All In (Cedar Mountain University #2) (17 page)

“Oh, I won’t have any problems. He can sleep in the damn car for
all I care.”

“How’s Jacob?” Lincoln wants to know, and I wince at the question.

“Not thrilled with me being here.”

“Oh, I know. He called to make sure I would be here to watch out
for you.”

I’m not sure what to say to that. He’d been pissed when I’d left
him, so I’m shocked that he’d taken the time to called Lincoln.

“We need to lock up.” Lincoln tells me pointedly.

“Is that a nice way of saying get the hell out?” I ask with a
laugh.

“Pretty much.”

Collins rolls her eyes, tossing a dish towel at his chest. “Leave
her alone, Linc. Would you like a drink before you go? Some water, or a coke.”
She clarifies when I arch one brow at her question.

Shaking my head, I hold my hand out to Lincoln for my car keys. “I
need to get Grant home.”

“Tell him to rest up. And for fuck’s sake, he needs to stop
drinking before his next fight.” Lincoln’s voice trails behind me, stopping me
in my tracks. I turn my head over my shoulder, narrowing my gaze on Lincoln.

“What fight?” I ask him slowly.

“He’s been fighting for Ira Manizel for the last few weeks. He fights
again next week and the guy he’s up against is undefeated.” Lincoln grabs a beer
off the bar that I hadn’t seen before. He takes a long drink. “Grant needs to
get his shit together or he’s going to get his ass kicked.” He takes another
drink before slowly adding, “Again.”

I had no idea who Ira Manizel was, but the tone of Lincoln’s voice
when saying his name didn’t leave me with warm and fuzzy’s inside. Lincoln
meets my gaze head on for just another moment before turning and then Collins
and Lincoln are arguing over her ability to make it to the car on her own as I
walk out the front door. Grant grunts, rolling from his back to his side when I
get in the car. Shaking my head I flip on the ignition.

“What in the hell have you gotten yourself into?”

He just grunts again in response as I turn my car out of the empty
parking lot of the Black Heart, heading back toward campus.

Since we’re careening toward morning, and all intelligent people
are tucked neatly in their beds and taking into account the fact that more than
half the campus is away for the Thanksgiving break, and there really isn’t
anyone left to be swarming the streets anyway, it doesn’t take long for me to
pull up in front of the townhouse Grant shares with Cole.

Lincoln had been right, the cold air coming in the windows as we
drove had woken Grant up somewhat. During the ride he had shifted enough that
his head was now leaning against the door of the car, his eyes open so they can
meet mine when I turn to look back. I watch him for a minute, waiting for
something other than anger to make its way inside of me, before spinning
forward again.

Was it wrong to feel pity? Because that was the only other thing I
felt bubbling through me at the moment. Pity that he had done this to himself.

“Thanks.” He mostly groans the word.

“Hmm.” I shove the car into drive; popping my seatbelt off at the
same time so I can turn to face him fully. “Who is Ira Manizel?”

His jaw tightens at the question. Instead of answering me he says, “Grace,”
he pulls himself up into a sitting position. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have
called you, but I didn’t have anyone else.”

“Tell me what you’re wrapped up in, Grant.” I shake my head when he
remains stubbornly quiet. “Or you can get out now. I did my good deed. I got
you home. You’re on your own from here.” I turn to glare at him. “Get. Out.” I
growl the last two words.

“Fine.” Throwing open the door he stumbles out. “Fine. I’m out.”
 
The door slams closed behind him.

Fuck me.

I give him Saturday.

Mainly because I know if the situations were reversed I would be
several steps beyond pissed. I hole up in my apartment, watching reruns of the
last season of
Keeping up with the
Kardashians,
while eating my weight in chocolate chip cookie dough ice
cream.

I couldn’t sleep at all, which is incredibly evident by the huge
purplish blue bruises drooping down beneath my eyes. No amount of concealer was
going to cover that mess up, but I gave it the good old college try.

So now I only looked half dead instead of like a total zombie.

Staring at myself in the mirror in my bedroom I frown, giving a
heavy sigh before I yank my messy curls back in an equally messy knot at the
nape of my neck, knowing the strands won’t stay there long. I grab my black
leggings off my bed tugging them up my legs before pulling on a loose white
T
-shirt that hits at mid-thigh. I cover the shirt with an equally
long and equally loose gray cardigan before knotting a pale pink and green
scarf around my neck. I pull on my kick ass knee length brown leather boots and
step back to stare at my reflection.

Just because I felt like shit, didn’t mean I couldn’t dress cute.

Grabbing my sunglasses, I shove them on top of my head before
heading out of the apartment. The morning has a distinct bite of cold air, and
I wrap my cardigan tighter against my body to ward off the chill. Winter is
definitely starting to close in. The sky is overcast, the morning doused in
gray, which fits my mood to a T. I jog down the steps with my keys in my hand,
in a hurry to get to Jacob.

I pull up short on the bottom step when I see Grant heading my way.

