5 Rounds: Chapter 16

I wake up to hair in my face and the scent of coconut in my nose. It takes me a second to realize who I’m holding so tightly.

I’m lying on my stomach with my arm curled around Remy’s waist, pulling her flush against my side and burying my face in her neck. It’s early so she’s still asleep, her arm wrapped around where I’m holding her and one of her legs haphazardly tangled with mine. She’s not quite snoring but I can hear the quiet little sounds she’s making as her breaths escape from between her lips.

I pull away slightly to look at her face. This feels so different from when we fell asleep on the couch together.

I don’t remember if we cuddled that night or how long Remy even stayed, since she was gone when I woke up. I think we spent the night there because I remember holding something—or rather, someone—in my sleep, but obviously I didn’t get the full experience if I don’t even remember it.

At that reminder, I pull Remy closer to me and nuzzle into her neck. The thought of experiencing her closeness and not getting to enjoy it makes me irrationally annoyed. I’m even more annoyed at the fact that I have to get up soon and that Remy will be the one waking up alone today.

I try to pull her even closer, my thumb starting to trail circles on her skin where I’m gripping her waist. I want to soak up another few minutes with her like this.

Last night was… a lot of things. Even though I told her a little about my family the night we sat on the couch, it’s a whole other level of vulnerability letting someone overhear one of the worst conversations I’ve had with my family in a while. Even the memory of my mom’s selfish cries makes my teeth clench.

But Remy didn’t show any of the pity that I’m used to when people hear about my unsupportive parents. She just offered me her honest opinion and let me do with it what I wanted. She didn’t awkwardly pull away—she just stood, strong and unflinching, with her painful truth.

In that moment I could’ve kissed her for her strength and her honesty. So, I did.

I don’t think sex with Remy will ever not blow me away. The chemistry between us is like a pull that clearly neither of us can resist. We fit so perfectly together that it actually makes me angry that we waited this long to start doing this.

Only now, it’s more than just sex.

I asked her to stay with me last night. I’ve never wanted to ask a girl to stay. I’ve never cared to spend more time with them after I’ve come down from my orgasm high. If they did stay it was only because I’m not enough of a dick to send them home when it’s late. But I’ve never wanted to spend more time with them, or keep the physical touch going without having sex. I’ve never wanted to cuddle.

But last night—as well as this very moment—I can’t seem to get enough of Remy’s body against mine. It feels like there’s a current running between us that’s constantly pulling us together, an energy that’s also hypnotizing me and demanding that I spend as much time around her as I can. Kissing her, touching her, talking to her.

It should probably scare me, but it feels so natural to want to be around her that I can’t really bring myself to be freaked out about it. She’s been in my life for longer than probably any other girl so there’s already a level of comfort between us that I’ve never experienced before. And no matter how I look at it, I can’t see wanting to spend time with Remy—in bed, out of bed, in the gym, everywhere in between—as anything but a good thing.

The sex isn’t even on the forefront of my mind anymore—I just want her.

The thought makes my breath catch and my eyes shoot open.

I want Remy? Since when do I have any interest in a girlfriend?

My focus has been on fighting for years now. The whole reason I’ve stayed away from steady girlfriends—other than not finding anyone interesting enough to hold my attention—is because I need to be selfish to be a good fighter. ‘Selfish’ and ‘boyfriend’ don’t exactly go together in a sentence.

Yet when I look at Remy, I can’t fathom any of that. I just want more time with her. Surely, I have time outside of the gym to spend with another person? Is that enough to be a good boyfriend?

Does she even want a boyfriend?

I suddenly realize the insane turn my thoughts have taken. I frown and mentally shake the images from my head—of fight nights with Remy curled in my lap, of dinner in the city, of lazy Sundays between the sheets. I’m getting way ahead of myself here.

I gently slide away from Remy, trying not to wake her. I smile when I see her frown in her sleep at the missing weight of my arm around her.

