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OPERATION GET TEMPEST LAID

TEMPEST

F lynn’s words hung in the air between us, illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight and the twinkling Denver skyline beyond the museum balcony. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I was certain he could hear it.

I’d spent so long crafting perfect words on paper, dialogue, confessions, declarations of love, but now, faced with the real thing, I couldn’t find my voice.

“Tempest?” His expression shifted, uncertainty creeping in. “Was that too much, too soon?—”

“No,” I finally managed, squeezing his hand where it still held mine across the table. “It’s not too much. It’s just...”

How could I explain that no one had ever said those words to me before? That I’d written countless versions of this scene but never expected to live it?

“It’s just that I’m feeling the same way,” I admitted softly. “And that’s a little scary to me too. ”

Relief washed over his face, his blue eyes brightening. “It is?”

“I’ve never done this before.” I gestured vaguely between us. “Any of it. I don’t know how.”

Flynn stood, circling the table without releasing my hand, and gently pulled me to my feet. “There’s no instruction manual,” he said, his voice low as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “We’ll figure it out together.”

He was so close I could feel the warmth radiating from his body, smell the subtle cologne that had been driving me crazy all evening. When his gaze dropped to my lips, I felt my breath hitch.

“Remember those promised kisses?” he asked.

In answer, I rose on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his.

This one ignited immediately. Flynn’s arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me against him as his other hand cradled my face.

I wound my arms around his neck, completely lost in the sensation of his mouth on mine, his body pressed to mine.

I could feel that bulge in his jeans pressing against my belly, and I wanted so much more.

I danced my fingers down the front of his shirt and to his belt. Flynn grabbed my hand and stilled it, breaking the kiss. We were both breathing heavily, and the look in his eyes made heat pool low in my belly.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asked, his voice rougher than before.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

The museum curator appeared so quickly I wondered if she’d been waiting nearby. “I hope everything was satisfactory? ”

“Perfect,” Flynn assured her, his hand finding the small of my back. “Thank you for everything.”

Ten minutes later, we were in his car, an electric tension filling the space between us. Flynn’s hand rested on my knee, his thumb tracing small circles that sent shivers up my spine.

“My place isn’t far,” he said, shooting me a glance that made my pulse race.

“Okay,” I heard myself say, though a small voice in the back of my mind was screaming that this was moving too fast.

But I silenced it. For once in my life, I didn’t want to overthink. I wanted to feel.

Flynn’s house was modern and unexpectedly neat for a college athlete. But I barely had time to register my surroundings before his lips were on mine again, his hands tangling in my hair as he backed me against the closed front door.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured against my neck, sending electricity across my skin. “I’ve wanted this for so long.”

I gasped as his hands skimmed down my sides, pulling me closer. The solid warmth of him pressed against me was intoxicating, and I found myself tugging at his shirt, desperate to feel his skin against mine.

“Yo, Flynn, you back?” a voice called from deeper in the house. “We need a tiebreaker on whether camping in Call of Doody is a legitimate strategy.”

Flynn froze, his forehead dropping to my shoulder with a groan. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Voices and laughter suddenly registered from what I guessed was the living room—lots of voices. Flynn pulled back slightly, keeping his hands on my waist.

“I forgot,” he said, looking genuinely pained. “Pre-spring break gaming tournament. The team does it every year.”

“The whole team?” I asked, trying to catch my breath and straighten my clothes.

“Feels like it,” he sighed, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. “I’m so sorry.”

“Flynn,” the voice called again. “Is that you?”

“Yeah,” he called back, then lowered his voice. “We could still go to my room. They’ll be too busy gaming to bother us.”

Before I could answer, heavy footsteps approached, and Gryffin appeared in the hallway. His eyebrows rose as he took in our slightly disheveled appearance.

“Oh. Hey, Tempest.” His grin was knowing. “Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You’re not,” I said quickly, heat flooding my cheeks.

“We were just leaving,” Flynn added, shooting his twin a look.

“My room’s free if you need it,” Gryff offered with a wink. “Though fair warning, these walls are pretty thin.”

“Shut up,” Flynn muttered, grabbing his keys. “Let’s go,” he said to me.

As we passed the living room, I caught sight of at least eight football players sprawled across couches and the floor, controllers in hand, surrounded by pizza boxes and energy drinks. Several called out greetings as we hurried past .

“So much for privacy,” Flynn said once we were back in his car. “I’m really sorry about that.”

