Leila
When Gabi invited me to go to a bar with her, I didn’t expect to see all the basketball team here, and oh look, most of the football team is here too.
“Oh shit, it’s packed today,” Gabi says when she pulls me to an empty booth near the back.
I turn my head, raising my brows at her. “You didn’t think of that before dragging me here?”
She shrugs. “I wanted to celebrate. It’s a big deal.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “Since when do you care about basketball?”
She shrugs, grinning. “Free drinks,” she explains. “Scoot over. My legs are killing me.” She exhales when she sits, stretching out her legs under the table.
“Rough day?”
“Dancing,” she says, glancing over at me. “My dance teacher told me I need to be more bendy,” she says with a nose scrunch. “Honestly, the splits can kiss my ass.”
“Damn.” My eyes widen. “You can do the splits?”
She shakes her head. “Not yet, but give me like two months and a whole tub of Advil and I’ll get there.”
I chuckle, watching her devour the pretzels on the table in front of us. My eyes drift to the guy standing in front of us, looking down at her with a grin on his face. “Hey,” he says, flashing her a smile. “Can I buy you a drink?” He runs his hand through his hair, messing it up.
Her eyes widen, and she smiles at him. “Sure.” She glances at me, and I bite my lip, shaking my head. Guess her plan worked. Gabi nibbles on her pretzels, smiling when the guy comes back, holding the drink of her choice, a Cosmo, dropping it in front of her and sitting on the other side of the booth.
As much as being a third wheel to my friend and a flirty guy sounds so fun, I decide to get out of there and give her some privacy.
I tap Gabi on her arm, leaning in to whisper. “I need to get out.”
Her frown is instant. “Are you okay?” she asks.
I nod, reassuring her. “Just going to get a drink.”
She lifts herself off the seat, grabbing her purse. “Want me to come with you?” she asks without looking back at the guy.
I smile at her, shaking my head. “No. Stay; I’ll be right back.”
She gives me a pointed look. “If you need me…” Call me. She doesn’t finish the rest but I know. I give her a reassuring nod and head to the bar, letting out a breath when I know Aiden is probably working tonight. I don’t even know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. His comment about me seeing other guys has been running all over my mind every time I see him.
He hasn’t asked me again, and I haven’t brought it up, but it’s still there, every time he comes over, every time I see him around campus. I’m still not quite sure why I didn’t tell him the truth. There are no other guys, I’m not even thinking of other guys. And that’s the problem. This was supposed to be a fun, casual, no strings arrangement, but the more time I spend with Aiden, the more I miss when he has to leave right after.
We made the rules clear, well, I did, but they still stand, and they’re there for a reason. I don’t want to lose control or let myself repeat my past mistakes. It won’t ever happen again. But I can’t lie, the thought of Aiden with another girl makes my stomach feel all weird and jumpy. It’s not jealousy though. It can’t be.
I wave down the bartender who smiles at me when she approaches me. “What can I get you?”
“A beer please.”
“You got it.” She turns around, grabbing a glass and fills it up.
“Full house today.” I don’t really come to this bar, knowing this is where all the athletes hang out, but when Gabi showed up at my apartment, all dressed up and made up, I couldn’t say no.
“They’re celebrating,” she says. “They just won a game.”
“By 58 points,” the guy beside me says, drinking his beer. “You saw the game?” he asks me.
I nod, giving him a smile. “They were amazing today.”
He shakes his head. “Pierce is a fucking legend.”
Yeah, he is. He played so well today. I was on the edge of my seat almost the whole game, fighting the urge to shout his name.
“Here you go,” the bartender says, glancing up at me. “Word of advice, they’re giving out free drinks like candy.”
I laugh, grabbing my glass when she places it in front of me. “Yeah, I know.” Not to girls like me, though. I pull out my wallet but she holds up her hand.
“They’ve bought so many drinks tonight,” she tells me. “This one’s on the house.”
“Really?”
She nods, shooting me a smile. “Definitely,” she says. “Now get going. You’re way too hot to be sitting here talking to me.”
I shake my head, let out a laugh, and sip on my beer. She gets called over for another drink, and I turn, looking around the packed bar.
It doesn’t take me long to find him. He’s right in the middle, surrounded by his team. Oh, and girls. Of course. I take another sip watching as he laughs, rubbing his jaw that feels stubbly when he kisses me whenever he forgets to shave. His body is sprawled out, legs wide open as he munches on the pretzels in front of him.
My eyes drift to the pair of long legs next to him. I don’t even know those girls. I don’t think I’ve seen them around the school before, but they seem to know him. The way one of the girls, with long, blonde hair, rubs his arm, smiling and giggling at him makes me realize who Aiden Pierce really is.
He’s a big deal. Not just at Redfield but everywhere. The guy can play basketball as well as some of the pros, and I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be famous one day. And girls like that are going to be all over him all the time.
