Players of Marycliff University Box Set, Books 1–3 Read online

  Her blue eyes moving back and forth between his, and he held her gaze, hoping she’d find whatever she needed to believe him. Trust him. Let him help her without arguing anymore. When she finally nodded, he let out a breath and hugged her back into him for a moment before letting her go. “How about you get some clothes and stuff together and we can go back to my place.”

  Abby’s eyes snapped back to his. “What? Why?”

  He gestured to her bed, a half smile on his lips. “Sweetheart, we’re not both going to fit on that. Hell, I’m not sure I could fit on it by myself.”

  She crossed her arms again, her brows pulling down. Uh oh. That couldn’t be good. “I don’t remember inviting you to get in my bed anyway, so I’m not sure why it matters that you wouldn’t fit,” she said, brows arched to match her tone.

  Too late he remembered that she didn’t like it when he assumed her into things instead of asking. Running his hands through his hair and down his face, he tried and failed to figure out what to say to get her to calm down and agree to come home with him.

  “You’re right.” He dropped his hands on a sigh. “You didn’t. I’m sorry.”

  She relaxed and stopped flaring her nostrils at him. Her arms were still crossed, but some of the tension had left her shoulders. That was good.

  He risked moving closer to her, running his fingers down her arm. With her this close, he couldn’t keep a lid on his desire to touch her. “I liked having you over last night. I’d like it if you came over again and thought it would be easier for you if you had clothes for work tomorrow with you. Would you please come over and stay with me tonight?”

  She eyed him, her expression still closed and wary. “Why?”

  His hands found her arms again, pulling her in for a hard kiss. He poured all of his frustration and anger at her constant questioning of his motives and intentions into that kiss. All of his lust and sexual tension as well. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, growling when she capitulated easily, tangling her tongue with his, her hands fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer. His hands moved, almost of their own accord, roaming her back, gripping her ass, pulling her against his rock-hard cock, letting her feel everything that she did to him.

  When he tore his mouth away from her, his chest heaving, he looked down into her heavy-lidded eyes and growled, “That’s why.”

  Blinking slowly, moving in a daze, Abby raised her hand to her mouth and touched her fingers to her swollen lips. “Oh.”

  Megan’s voice cut through the tension. “Just put him out of his misery and agree to go with him!”

  A smile crept onto Abby’s face. “Our apartment isn’t very soundproof,” she whispered.

  “No kidding.” Lance felt his lips curving in a smile to match Abby’s, hope curling tight in his chest. Maybe Megan would help him out some after all, even though it seemed like he’d been on his own since he got here. She probably had her own reasons for butting in, but he’d take whatever help he could get.

  Abby studied his face for what felt like an eternity before she finally nodded. “Alright.” She turned and started rifling through her clothes.

  Lance lurched in her direction, stunned by the sudden agreement, unsure that he’d heard her right. “Alright?”

  She nodded, keeping her back to him as she shoved clothes in a bag. “I’ll go with you. Just let me get some stuff together.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Refusing to think more about her decision to go home with Lance, Abby focused entirely on the to do list of packing for the night. She grabbed her shampoo and conditioner out of the shower, wiping them down and sliding them into her backpack. Next she stuffed her everyday makeup into a small zippered case. Adding her razor and deodorant, she dropped that into her bag as well. Her hairbrush with a couple hair bands came next.

  She took a mental inventory of the things she would need for tonight and tomorrow as she surveyed her mirror, trying and failing not to look at her own reflection. Her flushed cheeks, pink lips, hair going everywhere from Lance’s hands in it. Megan would call it sex hair, despite the fact that she hadn’t had sex with Lance. At all.

  That would all change tonight, though. There was no use kidding herself about that fact. And with everything she needed packed, she had nothing else to distract her from thinking about it.

  Pulling her hair brush back out, she ran it through her hair a few times to at least get the sex hair under control. After dropping it back in her bag, she raised her hand to her lips again, reliving that last kiss. It was the hottest thing she’d ever experienced. Who knew she’d break that record twice in less than twenty-four hours? Sure, her list of hot experiences was pretty small, so given who Lance was, it shouldn’t be too surprising.

  But that brought her back around to the main question about their relationship. “What am I doing?” she murmured to her reflection. But the only answer she’d get was already swirling in her head.

  What was she doing? She was having a fling with a hot guy who was willing to put up with whatever annoying crap she threw at him. Driving her to her mom’s house on short notice with no idea what he was getting into. Waiting outside in the heat while she dealt with everything without a word of complaint. Taking her to a nice dinner after and then back to his house where he made her feel … wanted. Desirable. Beautiful.

  So even though she knew—she knew—deep down where her instincts never failed her that she’d end up getting hurt by continuing to see him, she couldn’t help herself. If she were going to be smart, she would’ve told him no yesterday when he asked to see her again. She wouldn’t have gone home with him then. But smart flew out the window the minute she called him to help her out instead of waiting for Megan.