Pulling the sheet up her body—and growling when her delicious tits are no longer visible to me—I exhale one final smile at the sight of her before quietly grabbing what I need for the gym. I slip out of my room a few minutes later.

I’m not sure how I get through my classes and private lessons at the gym today; I’m completely distracted with thoughts of Remy. I occasionally glance at my phone, debating texting her, but I give up on the idea when I realize I’m not sure what I’d actually say. I turn back to my students with a sigh.

It’s almost 8:00 when I’m finally done working and teaching for the day. I once again think about calling Remy, this time with the idea of just flat out asking her if she wants to hang out. But the fact that I’m not sure what her answer would be has me discarding that idea, too. I still have no clue where her head is at with us.

I cringe. Us. When did I become that guy?

Apparently when a feisty little brunette gave me a listening ear and mind-blowing orgasms.

Sighing, I grab my phone to see who might want to hang out tonight. I never realized how much time Jax and I spend together until he wasn’t around.

But a missed call and text message catch my eye. I open the message with a frown, wondering why Aiden would’ve called me.

I completely forgot Aiden invited me to his party tonight. I wince and rub my temple. House parties remind me of college kids, which I was never really a big fan of. Also, lots of talking. At least at the bars I don’t have to make conversation, and I can slip out without being noticed.

But with a sigh, I decide this is probably as good an opportunity as ever to put some time in with the team. If Aiden invited me that means there’s going to be a few others from the gym, so at least I’ll have some people to talk to about fighting. I’m not big on socializing with the students since I enjoy being the stoic, no-bullshit coach that keeps his distance, but there is such a thing as too distant. An hour at a party will give me a chance to spend some time with them and prove I’m not a total asshole.

I tuck my phone in my bag and head for the showers, ignoring the little voice in the back of my mind that’s whispering I’m only going to the party in the hopes of seeing one particular student.

I walk into the townhouse and immediately remember that there is a very valid reason that I don’t do house parties. It feels like I’ve walked into the middle of Hipsterville.

There are people scattered all over the couches in the living room and crowded around the bar in the kitchen. I even notice the people smoking in the backyard through the open back door beyond the kitchen. I recognize a few people from the gym but for the most part, this is a party of freshly graduated, lost-in-the-world twenty-three-year-olds that are getting together to smoke weed and talk about problems they know nothing about. Not exactly my ideal crowd.

But when I spot Aiden in the kitchen, I plaster a smile on my face and make my way over to him.

‘Hey man, you made it! Can I get you a beer?’ Aiden gives me an overly excited fist bump, his grin stretching from ear to ear. I make a mental note that although I’m most likely going to have a terrible time here, it makes a big difference for team morality when I spend time with the guys. My smile becomes a little more authentic.

‘Yeah, a beer would be great, thanks. Who’s coming from the gym?’ I look around the first floor, trying to decide who will be the easiest to spend the next hour with.

Aiden opens the fridge but looks thoughtfully over the door as he thinks about his answer. ‘Uh, Max’s here somewhere, so is Lucy, but I don’t think Remy is coming. Two of the new fighters are here too, Dane and Pete.”

I try to ignore the pang of disappointment I feel when he says Remy isn’t coming. I had assumed that she comes to events like these, seeing as she’s such a social person. It wouldn’t have been the worst thing to hang out with her in public—although I’m not sure I would’ve been able to keep myself from eye-fucking her.

I smile thankfully when Aiden grabs an IPA from the fridge. He pops the top off with a bottle opener then slides the beer across the counter to me.

‘I also have a few friends here from Temple,’ he continues, crossing his arms and leaning against the bar. ‘Not sure if you’ll know anyone but some of them graduated the same year you did.’

I nod, deciding not to tell him that running into people I went to college with doesn’t exactly sweeten the evening for me. I take a swig of my beer.

Someone calls for Aiden from the living room, at which he nods and then turns to me. ‘I have to go handle that. Max’s outside with the rest of the guys if you want to say hey. I know you’re not exactly the mingling type.’ He clasps my shoulder with a big grin. ‘But thanks for coming anyway.’