“It’s okay.” I squeezed his hand. “But now I’m not sure where we can go.”

Flynn gave me a hopeful look. “Your place?”

I bit my lip, considering. My sorority house had strict rules about male visitors, especially after hours. But then again...

I pulled out my phone and texted Parker.

Me: Need a MAJOR favor. Can you help sneak Flynn into the house?

Her response was immediate.

Parker: OMG YES!!! Operation Get Tempest Laid is GO!!! Give me 5 min to organize the troops!

“I think we have a chance,” I told Flynn, showing him the message.

His laugh was both surprised and delighted. “The Donkey Sitters Club rides again?”

“Apparently so.”

Fifteen minutes later, we parked a block from the KAT house and waited for Parker’s signal. My phone buzzed with detailed instructions.

Parker: Mrs. H is in her office. Hannah will create a distraction in the common room at 9:42 EXACTLY.

Come in through the kitchen door. Alice will flash the porch light twice when coast is clear.

Bettie has lookouts posted on all floors.

DO NOT USE THE MAIN STAIRS. Take the service stairs by the pantry.

I’ll be waiting at our door. GOOD LUCK SOLDIER.

“Wow,” Flynn said, reading over my shoulder. “This is some serious black ops planning.”

“They’re very invested in my love life,” I muttered, embarrassed. “Or lack thereof.”

“Not lacking anymore,” he said, leaning over to kiss me softly.

At exactly 9:42, we saw the porch light flash twice. We sprinted across the lawn to the kitchen door, where Alice was waiting.

“Target approaching,” she whispered into her phone. “Initiating Phase Two.”

Somewhere deep in the depths of the house came the sound of a crash, followed by shrieks that sounded suspiciously rehearsed.

“That’s Hannah,” Alice confirmed. “Move now, you’ve got forty seconds before Mrs. Henderson reaches the noise.”

We crept through the kitchen, following Alice’s directions to the service stairs. Just as we reached them, footsteps approached from the main hallway.

“Hide,” Alice hissed, shoving us behind a large pantry shelf.

I found myself pressed against Flynn in the narrow space, his arms around me, both of us trying not to breathe as Mrs. Henderson’s voice drifted past.

“What in heaven’s name is going on in here? Oh my lord. What happened to that vase?”

“Such a terrible accident,” Hannah’s voice replied, the picture of contrition. “I was practicing my dance routine for the spring showcase and?—”

The voices faded as they moved toward the common room.

“Clear,” Alice whispered. “Up you go.”

We climbed the narrow service stairs to the second floor, where Parker was waiting in the hallway, looking like a spy in a bad movie with a black beanie pulled over her purple hair.

“Targets acquired,” she stage-whispered into her phone. “Proceeding to secure location.”

“Is all of this really necessary?” I asked as she ushered us into my room.

“Absolutely,” Parker replied, checking the hallway one last time before closing the door.

“Mrs. Henderson has been on a rampage ever since she caught Jessica sneaking in that baseball player last week. We’ve got lookouts, decoys, and Bettie’s ready with the ‘urgent sorority business’ excuse if needed. ”

She gave Flynn an appraising look. “Worth it though. Impressive, Tempest.”

“Thank you?” I said, mortified.

“I’ll leave you to it.” Parker grabbed her overnight bag. “I’m bunking with Hannah tonight. Text if you need an extraction. And remember,” she pointed to the wall we shared with the next room, “these walls are definitely not soundproof.”

And with that parting shot, she was gone.

Flynn and I stood in the middle of my room, alone at last. The absurdity of the situation, the elaborate sneaking, the spy terminology, the entire sorority apparently invested in our privacy, hit us both at the same time, and we burst into laughter.

“Your friends are something else,” Flynn said, wrapping his arms around my waist.

“They’re ridiculous,” I agreed, relaxing against him. “But effective.”

“Very effective,” he murmured, lowering his head to kiss me.

The laughter faded as our kiss deepened. Without breaking apart, we stumbled toward my bed, falling onto it in a tangle of limbs. Flynn’s weight above me felt right, solid and warm as his hands explored my body with a gentleness that made me ache.

When his fingers found the hem of my sweater, he paused, looking into my eyes. “Tell me what you want or what you don’t want, okay?”

I nodded, lifting my arms to help him pull it over my head. The cool air against my skin made me shiver, or maybe it was the way Flynn was looking at me, like I was something precious.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he whispered, his fingers tracing the lace edge of my bra.