Authors: Rochelle Paige
“But what if she’s perfect for him?”
“Then he would have gone after her himself. He isn’t shy around
the ladies. If he really wanted her, he would have done something about it.”
Jackson returned to the table, so I dropped the subject and took
a bite of my sandwich. “Mmmm. I don’t know what it is about the sandwiches
here, but I love them. Has to be the meat.”
Drake and Jackson looked at each other and busted up laughing.
“Shut up! You know I didn’t mean it that way. Perverts.”
Their humor put a stop to the tension between the guys. They
joked around while we finished our food. I watched them as I ate and hoped they
would continue getting along this well if Drake became important to me. Lost in
my thoughts, I didn’t realize they had both finished eating until Drake snapped
his fingers to get my attention.
“You going to make it through the rest of the day?” he asked me.
“Yeah, just zoned out for a minute.”
“I’ve got to head over to my afternoon class, and I have
practice tonight. Wanna come watch me play?” He wagged his eyebrows, making it
seem more suggestive than watching him at rugby.
“I can’t. I need to head over to the airport and make sure
everything is set for the tours I have booked this week. Sorry.”
Jackson snorted when I said tours since he knew it was how I
referred to the Mile High Club flights in front of anyone who didn’t know about
them. Other than Dad, Aubrey, and her family, I didn’t discuss them with anyone
else except customers. Trying to explain the flights was awkward, so I avoided
it as much as possible.
“Damn, that’s too bad. Do you have an early class again
tomorrow?” Drake asked as he gathered up our trash.
“I have an eight a.m. class every morning. I like to get them done
early so I have plenty of time to study since I work most evenings during the
week.”
“It figures you’d be a morning person. Meet you at the dorm
again tomorrow?” Drake enquired.
“Sure. If you want to get up early again, I’m not going to stop
you.”
He leaned over and gave me a quick peck on the lips. “See you
then. I’ll call you tonight when I get back to the house.”
****
We fell into a pattern over the next couple weeks, with Drake
walking me to class and eating lunch with me. We didn’t have much time at night
to see each other between my charter flights and his rugby team practices, but
we texted and talked on the phone. I looked forward to his call each night
before bed. Cuddled in safety of my bed, I felt like we could talk about
anything. Weekends were jam-packed for both of us, as I had made plans with my
dad and had flights booked. Drake’s team was getting ready for the first rugby
game at the end of the month. Even though we only saw each other during the
day, we still learned so much about each other when we talked on the phone.
Friday morning rolled around, and I was thrilled to finally have
some free time after classes this afternoon. I was pretty excited because Drake
had mentioned that he didn’t have any plans for the weekend yet. I was hoping
we’d get a chance to go on another date. I must have been louder than usual
getting ready because I woke Aubrey up.
“Hey, where’s the fire?” she asked. “You’re running around like
a chicken with its head chopped off.”
“No fire. Just ready for the weekend.” I smiled at her as I held
up two shirts for her to pick from.
“The green,” she said as she pointed at the top in my left hand.
“Your eyes really pop when you wear that one.”
“Thanks! What would I do without your fashion advice?”
“You didn’t really care what you wore until you met Drake. Glad
all my knowledge is finally being put to good use for you. Big plans today?”
“Nope, just the usual. Are you going to be able to meet us for
lunch today? I’ve barely seen you lately!”
“It’s been crazy. Besides, you’ve been walking around with your
head in the clouds with a thinking-of-Drake look on your face all the time. I’m
not sure you even realized who was around you.”
“Have I really been that bad?” I asked as I sat down on the bed.
I never wanted Aubrey to think that she wasn’t important to me.
“Nah, it’s been good to see. I’m glad you’re getting back on the
horse. Maybe we can double date sometime.”
“Drake, you, me, and what guy? Did I miss something important?
New boyfriend? Spill, chica.”
Aubrey laughed at my attempt with the third degree. “Nobody in
particular, but a double date would be fun. We haven’t been able to do one in
forever. I’m sure I can rustle up a guy.”
“Yeah, like that would be a problem. Just be careful ‘cause you
know how they fall in love with you at the slightest hint that you’re
interested.”
