A Different Side (University Park #4) (38 page)

“Lying to your parents isn’t good, Lexi.” Despite knowing how they were, hiding things from them wasn’t the answer. They’d tell her I was a bad influence on her — which was probably true.

She gave a slight shake of her head. “I know. But trust me, I don’t have any other choice.”

For some reason, I understood why she had to lie. Why she had to keep things from them. It was the only way she was going to live life for herself. At times, I felt that as well. “I get it.” I gave a meek smile. “So, what movie do you want to watch?” I held up a selection of Sci-Fi movies. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any chick-flicks on hand.”

Smiling, she pointed to
Man of Steel
.

“Superman it is.” I winked and then loaded the disc into the player.

I sat next to Lexi on the couch. “Pizza?” I opened the box and tore a slice away from the pie. The smell of dough and pepperoni filled the air and my stomach growled.

She guzzled the beer as if she were dying of thirst. Pulling the bottle away, she said, “Sure.” Lexi took a small piece and bit the tip off as if she was afraid to eat.

“Have you thought about anything you’d like to do?” I knew it was a loaded question, but I didn’t want to make any moves that would send her out the door.

“Um, well…I’m not sure.” Her leg bounced, telling me she was still a little apprehensive about what she really wanted from me. That was okay. I’d ease her into it, allow her to call the plays.

I took another bite of my pizza, chewed, and swallowed. “What haven’t you done?”

“Nothing.” She took small bites and chewed carefully. She had never been afraid to eat in front of me before and I hoped it was just her nerves.

“Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad.” I gave her a slight nudge, trying to make her more comfortable.

“Trust me, it is.” She covered her mouth as she chewed. “My parents didn’t let us do much.”

“That sucks.” I grabbed another piece and shoved it in my mouth, encouraging her to do the same. I didn’t want her drunk before we had a chance to explore our mouths. “Name some things you’ve never done.”

“Let’s see…” she pressed a finger to her lips and her eyes darted to the ceiling, “I’ve never been in a helicopter.”

I rolled my shoulders, trying to get the thought out of my head. “Neither have I.”

“Maybe that’s something we can do together.” She finished off her beer.

“Possibly.”

“You don’t want to?”

I took a hard swallow and pulled down my defenses, knowing some vulnerability would help Lexi and I get closer. “I’m kind of scared of heights, to be honest.”

“Oh, okay.” Her voice softened, soothing me. “We don’t have to do that.”

“I’m sure there’s a crap load of other stuff we can do together.” I cocked a brow, hoping she caught on.

“I’ve never been to the beach.” She picked at the label on the beer bottle. “Luke has, though. He went with one of our cousins.”

“Shut up.” I shot her a weird look. “You’ve never been to the coast?” I grabbed our empty bottles and headed to the kitchen to get us a refill. As long as she didn’t down the next one, she’d be okay.

“Nope. Never. My mom has a phobia of the water. Her sister, my aunt Charlotte, almost drowned when they were little so she didn’t allow us to go swimming.”

“Damn.” I returned with our beers. “Do you know how to swim?”

“Thanks,” she said as she took the cold longneck from my hand. “I do. My dad convinced my mom that we all had to take swimming lessons to be on the safe side. She agreed and he took us.” She took a sip.

“This spring break, we’re going to change that.” I held up my beer. “We’ll go down to South Padre Island and party our asses off.” I took a drink, sealing the deal.

Lexi tried to hide her smile by wiping her mouth, but I saw the excitement in her face. “You promise?”

“Hell yeah, baby. We’re going.”

I resumed my position next to her on the couch and we talked through most of the movie, doing exactly what we needed to do. Getting to know each other, learning about our likes and dislikes. A level of comfort settled in between us, just like before.

After we finished eating, we kicked off our shoes and relaxed against the overstuffed couch. I made sure to keep my hands and arms to myself, waiting for her to make a move — although it was killing me.

Lexi shivered and wrapped her arms around her body.

“Cold?”

“A little.” She snuggled next to me, giving me the signal I’d been waiting for. I grabbed a blanket from the chair, covered us with it, and then slipped my arm around her. Being this close to her sent my body into a little fit. Every muscle tensed and my heart pumped my blood in one direction: downward.

