A Different Side (University Park #4) (51 page)

Lexi dove her hands into my hair, massaging my head with her fingertips. It felt so damn good, but I was ready for her to massage something else. She arched her back and moaned as her body writhed underneath me, telling me she was ready for me to take complete possession of her. And I’d gladly do it until we had nothing left to give.

Lexi slid my shirt over my shoulders and I quickly shucked it off. She didn’t waste any time, pushing me onto my back. She lowered her mouth to my chest and placed several sweet kisses before teasing me with her tongue. Using the tip, she traced over every indention and crevice as she made a path to my navel. My stomach quivered and I let out low moan as she unzipped my pants and pulled them down. Unable to resist her any longer, I flipped her onto her back.

Her eyes widened in delight. “Ah. So you want control.” Her hands dragged down my back to my butt, giving it a nice squeeze. She pressed me into her, telling me she wanted me.

“Whatever you want, baby. I’ll give it to you.”

She hooked her legs around my waist, positioning herself perfectly against my groin. I was ready to rip her jeans off so I could feel her completely. “Oh, God, Lexi,” I moaned into her mouth as I rubbed against her, showing her I was ready to make love to her.

Resting my weight on one arm, I used my other hand to trace the curves of her body. Touching her was sheer pleasure and I was dying to feel her naked body on mine. Quickly, I stripped her, tossing her clothes to the floor. My eyes gave her an approving nod. Lexi was perfect…so damn beautiful. I wanted her to forget about everything that happened and make love to her like never before.

“Two weeks without you is too long,” I breathed heavily into her ear. My heart raced and the blood coursed through my veins, filling all the right parts. I took several deep breaths, trying to pace myself before I lost it.

“You have no idea,” she whispered, panting shallow breaths as her hands roamed over my body.

My craving for her increased and an animalistic desire consumed me. “I want you so damn bad.” I pressed my hips into hers. Our gazes connected and the room seemed to fade away. All that existed was us. I would make love to her until she couldn’t possibly take any more. My arms trembled, but I ignored the muscle twitches. Nothing was going to stop me from showing Lexi how much I needed her.

“But you need to rest.” She stroked the sides of my hair. Care and concern filled her eyes and I knew she was trying to be considerate. “You’re weak.” Her voice faltered. She was the weaker one.

Lying next to Lexi was heaven, but being naked and on top of her was pure torture. A torture I welcomed. “Baby, I’m never too weak to make love to you.”

A smile spread across her face and her lips landed on mine. She kissed me greedily, like she was drugged on my love. I soaked up every ounce of it, indulging sinfully in everything she had to offer. My hands caressed her hot, silky skin as our bodies moved in a perfect rhythm only we could make. Every stroke, every thrust, connected us on a deeper level. Lexi was the only drug I needed. And I needed her more than she knew — every minute of every day. She gave me the perfect high. We were trapped in each other’s love and I wanted it to stay that way forever.

∑

Chapter 33

Winners never quit and quitters never win.

~Vince Lombardi

“Good morning, baby.” I stroked Lexi’s cheek, soaking in all her beauty. We had slept through most of the morning, exhausted from everything.

“Damn, it’s awesome to hear those words.” She smiled, burrowing herself against the palm of my hand.

“I’ll make sure to always say them.” I placed a tender kiss on her lips and rested my forehead against hers. I had to be the luckiest man in the world. Lexi didn’t have to be here with me; she chose to. Having her next to me renewed my strength and gave me the confidence I needed to get through this tough time. I took several deep breaths, pushing the thoughts out of my head. The demons were on a vengeful path, determined to take me with them. But I refused to listen to them. They weren’t taking me down this time.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded and grinned. “Being with you makes everything better.”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way.”

She had that right. Grabbing her, I pulled her on top of me, wrapped my arms tightly around her, and planted kiss after kiss on her face. “I’m going to smother you with my love and affection until you’re sick of it.”

“I could never get sick of this.” She giggled and laughed, loving what I was doing to her.

“Good, because I’m not letting you go anywhere.” I gave her a tight squeeze, keeping her confined in my arms.

