Winter break came and went in a whirlwind of bliss.

I spent the two week vacation in California, allowing myself a small trip down memory lane for the first time since my family passed.

I mean, I didn’t go home. I couldn’t. Not with the way I’ve been having a harder time shutting down my thoughts lately - that’s too much. But I did go to the stadium and watch the AFC Wild Card game the Tomahawks were playing in.

While they weren’t horrible, they did have a tough year this year. In reality, they’ve been having a tough ‘year’ since my Grandpa retired as their coach and took on the partial owner role three seasons ago.

They could use a new safety - he gets dipped on the regular, and that’s not okay- maybe even a new QB. Maiven Walkins, first round pick from Indiana, got sacked during the second preseason game against Dallas, one he never should have been playing in the first place, taking him out for the season. The second string is good, but far from great. They need an arm like Nate’s – fluent and precise. Too bad he’s still got a few years of college ball before he’s eligible.

Pressure builds in my chest and I do my best to take a deep breath.

Nate.

That boy crept up on me like the fourth shot of Patron, warming my body from the inside out, leaving me feeling weightless and capable. Completely knocking me off my feet.

It’s not like I thought it would be, caring about someone. I kind of like it. It’s fresh and new, and making me realize that sometimes it’s okay to allow yourself to feel things, not that Nate ever gave me a choice. I tried so hard to keep him at arm’s length, keep it skin deep, but when all I want to do is pull him in and keep him there, feel his warmth against mine, that’s kind of hard to do.

It was a wasted effort from the start. I should have known the minute he pissed me off the night he knocked on my door, refusing to believe we hadn’t slept together. I hadn’t let anyone get under my skin in a long, long time, and he managed to within seconds on day one, making me think of him on day two.

Truth be told, I missed him while I was gone. I kept thinking about him during the game, wanting to turn my head and argue play calls with him, but as soon as the thoughts would come, I told myself I was being a stupid teenage girl and made myself stop. Then, when I went to the beach, I kept thinking about how nice it would be if he were there to wrap his arms around me; help keep me warm. Again, I told myself to shut up. But the following day, I was running along the shoreline, my legs beat and ready to give out, when the raspy draw of Evanescence blared through my Dre’s, momentarily stopping me in my tracks. It had been a while since I’d allowed myself to listen to “Bring Me To Life” but from the first chord of the song, it was as if my body got a second wind, feeling lighter with every stride taken.

Nate woke me up from the empty life I’d forced myself into, filled the hollow parts I created with wonder and anticipation. He did that. He’s been showing me that life is more than movements and motions, more than processes and requirements. He’s waking me up and he doesn’t even know it. Or maybe he does, I don’t know.

I thought about calling him when I drove in late last night, but decided against it. Then, this morning he texted that he had an early meeting with his coach and he’d meet me at school. So, yeah, I’m a little antsy and excited to see him after being gone for two weeks, and I think I’m okay with that.

Smiling to myself, I wrap my skull-covered scarf around my neck and head out the door, finding a shining Parker waiting in my driveway for me.

He hops out and jogs over, encasing me in a big bear hug.

“What are you doing here?” I pull back, looking up at his bright blue eyes with a smile.

He shrugs and takes my bag from my shoulder. “I didn’t want to wait until school to see your pretty face.” He winks, tossing my bag on the middle seat of his truck. “I missed ya, Lolli Bear.”

Once I hop in, I turn to peck his cheek before he shuts the door, and jogs around to climb in the driven seat.

“I missed you, too, Hero.” I buckle my seatbelt and shift toward him. “Did you get the pics I sent you?”

He nods, placing his arm behind my seat as he reverses out of the driveway. “All fifty-seven of them.”

He laughs when I smack his shoulder with the back of my hand.

“You mean the Californian ass didn’t pique your interest?” I tease and settle back into the seat.

“Why did you send me a bunch of random ass shots?”

“So you could see all the options California has to offer.”

“And why would I need to know this?”

Biting the inside of my lip, I take a deep breath.

While I was on vacation, I’d thought about what I really wanted. While I don’t plan to go to college, I do plan on leaving here and heading back to California. I know everything I want to know about being part-owner of a professional football team and complete owner of the NFL’s largest outside contracted photography team, Embers Elite Exposures. From the age of twelve, I was brought into all the decisions - Papa said I had to be since it’d be mine one day - before they were made, so I’ve been through the processes ten times over. But I was thinking it would be nice to build a team of my own for when I take on more responsibility in both matters.

I also happen to know Parker isn’t wanting to play college ball, and plans to major in Business and Accounting, so I decided maybe I could share a bit with him, in hopes of getting him to join me.

“Well…” My forehead wrinkles as I stare out the front windshield. “Shit,” I mutter, dropping my face into my hands. “Pull over, Hero.” My voice is muffled by my hands.

“Hang on, Lolli Bear. We’re pullin’ into the school lot anyhow.”

