‘Why are you so nervous?’ Lyss snorted as she looked down at my tapping toes. ‘It’s not like you haven’t already seen him naked.’ I could feel my cheeks pinken at her words. I didn’t realize they were home last night and I may have been a little vocal. When I emerged from my room in the morning, Lyss and Laura were waiting in the kitchen with smirks on their faces and all kinds of questions.
‘Tell me Reign, does he have a six or eight pack?’ Laura asked from the kitchen, making herself a coffee while Lyss and I sat in the living room.
I ignored both of their questions, choosing to straighten out the crinkle in my paisley dress instead of making eye contact with either of them. Just because Devin has probably licked every inch of my body by now doesn’t mean I can’t be so nervous I feel like vomiting. He’s taking me out on an actual date. Not a one-night thing or a quick screw in his bed. He’s taking me out to get to know me. We’ve talked before and something shifted between us on the day he joined me to see my parents, but what if now that he’s caught me, he gets to know me and doesn’t like me? What if he tosses me away like a day-old fish?
I’ll never be able to thank him for joining me at the cemetery the other day, but what if now the cat and mouse games are through, he won’t like me? I’d be crushed.
The doorbell rang and I jumped off the sofa, mumbling something even I didn’t understand to the girls as I waved goodbye to them. I grabbed my purse and skipped to the front door, slowing down to a walk the closer I got, trying to act natural.
‘Hey darlin” His sexy southern accent drawled out as he stood there dripping hotness. His black t-shirt was just tight enough to emphasize his bulging arm muscles and the faded dark jeans hanging low on his hips made my mouth water. He rocked from the back of his heels to his toes as he flashed me a lopsided grin. ‘This is for you.’ He said smoothly as he handed me a single long stem rose.
I took it eagerly, feeling like a Bachelor contestant. ‘Thank you, Devin. It’s beautiful.’ I let the petals flutter across my cheek and when I opened my eyes, Devin’s hot gaze was on me. my panties dampened and I rubbed my thighs trying to ease the tension. ‘Am I dressed okay?’ I asked, looking down at my black converses and I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. When I finally looked back up, he was studying my outfit with a smile sprawled across his face.
‘You look gorgeous, Reign.’ He hardly ever called me by my name. Something about the way he rolled the R off his tongue sounded intimate. Like he wanted to take that R up to his room and spank it until it knows who was boss. I shook my head; I need to focus. ‘You always do. Although you have made it impossible to look at a bunny without thinking of you.”
I swatted his chest, giggling at the memory. From now on, I’ll keep my dress ups to the bedroom. As angry as I felt about it the other day, the fact that Lyss and Laura managed to get rid of most of the fallout, has helped me feel better about it. Everyone does something stupid in college. This was just my mistake and at least no one knows it was me. ‘How long did you know it was me under there?’ I asked, curious to know.
His eyebrow cocked, ‘Do you really want to know the answer to that?’ I nodded, he wrapped his arms around me, forcing my hands to the back of his neck as he kissed me just behind the ear. A tickling sensation ran down my collarbone. ‘The minute I saw that cute little birthmark on that tight little ass of yours, I knew it was you.’ He growled it out like he was annoyed I reminded him of it.
I turned my face to him, pecking his soft lips, basking in their softness as we held each other close. Why did it feel so right just being in his arms like this? ‘Now, are you ready for this date because if we talk any more about you in that bunny costume this will all end very quickly and I don’t just mean the date,’ He pulled out of our embrace, keeping one hand attached to my hip, so I could lean my body against his.
‘You slicked your hair back.’ I pointed out as he walked me to his car on his driveway. He immediately touched it, laughing nervously.
‘Thought I’d make an effort. This is the first date I’ve been on in three years’ I gave him a smile as he twiddled with the ends. My heart almost burst thinking that I’m the only girl he’s taken out while he’s been at college. ‘Is it okay?’ The tips of his ears went pink and it surprised me. I wondered if I made him as nervous as he made me.
