Patience (3 page)

Quincy has to make the decision on her own, and I can only hold her hand while she struggles with her insecurities.

I already know the end to this story. I saw it written on her face when she first met both guys. They were standing together, and Quincy's eyes lit up when Declan spoke to her, the soft glow of his personality drawing her in. But, I saw her face transform when Brody looked at her as if he were a wolf and she was a rabbit.

She never had a chance.

As her best friend, it's my job to support her decisions, not to make them for her. I'd love to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. I mean, hello! What best friend wouldn't? But I know that decisions of the heart take time. Rushing can only lead to what-ifs, doubt, and regret. I tell her to follow her heart... if only things were that easy. When the heart is right, it's a happily ever after, the princess gets her prince and all that jazz. But when the heart is wrong, it's just... wrong.

In a totally devastating way.

Either way, it's terrifying. It's fear of the unknown that holds us back. We hide in the shadows, not knowing whether something beautiful or a broken heart awaits us on the other side of a decision. But not me. I'm more afraid of not grasping what's right in front of me, of letting it slip through my fingers, never really knowing what might have been.

But that's easy for me to say.

I've never been broken.

"So, Quince, are we still going shopping this afternoon?" I ask for two reasons. One, I really need to know if she's going to help me shop for my trip with Eric. Two, it provides a perfect distraction.

I'm sneaky like that.

The relief on her face is clear as she smiles back at me, the tension easing from her shoulders. "Yeah, sure. You know how much I love shopping." She rolls her eyes, sarcasm oozing from her mouth. It should be sacrilegious for a normal eighteen year old girl to hate shopping as much as Quincy does. It's just not right.

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad. Plus you know you love eating at Naples." I've resorted to bribery, promising her lunch at her favorite restaurant if she'll go with me. Hell, I may even pay her off if she'll at least
pretend
to enjoy it.

We banter back and forth as the conversation continues to boom around us. The guys have only two volumes: loud and louder. When I left for college, I had no idea what I was getting into. I'd never been far from Collier, and I certainly wasn't prepared for the social life at UT. It's like the door to a whole new world has been opened, and I never want to go back.

I glance from face to face in wonder. These guys, Eric's fraternity brothers, have welcomed us with open arms. Honestly, I bought into the stigma surrounding fraternity guys, thinking they were just womanizing man-whores who love to party. And they are, for the most part, but to stop there, I would've missed out on who they really are.

Seth reaches for Quincy's tray when he goes to empty his own. Another guy, Drew, reaches for mine. At parties and clubs, they surround us as a protective wall of muscle and brawn, making me feel safe and secure. They've taken us in, becoming the big brothers we've never had.

Under the table, Eric rests his hand on my bare thigh and chills shoot up my spine. I shiver as he whispers, "Sunshine, I don't want to burst your bubble, but you won't need any clothes this weekend." His voice, low and deep, ignites something powerful and brilliant inside me. I love this man.

"Is that a promise?" I ask, nipping at his jawline. The anticipation is driving me wild, crazy with sixty days worth of pent-up passion.

"It's whatever you want it to be." He leans into me, his hand slipping higher up my thigh, his fingers working their own special brand of magic on me.

"Why don't you guys get a room?" Seth booms loudly, rudely interrupting our moment.

Eric glares at him, but when he opens his mouth to speak, I put my hand out, stopping him. Instead, I have something to say. "We would get a room if we didn't have five hundred bucks riding on it, but you better believe we're going to take care of that in less than 48 hours."

As Seth bursts out laughing, Declan almost chokes on his drink, smiling behind the hand covering his mouth. His deep, brown eyes scream
I am innocent
. He looks so sweet and blameless that it would be easy to believe him; however, I know he's not. The bet was his idea- a stupid idea- but somehow, I can't be mad at him. Damn it.

I should be embarrassed to admit I'd like nothing more than to get in my boyfriend's pants. But I'm not a normal girl, and I don't give a shit.

A girl has her needs.

