Max was perched on his soap box, counting money, and Easton was messing around on his phone.

West went directly to Max while I tugged at Karlie’s dress, telling her I was going to split and hang out with West.

The smile Miles had put on Karlie’s face evaporated in supersonic record. “Whatever happened to just friends?” She frowned. “I was worried sick about you. I kept wondering if I imagined your thumbs-up or not.”

I shifted weight between my legs. “You didn’t imagine it. And I promise, it’s just casual, so …”

“You don’t do casual.”

“I can do casual. I’m not allergic to it. I just haven’t tried it before,” I argued.

“And what better person to do it with than the most infamous, popular man on campus, who happens to break noses for a living? I see no potential complications at all.” She gave me a skeptical look that was supposed to bring me back to my senses.

Clearly, I did a good job hiding how far gone I was for this guy.

“Karl, please.” I pulled her into a hug, trying to melt her reservations away. “It’s just fooling around. No feelings involved. Weren’t you the one who told me the ends justify the means?”

“I take it lover boy is no longer all about Tess,” she grumbled, patting my back without much enthusiasm but starting to come to terms with the idea. God bless Mrs. Contreras for creating this supreme human being. I didn’t think I could survive a second without Karlie in my life.

“We cleared that up.”

“Ah-ha. Is that what you kids call it these days?” She pulled away from me, giving me a stern, motherly once-over.

I laughed.

“I’m half-worried, half-morbidly curious. You better call me with all the details.”

I felt myself blushing.

West reappeared by my side, looking cold and apathetic. “Ready, Grace?” He tucked a thick stack of cash into his front pocket.

Grace. Not Texas or Tex. I nodded.

West jerked his chin toward Karlie, Miles, Reign, Tess, and Easton in goodbye.

“Where’re y’all headed to?” Tess called out, sticking her hip out.

“Giving Grace a ride home,” West flat-out lied.

“Wanna hang out afterwards?” Tess smiled brightly.

“I’m good.”

We crossed the road to the food truck silently. There was an unspoken agreement upon where we were going. It just felt right. That Taco Truck was our safe haven.

I unlocked the door and pushed it open, sneaking in first. West locked the door, leaning against it, his hands tucked behind his back, flashing me a rakish smirk.

“Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” I propped myself against the opposite wall of the trailer, smiling back. “And to think your famous first words were you were never going to touch me.”

“Well, Tex, I’m not sure I will be touching you,” he teased. “But you’re still going to come so hard you won’t be able to walk straight tomorrow.”

I slid down the wall. He slid down the door. We were facing each other, on opposite sides of the truck. Maybe not touching each other was a good idea. I was already in too deep.

“Nice panties,” he commented, his hungry gaze dipping teasingly between my legs. I flipped him the bird. My legs were pressed together, and I was hugging my knees.

“Nice try. You can’t see my panties.”

“Black cotton. A little white pearl at the center. Interesting symbolism.” He licked his lips, his eyes trained between my legs. I gasped, prying my knees open and leaning forward to check. I did remember wearing black panties, but not the pearl …

“Hey …” I felt myself frowning.

West burst out laughing. His throaty voice reverberated in the trailer, in my head, in my chest. “Figured you’d coordinate.”

“You owe me a peep show.” I looked back up at him, pushing my lower lip into a pout. My heart was pounding like a maniac.

“Your wish is my command.” He unbuttoned his jeans, his eyes trained on mine. He wanted to see if I would freak out. If I would kick him out of the truck. I did neither.

He shoved his jeans down his butt, but only enough that his gray briefs peeked out. I could see he was fully erect under the waistband. His penis was so thick, I could make out the individual veins snaking through its length.

He stroked himself through the fabric of his underwear.

“Your turn,” his voice was strained. “Trail your pussy lips with your finger for me, Tex.”

I momentarily stepped out of my anxiety, solely focused on the way his hands stroked his manhood. He had great hands. Large and rough.

Running my index over the seam of my sex through my panties, I panted. I dropped my head against the wall, letting it loll back and forth.

“Push a finger into yourself through the fabric,” he instructed, watching me intently. There was something potently hot in watching West watching me doing this to myself. I did as he asked. He grumbled, closing his eyes, now pulling and yanking at himself through his briefs.

“Take it out,” I said.

There was a pause.

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

He let his penis spring free from his boxers. It looked like a giant, raging leech pressing against his stomach. I’d forgotten what penises looked like. Not that I’d seen more than one in real life.

“Pull your panties to the side so I can see your pretty pussy.” He tugged at his own length harshly. I liked the way he said the word pussy. It sounded just dirty enough without being degrading somehow.

I bit my lip. “I’m not … camera-ready down there.”

He chuckled. “A little on the wild side, cowgirl?”

Lord.

“I wasn’t expectin’ a photo shoot.”

Why was I encouraging this metaphor to continue? His laughter danced inside my stomach, but his mirth didn’t stop him from growing even more swollen and hard inside his palm. His penis was way bigger than Tucker’s. Tess and co should be given some sort of a prize for accommodating it. Or maybe medical care. Possibly both.

“Hundred bucks says it’s gorgeous,” he murmured.

“How would you know?” My mouth practically hung open.

“It’s attached to you.”

“Genitals aren’t often described as gorgeous.”

“Your dirty talk game is weak, Tex. Less talking, more showing me your snatch.”