University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (25 page)

“Damn, woman,” he laughed, lifting a
huge glass mug to his lips. “Where did you say you were from?”

“I didn’t.” I hopped off the bar stool
and just as I walked past him, he turned around.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.” He
held out his hand. “I’m Brian. Brian Levinson.”

“Nice to meet you, Brian.” I shook his
hand and noted the way his fingers caressed my skin. They were callused along
the palm but warm and gentle at the same time.

“I think you did the right thing.”

I eyed him for a moment, trying to place
his sincerity or lack thereof. “I did?”

“Yeah, if you’re not used to taking
tequila shots, then you don’t want to do one shot after another.”

Giggling, I tucked my hair behind my
ear. The alcohol kept my blood nice and warm and I liked how it soothed my
nerves. Maybe being single wasn’t so bad after all. The taste of freedom had me
begging for more. “Why? You think I’ll get drunk and pass out?”

“Lexi, let’s go.” Delaney grabbed my
hand and tried to pull me away.

“I’ll be over there in a minute.” I
pulled back, making her release my hand. Brian was damn cute and had one heck
of a body. But he was nothing compared to Raven. I sighed internally, wishing I
could get him out of my mind. She eyed me for a moment and when I didn’t budge,
she walked off with Shelby and Amber.

“That or it could make your clothes fall
off.” He winked and took another swig of his beer.

“What?” I was a little surprised by his
comment. Although I wasn’t that experienced when it came to guys, I knew he was
flirting with me. Hard. And, I liked it.

“Haven’t you heard that song…
Tequila
Makes Her Clothes Fall Off
?”

I shook my head. “Um, no.”

He shrugged. “It’s an old country song.”

“Oh.” I made a mental note to look it
up. “I don’t listen to country that often.”

He took another sip and said, “Can I get
you something to drink?”

“Umm…” I looked around for Delaney,
wishing I had gone with her. Recalling what she had said about taking drinks
from people I didn’t know, I knew I had to tell him no. I clasped my hands
together as the jitters set in, looking for the nearest exit. The kitchen was
jammed packed and he closed in on my personal space. “Well, that’s okay. I—”

“Relax. I won’t slip you anything, if
that’s what you’re thinkin’.”

Could I really trust a guy I didn’t even
know? He seemed really nice and against my better judgment, I allowed my
shoulders to relax. “Okay. I was drinking Malibu earlier.”

“I think I know where some is.” He
grabbed my hand and I flinched. I almost pulled away but reminded myself that
he was just being friendly.  I had no reason to panic or get overly excited. He
snaked through the crowd of people and led me further into the kitchen.

Opening a few cabinets, he rummaged
through them. The sleeve of his shirt inched up, revealing a blue shield with a
cross in the middle, with the Greek letters of Sigma and Chi underneath. His
muscles flexed and the letters danced, and I rolled my fingers against my leg
as if I were playing the piano. I was eager to strum them against his skin and
trace the outline of his tattoo. I shook my head, trying to ward off the
alcohol that fought to take control. I had to calm down, or I could end up in
deep shit by the end of the night.

 “Do you live here?”

“Huh?” He turned around. “Sorry, can’t
hear you over the music.”

“I said do you live here?”

“Found it.” He pulled out that white,
familiar bottle. “Yeah, this is our frat house.”

“Oh, I see.” I watched as he opened a
two-liter bottle of Coke and poured some in a red plastic cup. Then he added a
capful of Malibu and topped it off with ice.

“See. No drugs.” He handed me the cup
and I took it from him.

“Thanks.”

“So, do you go to PHU?” He leaned
against the counter and I noted his tight jeans and cowboy boots. Cowboys had
never really caught my attention, but this one was damn hot.

“Yes, I’m a senior.”

“Really?” His head retracted. “How come
I’ve never seen you around?”

I shrugged. “I guess because I was one
of those girls that focused on her school work.”

“Oh, I see. And what kind of girl are
you now?”

Holding on to my lower lip, I
contemplated how to respond. Brian was definitely hitting on me. “One that
wants to have a good time.” My answer escaped from my mouth with ease.

His baby blue eyes lit up and my warning
light came on. I ignored it, my curiosity getting the best of me. I was a free
woman and I wasn’t doing anything wrong, right?

 “Well, I can sure show you a good
time.” He leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear, “If you’ll let me.”

Oh hell.

“Do you want to dance?” I took a sip of
my drink and felt myself melting away with all that it promised.

 “Sure.” He grabbed my hand and led us
to the living room.

It was still crammed with sweaty people
dancing, but I managed to spot Delaney dancing with Amber and Shelby. I dragged
Brian to where they were and started gyrating my hips to the beat. He had a
quirky bounce when he moved, but I didn’t mind. I was eager to have a good time
and get to know him.

“Lexi!” Delaney shrieked as she threw
her arm around me. “Selfie time.” She snapped a shot of us and continued taking
pictures with everyone. I quickly reminded her not to post them on Facebook.
She assured me that she wouldn’t.

“Where’s Luke?” I hadn’t thought to ask
what she had told my brother.

Moving to the beat of the music, she
shrugged. “He totally thinks I’m home with my parents.”

“I know he’s your brother, but what a
dumb ass.” Shelby leaned between us and Delaney snapped another picture. “Like
this girl would miss this party.”

“Leave Luke alone,” Delaney pouted.
“He’s my dumb ass.”

I shook my head, feeling somewhat bad
that I had asked Delaney to lie to my brother. It was my fault that she was
there. I just hoped he didn’t find out.

One hour and two more drinks later,
Brian and I were still hanging out. I made a conscious effort to pace myself. I
didn’t want to get stupid drunk like Delaney had, but I also wanted to party.
So far, the end of my fall semester didn’t seem that bad. Determined to make
the most of it, I contemplated how far I would allow things to go between Brian
and me.