  And now … Why bother denying herself the pleasure of whatever this was for as long as it lasted? She knew it was temporary. Knew it couldn’t go anywhere else. But no one had ever treated her the way he did. And she just couldn’t bring herself to turn down what they both wanted.

  She gave herself a mental shake and picked up her backpack, shoulders square, mind settled and ready to go. Lance stood up from the couch when she walked into the living room and held out a hand like he expected her to give him something. Ohhh, he wanted her bag. His gentlemanly manners cracked her up. The contrast of the courtesy of opening her doors and carrying her bags with his bossiness, not to mention how he dominated her every time they kissed.

  But she didn’t need or want him to carry her bags or buy her things. That wasn’t the point of this relationship, and the sooner he respected her need to do things herself, the happier they’d both be. So she gave him a cheeky grin and slapped his hand like he’d been after a high five. His lips turned up in a reluctant smile, and he reached to take the bag off her shoulder, clearly undeterred by her silent refusal.

  With a laugh, she spun away before he could get it and headed for the door. “Lance and I are leaving. See you later, Megan!”

  Megan poked her head out of her bedroom. “Bye, Abs. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “Ha. I don’t think much falls under the category of things you wouldn’t do.”

  “Exactly.” Megan smiled and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Have fun!”

  With another laugh, Abby pulled the front door open and stepped into the hot sun. Lance caught up to her and laced his fingers through hers, seeming to accept that she would be carrying her bag to the car. Once there, she relented and let him take her bag when he opened the door for her. Doing those little things seemed so important to him, that she had to give in at least some of the time. She also let him carry her bag once they got to his house.

  The door was unlocked and the lights were on inside. Abby looked around, but didn’t see anyone in the living room or what she could see of the kitchen as she followed Lance to his room.

  She took her bag from him when they got inside. “I’m just going to hang up my clothes for tomorrow, okay?”

  “Sure. I’m going to grab a snack. You want anything
?” She shook her head, and he gave her a quick kiss before leaving the room. Abby took her time hanging up her clothes and putting her other things in the bathroom, feeling a bubbling mix of anxiety and anticipation. Putting everything away was her way of stalling, and she was honest enough to admit that to herself. Even if she didn’t see them, it was obvious that at least one of Lance’s roommates were home, and she really didn’t want to meet them right now. Though, to be fair, waiting till the morning wasn’t any better. It was far worse, in fact. And while she could probably convince Lance to take her home at three in the morning again, she didn’t want to abuse his good nature. She could get an Uber, but that was expensive, and she needed all her spare money to buy the parts for her car.

  After taking as long as possible to arrange her things, it was clear that Lance wasn’t going to come right back to his room. She had nothing to be embarrassed about, she told herself firmly. Girls hooked up with guys all the time. And this was more than just a hookup, right? Even if it wasn’t a relationship with any kind of future, she was still more than a one night stand. With a deep breath, she braced herself to get the roommate meeting over with and opened the door.

  Only to find the living room still empty. Well, that was … anticlimactic.

  She wandered back to the kitchen, where Lance sat at a small cluttered table eating a sandwich. He crammed the last of it into his mouth before looking up and seeing her, his eyes lighting up and a smile pulling at his mouth. He took a swig out of his beer bottle to wash down the rest of the sandwich, then stood to throw away the paper towel he’d used instead of a plate.

  “Are you sure you don’t want anything?” he asked once he’d managed to swallow everything, his hand poised on the handle of the refrigerator.

  Abby shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

  Leaning against the counter, Lance snagged her by the hand and reeled her in to kiss her. She tasted the pleasant sourness of his beer as his tongue invaded her mouth. His hands roamed her back, sliding down to her ass, and she melted against his chest.

  “Lance, man, you’ll never believe—whoops! Sorry, dude.”

  Abby jerked away and tried to turn around, but Lance’s hands on her ass prevented her from getting very far. With a sigh, he dropped another kiss on her mouth and released her. “Abby, this is my roommate Matt. Matt, Abby.”

  Matt stood in the doorway in a pair of shorts. He was tall and lean, with messy blonde hair and a tribal tattoo circling his right bicep. He nodded at Abby. “Nice to meet you.” Then, quirking an eyebrow he shifted his gaze to Lance. “Company again, Lance?”

  Lance just shrugged. “Yup. I invited Abby over again.”

  Matt’s face cleared, understanding taking over. “I see. Well, you kids have a good night. It’d be nice for Chris and me if you kept the groping to the bedroom, though.” He walked to the fridge to grab a beer. Abby’s face grew hot, and it intensified when he grinned and winked at her before leaving the kitchen. Nothing to be embarrassed about, she reminded herself sternly. But it did nothing to calm her blush.

  Lance looked at her flaming face and chuckled before pulling her into him again. Her mortification was amusing to everyone but her it seemed.

  “Ignore him,” Lance reassured her. “He’s just jealous. And he’s been caught groping people in the kitchen plenty of times.” He pitched the last part so that his voice carried into the living room.

  “Shut up, man! I want her to have a good impression of me!”

  “Too late, dude. She’s seen you half naked already. That doesn’t make a good impression on anyone!”

