67

Kassie

The Backbone Of A Dead Slug

I opened the door and abandoned Ryan in the bedroom, to his crazy idea of sneaking off to his dorm. Tossing the pajamas to Zariah, I made my way to the kitchen. "Do you want popcorn?"

"Yes, slut number one. Thank you, slut number one."

"How long are you going to use that?"

Zariah stretched back on the couch to raise her eyebrows at me. "However long it stays funny."

There wasn't anything to say, my head was in too much of a spin. All I needed to do was calm down. And put the bag of popcorn in the microwave. Before I could open the drawer though, Ryan was a step ahead of me, reaching down to pick one out and smoothly tear at the plastic.

"Why don't you want to come over?"

I took the bag away from him and stuck it in the microwave. It was crazy to think that at the beginning of the semester, the appliance had been purely for decoration. Now, it had a functioning light and everything.

"What are we doing in your dorm? Playing checkers?" I tried to tease him with a permanent blush. "Ryan, I've got homework to do, projects to turn in, and I think I finally found an apartment."

His voice was liquid honey. "You could do that at my place."

One look over at him and that wasn't just a laughable idea—it was ludicrous. Ryan, leaning against the counter, with the five o'clock shadow, with the piercing dark eyes, all of him, towering over me, bringing a blush to my cheeks with the reminder of everything he'd done to me in…what…seventy-two hours?

"Don't try any of that cute Ryan witchcraft on me," I warned him, bringing out a big bowl from a cabinet. But even as I said the words, I couldn't help but think they were too little, too late. The spell was made. The pact had been sealed. And I, myself, was a goner.

Ryan stepped up behind me, taking up my space. He dipped down low to my ear. "You think I'm cute?"

Oh my god .

"You have a million people every day who tell you that," I reminded him, losing my edge with the last couple of words. There wasn't a bite to my tone anymore. I couldn't have one with Ryan so close.

"I don't care what they think," he murmured. "I want to know what you think."

Some of the popcorn fell but Ryan caught them out of the air, effortlessly taking the bag from me. I could feel his body, just inches behind me. His arms were on either side, keeping me locked against the counter, and I wouldn't have moved away if I could.

"Of course I think you're cute," I whispered.

He chuckled, drawing his lips along my throat. My heart pounded underneath his touch. "You're so beautiful, the guys make fun of me for swiping through your photos in the locker room. When you're in my jersey, it fucking knocks me out."

"I—" I swallowed. "Um—"

"Can't speak?"

"Don't gloat," I managed, shivering when he pressed his lips to my skin, not even enough to give me anything permanent, just to remind me what he placed there.

"I get to be cocky," he muttered. Ryan tugged me back a few inches, pressing me against him. "You tripped me up when I met you, now it's my turn. I'm taking all of it."

Zariah's voice called out from the couch. "Because you two are taking so long, I get to pick the movie."

"We're coming," Ryan told her and quickly kissed my neck again before he walked out of the kitchen. The moment that boy was gone, I could finally breathe again. Having him so close turned all my brain power into mush.

"Oh my god, why are you doing this?" Zariah groaned as the couch groaned under Ryan.

I took the popcorn with me and found both Zariah and Ryan on the couch, but where Zariah was sitting off to the side, with her arm curled over the couch's arm like a normal person, Ryan was stretched fully out, taking all the room up on the couch, all muscle, all long legs, all with that boyish, pleased grin on his face.

That grin .

It sent a thrill up my spine just looking at him.

"Men repair your stove and think they own the place," Zariah muttered.

"And the microwave," Ryan added, folding his arms behind his head. "The AC, the faucets, the doors, the TV stand, the outlet under your desk, the ice machine—"

"Where's Kassie supposed to sit?" she demanded.

Ryan glanced up at me and his grin widened. "My lap. Where else is she supposed to sit?"

Blood rushed to my face and I shifted on my back leg watching him. The same man I had fucked multiple times—multiple times! I should've been satisfied. I should've been ready to curl up on the couch and watch a corny movie and wave off Ryan when he left for the night.

Except, that grin . And those arms . And his dark eyes, trailing down my neck, at the exposed hickeys.

"Kass…" Zariah warned. She could see my resolve crumbling in real time.

I pressed my lips together. "I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare."

I tried to give her the popcorn bowl but Zariah refused to take it. Her eyes narrowed. And next to her, Ryan raised an eyebrow, completely unaware of the silent exchange between my roommate and I.

"You have the backbone of a dead slug," she huffed.

"I'm sorry," I apologized because I really was sorry. "I just want to fuck my boyfriend again."

Ryan straightened up with renewed interest in the conversation. "Me?"

"You're my boyfriend. So, yes."

"Overnight?"

I sighed. "Overnight."

Ryan pushed up from the couch faster than I would've thought possible and kissed me on the neck. A hot blush crossed my skin. He couldn't have noticed, he was too busy heading off to the bedroom. Which I didn't understand because there was no way he knew what I needed to pack.

"Unbelievable." Zariah crossed her arms over her chest.

"You canceled lunch on Wednesday to give a blowjob," I reminded her, walking backwards.

"And you declined to go to the movies today ."

"We wouldn't have been able to make it anyway." I sighed at the door frame. "We'll hang out. I promise. Ryan has a Louisiana trip coming up, he'll be gone for five days. We'll spend all the time together."

"Making my RA stuff for next year," she insisted.

I winced. Ugh. We'd spend the whole time working. But if that's how I got out of the doghouse, I'd cut as much butcher paper as she needed.

"All the RA stuff," I promised and headed back to my bedroom, to find the quarterback knee deep in my worn, torn dufflebag, trying to stuff even more things inside of it. I stared at him, bewildered. "Ryan. I'm not leaving for a month."

"You have to leave stuff at my place, that's how this works," he replied. "That's what girlfriends do."

"I don't have enough clothes to have two wardrobes."

"We need to go shopping then. And they're not gifts if they're essentials."

"Hilarious." I took the duffel bag from him and started pulling things out, trying to pack them again, like how they were supposed to be. Like how Ryan kept his locker.

Besides the sketches .

I bit back a smile and folded my pajamas in the bottom of the bag. Ryan took his place behind me and kissed the back of my neck. A shiver ran across my skin.

"You think you'll be wearing something in my bed?" he murmured.

Damn. He has a point .

"Just in case someone comes over," I replied.

"I'll lock the door."

"And if it's an emergency?"

"Nothing could be more important than this." He dipped down low and kissed my collarbone, all slow and sweet. I breathed out, leaning back against his chest. His lips trailed up to the base of my throat. "You do need your ID though. I don't like that you were locked out from my place."

"My ID?" I frowned.

He nodded and ran his hand up my ass. "Where's your wallet?"