Brian chatted about his family’s real
estate business and I tried my best to act interested. The more he talked, the
more I realized I had nothing in common with him. But I didn’t care. I was
there to have a good time and if Brian was willing to show me that, I’d take
it.

As I feigned an attentive laugh, I
noticed Raven sitting on stool surrounded by a mob of women. I elbowed Delaney
but she was too busy chatting with a group of people. They were laughing and
flirting with him. If I had to guess, he had probably drenched his body in his
trap-catching cologne. The more I tried not to stare, the more I did. I wanted
to be the one that was flirting with him, not them.

“Excuse me, Brian. I need to go the
bathroom.”

“Yeah, sure. It’s down the hall and on
the right.” He pointed me in the right direction.

“Come with me.” I grabbed Delaney and
pulled her through the crowd, trying to keep a low profile. The last thing I
wanted was Raven to see us.

“Is everything okay?”

“Raven’s here.”

“Where?”

“Over there.” I pointed, keeping my
finger close to me. “Who the hell are all those women around him? They don’t
even look like they’re in college.” I eased around the post in the hallway,
trying to catch a better glimpse of the sex-starved banshees parading
themselves around him.

“That’s because they aren’t.” Delaney
yanked on my hand. “Come on, I have to pee and the line is probably long.”

“Go ahead.” I pushed her hand away. “I
want to hear what they’re saying. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Fine.” She trotted off and I moved
closer, eager to listen in on their conversation. He had a big smile on his
face and that familiar rush hit my veins. Clenching my teeth tightly, I forced
my mind to forget all the good times I had had with him. But like a magnet, he
tugged me in his direction.

Shit, I was still a victim in his trap!

But it was a trap I didn’t mind wrapping
myself in.

“Iris. I can’t do that.” He grinned and
gave a slight shake of his head.

“Oh yes, you can,” she said with a
Spanish accent as she flipped her long, black hair.

Bitch,
I
huffed under my breath as I anticipated his reply.

“Well, if you can’t do that with her,
then what about me?” I rose on the tips of my toes, trying to catch a better
glimpse. A lady with blondish-red hair pawed at Raven’s chest.

Those damn women have no shame.

“How about you just take all of us?” A
girl with short, dark hair adjusted her boobs and I nearly choked on my gum.

“I’ve never had five women in one
night.” Raven pressed his hands against his thighs and leaned forward. “But I
can try.”

“Hell, baby, you don’t have to do
anything. We’ll do all the work for you. All you need to do is just lay there,”
the next woman said, eyeing him like she was ready to attack him.

I covered my face with my hands and then
ran my fingers through my hair. Why did I fall for him? Raven was right, he
wasn’t good for me. He spelled disaster, but that only made me want to be with
him. I tucked my hair behind my ears and inhaled deeply. I had to get my shit
together. I took off down the hall toward the bathroom. Delaney was next in
line and I cut in front of her.

“So, what happened?”

“Those damn women are like freaking
vampires.” I seethed. “Ready to suck his blood.”

“I doubt they want to suck his blood.”
Delaney snickered. “More like his dick.”

I squeezed by eyes shut, trying to crush
the visual. Raven was not right for me. I didn’t want a guy that had
threesomes, let alone fivesomes. I wanted a guy that showed me attention and
showered me with affection. I thought Raven was that guy. Apparently, he
wasn’t. But I wanted him to be.

Badly.

“Shit, I need another drink.”

“Here, drink this.” Delaney shoved her
cup in my hand and I downed it.

“Holy shit, that was strong. What was
that?”

Delaney shrugged. “Hell if I know.”

After a quick bathroom trip, we returned
to the living room. I made a conscious effort to ignore Raven and his tramps. I
was there to have a good time and I wouldn’t allow him to ruin it for me. He
didn’t want to be with me. It sucked, but I had to move on with my life.

The room tilted but I managed to
maintain my footing, claiming the floor with each step I took. Shelby and Amber
danced on top of a coffee table, motioning for us to join them. Enjoying the
effects of the alcohol, I joined them. Shelby handed me her drink and I down
it, tossing the cup behind me. I froze when she embraced me from behind. After
several awkward seconds, I surrendered my better judgment and moved with her.
She ground against me, running her hands over my body. I had never dirty danced
with a girl before — or a guy, for that matter — but I kind of liked it. It
made me feel sexy, promiscuous, and daring. Brian spotted me and entered the
freak show.

I felt so brave, so free. I shimmied
against his body, sliding up and down his taut form to the beat of the music.
He turned me around and pressed his hips to mine, humping me from behind. My
heart beat faster and I realized that he had actually turned me on, and I liked
it. I rubbed my butt against his crotch, and I thrilled at the telltale
hardness through his jeans. At that point, there was no holding back, and I
added a little twerking action. He immediately grasped and squeezed my thighs,
inching up my dress.

As I danced without shame to the beat of
music, it dawned on me that I definitely had one less problem without Raven,
just like the song said. But as Brian ran his hands over me, I wished Raven had
felt me up instead. I reminded myself that I was the wiser one, but it was no
use. No matter how much I wanted to hate him, I couldn’t.

I wanted him.

I had to have him.

And I was willing to forget about
everything to be with him.

At that very moment, Raven looked up and
caught my gaze. I froze with my arms in mid-air, while Brian continued to grind
on me. In one swift move, Raven pushed through his groupies and headed toward
me. Before I could react, Raven grabbed and pulled me off the table.

“Put me down!” I kicked and screamed.

“Hey!” Brian yelled. He jumped off the
table and started in my direction, but he stopped when he did a double take. I
guess he didn’t want to mess with Raven. I’m not sure many guys were willing to
take on the PHU’s star quarterback, unless they enjoyed death threats.