  Abby couldn’t help smiling at the way they talked to each other, their banter helping her relax. Yeah, Matt knew what they were up to. That much was obvious. But it was equally obvious that Lance had told them about her already, which helped her feel a little better. If he was talking about her, then they wouldn’t assume she was just a hookup either.

  Lance moved to the fridge to grab another beer and a soda, before leading her by the hand out of the kitchen. As they passed Matt, he gave them a knowing look and lifted his beer in a silent toast before turning back to his video game.

  Setting the soda down on his dresser, Lance twisted the cap off his beer before turning and facing her, looking her up and down as she stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Her nerves returned in full force under his scrutiny, and she crossed her arms over her middle, looking everywhere except at him, keenly aware of him lounging against the dresser. One hand drifted to her mouth, pinching and rolling her lower lip between her fingers.

  “Are you nervous, Abby?” Lance’s voice was low and husky.

  Abby whipped her head around, surprised when he broke the taut silence, and made contact with Lance’s hooded gaze. “Uh, no? Why would you think that?” She cringed at the uncertainty in her voice.

  Lance chuckled, setting his beer down and reaching for her. He took her hand and kissed it, placed it on his chest, then kissed her mouth. It was brief, over as soon as it began, and it left her lips parted and searching for more. Reaching up, he traced his rough finger along her lower lip, the sensation sending tingles down her spine. “You always play with this when you’re nervous or worried. What I can’t figure out is why you would be nervous.”

  Abby averted her gaze to a point over his shoulder, not wanting to make eye contact. Her shoulders pulled tight, and she lifted them fractionally higher in a shrug. The more they talked about this, the worse her anxiety became. “I don’t know, it’s just …” she looked around the room, as though the right words might be written on the walls, “last night felt more natural. Tonight it’s planned, and it feels more … something.”

  Lance bent to move into her field of vision, forcing her to look at him. “Relax, Abby.” He stroked his hand up and down her back, lingering at her waist. “Nothing’s different. It’s the same house, the same room, the same us. No pressure, no expectations. I just want to spend time with you. That’s all this is. I like you, you like me, and I like having you here.”

  Abby nodded, relaxing a fraction. She knew Lance wanted more than what they shared last night. And she did too, really. It was just that his roommates were here tonight. She knew what they must be thinking, what they already thought they knew. And she didn’t want to disappoint Lance and leave him hanging like she did the night before. She wanted to be with him, wanted to spend time with him, see where things went. Hell, she wanted him. But all of those thoughts and worries and expectations kept her circling in her own head.

  His reassurance that he didn’t have specific expectations—wants, sure, the hard ridge pressing into her made it obvious what he wanted, but if she wasn’t ready, he wouldn’t kick her out and send her home—made her feel more settled. Like she had a choice.

  Lance moved in to kiss her again. His tongue swept past her lips, sliding against hers, teasing and tasting. His hands, like earlier, roamed down her back and gripped her ass, pulling her tightly against him, grinding their hips together.

  Her hands were trapped between them, and she wanted to feel him, but she couldn’t move enough for her satisfaction. She ran them over his chest as much as she could, feeling the planes of his muscles, gripping the fabric of his T-shirt to pull herself closer.

  One of his hands traveled up and slid under the hem of her tank top, teasing the skin just under the waistband of her shorts. His fingers moved lower, sliding along the top of her ass, while his other hand kneaded her flesh through her clothes.

  With a small sound of frustration in the back of his throat, Lance broke off the kiss. He led her the few steps to his bed, sitting down on the edge and positioning her between his legs.

  Unsure what he intended, she allowed him to position her how he liked. She stopped wondering when he raised her shirt and began kissing her stomach, his tongue teasing along the edge of her belly button. Her hands went to his head, threading her fingers through his hair, enjoying the heat of his mouth against her skin, the scrape of his teeth as he nipped at h
er. His hands slid up the backs of her thighs and he gripped her ass briefly before sliding around to the front. Leaning back so he could watch her reaction, he paused with his hands on the button. She gave a short nod, her breath coming fast with anticipation as he made short work of undoing her shorts.

  He didn’t immediately push her shorts off her hips like Abby had expected. Instead he left them hanging there, running his hands around to her back, caressing her waist and hips before finally sliding his hands under the fabric gripping her ass once more.

  He groaned when his fingers gripped her bare skin. “Abby, are you wearing underwear?” The question came out even husker than before.

  She licked her lips and nodded. “A thong.” Her husky whisper matched his.

  “Can I see?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  When Abby nodded, Lance’s breath left him in a gust of relief. She’d been so nervous, closed off, messing with her lip, staring past him again. He hadn’t been sure he’d be able to get her to relax at all, let alone far enough to let him undress her. But before he could tug her shorts off, her hands were there pushing them past her hips, revealing even more of her smooth skin to his hungry gaze. She kicked them to the side when they fell to her feet and stood in front of him in only her little turquoise tank top and a candy pink thong. His mouth watered at the sight of her, his fingers itching to touch her. The longer he stared, the more he wanted to know one thing.