Linden: Rocking Pleasure: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 3) (21 page)

“
And you’ve met my second girlfriend. Trish’s full name is Patricia Walsh. We got together over three years ago, and you know the reason we broke up,” he says sheepishly. “What was high school like for you?”

I heave a sigh. “It was torture. I had Damon, but after he graduated, I was basically alone. I didn’t have a lot of friends, apart from Patty and Pierce, who go to Stanford together. What was it like for you?”

“
Once I had gone through a makeover, which Alexis talked me into, I became a heartthrob of sorts.” He smirks. “But because I was with Trish, I didn’t make use of that. Senior year was exciting, but looking back on it now, it’s just another chapter in my life that I’m glad is over.”

“
Why?” I ask, not understanding. After all, if he was popular and had friends …

“
I was a really bad student,” Linden admits. “Without Alexis’s help I don’t think I would have graduated at all. I was just too lazy and spent all my time making music.”

“
Who knows whether we’d have met if you had gone down a different path,” I whisper.

Linden pulls me up higher, so we’re lying face to face, only a few inches apart. “I would have found you at some point, or you’d have found me … If fate intends for two people find each other, it’s going to happen, no matter what path they choose.”

I smile and scoot even closer, breathing a soft kiss to his lips. “You’re cute.”

He offers me a half smile in the dark. Then he puts a hand around my neck and presses a passionate kiss to my lips, turning me on my back at the same time. He slips between my legs and pushes his hand underneath the t-shirt I’m wearing. I moan into his mouth as his fingers close around my nipple. He rubs it gently between the tips of his fingers, making it pebble—hard. The other nipple follows suit, even though he hasn’t even touched it yet. I’m still a little shy, but I let my hands roam his back, exploring all the parts of his body I can reach. Then I push my thumb into his briefs, pulling them down a little.

My decision not to sleep with him tonight has been forgotten.

Linden breaks the kiss and stares into my eyes, as if looking for approval for what he’s about to do. I take his face in my hands, kiss the tip of his nose, and then push him up a little so I can take off the t-shirt. His eyes widen when I throw it aside. Instead of repeating the kiss, he teases my neck with his tongue and teeth. I moan, allowing him to see and hear my arousal. Linden slips off me so he can pull down the boxers I’m wearing.

“
Do you have any … condoms?” I ask softly, and my voice trembles. Why am I so damn excited?

“
Yes,” he murmurs against my sensitive skin. Then he leans across me and takes something from the drawer of his nightstand. He pulls off his briefs.

I can’t help staring at him.

“
What?” he says.

My gaze travels his body. “Nothing,” I breathe.

“
Do you really want to?”

I nod, and Linden slips between my legs again, on top of me. He kisses me, teasing my folds with the tip of his penis at the same time. His thumb starts to play with my clit. We’re going fast now. “Oh God,” I murmur, feeling the arousal rise within me like a wave.

When he thinks I’m ready, he enters me, and I moan loudly as he does. Linden slows, stretching and filling me slowly, and then he starts to move inside me. I stroke his arms, his shoulders, and his cheeks, moving against him so I’m not just lying here getting fucked.

Linden moans into my mouth, and our tongues meet in a passionate dance. And then I can’t wait any longer. I roll over, taking him with me—and then I ride him. He places his hands around my breasts as I arch my back, and massages them expertly. I brace myself against his chest, close my eyes, and revel in the sensation of feeling him so deep inside of me. I move faster and faster, lifting my pelvis so he almost slides out, and then lowering it again quickly.

“
If you go on like that, I won’t last much longer,” he pants.

I can feel that I don’t need much longer, but then he starts to thrust up against me, while I lean down, and it takes a moment to find the perfect rhythm. We move together, whipping each other into a frenzy of lust, until we both freeze at the same time, stifling our cries of release in a heated kiss.

Linden rolls over with me, putting himself on top again, before pulling out. And then we finally break the endless kiss.

“
I’ll wash up, and then we should finally get some sleep,” he murmurs.

I offer him a satisfied smile. “Okay.”

He rises and disappears into the bathroom, while I nestle my head into the pillow. I close my eyes, but the smile on my lips remains, refusing to go away.

I fall asleep even before Linden returns. The last thing I feel is him pulling me into an embrace, but it doesn’t wake me up.

Chapter 8

I open my eyes and see Linden next to me. He’s still asleep.
So this really did happen
, I think. I’d assumed I’d merely had a vivid dream. With a smile, I snuggle up to him and take a deep breath. He smells so damn good. My fingertips draw circles on his upper arm and collarbone.

“
I’ve never been woken like this before,” he murmurs, wrapping his arm around me.

“
There’s a first time for everything,” I whisper.

Linden looks at me and kisses my forehead. “Did you sleep well?”

“
Very well, actually. And you?”

“
Like a rock. I haven’t slept that well in a long time,” he murmurs. “And that’s your fault.”

“
My fault?”

“
Yeah. Ever since you invited me into your car, I’ve been lying awake at night, pondering how to sweep you off your feet.” He smiles.

“
Well, keep pondering then. I don’t feel swept off my feet yet,” I tease him.

“
I’m sure we’re getting there.”

“
I won’t deny it,” I admit.

“
What do you want for breakfast?” he asks, changing the subject.

“
Hmm,” I mutter, thinking about it. “Pancakes or maybe waffles?”

“
Wait a moment.” He rolls onto his back, grabs his phone from the nightstand, and dials. “Good morning, Ms. Atkins, could you please prepare pancakes and waffles for breakfast? … Yes, with maple syrup and … well, the works. Fruit, too… Thank you, Ms. Atkins.” He hangs up and turns to me again. “It’ll be ready in half an hour.”

“
Then I should take a shower,” I say softly.

