Black Number Four (33 page)

“So, I’m entering some tournaments on the cruise,” Skyler says, digging in her bag for something. After a few seconds she pulls out a lollipop and quickly unwraps it, popping it in her mouth.

“Really? I didn’t know they had any.”

She nods, pulling the sucker from her mouth to speak again. My dick hardens in my jeans at the sound she makes sucking the juice from it. How fucking cliché, getting turned on by a girl licking a lollipop.

What can I say? I’m just a guy.

“Yeah. Every day, actually. Apparently there are going to be a few pros on this ship. It’s some sort of fundraiser thing. Anyway, there’s a women only tournament on Saturday and then a higher stakes one on Sunday that I think I’m going to do. If I win them both, I’d have enough to pay the entry fee in Vegas.”

“That’s awesome. Well, I’ll be there to help prep you and stuff. I did get some video on my phone of the tournament Friday, if you want to review how not to get your ass kicked.”

Skyler rolls her eyes, leaning back in her chair. I wait for her to smart off, but instead she moves the sucker to her mouth again, her lips puckering over the edges of the shiny red ball. With her eyes locked on mine, she slowly swirls her tongue around the edges before sticking it all the way in her mouth again.

“You’re killing me, Sky,” I groan, adjusting myself in my jeans.

She smirks, shrugging. “What? I’m not doing anything.”

She knows exactly what she’s doing. Her confidence is sexy as fuck and I’m more than eager to give her what she’s asking for.

Looking around, I grab her hand and quickly pull her up from the table, dragging her behind me as I search down a few rows of bookcases. Before she has the chance to argue, I find an empty row and push her against the shelf, slamming my mouth onto hers, my lips greedy.

“I kind of like sneaking around, you know?” She hums at my words as I whisper against her lips, the lollipop falling from her fingers and hitting the floor. “The chance of getting caught.” I kiss her neck. “The way you look at me across the room.” I nibble at her ear, causing a soft moan. “The noises you make when you know you can’t fully scream.”

“You’re such a tease,” she breathes, running her fingers through my hair and tugging me closer.

“Oh, I fully intend to follow through,” I growl, my lips finding hers again. I take my time, letting my tongue taste her mouth, her lips, the skin of her neck, her collarbone, the swell of her breasts. Her fingers grab desperately at the hem of my shirt and she tugs it up and over my head, letting it fall to the floor. Another groan escapes my throat as she drags her nails down my back, making my cock throb in anticipation.

She’s wearing yoga pants and I say a silent prayer of thanks to whatever god is listening as I easily slide my hand beneath the waistband. Her breath catches in her throat as my fingers find her clit and begin to circle slowly, my kisses harder now. Skyler pants in my ear as I bite down her neck, my fingers working steadily. She’s so wet I can feel it when my fingers dip a little low and my dick is practically begging to be inside her. I grab her left leg and hike it up with my inner elbow, allowing my hand better access. As I dip two fingers inside her, Skyler’s head falls back against the books and she lets out a soft moan. Quickly, she bites her lip, her face flushing as she tries to stay quiet.

“Hey!” A loud voice catches us both off guard and Skyler jumps, knocking a few books off the shelf as I drop her leg to the floor and remove my hand. My fingers instantly ache for her again, but they’re going to have to wait because one of the librarians is currently stomping toward us with a vengeance. “What are you two doing back here?!”

“Oh shit,” I laugh and quickly grab my shirt before finding Skyler’s hand and pulling her with me. I weave us in and out of the shelves, trying to lose the librarian as Skyler fights not to laugh. Suddenly, I’m pulled backward into a small study room and Skyler shuts the door quickly, turning off the light. We keep our backs pressed to the door, listening for movement outside and stifling our laughter. After a few minutes, I pull my shirt back on and push Skyler against the door, kissing her hard.

“We have to go.”

“What about our stuff?”

“Shit,” I whisper, forgetting about our study table. “I’ll go grab everything. Meet me outside by the fountain. I don’t think anyone saw us but they definitely heard the commotion. They’re going to be looking for suspicious people and, since you’re still ashamed of me, we don’t want them finding out who caused the scene.”

She pinches my rib. “I’m not ashamed of you, Kip. Don’t say it like that.” Even in the darkness, I can see her brows furrowed, her mouth pulling to the side.

I kiss her again, softer this time. “I’m just kidding, Sky. I get it, I do. I promise. Let’s just get out of here and back to my place.”

She nods and I kiss her once more before slipping out the door and toward our table. Gathering everything up, I quickly shove books and notes in our bags and jet toward the door. The girls at the end of the table appraise me as I leave and I give them a second glance, trying to determine if Skyler knows them or not. They don’t look familiar and I don’t run into the librarian again. I think we’re safe.

When I reach the fountain, Skyer is sitting on the side, her fingers lazily running the top of the water. She looks up and smiles when she hears me approaching and once again I admire how stunning she looks in the morning light. The sun reflects off her light brown hair, making it almost look gold in certain places, and even squinting her blue eyes shine bright.

She’s just so damn beautiful.

“Oh my God, I am going to scream if I don’t find a cute bathing suit before tomorrow.” I stop dead in my tracks as Ashlei walks up to Skyler, plopping down next to her. “I mean seriously, it’s Spring-freaking-Break! Why are all the stores sold out of the cute stuff?” She pauses, looking up at me. “Oh, hey Kip.”

“Hey.” I nod, smiling. I hold out Skyler’s bag. “You forgot this. See you bright and early in the morning.”

“I’ll be there with bells on,” Skyler says, grabbing the bag from my hand. She lets her fingers linger just a little longer than necessary and Ashlei’s brow shoots up, her eyes questioning us both. Before she has the chance to voice any questions out loud, I turn and walk in the direction of my apartment.

