Player (What Happens on Campus Book 1) (26 page)

Once he’d rolled the condom on and helped yank her top off over her head, he grabbed hold of her face and lowered his own so that it was only inches away. She thought he was going to kiss her, parted her lips in welcome, but instead he stared into her eyes and said sincerely, “I love you, Chloe, and I swear I’ll never be so stupid again. I don’t ever want to lose you.”

“I love you too,” she answered, grabbing the back of his head and pulling his lips down to hers.

Kissing her back wholeheartedly, he pushed her legs open with his knees, settling between them and entering her in one smooth thrust. Gasping, her back arched in delight and her nails bit into his skin. Tongue thrusting in the same rhythm as his hips, his hands cupping her face held her still, until they both collapsed, sweaty, exhausted and satisfied.

Parker rolled over so that he wasn’t squashing the air out of her lungs and Chloe lay her head on his shoulder, sliding her hand up into his damp hair.

“You need another shower now,” she sighed, kissing the skin beneath her lips, tasting salt.

“You do too,” he replied and she could hear the smirk in his voice, “let’s shower together.” His hand on her arse began to knead her flesh, squeezing and releasing, making her squirm. “Shower sex is the best.”

“You can’t possible be ready to go again,” she laughed.

“Wanna bet?”

Taking her hand, he guided it down his muscular chest and stomach until they reached his erection, straining upwards, begging for attention. Biting her lip, she began to stroke him up and down, teasing him with light touches of her thumb over the wet head. Kneeling up so that she could watch what she was doing, he also pushed himself up on his elbows so that he could see. Bright hazel eyes followed her every move, his big body shaking with the effort of staying still.

When he could take it no more, his hips bucking up with every stroke, he sat up sharply and tossed her onto her back. The desire she saw in his eyes made her heart swell.

“Fuck the shower.”

Later, when they were both worn out and Chloe was just drifting off to sleep, snuggled into his side, he jerked up suddenly, dislodging her. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked groggily, forcing her heavy eyelids to remain open and sitting up as he jumped from the bed.

“I’ve got something for you,” he said over his shoulder. Rummaging through his desk draws, he returned with a small black box. Immediately, Chloe’s heart began to race and she eyed him nervously, pulling the sheet up to cover her nakedness like a security blanket.

Face suddenly serious, he knelt beside the bed. “Parker…” she protested, voice scratchy.

His serious expression wavered, then split in two, a huge grin spreading across his face. “Couldn’t resist.”

Momentarily stunned, her mouth gaped open. “You… you…” Punching his arm, she scowled. “That was mean, you scared the living daylights out of me.”

Laughing, he moved to sit on the bed beside her, pressing the box into her hand as he pulled open the draw in his nightstand. Carefully, he pulled out a beautifully crafted paper rose. When she looked closer, she realized the petals were made from the pages of books and she recognized some of the phrases from
Jane Eyre
.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured, gently taking it from him and turning it’s stem in her fingers to better examine it. Lifting it to her nose as if it were a real flower, she caught a whiff of roses and exclaimed in delight, “It’s scented, too!” Her man knew her so well, she thought smugly, thrilled with her gift.

“I was goin’ to get you a whole bouquet, but they were fuckin’ expensive.”

An amused snort escaped her and she glanced up at him beneath her lashes, “So romantic.”

He shrugged. “Open the box.”

Handing the rose back to him for a moment, she lifted the lid of the small jewellery box. Bright green emerald and purple amethyst twinkled back at her, both set into a small gold ring.

Leaning in close, he looked at the ring over her shoulder, the nerves in his voice showing as he explained, “They’re our birthstones.”

She didn’t even know what to say. She didn’t want to ask how he’d afforded it. Lifting it from the box and sliding it onto her middle finger, she raised her hand to admire the gift.

“Do you like it?”

Turning to face him, she flung her arms around his neck and covered his face in kisses before finally finding his lips.

When they eventually pulled apart, his lips were red and he smiled at her, a smug, satisfied male smile that made something inside her quake with happiness. “Guessin’ I chose good then.”

“Definitely,” she assured him, giving him one last peck on the cheek. “I’ve got you something too, but it’s in my room and I locked myself out, so you’ll have to wait until Riley gets back.”

“That’s the worst excuse I’ve ever heard,” he scoffed as he lay back on the bed, hands behind his head. “Are you sure you didn’t forget?”