‘I love it.’ I giggled as he opened his car door, helping me in. He palmed the seatbelt, dragging it over my body and taking his time as he leaned in to buckle the seatbelt. His musky cologne filled my senses and reminded me of all kinds of naughty things. He’s got that kind of smell that makes you want to jump in a pool and swim in it. As he moved back and out of the car, he planted a slow, sensual kiss on my lips, holding me there as he slipped a little tongue in. When he backed away with a grin, he slid into his side of the car knowing full well how hot he was making me with all the little light touches and strokes. I nearly considered calling off the date and dragging him to my room.
The ride was filled with idle chit chat about our days and how Devin finally cleared the air with Adam. By the end of their discussion, they were laughing about how stupid the whole thing was. I’m glad it worked out. The idea of getting in the middle of their friendship had me in knots so I was relieved that Devin forgave his friend so quickly.
He stopped the car and my brows furrowed as I looked at the building in front of me. Surely this isn’t where he’s taking me? It makes no sense. Why would he take me here? ‘You’ve taken me to a roller disco?’ I wondered out loud.
I looked over to him and he shrugged sheepishly. ‘I wanted to redo our first time meeting so I thought about what I would have done if we had arranged to go on an actual date instead of just hook up.’
My eyebrow cocked up. ‘You would have taken me to a roller disco?’
‘Not quite, but I couldn’t exactly take you out to a fancy dinner after you just went on a date with Adam the other night, could I?’ He ground out with a hint of humor on his face as he watched my reaction.
I groaned and covered my eyes in shame, sinking further into the leather. ‘Why did you have to mention it like that?! It wasn’t a date!’
He chuckled in amusement. ‘Are you sure? Adam’s been talking about it all day like it was a date. I got Reign a dozen roses. Oh, you only got her one. Reign loved the fancy French place I took her to. Oh, you didn’t know that she loves French food. I swear if I hadn’t just made up with him, I would have punched him out. Unless that was your plan all along? He paused for a moment, with a wry smile and a mischievous glint in his eyes. Tell me darlin, were you looking for a menage a trois? Is that how the French say it?” I mumbled a response, through my hands and shook my head, too mortified to meet his gaze. ‘Sorry darlin, you’re going to have to speak up.’
‘I thought it was you,’ I finally admit, throwing my hands onto my lap so I could stare at them.
His laugh was earthy and deep. ‘You thought Adam was me? I know you’ve been busy with your classes, but I think we might need to get you some glasses because the only thing Adam and I have in common is our height.’
I slid to the side to face Devin, leaning on the brown leather seats, I started to explain. ‘He left a note and a rose on my bed. I thought it was all too much like The Bachelor not to be you. That, and since you were the only one I’ve been with since I got here. I thought it could only be you. That’s why I dressed up.’ His eyes lit up at that confession.
‘If that’s the case, then why did you go on the date anyway?’ He narrowed his eyes, questioning me.
‘What was I supposed to do? I was all dressed up and he brought me flowers. Laura was sitting in the living room eavesdropping and she apparently helped him sneak in my room to leave a note and roses. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Adam’s a nice guy.’ I leave out the fact that I thought Devin was sleeping with his sister and in a desperate attempt to forget him, I thought going a date with his best friend might help. Yeah, not my finest hour of thought, but at least I learned something from the whole thing.
‘Yet you don’t mind hurting mine with your roller disco questions?’
‘You’ve got thicker skin.’ I laughed, grabbing his arm, and giving it a little pinch. That was a mistake. His muscles flexed underneath my palm and it heated my skin. I tore my hand away, pretending he wasn’t making me flustered. ‘You can handle it. Adam on the other hand, I think the honesty that early on would have broken him and we need him on the team next year.” I shrugged. “Anyway… You were telling me why you thought I’d like to go to a roller disco.’ I waved my hand, hoping we’d be able to move off the topic of Adam.
He huffed out a breath, ‘Yeah, so you’re going to have to forgive me. I didn’t have time to watch the entire back catalog of The Bachelor to figure out the kind of date you might like. It was either this or take you to Vista Point. This won out.’
‘Vista Point is a make-out spot.’
‘Exactly. I didn’t want you to think I only wanted you for your body.” His eyes dropped down, roaming my dress. “As much as I want your body, this means we can just hang out with no pressure.’ He turned the ignition off and leaned in close like he was going to tell me a secret. ‘But if you want to take advantage of me, I’m all for it.’ He whispered with a wink. He leaned forward, resting his hand on the door to the entrance of the disco. ‘Now, are you ready to teach a huge football player how to skate?’