“
Or I can go down later and fetch breakfast, so we can have it in bed,” he suggests.

“
I’d like that.” I snuggle up to him, placing my hand on his stomach and my head on his chest. I listen to his heartbeat, strong and steady.

“
Me, too.” Linden caresses me softly, breathing kisses on the crown of my head. “Do you want to spend the day with me?”

“
I have a date later,” I answer.

“
That’s not until tonight.”

“
I need to study.”

“
You said you had the whole day free tomorrow … So when do you have classes?”

“
Wednesday,” I reply.

“
Then I’ll let you study for half of tomorrow, and the entire day Tuesday,” he calculates. “Stay with me all day today.”

I giggle. “Linden, I can’t just cancel on Jim. It wouldn’t be right to skip because of you, and I have no idea what I could say that wouldn’t hurt him.”

“
Tell him the truth. You have a new boyfriend.”

I lift my head and look at him, my eyebrows all the way up under my bangs. “What?”

“
Well, we might not be a real couple yet, but that’s a pretext he could hardly argue with.”

Whoa, hold your horses, mister.
I don’t even know whether we’ll be a couple at any point, but I don’t say that. I don’t want to hurt or anger him. “I don’t want to cancel on Jim. I haven’t been to the movies in ages, and I’d really like to see this particular flick.”

“
Which one?”

“
That new action blockbuster.”

“
I thought women were all into romances and drama,” he says, perplexed.

“
I’m not like all women,” I say, amused by the cliché. “I’ll tell you what we can do. I’ll stay here until late afternoon, but then I’m going home to change my clothes and go to the movies with Jim. I can come back afterwards.”

Linden sighs. “Okay.”

“
You’re not happy with that?”

“
No, because I want to have you near me all the time,” he admits.

“
Well, if I bring my books and stuff tonight, I can stay until Tuesday. And I can come back with the car so your chauffeur doesn’t need to shuttle me back and forth. I like that better.”

“
Okay.” He nods.

Then we fall silent again, comfortable with snuggling and just enjoying the close presence of each other. It was impossible to do anything like that with Colton, just lying in bed cuddling. If we hit the bed, we were all over each other immediately. It’s different with Linden, simply because he’s more affectionate, and I keep feeling the urge to sigh in bliss.

He brushes a strand of hair from my face and then caresses the back of my neck. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a wonderful woman?”

“
I think you’ve said something in that vein before.”

“
And I think I’m going to say it over and over again.”

I smile and scoot up so I can plant a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Until you go back to New York City, that is,” I whisper.

“
But we’ll fly to Austin from there,” Linden says, “and I’ll see you in your hometown. If you want to see me … ”

“
How much longer do you think you’ll stay here in Miami?” I ask hesitantly.

“
Maybe one or two more weeks, Thalia.”

“
That’s not a very long time,” I murmur, looking into his eyes.

Linden caresses my cheek. “Long enough to get to know each other better.”

“
I spend Wednesday through Friday in class every week, and I really need to study,” I point out. “So there’s not that much time left.”

“
You can stay here, study here, and I’ll try to help you in any way I can. Okay?”

I smile. “Okay.”

***

After I’ve gotten myself freshened up for the movie date with Jim, I rush down the stairs. The day I spent with Linden was awesome. We lay by the pool and just cuddled for hours. And we also had sex in the Jacuzzi, which was … sparkling, I guess. Tingly. And he showed me the rest of the house, or rather, mansion. It’s only indirectly his, as his dad bought it to move in there with his mom. For some weird reason the original plan fell through, which is why he lives in there like a modern-day prince. His parents are now considering moving to New York City, but when I asked him if he plans to introduce me to them, he was evasive. He probably wants to wait until they’re no longer wondering what happened to Trish before introducing them to the new girl at his side.

Jim’s in his car outside, and I ask through the open window, “Hey, is it okay if we go in separate cars? I have plans after the movie, and I don’t want you to have to make a detour for me.”

“
Not a problem. I’ll go ahead then,” he says with a smile.

“
Great.” I quickly go to my own car, throw my bags in the backseat, and get in.

Jim drives off, and I follow him to the theater’s parking lot. My phone keeps beeping during the entire drive. Lots of texts from Linden, which I’m trying to ignore at the moment, because spending the evening with my phone in my hand would be grossly impolite. So I don’t bother to read them all, instead writing a brief message:
Please stop texting me. I’ll see you soon enough!
I add a smiling and a kissing emoticon.

Mere seconds later he replies:
Sorry.
I miss you. See you soon.

I slip the phone into my purse with a sigh before getting out and walking over to Jim’s car. “Ready?”

“
Always.” He nods and offers me his arm as soon as he’s standing next to me.

I decline, because we’re just classmates, and I don’t want him to think there’s anything else in the air. “How has your weekend been so far?” I ask to gloss over the awkwardness.

“
Okay, even though I spent most of it studying. What about yours?”

“
Filled with parties and chaos.” I smirk.

“
What does that mean?”

“
Friday night I went to Dizzles and saw my roommate’s band play. Yesterday, my friends had a belated birthday party for me, and today I had an extremely relaxing day, not counting the last two hours, which were sort of busy.” I make my list cheerfully.

“
Oh, it’s a pity I didn’t know about your party,” he says, sounding a bit miffed.

“
I’m sorry Camille didn’t invite you. I didn’t know who all she invited,” I explain regretfully. “It was a surprise party.”

“
It’s okay. You’re spending tonight with me.”

I nod at him, and then we step into the theater. “Tickets are on me because you saved my ass,” I say as we reach the end of the line. There isn’t much of a one, so it’s my turn within minutes. I buy the tickets, and then we line up at the snack counter, where we buy soda and popcorn.