I flash him a very crooked, very guilty smile. Busted.

I make my way outside, immediately recognizing Lucy’s ringing laugh. I find her sitting around the fire with Max and the two new fighters that Aiden had mentioned.

‘Holy shit, you actually came!’ Lucy exclaims in mock-shock. I roll my eyes and tug her ponytail before giving each of the guys a fist bump.

‘Figured I’d bless you with my presence for a while,’ I tease. I sit down in the camping chair on the other side of the fire and take a swig of my beer.

Lucy rolls her eyes and fakes vomiting on my shoes. I wink at her with a grin.

I turn to the two guys across from me—Dane and Pete, Aiden had said. I’ve seen them at the gym and know they’ve just joined our fight team, but I haven’t spent any time training with them yet. As much time as I spend at the gym, I typically don’t remember anyone’s name until they’ve either scheduled privates with me or they’ve started training with the fighters.

‘So, I hear you guys are trying to get on the next fight card,’ I say by way of a conversation starter. Since I’m here I might as well use the time to get to know the new additions to the team.

They nod, eager to have my attention, and launch into a description of their training and fight goals. I smile and nod along, occasionally adding my thoughts and suggestions when they ask me questions. It makes me happy to see fighters just starting out being this excited about their training. I’ve been in the game for so long that I’ve seen plenty of fighters burn out and lose their love for the sport. It’s refreshing to be reminded of the excitement that we all start out with.

‘Do you think Jax will fight again?’ Dane asks me, as if sensing my train of thought.

I shrug and take a sip of my beer, enjoying the alcohol’s pleasant hum in my veins. ‘I don’t know,’ I answer honestly. ‘Nowadays I’m not sure he enjoys it as much as he used to. He’s so good and could easily go further, but that would mean stepping in with a whole other caliber of fighters—fighters that have their hearts set on the UFC and are willing to dedicate their entire lives to getting there. I don’t know if Jax wants to give everything up for that.’

They all nod in understanding. The whole gym loves Jax, but we’ve all noticed that he’s been less excited for his fights in the past year.

‘Speaking of Jax, when does he get back from San Diego?’ I hear Lucy ask.

I turn toward her. ‘This weekend. Sunday.’

‘And how has it been living with our darling Remy?’ she asks with a grin.

I tense when I realize I have no idea if Remy has told anyone about us. I study Lucy for a moment but decide she’s probably not close enough to Remy to warrant that kind of intimate conversation. I know Lucy sensed the tension between us last week, so I answer her question based on the assumption that that’s why she’s teasing me.

‘Well, we’re both alive and kicking, so as well as can be expected,’ I shrug.

‘And there have been no other pranks? No other… incidents?’

I narrow my eyes at Lucy and decide she should be the last person to be told any kind of gossip.

But before I get a chance to answer, Max pipes up beside me.

‘Speak of the devil,’ he murmurs. ‘Look who just walked in.’

I turn my head toward the house—and feel my heartbeat stutter, just for a beat—when I see Remy walk through the door.

She immediately commands the attention of the crowd with her genuine smile and unassumingly perfect, womanly body. Her jeans are tight enough to showcase her very feminine curves, while her trademark combat boots contrast that with her “take no shit” aura. She’s wearing a very cut-out white tank top that lets her black bralette peek through, the lace of which covers just enough of her breasts that it’s not overly revealing, but entirely enticing. My mouth goes dry at just the sight of her.

She greets a few people before spotting our group, then freezes when she notices me.

After a moment she plasters a smile on her face again and walks over to us. ‘Hi,’ she squeaks nervously, looking at everyone but me.

I grin at how uncomfortable she looks. Clearly, she’s never had to hide a secret about sex before, and I realize quickly that Lucy is going to see right through her.

I’m surprised to realize that I couldn’t care less.

