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

  “Does the bra match?” Not waiting for her answer, he pushed her top up so he could find out for himself.

  Abby chuckled, throaty and sexy, and shook her head. “No. I didn’t know anyone would be seeing my underwear today, so I didn’t bother to match them.”

  Lance stopped and stared at her again, this time in disbelief, trying to process that statement. She’d spent the night at his house last night. Agreed to see him again. Knew he was coming over today to work on her car. And she didn’t think he’d want to strip her down again? Sure, he hadn’t done that last night. And yeah, he was willing to ease into things. But the thought actually hadn’t occurred to her at all?

  But before he could ask any of those questions, she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it off. His breath caught, both at the sight of her and the fact that she’d just undressed for him. She was a walking contradiction. Shy and nervous one minute, stripping down to her lingerie the next. Apparently talking and kissing was the best way to get her to relax.

  Not willing to waste another second, he ran his hands up her sides, savoring the silk of her skin. He cupped her breasts over the simple black bra, the satin smooth under his palms. “It might not match, but it looks nice enough to me.”

  Abby made a small sound of pleasure in her throat, whether at his touch or his words, he wasn’t sure. Then she smiled. “Your turn.”

  It took a second for her meaning to sink in, but when she reached to his sides and started bunching his T-shirt in her hands, he immediately lifted his arms so she could pull his shirt off. Yesss. Not only did she undress herself, now she was undressing him too. He could get used to this side of her. Her nervous uncertainty was cute, but confident and sexy Abby turned him on even more.

  She tossed his T-shirt toward the closet to join the pile of dirty clothes. Standing, he undid his belt and the button and fly on his shorts, his eyes never leaving hers. He wanted to get skin to skin with her as quickly as possible, and he wanted her to know what she did to him.

  She moved back when he stood, but stepped into him again after he undid his shorts. Her hands ran over his abs and up his pecs before coming down his sides, her touch light enough that it almost tickled the sensitive skin over his ribs. She pushed his shorts down so that they dropped off his hips, the weight of his keys and wallet in his pockets making it easy for gravity to do most of the work.

  Reaching behind her head, Lance gently worked loose the elastic holding her hair in a ponytail and tossed it onto the bedside table. She looked cute with the ponytail, but he wanted to be able to run his fingers through her hair and watch it tumble around her face, her lips pink and swollen from his kisses.

  He fluffed her hair, and she winced when he got caught in a knot, catching his wrist to stop him and untangle it. He grinned down at her while she unwrapped the hair caught on his fingers. “Sorry.”

  Once his hand was unstuck, he dove back into her hair, cupping her head and taking her mouth in another kiss. She melted into him. He loved how she did that. Her body went all soft and boneless, and it was even better with his shirt off so he could feel the softness of her breasts pushing against his chest. But her bra was in the way, keeping him from feeling every inch of her bare skin.

  He snaked his other hand around her waist, stroking the flesh of her ass, then moving higher, caressing the small of her back, the column of her spine, and running a finger under the band of her bra. “Can we take this off?” he murmured against her lips.

  She tried to move her head, but his hand prevented much movement. “Okay,” she breathed into him and fixed her mouth to his once more. With a pinch and a tug, he undid the hooks holding her bra closed. He slid the straps off her shoulders, and she slipped her arms out, the cups still trapped over her breasts by the press of her body against his.

  Lance broke the kiss and sat down again, letting the bra fall to the floor. Pulling Abby against him once more, he cupped her breasts with his hands and nuzzled the skin between them. He nipped playfully at each breast, soothing the sting with a kiss, enjoying the sound of her sharp intake of breath as he played with her.

  His hands ran down her sides, tracing her curves until he came to her thighs. He urged her closer, and she climbed onto his lap, her hands on his shoulders and one knee next to each of his hips before settling onto his thighs. He dragged her over his cock, his hands on her hips grinding her down against him, only the thin fabric of his boxers and her panties keeping him from feeling her skin where he wanted to the most.