His head is down, his blond hair mostly covered by a CMU baseball
hat. His hands are tucked in the front pocket of
his
jeans, his shoulders hunched into a navy sweatshirt, again bearing
the logo of our school. He looks only marginally better this morning than he
did last night, I think, as his head tips up and his brown eyes land on me.

He stops walking several feet away. “Hey, Grace.”

“What do you want?” I can’t keep the snap out of my voice since
he’s more than likely screwed everything up between Jacob and me.

“I just want to ap—”

Oh, hell no, I think. Really? “The word apologize better not be the
next fucking word out of your mouth, Grant.” I interrupt with a growl.

“I’m not sure what else to say.” He says with a roll of his
shoulders. “I shouldn’t have called you, but there was no one else.”

“That’s right,” I move off the last step. “There wasn’t anyone
else. So this time I came, but next time,” I wait to make sure he’s paying
attention, only talking again once his eyes meet mine. “Next time don’t call
me. Drunk, bleeding or what the fuck ever, I don’t want to be your phone call,
Grant. I won’t come again.” I narrow my eyes, studying his face intently. “Who
the fuck is Ira Manizel?”

He visibly pales. The color leeching rapidly out of his face as his
eyes widen and the line of his jaw tightens. “No one.” His tone is sharp, and
his demeanor tells me this is not a conversation he wants to have.

I cross my arms over my chest, shifting my weight from one foot to
the other. “Don’t play that game with me, Grant. I know you to well for you to
lie to me.”

Rocking back on his heels, hands still stuffed in his pockets, I can
almost see the wheels turning in his head as he tries to come up with what he
thinks will be a plausible excuse. With a heavy sigh, and a shake of his head
he finally tells me, “I owe him money. Fighting is how I’m repaying him.”

“Are you fucking insane?” The words burst from my mouth before I
can reign them back in. But seriously, is he fucking insane? “Is he like some
kind of loan shark or something? What did you need the money for? Does Holden
know? Or Cole?”

I watch him carefully as he rubs a hand over the back of his neck.
This isn’t the Grant I know. This person standing before me is a total
stranger.

“The funding for my scholarship ran out at the end of last
semester.” He finally tells me. “I didn’t find out in time to apply for a
grant, and getting a loan through a bank wasn’t an option either.” He rolls his
shoulders. “So I did what I had to do.”

I open and close my mouth several times, trying to find the words,
but it takes me several moments to formulate anything coherent. “So obviously
neither Cole nor Holden know because they would kick your ass for being so
stupid.”

“I needed the money to pay for classes.” He says again. “It’s my
senior year, Grace, I couldn’t throw everything I’ve worked for away.”

“You could have asked my parents for help, Grant, you know that.”

He snorts. “Yeah, right. I’d love to see how that conversation would
have gone. I know I just broke up with your daughter but do you think you could
loan me twenty thousand bucks so I don’t have to drop out of school?”

“That’s insulting.” I snap. “My parents love you, and it doesn’t
have shit to do with whether we’re together or not.”

“I couldn’t ask them. This isn’t a big deal.”

Incredulously I ask “How is this not a big deal? You’re get beat up
to pay back a loan. That seems pretty up there on the big deal scale.”

Obviously uncomfortable, Grant pulls his hat off his head, running
his hand through his hair before settling it back down again. “This isn’t your
concern, Grace. I just—” he groans softly. He looks heartbroken, and a
momentary bit of regret bubbles up inside of me when he finally says, “I’m
sorry, Grace.”

“Me too. I’m sorry you thought so little of my parents and me.” He
opens his mouth, but I shake my head. “I have to go.” I push past him, digging
in my pocket for my cell phone so I can let Cole and Holden know what I just
found out. It’s still early, so I’m not surprised when neither one of them
answers their phone, so I give them each a quick rundown, knowing they’ll be
all over Grant once they get my message.

The roads are still empty, a combination of the early hour, and the
fact that the students more than likely won’t be making their way back to
campus until much later in the afternoon. It’s a quick trip to the frat,
thankfully the door is unlocked, though not standing wide open this time, and
there isn’t someone passed out on the floor for me to maneuver around.

Jacob’s room is empty when I open the door. The bed isn’t made, and
I can still see the indent of his head on the pillow so he obviously hadn’t
been awake for very long. After staring dumbly at his empty bed for a couple of
seconds wondering what I was supposed to do now, I recognize the faint sound of
the shower running in the bathroom.

So now I not only have nerves dancing through my veins I have the
faint edge of desire roaming around in there to, because now I’m picturing him
naked.

And my imagination has kicked into overdrive.

I eye the bed warily before electing to sit in the uncomfortable
desk chair. Less presumptuous. My right leg starts bouncing, the heel of my
boot tapping an erratic rhythm on the floor. I twist my hands together in my
lap to keep my fingers from joining the tempo.

The water shuts off, and I hear the screech of the shower curtain
being shoved back. Less than a minute later Jacob steps out of the bathroom
with only a gray towel wrapped around his waist, rubbing a hand through his wet
hair. He pauses momentarily when he sees me sitting there, but he doesn’t say
anything.