As much as I keep my personal sexcapades out of the gym and away from my job, I wouldn’t mind stamping a claim on Remy. I don’t enjoy sharing my women, for one, but I’m starting to realize I also feel a very carnal type of possessiveness when it comes to her. I should be the only one that wakes her up in the middle of the night with a screaming orgasm.

I shudder at the memory of last night—and then quickly wipe it from my thoughts before I decide to drag Remy upstairs for a repeat performance.

‘Hi, Remy baby,’ I tease with a grin. ‘Fancy seeing you here.’

She finally looks at me with a quirked eyebrow. ‘I should be telling you that. Since when do you come to house parties?’

I shrug nonchalantly and gesture at the group with my beer. ‘I wanted to bond with the team.’ I’m rewarded with a grateful smile from Dane and Pete.

Before we can say anything else, Lucy cuts us off. ‘Actually, we were just talking about the two of you living in the same house. How’s that been going?’

Remy whips her head to glare at a very smug—and very smiling—Lucy.

Instead of waiting for Remy to awkwardly stumble over some kind of non-answer, I respond for her. ‘It’s been great,’ I quip. ‘We were able to lay down some new ground rules and now we’re perfectly capable of hanging out around the house. We had a lovely conversation about it just the other night on the couch.’

Remy’s eyes go wide. I can tell by Lucy’s barely-covered snort that she definitely understood my comment, but the guys might be too clueless to key into my hidden meaning. Remy’s response will be what makes it obvious or not.

‘Um, yeah. I just needed to scream at him a few times until he finally saw the value of my house rules. We’re practically civil now.’

Max chuckles from beside me, probably picturing how many screaming matches we must’ve had before we reached a truce.

Little does he know, the screaming was of a very different nature…

But it seems like the guys buy our lies. They start to ask her if she wants to head to the bar with them after the party ends here, but they’re interrupted by someone calling Remy’s name from across the yard.

She turns to the group that has since congregated near the grill. Based on the amount of Temple gear I see some of them wearing, I deduce that they know each other from college. She excuses herself from our circle and walks over to her friends with a big smile.

I try to rejoin Dane’s conversation about the upcoming UFC fights this weekend, but I keep getting distracted by the sound of Remy’s lively laugh. I can’t stop myself from glancing over to where she’s standing.

She’s having an animated conversation about some kind of college memory with one of the girls. She’s gesturing wildly, her facial expressions conveying every emotion during the length of the story, and every so often she throws her head back with a deep belly laugh.

She’s absolutely radiant when she’s happy. Her hair is blowing in the warm September wind and she occasionally brushes away a stray strand that’s blown into her face. I realize I want nothing more than to tuck the hair behind her ear and kiss her so hard that she forgets her own name.

After a while she chances a look my way. While her friend is talking, she peeks a glance at me from beneath lowered lashes. I grin and wink at her, unashamed that she caught me looking.

Her eyes drop down again as a blush flames her cheeks. But she can’t quite hide the small smile that tilts up the corners of her lips.

Finally sensing a lull in the UFC conversation around me, I use the opportunity to excuse myself from the group and make my way over to Remy. I decide I want to coax a few more blushes out of her, maybe see if I can convince her to sneak out of here with me. My nerves tingle with excitement.

Remy looks up at me with wide eyes when I reach her side. But just as I open mouth to make a teasing comment, I’m cut off by someone recognizing her as they walk by.

‘Remy? Is that you? Holy shit!’

She turns startled eyes toward a man in suit pants and button-up. His dark hair is slicked back, and he’s got a beer in his hands. His whole image reeks of Corporate America.

I narrow my eyes at him, something familiar nagging the edge of my consciousness.

‘Jason?’ she gasps. ‘Wow, it’s been years. How are you?’

That’s when it hits me. Jason started at Temple the same year that I did. We actually lived in the same freshman dorm building. At the time he was an awkward, nerdy kid studying philosophy. I think I heard he eventually used his degree to go to law school.

