Linden: Rocking Pleasure: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 3) (42 page)

“
Shh,” I say, putting a finger on his lips. Then I help him chuck off his unbuttoned shirt. “I love you, Linden Priest.”

His smile widens, but before he can say anything, I kiss him passionately. Linden stumbles with me to the white leather couch. He sits down and pulls me with him so I come to sit on his lap. I open the fly of his jeans without breaking the kiss. Linden lifts his butt and pushes the jeans and the boxers down with an impatient hand. When his hard penis juts out at me, I wrap my hand around it and start moving it up and down slowly.

Linden moans, and I poke the tip of my tongue against his. We let our passion dictate the intensity of our kiss, getting intoxicated with our mutual arousal. He pulls the top of my strapless dress down, followed by my bra, and then he cups my breasts with his hands, massaging them gently. As we lose ourselves more and more in this never-ending kiss, I scoot even closer.

His hand moves between my legs, but he pulls it back after touching my labia. He breaks the kiss and gives me a wide-eyed look. “You’re not wearing panties.”

“
I know. I took them off,” I explain with a grin.

“
When?”

“
Before you came in,” I whisper close to his ear, and then I start nibbling on his earlobe.

Linden takes charge, lifting my butt and positioning me so he can enter me without obstacle. I moan loudly as he glides into me, inch by perfect inch. I’m too aroused to go slow, so I move up and down and in circles, closing my eyes when he begins to thrust upwards to match my rhythm.

He sucks one of my nipples into his mouth, nibbling on it until I moan more loudly. Then he puts a hand over my mouth, probably so his friends won’t hear what we’re doing in here.

Neither of us is going to last much longer; I can feel that. I pull away his hand and swallow his own moan with my kiss.

We still have our lips locked when the climax crashes over us like a tsunami wave. I’m shaken to the core, so I bury my face in the hollow of his neck afterwards, waiting for my breath to still.

“
Oh God,” he pants.

I kiss the sensitive skin on his throat. “And now we’re going to the party?” I ask in a whisper.

“
I’d much rather carry you home and get you into my bed,” he says breathlessly, “but yes, we’re going to the party

***

After we’ve cleaned up and gotten dressed again, a large limousine brings us to the after party, which takes place in a local club. Linden introduces me to a few more friends, including his brother, Jayden, who I find myself talking to for the first time.

“
How long are you going to be in Austin, Thally?”

“
I’ll be here the whole summer,” I say. “I’m working at my dad’s company until the semester starts up again in Miami.”

“
Right. Advertising and such. You created the promo campaign for the European tour, right?”

“
Well, not alone. Two more experienced guys did the lion’s share of the work.”

“
Still, the campaign looks really good.” Jayden smiles. “I’m sure people will love your work.”

“
Maybe. We’ll see,” I say modestly.

Linden joins us. “Can I steal my honey from you?”

“
She’s all yours.” Jayden smirks.

“
Thanks, dude.” Linden grabs my hand and leads me to where my friends are standing together in a cluster.

“
Linden, why … is this another one of your overwhelming secret plans?” I ask, wary of their broadly grinning faces.

“
Me? Plans? Never,” he laughs. Then he hands me a Jell-O shot from a tray behind them. All my friends have one, too. “Ready?” he asks them.

“
What is this?” I ask.
I knew it!

Delsin and Ave start snapping their fingers, while Nate, Thierry, and Draven drum a beat on the bar stools and my girl friends sing a soft “Ooooh.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Guys?” is the only thing I can say.

“
You are the love of my life, you are the key to happiness. My heart is yours and yours is mine, so let me tell you that I really love you
,” Linden sings.

“
Oh no,” I giggle. I’d hoped the Backstreet Boys cover was the most romantic he could get, but I was wrong. Dang! Even though this is definitely too cheesy for my taste, I’m still touched by this new display of affection. And it’s so cool that my friends are playing along in his scheme.

“
Your love is the best thing that ever happened to me, and I will love you forever. I gave you a star, I gave you my heart. I’ve been addicted to you, ’cause you’re the greatest woman I’ve ever met
,” he finishes.

“
That was freestyle, right? Your very own words?” I ask, warmed by his sincerity.

He shrugs modestly.

“
Of course it was freestyle,” Delsin pipes up, “and he bribed us into doing it.”

I laugh out loud and give Linden a hug. “You’re so cute!”

“
Don’t forget that we’re cute, too,” Cami says with a chuckle.