I eased the bottle from her hand and set it on the table. “I think you’ve had enough. I don’t want you drunk.” I flashed her a grin, hoping she recalled what I’d told her last night.

“Yeah, drunk is not good.” She pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. “At least, not tonight.” Her eyes swept over me, starting a fire only she’d be able to put out.

I lowered my mouth to hers and she pressed her lips to mine, hungrily. Her lips were soft and full. I would never be able to get enough of them. I kissed her gently, savoring all her sweetness, and she followed my lead. Our tongues tangled together, twisting in a slow dance I never wanted to end. I could kiss Lexi all night if she let me. She sucked the air from my lungs, but in a good way. She was quickly becoming an obsession and I was transfixed on her.

Lexi thrust her tongue deeper into my mouth and I couldn’t hold back. I pulled her against me, dying to feel all of her. Her chest moved rapidly and her breasts pressed against my ribcage. I lowered her to the couch and the blanket fell to the floor. She pivoted her body, aligning her hips with mine. For a virgin, Lexi was a quick study; then again, she was always good at everything she did. With our lips still locked, I rocked, pressing my hardness against her. She moaned into my mouth and the little control I had was instantly gone.

Her leg curled up and she rubbed it against me in slow, long movements. My hand dropped to her thigh and I squeezed it tightly. The friction between our jeans was driving me crazy. I was ready to rip her pants off her body. I took a deep breath and reminded myself to take it slow, but I was ready to soak in every bit of her until I was totally drenched with her love.

“You are so sexy,” I whispered in her ear. My hand traveled from her thigh to her abdomen and then to her breast, giving it a gentle squeeze.

A gasp escaped from her lips and I caught it, filling her mouth with my tongue. She kissed me deep and hard, showing me just how much she wanted me. Tonight, I was ready to take her to the other side. The side she’d been waiting to experience. The side I was dying to share with her. But only if she wanted to.

I made a trail down her neck, sucking and kissing her skin along the way. She tasted so damn good. Another whimper escaped her lips, sending me into overdrive. She pressed into me, her body squirming and writhing underneath mine. I wasn’t good for her, but my heart was tethered to hers. The current between us was so strong. Stronger than a Louisiana hurricane. But would Lexi be able to weather my storm? I was one messed up guy and she deserved better than what I had to offer. But all I could do was try.

“Not as sexy as you.” She dragged her hands down my chest, giving my pecks a nice little squeeze. “You’re like a Calvin Klein model supercharged on steroids.”

“Whatever.” I laughed. “I’m not like Superman.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’re ripped like him, if not more.” She winked, curious to find out. The set up was perfect. Best of all, she did it.

“I promise you, I’m not.” I kissed her repeatedly, unable to stop tasting her.

“I don’t believe you.” She played with a button on my shirt, giving me the permission to step it up.

I lifted my head and smiled. “Do you want me to show you?”

A burning flame flickered behind her irises. She nodded and bit her lower lip. With one hand pressed into the couch, I began to unbutton my shirt. My body hovered over hers as she watched me with wide, hungry eyes. She grabbed a handful of my shirt and practically ripped it off me. “Desperate are we?” I laughed, totally surprised by her eagerness.

“A little.” She tugged the sleeves down my arms and then threw it across the room.

A look of disappointment washed across her face when she saw my white undershirt. Her palms landed on my chest and she inched my shirt upward. Rising to my knees, I said, “Easy now.” I wiggled my brows at her, enticing her for what was to come.

I grabbed the edge of my shirt and raised it over my chest in a slow and deliberate manner. If she wanted a strip tease, I’d gladly give it to her. I flexed my biceps and tensed my stomach as I peeled my shirt over my head and tossed it behind me. I rolled my shoulders and puffed out my chest, giving her what she wanted.

Her eyes surveyed my rugged terrain. Although I didn’t have abs of steel, I was proud of my six pack. I’d worked hard to get them and even harder to maintain it — giving up the things I loved to eat and spending countless hours in the gym. “Do you like what you see?” I shot her a sexy, seductive smile. Her eyes widened and she nodded, not speaking a word.

I placed her hands on my chest, letting her know it was okay to touch me. I wanted them on me. Anywhere she wanted. Her fingers trembled as they explored the ripples of my torso. A look of satisfaction appeared when she noticed the tattoo covering my right shoulder. With the tip of her finger, she followed the branches leading to a large black bird shattering into several tiny birds.