He grins at Remy and steps a little closer to whisper, ‘I know, right? Although God knows it hasn’t been long enough to forget Lowe’s class.’

I put two and two together and deduce that Remy and Jason probably had a class or two together. They were both liberal arts majors, so they most likely spent time in the same academic buildings. Even though Remy is three years younger than us, I’m not surprised she was taking classes with juniors and seniors. Everyone knows she’s a bit of a brainiac.

My pride at her being the polar opposite of my usual bimbo is soured by the fact that Jason has yet to acknowledge me and is now hanging on Remy’s arm.

‘Hey man, long time no see,’ I interrupt in a tight voice, trying to resist the urge to yank her away from him.

He turns to me as if just now noticing my presence. Both he and Remy are wide-eyed as they look at me.

When he doesn’t immediately remember my name, I add coldly, ‘It’s Tristan. We were freshmen together in Peabody Hall.’

A flash of recognition appears in his eyes. He looks me over and then grabs my shoulder in an overly friendly gesture, a fake grin plastered on his face. ‘Tristan. Hey, man! How you doing?’

I resist the urge to rip his hand off of me. Instead, I force a smile onto my face and return the sentiment. ‘Great. Life’s great. Funny running into you here.’

At that he turns back to Remy. ‘Yeah, small world. Although I’m glad I ended up here tonight.’ Without taking his eyes off Remy, he leans in closer to me to whisper conspiratorially, ‘Because between you and me, I had the biggest crush on Remy in college.’

A blush flames across her cheeks while rage threatens to silently tear me apart. I have never once felt jealous over a girl. I always thought if a girl wanted to be with someone else, then why would I waste any of my energy being jealous over someone that didn’t want me?

But now, with Remy… it feels like I’ll maul anyone that dares to touch her.

I swallow roughly in an effort to jam down my archaic feelings. Instead, I force myself to chuckle.

I might as well be invisible to him, though. With his eyes trained on Remy, he steps up to her and grips her elbow, tugging gently to lead her away. ‘Let’s get you a drink. I want to hear about what you’ve been up to. Someone told me you work for a tech company now. I’m glad you ended on a realistic career instead of trying for that writing thing you talked about for a while…’

I see the flash of pain in her eyes even as she lets Jason tug her along. Rage toward this douchebag once again boils through my veins, this time for invalidating Remy’s true passion. I’m just about to go after them and let all my caveman rage fly when a short blonde girl steps into my path. I freeze in surprise.

She’s shorter than even Remy, with a huge smile on her face as she stares up at me. I realize then that she’s the Temple friend Remy was talking with not long ago.

‘Hi,’ she chirps happily. ‘I’m Anna. Are you friends with Remy?’

‘Yeah,’ I answer hesitantly. ‘I’m Tristan. I know Remy from the gym.’ I can’t help glancing to the other end of the yard where Jason is standing by a cooler with Remy, drinks in hand and talking animatedly. She’s just nodding at whatever he’s saying.

‘Oh, that’s cool,’ Anna continues, and I begrudgingly bring my attention back to her. ‘She mentioned she joined a gym a couple years ago. You definitely look like you work out.’ She shamelessly steps closer to run her fingers along my bicep.

For some reason my eyes snap over to Remy.

She’s frozen, staring at Anna’s hand on my arm. Her mouth ticks down into a small frown.

A satisfied warmth blooms in my chest. It doesn’t seem like she’s reacting with the same blind fury I felt when Jason touched her, but she definitely doesn’t look happy. Maybe she really is starting to like me.

A smile tugs at my lips at that thought.

The motion seems to snap Remy’s eyes to mine. For a tense moment we just stare at each other, everyone else at the party fading away until it’s just her and I and the tension growing between us.

But then she breaks our eye contact. Her eyes jerk, once, to Anna, and then back to Jason. I can tell she’s trying really hard not to look back at me.

