The Same Side (University Park #2) (20 page)

I had to be dreaming. Being with Raven was unfreakin’ believable.

My phone buzzed and I glanced to see a text from Delaney.

Delaney: WTF? Luke said you stayed with Raven. Way to go!

Me: I know! I can’t believe it.

Delaney: Do tell.

Me: Nope. Respectful girls don’t kiss and tell.

Delaney: Oh, whatever. You threw out that level of conservativeness when you decided to hook up with Raven.

Me: Yeah, I guess you’re right.

Delaney: So, did you finally turn in your V card? Tell me. I’m dying to know!

Me: Lol! Yes and it was beyond incredible.

Delaney: Oh hell. Sounds like you’re totally sucked in.

Me: Yep. I’m definitely wrapped in The Raven’s trap.

Delaney: Have fun! Do everything I would do and more!

Me: Don’t worry, I am

My hand rested against the bed, still holding on to my phone. I giggled internally, reminiscing on what had happened last night. The way Raven touched me. The way he made feel, but most of all, how he showed me what to do and didn’t make me feel embarrassed. It was surreal and I wasn’t ashamed about giving my virginity to him.

My phone rang, snapping me out of my rumination. I cringed when I saw my mom’s picture appear. I considered not answering the phone but knew I’d pay for it later. Hesitantly, my finger hit the answer button.

“Hello?”

“Lexi? Where the heck are you?” I held the phone away from my ear as her voice bellowed loud and clear through the speaker.

“Hey, Mom. I’ll be home shortly. I just need to shower and get dressed.” I cringed with each word I spoke.

“Where are you?” She pounded question after question, not stopping for a breath of air. “You need to get home immediately. A bad storm is expected to hit in a few hours and I don’t want you caught in it.”

“Okay. I’ll be there shortly.”
I sat up and looked around the room for my clothes. I was completely nude and knew if I went to the kitchen in my birthday suite, Raven and I would be back in bed celebrating early. Not that I minded, but I had to be realistic and get home before my parents sent out a search team.

“Who are you staying with?”

“With a friend, near the campus.”

“That’s not answering my question. Who are you with?” Fury laced my mom’s voice and I knew she wasn’t happy. She wanted specifics and I wasn’t telling her what she wanted to know.

“Look, Mom, I’m fine. I’ll be home in a few hours.” Picking up the covers, I searched underneath them. There was no sign of my underclothes.

Crap!

“Lexi, why won’t you tell me who you are staying with?” Her voice deepened and I felt the tension build between us. Her accusatory tone seeped through the phone, making me nervous. I jumped out of the bed as if she were on the way to pick me up. I had to find my clothes and get dressed.

“Does it matter?” I hobbled around the room, trying to cover my exposed body parts. “I’ll be home in a few hours.”

“Lexi, are you with a guy?”

Shit!

“I’ll be home a little bit. Bye, Mom.” I hung up the phone, refusing to answer her question. There was no way to tell her the truth. My only option was to lie and I didn’t want to. She’d never understand and she’d tell my dad. Both of them would wear me down, telling me how I was making a huge mistake.

Pressing the phone to my mouth, I tried to recall where I’d left my clothes. That’s when I remembered that Raven had removed them in the living room. My bags were in there, too. I’d have to pass the kitchen to get them. I circled the room, vying for the best option when I saw one of Raven’s long-sleeved dress shirts hanging on the edge of a chair. My options were few: run out naked and retrieve my clothes, go through his drawers and find something to wear, or put on his shirt. I opted for the most obvious.

And boy was I glad I did.

His scent lingered on the material and I inhaled deeply. My eyes shut as I sucked in every fiber of his smell. It sent tiny shocks through me while relaxing me at the same time. I wrapped the shirt around me, reveling in a paradise that I never wanted to part from. Ever.

“Like the way my clothes smell?” Raven stood in the doorway, holding onto the doorframe with both hands. A flirtatious smile played on the edge of his lips and he looked sexy. Contrary to how I probably appeared. Like an idiot!

Kill me now, please.