“A raven?” She studied the work of art on my body.

I shrugged. “Yeah, you like it?”

“I do.” Her fingers continued to trace the tattoo as though committing every detail to memory.

“Do you have any tattoos?” She probably didn’t, but I had to ask. There was something about a girl with virgin skin.

“All over my body,” she deadpanned. “Big and small.”

“I don’t believe you.” I surveyed her from head to toe. “Show me.”

Her fingers stopped mid-exploration and she froze. “What?”

“You heard me.” With two fingers, I motioned for her to remove her sweater. “It’s your turn. Take it off.”

“Um,” she stalled. “I don’t have any tattoos. I was just messing with you.” She fidgeted, trying to move underneath my legs straddling her.

I stared at her, dying to see her bare skin again. “I know you don’t, but I still want you to take off your shirt.”

“Oh…okay,” she said a little breathless.

Even though I had seen her in her bra and panties last night, I wanted to spend time exploring her body. Kiss every hidden and tender spot until she begged me to stop. Worship her like the goddess she was until the sun came up.

“That is unless you don’t want to.”

She shook her head. “No, I want to.” Wasting little time, she gripped the edge of her sweater and pulled it over her head. I helped her slide it down her arms and then dropped it to the floor. I smiled and then frowned when I saw her tank top concealing what I wanted to see the most.

“This too.” I pinched the tight tee outlining her voluptuous curves. She looked damn hot wearing it, but I was certain she’d look even hotter without it. My hands spread across her waist and I inched the tank top upward.

“Who’s the impatient one now?” She winked.

“A guy can only wait so long.” My body pulsed with an uncontrollable craving only Lexi could satisfy. Maybe I was turning into a vampire. All I wanted to do was suck up her sweetness until it satisfied all my needs.

“And I’ve made you wait too long?” she teased as she gathered the material around her breasts. Her cleavage stared me in the face. I wanted to bury my face against her, smother myself with her plump mounds until I couldn’t breathe.

“Too long.” The temperature rose to over one-hundred degrees and I struggled to breath. I took several deep breaths and licked my lips, ready to devour her. “But Lexi, you’ve been worth every minute of it.”

I felt the heat radiate from her cheeks as she lifted slightly and removed her tank top. She released it behind her and then rested against the couch, keeping one arm tucked behind her head.

“Beautiful.” My eyes traveled from her eyes to her breasts and then her stomach. “Your body is so beautiful.”

She shook her head. “It’s nothing like yours.” She slapped her stomach. “I’m all flabby and you’re like rock hard.”

With the edge of my finger, I made swirls along her mid-section, causing her stomach to quiver. “That’s how women are supposed to be. Soft and silky.” My hand spread up her abdomen to her left breast. “And believe me, I like it.”

I lowered my head and pressed a kiss to the hollow of her neck before peppering her chest with soft pecks. She drove her fingers into my hair, giving it a gentle tug as I worked my way downward. I slipped my hand behind her back and in one quick pinch, unfastened her bra. One by one, I eased the straps down her shoulders and it fell off. Lexi had perfect bare breasts. “You’ve been hiding those from me this whole time?”

Her head tilted to the side. “Sorry.” She wrapped her arms around her body, covering them.

I lowered her arms, exposing her fully. “Don’t ever be afraid to show me what God has given you.” I placed her hands around my neck and lowered against her. Flesh to flesh, our skin fused together. It felt so good to feel her against me. We kissed until our lips were raw and our mouths were dry. I caressed and suckled her breasts, unable to get enough of her.

Her taste.

Her touch.

Her body.

Being with Lexi was like nothing I had ever experienced before. She was what I had been missing all these years. She filled all the missing pieces and made me whole. No woman had ever done that before. She was what I needed and I hoped she needed me the same way.

Whimpers and moans escaped from her and it drove me crazy. Unable to slow down, my hand dropped to the button on her jeans. Her body stiffened and I stalled. Looking at her, I said, “Don’t be nervous, baby.” My lips brushed against her and her eyes fluttered to a close. “If I do anything that doesn’t feel good or hurts you, just tell me and I’ll stop.” I had to be gentle with her and take things slow. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her or have her regret sleeping with me.