Chapter Three

PAIGE

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“Where were you?” Jules looked up from her textbook as I came into the apartment.

“I went out for coffee after class.” I dropped my bag and sat next to her on the couch.

“What?” She shoved her textbook aside and turned to face me. “You went on a date?”

“Not a date, just coffee.”

“With someone from class?”

“Yeah.”

“A male someone?”

She grinned when I flushed.

“He’s just a friend.” I shook my head. “We even agreed to just be friends while we were having coffee.”

“Really? And you buy that?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know what world you live in, but I’m from the one where if a guy is trying to be your ‘friend’ it means he’s trying to fuck you.”

“I don’t think...”

“Maybe it’s possible, but if he’s not gay then I’d put my money on trying to fuck you.”

“He’s definitely not gay.”

“Paige, sweetie.” She looped her arm around my shoulder and we leaned against the couch together. “Just be careful.”

“I will.” I sighed and leaned against her. “Anyway, he’s not interested in me like that. Even if he is, all he’ll have to do is spend a few hours with me and he’ll change his mind.”

Jules opened her mouth to say something but closed it a moment later. Instead she hugged me close and I leaned against her a little more heavily.

Jay was nice and he was hot. Ever since I’d seen him in class that first day I’d been distracted by him, thinking things I’d never really thought about before, but I was a mess. If he found out the truth about what I was, what I’d done, he’d be disgusted.

He might think I was pretty or like to flirt with me, but he’d never want more, not if I was honest and told him my real secret.

* * * * *

“Get dressed.”

“What?” I looked up from my textbook to find Jules at my door. “Do you even believe in knocking?”

“No. Get dressed.”

“I have to study.”

“It’s the first week of class and Friday night.”

“And your point is?”

“You have to loosen up and let go a bit. I know you like your life scheduled and neat, but maybe going out and shaking things up is exactly what you need. Besides, I miss my bestie. Come out with me.”

I looked at Jules’ open face and sighed. “Where are we going?”

“A party, so dress to kill and get your sexy on.” With a wink she was gone and I was left sitting at my desk wondering what the hell I was getting myself into.

After a moment I got up and went to my closet, looking at the neatly organized rungs and trying to find something ‘sexy’ to wear among my sensible and comfortable wardrobe.

I pulled outfit after outfit out of the closet only to put them back in.

“Hey, Jules!” I called out.

“Yeah?” she shouted back from her room on the other side of the wall.

“Do you have anything I’d have a hope in hell of fitting into?”

I heard her shuffling and a moment later she was in my room holding a dress in her hands.

“This will look incredible on you.”

I stared at the dress as she held it out. It was bright blue and had a low neckline that would show a lot of cleavage on me. It was also one of those high/low styles where the front was shorter than the back, and judging by the length the front would end just south of my panties.

“Um, Jules?”

“Yeah?”

“You said sexy, not porn star.”

“What’s wrong with it?” She looked between me and the dress. “I know it’s a bit more revealing than you usually wear, but the color will look amazing on you and it wouldn’t kill you to show a bit more of the goods.”

“In that dress I’ll be showing all of the goods.”

Jules burst out laughing and shook her head. “Oh, Paige.”

“What?”

“It’s not a dress, it’s a shirt.”

“What?”

“On me it’s practically a crop top, on you it’ll be long enough to cover your cooch. Put on a pair of leggings and a shimmery cami in case the front slips a little too low and voila, sexy but not porn star.”

“I hate being short,” I grumbled as I took the shirt and looked at it.

“Try being a giant.” She shook her head ruefully. “I was a head taller than every person in my class by the time I was in the sixth grade. Now I’m almost six feet tall in kitten heels”

“Maybe so, but I know for a fact you’ve found your share of guys who think you’re worth the climb.”

Jules laughed and shook her head. “That’s true. Come on. Get dressed and we’ll go to the party, have some fun and actually enjoy a Friday night together.”

* * * * *

Five minutes after we got to Kappa house I remembered why I didn’t like frat parties. It was loud, crowded and hot. The crush of people around us was a little claustrophobic and I was feeling out of place and a little anxious.

“Relax, it’s fine.” Jules grabbed my hand and pulled me into the house. “We’ll get a drink and if you still feel squirrelly then we’ll leave and do something low-key.”

“I’m fine.” I forced a grin and shook my head. “Let’s have fun.”

I hated how much Jules had to compromise when we hung out. She loved parties and going to bars and clubs while I preferred quiet cafés and books. It was time I stepped outside my comfort zone so my best friend could have a good time. One night wouldn’t kill me.

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JAY

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“Holy shit.”

“What?” Matt looked over at me as I stood with him and Avery to the left of the drink table.

Jax and I had gotten there about twenty minutes ago and he’d promptly met up with some random he’d apparently hooked up with before winter break.