Chapter 6

Eric

Jenna rarely shocks me. I've never met a girl who just simply... is. She doesn't buy into the whole popularity contest surrounding us. Sure, we left the whole jocks versus geeks thing behind when we came to college, but the social circles still exist. Though she'd easily fit in anywhere, she doesn't seem to give a damn.

That turns me on. A lot.

Less than 48 hours, and she'll be mine. I've fantasized about this for sixty long- and sometimes painful- days. The first night she showed up at one of our fraternity parties, I felt like the luckiest bastard in the world. I probably invited over a hundred girls to that party, but there was only one I couldn't wait to lay eyes on.

I even warned the other guys away from her. What a dick move. I wasn't taking any chances though. I may be a guy, but I know how girls look at Brody with his dark, bad boy vibe and Declan with his long eyelashes and dimples. Hell, even Seth, with his over-the-top craziness and booming voice. Jenna was one girl they weren't getting their hands on.

I made damn sure of it.

And then, when I took her on our first date, I almost lost my shit. That girl greeted me at the door in cowboy boots and another short dress, and all I wanted to do was push her back inside and have my way with her. Now that I think about it, I probably should have. That was before the bet.

Before I sold my soul for a guitar.

On our way back across campus, Jenna wraps her arm around me, threading her fingers between mine, the sweet touch twisting my insides into knots. Just a few weeks ago, I would have put distance between us, afraid that someone might notice, that it might ruin my rep with the girls on campus. But today, I smile, swinging our hands between us as we walk.

There's something about her that just feels right.

I follow Jenna up the stairs to her dorm room. I can't help it when my eyes skim down her body, taking in the sway of her hips and her long, bare legs. Naturally tan, I know for a fact that there are no lines marring her body.

And her ass.

She has a nice ass.

Tight, round, and made for cupping. Fits perfectly in my hands. I like it best when she's wearing only a t-shirt and panties because it exposes that delicious curve where the cheek meets her leg. True perfection.

If her shorts were just a little shorter... damn, the way her hips move, the flirty smile she throws over her shoulder. I swear she's doing it on purpose. I'm already hard before we reach her room, but that's all it takes with her - just a simple touch and a smile. I'm all hers.

As soon as the door closes, Jenna quickly turns, pushing me back against the door. "You think I didn't notice you checking me out?" The playful lilt of her voice sends chills up my back and down my arms, anticipation settling in the pit of my stomach.

"I can't help myself when you look like this," I groan as she runs her hand down my chest, pressing her body against mine. The way she molds to me, hip to hip, it's as if she were made just for me.

My hands run up her thighs and around her ass, pulling her into me. I hold my breath as she leans closer, her lips ghosting across my mine, a whisper that is... almost. My eyes are drawn to hers, never wavering as she pulls back, her lips gliding along my jaw, to my ear, her soft exhale shooting bolts of pleasure pulsing through me. I close my eyes, anticipating her touch, her tongue... Her mouth moves against me as she whispers, "You are in so much trouble, Eric James."

She abruptly pushes against my chest, freeing herself from my arms, backing away with a sly grin on her face. I take two steps toward her, and she holds up a hand, halting me where I stand. I'm confused. "What the hell, Jenna!?"

"You silly boy. You didn't think you were going to get off that easy, did you?" Still smiling, she sashays to the closet, those long, bare legs carrying her further from me. Slowly, she bends down, her shorts riding up to expose the soft curves of her ass, as she removes her boots one at a time. Every movement is calculated, orchestrated to draw me into her wicked web. Yeah, she knows exactly what she's doing.

"Sunshine, you do not want to play this game with me. I will win." My eyes trail back up her body as she stands. When she glances at me over her shoulder, her eyelids hooded, my body responds immediately.

"Oh, yeah?" The tip of her tongue runs over her bottom lip before she pulls it between her teeth. "I'd ask if you wanna bet on that, but you already did, didn't you?"

That saucy little shit.

I've never wanted anything more in my life.

Chapter 7

Jenna

Closing the door behind Eric, I fall back against it. Breathing deeply, I attempt to calm my fluttering heart and racing thoughts. I had to get rid of him before I gave in, and leave he did. But not before he kissed me into next week. Not before he made me forget my own name.