  Abby rocked against him, and he resisted the urge to just toss her on the bed and bury himself inside her, knowing how much better it would be to draw it out. Wanting to make it good for her as it would be for him.

  He lay back, his legs still hanging off the edge of the bed, Abby sprawled full-length on his chest. Sitting up, she continued to grind against him, her hands on his chest for balance. He ran his hands all over her torso, and smiled when she threw her head back in obvious enjoyment. She gasped when he leaned up to capture one of her nipples with his mouth, alternately flicking it with his tongue and then sucking. When he switched to the other side, she melted into him again, allowing him to lie back down and bring her with him.

  Rolling them both over, he pinned her to the bed with his body, keeping her right where he wanted her. Her grinding on him felt good, but he wanted to slide inside her. And before that, he wanted to devour her, to feel her tongue sliding against his, and get her to make those little breathless sounds again when he bit her ear and kissed the delicate skin just below it. He wanted to hear her gasp as he rasped his teeth against the hardened points of her nipples before soothing them with his lips and his tongue. He wanted to taste her everywhere. And he couldn’t do that with her on top of him.

  He placed her hands over her head, stretching her out, still lying perpendicular on the bed. He cupped her hands around the opposite edge of the bed. “Leave these here, okay?” She nodded, and he rewarded her with another kiss as his hands trailed down her arms to cup the sides of her breasts once more.

  Beginning at her mouth, he worked his way down her body, his hands blazing a trail for his mouth and tongue to follow. He paused at her breasts, lavishing them with attention once again, then her bellybutton. Her skin was sweet, smooth and silky, the stuff wet dreams were made of, and he couldn’t get enough.

  She fidgeted when his tongue danced in the hollows of her hipbones. “That tickles,” she breathed. He smiled against her skin and did it on the other side, enjoying the hitch in her breath, the way her legs parted, the rapid rise and fall of her chest as he moved farther and farther down her body.

  He knelt on the floor next to her feet and ran his hands up her inner thighs, spreading them wider. The backs of his fingers caressed between her legs, his cock twitching when he felt her arousal through the fabric of her thong. He hooked his fingers in the waistband, dragging it down her legs inch by inch, the gusset coming away last, giving way to his gentle but insistent pull. Now she was completely bare to him for the first time.

  He almost couldn’t believe it, and he thanked his lucky stars that she’d reached out to him. That he hadn’t given up. That he’d answered the phone when she called.

  Because now, she was here in his bed, offering him everything he could’ve hoped for.

  He ran his hands up her inner thighs once more, pushing them apart to make room for his shoulders to fit between them. Gripping her hips, he pulled her closer and nuzzled the soft skin at the juncture where her thighs met her torso until she squirmed. He dropped light kisses on each thigh before thumbing her open and getting the taste he’d been wanting since she wore his Superman T-shirt that first night.

  Her flavor exploded on his tongue, tangy and sweet, and he savored it. Savored her. He started slow, dragging his tongue up her slit over and over, gauging her arousal by the juices he collected with his mouth and the way her hips bucked against him. When he began to focus his attention directly on her clit, she shuddered, sending a stab
of satisfaction through him. And lust in an arrow straight to his cock. He sucked her in and hummed lightly, making her hips arch into him even more.

  As he continued, her breath grew faster, shallower. She grabbed his hair, holding him in place as she moved against his mouth until she pulsed against his tongue with a soft cry as she came. He continued to lick her slowly, wanting to draw out her orgasm, but a fierce tug on his hair pulled his head away and stopped him.

  Abby gave another tug on his hair, more gentle this time. “I need you inside me right now.” His cock twitched in response, but he couldn’t help teasing her a little more. With a wicked smile, he licked her again. She let out a keening moan in response. Standing, he pushed his boxers down at the same time he reached for the drawer on his bedside table. Trying to do both things at once meant he was doing each one handed, and the waistband of his boxers got hung up on his cock.

