The first thing I do when I walk into the house is kick off my shoes, press play on my iPod, and make my way into the kitchen for a bottle of water. “You want one?”

“Yeah, please.” He takes off his boots and joins me.

“Are you hungry?” I ask him, after I down half my bottle.

A devilish grin comes across his face, and suddenly he starts walking right for me.

With those dark eyes locked on mine, he outlines my top with his fingertips, then runs them down my side, gripping my hips. Lifting me as if I weigh nothing, he gently sets me on the countertop.

His right hand comes up to trace over my lips.

“Red’s never looked as sexy as it does spread across your lips.” He leans forward and gently bites down on my bottom lip, pulling away until it releases. “Or over your thighs...” His gaze drops to my red skirt, and he pushes it up some so he can fit better between my legs.

I say nothing. I’m dying to see what the hype’s all about.

He leans in close, bringing his soft lips to my neck, and kisses his way up my throat until he reaches my ear. “I want you, Kalani,” he whispers, biting down gently.

Pulling back, he looks into my eyes.

I leave them open for him to read my desire; I want him just as badly.

When his one-sided smile appears, I wrap my legs around his waist, and my arms around his neck.

“Show me what you got, Handsome.”

He scoops me up by my ass and carries me to my room.

I’m attacking his mouth before we make it to the bed.

He fumbles and we drop onto the comforter laughing, which quickly morphs into moans and groans as we undress each other.

In nothing but a black thong, I scoot back on the bed.

Nate’s eyes are dark and dangerous and sexy.

He drops his boxers and his dick salutes me.

My mouth waters thinking about what’s coming next.

“Condom?” I pant, my eyes still trained on his manhood.

“Got it.” He tosses the foil package near my head.

I lay back as he crawls on top of me, kissing my stomach and ribs all the way up. I wrap my legs around his back as he does, sliding along his skin the closer he comes. The feeling sends tingles up my thighs.

His right hand skates up my ribs, cupping my breast, while his mouth comes down to show some love to the other. When my back lifts, he growls into my skin, switching it up on each nibble.

My fingertips zig-zag through his abs. When I reach his pelvis, I flatten my right palm and slide my hand down, gripping him, hard.

His mouth flies to mine and he pushes his body into me, forcing my hand out.

I reach up in search of the package. Not wanting to break our kiss, I blindly tear the wrapper open above our heads.

Pulling the condom out, I push on his stomach so he lifts, place the condom over the head of his dick and start rolling…

“Honey, I’m home!”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Bitch.”

We say in unison.

“Get rid of her,” he huffs.

I nod and he rolls off me.

I throw on his shirt, quickly buttoning it enough to cover the important stuff and walk out my bedroom door, freezing as a thought occurs.

Biting my nail, I turn back to Nate. “But what if she has cookie dough again?”

He pins me with a stern look, and I watch, salivating, as his hand starts to stroke himself. My eyes fly back to his and he tilts his head.

“Right,” I croak. I’m gone quicker than a running back on a blitz.

As I come around the corner, I find Mia standing in the entry way.

“Hey, you didn’t tell…oh!” She smirks when she looks down at what I’m wearing.

“Yeah, bitch.” I widen my eyes. “Oh.” I lay my hand out, palm up. “Key.”

“But-”

“I’ll give it back to you tomorrow, after I buy a ‘do not disturb’ sign or something, but tonight,” I point to the door, “go.”

She laughs and slaps the key in my hand.

I walk to the door and swing it open, shocked when I hear a bunch of different laughs coming from outside.

I look out to see a truck full of her friends.

She kisses my cheek. “I was planning on going home with Austin anyway. His parents are out of town.” She runs out the door, heels in hand, screaming, “Pay up, bitches! Told you they were together!”

I can’t help but laugh and wave as they drive off.

As I head back to my room, I’m not sure what I’ll find or if the mood is dead, but when I walk in, finding Nate lying on my bed in the same exact position he was in when I walked out, his hand still holding onto the base of himself, I’m hot and ready all over again.

With a smirk on my face, I wave the key in the air.

He smiles back, his eyes roaming my body, covered in his dress shirt.

When they lift, connecting with mine again, his arm extends, reaching for me.

The key falls to the ground, and in no time, I’m under him. He’s sleeved and at my entrance, but holds still.

My legs lay open against the comforter, his strong thighs pressed against mine. I run my nails up his arms, grinning when he shudders.