The idea that Remy might be a little jealous simmers the burning rage that almost overtook me a minute ago. I turn back to Anna, the need to rush over to Remy dimming slightly. Slightly.

‘Yeah, I do a couple pushups now and then,’ I tell her sarcastically.

She laughs, way too loudly. As if I just told the funniest joke she’s ever heard. She grips my arm and steps even closer, her head thrown back with the laugh.

I wince, feeling a twinge of regret that I encouraged her flirtation on pure instinct. I take another peek at Remy.

She clearly heard Anna’s laugh—everyone at the party heard her laugh—but she’s still purposefully looking only at Jason. Even from where I stand, I can see the tense way she’s standing and the hard frown on her face.

I sigh and take a step away from Anna. I need to cut this off before it gets worse.

But as I look at her, it suddenly occurs to me that Anna’s exactly the kind of girl I would normally go for. She’s pretty, feminine, small enough that I could throw her around in the bedroom—everything I usually look for.

But she does nothing for me.

I feel no attraction, no urge to turn on my charm. I don’t feel anything that would make me want to spend another second around her. All I can think of is that she’s not Remy.

Another wave of warmth surges through my chest as my morning thoughts return. I want Remy.

I chance another look at the target of my inner war, any warmth inside me freezing when I realize she’s still talking to Jason. And now he’s got his hand on her hip.

‘Look, Anna, I’m sorry to cut you off but I have to go,’ I grit through clenched teeth. Without waiting for her reaction, I turn to make my way over to Remy.

Politeness be damned—I’m about to remove this guy’s hands from his body.

But before I take more than a step, I see Remy disappearing into the house.

I don’t see her in the kitchen or living room, so I make my way to the second floor. There are two girls waiting for the bathroom and a few hipsters smoking weed in one of the bedrooms, but no sign of Remy. I climb another set of steps to the third floor.

This floor only has two bedrooms and it looks completely empty of people. I frown, wondering how I could have lost Remy in this house.

But then I hear a toilet flush coming from the master bedroom. I hesitantly push the door open.

Remy is leaning against the bedroom wall, staring at her phone as she waits for the bathroom door to open. I step up behind her.

‘Having fun?’ I mumble in her ear. She yelps and turns around.

‘Tristan,’ she hisses, clutching her heart. ‘What is your obsession with sneaking up on me? You’re going to scare me to death one of these days.’

I chuckle. ‘Distracted, are we? What’s that pretty little head of yours thinking about?’ I cock an eyebrow thoughtfully as I wait for her to answer.

She looks away quickly, seeming suddenly uncomfortable. ‘Nothing,’ she mumbles.

I laugh again. ‘You’re a terrible liar, Remy baby,’ I tease her. ‘It’s not a hard guess.’ The hunger in my eyes deepens as I look down at her and suddenly forget why I’m angry. All I can think about is how beautiful she looked riding me yesterday, shining with sweat and not caring how wild she looked as she chased her orgasm. I swallow roughly and tamp down on the urge to adjust my growing cock.

She blushes at my words and looks away again. ‘I’m not thinking about anything,’ she says again, more firmly this time. ‘I’m just enjoying the party.’

Now I remember why I’m angry with her. ‘Are you having fun with Jason?’ I ask her, trying to keep my voice light and my fury not at all obvious.

She turns to face me fully. ‘Jason’s great,’ she says, her face expressionless. ‘How’s Anna?’

‘Trying very hard to flirt,’ I respond curtly. She stiffens at my answer, her eyes narrowing. But I push past any talk of Anna and steer us back toward Jason. I need to know if there’s anything between them.

‘Were you close to Jason in college?’ I ask tightly, trying to mask the jealousy in my words.

Remy’s posture is still tense as a frown mars her pretty face. ‘Not really, but he was part of the study group,’ she starts cautiously. ‘He was the smartest one, so he helped us a lot. He was always around.’