‘Yes!’ I squealed, more excited than I thought I could be for this.
When my skates hit the wooden floor, I was instantly reminded of the last time I did this as a kid. My dad used to take me, something Devin didn’t know. He looked surprised when I spun on my heels, twirling perfectly in a spiral without falling. He just stood at the entrance to the rink, clutching the wall on either side of him as he tentatively took the first few steps onto the floor. I could tell he was cursing under his breath when little girls whizzed past him in their neon colors singing and dancing to the music with little to no effort.
He took an unbalanced step letting one hand go of the railing but then fumbled, grabbing the side of the wall again. I tried to stifle a laugh, but I couldn’t help it, watching this big, hot guy fumble around as children gracefully glided around him was too much. Finally, something he’s not perfect at. He stood on the side, clutching the wall so hard I could see the whites of his knuckles from here. I figured I should take pity and help him out.
I skated over and leaned my back against the railing, looking at Devin with a coy smile. It was dark, the flickering light of the disco ball was the only thing showing his face but I swear I could see his cheeks had ruddied in the ruckus. I leaned in closer to him, my lips just by his ear wanting to tease him the way he teased me back at the house. ‘Do you know how to skate, D?’ I asked, nipping his earlobe as I backed away.
He turned his face, eyes boring into mine, we’re nose to nose and he shakes his head instead of kissing me like I’d hoped. ‘If you didn’t know how to skate, why did you bring me here?’
Devin’s smile shone brightly under the neon lights. ‘Because I thought we could learn together. You know, I was expecting you to fall and I would be able to catch you. I’d somehow maneuver us so I was on my back with you on top. Then maybe you’d kiss me as a thank you.” As he outlined his fantasies, he looked back down at me with mock disgust. ‘Turns out, I brought a pro.’
I took his hand, ‘Alright D, let me teach you.’ I skated backward holding his hands while he watched his skates, almost tripping himself up. ‘Eyes up, watch me and trust your feet,’ I explained. He stood up taller, towering over me and taking my direction as we skated around the circle. He didn’t take his eyes off me, I felt like the only person in the room as we skated around, never once letting go of each other.
When he got comfortable, I decided to take it up a notch. Moving his hands to my hips, I turned around, so I was facing forward. His fingers gripped me tighter as I skated faster around the rink letting my skirt flow in the wind. Devin seemed to get tired of this position, following my lead for a short time until he wrapped his arms around me, guiding me to lean back on his chest and I let him confidently lead us around the rink with ease.
‘You picked that up fast.’ I said surprised. He lifted me up a few inches, just enough to make me squeal as he skated faster around the rink.
‘Did you expect anything less from an elite athlete?’ He asked as his skates glided against the wood and he nipped my collarbone from behind, pushing himself against me. I was getting hot and flustered in front of children. This was not good. Every time I pushed forward, he pulled me back, refusing to let me get away and I loved every second of it. The longer we skated, the quieter the rink got. Eventually it was just the two of us and a few other couples spinning around the floor.
As the country music played, Devin started singing along in my ear without a care in the world. He made me smile without even trying and it’s crazy to think he’s the same guy as the one I’d met in the bar the first night. I thought he was a lothario and just some hot guy to get Clay and Ally off my mind for the night. Somehow, he managed to creep into the crevices of my heart, filling those spaces up, making me whole. Melding old wounds that I didn’t know needed healing. He made me feel things that I wasn’t comfortable even thinking, let alone saying out loud. How could someone I’ve only known a couple of months change my world so drastically?
‘Do you want some ice cream?’ He asked me, his hands rubbing against my hips, reminding me of yesterday. I gave him a small nod, skating us over to the exit because I needed something to help cool me down.
As I sat on the sticky seats, Devin sat across from me, handing over a giant green ice cream cone. ‘I hope you like mint choc chip. It’s all they had left. Apparently, they were raided by a 12-year-olds birthday party before I got there.’