When I drop my hands, I see he’s turned into the first lot, furthest from the entrance.

He kills the engine, undoes his seatbelt and turns toward me.

“Okay.” I place my palms up. “Hear me out, alright?”

His brows drop in concern, but he nods.

“So, when the year’s up, I’m going home.” He nods again, letting me know he’s following. “Right, so...” I wrinkle my nose. “Home is in California.”

He grins. “I know.”

“You know?” My head draws back.

He chuckles. “I pay attention, Lolli Bear. You’re a weird combination of hippie, social outcast, and surfer chick. Your coffee is over-complicated, burritos are its own food group to you, and you say ‘awesome’ and ‘hella’ in every conversation. You’re all California, honey.”

I purse my lips and cross my arms over my chest. “I don’t surf.”

He throws his head back, laughing, and reaches over to tug a piece of my hair. “Don’t be mad. It’s cute.”

“Whatever.” Smiling, I roll my eyes and get us back on track. “Anyway,” I hold his gaze for a moment. “I was thinking, maybe you’d want to come with me?”

Parker’s face tightens as he searches my eyes.

“I mean, you could finish school wherever you want, but if you decided to move to California, now or after college, you could stay with me…or I have a few properties you could move into.”

He stares at me.

Fuck it. I lay it all out there. “I’d like you to come work for me.” His brows drop even lower. “I kind of own some big… uh… stuff. Important, high-functioning, crazy competitive things and, well, I’m gonna need someone business savvy to help me out. It’d be a full CEO, top-tier position. Highest paid. The only person you’d answer to is me, but really, you’d make the majority of the decisions, have a few dozen people beneath you. I’m not interested in that side of the business, but I’ll need to be in the loop about everything.”

I watch as Parker continues to blink at me.

“My current CEO is retiring in two years, so you could intern with him after your first year of college, maybe even travel with him this summer, if you want. He’d show you everything you need to know, help you build your class schedule based on what you’ll need to take first. Once he’s gone, I’ll figure it out until you’re ready, not that Mr. Marshall would up and leave me hangin’. But I could use you, Parker. I need someone I can trust. Plus, it’d be nice to have a friend around.” I hold his gaze so he knows I’m not joking.

He scrubs his hands down his face and shakes his head to clear whatever it is he’s thinking.

“So...” he draws out slowly, looking out the windshield. “You want me to come to California so I can work for you once I have my business degree?”

I nod, working the inside of my lip with my teeth. “And to hang with me, yeah.”

“Lolli, you do realize I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about, right?” A smile breaks over his face, and I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

With a chuckle, I sink against the door. “I know.” I continue to laugh. “Baby steps, Parker, baby steps.” I smile at him.

He nods. “California?”

“California. I’ll tell you more after you mull over the idea of going with me. Even if you don’t want to work with me, I’d still like for you to come. Like I said, I have a place for you to stay for free. No dorm rules,” I add hopefully.

“Man, Lolli…”

My phone beeps and I look at the screen.

 

Nate: ready or not, here I come...

 

My brows pull in, right when my door flies open.

I scream, thinking I’m about to hit the concrete, but I land in a pair of warm, firm arms. Looking up, my breath catches in my throat as my eyes lock onto a dark pair of brown ones I’ve been dying to see.

He smiles down at me, his fingers sliding against my sides, where his arms hold me. “Hi, baby,” he whispers.

My chest feels like I just took a hit, and my eyelids lower. “Hi, Handsome,” I breathe, reaching up with my hand to skim my fingers across his jaw.

He adjusts his arms so he can swing my body upright, and I wrap myself around him, his palms coming down to cup my ass. His lips skim my temple, then he drops his forehead to mine.

I hear Parker’s door open and close, then footsteps carrying him away, but I don’t take my eyes off Nate as he turns my body, pressing my back against the passenger side door.

He runs his nose along mine. “I missed you.”

“I kinda, maybe, missed you, too.” I smile and press a light kiss to his lips.

One side of his mouth lifts and a mischievous glint takes over his brown gaze. “Oh, you missed me alright.” He presses his body firmly against mine, squeezing my ass harder.

I lick my lips.

He leans in, running his nose down my cheek, across my jaw, then up to my ear. “And not just my body, Kalani,” he whispers, his tongue flicking out to tease my skin. “Though, you missed that too, didn’t you?”

My head falls against the window, a soft moan sliding past my lips.

Slowly, he pulls my scarf off, and kisses my neck, his warm breath bringing goosebumps to my skin. “Tell me...” he murmurs.

“Take me home...” I breathe, gripping his shoulders tighter, “and I’ll do you one better.”

He chuckles, bringing his forehead back to mine. “I wish, but I have to meet with the counselors today for some college stuff, but I will be taking you home later.” He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth briefly. “Believe that.”