She seems to notice the way my jaw clenches at her comment because she relaxes her stance, a small smirk appearing on her lips. ‘He’s a hard worker, too. He just graduated early from Temple Law. He was always very… stimulating to talk to.’

It takes all I have not to slam her against the wall and fuck him out of her mind right then and there.

Instead, I swallow the growl in my throat and try to adopt a bored look. ‘I’m sure he is,’ I shrug. ‘I’m sure he’s very pleasing.’

A small frown appears on her face when I don’t bite at her taunt. She opens her mouth to snap back at me but then the bathroom door opens, and she never gets the chance.

We both turn to nod politely at the girl coming out of the bathroom, who smiles at us and walks out of the room. I wait until she’s out of sight before spinning around and gripping Remy by the throat. I push her into the bathroom and lock the door behind us.

She’s breathing heavily as I push my body against hers, flattening her against the door. I study her for a moment, my thumb gently rubbing circles on the side of her neck.

‘Do you really think he’ll please you as much as I do?’ I murmur against her lips. I don’t know if I’ll ever get enough of her little gasps when I affect her like this.

‘Yes,’ she moans.

‘Liar,’ I chuckle. I brush my lips against hers, not quite kissing, but I’m desperate for more contact. ‘No one can make you feel like I do. You know it’s true. Just say it.’ She shakes her head, refusing to admit to such a thing.

‘No one can make you as wet as I can with just my fingers,’ I growl. The hand that’s not on her neck begins tracing up and down her side, occasionally dipping under the edge of her tank top. She shivers, but I don’t know if it’s from my words or my touch.

‘No one can drive you as crazy as I can when my tongue is in your pussy,’ I continue. ‘No one can make you come as hard as when I bend you over and take you from behind. No one.’ A whimper escapes her lips.

Suddenly the jealousy inside of me explodes. I crash my mouth down to hers, easily splitting her lips with my tongue and darting inside to caress hers. I feel like a madman, like I need to be inside her in any way I can. I kiss her hungrily, desperately.

When I pull away, we’re both breathless. I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my touch linger on her cheek. But the gentle moment is only that, a moment, because then I grip her hair roughly and yank her head back. She whimpers but turns her face up toward me, and I can hear her breathy little sighs as she tries to cover up how turned on she is.

‘You’re mine,’ I growl against her lips. ‘Your pleasure belongs to me.’

My sudden possessive outburst surprises her just as much as it does me. I decide to ignore the insane, animalistic jealousy that’s flowing through my veins right now and instead focus on the object of those feelings in front of me. Without waiting for her to respond, I quickly unbutton her jeans and yank them down her legs. I lean down to pull them the rest of the way off. When I stand back up, I grab her behind the thighs and lift her up against the wall. Her legs wrap automatically around my waist.

Fuck, it’s like our bodies were molded for each other. They fit together so perfectly, so easily. Nothing ever feels awkward or uncomfortable. It’s like our bodies know each other, even after such a short amount of time.

I unbutton my own jeans and free my cock quickly, knowing this fuck will be hard and fast. I feel too crazy from the jealousy, too desperate for her body around me, for it to be any different. I pull her panties aside and line up with her entrance. Even without any foreplay I can feel how wet she is.

‘Mine,’ I repeat with a snarl, and thrust in with one stroke.

She whimpers at the overwhelming sensation. Her eyes are closed but she’s holding tight around my neck as I fuck her, hard. I pound into her, letting my possessive emotions fuel my thrusts. My body’s animalistic urges make me feel like if I can fuck her hard enough, maybe she won’t ever think of anyone else.

‘Say it,’ I growl against her lips. ‘Say you’re mine.’ I lift her thighs a little higher around me and push even deeper.

She gasps at the feeling but shakes her head. She’s too stubborn to admit anything. It’s too early for us.

That knowledge temporarily tamps down on my jealous rage, and my forehead drops against hers. “Remy,” I groan, even as my thrusts never slow. “Look at me.”