There's something magical, addictive, about his lips. The way one side curls up higher than the other when he smiles. The way they turn red, like raspberries, after a marathon kissing session. The way they make me want to crawl out of my skin and into his. 

Two more days.

Two. More. Days. 

So, this isn't going to be as easy as I thought.

Eric is six feet of blonde, blue-eyed hotness, with high cheek bones and a strong jawline. His face is perfectly sculpted, there's no other word for it. A true work of art, a masterpiece. Almost too perfect to be real except for the small scar under his eye, an imperfection that makes him more perfect. With the body of an athlete and the face of a god, he's irresistible. His legs are long and lean, his muscles well defined, hard and smooth under his skin. An eight-pack and a narrow waist complete the package.

Oh, and I can't forget his one, and only, tattoo, situated on his perfect ass cheek. He's never really explained how his fraternity crest ended up on his ass, but I'm guessing it involved alcohol. With his recent track record, it likely involved a wager as well. And yes, I've seen it.

Up close and personal.

I've spent more nights with Eric than I have in my own dorm room. I've committed every detail of his body to memory, and I know exactly what turns him on. There aren't many places that either my mouth or my hands haven't been... we've just never sealed the deal. And it's not from my lack of trying.

I lay back on my bed, my body supercharged, and think about those nights. I float away, to that place between awake and dreaming.

Shadows. Skin against skin. Warmth. Tingling. Rushed breathing. Panting. Hands. Rough. Gentle. Tangled limbs. Hushed moans. Plundering kisses. Pleasure. Pain. Pleasurable pain. Me. Him. Us.

The door bursts open, slamming into the desk behind it, and Quincy strolls in. I sit straight up, my face flaming as my sexy thoughts vanish. "Holy crap, Quince!" She jumps, her hand still on the door. "You scared the shit out of me!"

She gasps, looking as disoriented as I feel. "Not as much as you scared me. I'm not used to you being here anymore." I feel guilty for leaving her alone so much. We came to UT together, but with her job and my relationship with Eric, we don't spend as much time with each other as I thought we would.

No matter what, we're still a team, and I'd still kick ass for this girl. Always.

"Did you forget about our little shopping expedition?" I try to hide my smile as she scowls, but I fail miserably and burst out laughing. "Oh, come on, Quince! It won't be that bad."

It's not until she slouches on her bed that I know something's up. I move to the side of my bed, facing her, our knees almost touching. A tear escapes the corner of her eye, and she hurriedly brushes it away. "Aww, Quince. What is it? What's goin' on?" She's my best friend, the closest thing I'll ever have to a sister. When she hurts, I hurt.

"It's nothing. Just me being emotional." She tries to laugh, but the strangled sound that comes out is nothing short of pitiful. It could only mean one thing. Brody.

"What has that shitbrick done now?" I'm going to kick his ass. I've warned him on more than one occasion that he'd better not hurt her.

"Oh, Jenna. He hasn't done anything. It's me." She takes a deep breath and blows it out, wiping more tears from her eyes. "I'm just so stupid. I think... I think I'm in love with him." Well, hell. I thought she was going to tell me something I didn't already know.

"Of course you are. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Jenna, I'm scared." My heart breaks for her. I've never been afraid of anything. My motto has always been that if it's meant to be, it will be. The difference is that Quincy has always lived with the threat of instability, of losing someone she loves, and I haven't. Her sister, Katie, is so unstable, so self-destructive, it's a wonder she's made it this long. The person Quincy loves the most is the person who hurts her the most.

"Oh, Quincy. If I could just make you see how crazy that boy is about you-" Before I can finish, she begins shaking her head, as if she doesn't believe it. "Well, you could look at it this way... at least he's having sex with you. My so called
boyfriend
would rather keep his guitar than have sex with me." Just as I'd planned, she perks right up, a smile teasing the corner of her mouth and her eyes shining. Not a tear in sight.

"Yeah, well, there is
that
." She smiles, her insecurities temporarily forgotten. "And
that
is pretty darn wonderful. Let's get going so you can plan your weekend of torture."