“Fine.” I drop my legs from around him, squeezing them together slightly to try and settle myself down, but all it does is create more friction and I slink against the truck.

He notices, like he always does, and a sexy smirk comes out to play. “You need me to take care of you, baby?” he asks, in a low, husky voice, stepping into my space again.

I lick my lips, nodding, because I do. I don’t know why, but I need something... him, like right now.

He peeks over his shoulder while nudging my legs open. The parking lot is mostly deserted now; that, or everyone’s closer to the front of the school, since Parker parked in the back of the lot.

His warm hands tease up my sides, my leggings doing nothing to mask the feeling of his rough touch against me. Then his fingers dip into the front of my yoga pants and panties.

I shake my head, and he frowns.

Fisting his letterman jacket, I pull his body against mine, and crash my lips into his. We both groan on contact. Our overheated, overeager mouths smashing together, tongues tangling and teasing in a way that shows how much our lips have missed each other.

I pull back and whisper a heady, “You,” then kiss him hard again. “I want you.”

He tries to stand his ground, shaking his head at me, but when I reach between us and squeeze his junk, he lifts and carries me to the back of Parker’s truck.

As if I weigh nothing, Nate tosses me over the tailgate, hops inside and sits himself against the back so his head is lying against the cab window. He pulls off his jacket and motions for me to sit, turning me so my back is against his front, my thighs on top of his. Placing his jacket over my lap, he slides my pants and panties to my knees, freeing himself at the same time. I hear a packet tear, then my hips are lifted, and he’s pulling me down on top of him in one, quick, thank-fucking-god movement.

When I attempt to lift, his hands clamp onto my hips, steeling me in place.

“No,” he breathes into my ear. “I don’t want anyone to see you.”

I look around, seeing not a soul in sight, and try again.

His fingertips dig into my skin, and my heart rate spikes even higher.

His warm laughter heats my neck as he whispers, “Anyone could walk by, and I’ll be damned if they get to see what your face looks like when you’re riding me.”

“Mmm.” My hands come down to cover his, and I squeeze him with my walls, needing some kind of something, and needing it now.

He senses it, knows that I’m seconds away from demanding, so he gives me what I need.

Dropping himself down on a slant, he pulls me back so my ass is sitting on his pelvic bone, giving himself just enough room to lift his hips, sliding in and out only a few inches with each motion, but it’s enough right now. Perfect, really.

When he lifts, pressing into me as far as he can, he rolls his hips, using his hands to grind me against him the way he wants it.

My head drops back to rest on his shoulder, my pants visible above me in the cold January air. It’s erotic, the way my deep breaths turn into smoke above me, fanning out into the air like the heat that’s spreading through my body.

My right hand reaches up behind me to cup Nate’s cheek, and his lips drop to my neck. Licking, biting, kissing, he sends a tremble through my entire body.

Again, he senses what I want…what I need, and he lifts his right hand to his lips, where he coats his pointer and middle finger with spit. Dropping his hand back beneath the jacket, he rubs his warm fingers over my clit. Applying slight pressure, he begins making small circles while increasing the speed of his hips.

I press myself further into him and within seconds, he’s gripping my chin, catching my whispers in his mouth as I come apart in his arms, my sex gripping him in uncontrollable spasms.

Both his hands find my hips again. Keeping my mouth locked on his, he grinds my ass into him, letting out a deep, guttural groan, when my teeth find his bottom lip.

My body goes lax against him, and I seriously think I might need to go to bed after that.

So fucking good.

Nate kisses my temple. “So fucking good.”

I grin, even though he can’t see me.

His arms wrap lazily around me, his chin resting on my shoulder. After a few minutes, he speaks. “You know I missed you, right? Not just this.”

My body grows warm and not from arousal. My head dips slightly, in an attempt to cover the crimson color burning across my skin, and a low, strange, “Yes,” leaves my lips.

Nate’s chest swell underneath me.

I close my eyes and allow myself to fall further into him.

I’m placing my Government book in my locker when I feel him.

Peeking over my right shoulder, my body feels like I just did a dozen somersaults.

His smile is bright and beautiful, and on me.

Eyes still locked on his, I slowly turn to lean against my open locker, ignoring the metal that digs into my back, because I don’t wanna miss the show in front of me.

Nate’s walking toward me and, if I didn’t know better, I’d say it was just the two of us in the hall. It kinda feels that way when he steps in front of me.

He doesn’t speak.

Neither do I.

His eyes roam my face; mine stay trained on his.

When his hand comes up, pushing my hair behind my ear, we sigh in unison, like we were both waiting for this - the innocent touch of his skin against mine. His hand glides down my body, until he can catch my fingers with his, his touch never once leaving my skin. Raising my hand to his mouth, he skims his lips across my knuckles. It’s light, but speaks volumes.

He looks into my eyes.

I look into his.

He nods.

I nod.

We’re on the same page.

This is more than just sex.