His right hand comes up, and he runs the tip of his pointer finger down my throat until he reaches the buttons of his shirt I’m still wearing. He doesn’t remove it, but slowly undoes each one until it lies open at my sides.

My body is trembling, my heart’s racing, and I’m hot everywhere, so when Somo’s “Ride” begins to flow through the speakers in the background, I take matters into my own hands, and wrap my legs around his waist. I lock them tight, forcing his pelvis down, his thickness inside of me.

His moan swallows mine as our lips and teeth clash together.

When he’s pushed to the hilt, my back arches off the bed, and his warm mouth comes down onto my erect nipples, sucking and biting.

He fucks me to the rhythm of the song, and when my thighs clench around him, his forehead creases and drops to mine.

It doesn’t take long for his body to go stiff as mine quivers against him. He moves his forehead to my shoulder, kissing my collarbone lightly as he pushes in impossibly deeper, rolling off and onto his back when my limp legs drop from around him.

Once I can hear more than my erratic heartbeat, I turn to him with a grin, but when I find him staring at me, a stoic expression on his face, my breathing halts altogether.

His right hand lifts between us. Grabbing one of my curls off the pillow, he runs it through his fingers, watching as it falls from his hand. Brows drawn in, he lifts his eyes to look at me.

And now my heart’s beating faster for a completely different reason.

His eyes are weightless, as if he just figured it all out.

Problem is, I have no idea what it is.

When he lifts onto his right elbow to peer down at me, I have to look away. His eyes are too bright and honest, too strong and sure.

Too much.

Before he can speak, because I know he’s about to, I stand.

Without looking at him, I tell him, “You can let yourself out. I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”

He doesn’t speak while I grab my pajamas from the drawer, or even when I take my towel from the hanger by my door, but I feel his eyes on me.

As I exit my room, I chance a glance at him.

Pinched at the edges, his eyes search mine discreetly, and when his head hangs on a nod, I turn and hurry into the bathroom.

After taking long enough to ensure he’s gone, I rush into my room, ignoring the fact that it’s well after one in the morning, my hair’s soaked, and it’s cold as shit outside, and throw on my tennies and rush out the door.

It takes longer for my mind to clear this time, more miles to pass before all I can think about is the ache in my calves and the burn in my lungs.

My mind shuts down, but I don’t stop.

I keep running.

I wake up in my bed hours later, not knowing how or when I got there, but that’s not what has me on the verge of a panic attack.

What bothers me is the first thing that comes to mind when I open my eyes is how much life might suck here in Alrick, now that Nate won’t be around anymore.

And, for the life of me, I can’t figure out why I care.

I wake up the next morning with a newfound understanding of the fucked-up reality of last night.

I fucked Kalani.

She kicked my ass out after.

That upset me.

Took a night of shitty sleep to realize that I’m a dumbass and she’s stubborn as hell.

That’s probably what drew me to her in the first place. Her no bullshit, fire and ice soul, with a bangin’ body to match.

She’s the perfect mixture of sugar and spice.

I know she’s telling herself we’re friends, that we’re just fucking around. Literally, as of last night.

I grin, thinking about the way her body felt under me, around me.

Mmm... Yeah, she thinks it’s over. She thinks last night was a one-time thing.

It wasn’t.

I saw it in her eyes. She tried damn hard to feign indifference, to look at me with empty eyes, but she needs to realize I can see right through her. Right into her clear blues. And somewhere in that caged-up, closed-off heart of hers, she knows.

There’s more going on here than either of us has admitted.

She wants me. She wasn’t looking for bragging rights, or to say she had sex with Nate Monroe, football protégé. Nah. She just wanted me. The hot-headed, hot-blooded guy, with a soft spot for the little blue-eyed, black-haired piece of perfection.

I can’t wait to have her again.

And again.

That should freak me out, wanting a girl even more after than I did before. Shit, me wanting a girl again period should have me running, but it doesn’t.

It feels damn good. Refreshing.

For the first time, I know what I want, and it’s her. Plain and simple. I figured it out a while ago, but last night confirmed it.

It’ll be a challenge, breaking through to her, but I perform best under pressure. It’s my job as a quarterback: read, revise, analyze, and execute.

I can’t help but laugh.

Austin was right, she’s mine. She just doesn’t know it yet.

Whistling, I throw on my A’s hat, grab my keys, and head out the door.

She’s about to find out.