Let Me In (21 page)

Unable to take the slow pace anymore, I roll him over on his back and begin unbuttoning his shirt. Meanwhile, his hands glide each strap down my arms, eventually discarding my bra. Sliding his hands down my shoulders and arms, he rests them on my hips right before he grabs my ass, thrusting me against his hard bulge. As I bend down to kiss his chest, I grab the sides of his shirt, pulling him up. I can feel every ab tighten as he uses them in order to sit up. My hands slowly push his shirt off his defined shoulders and I watch as it falls onto the lounger.

Reaching down, my unsteady fingers unbuckle his belt and remove it. The metal flops down on the pillowed chaise, and I continue making my way into his pants while he kisses my neck and his hands massage my ass. Once I have them unzipped, I begin to stroke his long length. Shifting side to side, I know he’s taking off his shoes and socks, but I gasp when he stands up, holding me against him. His pants fall to the floor and he steps out of them before laying me back down on my back. “Hmm…we’re both in our underwear, what should we do now?” he teases, grabbing a blanket. Surprisingly, I haven’t felt the cold weather at all. Then again, I am sheltered in a cabana with two giant heaters, while being cradled by my own personal heat source.

He lies down on top of me, covering our bodies with the blanket. Shifting to his side, chills spread across my stomach as the back of his fingers graze down my body. He gently moves my thong to the side and inserts his finger in me before withdrawing it, making sure I’m completely wet. “I love everything about your body…it’s like having cake and a Popsicle at the same time. It starts off so soft and sweet, but soon turns wet and sticky. I can’t get enough of you. I don’t see that ever changing.” He smiles as he thrusts another finger in me, and my eyes close from pure bliss. In response, I pull his boxers down.

“I’m already wet…make me sticky,” I whisper and he climbs on top of me. Positioning himself at my opening, he slides my thong over and enters me slowly. He remains quiet, circling his hips and gazing into my eyes. Love pours from his piercing blue irises. I grab his shoulders, pulling him into me, needing him closer. With his mouth right by my ear, his breath tickles my neck. Soon, his groans become louder and my moans become more rapid. I grip him harder, pressing his body as tight as I can against mine. Our breathing grows erratic, and I scream his name and clench around him right before I feel Grant pump into me twice. His spent body stills, falling on top of me.

He rests his arms on either side of my face and drops of sweat land on my forehead. “You got your wish, baby. You’re definitely sticky now,” he laughs and drops his lips onto mine. “I love you, Jessa,” he murmurs.

Grant slides over and straightens the blanket over us, although I’m still sweaty from our workout. We lie down on our sides, facing each other. “We should get going to Sam’s,” I say, even though the last thing I want to do is leave our small paradise.

He brings his hand to my face, tucking a loose strand behind my ear. There seem to be more of those lately since I’ve been growing my hair out. “We have time…hell…we don’t even have to go.” He leans forward and gives me a kiss. “You’re the most beautiful girl…ever,” he tells me softly. I don’t want to go, but I need to bring closure to that part of my life, especially in order for me and Grant to move on with ours.

“Thank you,” I say, accepting his compliment.

“You never have to thank me for telling you how beautiful you are. It’s just a fact.” He lays his head on the pillow and stares over to me.

I lean up on my elbow and place my hand on his chiseled chest. “Thank you for this. I hate to admit it but…you just won,” I joke, and he pulls me into a fierce hug.

“I get to pick your tattoo,” he gloats and a laugh escapes me.

I shift my body on top of his larger, harder one. “You better pick something good.” I playfully push his chest and he chuckles.

“You’re going to get a ‘G’ on the right,” he says, smacking my ass cheek, “and a ‘B’ on the left.” He smacks the other side and then massages the sting.

“I knew I should’ve put conditions on this bet,” I kid, starting to get up but he pulls me back down.

Both his hands grab hold of my ass. “Do you really think I would cover this amazing ass? But…always remember…it’s mine.” He smirks, and with one last squeeze of my ass cheeks, he releases me.

“A little possessive, are we?” I joke, standing up to get dressed. He comes up behind me, sliding my bra straps up my arms.

