“You’re insane, you know that?” Her laughter rises above the music, and I lose myself in the sound of her voice, those watery eyes, and that bionic smile. Ava has got me by the balls all right. I’ll be the first to admit I’m pussy-whipped. Everything in me wants to follow her out that door, but I pull her in close, and she ducks us into the hall that leads to the restroom. “He’s right there!” she whispers and points to the other side.
I glance over quickly and don’t see anyone in particular heading this way—for sure not a brother lost in a rage. I spot Jet with his arm around a blonde near the bar, his girlfriend I’m assuming. I spot Owen chatting it up with a brunette. Asshole. Not sure why I can’t stand the guy, other than the fact he’s blood-related to the witch who killed my sister. His sister is in a cell, and my sister is in the ground. I can’t even find it in me to feel sorry for him about that. If she wasn’t a homicidal maniac, Owen and I might have even been friends.
Ava pulls me back and locks her piercing eyes with mine. My heart, my adrenaline both kick in double time, and I let out a heavy sigh because I know I’m in trouble around this girl. I want her. I want to taste more than her lips. I want to devour every last part of her, and every aching part of me demands we do this tonight. What can I say? I’m an animal in the same category as Rush or Lawson. But they’ll be the only two primates getting lucky tonight. As much as my balls are crying out, I don’t think I should move that fast with Ava.
“You want to get out of here?” My head screams no. Stay. If we leave, if we’re alone— “I see a few people out there, and I don’t care for either.”
Ava gives a careful nod. That devilish glint in her eye sparkles under the dim light as her glowing teeth graze her bottom lip. “But first—” She pulls me close by the back of the neck, her honey sweet perfume loosening my senses. “There’s something a little naughty about having you here, so dangerously close while my boogeyman of a brother prowls the bar. He’s onto us.” Her eyes enlarge with glee as if this were a good thing. “He wanted names, and I wouldn’t budge.”
“Great. He probably has a bounty on my head.” I’m only half-teasing. I’m pretty sure I would have done the same if Steph were still here. Hell, I still don’t care for Bryson.
“Oh, believe me, my brother prefers to tear you limb from limb on his own.” Ava lands her lips over mine, that open-mouth smile swallowing me whole. Ava pours out all of her affection, her wet kisses on me as that sugar sweet tongue laps me up from the inside. Nope. I’m not hanging around this bar with her homicidal brother roaming the place, salivating over the idea of kneeing my balls in, plucking off my limbs. Instead, I’m going to haul his little sister out of here, haulmylittle sister out of here and run her all the way back to the frat house. My brain can decry what’s about to happen all it wants, but all I want is to make her mine—or in the least round out a few bases. It’s not like this is a one-night stand. I’m in it. I want this. I want this with Ava for as long as she’s willing to give it to me. It feels like home whenever she’s around, whenever she’s in my mouth.
A body bumps me from behind, and I look back to see a group of girls leading a staggering blonde to the bathroom to hurl—Lawson’s prospect for the night. I’m not too sorry for him. I’m sure he already has a backup lined up. If Lawson is anything, he’s prepared. Speaking of prepared, I’ve got an unused box of condoms sitting in my nightstand.
Ava winks up at me, still grazing her lip with her teeth as if she can’t wait to take a juicy bite out of what she sees.
I know I shouldn’t take her back to the house. I know I should opt for a movie. Hell, we should opt to freeze our asses off on the trails—anything but being alone with this girl.
“Let’s get out of here.” I tuck a quick kiss to the back of her neck as we stagger past the bodies congesting the vicinity. I glance over to the bar and spot Jet. He lifts a hand as if waving goodnight, and I point over to Ava with a shit-eating grin spreading over my face. Can’t help it. There’s a juvenile pride of ownership, if I can be so barbaric to reference it that way, when you have a beautiful girl by your side. Not that I own Ava or will ever come close. More like pride in the fact a beautiful work of art like Ava would ever chose a brooding oaf like me.
Jet nods over and hikes up a notch to get a better look at the girl at my side, and that grin he was shooting my way melts right off his face. Figures. He can’t believe it either. But then again, Ava is too good to be true.
“Where are we headed?” she shouts over the music as I lead her to the exit and straight into the frozen November air.
“Beta Kappa Phi.”
Her brows rise, amused. “For a rousing game of pool?”
“You got the rousing part right.”
Ava and I bolt for The Row, laughing our asses off, stopping to make out by the gnarled oak that stands proud on the corner. Life is so much better, so much lighter and freeing with Ava by my side.
I would have done anything for Steph to have met her.
Beta Kappa Phiis void of any human life, just what I was hoping for as we head in through the commons area.
“Wow, this place is a real haunted house with no one in it.” Ava gently kicks a soda can and sends it rolling across the hardwood floor. “You guys should probably pool your money and look into getting a housekeeper.”
“A housekeeper? Now how would that foster our need to cultivate good hygienic practices all on our own?” I tease as we head for the stairs.
“Believe me, nobody here is fostering anything hygienic.”
We hit the base of the stairs, and I pause, pulling her in by the waist. “At the risk of sounding egotistical, I happen to be the most hygienic of them all.”
Her lips twitch with a smile she’s struggling to hold back. “At the risk of sounding too eager to believe what my egotistical boyfriend has to say—I’d better inspect your headquarters to affirm this.” She sucks in a quick breath as she catches herself. Ava’s cheeks redden with color, a deep blushing shade of pomegranate as her gaze falls to the floor. “I d-d-don’t know why I said that. I—”
“It’s okay.” I gently lift her chin with my finger until her beautiful eyes bless me with their light. “I like the sound of it.” I pull her up to the step above me until we’re almost face-to-face. “My girlfriend.” My chest rumbles with approval. “Ilovethe sound of it.” My gaze hooks onto hers, and something deep inside me begs to tack on one more thing to the list of things I love. It’s true. I’ve fallen fast and hard for Ava. “The minute you sat down in front of me that afternoon I knew my life had changed for the better.”
Her entire affect widens with wonder at my words before she shakes the thought away. “I bet that’s a required line for Beta boys before they haul a girl to their bedroom.”
A frown comes and goes. “Only this bedroom.” I take her by the hand and lead her up the stairs. “Come on. I promise to behave.”
Ava belts out a laugh. “I was sort of hoping you wouldn’t.”
My gut cinches at the thought. If Ava is up for anything, then it’s up to me to hold back—and no thanks to that porn reel that runs through my mind at all hours of the night I’ve programmed myself to do anything but hold back when it comes to this girl.
We end up in the last room on the right as I close and lock my bedroom door. I keep the light off since the steely moonlight is flooding the room.
