The next few weeks consisted of me filling up my schedule, packing in as much as possible so I wouldn’t have a moment to miss David. Of course, I missed him. I missed him terribly. I saw him constantly on campus or at the coffee shop, chasing down strangers in the street only to discover it wasn’t him at all. I feared if I didn’t keep my mind preoccupied, I’d go insane. Running became my religion. I pushed my body every day… just ten minutes more… one more mile… anything to distract myself from my emptiness. The more I ran, the deeper I slept at night, and I needed to just crash and forget about how much I wished he was near me.

I took on more piano students and paid a lot of attention to the sorority calendar. Rush was a week away, and I knew once we had pledges and the final semester began, I’d have a lot more work to do. Natalie had graciously allowed me to help her with her pledge class. I made copies, wrote schedules, ordered pledge pins and even washed the gowns that would be used at initiation. I was doing work that didn’t need to be done for months, but it felt good to be organized and on top of everything.

Evenings were the longest. Because of the time difference, I was only able to FaceTime with David in early evenings. He’d call me around six, as it was eleven over in London. They had him waking up at the crack of dawn, and he spent most of his day in the studio. Sometimes when he’d call, his voice sounded hoarse, and I felt guilty talking to him when he should be drinking tea and resting his vocal chords for the next day.

“Things are moving so fast. I can’t really believe it.” David said as I lay on my bed, belly to the mattress, hugging my pillow, pretending it was him.

“How so?”

“They have all this PR booked. I have to do interviews and there’s talk of a video.”

“A video? Oh my God! David! That is crazy!”

“I know. They didn’t specify which song yet.” He looked so happy. Tired, but clearly in his element.

“How are the people?”

“Good. I mean, I sing in a sound proof box all day. They add the musicians later, but I’ve met them. They seem cool. It’s just strange to be singing without Mark and Kevin backing me up. They were always my band, you know?”

“Yeah. It’s weird watching them without you.”

“How’s Brit holding up?”

“She’s good. She incorporated a Green Day song into their set list.”

David rolled his eyes. “Of course she did.” Brit had an unhealthy obsession with Billie Joe Armstrong.

“Everyone asks about you. You have a fan club here waiting for your return.”

He just smiled. “How’s Beast?” I looked away from the screen for a minute. The truth was, I had no idea. “You haven’t visited him, have you?” David’s voice was filled with disappointment, and I kicked myself for not taking a moment to wander over there and pet the cat. I should have bought him a toy or a bed, something to show I cared. I sucked.

“I’ve been busy. I’m sorry.”

David’s eyes held an evident disappointment in my neglect. “It’s not just the cat, Kris. I worry about Harry.”

I laughed at that. “Harry? I doubt he needs tucking in.”

“He’s a loner. He left his whole life in New York. I just don’t want him… forming bad habits. That’s all.”

“What kind of bad habits?”

David didn’t answer my question. “Don’t you have anyone in your sorority that you could fix him up with?”

“Not really. Most of the seniors have boyfriends, and you really don’t want him with Summer. She’s single for a reason.”

“Fine, but maybe invite him out every once and awhile.”

“I’m sure Brit would like that.” I snorted.

“Sorry?”

“I think Brit has a crush on him.”

David’s eyes widened. “Brit, who’s practically married to Erik, Brit?”

“I didn’t say she would act on it. She just mentioned a few times how handsome he is. The girl is allowed to admire from afar, nothing wrong with that.”

David leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. His biceps bulging as his black tee tightened around him. God. Was he always that gorgeous? That in shape? “He’s the runt of our litter.”

“Don’t be jealous,” I said as my gaze wandered down over his biceps again.

“Trust me, I could never be jealous of Harry.”

“You’re too hard on him.”

“If you knew his past, you’d be hard on him, too.”

“Okay that’s the second time you hinted that he has this huge skeleton in his closet.”

David scratched at his head, causing a few hairs to fall out of the small stub of a bun he had tied it back in. “I don’t want to talk about Harry.”

“You brought it up!”

“You’re right. Just forget it.” His gaze looked around the room, and I realized I had never seen his place.

“Hey! Give me a tour of your flat.”

“A tour?” He flipped the laptop around so I could see the rest of his room. It was a mess. He turned the laptop back around, and his face swam into view. “It’s not that big.”

“I want to see more than your laundry. Come on, show me around.”  I watched David reach over onto his nightstand for something. It was a pack of cigarettes. He lit one and took a drag before talking again. My mouth twitched. I knew David only really smoked when he was songwriting, but it drove me insane. He knew I hated the habit, and being a billion miles apart, there was nothing I could do to stop him.

“My roommate Danny is out there practicing.” He gestured to the room beyond his door.

Now that I listened, I did hear an electric guitar in the background. “Oh! I didn’t realize you had a roommate. You never said anything. I assumed you’d be alone.”

“Nah. I’m not that important. They pair us up with other musicians.”

“So, Danny is recording an album, too?” David took another drag and nodded, squinting as the smoke traveled in front of his eyes. As much as I wasn’t thrilled that he was smoking, he sure looked good doing it.

“Enough about me and record deals. Tell me what’s going on with you.”

“Absolutely nothing to report.”

“Oh come on, Kris.”