Aubrey shoved me off her bed. “Like you’re one to talk. Drake
certainly seems smitten. Isn’t he waiting downstairs for you two hours before
his first class just so he can walk you across campus?”
I glanced at the clock and threw on the green shirt. “Crap! He’s
probably already here. I better run. See you at lunch?”
“Sure. I’ll meet you at the café around noon. Now go! You don’t
want to keep your hottie waiting too long. I’m sure the rest of the girls are
drooling over him now that they’ve realized he comes to get you each morning.”
Aubrey was right. Word must have spread like wildfire in my dorm
because a group of girls had been hanging out in the entertainment area on our
floor that first Tuesday morning when I left my room. I hadn’t really gotten to
know most of them yet, but they all said hello to me and knew who I was.
As I headed downstairs, I could hear giggles coming from
outside. It looked like Drake’s fan club had become braver and weren’t waiting
to follow me out anymore. A couple girls were standing next to him, trying to
get his attention as he glanced at the door, looking for me. He looked relieved
as I stepped out. He prowled towards me with a predatory gleam in his eyes.
“Morning, babe,” he said before pulling me towards him for a
deep kiss. His arms wrapped around me, holding me tight as his mouth devoured
mine. He bit lower lip and growled, “Open.”
My lips parted and his tongue took possession of my mouth. My
body melted into his as he squeezed me tighter. He sucked on my tongue, and
chills went up my spine. He gentled the kiss before pulling away and looking
deep into my eyes.
“That’s a hell of a way to greet me in the morning. What did I
do to deserve that?” I asked.
“You deserve that and more just by being you, but I figured I
should make my intentions blatantly clear. I’m here each morning because you’re
here. It’s time everyone realized it.”
I glanced over at the girls who had been trying to flirt with
Drake. They both looked at me enviously before walking away. “I think that made
it pretty obvious. Maybe they’ll tell all their friends and word will spread
through your whole fan club.”
“And maybe I need to do that again when some of the guys who
want you are around.”
“What guys?” I asked.
“Nope. Carry on being clueless to other men. You don’t need to
worry about any guy except me.”
He walked me to my morning class like usual but stopped me
outside the building instead of coming inside. Before I realized what he meant
to do, he gave me another deep kiss. When he was done, he flashed me a smug
grin. “See you at lunch.”
As he walked away, I saw him stop to talk to a group of his frat
brothers. One of them glanced my way and smiled. Drake shoved him to the side
and stood between us without looking back at me. Crazy boy. I shook my head at
his antics and went to class.
Drake was waiting for me at a table in the café when I got there
for lunch. He’d already gotten me my usual, and he was chatting with Aubrey. It
was nice to see them getting along so well. Aubrey’s opinion mattered a lot to
me.
“Hey,” I greeted them as I sat down. “Thanks for grabbing my
lunch again. One of these days, I’ll beat you here so I can buy for a change.”
Drake shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”
“What? I can’t pay for lunch?”
“Nope. That’s not how this works. You need something and I’m
with you, then I buy it for you.”
“Drake, that’s ridiculous,” I argued.
“Not to me, babe. Don’t make that big of a deal out of it.
Feeding you isn’t going to break the bank.”
I looked at Aubrey, expecting her to back me up. She just
shrugged her shoulders in a gesture of helplessness. “What? You agree with
him?”
“No, but you should pick your battles. Does it really bother you
that you have a drop-dead gorgeous guy who wants to be a gentleman when he
takes you out?”
I glared at her. “Geesh, when you put it that way, I sound like
a whiny bitch. Thanks a lot for the help here.”
“Wouldn’t matter if she agreed with you, Alexa. There’s nothing
for her to back you up on. You know me by now. Can you picture me letting you
pay on a date?”
I shook my head no since I really couldn’t. “You’re such a
Neanderthal sometimes.”
“Yeah, but I’m yours.” He winked at me. “Speaking of dates, I
made plans for us tonight. I haven’t had you to myself all week.”
Aubrey clapped her hands together. “Oooh, a guy who plans your
dates and pays for them. I like the sound of that! Where are you guys going?”