‘I’m in luck then.’ I smiled, grabbing the cone taking a few tentative licks. I stopped when I noticed Devin was watching me. ‘This is delicious.’ I purred, taking a long lick. I ignored the way his eyes tracked my tongue. Staring me down with a dazed look. ‘Thanks for bringing me here. I’ve had a really great time.’
It took a moment for him to catch my eyes because I swiped another lick of ice cream. ‘Do you think we could do this again?’ He asked with a sly smile. He liked that I was teasing him.
This time, I took my time licking around the ice cream, flicking it across the top, much like I did yesterday. ‘I’d really like that.’
Just as he was about to respond, his phone buzzed on the table. Instinctively, he snatched it and started reading the message. ‘Sorry, it’s my sister. She’s gained email privileges and she won’t stop sending me messages. I keep worrying it’s the facility telling me she’s escaped again.’
‘How’s she doing?’ I asked.
He nodded with a smile. ‘She’s doing great thanks. I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time. It’s only been a few weeks, but I can really see a difference in her.’ My heart aches seeing how much he cares for her. Devin’s a good guy, he would make an awesome brother. Chloe’s lucky to have him to help her through this. Hearing the way he talks about her makes me wish I had someone to share the good and bad times with. Maybe things would have been easier if I weren’t so alone. This is the first time I’ve really thought about how alone I am in the world now. What with no parents. My aunt has tried to call me a couple of times asking me about what happened, but I don’t have the heart to tell her about how her daughter betrayed me. Surely that’s something Ally should have to deal with, not me.
Ally was the closest thing I had to a sister. We grew up in different states, but I always felt a strong connection to her. I thought it would be easy living with her. Maybe it would even make things better. I was wrong though. She made it worse. Coming back home was the best decision I’ve made. Starting a new life with friends who don’t know me as the girl whose parents have died meant I went out. I did things I wouldn’t have done otherwise. I wasn’t treated with kid gloves and Devin brought out things in me, Clay was never capable of doing. He built my confidence, was my friend and supported me when I needed it. I wouldn’t admit this to him, but he was starting to feel like home. Like my safe space.
‘My mom’s a lot more relaxed too, she’d just worried about when I…’ he trailed off, looking at me like he just spilled the beans on a secret. his eyes darted down to the napkin he was playing with.
‘What’s she worried about?’ I encouraged.
He threw the napkin down, leaning back into the leather seat. His eyes still refused to meet mine. ‘Just, uh, I’m entering the draft next month and we don’t know where I’ll be after that.’ My heart dropped. It’s not like that was a secret or he lied to me. I knew his plan all along was to enter the draft early to help his family. I guess I kind of thought it would be further down the line in the summer or something. Not right now. Not when we’ve just started. The stark realization that we’re on borrowed time has become all too real for me and this conversation has suddenly become more serious than I think either one of us intended. Am I too attached to Devin already?
He grabbed my hand, forcing me back into the room and this conversation. ‘Just because I’m leaving doesn’t mean I don’t want to see where this goes between us.’ His hazel eyes are heavy as he tried to reassure me with a smile. I had to stop and think for a minute. Was this something I wanted to get myself into? Did I really want a long-distance relationship? ‘I really like you Reign. I haven’t pursued anyone except you since I came here because my end goal was always the Draft.’ He says it like that’s going to solve everything.
‘What do you think is going to happen to us when you’re gone?’ I asked calmly, hoping I wasn’t showing all of my cards. I may not have known him long, but this is the closest I’ve been to caring about someone since my parents. The idea of him leaving me now makes me queasy.
‘Well, I’ll be back here a lot to visit Choe until I can move her to a facility closer to my team.’ He stated. ‘And to visit you, if you’d let me?” I nodded and he shrugged. “Who knows, I could end up in a California team.’
‘Don’t you already know where you’re going? Teams have surely talked to you?’ My brows furrowed in confusion. I have no idea how any of this works.
He nodded. ‘They have expressed interest, but no one can make commitments because it’s all very strategic and depends on what the other teams do ahead of them. I know a couple of California teams have expressed interest, but so have a couple of teams in Las Vegas.’
But what if he’s drafted to a team across the country?
‘It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t mean I want you any less.’ I looked up surprised because I didn’t realize I’d said it out loud.