As I’d been scanning the room Matt and Avery had come in and I’d actually been relieved.

Normally I’d have done the same as Jax and found some random to flirt with, maybe relieve some tension, but I wasn’t feeling it.

There were tons of hot chicks around, and more than a few that I knew, in the biblical sense of course, but none of them were interesting at the moment. I didn’t want to waste my time with something empty and fake.

I’d been talking with Matt and Avery, just chilling and sipping on a beer when my eyes had been drawn to a girl I’d never seen before. She was tall and gorgeous and could have graced any magazine cover, but it was the petite blonde by her side that I zeroed in on.

It was Paige.

“Jay?” Avery asked as she tried to follow my line of sight to see who I was staring at. “Wow, she’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, she is.” I nodded and tore my eyes away from Paige. “What?”

Matt was giving me a knowing look and Avery was smirking at me.

“What?”

“I’m guessing you’re about to make a new raven-haired friend, swoop in before anyone else does.”

“Raven-haired?” It was then I realized they thought I was checking out Paige’s friend. “Not quite. I wasn’t looking at her.”

“Then who?” Matt asked as he scanned the crowd.

Paige and her friend were now at the drink table, and there were three guys currently vying for her friend’s attention.

“Her friend. She’s in my psych class. We went out for coffee a few days ago.”

“Ah, so she’s already seen your ceiling,” Matt teased.

“Actually no.” I rolled my eyes. “We’re just friends.”

“You have a female friend?”

“Shut up. Is it really so hard to picture me being friends with a girl without trying to seduce her?”

“Yes.”

“Fuck off.”

Just then Paige glanced over in my direction and our eyes locked. I felt a smile break out on my face and I lifted my hand to wave her over, all without even thinking about it.

She looked behind her then back at me. I chuckled and nodded.

“Hey,” I greeted as she came up to us.

“Hi.” She was staring at my mouth, and it was then I realized she’d never seen my lip ring.

“You like?” I asked teasingly, sucking the ring into my mouth before letting it go so I could lick my bottom lip.

“Yeah.” She peeled her eyes away from my mouth and glanced at Matt and Avery. “Hi, I’m Paige.”

“Matt, Jay’s brother. This is my girlfriend Avery.”

“Brother?” She looked between us.

“One of three.” I nodded. “Our brother Jax is over there.” I gently took her by the shoulders and turned her around. Bending down I put my head next to hers and pointed to Jax and the random he was currently chatting up, making sure she could follow my arm. “And our brother Logan is over there.” I turned her around so I could point out Logan, who was standing in a group of people I didn’t know.

“Wow.” She shook her head slightly as I let go of her and stood up straight. “You’re all brothers?”

I grinned. This was something we were used to. Logan was fair skinned with green eyes and light brown hair. Matt had dark brown hair, ice blue eyes and a medium complexion. Jax and I were dark and were very different looking despite being twins.

“Logan’s parents adopted Jax and I when we were kids. A few years later they adopted Matt. So we’re brothers, but only Jax and I are related.”

“Are you twins, or am I crazy?”

“We’re twins. Identical.”

“Maybe by birth, but based on your looks I imagine you’re very different.”

“Not as different as you would think. We have different styles, but we’re a lot alike.”

“It’s scary sometimes.” Matt nodded. “They have that weird twinsense and sometimes you’d swear they’d switched bodies when talking to them.”

I grinned as Paige laughed.

“Do you have any siblings?” Avery asked. “I’m an only child.”

“I have an older brother.”

“Does he go here?”

“No, he didn’t go to college.”

As soon as Avery had asked about her brother I could see something fall over her eyes and her expression changed slightly.

“So, what do you say we try to find the games room and see if a pool table is open?” Matt suggested.

Paige’s eyes lit up and she looked at me expectantly.

“You and me against these two?” I asked.

“Sure, but I have to warn you. I’m extremely competitive.”

I laughed and put my hand on her shoulder to steer her to the back of the house. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

* * * * *

An hour later we left the pool table having won three out of three games. Avery was a good sport about losing, but Matt wasn’t so gracious.

“Remind me never to play pool against a math nerd and his ringer friend.”

I laughed and looped my arm over Paige’s shoulder, trying to ignore the slight pulse of electricity I felt at the contact.

“What, can’t handle having your ass handed to you?”

Paige gripped me around the waist and grinned sweetly at Matt. “We can’t help being awesome.”

Matt rolled his eyes and Avery laughed as she slipped her hand in his. “He’ll be fine. I think it’s about time I take him home and make him feel better.”

Matt perked up instantly and gave Avery a kiss that was somewhere between sweet and not for those under the age of sixteen.

“Okay, okay. We get it. You’re in love and you’re going to get some.” I rolled my eyes.