“I don’t have anywhere else to go, so I guess you’re stuck with me.” Her smile vanished and all happiness seemed to be sucked from her.

“What do you mean?”

Her lips pressed together and she broke eye contact. “My mother told me that if I left to never come back.” Tears seeped from her eyes and spilled into her hair. Her head dropped to my chest and she sobbed quietly. “It just sucks.”

I hated that her mother was so cold-blooded. That she wasn’t willing to accept us being together. I wasn’t sure what she had planned, but one thing was certain: I wasn’t giving Lexi up. I loved her too much. “Don’t cry, baby.” I lifted her head and wiped her tears with my thumbs. “You can stay here with me.”

“Are you sure?” She sniffed.

“Of course I’m sure.” I smiled. There was no other place I wanted her.

“Yeah, but it sucks the way they treat me and the way they treated you. It’s not right, Raven. My entire life, my mother has controlled me. Told me what I can and can’t do. Dictated how I would live my life and my dad lets her do it. It’s not right. I can’t live like that anymore. If my parents don’t accept you, then I’m done with them.”

I hated that the relationship with her parents had come down to this. Growing up without a father was hard, but I had no choice. Lexi was lucky to know her parents, but they were too overbearing and pushed her away. And they had no one to blame but themselves. “I know, Lexi. It’s not right.” I held her gaze. “I wish they weren’t that way. Because you need your parent’s support, as do I.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered across my lips as she rested her head against my shoulder.

“It’s not your fault.” I stroked her hair, wishing I could make things better. It tore at my heart, seeing how much this hurt her. If only her parents would understand and support her decision to be with me.

“My only hope is that my dad stands up for me.”

“Do you think he will?” I pulled back, trying to catch a glimpse of her, but she kept her forehead pressed to me.

“Maybe.” She shrugged.

“Did he say something to you? I want to know. That is…if you want to tell me.”

“Um, well, at first he wasn’t happy about me being with you. Then when he heard you were in the hospital, he told me to be careful.”

“So he was okay with you coming to see me?” I nudged her with my cheek, trying to see her face.

She raised her chin, connecting our gazes. “I think so.”

“That’s good.” I smiled and relief settled across Lexi’s eyes. I was glad her dad was showing some signs of accepting me. It would take away that unneeded stress for both of us. Aside from me, Lexi needed her dad’s support since her mom made it clear she wanted nothing to do with her. From what I could tell, her mom was the one who wore the pants in their marriage. Relationships like that irked me. Fifty-fifty seemed so much better and fair for both sides.

For several minutes, we didn’t speak. I embraced her, wishing I could make everything better, and wishing she could do the same for me. We were both at a low point and with each breath we took, I felt the exchange of our torment. Knowing we were here for each other, like we’d promised, made things ten times better. And with the love burning deep inside of us, I knew it was capable of healing the pain and closing the holes we both had forever.

I knew exactly what we needed to start that healing process. “Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t you put on the black teddy I bought you?” I cocked a brow. The thought of Lexi wearing black lace had me excited.

“Oh, well, um, I don’t think I can do that.” Her voice faltered and disappointment washed over her face.

“Did you leave them at your house?”

She bit down on her lip and her eyes darted to the side. “Not exactly.”

Based on her reaction, I sensed something bad. “What happened?”

“Well…” she hesitated, and then said, “My mom, um, burned it all.”

“What?” My head jerked back. “What do you mean she burned it?” My muscles tensed and I wanted to hit something. Not Lexi, of course, but something to take the brunt of the anger raging inside of me.

“Yeah, she threw all the bras and panties you bought me in the fireplace.” Lexi rolled off me onto her back. She covered her face with her hands and started to cry again. “I’m sorry. I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t.”

Her mother was one bat-shit crazy person. That woman had no right. I’d bought those things for Lexi, not her. It pissed me off but more than anything, I felt terrible for Lexi. “It’s okay.” I lowered her hands. “It’s not your fault.”

Using the back of her hand, she wiped the wetness from her cheeks. “I hate her,” Lexi gritted through her teeth.

“Lexi.” My voice deepened.

“I’m sorry, but she’s a horrible person. I want nothing to do with her.”