“Um…” I relaxed my arms, but made sure the material covered my bare body. “I, um, left my clothes in the living room.”

“Correction.” His hands dropped and he neared me. “I took your clothes off in the living room.”

“Oh, well, yeah, I guess you’re right. I mean, you did strip them off of me.” I shifted my weight from my left hip to the right.

“I sure did.” He cocked a brow. “And I can’t wait to do it again.”

A low whimper escaped from the back of my throat. My hands relaxed and I allowed his shirt to fall open. His eyes dropped to my chest and he extended his hands. I shuddered as my skin prepared to receive his touch. My knees shook and muscles went limp.

“But, you need to eat first.” His fingers grasped the top button of my shirt and my stomach let out a rumble, thanking him while my body screamed,
no!

“Food would be good,” I managed to reply, unable to form complete sentences or articulate thoughts. I was in desperate need of food. After last night and this morning, I was totally spent.

Raven’s eyes traveled over me, making my checks flush with heat. “Damn, you look sexy as hell in my shirt.”

“It’s amazing how your clothes do that to me.” I ran a hand through my matted hair and prayed I looked somewhat decent.

“I think it’s the other way around.” One by one, his fingers pushed each button through the holes. “You make my clothes look damn good.” After he finished buttoning the shirt, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Let’s eat.”

He took me by the hand and led me to the kitchen. On the dining room table was breakfast for two. My heart melted as I took note of the perfectly folded napkin and spoon with two bowls of cereal and orange juice.

“I know it’s not much, but it’s all that I have.” He flashed a lopsided smile. “I wasn’t expecting to stay here.”

“It’s perfect, Raven.” I pulled out a chair. “Thank you.”

We sat and ate our breakfast, chatting like we normally did. Everything felt so natural and comfortable with him. I still couldn’t believe we were together. That I had given myself to him. That I had shared that special bond with him. It was surreal and fabulous. I heard my phone going off in his room and quickly reminded myself that this day would soon end.

I finished the last drop of my juice and set the glass on the table. “I guess I should take a shower and get dressed so you can take me home.”

Raven’s eyes drifted to his bowl and he pressed the spoon in the small puddle of milk. His chest rose and fell in long, slow paces as his shoulders slumped forward over the table. I waited for him to say something, but he didn’t speak.

After several long minutes, I finally said, “My mom said there was a bad winter storm due to arrive in a few hours. She didn’t want me to get caught in it.” I stood up and took my bowl and glass to the sink.

“I’ll get it.” Raven followed me to the kitchen, carrying his empty dishes.

“I can help you wash them.” I turned on the water and began to rinse my glass.

Raven reached his hand over mine and turned off the water. “Stay with me.”

I looked at him, completely caught off guard. “What?”

“You heard me.” He turned me to face him. “Don’t go.”

My heart took flight as excitement raced through me. Raven wanted me to stay with him? Was I dreaming?

“Seriously?” I placed my hands on his chest, fighting to keep my fingers under my control. The tips of my fingernails dragged across his smooth skin, erupting tiny flesh bumps. “You really want me to stay with you?”

“Only if you want to.” He wrapped his arms around my waist, splaying his hands along the curve of my back. I leaned back, allowing our eyes to connect. His hands slid down until the edge of his fingers brazed the bottom of my butt cheeks. It sent tiny sparks along my flesh and all of the air in my lungs vanished.

“So, you want to wake up with me every morning?”

Raven’s head tilted to the side and my lips followed his. “Is that too much to ask for?” Everything seemed to slip away as I imagined spending the next few days with him. The entire world could’ve been crumbling around me, but I didn’t hear one sound, except for his hypnotic voice that wrapped around me, lulling me deeper into his trap. I wanted his voice to be the last sound I heard every night.

“No, not at all.”

“Good.” His lips puckered against my mouth in a slow, deliberate motion. “Because I want to see you tomorrow and every day after that, just to start.” He smoothed my hair around my face and I fell for him all over again. There was no turning back.

