The breakup plan, p.3
The Breakup Plan, page 3
Savannah’s tongue darts out to smudge her lips with moisture before she gives Gray a wounded look. “Of course, it was!” She waves her hand behind her. “Someone pushed me.”
I snort.
Likely story.
With a sweet smile on her lips, Savannah says, “Maybe you should run along and change. You’re beginning to smell.” She gives me a little wave with her fingers. “Tootles!”
Ignoring Savannah, Gray turns to me. “Don’t worry about it. I have a solution.”
The last thing I want to do is admit defeat, but Savannah’s right. I need to go home and get out of these wet clothes. Not only do I smell gross, but I feel nasty as well. “I’m leaving.”
“Nope, that’s not necessary.” Without further explanation, Gray whips his T-shirt over his head, revealing a ripped chest.
Distracted from my own predicament, my eyes slowly lick over his sculpted pecs. And perfectly cut abs. His jeans sit low on his hips showing off a chiseled V. There’s not an ounce of fat on this guy.
The noise of the party fades as I have my own private moment over here. His body is seriously amazing. And yes, it’s a painful admittance.
“See something you like?” Humor simmers in his deep voice.
Those words have me blinking out of my Gray-induced trance and I wince at being caught staring so blatantly. Even though the damage has been done, I drag my eyes from the sexy ridges of his body to meet his gaze.
Of course, he’s grinning from ear-to-ear.
I fight the heat that rises to my cheeks. “Nope, not at all.” I’m lying through my teeth and by the smirk on his face, he’s aware of it as well. I don’t know what’s worse. Being caught ogling Gray McNichols or standing at this party with a wet shirt plastered against my breasts. I’m tempted to bury my face in my hands, but I need to brazen out this situation or I’ll never live it down.
Gray will make certain of it.
“Take it all off, McNichols!” a girl hollers amongst all the whistles and catcalls that fill the air.
“Yeah, don’t leave us hanging, we want to see more skin!” another female voice yells over the thumping beat of the music.
More lewd suggestions follow but Gray doesn’t seem bothered by the comments. Instead, his eyes are pinned to mine. It’s like we’re the only two people in the room. An unwanted flutter fills my belly as I gulp down my rising panic.
Everyone is staring at us.
Actually, they’re ogling Gray.
Maybe I should thank him for that. He’s taken the spotlight off me. Was that his intention all along?
I jerk my thumb over my shoulder. “I’m just going to—”
Before I can finish the sentence, he grabs the hem of my shirt and drags it up my body.
For one stunned moment, I allow him to do it until my reflexes kick in. Then I struggle against his movements. “What the hell are you—”
The rest of the words get cut off as the sopping wet shirt is wrestled over my head. I bat at Gray’s hands, but it doesn’t do any good. He rips the shirt from my body, leaving me exposed.
My mouth falls open and I screech in outrage. As soon as my arms spring up to cover my chest, he whips his dry shirt over my head and yanks it down my torso so that I’m once again covered. I slip my arms through the holes and stare at him in shock.
“Problem solved. No more wet T-shirt contest.” He gives me a sly wink. “Although, I’m not going to lie, I like the wet T-shirt look on you.”
What the hell just happened?
I shake my head, unsure what to say. “I don’t…”
His grin widens and his dimples pop. “A simple thank you will suffice for the time being.”
“Thanks,” I mumble, shifting my weight.
His smile morphs into a knowing smirk. There’s a twinkle in his eyes. “Was that really so difficult?”
“Ummm, kind of.”
“Yeah,” he agrees with a chuckle. “I bet it was.”
“Gray,” Savannah whines, clearly trying to win back his attention.
“I’m going to take Whitney to the kitchen for a drink. I’d say she’s owed one after what just happened.”
“You are?” I ask.
Nope, that’s not a good idea. I need to find Katelyn and get the hell out of here before anything else happens and I’m not able to show my face around campus. This evening has just begun, and I’ve already reached my limit.