“Well, your present does put mine to shame,” she tapped a finger thoughtfully against her chin, “so maybe I will have to rethink.”

Grabbing her arm, he yanked her down on top of him, angling her face towards his with his other hand. “Whatever it is, I’ll love it. Unless it’s socks… or a tie.”

“You’re safe, it’s neither of those.”

“Then you’re a better present-giver than my Aunt Mag.” He was grinning up at her, but slowly that expression slipped. She could see he was trying to find the words to say something else, so she kept quiet. It wasn’t like Parker to be tongue-tied or nervous, so she just gave him time, tracing patterns over his chest.

After several minutes, he asked, “Would you say yes if I
did
ask you to marry me?”

Smiling slightly, she ducked her head, letting her hair fall over her shoulders like a curtain. She’d known he was about to say that.

Pushing back her hair, she sat up, straddling him. “Yes.” When he grinned, opening his mouth, she tacked on, “In a few years.”

His mouth snapped shut with a click of teeth and he frowned at her. “Tease.”

“Says the player.”

“Yeah, but now you’re my only playmate.”    

A week later, everything was pretty much back to normal. Everyone had returned after Christmas break, which meant Chloe could go back to her own room once Riley returned with the keys and the campus was once more swarming with students.

Classes had started up again and they all had lessons first thing this morning, so they were grabbing a bite to eat in the canteen when Parker’s mobile rang.

Glancing over at him as he pulled it out of his jeans pocket and answered, she turned her attention back to Riley, who was telling her about their cruise, but she still heard him say, “Yeah, I’ll accept the charges.”

A second later, his chair scraped against the floor as he pushed it back, walking away with the phone pressed to his ear, his shoulders tense. He headed outside and she watched him go before forcing herself to pretend she was listening to the others conversation. However, when he didn’t return after fifteen minutes, she excused herself and followed after him.

Finding him sitting on the steps at the front of the building, she sat beside him. Looking up at her as she approached, he gave her a small, pretend smile, which didn’t bode well.

“You okay?” she asked, “Who was on the phone?”

“It was Axel,” he answered bluntly, reaching for her hand and pulling it onto his lap, playing idly with her fingers as he talked. “When I was arrested, they wanted me to rat on my brothers so that they could convict. They said they’d let me off if I helped them. I would have as well, but I didn’t know anything.” Snatching off his hat in agitation – she’d brought him a new one, since the police in Rose Springs still had his old one – he rubbed both hands through his hair, before lifting his face to the sun. “How shitty is that, I was going to rat out my own brothers.”

“Babe, they weren’t exactly looking out for you either, so I don’t think it matters.”

“That’s what I thought,” he sighed, shoving his hat back on and adjusting the cap, “but Axe just told me he made a deal with the cops. He gave them Alejandro so they’d let me off.”

From the tone of his voice, Chloe suspected that was big, but she didn’t quite understand why.

“Alejandro’s small time, but he’s got friends. If he finds out Axel dropped him in it, he’s fucked…” Standing up abruptly, he paced back and forth for a minute, before exclaiming, “Why would he do that? I never even thought he fuckin’ cared.”

Standing up too, she wrapped her arms around him from behind. “Blood’s thicker than water, as they say. You’re his brother; it’s hard not to love family.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, twisting around and resting his chin on top of her head. “Next Christmas we’re going to see your family.”

“It won’t be as eventful,” she warned him, hiding her smile against his shoulder.

“We could use a little less excitement.”

“I’ll remind you of that when you’re complaining that your bored out of your skull whilst playing Monopoly with my parents.”

Laughing, he pulled back enough to kiss her. “That sounds perfect.”

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What Happens on Campus, #2

Forced to give up her promising gymnastics career due to a devastating injury, Riley Murphy decides to join her twin sister at St Joseph’s University in Texas. Finding a best friend in her roommate, Chloe, she nonetheless finds herself going off the rails. Dabbling with drugs and alcohols quickly turns into something she can’t control… Too ashamed to confide in her friends or family, and with a boyfriend who does nothing but feed her addiction, the one person she can turn to is Cameron Jones, someone she knew from back home.

Cam’s loved Riley since he used to do her homework in High school, but she was always so far out of his liege. Now he’s beginning to realize that he never really knew her in the first place… However, that realization only deepens his feelings. But the question is, how far is he willing to go? And how long will it take him to realize that what Riley needs is a little tough love?           

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