Hate was such a strong word and emotion, but I knew where she was coming from. Her mother had driven her to that point. “I understand.” I gathered her in my arms. “We’ll buy you some more.”

“No,” she protested. “You already spent too much money on me.”

“I like spending money on you. Unless you’d rather free-buff it.”

“What’s that?” She pulled back and sniffed. A questioning gaze appeared.

“You know, go without panties.” I slapped her playfully on the butt. “Makes it easier for me.” I arched a brow, teasing her.

“Raven.” She laughed, shoving me away. “I like wearing panties.”

“Oh, come on, baby. Don’t wear any for me.” I tickled her stomach and nuzzled her neck with my lips. I loved playing around with her. No doubt, I was addicted to Lexi’s flirtatious laugh and sexy body. Our playful morning came to a stop when my phone rang.

I reached over and picked it up from my nightstand. “It’s Coach.” I quickly got up and grabbed my boxers from the floor, putting them on as I answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Hey, Raven, it’s Coach Anderson.”

“Yes, sir.” I walked to the living room so I could focus on the phone call.

“I’ve had a discussion with the Athletics Advisory Committee, Ethics Board, and Dean of Admissions. They agreed with my decision to expel you from the bowl game and place you on temporary probation until your hearing, which will be on Wednesday. ”

My heart dropped into my stomach and I suddenly felt sick. “I understand.”

“Look here, son, I know it sounds bad, but I explained what happened. I’m not sure whether they will recommend suspension, but I’m going to be honest with you and tell you I’m on your side. I’m going to fight for you, Raven, because I believe in you and I know you’re trying hard to walk that straight line. But if I do this, I need to know you’re going to keep walking that straight line and make good decisions. I won’t tolerate any more mishaps. You understand?”

“Yes, sir. Of course.” His message was loud and clear. He was giving me another chance, but it wasn’t his decision alone to make. My fate rested in the hands of several committee members.

“We also agreed it would be good if you came to the press conference this evening and made a statement about what happened.” I dropped to the couch and let out a silent sigh. Going on national TV to explain why I wasn’t playing was not my first choice. “By doing that, we feel it will demonstrate remorse and your determination to stay drug-free so you can play for PHU. We want you to be honest and explain what happened — facts only. Our goal is to position you in a positive manner, but show we are serious when it comes to following our guiding principles. I’m sure you understand. PHU doesn’t want to set the precedence that we allow our athletes to abuse alcohol or use drugs. Since you were drugged, this gives you the perfect alibi to show you’re not completely at fault. I think this is crucial for your football career and I hope you agree. Can we count on you being there?”

Coach had some valid points. I needed to make a statement and inform my fans and the pro teams I wasn’t a druggy. I had made a mistake, got drunk, partied with the wrong crowd, and now I was paying for it. As much as it sucked admitting all of that, I had to do it. Something told me if I did, PHU would be more willing to give me another chance.

“Not a problem. I can be there.” I stood and straightened, feeling some of the weight lift from my shoulders.

“Perfect. The press conference is at seven p.m. tonight. I’ll make sure your press conference passes are at the athletics office. If you want to consultant with your attorney, feel free to do so.”

“Tonight at seven. I’ll be there. Thanks, Coach.” I hit the end button and let out a heavy breath. I started to dial Josh’s uncle but stopped. I needed to think things through for a moment, talk to my mom, and maybe discuss them with Lexi before I called him. I placed my phone on the coffee table and walked to the kitchen.

Lexi was wearing one my white T-shirts, preparing breakfast. Her hair was slightly tangled and the little makeup she had on was smudged, giving her eyes a nice sultry glow. Damn, she looked sexy. Seeing the effort she was putting into our meal put a smile on my face. I had one great woman.

She placed the knife on the counter. “What did he say? What’s tonight?”

I leaned against the kitchen bar, gripping the edge tightly. I hated talking about this with her, but at the same time, I needed to. I needed her support. I kept reminding myself I had apologized and she had forgiven me. It still made it hard and I was sure it wasn’t easy for her to deal with my issues. “He wants me to attend a press conference tonight at the stadium.”