I backed my hands away, ‘This is crazy though. We’ve only known each other for a little over a month. This is our first date. We shouldn’t be talking about things like this. We’re getting ourselves too invested, too soon.” I thought that more for my benefit than his. If we get any deeper, Devin would be able to move on from this. Me, I’m not so sure.
‘Be my girlfriend.’ He blurted out with wide eyes. Almost as though he was as shocked saying it as I was hearing it. He goes with it though. He’s grabbed my hand, leaning closer to me over the table. ‘I don’t want another girl, Reign. Since the moment I laid eyes on you in that app. It’s only been you. This may be our first date, but it’s not what it feels like. You know me. I know you. We need each other.” He was pleading with his eyes, I remained silent, still not fully convinced. “I just want you to at least try with me.’
His eyes flit back and forth and when I don’t respond, he continues. ‘I’ll be spending the next few months just sorting out my new living arrangements and then I start preseason training in August. What are your plans this summer? My mouth moves, but no words come out. ‘If you wanted to, you could come and live with me. Just for the summer of course.” He clarified noting my wide eyed, shocked face. “You’ll need to come back here to finish up your degree obviously.’
He was rambling, thinking up a future for us before I’d even answered his first question. It was kind of cute, but I wasn’t there just yet. ‘Can I think about it?’
His face deflated hearing those words out of my mouth but he tried to hide it. ‘The summer thing? or the girlfriend thing?’
I shook my head, ‘The summer thing. I hadn’t planned anything further than transferring here and I just need a minute to adjust to all the changes in my life before I agree to another huge one.’
‘Sure, makes sense.’ He nodded, but then paused, ‘What about the girlfriend thing?’ He asked shyly.
I bit my bottom lip. I know what I want to say, but is it too soon? His eager eyes search mine and I don’t want to let him down. ‘Yes.’
‘Yes?’
‘Yes, I’d love to be your girlfriend,’ He pushed out of the booth crowding into my side, reminding me of the first time we met. He clasped my cheeks in his big paws, bringing me in for one of the most mind-blowing kisses I’ve ever had. It was the perfect way to end our first real date.
‘How did it go?’ Lyss asked, smiling from the sofa as I opened the door and leaned against it with a smile. I went to a dinky roller disco with kids everywhere, but the only thing I could focus on was Devin and how he made me feel. When we got back to our houses, we made out in his car for the better part of an hour. I loved every second of it.
After taking a moment, I opened my eyes and walked into the living room. ‘It was magical.’ I couldn’t get the grin off my face. ‘It was everything I could have asked for and more.’
Laura whistled out, adjusting to sit cross-legged on the couch. They’re both in plaid pajamas watching something on Netflix. ‘Oh, Reign’s got a crush.’ Laura teases. She clasped her hands together, ‘Can you take a picture of his abs or something. Just as a memento for me?’
I shook my head, ‘Nope, they’re all mine now.” I giggled, thinking about all the things I want to lick off them. “Anyway, I’m going to head up to bed. I’m exhausted.’ I took the steps two at a time, racing to my room. When I got there, my head instinctively swung to the window. Devin was leaning on the railing, waiting for me with a t-shirt and boxers on. He bit his lip, taking me in as though I hadn’t just spent the whole afternoon with him.
I met him at the window. ‘Hey darlin’,’ His hand reaches over the barrier to hold mine. ‘Where have you been?’ His lip quirked as he waited for my answer.
I folded my arms, leaning across the railing, knowing full well I was giving Devin a great view of my cleavage. His gaze flicked down and I heard a low rumble come from his chest. I looked up to the sky, acting innocent. ‘Oh, you know. I just went on a date with this really sweet, and hot guy.’
His head tilted, watching my every move. ‘Oh yeah?’ I nodded silently. ‘What’d you think?’
My hand trailed the top of the railing, I watched that instead of his reaction when I said, ‘I think the date was awesome and I can’t wait to see him again.’
The heat behind his eyes when I finally looked up was enough to melt my panties then and there. ‘I’m sure he’s looking forward to taking you out again too. In fact, I’m sure he’d love to show you just how much he enjoyed tonight.’
I couldn’t hide the smile now. He held his hand out to me as an invitation and I took it without a second thought. I stayed in his room and we spent the night making out like teenagers.