“I want it to be a surprise,” Drake answered.
“I’m not really good with surprises.”
“She isn’t. The anticipation always gets to her as she imagines
the worst,” Aubrey agreed.
“Don’t worry. I promise you’re going to like this one. I’ll pick
you up at eight.”
“Are you sure you don’t just want to tell me what we’re doing? I
can’t promise that I won’t worry about it all day.”
Drake’s gaze turned serious. “Alexa, trust me when I tell you
that you’ve got nothing to be concerned about. If you don’t like my plans, I’ll
change them. Okay?”
I pouted up at him and batted my eyelashes.
“Enough with the puppy-dog look. I’m not telling you what I have
planned. Gotta run or I’ll be late for class. See you at eight.”
He strode away from the table, and Aubrey chuckled next to me.
“What’s so funny?”
“I think he’ll be good for you in more ways than I thought. I
don’t think I’ve ever seen you back down so quickly from trying to spoil a
surprise. Maybe he’ll break you of that habit so I can actually hide your
Christmas present from you this year.”
“I’m not that bad, Aubrey.”
“Um, yeah, you are. Why do you think I always cave and give you
presents early? If I shop in advance for you, it’s a wasted trip because I can
never hold out. Where do you think half the clothes I give you come from?”
“Your closet? Or an impulse buy while you’re out shopping for
yourself?”
Aubrey made a buzzing sound. “Wrong answer. But I don’t really
mind. So, date night. Are you excited?”
“Yeah, I am. Will you meet me at the dorm to help me get ready?
Maybe you have a gift waiting in your closet for me right now that will be
perfect for tonight?” I joked.
“No such luck. We’ll have to make do with what you’ve already
got on hand. See you later.”
chapter
9
As I dressed for our big date, Aubrey popped into the room to
check on me. “So what’s the plan for tonight? Still no idea where Drake’s
taking you?”
“Nope. I tried again to talk him into spilling the beans, but
it’s still a surprise. He just said that I needed to wear jeans. What do you
think?” I asked her as I gestured down at my outfit. I had chosen to wear a
pair of dark blue jeans with a deep green sweater and brown leather boots. The
jeans were snug but not super tight. The sweater hit mid-thigh but clung to my
boobs. The boots were a favorite of mine, with only a slight heel on them. I
felt comfortable but hoped I still looked good for Drake.
“Turn around,” Aubrey instructed as she made a circle motion. “I
can’t make a judgment call on the outfit until I can see it all.”
I twirled around and did a little bow as I faced her again.
“Well? Will I do?”
Aubrey clapped her hands together. “Yes! You look great. You’re
gonna knock his socks off. Not that it’s his socks that you really want to
knock off, right?”
“Ha-ha, funny. You know how much I hate feet, so that would be a
big fat no.”
“And you know that wasn’t
the point I was trying to make. I swear at lunch today, I felt like I could get
pregnant just from being an innocent bystander to the sexual vibes you guys
were throwing off,” Aubrey said as she fanned herself. “You need to do
something about that before one of you spontaneously combusts.”
“Oh my God, I cannot believe that you just said that. That’s a
big step. Do you really think I’m ready to have sex with Drake? Isn’t it too
early? I haven’t really known him that long,” I asked.
Aubrey shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. You’re the only
one who can answer that question for yourself. But I can tell you that it’s
going to happen sooner or later. There is no way that you won’t end up in bed
with Drake at some point in time. He wants you badly, and you eat him up with
your eyes every time he walks into a room. Hell, your eyes get all dreamy
whenever you mention his name. Admit it
—
you’re already falling for him.”
“I really am, Aubrey, and it scares the shit out of me.” I
crossed my arms across my stomach for comfort.
“It’s okay to be scared. You just can’t let fear make your
decisions for you. You don’t let fear rule you when you’re piloting a plane.
Don’t do it with this relationship either.” Aubrey came over and wrapped me
into a hug. “What’s the worst thing that could happen when you’re in the air?”
“The plane could crash and I could die,” I snapped back at her.
“And if Drake breaks your heart?” she asked.