“Only with you, baby,” he whispers in my ear, while his hands reach forward, snapping my bra back into place. How does this boy keep making me fall in love with him more each minute?

Grant

Jessa seems a little worried about me winning the bet. Although I already know what I want her to get, I’m going to surprise her with it tomorrow at the tattoo parlor. Reaching over, I grab her chilled hand, entwining our fingers. When she looks over and smiles at me, my stomach flutters and I know this is exactly where I should always be.

Regret consumes me, thinking about how I brought all that shit up at dinner. Who the hell cares where I work, how much money I make, or where I live? As long as she’s by my side, everything else is secondary.

But no matter how hard I try to stay focused on that line of thinking, I can’t. She deserves a life like the one she was brought up in, and unfortunately, love doesn’t pay the bills. God, if it did, Jessa and I would be rich, living in a mansion on some beachfront.

We pull up to the house party and it’s typical to the ones in Western. I park along the street and hold Jessa’s hand in mine as we walk up the sidewalk. It’s so cold that almost everyone is inside. Only a guy throwing up in the bushes and a group of girls smoking on the porch are brave enough for the frigid weather.

The shift in Jessa’s demeanor has been evident since we passed the ‘Welcome to Boulder’ sign. I wish I could take the discomfort away from her, and I pray that attending this party isn’t the worst idea ever. Squeezing her hand, I smile to reassure her when she looks up at me. Her lips turn up in return, but the carefree Jessa has disappeared. Right then, my plan changes. We’re going to have a drink and then get the fuck out of here. She doesn’t need to go through this turmoil.

Once we make it inside, it becomes obvious that Sam doesn’t usually hang out with the tattooed and pierced variety of people. We automatically spot Trey and he waves his hand at us. I lead us to him, dodging the bodies that are dancing and mingling. When we get to the small dining room area, we maneuver our way over to Trey and Kailey. After the polite hellos and hugs, I notice Brady and Sadie in the kitchen, talking with a couple of people I don’t know. “Where’s Sam?” Jessa shouts over the music. Trey points to the dance floor, where I see her grinding up against Dex, who has his hands on her hips. Jessa spots them and then turns to Trey. “What the fuck? He better not just use and toss her like he does the rest.” She jabs her finger into Trey’s chest.

He grabs her finger, frowning down at her, before pulling her into a bear hug. He whispers something in her ear, and she smiles before backing away. Kailey appears confused by the whole exchange. I hope she understands that she has no reason to worry about Trey and Jessa.

Trey hands me a beer. I try to hand it to Jessa, but she shakes her head no, so I hand it back to Trey. If I have to drive tonight, I’m not about to drink, especially through these mountains. The winding roads still scare the shit out of me. Jessa’s eyes seem to be everywhere but on me. I watch her observe all the faces and bodies around the room, paying particular attention when someone enters through the front door. I have to get her out of here and fast, before she has some kind of panic attack.

The four of us go into the kitchen. Sadie embraces Jessa, and the two of them start talking, along with Kailey. “So, did you win?” Trey asks me and Brady smirks, knowing I did. He helped me with my rooftop plan by arranging the candles and rose petals.

“Of course,” I brag, and Trey sticks his hand up, giving me a high five. When Jessa hears it, she turns around and laughs, knowing exactly what I’m celebrating. From the look of awe on the other two girls’ faces as Jessa describes our evening, I’m pretty sure she feels like the princess she is.

Dex and Sam soon join us, their bodies coated in sweat. Jessa keeps them in her line of vision, carefully warning Dex with her eyes. Every time she gives him “the look”, he laughs, completely disregarding her. Other than the tension between those two, things seem at ease. Jessa appears to be enjoying herself, so I decide to find the bathroom. Sam points me in the direction and I wait in line for the downstairs bathroom for a few minutes before deciding to head upstairs.

When I reach the top of the stairs, I see that there’s another line outside, but having nowhere else to go, I decide to wait. Girls are congregated in groups, and I notice that the dark-haired girl in front of me is blatantly looking me up and down with a flirtatious grin. Being polite, I return it with a tight smile and then pull my phone out, pretending to search for something.

“I’ve never seen you here before,” she says, leaning close to me. Obviously, I was too subtle.