“Later.” Matt winked when he came up for air, and quickly steered Avery toward the door.

“It was nice to meet you!” Avery called over her shoulder, giggling as Matt almost dragged her away.

“You want to get a drink?” I asked, turning to Paige as I dropped my arm. It was weird, but the moment her arm fell from my waist I felt a little cold.

“Sure.”

We made our way back to the drink table and I poured us two beers from the keg.

“You don’t have anyone you want to hang out with?”

“Well, I’m kind of hanging out with you.” I grinned.

“I mean, like a date or something.”

“Nope.”

“Oh. Okay.” She blushed and sipped her beer. She looked like she was about to say something but paused and reached into the waistband of her leggings and pulled out her phone to check a message.

“Problem?” I asked when she bit her lip.

“My roommate, Jules. She found someone and wants to know if I’m okay to get home.”

“I’ll walk you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. I wouldn’t let you go out there alone even if she was here too.”

Paige grinned and quickly typed a message into her phone and sent it off.

“I never understood that,” I said as she tucked her phone back into her waistband.

“What?”

“How come women’s clothes never have pockets. It’s like they’re forcing you to carry a purse.”

“It’s a major design flaw. I’ve been bitching about it for years.”

“Want me to hold your stuff. I have deep pockets.”

“You don’t mind?”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I minded.” I smiled as she nodded, giving me a smirking grin.

I watched as she pulled her phone out of her waistband at her hip, her ID from the small of her back and her key from what I assumed was the cup of her bra.

“Now don’t run away, otherwise I’ll be stranded.”

“You have nothing to fear.” I tucked her belongings into my pocket and finished my beer.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“The lip ring...why didn’t you have it in before?”

“I take it out during the first week of class. I kind of stand out in the smaller classes already, and some profs judge students based on looks.”

“Is that why you had your tattoos covered the first day?”

“Yup. I do that for the first class. Tats are a little more acceptable but it’s better to just cover up for a day and then be myself.”

“When did you get them?”

“The tats or my piercings?”

“Piercings? You have more than one?”

“Three.” I grinned. “The other two are hidden.”

Her eyes swept up my body and she blushed slightly as they rested on my groin.

“I don’t have a cock piercing.” I laughed as her head snapped back up so she could look into my eyes again. “My nipples.”

“Did it hurt?”

“Not too bad. The clamp was the worst part.”

“I cried when I got my ears pierced.” She laughed. “What about the tattoos?”

“It depends. The arms aren’t too bad because there aren’t a lot of nerves. They hurt, but I didn’t find it that bad.”

“Huh.”

“Tell me a secret,” I urged at her thoughtful expression.

“I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo.”

“Why don’t you?”

“Fear, indecision...people.”

“Family?”

“Yeah. My parents are really conservative. I wasn’t even allowed to wear makeup until I was a senior, and even then it had to be subtle.”

“My parents were cool with it. They told me it was my body and I should do what made me happy.”

“Your parents sound amazing.”

“They are.”

“Tell me a secret.”

“I want to dance with you.”

“What?”

“I want to dance with you.” I grinned. “Do you want to dance with me?”

She looked down at the drink she was holding and then shot the rest of it back. When the cup was empty she put it down and reached for my hand.

As I gripped her small hand in mine I felt my dick harden and had to remind myself that we were friends. Now if only little Jay would listen and calm the fuck down, we’d all have a great night.

We found a spot among dancing couples and she turned toward me. I’m not sure what I expected, but her stepping right up against me and putting her hands on my hips certainly wasn’t it.

I slid my hands over her sides so I could hold her by the small of her back and pulled her so she was flush against me. I was rock hard, and I knew she could feel it.

“Is this a friendly dance?” she asked coquettishly as we started to move to the beat of the music.

“The friendliest dance in the history of dances.” I bit back a groan as she rubbed against my erection. “Keep doing that and I can’t guarantee this stays in the friend zone.”

“Maybe I don’t want it to.”

I groaned again as she rubbed against me a second time, and I suddenly needed to feel more of her.

I spun her around in my arms, pressing her back against my front and bending over slightly so I could tuck her petite frame against my body. One hand gripped her hip and the other rested against her stomach, but I pulled it back the moment she gasped and jerked away from me.

“Paige?” I stopped moving. Something I’d done had spooked her. “What’s wrong?”

“My stomach. I...I don’t like...”

“It’s fine.” I put my free hand on her other hip. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah. It feels good.” She leaned back against me and I deliberately blew my breath out so it would tickle the skin of her neck.

She shuddered against me and reached behind her so she could grip the backs of my thighs as I started to move to the music again.

Our dancing wasn’t exactly innocent, but it certainly wasn’t at the level of Dirty Dancing. I’d danced with a lot of girls over the years and usually we ended up dry humping and essentially having sex with our clothes on by the one minute mark, but it was different with Paige.