Her eyes open and widen in surprise at the change in my tone. Her breaths start to come quicker, and her gaze darts over my face, searching for answers that I’m not sure either of us are ready for. I hold her eyes with mine, not letting her look away even when I feel her thighs start to tremble as her orgasm builds.

I lean forward and kiss her hungrily. I swallow her moans as our tongues tangle and my thrusts become harder. I pull away just enough to look at her when I sense we’re both getting close, and immediately I’m drowning in her wide-eyed stare. Before, she didn’t want to look at me, and now I know why—in our closeness, in this moment between us, she’s completely open and flayed bare before me. I can see every bit of fear and lust and affection in her eyes. And I suddenly realize that I hope she can see the same in mine.

I hear her gasp just before her muscles clench around me, her eyes never leaving mine. Between our connection and the physical feel of her orgasm, my own release is immediately triggered.

‘Fuck,‘ I groan as I spill inside her. I can still feel her spasming around my cock. I keep pounding into her until I feel her sag against me, her body limp and exhausted.

We stay there for a moment, tangled in each other and leaning heavily against the door. Our foreheads are touching and we’re breathing heavily.

I hesitate for a moment before kissing her, knowing I was aggressive but not knowing how she’s feeling right now. I set her down gently, keeping my grip on her until I feel her steady herself. I can see the blush on her face as she reaches for her jeans. She doesn’t meet my eyes.

Just then there’s a loud knock at the door. ‘Is someone in there?’ a very stoned voice calls out.

I roll my eyes but watch as Remy pales. She pulls her jeans on hurriedly. ‘Just a second!’ she calls out.

‘Remy…’ I start. I want to ask her to stay with me tonight. To get out of here so we can spend the night together.

But she’s hell-bent on rushing out of this bathroom so she ignores me entirely, throwing the door open and pushing past the hipster from downstairs. I hurry after her.

‘Whoa! Nice, dude!’ The guy is stoned out of his mind and can barely see straight but he has a massive grin on his face from seeing the two of us leave the bathroom together. He holds his hand up in expectation of a high five.

I roll my eyes again. ‘Grow up,’ I grumble as I shoulder past him.

I don’t catch up to Remy until we’re back on the first floor but by then, Anna has already spotted her.

‘Remy!’ she calls out. She prances up to us and grabs Remy’s hand. ‘We’re heading over to the Barbary. You have to come! My friend Shane says it’s the most entertaining drag show in the city.’

‘Oh. Umm…’ Remy casts a nervous glance at me. I silently will her to understand that I want her to say fuck no, I’m going home with Tristan.

‘Tristan, you should come too!’ Anna exclaims happily.

‘I’m… not really into shows,’ I say hesitantly. ‘Plus, I have an early morning at the gym tomorrow, so I’ll probably just head home soon.’ Once again, I look at Remy to try to convey my silent message.

I think she’s about to decline the offer when another girl from their Temple group bounces up to us. ‘Remy! Oh my god, I haven’t seen you in so long! Please tell me you’re coming with us to the Barbary. I’m only in town for this weekend so you have to come hang out with us.’

I see Remy’s almost imperceptible wince. But then she says, ‘I had no idea you were in town. Of course I’ll come, that sounds like a lot of fun.’

I try to keep the frown from my face, but I doubt I’m successful.

Anna practically beams with happiness. ‘All right, well I’m just going to grab my jacket and then we can head over there.” She turns to me with a thousand-watt smile. ‘You sure you don’t want to come? I’m happy to keep you company.’

I smother the wince that threatens to take over my face from the obvious come-on. ‘Sorry, I’m just going to call it a night,” I tell her. I swallow roughly and turn to Remy. ‘I guess I’ll see you at home.’ She gives me a small nod.

I head toward the backyard to say goodbye to everyone from the gym. From behind me I hear Anna say, ‘Home? You guys live together? I didn’t know you were dating.’

‘We’re… not,’ is Remy’s answer.

And I can’t stop my heart from cracking a little bit at those words.