The towel is hanging low on his hips, giving me a perfect view of
that damn V of muscle. He takes ones step toward me, and I swear I see the knot
on the towel start to slowly unravel, taunting me. I lick my lips, forcing my
eyes to move up away from the towel and to his face. He jerks his head around,
moving over to the dresser. He pulls out a pair of navy nylon pants right
before dropping the towel and pulling them on. He grabs out a shirt, yanking it
over his head before turning to face me again.

“I should have let you come with me.” I lay my hands out flat on my
thighs, palms sweaty with nerves as I wait for him to say something. Anything
at all at this point would be lovely.

Because I can’t tell what he’s thinking as he looks at me.

“I know I should have let you come with me.” And I suddenly find
that I’m not above pleading with him. “You can’t stay mad at me, Jacob.”

“Why not?”

The first two words he’s spoken and they feel like daggers piercing
my skin. It’s a good damn question, and I can’t give him an answer. But I’m
ready to beg if that’s what it takes.

“Because I said so?”

Obviously not the right answer by the look he shoots me. “Are you
seriously going to try and joke your way out of this?”

I give a weak smile. “No. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to
say here, Jacob. I freaked out.” Spreading my hands wide, palms up I lick my
lips before brushing the loose strands of my hair back behind my ears. “We’d
just had sex for the first time, and we’re supposed to cap the night by going
to pick up my drunk ex? I don’t want Grant to be an obstacle between us, and I
thought keeping the two of you separate would be best.”

“How’d that work out for you?” He finally asks before he moves the
short distance across the room, sitting opposite me on the edge of the bed, our
knees nearly touching. I lean in toward him, settling my elbows on my knees.

I meet his gaze. “You asked me if I was all in. I’m telling you I
can’t be any further in.”

The first hint of a small smile flicks over his face, one side of
his mouth moving upwards and the dimple flashing briefly before disappearing
again. I lean forward a little more, knocking my knee against his, grinning. “You
could be further in.”

His eyes flick up, and I see the moment his mind joins mine down in
the gutter. The dimple flashes again, staying a little longer this time, and
his eyes become a little less guarded. He knocks his knee back against mine.

“Is that so?”

His voice has dropped, the low sound, smooth as honey, seeping into
my pores. I keep my eyes on his as I move, stepping across the incredibly small
space between us before dropping my knees on either side of his hips and
setting down on his lap. His hands settle on my hips. I drop my forehead
against his.

“I’m so sorry, Jacob, and I know that doesn’t make it better.” I
bark out a short laugh. “I keep telling Grant his apologies are worthless, and
I know mine is, too.”

“What else did you tell Grant?”

My fingers skim up the side of his neck, burrowing into the edge of
his hair. “That he wasn’t to call me again. And I wouldn’t answer if he did.” I
press my knees against his hips, causing a delicious pressure at my core, where
I can feel every inch of him. His eyes slide closed, but not before I see the
desire flaring inside of them. I tilt my head back down, brushing my lips
faintly across his. I don’t tell him about Ira Manizel and the debt Grant is
fighting to repay. “I won’t go to him again, Jacob, I promise.”

His fingers flex on my hips as I move my body in a circle against
him, driving us both a little more crazy. “I won’t share you, Grace.” He gasps
when I twist again. His eyes flash open again, bright and bold as they zero in
on mine.

“Good.” I whisper against his mouth. “I only want you.”

Desperate to show him, to give him the actions because the rest of
the words, the most important words, are lodged in my throat behind a wall of
fear, I sweep my tongue into his mouth, exploring the soft crevices. I yank at
his shirt, frantic to get it off so I can touch his skin.

He yanks his head back enough, reaching up and grabbing the shirt
at the back of his neck so he can pull it over his head. It lands somewhere on
the floor behind me. My hands shoot down, fingers delving under the edge of the
nylon pants. “These were a waste of time.” I whisper hoarsely against his
mouth. “Take them off.”

I stand up, watching as his hands hook in the pants before yanking
them down. He kicks them off his feet, letting them join the shirt on the
floor. Not that I’m paying attention to the clothes because, hello, naked
Jacob. My favorite thing.

I attack him, jumping forward so fast I knock him backwards on the
bed, sprawled out on top of him as I grab his face in my hands, smothering his
mouth with my own.

I can’t get close enough to him.

I can’t get enough of him. My mouth moves over his, tongue dipping
in and out in an erotic dance that shoots desire straight to my core.

Like I wasn’t already wet enough for him.

I slither down his body, trailing kisses over the exposed skin. I
stop to give attention to his navel, loving the way his stomach muscles jump in
response to my ministrations.

“Grace,” he moans my name. “You keep that up and I’m not going to
last.”

I swirl my tongue around his belly button one more time before
starting to work my way up his body again. His hands fist in the bottom of the
cardigan I’m wearing. “I want to see you.” His fingers slide under my top
before hooking in the top of my leggings and pulling downward. The backs of his
fingers slide over my ass as he moves them down.