10. Tessa

10

TESSA

A fter that mind-blowing moment with Devin in my dorm, I feel almost lightheaded. I decide to head to the gym to clear my head, the rhythm of my sneakers hitting the treadmill helping to calm my swirling thoughts. Sweat drips down my temple, and for the first time in days, I feel like I can breathe.

I glance up at the mirrors along the wall, just in time to catch a glimpse of Jace walking in. My heart stutters. Of course, it's him.

His gaze sweeps over the gym, and when his eyes land on me, something in his expression shifts. He grins, the kind of cocky smirk that gets under my skin, but I can't deny the way my pulse picks up as he heads in my direction.

"Hey," he drawls, sauntering over to the treadmill. "Didn't expect to see you here."

I wipe the sweat from my brow and try to act casual. "I could say the same thing about you."

Jace chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest. His muscles flex under his tight gray shirt, and I swallow hard, suddenly hyper-aware of how little space there is between us. "Gotta keep up the cardio," he says, a playful glint in his eye. "Want some company?"

Before I can answer, he hops onto the treadmill beside me, adjusting the settings so he's running up a hill effortlessly.

We jog in silence for a few minutes, but the tension between us is impossible to ignore. Every time our eyes meet in the mirror, I feel a jolt of electricity. It's like the air between us is charged, the unspoken pull growing stronger with each passing second.

"You're not bad at this," Jace teases, glancing over at me. "Figured you'd be more of a kickboxing girl."

I snort. "What, afraid I could kick your ass?"

"Yeah, you could probably do that," he teases, his voice lower now. There's a heat in his gaze that wasn't there before, and I feel it too—the pull, the attraction that's been simmering between us ever since that night in the library.

When he slows down and steps off the treadmill, I follow his lead, my breath coming in short, uneven bursts—not just from the run.

"You done?" I ask, trying to keep my tone light, but my voice comes out more breathless than I'd like.

"For now," Jace says, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the hem of his shirt, exposing a sliver of his abs. I can't help but stare, my heart thudding in my chest.

"I could use a shower," he murmurs, glancing at me with half-lidded eyes. "I feel so…dirty."

I swallow, my eyes tracing the outline of his bicep as he takes a long drink from his water bottle.

"Me too," I say, feeling dazed, though not from my workout.

Jace gives me a smoldering look and starts heading to the locker room. I follow behind, glancing around furtively to make sure no one is watching, and we disappear into a shower room together.

He steps toward me and I shiver as I look up at him, his blond hair hanging in his face, skin-kissed freckles dotting his shoulders as he reaches out for me. My eyes flutter shut and I wait, wondering what's going to happen next when I hear the click of a lock and a low chuckle.

I open my eyes to see that Jace has locked the door behind us and he turns, heading for the shower. My heart thuds in my chest as he turns the water on, shedding his clothes before stepping under the spray. I stand there for a moment, dithering about what to do. Does he want me to join him in the shower? Is something going to happen?

Jace shoots me a pointed look and I peel off my workout gear before joining him in the shower. His body looks delicious with rivulets of water dripping down his broad chest before dripping off his erect cock.

Saliva pools in my mouth and I find myself sinking to my knees, grasping his hips in my hands as I look up at him. His body is blocking the water from getting in my eyes and I lean forward, kissing the tip of his shaft. "Is this okay?" I ask, a little uncertain.

He swallows, giving me a brief nod and I push forward, licking a wet stripe from tip to base before pulling back to wrap my mouth around him. I swallow him down in one go and Jace emits a long, low groan.

His hands tangle in my hair as I suck him off right there in the shower, getting lost in his musky scent, the sweat-salty taste of him, the bitter drips of precum that roll down my throat.

It's quiet, save for the steady fall of the shower spray and the lewd, wet noises I'm making as I suck Jace's hard cock. I bring my hand down to touch myself, but Jace smirks and grabs it, placing it back on his waist. Somehow, even with his dick in my mouth, he's still the one in control.

The tiles start digging into my knees and sweat beads at my brow from the steaming heat around us, but before I can voice my thoughts, Jace is spilling down my throat and pulling me to my feet to kiss me.

He washes the both of us off carefully before drying me with his towel and then throws his clothes on, still wet, and takes off.

My head is spinning when I leave the gym.

The next morning, I'm still trying to wrap my head around things when I look up to find myself sitting with Alec at our usual table at the café, his cheeks pink as I realize I've been playing footsie with him for the last five minutes.

Alec and I lock eyes and we both stand up at the same time, immediately heading for the restroom. As soon as the door is locked, he's kissing me hard, the tension boiling over between us.

I moan into the kiss, entranced by his deep, woodsy scent up close. He's got the same hard planes as Jace, unsurprising since he does martial arts. I rut against him and his hand moves down, hiking up my skirt to brush over my panties.

"Can I touch you?" he asks, voice husky and nearly breathless. My eyes are locked onto his, the icy blue rooting me to the spot. I let out a little noise, nodding my head, unable to trust myself to speak.

Alec's warm fingers glide over my lips, ghosting along the seam of my cunt as his eyes remain fixed on mine. Somehow the intense eye contact makes everything ten times hotter, and I find myself flushing head to toe as he slips them inside, teasing my entrance.

I tilt my head back and sigh but Alec takes my jaw in his other hand, bringing it forward to look him in the eyes again. He sinks a second finger inside me, pressing upward and curling his fingers forward as he searches out my spot.

"Oh God, Alec," I whimper, biting my lip. "Feels so good. Please…"

He leans down, warm breath ghosting against my neck and sending shivers down my spine. "Please what?" he asks in a low voice.

"Please don't stop," I plead, rocking my hips into his fingers. I don't know what's gotten into me, but I've been completely brazen lately, willing to get it on in public just for a taste of these men. I can't deny they're attractive in a conventional way but there's something more to it as well, something that has me a whimpering, shaky mess by the time Alec finishes me off.

He kisses me again, slow and sensual before we pull apart to start cleaning up. My alarm goes off, reminding me that I have class in ten minutes, so I make an apologetic retreat, wishing I could take this back to his dorm.

It isn't until I'm daydreaming in the middle of class about all three of them that I realize there's something seriously wrong with me. What am I doing? Every time I'm around them lately I start acting like a cat in heat.

Valencia finds me in the quad with my head in my hands, soft groans escaping me.

"Hey, what's up?" she asks, flopping into the seat next to me. "You look like your favorite BBC Radio show just got canceled."

"I'm absolutely crazy," I tell her, picking up my head to glance at her. She looks effortlessly chic in her blue joggers, gray Henley top, and a bright purple beanie on her dark hair. Despite how colorful it is, it somehow works for her.

"You're not crazy," Valencia argues back.

"I have a crush," I tell her, dropping my voice so we aren't overheard.

Valencia rolls her eyes. "That's not crazy, girl. Unless it's on the dean or something. It's not, is it?"

I shake my head. "I have not just one crush but three," I whisper. "I've been messing around with Jace, Alec, and Devin from Sigma Theta."

Valencia tilts her head, eyebrows raised. "Damn girl, I'm impressed. I can barely juggle one boyfriend, let alone three!"

"Keep your voice down," I tell her, shooting her a pleading look. "I'm not really dating them. We've just been hooking up. I mean, it's not like I could date all three of them anyway. And I thought you told me to be careful around them."

Valencia gives me a little smirk. "I did…and you should, but hell, why not date all three? What's the harm if you're just having fun, right?" she asks. "It's the twenty-first century baby. Poly is totes real and valid."

I pause, considering her words. I know I've been playing a dangerous game by messing around with all three of them but…what if I didn't have to choose or hurt anyone?