“Yup, I am.” Gray doesn’t give me time to argue. Instead, he grabs my hand and tows me to the back of the house. The crowd parts like the Red Sea for him. The power this guy wields is almost impressive. “Tell you what, Winters, you’ve had a rough night, so I’m going to buy you that drink.”
“Isn’t the beer free?”
“Maybe.” He throws a glance over his shoulder and the muscles of my belly clench. “But that sounded way more chivalrous, didn’t it?”
“Sure,” I snort. Chivalrous isn’t exactly a descriptor I’d use to describe Gray.
More like cocky.
Or egotistical.
How about aggravating?
We could always go with womanizing.
And those are just a few off the top of my head.
But chivalrous?
Not so much.
As he leads me to the kitchen, I can’t help but think that this situation has disaster written all over it.
The two of us having a drink together?
Getting chummy?
Warning bells go off in my head. I try tugging my fingers from his, but it’s impossible to break free. Gray stops and swings around to face me. His blue gaze pierces mine.
“I appreciate what you did back there, but I’m going to head out.”
His hand tightens around mine as he cocks his head. “Come on, Winters. You’ve got time for one drink. Chill out and have a little fun for once.”
I frown at the implication. “I do have fun.” Lots of it. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you I’m a load of laughs.
“Great. Then we can have a little fun together.” He pulls me closer. “Doesn’t that sound like a good idea?”
No. What it sounds like is impending doom.
Unsure what to do, I gnaw my lower lip.
One drink…Then I can find Katelyn and get out of here. Hopefully she and Evert are still hitting it off. If that’s the case, then my run-in with Gray and Savannah will have been worth it.
This is me taking one for the team. Katelyn better appreciate it.
“Okay,” I relent. “One drink and then I’m out of here.”
His lips lift into a smile and a flare of attraction leaps to life in my core. No matter how much I try to douse it, it’s impossible to stomp out completely.
It’s just one drink.
What’s the worst that can happen?
Chapter Five
Gray
I crack open an eye and stretch lazily. As I do, I realize there’s a warm body snuggled up against my side. One long leg has been thrown over mine.
Hello there morning wood. Nice of you to make an appearance.
It’s certainly not unheard-of for me to wake up with a random chick in my bed. Although it doesn’t happen nearly as often as it used to. I wrack my brain, trying to recall who the lucky lady is.
It goes without saying that I most likely rocked her world.
Unfortunately, everything from last night is a little murky. I rewind the evening to the beginning. The first thing I remember is Savannah running her hands over my chest. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Then Whitney made an unexpected appearance. I wince thinking about Savannah dumping her beer down the front of Whitney’s shirt. Those pert little nips had stiffened right up, making my mouth water.
And I sure as hell wasn’t going to let anyone else ogle her. So, I’d whipped off my shirt, then hers, before sliding mine over her delectable body. She’d tried escaping at that point, but I’d talked her into staying for one drink.
Which turned into two.
Then three.
Christ…didn’t we down a couple of tequila shots?
And I seem to recall us playing a game of cups.
The last person I remember being with is—drumroll please—Whitney.
All the muzziness clouding my brain disappears. Suddenly, I’m wide awake.
There is no way in hell that—
I turn my head and inhale a sharp breath as I come face-to-face with the girl I’ve spent three years thinking about.
Fuck.
How the hell did we end up in bed together?
Did we…
I scrub a hand down my face as my mind races, needing to piece together the rest of the evening. Sure, I’ve been trying to talk Whitney back into my bed for a while now, but there’s no way I’d knock boots with a girl who’s too inebriated to know what she’s doing. And Whitney had been feeling no pain by three o’clock in the morning.
Carefully, so as not to wake her, I grab the edge of the blanket and peek beneath it. A pair of sunny-side up titties greet me. Damn, but they’re perky as hell. I’m tempted to reach out and stroke her pretty little nipples, but I resist the temptation.