He turns his head, his eyes landing on mine. I don’t look away; I just take another sip, craving the burn of the alcohol. His eyes stay pinned on mine, and he licks his lips, letting his gaze fall to the length of my body, plainly checking me out. I feel drunk under his ogling, my breath hitching when I watch his eyes meet mine again, a cocky smirk on his lips. I love his eyes on me, love how he’s looking at me like he can’t wait until we’re alone.
But then I see the girl rub his arm again, watching how her boobs strain the top she’s wearing, exposing her tiny waist, and I shake the thought away, turning back around and finishing off my beer in one. He’ll probably hook up with her tonight, my brain tells me, making me mad for even thinking it. So what? It’s what we both agreed on, right?
I leave my empty glass on the counter and push my way to the bathroom, holding the door open when a girl exits, leaving the place empty. I turn on the faucet, washing my hands, my eyes drifting up until I hold my own gaze in the mirror. My eyes are cute; I have plump lips and an impressive rack. I know I’m pretty, but I’d be dumb if I thought I could compete with those girls out there.
My head snaps to the left when the bathroom door opens and my eyes widen when I see who it is.
“This is the ladies’ room.”
He smirks, looking around the empty bathroom. “Hello,” Aiden calls out. “Any girls in here?” His brows lift, tilting his head, a smile on his face when he doesn’t hear anyone. “No? Good. Just the girl I wanted to see.”
My heart starts to jump when he approaches me. “Someone could come in here.”
He turns, locking the door. “This okay?” he asks when he turns back around.
I shake my head, trying to make sense of what’s happening. “What are you doing in here?”
He takes a step closer to me. “You were avoiding me.”
I scoff, crossing my arms. “It looked like you had your hands full.”
He lets out a laugh, tilting his head. “You’re jealous,” he states, making me blink.
“I am not jealous.” My eyes involuntarily roll when I drop my arms, pushing at his chest.
“No?” he asks.
“No,” I confirm. “I was just wondering.”
“About?” he asks, taking a step closer to me.
“What you said last week.”
He rubs his jaw. “I’ve said so many things,” he says. “You’ll have to remind me.”
I lift my brows. “You asked me if I was seeing anyone else,” I remind him.
He drops his hand, his brows furrowing. “Yes?”
“Are you?” I ask before I can stop myself.
The line between his brows deepens when he takes a step closer to me. “You’re jealous,” he says again. “Tell me why.”
I sigh. “I’m not jealous.”
“Tell me—”
“Because she had her hands all over you,” I blurt out, instantly regretting the words that came out of my mouth.
His eyes widen, and I groan when I see the smile slowly appear on his face. “You’re jealous,” he says again.
I glare at him. “Can you stop being cocky about this? Fine, you’re right. I hated seeing her grabby hands all over you, rubbing up on you and laughing like you’re the funniest guy ever when I know you’re not that damn funny. I hated how my stomach cramped every time you looked at her or smiled at her or laughed with her, okay?” I throw my hands up. “Is that what you wanted to hear?”
He grins. “I’m pretty funny,” he retorts.
I scoff. “Funny looking.”
“That’s not true.” He laughs again. “And you’re jealous.”
I sigh loudly, burying my head in my hands and letting out a groan. Why did I open my big mouth? “Leila,” Aiden says. I shake my head, groaning into my hands. I’ve already died of embarrassment and admitted that I’m jealous. I don’t want to look at him, I can’t.
I feel his hands on mine, slowly peeling my hands away from my face until I look up at him, he’s got a sympathetic smile on his face, and when I look up into his bright blue eyes, I swear my stomach does a little flip. I don’t like that, at all.
“Leila,” he starts, still holding onto my hands. “I wanted to break that guy’s face for talking to you.”
My brows furrow as I look up at him. Guy? What guy? I shake my head, remembering the guy from the bar. “That was nothing,” I tell him. “He was talking about the game. Said you were a legend.”
His brows raise. “He did?” He smiles when I nod. “And what about you?” he asks. “Did you see the game?”
I nod. “Of course, I did,” I tell him. “You were great.”
“Thanks, gorgeous.” He’s still holding onto my hands when he dips his head. “It doesn’t change things though,” he says. “Whether he was talking about me or not. I wanted to kill him for talking to you. You smiled at him. You never smile at me.”
I frown. “I do.”
He raises his brow. “Hardly,” he says. “It fucking killed me watching you smile at some stranger.” His hold tightens on my hands before he drops them and his hands find a home at my waist. “You’re not the only one who got jealous tonight.”
I don’t know why I like the idea of Aiden being jealous of another guy, even if it is just the guy from the bar who was drooling over Aiden. It feels good knowing I’m not alone in this. “What does this mean?” I ask him. “We had rules.”
He shrugs, his hands running down my waist. “It doesn’t matter what we said. Your feelings can change at any time.”
“No.” I shake my head, hating those words and how my heart thumps when he says them. “No, they can’t.”
“Why are you against relationships?” he asks me, holding his hands up when he sees my eyes widen at his question. “I’m not putting pressure on you. That’s not what’s happening. I just wanted to know why you’re so against them.”