I hug every single one of them, thank them, and press kisses to their cheeks. “You really are the best! I drink to you … well, I eat to you,” I specify, before slurping down my Jell-O shot.

The others raise their little cups and down their own shots, except Dale, who never touches alcohol. Then Linden takes my hand again and tells me to follow him. We start climbing the stairs, up and up we go, until we end up on the roof of the building.

“
What’s next? A helicopter flight?” I ask, only half joking after all the things he’s already surprised me with.

He points to a small telescope. “I want to show you something.” He squints into the telescope and adjusts it, checking something on his phone screen. “Babe, you have to see this,” he murmurs.

I come to stand next to him.

“
Come on, take a look,” he urges me.

“
What has gotten into you now?” I ask.

“
Just look at this, will you?”

“
All right, all right.” I laugh, and then I squint through the telescope at the starry night sky.

“
That’s your star, right in the center of the scope,” he says softly.

I lift my eyes to meet his gaze. “Really?”

“
Yes. That’s Thalia 612, right next to Linden 318.”

“
So those two are our very own lucky stars?”

He nods. “For all eternity.”

I don’t know what to say, so I look through the telescope again, at the lazily twinkling pair of stars. “God … beautiful.”

“
You may call me Linden,” he chuckles.

I straighten and kiss the corner of his mouth. “If I ever had any doubts about your sincerity, you wiped them away with this wonderful gift.”

We sit down on the roof and look up at the stars. “I love you, Thalia,” Linden murmurs into my ear.

“
I love you, too,” I reply, after recovering from the tingling shudder that ran down my back when his lips brushed my earlobe. I lay my head on his shoulder. “Now I know what Nate meant.”

“
About what?”

“
Meant when he told me what love is.”

“
What is love?”

“
Love is when you sit next to someone, not even doing anything,” I whisper, “and yet you’re indescribably happy just to be with that person.”

Linden nods slowly. “He’s right.” He puts an arm around me and caresses the sensitive skin in the crook of my arm. “And I still believe we will make it.”

“
We will make it, yes.”

“
What makes you so certain all of a sudden?” Linden asks, surprised.

“
You.”

“
Me?”

“
Yes, you, Linden Priest. You are the man who banished my fears, made me forget that our love could falter and die. You make every day special and now you’ve even given me a star.” I smile.

“
And you brought me back to life,” he says happily. “Before you entered my life, everything seemed barren and boring, but now … Now the world is filled with color and music again, and life is worth living. I’ve found the most amazing woman of all. Forget the initial hurdles, forget that damned Pierce, because from now on, we’re the only ones that count.”

“
I’ll miss you when you’re touring,” I say softly.

“
Don’t think about that now. I’ll put in a few days here and there, and I’ll head straight for Miami whenever I can. I’ll be circling in your orbit, like Linden 318 circles Thalia 612.”

“
I’m not sure stars have orbits, but I get the point.” I grin. “I don’t even know why I fought my feelings in the beginning.”

“
Don’t ask me, but from what you told me, I think it was your head that told you that you shouldn’t fall in love with me. Not your heart. I’d be interested to hear what your head says now.”

“‘
Never ever let him go.’”

“
Really?” Linden probes.

“
Really … and it also has a few other, unspeakable ideas, but I think we’ll discuss those in your bedroom,” I giggle.

“
It would be a pleasure, Miss Leroux.”

“
No, don’t start the
Fifty Shades
talk again,” I demand in mock seriousness.

“
My apologies,” he chuckles.

I tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear, before laying my head on his shoulder.

“
You still do that.”

“
What?”

“
The small things. The ones I love so much about you.”

“
Old habits die hard.” I smile as I look at him.

I doubted that we could make it. I doubted that he really loved me, and now I know he would do anything for me.

Linden leans closer and kisses me gently, while above us, our stars twinkle in the summer night, together with a million more.

*** The End ***

Dear readers
,

Wow! Just wow. My
Coral Gables
series already comprises three books, and I’m really speechless when I think of its success so far. I tend to doubt whether my stories are any good, but you inspire and motivate me. Your support means a lot, and it drives me forward.

I invite feedback, and I’m happy to receive each and every bit, via Facebook, Twitter, and email. You’re unbelievable, and I want to say thank you!

Love,

Drucie

Rights and Other Boring Stuff

The rights for all songs that are named or quoted in this book belong to the respective songwriters, bands, or record companies.

Brands that are mentioned are also the property of the respective companies.

The band
Downstair Alley
is purely a product of my imagination.