Σ

Chapter 13

Raven stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a towel. I tried not to watch him as I looked through the mirror, applying my mascara, but the scene was more than tempting. He stood with his back to me as he searched through his chest of drawers for some clothes. Droplets of water trickled down the curve of his spine and I wanted lick them off before taking his towel to dry him. Pat him in all the right places and then rub lotion all over his body. My mind focused on one thing only.

Raven.

He released his towel and I dropped my mascara wand. His ass was so plump and round, exactly how a football players rump looks underneath their tight pants. I quickly retrieved the wand and tried to focus on my face, but my eyes continued to wander to the reflection of Raven getting dressed behind me.

He put on his jeans and I let out an audible sigh. “What’s that noise?” Inclining his ear in the direction of the window, he paused as he listened for a moment.

“What?” I had been so consumed by his presence that I hadn’t noticed the sound of pellets beating on the window.

“Is that ice?” He pulled on a sweater and went to the window. “Damn, it’s sleeting,” he said, peering outside.

I zipped up my makeup bag and walked toward him. Glancing over his shoulder, I saw the ground was covered in tiny white BBs, making it look like a blanket of snow. It was coming down hard and fast, slashing against the window. “If it freezes tonight, it’s going to be an ice rink outside.”

“I know.” He let go of the blinds and faced me. “We better hurry up and get to the store. Otherwise, we won’t have anything to eat.”

“Okay, let me get my shoes and we can go.” I darted to the living room and put on my boots and coat. Raven pulled on his jacket and grabbed his keys.

“Ready?” he asked as he fit the cap over my head. “You’re so beautiful.” Leaning forward, he kissed the top of my head.

I smiled uncontrollably. “And you’re one sexy babe.” He knew how to strike all the right chords, making my body hum in delight. I slipped on my gloves and picked up my purse.

“Then that means we make one awesome looking couple.” Raven winked and then opened the door. A gust of frigid air swept over us and we both gasped. It prickled my skin and my teeth began to chatter uncontrollably. “Damn, that’s cold.” He shoved the key in the slot and locked the door behind us.

We walked to the parking lot, our feet sliding on the ice that had already started sticking to the pavement. “This is going to be bad,” I said, moving to the wet grass. The last thing I needed was to fall and break my leg.

“It sure is. Perfect weather for sleeping in, watching movies…” Raven wrapped his arms around me and placed a kiss on the nape of my neck, “and having sex.”

“Raven…” A giggle escaped my mouth and a shiver danced down my spine as his warm breath radiated along the back of my neck. “Don’t tempt me.”

“Oh, baby, I’ll do more than tempt you.” He hugged me tighter, continuing to nibble on my ear and neck.

I wiggled in his arms until I was able to turn and face him. “Are you sure you want to go to the store?” I latched on to his bottom lip and sucked on it, kneading it between my teeth as I glided my tongue into his mouth.

“Shit.” He moaned low in his throat and I let go. “I guess I shouldn’t tease you unless we are both ready for some action.”

I placed my glove-covered hand on his cheek. “But don’t you like knowing what’s to come?” I raised my brows, trying to entice him.

His eyes widened and he smiled. “Hell yeah.”

“Then don’t stop.”

“I won’t.” He planted several kisses all over my face in a hurry as if he couldn’t get enough of me. I laughed at the feeling of his stubble brushing against my skin. It tickled my skin and I couldn’t wait for him to do that to my entire body. Not releasing me, he began to walk and I treaded backwards, trusting him to guide me. “But if I don’t keep my focus, we’ll never make it to the store.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It might be if we’re iced in.” I felt him lift me in the air, but my feet automatically searched for the ground. “Curb ahead.”

I yelped when I lost my footing and nearly tripped when my feet touched the asphalt. We stumbled to the car, laughing uncontrollably. My butt tensed when Raven pressed me against his car. Coldness seeped through my leggings and my body shivered.

Raven quickly pressed the button on his remote and opened the door for me. I got in and rubbed my hands together, trying to warm them through the knitted fabric. The coldness seeped through the holes, numbing my fingers. He started the car and cranked up the heat. I wiggled my toes, trying to restore the blood flow. In the short amount of time it took to get to the car, my body had turned into a popsicle.