I step back a little before I answer, “I’m from out of town.” I put my head back down, fiddling around with my phone, trying my best to give her the cold shoulder.

She leans harder against me and the smell of her perfume overtakes me. It’s not the coconut and vanilla scent that I love. With her lips practically on my cheek, she slurs, “Do you want a little taste of Boulder? I could give you a quick tour.” Her hands slide down her body before she shakes her hips from side to side.

My first instinct is to get the hell out of Dodge, but if I don’t use the bathroom soon, I’ll be freezing my dick off outside. “That’s alright, my girlfriend already gave me the grand tour,” I say with a smirk. Her lips turn down and her bottom jaw shifts to the side in disgust.

“Oh, is your girlfriend from around here?” she asks, astonishing me that she wants to continue this conversation.

I look up at the line; there are only two people in front of us. Right as I’m about to answer her, the sweet voice that swells my heart comes up from behind me. “Yes, she is and believe me, he’s already gotten the tour more than once, because he can’t help coming back for more,” she tells the girl and the brunette rolls her eyes. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I bring her to me, devouring her mouth in front of the girl.

“Jessa…Jessa Harrison?” a guy calls out from down the hall and my stomach drops. Her whole body tenses and she raises her head immediately. I look to see a brown-haired guy who is shorter than me. His jeans and button-down shirt remind me of my frat buddies back home. Once she sees who it is, a smile spreads across her lips and I release a deep breath.

“Hey, Colton, how are you?” she asks, and he wraps her into a huge hug. It’s all I can do to not tear her away from him, but I’m not about to appear like some jealous boyfriend.

“Pretty good, what about you? We’ve missed you.”

“I’m doing great. This is my boyfriend, Grant,” she introduces us, and Colton puts his hand out for me to shake. I make sure to grip his hand firmly, just to let him know she’s mine. His silent nod makes me believe he understands.

“Nice to meet you,” he says, and I say the same back. Jessa and Colton continue to talk about what’s been going on. I’m happy that Jessa doesn’t inform him where we live, constantly dodging the questions with questions of her own. After a few minutes, I’m growing impatient waiting on that girl in front of me, who’s most likely applying another layer of make-up.

“You should come downstairs and see the old gang. They’re all here,” he tells her, and she looks over at me hesitantly.

“You go, I’ll catch up,” I assure her. She gives me a quick kiss on the cheek and turns toward the stairs with Colton right behind her. The brunette finally leaves the bathroom, and as I’m on my way in, I can’t help but think that I’m going to end up in a fight tonight.

I leave the bathroom and venture downstairs to find Jessa and her friends. She’s sitting on the couch talking with a mix of girls and guys, a smile on her face. My heart swells seeing her so happy. She waves me over and I glance around, looking for our crew, before seeing that they’re still congregated in the kitchen. I look back at Jessa and can tell by the way she’s gesturing in my direction that she’s talking about me. A girl with dirty blonde hair whose back is to me keeps touching Jessa’s leg, and I’m overflowing with happiness for Jessa to have this closure.

Jessa

Colton and I head downstairs. Although I’m nervous to see any of my friends, I feel more at ease after Colton’s warm greeting. When we get to the bottom of the steps, he comes alongside of me. “They’re going to be so stoked,” he shouts and I nod my head, letting him lead the way. Seeing the small group of my friends from a year and a half ago brings back the most painful memory I’ll ever have.

“Look who I found!” Colton hollers over to them. I see Colton’s two roommates, Trevor and Pete, who both greet me the same way Colton did, lifting my feet off the ground. I can’t help but be relieved that Grant’s not here to witness this. He would be green with jealousy over nothing. They both ask how I’m doing and what I’ve been up to. I continue to keep it to myself where I attend school now. I’m not ignorant to the fact that they all know Jason.

They’re with a few girls that I only knew as acquaintances, but their looks of pity toward me remind me how those pictures and rumors spread like wildfire. My eyes shift to the side and I can’t believe who’s here. “Beth!” I exclaim and she turns around, smiling brightly.

