Honestly? Could I have let fifteen minutes go by without dragging us into the awkward zone?
“I don’t have a league.” His eyes meet with mine before he removes his arm and opens the tiny pink donut box with half a dozen sugared treats staring back at us. “But if I did, I’m pretty sure I’d let you in.” He pushes into me playfully with his shoulder, and my body lights up with hope.
I glance up at him and hold his gaze, heavy as steel. “According to those tally marks, you let a lot of girls in.”
“Touché.”
“Jelly.” I hold up a donut. I’d better shove it into my mouth before anymore word-vomit oozes out of me. The next thing I’ll be telling him is that I want to pull a Jeanie Waters with him and commence the fuck-fest immediately. That pool of steaming water looks like a good place to start, although I’m betting he’s already “tapped that well,” too. I bet there’s nowhere he hasn’t committed a carnal crime and not very many girls he hasn’t committed them with. Except, of course, me, and now it’s quickly becoming evident I’m on a mission to rectify that.
“So tell me about your classes.” He’s not eating. He’s not even holding his coffee. He’s simply observing me as if he really cared to know.
“U.S. History is going to be a bear. The professor hates me, I can tell.” I sweep my gaze over his chest and am startled to see how close he’s sitting. I could have sworn you could have parked a bicycle between us a moment ago. “And, I already have three papers due in a two week span between that and lit. It looks like I’ll have to pull a few all-nighters—but secretly I’ve been looking forward to those.” I push into his shoulder like he did mine, and my arm lights up with heat from the exchange. “I’m a nerd that way.”
“I’m a nerd that way, too.” He pushes back, and, for moment, I think our little donut exchange might parlay into an all-out wrestling match, jelly and all. “You do realize Jeanie has a few all-nighters planned herself. I doubt you’ll get much done at your place.” He bites into a glazed donut, and half of it disappears.
“For sure I won’t, but I could probably get some great footage and make millions off a sex tape. ‘Jeanie does Whitney Briggs.’ Who needs this whole edjumacation thing anyway?” I try to rival his donut eating skills and fail miserably by smearing jelly up the side of my cheek. I’m quick to wipe it off, but with my luck it probably looks like a massacre just took place.
A grey dove darts from the bushes and soars into the sky, leaving a trail like pencil lead through the haze, but Bryson doesn’t notice it. For whatever reason the only thing he seems to notice is me. He touches his finger to my cheek and swipes a small spot of jelly off then holds it in the air for me to see before licking it clean.
Holy shit.
“You should ditch that whole dorm thing and hang out with Cole and me.” He pushes into my arm again, and this time he stays there with his shoulder butted up against mine, and, holy hell, my girls parts are feeling some damn good vibrations right about now. His thigh is so close to my leg, I can feel the warmth radiating from him like an inferno.
“I’m one step ahead of you.” I swallow hard. “I’ve already got my bags packed. But don’t worry. I won’t cramp your style for long. I plan on scoring a room at Casa Alpha Chi. Did you see the size of those Greek houses?” As much as I’d like to talk about expensive looking real estate, I can’t help but quiver from his touch. My entire body feels as though it’s about to combust. One more touch and I’ll embarrass myself by having an all-out screaming orgasm in front of him.
“I have seen those houses, and I’ve also had the pleasure to roam those halls. You’ll be living it up in the lap of luxury once you’re in.”
“You think I’ll get in?”
“Yes.” His brows rise into his forehead. “They’d be insane not to want you.”
My insides melt at the thought of him believing in me—wanting me.
“I haven’t had this kind of encouragement since my dad died,” I say it soft, unwarranted. “Not that my mom doesn’t care, but she’s been a little overly cautious with me since he passed away. In fact, Cole is the only reason she green-lighted Whitney Briggs to begin with. I guess she thought having my brother around would be the equivalent of body armor.” A chastity belt is more to the point, but I don’t dare share the imagery with Mr. Edwards. Besides, my girl parts are on the cusp of sending a personalized invite to his boy parts, and I’m not about to stop them.
“He sort of is.” His eyes widen because we both know he’s already been threatened to steer clear. Anyway, I’m sure a god like Bryson Edwards thinks of me as no more than a little sister, himself. Who am I kidding? EvenIthought the girl that kissed him goodbye this morning was hotter than hell.
“So was that your girlfriend?” If I’m going to pull us into the awkward zone, I may as well commit.
A bird chirps, an entire array of strange animal sounds purr and hiss in the distance as Bryson tries to figure out exactly what the blonde bimbo from Alpha Chi could have meant to him.
“Jules is just a girl in a long string of girls.”
I like the way he reduced her to the human equivalent of a paper chain. Something cheap you could throw away on a whim.
“Notches,” I correct. A lizard saunters up the rock before spying us and quickly scurrying away.
“Yeah, well, I think I’m going to hang it up and hand the reins over to the king. I’m no match for your brother’s testosterone superpowers. I think I’ll yield to the master and let him take the throne. Itissenior year. One of us was bound to be defeated.”
“Really?” My heart thumps wild in my chest as a series of low lying clouds move in and steal the sunshine from the watery blue sky. “What’s going to happen to your man parts?” My eyes widen, my cheeks blush bright as candy apples as if I had outright propositioned him. “I’m sure there are some serious ramifications to denying them their regularly-scheduled testosterone release. Rumor has it blue balls are a very real thing.”
“I’ve taken a cold shower or two in my time.” His steely gaze locks onto mine, and all of nature goes off like a siren around us. It’s as if the birds, the bees, and every creature known to man is cheering us on, every living creature except for Bryson, of course. I’m pretty sure his vow of celibacy has very little to do with me—unless, of course, I nauseate him—kill his appetite for all things estrogen.
“Cold showers, huh?” I edge my face in toward his to see if he’ll bite. Bryson glances down at my mouth and wets his lips. He’s eyeing me like a snake that might jump out and inflict him with a venomous bite. I’ve kissed a few boys in my time, and leaning in like this was all the nudging it took, just a little movement in the right direction, and before I knew it, their tongues were being fed to me by the inch. But Bryson doesn’t move. He doesn’t breathe or say a word. He just stares me down as if a standoff at high noon were taking place—his testosterone against my estrogen. His eyes widen. His shoulders nudge toward mine, but he stops and presses his lips together as if he’s made up his mind not to continue.
We finish our donuts, and he races me downhill all the way back to campus.
He lets me win, and I’m okay with that for now.