I didn’t want to rush her and was perfectly happy holding her against my body as we swayed sensuously to the music. I loved the way her petite body seemed to fit against me even with our nearly one foot height difference, and I loved the feel of her hands on my legs.

The scent of vanilla and cinnamon engulfed me and I closed my eyes as I breathed her in. She was intoxicating, and she wasn’t even trying.

When the song ended she turned around in my arms and looked up at me. I kept my hands on her hips and held her close.

“I...”

“Tell me a secret,” I said softly. We were standing still in a crowd of dancing students, but she was all I could focus on.

“I like dancing with you.”

“I like dancing with you too.”

“Do you want to leave?”

My dick instantly twitched at her words and I had to mentally remind it that Paige was asking me to walk her home and it wasn’t getting any more action tonight.

“Sure.”

As we were leaving I looked around for Jax or Logan. I didn’t see either. My guess was they’d found their flavors of the night and were busy getting some action.

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PAIGE

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I couldn’t believe I’d danced with Jay that way. He’d been nothing but a gentleman, but the moment he’d wrapped his arms around me it was like some sort of whore instinct had come out and I’d been rubbing up against him and telling him to dance dirty with me.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

I liked Jay. He was a nice guy and he was fun to be around. I was attracted to him, holy shit was I ever attracted to him. The moment I’d seen his lip ring it was all I could think about. I’d only kissed a few guys in my life and none of them had any piercings or tattoos. I wondered what it would taste like, how it would feel. Would it tickle my lip, would he want me to play with it?

If that wasn’t enough the moment I’d felt his erection against me a flush of heat had rushed over my skin and I’d instantly become wet. My nipples had hardened and every brush of his clothes or skin had sent a shockwave through my body. By the time one song had finished I’d had to pull away before I slid my hands up so I could grab his incredible ass and hold on for dear life as I begged him to fuck me nine ways from Sunday.

I didn’t date. I didn’t do casual sex, or any sex, and I wasn’t looking for anything. I had to focus on school and on my plan, and a guy would be nothing but a distraction.

As cool as Jay was, as much as I might want him, I had to keep some distance. It was only a matter of time before he realized an uptight loser like me was the last person he’d want to hang out with.

The walk to my apartment was silent, and when we reached my building he turned to me.

“I had fun—” he cut himself off as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen.

“What?”

“Jax.” He sighed and shoved his phone back in his pocket as he pulled my things out for me. “He wants the apartment tonight.”

“What do you usually do when he wants it?”

“Find somewhere else to go.”

“Like a coffee shop?” Just then the obvious truth dawned on me. “Oh, never mind.” Of course he would find some hot chick to hook up with.

“Yeah.” He grinned wryly. “Does that bother you?”

“That you have sex?” I tried to shake the jealousy I felt at the thought of him having sex with anyone. I had no claim on him and he was free to do what he wanted, or who he wanted.

“That I have a bit of a reputation.”

“A reputation?”

“I have a few rules when it comes to girls I hook up with.”

“Oh?”

He was standing right in front of me, so close I could feel the heat coming off his body.

“I only do one night stands, I don’t like kissing more than necessary, and I get the job done.”

“Get the job done?” I swallowed as I imagined all the jobs he could be talking about.

“I’m not done until I hear the girl screaming my name.”

His eyes were almost burning into mine and he was doing that damn smoldering thing again.

“And you don’t kiss them?”

“I do, but not in the deep and passionate makeout session kind of way. There are other ways I can use my mouth to drive a girl crazy.”

I swallowed and tried to force the image of him with his face between my legs out of my head. God damn he was a good flirt.

“I have a reputation too,” I said, trying to shift the conversation off him and his sex skills.

“Oh really? And what’s yours?”

“I’m an ice queen. People think I’m cold and a bitch because I don’t play the games or do the dance.”

“I don’t think you are.”

“You’re one of the few.” I was suddenly hit with the impulse to ask him up to my apartment. I knew Jules would be gone for a while, she didn’t like to bring guys around because then they’d have her address. If she went to their place she could leave when she was done and not have to see them again if she didn’t want to. “Do you want to come upstairs?”

“Is this a friendly invitation?”

“Yes.”

“Like our dance was friendly?”

“Maybe. Is it leading you on if I say I don’t know?”

“No.” He shook his head and gently took my hand. “You don’t owe me anything, ever,” he said seriously. “If you want to make this a friends thing then that’s fine. If you want it a little less friends and more friendly, that’s fine too. Just tell me and I’ll respect it.”

“Thank you.” I gripped his hand and nodded to my building. “Why don’t you come up and we can hang out for a bit.”

“Sounds good.”