Romeo

If you’d kissed one girl, you’d kissed them all.

Not true.

The second my lips touched hers, everything else melted away. The street, my car, the initiation. Everything.

Her mouth was soft and inviting. I was demanding, almost desperate, but she didn’t seem to mind. She opened for me instantly, and my tongue swept inside, staking its claim. I gripped the sides of her face like she was my lifeline as I slanted my mouth over hers again and again.

Rimmel’s hands came up to wrap around my forearms as if to hold me in place while the kiss went on and on. The fullness of her mouth begged to be nipped at, which I did so hungrily at her bottom lip. Her fingers dug into my skin and she reached up on tiptoes so she could get a little bit closer.

Never in a million years would I have guessed the amount of passion her small body could hold. But now I knew. And I was selfish. I wanted it all. I wanted it all for myself.

Our lips met again, crushing against the other, as I released her face and locked my arms around her back. Her body melted against mine, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted more.

I palmed the sides of her waist and lifted. She came willingly, wrapping her legs around my waist and flinging her arms around my neck.

The heat of her core pressed against my middle had my cock straining against my jeans as need hammered my bloodstream until I thought I might burst.

I ripped my mouth away and looked at her. Her eyes were heavy and dazed, her lips swollen and pink. My God, she was beautiful. More beautiful than anyone I’d ever seen.

I tightened my arms around her, holding her tight. Possession was like a set of impenetrable handcuffs as it enclosed around me.

She let out a small sigh and wiggled her bottom so she was closer. The action had my gut clenching and the urge to carry her around to the hood of my car and bury myself deep inside her right here on the street took hold of me.

I started walking before I even realized what I was doing.

A car drove by, slowing a little as it went around us. Reality came crashing back and I realized we were on the street. Rimmel wasn’t some lay I could just do on my car out here in the open. She deserved better than that.

“Fuck,” I muttered and then reversed my steps. She started to slide down my body, back to her feet, but I bent to pick her back up. I growled a little deep in my throat and clutched her to me. Her legs came back around me just as snug as before, and I carried her and the bag to the Hellcat.

When she was seated in the passenger side, I reached around her and pulled the seatbelt across. The back of her head was resting against the seat and her hands were lost in my hoodie. Once the belt clicked into place, I pulled back and looked at her, sweeping my eyes over her face.

Before going around to get in the driver’s seat, I dropped a quick kiss to her lips.

Neither one of us said a word on the short drive back to campus. When her dorm came into sight, my stomach tightened a little. I wasn’t ready to let her go.

When I parked, she started to tug her arm out of the hoodie. I reached over and stopped her. “No you don’t.”

She looked at me with a question in her eyes.

“Keep it. Wear it to the game Saturday night.”

“The game?” she asked.

I threaded my fingers through hers and lifted her hand to my lips. “You’re gonna come watch me play, aren’t you?”

“Uhhh,” she stuttered.

I gave her one of my charming smiles. She sighed. “Yeah, maybe.”

I knew she’d be there. Just the thought of knowing she was there watching made me want to play better than ever.

She glanced down at the hoodie. It was the football team’s colors, deep royal blue and golden yellow. It read Property of Alpha Football across the front.

“You’re sure you want me to keep this?” Her voice was wary.

“I’m sure,” I said definitively. “I’m beginning to think you don’t own a coat.”

She giggled. “I do. I just always forget it. We never needed one in Florida.”

I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re from Florida?”

She nodded.

“Your mom probably isn’t a piece of work like mine.” I meant it as a joke, something to make her smile.

Sorrow wrapped around her like a thick blanket. “My mom died.”

“Oh, baby,” I murmured, leaning close to press my forehead against hers. “I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago,” she whispered. “I was eleven.”

“Shit,” I swore under my breath. She grew up without a mother. I couldn’t even imagine what that must have been like.

I felt her stare on me so I lifted my gaze to meet hers. Our faces were so close it looked like she had one large eye instead of two.

“I do not want your pity.” Her voice was firm.

I couldn’t help but smile. She had a little Hellcat buried beneath her hood. “No pity here.” I drew back and kissed her forehead.

Rimmel sat back and pushed her glasses up on her nose. “Romeo, what happened?” she whispered.

I knew she meant between us. Hell, I was sort of wondering that myself.

All I knew was I couldn’t deny the way she affected me.

“Something,” I murmured.

“Something,” she echoed.

She pulled away and started to get out of the car. I caught the sleeve of the hoodie and tugged. “Tell me you aren’t going to pull away,” I said. A part of me was worried the minute she left this car, the bubble of whatever was between us, she would get scared and run away.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip and she regarded me. I could see the doubt already creeping in around her eyes.

“Tell me, Rimmel,” I demanded. I wouldn’t let her out of this car until I heard it from her lips.

“I promise.”

I barely heard the words, but she said them. Something inside me eased a little. “I’ll wait ‘til you’re inside the building,” I told her.

She looked back on her way inside the dorm. My hoodie totally dwarfed her small frame and I liked it. Just seeing it on her made me feel triumphant.

I wondered how long it would take her to figure out it had my name and number on the back.

I grinned to myself. I hoped she didn’t notice until she wore it somewhere that everyone could see. Then they would know she was mine.

My phone beeped and I looked down at it as she disappeared inside.

I’M HERE. WHERE ARE YOU?

Shit, I forgot I told Braeden to meet me.

BE THERE IN A FEW

I didn’t drive back home. I just went across campus.

I had a burglary to accomplish.