If Whitney wakes up and finds me groping her, she’s liable to go all Loraina Bobbitt on me and cut off my junk. Hell, if I hadn’t stepped in last night with Savannah, I think Whitney would have slugged her. That girl can give as good as she gets.
You have to admire her spirit.
Lord knows I do.
Amongst other attributes. Like those gorgeous titties hiding under the comforter.
I’m certainly not in any rush to finish my perusal. How else am I going to crack this case? My gaze flicks down her lithe body, touching on all that naked skin. The semi I’ve been rocking becomes full-fledged as they land on an itty-bitty, teeny-weeny polka dot pair of panties.
I collapse against the mattress with relief.
The case has now been closed. I’m fairly confident that if we’d had sex last night, she’d be buck ass naked.
This situation isn’t nearly as bad as I first suspected.
That being said, Whitney is going to flip her lid when she wakes up and realizes that she’s practically naked in my bed. This is the last place she’d ever want to find herself. A smile spreads across my face as an idea takes shape. Unable to resist toying with her, I lean over until my lips can brush across hers.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
I groan, wishing I could do this all day long.
After a moment, she stirs, making a sexy little noise and stretching her body. Her nipples pebble as one breast brushes against my ribs. Unable to suppress my response, a growl rumbles up from my chest. Her dark lashes flutter and she focuses her gaze on my grinning face.
She stills as her eyes widen to the point of popping out of her head. I see the exact moment it dawns on her where she is.
I want to chuckle at the horror-filled expression that morphs across her face. Instead I say, “Morning, sunshine. You sleep well?” I wink, acting like this situation is an everyday occurrence. “I sure did.”
Whitney shakes her head as if to clear it. Or, more than likely, erase the image of me hovering over her.
Sorry sweetheart, that ain’t going to happen.
“What the hell?” she mumbles, glancing around wildly as she rubs her eyes.
As difficult as it is to keep a straight face, I don’t allow the smile to break free. Although, I’m dying inside. “I hope that expression doesn’t mean you’re already regretting what happened last night.”
She squeezes her eyes tightly shut as if trying to block out the implication of those words. “Please,” she groans. “Tell me that we didn’t sleep together.”
“Oh, you bet your sweet ass we did.” I chuckle and smack a kiss against her lips. “For the record, you were a real wildcat in the sack. So much better than I remember.”
Her eyes fly open and her mouth forms the perfect O. “No.”
The word is choked and garbled sounding.
I nod and unleash a wicked grin. “Oh yeah, baby. And trust me when I say it was a pleasant surprise to find that you were into anal.” I waggle my brows and leer. “Me likey.”
The color filling her cheeks drains away as Whitney stares in shock. “You’re lying,” she whispers.
My guess is that she damn well hopes I am.
“How’s that backdoor feeling? I made sure to lube us both up real good.” I press my pointer finger and thumb together and make an okay sign with my right hand. Then I click my tongue and give her a lewd wink.
Whitney shakes her head furiously back and forth. Her mouth opens and closes like a dying fish gasping for its last breath. Her espresso-colored eyes go a little wild. Any moment, she’s going to have a total freak out.
Normally, I wouldn’t find that gaping expression attractive on a girl, but this is Whitney Winters we’re talking about. Nearly everything she does turns me on. I’m probably enjoying this a little more than I should. There aren’t many times I’ve been able to get something over on her.
Before I can continue with the lie, she throws off the covers and rolls to the side of the bed, hitting the carpeted floor with a loud thump. Laughter bubbles up inside me. I’m not going to be able to hold it back much longer. I peek over the edge of the mattress to see her scrambling backwards as if she’s trying to put as much distance between us as she can.
Desperation fills her eyes. “No, no, no! This can’t be happening,” she mumbles more to herself than me. “There’s no way I slept with you. I wouldn’t do that. Not again.”