Damn it.

I tuck my hands in my jeans as I walk, trying to calm myself enough to think clearly. Eventually, even if it’s taking longer than I want, Skyler is going to be okay with people knowing we’re together. Eventually, things are going to get serious, if they aren’t already. And, eventually, I’ll be sitting across from her at a table in Vegas.

Fuck.

Sighing, I pull my phone from my pocket and find my dad’s contact. Hitting the call button, I breathe in deeply, trying to steady my nerves. There are no right words to say what I need to say to him. He might hate me, he will definitely yell, and regardless of that, I know I have to do this.

I have to call things off.

I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to figure that out. I should have called it off after the first night. I knew then that there was no turning back, there was no betraying Skyler. I don’t want to hurt her. I
can’t
hurt her. And if that means putting my dreams on the backburner for now, then that’s what I’ll do. I’ll figure out a way to go to UCLA on my own. Dad will be pissed, but he’s my dad, right? Eventually, he’ll have to forgive me. Hell, maybe I can convince him to play poker again himself after he retires. Whatever the future holds after this phone call ends, I don’t care. As long as I have Skyler.

And part of me knows that could change, too. I could give all this up, sacrifice my ride to my dream school along with my dad’s respect and she could leave me. She’s already done it once before. I shiver, remembering the way it felt to see her dead eyes reflecting mine as she told me there was no us.

My dad’s voicemail message pulls me back to the present. Frowning, I hang up, tucking the phone back in my pocket. Strange. I don’t think I’ve ever heard my dad’s voicemail. He always answers my call. I guess I’ll try again later tonight.

It’s crazy, the way making a decision can make you feel. Not just mentally, but physically. I already feel lighter on my feet, like I was carrying a backpack full of dirt and someone sliced the bottom of it. The dirt is pouring out, leaving a trail of dust behind me as my shoulders lift.

Things are about to change.
I’m
about to change.

I’m going to be with Skyler. Not yet, not fully, anyway – but soon.

I never thought I would risk my dreams, but now I wonder if maybe I’m not risking them at all.

Maybe my dreams have just changed, too.

“IT’S SPRING BREAK, BITCHES!” Kade slaps me hard on the back as he and a group of my brothers run past me toward the ramp to the boat. I smile as they ruffle my hair and punch me on the arm but press my finger harder against my open ear, trying to hear the ring of the phone in the other. Dad’s voicemail picks up again and I sigh, checking my watch. It’s two in the afternoon there, it doesn’t make sense why he wouldn’t be answering. Still.

I’ve tried calling more than a dozen times since Wednesday with no luck. I texted my mom last night and she said everything was fine, Dad was just busy, but it still doesn’t feel right to me. He’s been on my ass about Skyler all semester, it doesn’t make sense that he would just ignore my calls now.

“Hey Dad,” I say loudly, trying to talk over the growing noise of excited Spring Breakers around me. I haven’t left a voicemail yet, and I can’t tell him what I need to like this, but I need to at least know I said something. “Listen, we need to talk. It’s about Skyler, about… everything. I’m getting on the cruise now, so I won’t have service again until Tuesday. I’ll call you then.” I pause, not sure what else to say. For some reason, I end with “Love you.” It’s weird, but for some reason it just felt right to say.

I tuck my phone in the pocket of my board shorts and catch up to Kade and the guys. I saw Skyler during our test yesterday morning, but that’s all after our study session Wednesday. I tried to hang out with her after the test, but of course the girls all wanted to go get their nails and shit done for the cruise. Looking around the crowd trying to spot her brown hair piled messily on her head, I feel like I might really be an addict. Can’t even go twenty-four hours, anymore.

“Bro, I’m so excited for this week,” Kade says as we reach the deck floor of the boat. We all pile out of the elevator and make our way to the main pool. It’s already littered with hundreds of college students, drink in hand and barely a stitch of clothing on. The sun is warm and it’s in the high seventies with literally not one cloud in the sky. Flicking on my Ray Bans, I realize we couldn’t have asked for a better week for Spring Break. It’s only March seventh, but in Florida and the Bahamas, spring is already starting. “We’re official brothers now, midterms are done, there are half-naked girls ready to drink their dignity away and I’ve got my dad’s credit card.” He winks at a blonde in a hot pink bathing suit with leopard bottoms, turning a little to face her as we walk by. “This is going to be the best week of my life.”

I laugh, clapping him on the back and shaking my head. “If you even remember any of it, that is.”

Kade goes to respond when suddenly we’re both tackled from behind. A pair of long, tanned legs wraps around my torso and long brown hair tumbles down in front of my face. Kade stumbles a bit as Cassie pulls herself up higher on his back, throwing her hands in the air. “It’s Spring Break, bitches!” Apparently that’s our theme for the week. “Where’s our shots?!”

I look up and find Skyler attached to the legs wrapped around me, but I didn’t have to look to know it was her. I think I’d know her legs if they were masked by a ski suit. She smiles down at me, her blue eyes sparkling in the sun. “I’ve been on this boat for seven and a half minutes now and I still don’t have a frozen, fruity drink in my hand.” She pouts.

“Well, that sounds like a problem I can solve.” I grab her thighs and pull her up higher on my back before taking off fast toward the deck bar. She squeals and squeezes her legs around me as I run, making flashbacks of her in my bed invade my thoughts. I drop her gently down onto a barstool and she laughs, swinging her hair over her shoulder.

“That might be my new favorite mode of transportation,” she says, eying me with a hunger in her eyes that I’ve grown too attached to. I feel myself instinctively leaning down to kiss her and stop short when I realize what I was about to do. Skyler bites her lip, her eyes catching my mistake. She smiles and I smile, too, because there’s nothing else we can do.