“That’s not important.” I close my eyes, trying to erase the image of my ex-boyfriend from my mind. “This isn’t a relationship.”
“Right,” he says, his hands drifting down to my lower back. “Just fucking, right?”
I wrap my arms around his neck, loving how his eyes fall to my lips, licking his own. “Just fucking.”
He squeezes my hips, pulling back. “And you’re asking me to be exclusive?” he asks. “Because I don’t have a problem with that, Leila.”
I blink. “You don’t?”
He shakes his head. “I haven’t been with anyone else since that spin the bottle game.”
I breathe out a laugh, knowing that’s complete bullshit. “You don’t need to lie to me.”
He pulls back, frowning. “I’m not lying,” he says. “The only lips I’ve tasted since are yours.”
I shake my head, unable to believe what he’s telling me. “How is that even possible? You get so much attention every day. Did you even see the group of girls around you out there?” I ask, gesturing towards the door.
“I saw them,” he says with a lift of his shoulder. “But it was you I couldn’t keep my eyes off of. I don’t want anyone’s attention but yours.”
My heart stops. It skips a beat at his words. I don’t want to get attached. I promised myself I wouldn’t let it happen again, that I wouldn’t be hurt again. But it’s so hard to forget every reason when he’s in front of me telling me these things.
“Leila,” he says, leaning into me. “We’re fucking exclusive. No doubt about it.” He sighs. “The thought of another guy’s hands on you makes me want to rip out their throats. I need to know I’m the only one touching you, kissing you.” His hand reaches up and grabs my face, smoothing his thumb over my cheek. “Fucking you,” he whispers, dipping his head, flattening his tongue against my neck. “I licked you,” he says. “You’re mine.”
Those words make me shiver, staring up at him. “I’m not yours.”
His brows raise, an amused smirk on his lips. “Don’t even try it, gorgeous. We both know you’re mine.” His hands run down my body, flattening his palms against the curve of my ass. “Say it,” he tells me. “Tell me no one else touches you.”
I gulp, his touch making me weak. My brain wants to rebuff, to tell him he has no hold on me, but when those eyes look down at me, I know he’s right. “No one else touches me,” I tell him. “Only you.” I lick my lips, my brain screaming at me not to say what I’m about to say. But it’s already too late. “I only want your hands on me.”
He wastes no time, leaning down and bringing his lips to mine in a desperate kiss. His lips brush against mine, moaning into my mouth when his tongue wraps around mine. This kiss is fast and punishing. It’s so good. It’s always so good.
“You taste like beer,” he mumbles against my lips.
“Fuck. I’m sorry.” I pull back, remembering how he told me he doesn’t drink. But he keeps his hold on me, shaking his head.
“I don’t care,” he says, leaning into me. “Don’t stop kissing me.”
His hands drift down to cup my ass, pushing me against him until I gasp into his mouth when I feel every hard inch of him pressed against me. “You can still feel me inside of you, can’t you?” he murmurs against my skin.
God yes. He’s so long and thick, I still feel him days after we sleep together. I bump my hips up, grazing against the thick bulge in his pants. He groans, pulling back and dropping his forehead on mine. “Leila,” he whispers. “I don’t think I can wait until tonight.”
I laugh, taking a breath and pat him on his chest. “Not going to happen tonight, buddy.” I don’t miss the way he narrows his eyes at the term. “I have to get back to Gabi. She’s probably already wasted by now.”
He tips his head back, sighing when I untangle myself from him, turning around and fixing my hair in the mirror. “And I don’t have a condom.”
He exhales, wiping a hand down his face. “Me neither.”
“Tomorrow?” I ask him, looking behind my shoulder.
He smiles, wrapping his hands around my waist from behind. “Whenever you want,” he whispers, pulling my hair to the side and pressing his lips to my neck.
We both jump at the knocking on the door and I turn to look at him, our eyes wide as we untangle ourselves and fix our clothes.
I quickly unlock the door and open it without thinking, seeing Gabi on the other side. Her shoulders drop, a relieved sigh coming from her. “There you are. I’ve been looking for you. Why the hell was this locked?” And at the same time, the giant behind me approaches the door making Gabi’s eyes drift up. Her brows lift. “Oh.”
Shit. Another rule broken.
Gabi smiles, glances at me. “You ready to go or do you want to hang here?” Her eyes dip back to Aiden who still hasn’t said anything and is still right behind me.
“I’m ready to go,” I tell her. I head out of the bathroom and wrap my arm around hers. “What happened with that guy?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “I got the drinks,” she says. “But the guy was boring.”
I look behind my shoulder, spotting Aiden still in the same spot, his hands tucked in his jean pocket. He grins and mouths ‘tomorrow.’ I roll my eyes and turn my head back around, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth to try to stop the smile from blooming, but it’s too late. I’m already grinning like an idiot.
“Don’t worry,” Gabi whispers, nudging me. “I’ll keep your secret.”
