Chapter 21 #2
“Sav,” I said, smooth as I could manage, “you look ready to ditch me. Thought you were supposed to be my plus-one tonight.”
Her eyes snapped to mine, sparks already dancing there. “Wow, is the great Dante Spence jealous?” She raised an eyebrow. “How will your ego survive the competition?”
Noah choked out a laugh, saw my glare, and muttered something about grabbing another drink before wandering off — smart man.
Now it was just me and her, the noise of the party a dull roar in the background. I leaned down, lowering my voice until it was meant only for her. “My ego’s not worried about competition.” I leaned closer, my lips brushing her ear. “You felt it yourself, I don’t have anything to worry about.”
Her lips parted, ready to fire back, but I could see it — the flicker in her eyes that said she wasn’t sure whether to shove me away or let me stay closer.
And God, I wanted closer.
“I wouldn’t be too sure,” she said, turning her head away. “He’s gorgeous,” she said with a small smile, her eyes following Noah.
“What the fuck?” I felt like she’d sucker punched me.
She nodded, sipping her water. “Have you seen him? He’s tall.
” She glanced at me. “Taller than you, that thick dark hair, those eyes, like warm chocolate, and those biceps . . . mmhmm, mmhmm. Tasty.” She licked her lips.
“I’ve only seen him twice without his football helmet on, you know.
Saturday and tonight. But yeah, not too shabby at all. ”
I forced a smile. “He’s gorgeous or he’s not too shabby? Make up your mind, Sav.”
She pretended to think about it. “You’re right. Shabby and him don’t belong in the same sentence.”
I nodded as I watched the crowd. “Good that you picked a side,” I murmured, finishing my soda.
Sav turned to face me, barely hiding her smile. “Did I finally shut the great Dante Spence up?” she teased.
“It takes more than you swooning over my roommate,” I assured her, even though I seriously doubted the honesty of my own words.
“Mmhmm.” She turned back, but she didn’t move away, leaning her back into me, and I curled my arm around her waist, pulling her into me more. She froze for a second and then relaxed.
“You picked my side?” I asked her, my lips brushing across her cheek.
“Seems I did.”
We watched the party, a few teammates came up and spoke, but I noticed both Dust and Noah lingered nearby, almost as if they were running defense on who got through their line to me. Or more likely, Sav.
“You want to get out of here?” I asked her quietly a while later, relieved when she nodded.
I took her hand, holding it firmly when she went to pull away, until her hesitation passed and she let me lead her across the floor. I didn’t need to speak to either of my roommates as we made our way to the door.
We’d barely lasted an hour. As the door closed behind me, she didn’t pull her hand away.
“Where to?” I asked softly.
“You want to walk me home?” she asked, not meeting my eyes.
“No.” I smiled when her surprised look met mine. “But I will.”
The rain had stopped, but it was still cool and overcast.
“I left the umbrella behind,” I said, keeping my voice light. “But my room is right upstairs, and I know you noticed — my roommates aren’t in.”
She hesitated for a second, the indecision clear in her eyes, before she looked up at the sky. “It does look like the rain isn’t that far away.” A quick glance at me, and she saw my nod. “Um . . . do you have coffee?”
“Yeah, we’re not savages, Savage.”
We walked up the stairs in silence. The tension stretched between us like a live wire.
By the time we reached my apartment, I wasn’t sure if I would make it a minute more without touching her.
The door pushed open, and I stood back to let her in. I heard her gasp and followed in, and frowned when I saw nothing out of place.
“What is it?” I asked her, shutting the door.
Savannah turned to glare at me. “This place is huge!”
“Um . . . okay?” I looked around. “Isn’t yours the same?” Was it? I’d never noticed, too busy looking at her.
Savannah gave me a look of such exasperation that I quickly hid my smile. “No. My God, you could fit my dorm in here twice.” She rolled her eyes as she took her jacket off. “Seriously, men and their complete misconception of size.”
I barked out a laugh, soaking in the sight of her in simple jeans and a T-shirt. “That’s a bit below the belt, no?” I walked forward and caught her, pulling her into my body. “Or was that your intention?”
She smiled up at me, and we stood there in the moment, just smiling at each other.
“Sav.” My voice was low, rough. Warning, plea, all tangled up.
Her answer wasn’t words. It was the way her chin lifted, daring me. The way she didn’t step back when I leaned down.
The kiss was supposed to be quick. Just a taste, something to shut myself up with. Instead, the second my mouth touched hers, it was wildfire — hungry, reckless, inevitable.
Her hands ran up my chest and hooked behind my neck.
She clutched at me like she’d been waiting as long as I had, fingers fisting in the hood of my sweater.
I walked us slowly to my room, opening the door, never breaking the kiss, and kicking the door shut without looking, my lips still on hers, her breath hot against my skin.
“Dante,” she whispered, half a protest, half a prayer.
“I’ll stop.” My forehead pressed to hers, breath ragged. “Say it, and I will.” It would fucking kill me, but I would.
She pulled my head back down, her lips on mine, and the kiss was harder, more desperate.
My hands slid to her waist, pulling her flush against me.
She gasped again, and I fought the groan.
My body pressed her back until she hit the edge of the bed, and then she broke away, staring at me with that wide-eyed panic like she couldn’t believe what we’d just started.
And God help me, I couldn’t either.
Her calves hit the mattress, and she toppled backward with a soft cry, bracing herself on her elbows. My chest heaved, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides like I was fighting myself harder than I’d ever fought anyone on the field.
“Sav . . .” My voice cracked. The sight of her like that — her ponytail over her shoulder, lips swollen from my kiss, her chest rising and falling too fast — was gasoline on the fire already burning through me.
I crawled over her slowly, bracing my weight on my hands so I didn’t crush her. Our eyes locked, her pupils blown wide. I was close enough to feel the heat of her breath, close enough to lose myself completely.
One brush of my mouth against hers, then another, slower this time, coaxing instead of demanding. Her hands slid up my arms, clutching my shoulders like she was holding me there, like she didn’t want me to stop.
The taste of her, the feel of her beneath me, had my control down to its last inch. I kissed her harder, hungrily, groaning when her body arched into mine. My hand found her hip, thumb grazing the curve of it, anchoring me when I felt like I was about to come undone.
“Dante,” she whispered, and the sound of her need rushed through me.
“Yeah.” My lips ghosted down her jaw, dragging heat across her skin. “Tell me now, Sav . . .”
But her answer was a shiver, a desperate sound in the back of her throat that didn’t sound like no.
I lowered myself until I was flush against her, the line between us gone, the kiss turning wild, consuming. My hand slid up from her hip, under her shirt, fingers curling into the band of her bra like I could pull her closer still.
In that moment, with the feel of her under me and her mouth moving against mine like she’d wanted this just as much, I knew — I was already too deep to pretend this was about just finding out what she knew.