Part 15 (1/2)

”People are sick f.u.c.ks,” he agreed.

”Do you talk that way around your mother?” Finley snapped.

”Nope.”

”Then don't do it around me.”

”Yes ma'am.”

She waved a hand his way. ”Better. Anyway, what's this nonsense about Harper?”

”It's not nonsense to want out of this public-image boost.”

”You haven't told her?” Finley brought her fingers to her temples and began to rub. ”What are you waiting for? She will see that video, and then you will be up the creek without a paddle. Or a boat. Just one big river of p.o.o.p.”

”Nice visual,” he said wryly.

”Look, you want her out, she's out. You're old news anyway.” Her phone began to vibrate around on the table. ”Oh Lord. Not another one,” she groaned.

Austin wanted to fist punch the air in celebration, but he figured Finley wouldn't appreciate his celebration while she was in the middle of putting out fires. Instead, he left the event and drove straight to Jessamine without stopping.

The weeks pa.s.sed by quickly as Austin spent every waking minute with Harper. He loved being with her, loved volunteering in her cla.s.sroom in the morning... loved kissing her at night before he went home. He loved having her over at his place and under him while they lay on his sofa, like she was right now.

”We really have to stop this,” Harper said, giggling into his mouth. ”You've rented like five movies, and we've only watched half of one.”

”Let me worry about my money,” he said, pressing her down into the cus.h.i.+ons. ”I have plenty to spend on you.”

She blinked up at him, her smiling face turning serious. ”I don't care about your money, and I still think that no matter how much you have, you should always spend less than what you make.”

”Thanks, Dave Ramsey,” he joked, but he was touched by her concern, by her need to a.s.sure him that she wasn't with him for what he could offer her in material things.

”Unlike you or Dave, I don't have a beard. Or millions.” She stuck out her tongue at him, and he captured it with his mouth.

Letting hers slip slowly out of his mouth, he said, ”But you do have the most delicious tongue.”

Instead of replying with words, she leaned up a little and traced his bottom lip with her tongue. He groaned as she began to rub up against him, her lush curves driving him almost out of his mind.

Be good, he reminded himself. No s.e.x. No s.e.x. Not until she knew the truth.

Only, he still hadn't told her the truth, and by some miracle, she hadn't seen the video. However, he knew his luck wouldn't hold.

In the meantime, he could keep her distracted... and satisfied.

He settled himself more firmly between his thighs and began to rock against her. Her mouth dropped open, and he captured his lips with his. One of his hands stole under her to grip a full b.u.t.t cheek and press her tightly against him.

”Think you can come like this?” he asked, his blood roaring in his ears.

She shook her head. ”I don't know.”

”Want some help?” He didn't wait for an answer. Sliding down her body, he pulled her leggings down and nearly groaned at the sight of her. She was bare, wearing nothing underneath. Touching her, his fingers slid through her s.e.x with ease. She was so... ”d.a.m.n wet.”

”You would be too, if you were me,” she said, using her elbow to sit up a little.

He grinned, and then lowered his head, his tongue searching for just the right-her hips shot into the air. ”Tell me when to stop, sweetheart.”

”Don't stop,” she ordered, spreading her thighs wider.

Right before he touched her again, he gazed into her eyes. ”This isn't a hookup or a rebound.” Her eyes rounded and her mouth opened, but he forestalled her with a tongue kiss to her c.l.i.t. ”Let me take care of you.”

She nodded and fell back to the cus.h.i.+ons.

Austin lay on his side, one hand propping up his head while the other explored the lines of her nude body. It never ceased to amaze her how comfortable she felt around him, especially after knowing him for only a few weeks. She guessed their nightly dates that ended in mutual o.r.g.a.s.ms were the cause of it. And the fact that a few weeks with him felt more like months because they spent every bit of their free time together. Seeing him at work was pure torture, but she managed to remain professional.

Except that one time when she pulled him into the janitor's closet to kiss him until they were both panting while her cla.s.s was in enrichment. They'd almost gotten caught, which was why she didn't do it again. However, Austin was planning on it. She just knew it by the wicked look that gleamed in his eyes.

”I want to keep seeing you,” he said, pulling her from her head.

She smiled at him. ”You can see me all you want.”

”No more games, Harper. No more pulling me into the janitor's closet and then ignoring me for the rest of the day.”

She squirmed a little. ”I wasn't ignoring you. I was trying to control myself.”

He gave her a yeah-right look. ”I'm all in, and I want you to be, too.”

”For how long?” She had a hard time concentrating when he touched her.

His fingers stilled for a moment before resuming their trajectory to the curve of her hip. ”As long as you want.”

She rolled to her back, dislodging his hand, and stared up at him. ”Why is this dependent on what I want?”

He tilted his head to one side, that s.e.xy smile of his making b.u.t.terflies form in her stomach. ”Because you might not like being the girlfriend of a football player.”

”Girlfriend, huh?” she lightly asked, but on the inside... Holy. Crud.

Nodding, he dusted his thumb over her bottom lip. ”We should make it official.”

”Are you making a play for me?” she asked with a flirtatious grin.

He kissed her, his lips moving over hers in such a way that she couldn't imagine not kissing him every day of her life.

She froze. That sounded a lot like what someone in love would think or say. Not someone, but a woman in love. Her.

Oh no.