“I don’t know. If I fall any deeper, it would hurt so bad that I
might wish I was dead.”
Aubrey leveled me with a serious look. “Not gonna happen. Not
with me here to help pick up the pieces. Flying is much scarier than falling in
love because the risks are bigger. You’re just used to those risks. The only
way you’re going to get used to them in relationships is if you give this a
real chance. No holding yourself back. Really try to make this work with Drake.
As scary as it is to think about having sex with only the second person in your
life, it’s better to take the plunge with someone you’re starting to care for
than to go out and have a string of one-night stands, right?”
There was some logic in her twisted reasoning. If I was going to
get back on the horse, so to speak, then it would be better to be with someone
within a relationship than participate in the random hookups that happened
every day on campus. “I hear what you’re saying, and I’ll try my best to not
freak out tonight if things go down that path. But I don’t know that they will.
Drake is being very careful not to push too hard with me.”
Aubrey squeezed me and stepped away. “That’s easily solved. Just
let him know that you’re ready to take it to the next level with him. Trust me
when I say that he won’t hesitate for a second. I can tell from the way he
watches you. You’ve got good underwear on just in case?”
I giggled. “Yes, and I shaved too ‘cause I know that’s you’re
next question.”
“Then it sounds like you’ve already made the decision before my
little pep talk. You skip the undies and shaving when you don’t plan on having
sex. It’s good protection to stop yourself from getting naked. But if you’ve
prepped for the date, then you’re already picturing yourself having sex with
him.”
I nodded in agreement. “I know. You taught me well, Obi-Wan
Kenobi.”
I heard a knock at the door and rushed into the other room to
answer it. I needed to see Drake now to help settle my nerves. It sounded crazy
because of the butterflies I felt every time I saw him, but he made me feel
safe when we were together. I opened the door, and there he was. I felt the air
leave my lungs in a rush of relief.
“Hi,” I greeted him.
“Hey, babe,” he replied as he snaked an arm out to pull me into
his body. His mouth swooped down and claimed mine for a quick kiss. “You
ready?”
“Yeah. Let me grab my purse and then we can head out.” I turned
back toward my room to grab what I needed, but Aubrey was waiting behind me
with my purse in hand.
“Here you go. I threw a couple things in there that I thought
you might need,” she said as she winked at me. “Hi, Drake. Hope you guys have
fun tonight. Make sure you take good care of my girl.”
“Don’t worry, Aubrey. I always take very good care of my girl,”
he growled at us. “Right, baby?”
I nodded, and Aubrey handed me my purse. I peeked inside and
discovered that she had stocked it with a clean pair of panties, condoms, and
gum. I raised shocked eyes to her and she flashed me a huge grin as she shooed
us out of the room.
Drake’s car wasn’t waiting at the curb like usual. In its place
was a gleaming black Harley. “You own a motorcycle?”
He shook his head. “Not mine. I borrowed it from a buddy. Wanted
to take you for a ride, feel your body wrapped around me. You ever been on one
before?”
“Sure have. Jackson has one. His dad loves ‘em. It’s been a
couple years though.”
“Then you know the drill,” he said as he handed me a helmet off
the back. “Hop on.”
Riding behind Drake was very different from riding with Jackson
when I was younger. I wrapped my arms around his body and held on tight as we
took off. My breasts pushed against his back, and my nipples pebbled in
reaction. My thighs were wrapped outside of his. I could feel his muscles
ripple as he controlled the bike. The heat from his body radiated through his
clothes as I hugged him even closer and wiggled in my seat a little.
His hand tugged one of mine lower, away from his abdomen. Our
hands brushed against his hard cock before he placed my hand on his thigh. He
groaned in response as I squeezed his leg. “It’s a good thing we aren’t going
very far. I underestimated how good it feels to have you snuggled against me.
Need to be careful since I have precious cargo on board.”
I relaxed against him and enjoyed the feel of the bike rumbling
beneath me. As we drove into town, I quickly guessed our destination. “Golden
Wall? Yummy!”
“Wanted to enjoy another of your favorites with you tonight.”
