Page 32 of Playing Dirty (Leighton U #4)

Things kick up a notch when his tongue spears between my lips, coaxing mine to life and sending a jolt of electricity to my already thickening cock. He takes notice, smiling into our kiss as his hips start rocking back and forth, grinding his ass over the ridge of my erection.

Oh, this shithead.

My hands slide down, slipping into his sweats and grabbing the globes of his ass over his underwear. I knead them in my palms, gripping and massaging them before allowing a finger to stray toward his crease.

His phone buzzes on the nightstand while we drive each other crazy, but we both ignore it in favor of continuing this. That is, until the buzzing becomes incessant, his phone going off in constant intervals, killing the mood.

“Oh my God, will you turn that damn thing off?” I gripe, fingers tightening on his ass. “It’s hard to enjoy making out when I hear it buzzing every five seconds.”

Theo’s soft laughter brushes over my lips before he peels himself away to check his phone. He’s still grinning as his eyes fly over the screen to read the messages, but as more time passes, the smile fades into something more like a frown.

“Ah, shit.” His gaze lifts to me and he purses his lips. “We’re gonna have to put in a rain check for this.”

A laugh slips out, and I shake my head. “Nice try. You’re not going anywhere.”

“As much as I wish I wasn’t, I really do have to go downstairs.”

I’m about to call him out for being a tease or playing hard to get, but there’s a seriousness in his expression while he types out a text that gives me enough pause to entertain what he’s saying.

“You have to go right now?”

“Right now,” he confirms before taking a long, deep breath. “Apparently, Holden decided to bring home a stray, so now we all get to deal with it.”

My brows crash together. “Like a dog?”

“Human.”

“Does that happen often?” I ask slowly, unable to hide my skepticism.

He shakes his head, thumbs still flying over his phone screen. “This would be a first.”

If he wants to talk about inconvenient, now would be the fucking time.

“So what am I supposed to do?”

His teeth sink into his lower lip in thought while he steps toward his bedroom door. The pensive expression is still there when he flicks open the lock and rests his palm on the knob.

“Um… Well, the way I see it is you have two options: You can either start the fun without me, or you can sneak out the window while we’re all downstairs.” He smirks before adding, “I, for one, hope you choose the first.”

“You’re kidding,” I say dryly, and he arches a brow .

“Does this face look like it’s cracking jokes?”

And with those parting words, he slips out his bedroom door and heads downstairs to his roommates.

I’ve been waiting in Theo’s bed for an hour at this point, hearing the faintest distortion of voices and footsteps floating up from downstairs, but they’re not enough to keep my mind occupied while he has his little house meeting.

It’s a good thing I didn’t take him at face value with his whole you could start without me comment, though the thought did cross my mind to be naked and waiting in his bed for when he got back.

Except, with the door being unlocked and everyone clearly moving around the house, I thought it better to be safe than sorry. So instead, I’ve been doing the thing I actually came here to do: study.

My phone buzzes with a text notification while I’m neck deep in reading about The Federalist Papers, and I glance over to read the message from one of my teammates.

Dillon: Was picking up new batting gloves at the sporting goods store. Wanna guess who I just saw?

I roll my eyes at his mind games before writing back.

Me: Save me the brainpower and just tell me.

The sound of footsteps approaching draws my attention back to the door just in time to catch the handle move. I have half a mind to hide under the bed in case it isn’t Theo, but then I hear a second set and a slightly muted “T, hold up” from Phoenix on the other side.

The door remains shut, but I can overhear Theo’s sharp “What now?” without much difficulty. And, as it turns out, the topic Phoenix wants to discuss is one of much interest to me.

“Wy’s working on putting a raid together,” Phoenix says, his voice low and serious. “He’s already gathering guys, supplies, all that.”

“Do we know when?” There’s a brief pause where Phoenix must give a non-verbal response, because Theo quickly says, “Okay. I’ll keep an eye on the team chat then.”

“Good, ’cause he wants you to lead one of the groups.”

I can hear the irritation in Theo’s tone when he replies, “Okay, yeah. Whatever he wants. Just let me know when.”

My phone vibrates in my palm, drawing my attention away from Theo and Phoenix and back to it.

Rather than texting me a response, Dillon sent a photo in our texting thread.

At first, I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking at other than Wyatt and another guy I don’t recognize at the checkout counter with a pile of… walkie-talkies?

What the…?

I’m smacked upside the head with realization as the puzzle pieces come together seamlessly. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to do anything about it, because the door to Theo’s room creaks open and I drop my phone back to the mattress.

“Hey,” he whispers, face instantly pulling into a smile when he spots me still in his bed. The sight creates a warm, tingling sensation through my extremities, and it grows when he flicks the lock back in place.

“I’m surprised you’re still here,” he murmurs as he drops down on the bed beside me. “ Pleasantly surprised, I might add.”

I shoot him a little glare. “Didn’t wanna risk being caught sneaking out your window by one or more of your roommates, thanks.”

“Good thinking, ’cause you definitely would’ve been while they were bringing boxes inside,” he muses, a little glint of amusement in his eyes .

That makes sense why I’d been hearing so many footsteps.

“So you weren’t kidding about the stray.”

“Nope,” he says, and his face becomes sort of pinched, like he’s tasted something sour, before adding, “Another roommate just means there’s one more person for us to worry about catching you around here.”

Part of me is tempted to bring up the option to have these little “study sessions” at my place, but I know he’s more comfortable here. Especially after having been caught by Torin and Miles the one and only time he was over.

But my phone buzzes on the bed again, reminding me of the conversation I’d just overheard…and the bit of information Dillon just shared with me too. Information I really need to do something with before it’s too late.

“Well, on the note of being caught,” I start, keeping my gaze locked with him, “I think I should get going, actually.”

“What? I thought you were waiting for me so we could…” He trails off and makes some awkward motion between the two of us and the bed.

“I think the term you’re looking for is hook up, ” I supply, unable to keep the amusement from my tone.

His lip curls back in a grimace. “It just sounds so cheap to put it like that.”

I tend to agree with him, especially with the way things have been progressing as of late. But it feels a bit too early to push him to define whatever is happening between us, so I just shrug and rise off the bed.

“Regardless of what you wanna call it, it’s getting late, and we both have studying to do.” I aim him a knowing look before tacking on, “Studying that definitely won’t get done if I stay here.”

He’s not happy about it, but he concedes to my point. Though, not without stealing a long, drawn-out kiss before I sneak out the window the way I came .

I’ve learned to climb this tree to the point where it only takes two seconds for me to drop to the ground and make a break for my car. But I stop to check my phone the second I’m out of sight from the townhouse, reading the text Dillon sent only five minutes ago.

Dillon: Did I stun you speechless, or are you not putting two and two together?

Fucking smartass.

Me: Have you left yet?

Dillon: Just got to my car. Why?

My fingers fly over the keyboard with an instant response.

Me: Go back in and buy one.