinkled again. “Do you really think I’m jealous of your hand?” Her eyes dropped to my hands wrapped around my cup of orange juice. “You’ve got so many blisters on those things I think it would feel nicer to caress myself with sandpaper.”

“Caress yourself? Oh, talk dirty to me, Pyro.”

“Enough,” Tanner said, slamming his hand down on the counter, making us both jump. Wow, that was more emotion than we usually got from him. “I am not in the mood to listen to any more of your bickering. We all get it. You hate each other, but can you please just do it a little more quietly?”

My shoulders fell as I studied my friend without the distraction of Thea for a second. Last night, I thought he looked tired, but today, the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He’d been the face of the Covey U Wildcats since he joined. Even when he was failing out of his classes, he saved himself by convincing Aster to tutor him. He was the most determined guy I’d ever had the privilege of playing with, and I finally saw the strain all over his face. All the hard work was catching up to him, and it was more than he could handle.

“Sorry,” Thea quipped, pursing her lips together.

“Yeah, sorry. Your sister’s not that bad. She might talk a lot, but overall, she’s a pretty nice girl.” I flicked my gaze to Thea’s. Her shoulders relaxed, and she had the hint of a smile on her face.

“I suppose Jackson isn’t too bad either. It’s not his fault he lacks charm—he once tried to flirt with someone by complimenting their Wi-Fi signal.”

“Aw, are you telling me that didn’t work? Maybe you can help me learn more for next time.”

“I think you need it.”

“Wait, are you guys getting along?”

I looked at Thea, wondering if I had the same telepathy abilities as she and Tanner had and started sending her messages.

He asked. We should tell him. It’s the perfect opportunity.

“No. He’s still an asshole, but I’ll put up with for him tonight.” Her fingers curled around her crossed arms, and she stuck her nose up in mock-annoyance. Thea was doing her best to give the game away. The only thing stopping Tanner from noticing was how distracted he was with Aster.

“Tonight?” I asked in confusion. “Why do I have to put up with you tonight?”

“Because I’m your date for the dinner. Don’t you remember?”

“We never agreed to that.” Then I looked at Tanner, and I could see it in his eyes without him saying a word. He wasn’t averse to begging, and I knew he would ask me to bring her again, like he did every single time we had a group football event she wasn’t invited to.

“It’s only a few hours,” Tanner said.

I raised my hand. “You’re lucky you’re going through things with your girl, otherwise we’d be having a stern conversation about boundaries right now.”

We really wouldn’t. For the first time in my college career, I was happy Thea was my date, which made me start to wonder how much better our time would have been spent at all these events if I had given into my feelings for her sooner.

“I know, and I’m lucky to have you as a friend,” Tanner said, and I nodded in agreement. “I have no doubts you’ll be the face of the Covey Wildcats once I’m gone.”

My brows knitted together, and I looked at him with intrigue. “You think so? I’m not a cute quarterback with a manbun. I don’t think I’ll have the same appeal.”

“But you’re determined and focused,” Thea added, her mask slipping a little. Was she looking at me with a twinkle in her eyes. Could her brother see? Keeping a secret with Thea was next to impossible.

Tanner was equally confused by her outburst, and she raised her hands. “What? I might not like the guy, but I call it like I see it.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I’ve found something worth fighting for.”

Tanner slapped me on the back, knocking me out of the moment I was having with Thea. “That’s the spirit. You’re going to get a great spot in the draft next year, I can feel it.”

The draft … Sure, that was what I was focused on.