  He heard a giggle. Then Abby reached for him, untangling him and pushing the boxers out of the way. His hips bucked as she circled him with her slim fingers, and he knew he wouldn’t last long unless he got inside her right this minute. Tearing open the packet, he quickly rolled the condom on before gathering Abby to him, this time with her head on the pillows. He positioned himself between her legs and hooked one of her legs over his elbow. With his mouth on hers, he entered her in one thrust.

  She arched under him with a sharp intake of breath. His eyes almost rolled back in his head from the pleasure of finally getting inside her. She was so wet and so tight and so heavenly. He started slow, needing to take his time so he didn’t embarrass himself, grinding into her each time he bottomed out. Abby met him thrust for thrust, her back arching and her hips rocking against him. He gauged his pace from her breathing—as it grew faster, so did he, angling himself just right to give her the most pleasure, wanting to get her there again. Needing her to come with him.

  This time when she came, he swallowed her cries in his mouth, the convulsive clenching of her muscles sending him into his own release.

  * * *

  Abby woke up the next morning to the sound of soft snoring behind her, unsurprised to find an arm wrapped around her middle and a warm body pressed against her from behind. While this was new for her, it wasn’t unwelcome. She’d fallen asleep wrapped in Lance’s arms like this, and she felt no urgency to move. But dim light filtered around the edges of Lance’s blackout curtains, and she wanted to know what time it was.

  She reached for her phone, blinking against the sudden brightness. Not even six yet. She set the phone down and snuggled back into Lance, hoping that his even breathing would lull her to sleep again. But even though she didn’t need to be awake, her brain wouldn’t stop reviewing the events of the night before.

  After leaving her boneless and satisfied, they’d spent the rest of the night lounging naked in Lance’s room, talking and touching until they fell asleep.

  Her brain had been too muddled by her orgasms to allow her to think about the implications of what had happened between them.

  She’d thought she could keep her emotions separate from whatever physical relationship they had, but after the caring way he touched her, the way he worked so hard to take care of her no matter how much resistance she offered, she wasn’t sure that would be possible. But he was leaving in less than two months. Part of her hoped that he just saw her as a challenge, and now that they’d had sex, he’d drop her like all the other girls he dated. That would make it easier, for him to just end it now before she grew even more attached.

  The thought of that—of him ending things now—made her ache in ways she didn’t want to acknowledge.

  She shook off that line of thought, focusing instead on reality.

  He was leaving. Whatever was between them had a definite end date. That should make it easier to not get too invested. Right? And spending time with him was fun. She hadn’t made much room in her life for fun. She needed some fun to offset the drudgery and stress of work and school and taking care of her mom. All the years of being alone ahead of her, because who’d really want to put up with all her issues and obligations? No one. Even Lance would get tired of it if he stuck around long enough. No one had the stamina for that, after all. So she just wouldn’t let herself get attached. The feelings he already had were born of good sex, and nothing more. It was normal to feel affection for someone who gave you orgasms like that, right? Right. She was a college student having the requisite summer fling. It wouldn’t—couldn’t—last, and that was fine. That’s what she wanted. She didn’t have room in her life for anything serious anyway, especially not once school started again.

  Lance would leave in August to go back to Texas. She would start her next semester, going back to her busy schedule of balancing school, work, and taking care of her mom. The rest of the summer would give her a fond memory to look back on come fall.

  The arm around her middle tightened. Lance kissed her behind her ear and ground his erection against her ass. “What’s wrong?”

  Abby smiled to herself and pushed back against him in encouragement. “What do you mean?”

  She felt his lips curve against her shoulder. “You’re huffing and sighing and fidgeting.”

  Reaching back, she patted his shoulder. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. Just thinking.”

  He guided her around to face him, gathering her against his chest and kissing her. “About?”

  She ran her hand up his arm to his shoulder and back down. “Nothing really. Us.”

