Wrecking Ball (8 page)

“So I’ve heard.” I roll
ed my eyes. Would this be the other downfall to trying to date Brandon Dalton? Not only would I be struggling with my own worries regarding his reputation, I’d have to deal with everyone constantly reminding me about it. Could I deal with that?

“He slept with Janice Kelto
n,” Jason noted and I wanted to smack him. Now I had a mental image. Okay, I get it, he’s slept around, but why give me fucking faces to imagine. Some people have no common sense.

Rachel sipped from her red solo cup. “I heard he
’s good in bed,” she whispered to me as she leaned in so Jason wouldn’t hear, but it was a major fail. He heard her and furrowed his eyebrows at her.

“You thinking you want to hook up with him
, Rach?” Jason spat at her. They were both wasted and now on top of everything I was about to witness a stupid drunken fight between them. “Go on. I’m sure he’d take you. I mean practically every girl on campus has hit it, why not you?”

I gave Jason a death glare fit to shatter souls, but I reminded myself he was drunk and I just needed to remove myself from this conversation because from the looks of it, it was about to get ugly and I wanted no part of it.
“You know, guys. I got this. I’m not an idiot,” I snapped as I crossed my arms. I hated that Brandon had this reputation. I hated it most, because I liked him. I liked how he made me feel; so wanted, but then came his past and it cast a poor light. Did he really want me, as in really
really
or was I just another conquest?

“No one said that you were
, Soph,” Jason quickly added placing a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry. We’re dicks. Just be careful, okay?”

I nodded numbly and started scanning the room for Brandon.
I thought he’d come and find me after he got our drinks. Standing near a table where a game of beer pong was going down, he held two beers, his gaze fixed on me. His lip curved, and he winked at me causing me to blush. I reminded myself, once again, this guy’s a ladies’ man and to keep it together.

Excusing myself, I joined Brandon where he stood by the game table and he handed me my drink.

“I thought you’d come and get me,” I said before sipping my beer.

“I thought maybe you wanted some space.
Looked like a pretty intense conversation going on over there.” He shrugged. Just as I opened my mouth to question why he thought that, we were interrupted.

“Well, well. Brandon got her out on a date after all.” A tall
, broad man with a tight black T-shirt and backwards hat on laughed as he patted Brandon on the back
hard.
“Only four hundred dollars and a chem paper, huh?” the jock continued.

My mouth fell open. “You had to do a chem paper for Nelson, too?”
Holy shit!
My mind was on overload. Could Brandon Dalton really like me this much? I mean he could pretty much have his pick of women to take to his bed. Surely he wouldn’t spend so much money and time just to get me to have sex with him.

Brandon cut his eyes at the guy beside him before returning his gaze to me. “I think I got a steal of a deal.” He winked and my stomach flipped.
God, he’s good.
Brandon barely knew me, yet he pursued me so intensely. While I was extremely flattered, I once again reminded myself this could all be about him trying to get laid. That’s what he did. It’s who he was. But that inner voice was starting to fade as Brandon broke through my defenses.

“I think you did
, too.” The guy beamed a friendly smile at me before snatching me into his arms and hugging me tightly. Normally I would’ve been pissed if some random guy just picked me up like this, but his next words left me soft. “Be easy on this guy. I’ve never seen him go so crazy about a girl before,” he breathed in my ear before releasing me.

“Sophia, this is Jake. He doesn’t know the concept of personal
space.” Brandon said dryly before sipping his beer.

“No, it’s okay
,” I laughed. “Nice to meet you, Jake.”

Jake nodded towards the table where the game of beer
pong just ended. “You two young lovers up for a game of beer pong?” Jake waggled his brows, and I blushed with his words.

“I don’t—”

“Sounds fun, but I must warn you. I’m fucking awesome at this game,” I interrupted Brandon who stared at me, wide-eyed. “What? I’m a bartender for God’s sake. Why are you so shocked I’d want to play?”

“I don’t know
,” he answered with a shrug.

I smiled at Jake. “I’m a master in the art of beer pong.”

“Is that so?” Jake shot back. “Well you should definitely be on lover boys’ team because he sucks ass.”

“Whatever. I stomp your ass every time we pla
y,” Brandon contended.

“Wel
l, let’s do this.” I quirked a brow at Jake before turning back to Brandon and leaning into him. His body tensed slightly before one timid arm wrapped around me and his hand rested gently on my back. “I actually am really good. I’m not just talking shit,” I whispered in his ear and before I pulled away, I felt his lips graze my neck, not a kiss, but it still sent a shiver though me. How would I resist this guy if that’s all it took to get my knees knocking for him?

Jake teamed up with another of Brandon’s friends, Ryan
, who he briefly introduced me to. After all of our cups were set and filled, I was allowed to throw first. When I sunk it on the first try, Jake and Ryan glanced at each other before their gazes fell back to me.

“Lucky sho
t,” Ryan remarked as he pulled the ball from the cup, dipped it in another cup with some water and rolled it back to us.

“Was it?” I countered with a wink.

“Oh this is going to be a good game.” Jake grinned and rubbed his palms together.

“Go on
, Brandon.” I nudged him with my shoulder and he rotated
his arms obnoxiously, as if stretching his shoulders.

“Give me a break
, dickwad. We all know you’re going to miss it,” Ryan groaned.

“Nah, I got lady luck over here. You fellas are going down.” Brandon rubbed the small plastic ball between his hands before holding it out in front of me. “Blow on it for luck, babe.”

Momentarily shocked by the term of endearment, I stared at him blankly before smiling. I hated myself for feeling so elated that he called me
babe
, but I decided to roll with it. With a saccharine smile on my face I leaned forward, pursed my lips, and blew gently into his hand all while staring up at him from under my lashes.