“Well, let’s see. I’m recording my first album, and I have several interviews lined up… wait! No. That’s you. I’m making poster boards with Greek letters for Rush. Spoiler alert: I used acrylic paint—with glitter. Shocking, I know.”

He shrugged and took another drag before flicking his ashes into an ashtray. “Eh, I’m sure you’re having more fun.”

“I highly doubt it.” I bit my bottom lip. “I really miss you.”

David leaned in closer to the screen, his voice hushed in a whisper. “I miss you too, love. You have no idea how badly I want you here— to show you London and have you beside me in the studio.”

“You only want me in the studio?” I asked flirtatiously.

He tsk’d and shook his head, putting out his cigarette. I was happy he had only smoked half of it. “You know I want you naked in my bed right now.”

I paused and took a breath. There was an ocean between us, and I wondered if we could actually have that intense intimacy level that we were accustomed to. “What would you do to me if I was there?”

David looked surprised, a shy smile crept up on his face. God, he was beautiful. Just seeing him on-screen and not being able to touch him was torture.

He cocked his head slightly to the side and ran a tongue over his crooked canine. “You really want to do this?” he asked softly.

My heart pounded. Why was I so nervous? It was only David. But, suddenly, I was speechless. I nodded in response, all the while thinking, yes. I absolutely want to do this.

“All right. But, I’m signing off. I’ll call you on your cell.”

“Uh… sure,” I said, not really sure what just happened. He gave a wave and disappeared from my screen. I felt stupid. Maybe he didn’t want to see me. Maybe he really didn’t want this. Maybe… my phone lit up with David’s picture.

“Hello?”

“Turn off the lights and get under the covers.” Holy shit! I wasn’t expecting for him to just jump in like that. His voice was warm, velvety, and commanding. His accent tugged on my panties and caused my head to spin. We had known each other for years. How the hell did he do that to me by uttering one sentence? I pressed the phone closer to my ear and did as I was told.

“Lights are off, and I’m in bed,” I said with a shy smile.

“Good. I like when you’re obedient.”

Obedient? Was this really David Archer? He was like liquid sex oozing through my receiver. I racked my brain for a response, wanting to be just as good at this as he seemed to be, but the best I could come up with was, “What else do you like?”

“I like… taking your clothes off and feeling your skin against mine.”

That was a nice image. “I like that, too,” I said softly.

“Take off your shirt and imagine me slipping the straps of your bra down your arm to reveal your perfect breasts. I’m going to cover them with warm kisses.”

That was easy to imagine. I closed my eyes and imagined his lips caressing my curves… his tongue tracing my nipples. Shit. I wanted him so bad. “I love how your mouth feels on my body.” The words came out breathlessly, and I would have been embarrassed had David not moaned in response.

“Baby, take off your pants, I want to taste you.” In the dark, hearing his voice, I could almost feel him. “Touch yourself and pretend it’s my tongue.” It was a cruel illusion, but I wasn’t willing to stop it. Not yet. I pushed down my pants and slipped my hand into my panties, not in the least bit surprised to find that I was wet.

“Are you hard?” I asked with a shaky voice.

“Mmhhh.” He moaned. “So hard.”

I knew he needed me to talk to him, but I wasn’t sure what to say. He was pretty good at this. I wondered if he’d done it before… “Imagine me…” What should I say I’m going to do? Grab him? Suck him? I was starting to think I was in over my head, but still, it was the closest thing I had to being with him in weeks. “Stroking you,” I decided.

He groaned again. “Baby. Your hands feel good,” he whispered. “Don’t stop.”

I wasn’t sure if he meant don’t stop talking or don’t stop pretending that I was jerking him off. This was all so new, terrifying and crazy sexy. Luckily, he spoke first. “I really want to be inside you. Are you wet?”

Was I wet? I was going to have to change my sheets after this long-distance call. “Yes,” I said breathlessly as I drew my fingers up to my bundle of nerves and began rubbing the spot, wishing he was inside me. “Yes… David… I want you inside me.”

“I am, baby… I am…” he said with a ragged breath, and I worked my fingers harder until I found my sweet spot. “I’m buried so deep.” He groaned.

“Yes! David!” I gasped as my muscles tensed from the pleasure. I cried out softly, careful not to be too loud for fear that there was someone out in the hallway. Then, I felt my body relax against the mattress. David gave a familiar grunt that I had heard a thousand times, just never over the phone. Listening to his ragged breathing was one of the sexiest sounds I had ever heard. I snuggled under the covers, a sweet smile across my lips.

Finally, he spoke. “Wow. Kris… that was bloody amazing. Did you…?”

“Yeah,” I admitted, Rubbing my forehead with the back of my hand, my mind still in disbelief. One minute we were talking about Harry needing a girlfriend. The next I’m having an orgasm simply by playing a little pretend. “Did you?”

“Yeah.” He still sounded a bit out of breath, and that’s how I knew for sure that he had. I wanted to roll on top of him, to kiss his neck and smell his hair. And maybe, even do it all over again. But he was on another continent, and I was in a house with unsuspecting Delta Sigs.

“I wish I was in your arms right now. I need you beside me,” I whimpered, afraid I might cry.

“Close your eyes, love. I am.”