“Best Chinese food in town and the best guy around. I’m a lucky
girl.”
“I’m the lucky one, Alexa. I know you weren’t sure about giving
me a chance. Hope this last week has shown you that I’m worth the risk.”
He pulled the bike into a parking spot next to the restaurant
and waited for me to get off before placing the kickstand. I handed him the
helmet and ran my fingers through my hair to fix it.
“You look great, Alexa. Don’t worry about your hair. Makes you
look like we just rolled out of bed.”
“Helmet head is different from bed head, Drake.”
“Here’s hoping I find that out for myself soon,” he said as we
walked into the restaurant.
I waited until we were seated before responding. “Maybe you
won’t have to hope much longer. I don’t think I want to wait anymore.”
“Babe, shit. You can’t say stuff like that before we’ve even
ordered our meal. Fuck! How am I going to make it through dinner? Are you
sure?”
“100% sure, no. It’s been a long time for me, but you’re driving
me crazy!”
“I’m not gonna take you until you’re ready to commit to me, but
there’s lots of other stuff I can do to tide both of us over until you’re
ready.”
“Drake,” I sighed. The waiter appeared at our table as I gazed
pleadingly at him.
His eyes held mine as he spoke. “I’m sorry, but something’s come
up. Could we get a couple drinks and order our food to go?”
Drake ordered himself a beer and a glass of white wine for me.
The waiter didn’t ask for identification, and I was grateful for the shot of
courage the alcohol would provide. When the waiter brought us our drinks, he
ordered a few different menu items for us to take with us. He pulled his phone
out and focused on the screen for a few minutes before nodding in satisfaction.
Drake’s heated gaze rested on me as he sipped his beer. I
nervously gulped my wine, feeling anxious all of the sudden. “Nothing to fear
with me, Alexa. I’ll take good care of you, I swear.”
“It’s just nerves. I wouldn’t have said anything if I didn’t
trust you to some degree already.”
“We’ll only go as far as I think you’re ready. No sex tonight,
babe. But I promise to take the edge off for you.”
The waiter came back with our food, and Drake handed him his
credit card. He must have thought it was an emergency with how quickly the food
was prepared. He returned with the slip for Drake to sign in less than a
minute, and we were on our way out the door. Drake put the bag of food into the
saddlebag on the side, and we roared out of the parking lot as soon as I was
settled behind him. I quickly realized that we weren’t headed back towards
campus though.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Not gonna spend my first night with you in a frat house or at
your dorm,” he replied as he pulled into the parking lot of the Hyatt Place.
“You booked us a hotel room?”
“Wasn’t what I had planned for tonight, but that’s what online
reservations were made for. Booked it as soon as I realized you were mine
tonight.”
I felt strange as we checked into the hotel without any luggage,
just a bag of Chinese food. The clerk didn’t seem to notice anything amiss and
handed Drake our keycard. I turned away as he gave Drake directions to our
room. My face had heated with the blush that had crept up my neck.
We stopped at the vending machine to grab a couple sodas on our
way to the room. Drake opened the door and waved me in ahead of him. I flipped
the light switch and my eyes locked on the king-sized bed that dominated the
room.
Drake rubbed his hand down my back in a soothing gesture.
“Nothing has to happen tonight, Alexa. We can spread out with our food and
watch television if that’s what you want to do.”
“You and me, alone in a hotel room, without anything happening?
I don’t think so.”
He took a couple towels from the bathroom and spread them across
the bed. Pulling containers out of the bag, he peeked inside each one and
handed me the Moo Goo Gai Pan with a fork.
“What, no chopsticks?”
He dug through the bag some more and pulled out a set that he
tossed my way. He watched as I pulled them out of the packaging and used them
to scoop some food into my mouth. His eyes lingered on my lips as I chewed. The
air in the room sizzled with sexual tension as we sat across from each other
and ate silently. Our fingers brushed as we both reached for an eggroll and I
froze.
“You first,” Drake offered, handing me the bag.
“No thanks. I think I’m full.” I rubbed my stomach, which was
fluttering like crazy. I couldn’t possibly eat anything else as my nerves were
getting the best of me.