His adams apple bobbed as he swallowed hard and our gazes were locked.

“Seriously, guys?” Jake moaned. “I mean I get the bedroom eyes bit is an important part of the first stage of dating, but we’re in the throes
of a serious game here. People’s futures depend on this shit.”

“If
Jake doesn’t make it to the NBPL, his life will continue to be shit and on a track to nowhere. He’ll form an addiction to cocaine, his father will disown him for failing his family, and he’ll have no one,” Ryan added.

“I apologize.
” I held my hands up in mock surrender. “What the hell is the NBPL?”

“National Beer Pong League
,” Jake said with a
duh
type tone.

I chuckled and played along.
“We should get serious, Brandon. I could never forgive myself if I stood in the way of such a promising young athlete.”

“Don’t worry
, Soph,” Brandon sighed. “Jake can always pursue his dream job of becoming a colon doctor if the NBPL doesn’t pan out.” He points to Jake and continues, “That dude is all kinds of fascinated with ass holes. Size, shape, the hair surrounding them…I mean it’s a real passion.” Ryan, Brandon, and I keel over in laughter as Jake’s lips pressed into a flat line suppressing a smile.

“Throw it
, dick.” Jake finally laughed and I immediately fell in love with Brandon’s friends. The playful humor between them felt comfortable. In a small way, it reminded me of Tia. They could say anything to each other, rag on one another, but no one took it to heart. Just like me and Tia.

“Here it goes.” Brandon nodded to me and threw. The ball bo
unced off the table and landed in a cup right in front of Ryan. Brandon and I immediately shouted in unison as we hugged and jumped up and down. I’m not sure why something so silly had us so excited, maybe because although trivial and insignificant, it was the first thing we accomplished together. Our first step as a team.

“Son of a bitch!” Jake laughed in disbelief. “The bastard actually got it in.”

“Oh, it’s time to get real.” Ryan chugged the beer and tossed the red Solo cup to the side. “Sophia.” He said my name with a deep gravelly voice, a great imitation of Arnold Schwarzenegger. “I’d like to introduce you to the Ryonator. Please prepare yourself to get shit-faced because I’m about to school your ass in beer pong.”

“More like the douchanator
,” Brandon mocked and this time Jake, Brandon, and I laughed as Ryan grimaced.

When my laughter finally calmed down, I nodded to Ryan. “I’ve been waiting all night for some real competition. Let’s go.” I held my hands up and wiggled my fingers telling him to bring it.

The game ended and Brandon and I won. I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed so hard in one night. Brandon and I stayed a few hours before giving our good-byes and heading to his car. We laughed most of the way to my apartment, Brandon sharing embarrassing stories about his friends with me, making me swear to never tell them he told me.

When we got to my door that night, I bit my lip unsure of what would happen. I wanted him to kiss me, but he seemed like maybe he wasn’t sure.
The uncertainty played out in his eyes as he gazed at me, our bodies only inches apart. It wasn’t my nature to be coy or shy, so knowing full well what I wanted, I said, “Go on then. Do it.”

His grin reached his eyes
, deep brown eyes that made me want to strip naked right there in the hall, and he ran a wide palm over his face. But his expression got serious as he backed me against my door and put his hands beside my head on either side. My legs trembled as his gaze moved to my lips, and he took a deep breath.

“Do what
, Sophia?” he asked, the intensity in his tone making my belly clench. His body towered over me, he was at least a foot taller and his physical presence, his scent, his lips so close to mine eradicated my willpower.

I licked my lips as my breathing became labored. His scent surrounded me and I almost lost my train of thought. “Kiss me
,” I mumbled. “That’s what you want to do, isn’t it?” I couldn’t believe how shaky my voice sounded or how jittery I felt.
What the hell is wrong with me? It’s just a kiss.

He pressed his forehead to mine and closed his eyes. “Don’t tell me to kiss you unless you don’t want me to stop
. Because I have a feeling that if I kiss you right now, I’ll want to kiss you every day for the rest of my life.”

His words seized me and there was a little voice inside of my head that tried to tell me to tell him
no
, that what he said sounded insane.
We just met, for Christ’s sake. Who talks like this on a first date?
But my body begged for his kiss. I swallowed hard as he backed his face from mine and gazed into my eyes once again.

“Go on then. Do it
,” I whispered and my words set off a frenzy. He pulled my face to his and our mouths collided as his body pressed me against the door. He kissed me as if his lips were on fire and my mouth was the only way to extinguish the flames. His hands moved to my neck and held me like he was a fiend, and I was his drug.

My body pressed b
ack to his, eager for his touch, never wanting the moment to end. He was hungry for me, starved, and I knew in that moment Brandon Dalton would ruin me for all other men. His hands didn’t venture to forbidden places, thankfully, because if they had, I’d have let them. I’d never been so turned on in my life, and I’m pretty sure that kiss would have continued for a lot longer if it hadn’t been interrupted by my roommate opening the door causing us to stumble back.

“Really?” Jill arched
a judging brow at us over the rim of her reading glasses.

Brandon turned away to adjust himself,
his hard-on evident as I spun around to Jill with a heated face.

“Jesus
, Jill,” I moaned as I straightened my dress.

“You guys were moaning and bumping up against the door. I thought something was wrong.” She shook her head and moseyed back towards the sofa.

Brandon cleared his throat and took my hand in his. “When can I see you again?” he asked.

“I’m free tomorrow,
” I answered a little too eagerly.

“Same time?”

His gaze was intense, a smirk playing on his lips and I could tell that kiss alone spun a thousand different fantasies inside of him. The kiss was just the prelude to the delicious things to come.
Holy mother of Jesus, this man is going to ruin me.
“Yeah, same time.” My gaze fell to the ground as I couldn’t bare the intensity in his stare.