As tempted as I am to keep running with this, I decide to pull the plug and put Whitney out of her misery before she loses it. “Chill out,” I chuckle. “I’m just pulling your leg. We didn’t do anything last night.” I point to her pink panties. “You’re still wearing underwear. And trust me, if we’d fucked, you’d be waking up naked in my bed.”
A loud gasp falls from her lips as she jumps to her feet. She’s practically shaking with outrage. The killer glare I’ve grown to love over the years is now aimed in my direction. I don’t think any girl has ever looked at me with so much hostility.
It’s kind of hot.
All right, there’s no two ways about it, it’s sexy as hell.
“What!” she screeches at a decibel that could shatter glass. “You’re such an asshole!” Instead of being relieved that nothing happened, she glances wildly around the room. The moment her eyes land on the thick tomb of a textbook, she lunges for the nightstand and heaves it in my direction with all her might.
Incoming!
Thank God, I’ve got cat-like reflexes. I wouldn’t survive very long on the ice if I didn’t. I quickly roll to the side as it hits the pillow with a thud.
I blink.
Shit…that could have done permanent damage.
“I seriously hate you right now!” she growls as her hands tighten into fists.
I toss the covers back and get out of bed on the other side. A little separation seems like a damn fine idea right about now. It doesn’t occur to me that I’m not wearing a stitch of clothing until her eyes drop to my groin and her brows skyrocket across her forehead.
“You’re naked,” she accuses, pointing a finger at my junk.
That’s not usually the response I get. Most girls are more than happy to stare in awe (yeah, that’s right) or run their hands over me with giddiness.
But not this one.
I flex my biceps. “You’re looking at two hundred and twenty pounds of pure steel and sex appeal.” My lips bow suggestively at the corners. “You didn’t seem to mind too much last night. In fact, when I woke up, you were cuddled against me, grabbing my—”
“Please,” she hisses as color once again blooms in her cheeks.
For a chick so offended by my nudity, she certainly hasn’t ripped her gaze away from my lengthening erection. I’m so freaking hard right now that I could punch holes through the wall. Especially with the way she’s eating me up with her eyes.
Closing the distance between us is a terrible idea.
But that doesn’t stop me from stalking around the bed. Seeing my intent, her eyes widen as she scrambles backward until her calves hit the mattress and she collapses on it. I bend forward until I can hover over her nearly naked body.
Heat emanates off her in thick waves. The urge to press myself against her pounds through me. That I don’t give in to my body’s natural instinct is a testament to the willpower I have. All I want to do is run my hands over her and feel her melt under my touch.
With our gazes locked, I place a hand on either side of her head so that she’s caged in and can’t escape. Not that she’s trying. She remains completely still. All I have to do is close the inch gap between us and I’d feel her slender curves pressed against my hard lines. The breath catches at the back of her throat as my lips ghost over her parted ones. Unable to resist, I stroke my dick against her panty-clad pussy.
Fuuuuck…that feels good.
A little slice of heaven here on earth.
My jaw locks as I grit my teeth, holding myself in check so I don’t take this too far. God, but I want to bury my cock in her softness.
I groan as she tilts her pelvis toward me.
A whimper slides from her lips. “Gray…”
My control snaps as I continue rubbing myself against her. The movement is long and languid. I could do this all damn day. Except…if I don’t rein this in, I’m liable to come like a horny teenager.
How embarrassing would that be?
“Yeah, baby?” I growl.
“We can’t do this.”
I nip her lower lip with my teeth and gently suck the fullness into my mouth. Her body stills as energy crackles and snaps between us. I give her flesh one last tug before releasing it.
“Then maybe you should stop staring at my cock, because all you’re doing is giving me ideas.” Backing away is the last thing on my mind, but I don’t have any other choice. I’ve pushed far enough.
For now.
But I’m not finished with her by a long shot.
As soon as I step away, Whitney draws in a deep breath. Then she rolls off the side of the bed. Her feet hit the floor as her gaze flies around the room. Once she spies her clothing in the corner where it had been shed in the wee hours of the morning, she stumbles toward it.