  He gave her another soft kiss. “Us? Anything I should know about?”

  Abby shook her head, and then realized he couldn’t see her in the dark. “No.”

  Lance didn’t say anything or give any response, he just held her for a moment. Then he kissed her again, soft still, but lingering. He rolled her under him, kissing her deeply and settling himself between her thighs. She could feel his shaft pressing against her sex, rubbing against her clitoris.

  After a moment he broke their kiss, fumbling for his phone on the nightstand, using the glow from the screen to find a condom.

  They made love in the darkness of his room, slow and sweet, until they lay shuddering in each other’s arms.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Abby dragged herself to the kitchen, desperately in need of caffeine. Lance had been insatiable last night—and again this morning—which was nothing new. While she enjoyed every second of everything he did to her body, it made getting up on time for work difficult.

  She wasn’t a morning person at the best of times, but she’d never been a coffee drinker.

  Until now.

  Since she’d started sleeping over here, she needed something to get her going in the morning. Later in the day she supplemented with other caffeine sources—and naps when she could fit one in—but coffee was her only choice here.

  Grabbing a mug out of the cabinet, she filled it up and dumped in a bunch of sugar. Then she moved to the refrigerator, hoping Lance had added cream to the shopping list, but willing to settle for milk. But with two college athletes—and one former athlete—in the house with a coach who encouraged copious milk consumption for easy calories when they were bulking—which she’d learned they were currently doing—there wasn’t always milk in the fridge in the morning.

  Two six packs of beer, take out containers of indeterminate age and origin, stray condiment packets and a lonely, empty milk jug were all that filled the fridge. Sigh. Bending down, she retrieved the empty milk jug.

  A wolf whistle from behind had her straightening up to see who it was. Chris leaned against the kitchen counter behind her in shorts and a faded T-shirt, arms crossed so his biceps bulged against the fabric, his short, sandy blond hair sticking up like he’d just gotten out of bed. He stood there eyeing her up and down. Rolling her eyes, she gave him a playful smack on the arm and thrust the milk jug into his hands. “You’re out of milk.” She bumped the refrigerator door closed with her hip and retrieved her coffee mug from the counter next to him.

/>   Lance’s roommates had started playfully harassing her when she began staying over a couple weeks ago after her car had broken down, which he’d fixed that weekend. But that weekend had started a routine of her staying over at night, Lance taking her to work in the mornings and picking her up from her apartment after work. They spent the evenings together, either at her place or at his, and she spent more time at Lance’s house than she did at her own these days.

  Chris and Matt had started with the whistles on the third or fourth day, when she’d come out of Lance’s room in tiny shorts and a bra because Lance had left her clothes in the living room. She’d blushed from the roots of her hair all down her chest, even though Lance had given them death looks and hustled her back into his room before retrieving her clothes. He’d apologized profusely for their behavior, but that only seemed to egg them on. Every time they saw her do anything, they’d whistle or catcall, to the point that it was a ridiculous game, which she realized was why they did it. Now it just provoked an eye roll and a grin at most before they all went about their business.

  Chris set the jug on the counter, but kept eyeing her as she brought the coffee mug to her lips. Now that was unusual. Chris wasn’t one for staring.

  She stopped just before the rim of the mug touched her lips. “What? Do I have something on my face? Is my hair all crazy? Why are you looking at me like that?

  He laughed, hazel eyes squinting with amusement. “No, you look fine. I just don’t normally see you drink coffee. And you have this look on your face like you’re about to taste something disgusting.”

  “I am. This coffee. There’s no cream or milk in the house, so I’m forced to drink my coffee with only sugar to temper the bitterness.”

  Chris laughed some more. “Why are you drinking coffee if you don’t like it?”

  She sighed, sounding much more dramatic than she felt. But Chris and Matt’s craziness brought that out of her. “I’m tired. I need some caffeine to jump start my brain.”