Running over to me, she throws herself at me and we wrap our arms around each other, “Sam told me you might come tonight. I don’t usually attend these parties, but I wanted to see you if you came,” she tells me, and a twinge of pain hits me in the gut for not keeping in touch.

“Sorry for never calling,” I apologize, but she waves my apology off.

“Don’t even worry about that. We’re together now.” She moves us over to a chair in the corner of the room where we proceed to talk about everything. She’s graduating with a degree in nursing this spring and she’s dating someone seriously. I tell her about Grant, and how I’m graduating too. I look around and locate my roommates, pointing them out to her. Her quizzical look at Trey doesn’t surprise me.

I forgot how much I missed her, and how much we shared those first years of college. Regret washes over me, thinking of all the time I’ve wasted not talking to her. Spotting Grant walking down the stairs, I can’t stop the smile from my face.

He weaves in and out of the bodies with his eyes solely on me. God, I love that man. I wave him over, and he starts making his way through the crowd toward where we’re sitting. Pointing him out to Beth, she turns and Grant gives her his usual panty-melting smile. When he finally reaches me, he snakes his arm around my waist before even acknowledging Beth. I make the introductions, and as usual, the always-polite Grant holds out his hand and Beth shakes it while clearly admiring his body.

Beth asks us all the standard questions and Grant patiently answers each of them. After a few minutes and a glance toward the kitchen, he excuses himself to go see why Dex is flagging him down. Once he’s out of earshot, Beth turns back toward me. “Well, I must say, you found yourself one fine specimen,” she teases and laughter erupts from both of us.

“Yeah, you should see him naked. Oh My Fucking God,” I exclaim, and we giggle again.

Beth’s eyes veer his way and she turns back around, saying, “You two seem to have different interests.” Her sour expression doesn’t match the friendliness
in her tone. It triggers something that I’d forgotten about Beth; she has always been catty when it comes to guys. I look down at my pink dress and heels, and wonder exactly what she’s thinking.

“What do you mean, Beth?” I ask, not willing to take a backseat to her passive-aggressive behavior this time.

“It’s just, Jessa, look at your tattoos and piercings. He’s like the All-American quarterback, and you’re more…the free-spirited art girl.” Did she really just use fucking stereotypes from high school? Maybe I should give her one of my own …the bitchy prima donna.

I glance over at my “football star” and he grins my way. Even from across the room, I feel his love for me. Deciding to be the bigger person, I turn around to Beth and say, “Well…it works for us.”

She seems taken aback by my response, instantly trying to backtrack and tell me that she didn’t mean it like “that”. I know exactly how she meant it, and part of me wonders if I always let her treat me like that.

“Well, it’s been nice catching up, but I think this art student needs to go and let her boyfriend score a touchdown.” I leave her on the couch, but not before hearing her huff out a heavy breath. It amazes me how a memory of someone can be so distorted.

I walk over to Grant and nuzzle up against him. He kisses the top of my head and Trey hands me a beer. For the first time all evening, I’m completely comfortable at this party. I realize that I don’t need the approval of anyone here, and who gives a shit if they saw the pictures? If they can’t figure out that what Jason did was wrong, then that’s their problem.

“Let’s get out of here. You guys want to go to a bar?” I ask my friends, and they all eagerly place their cups down, ready to leave. Sam tells her roommate she’s leaving and will be back later. Surprisingly, the roommate doesn’t seem to care that she’ll be left with the responsibility of hosting the party by herself. Then again, it might have something to do with the fact that she’s about to do a keg stand.

The cold air hits us and suddenly I’m giddy with excitement to show them my old stomping grounds. “Did you want to invite your friends?” Grant asks me, placing his hand in mine.

I stare back at the house for a moment, and then turn toward all of them. “I’m with my friends,” I tell him, and he squeezes my hand.

We make our way down two blocks to a bar I used to go to called Barnaby’s. It’s really more of a dance club than a bar. The girls get in for free and the guys have to pay a cover, which of course Dex argues about, but he reluctantly pays it. Pop music, which I don’t usually dance to, pounds through the speakers while half-naked college students dry hump each other on the dance floor. I pull Grant over to the bar and order two shots, but he shakes his head, pays the bartender, and hands Sam his shot.