“What?” His hand circled over my ribs and slipped under my bra before cupping my breast. I had a good idea what he was going to say, but I waited.
I loved waiting.
He murmured huskily, “I’m damned good in bed.”
His lips covered mine, and the past fled from my mind.
Everything fled, clothes included.
I was in my new dorm floor’s bathroom, getting ready for bed. It was later that night, around two in the morning, so it was technically the next day. Kristina and Casey came over and watched movies in the living room with Linde and the same group of friends. Shay and I joined after another hour spent in bed, and the whole night had been fun. Beer. Pizza. Movies. And laughter, lots of laughter. Linde’s friends, whoever they were, had been nice. A few of the girls gave me a dark look when Shay pulled me onto his lap, but some of their other roommates joined us and the girls were distracted in no time.
Shay drove us back. Casey left her car there since she and Kristina both had a few too many beers. They were in the room now, laughing about something on the computer, but I was actually tired. I grabbed my bathroom caddy and was finishing up when a girl came in.
She went down a few sinks from mine.
I gave her the hello smile when she first came in, but I hadn’t spoken. I felt her attention after a few seconds. She kept looking over, until she was done washing her hands. Then, she just stood there. Her face was turned toward me, her hands resting on the sink.
“You’re dating Shay Coleman.” She added, “You’re his girlfriend. You’re the one who got attacked last semester.”
I hadn’t been expecting that, but a feeling that I knew her took root in me.
Maybe?
There was nothing that stood out about her.
She was slender, hair that went past her shoulders, and brown eyes. Her eyes were set a little too far apart and her nose seemed a little too big for her face. She had thin lips.
I tried to remember . . .
“Have we met before?”
“No.”
Oh.
“Okay.” I swallowed over a lump. “What’s your name?”
“What’s yours?” She didn’t pause a beat. She came right back with that question, and she didn’t blink. She was looking at me like we were talking about the weather, but she didn’t care if a tornado was coming right for at us or not.
Something shifted in my stomach, a gut instinct. I clamped down on it. I didn’t need to make enemies on my first night in this dorm.
“I think you know my name.”
She narrowed her eyes for a split second before she broke out into a grin. “You’re right. I do. You’re Gage Clarke’s sister, too.”
People had been talking about me since my attack. It was known I was with Shay, and I knew people would include who my brother was in the gossip. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but this girl was coming at me in a different way.
She was being smug about knowing who I was, while I didn’t know her. That didn’t sit right with me.
“Well, aren’t you the busy bee, knowing all about me.” I turned to face her squarely, though I didn’t step toward her. I was content with the little bit of space there was between us, and the door was behind me. I’d swing it open and use it to clip her in the head if anything happened.
“What’d you say?”
“You heard me.” I folded my arms over my chest, still holding my toothbrush. “I can find out who you are, if that’s what you’re thinking. All I have to do is ask the floor advisor what girl would know all about me, who came a day earlier like we did. Something tells me she’d know exactly whom I was talking about.”
But I knew her. I couldn’t shake that feeling. I just didn’t know where from.
There was more, too. A feeling in my gut, like I should’ve been remembering something else.
I couldn’t place it.
Her lip curved up, breaking the oddly stone-facial expression into a grin. “I’m Phoebe, Cameron Brewski’s sister. I know Shay from high school.”
Another sideways punch. Okay. I didn’t know her. I would’ve remembered that tidbit. “Not what I was expecting you to say.”
She laughed. “I’m not here to start a fight. I was just letting you know that I know you in case you ever wanted to talk. I’m a few doors down from you and your roommates.”
“You’ve met my roommates?”
“I heard them. You guys were loud tonight.”
I flinched. “We woke you up.” I noticed her pajama pants and shirt, and how she wasn’t carrying a bathroom caddy, because she’d already been in bed. “I’m sorry about that.”
She shook her head. “It’s fine. I’d tell you to tell Shay hello for me, but that’d be pointless. He never knew who I was in school.”
“Uh.” I frowned. “I’m sure he did. I’ll tell him.”
She stood there for another second and then abruptly went into one of the bathroom stalls. I headed out and was walking back to the room when I heard her flush and the stall door open again. I could hear the squeak, but I was going in my room when I heard the bathroom door swing open.
Casey had Kristina in a headlock, both flushed in the face and sweating. They paused, looked at me, and nope. I wasn’t going there. I walked right past, put my caddy away, grabbed my phone, and crawled under the covers.
They resumed their wrestling so I put in two earplugs and texted Shay.
Me: I’m sleeping at your place tomorrow night.
Coleman: Okay. Going to sleep now?
Me: Yes.
Coleman: Wanna do some sexting?
I grinned.
Me: No. It’ll wake me up.
Coleman: You sure? I can take pictures.
Me: Don’t send me a di— Before I could finish my text, my phone buzzed, and a picture of a penis was right there. I finished my text, —ck. Is that yours?
I could envision him grinning.
Coleman: You think I have a file of other dick pics to send in an off-chance you’d ever ask for one?
Me: Yes.
Coleman: You know me so well, but what do you think? Mine’s better, right?
I grinned to myself, feeling the slight tension from meeting the girl fade away. Suddenly, the wrestling sounds weren’t as loud, and my bed was becoming comfier. I snuggled down, tucking the cover up over my chin.
Me: You know it is.
Coleman: Still don’t want to do some dirty sexting?
I laughed softly.
Me: Touch yourself.
Coleman: You first.
Me: I already am.
Coleman: You are? Pic?
I made a face.
Me: Gross. No.
Coleman: Okay. I have a good memory. I’m remembering right now.
Me: Still touching yourself?
Coleman: Wishing it were you.
I groaned, and my fingers moved lower on my stomach.
Me: Are you really touching yourself?
Coleman: Aren’t you?
I couldn’t believe I was doing this, but I pushed two fingers into me, between my folds, and bit down on my lip.
Me: I am now.
Coleman: Fuck.
I widened my eyes. That was all he was going to say?
Me: That’s it? Serious?
Coleman: I’m driving to pick you up right now. Get dressed.
I whelped, throwing back the covers. Lathering some antibacterial gel on, I hurried into some sweats and nabbed a sweatshirt. Socks and sneakers were next, and then I went into the front room. Kristina and Casey were on the couch, a bag of chips between them, and Fifty Shades of Grey on the television screen.
“Let me guess.” Casey pointed at me, a chip in hand. “Sexy times with your man?”
Kristina’s eyes were glazed.
She didn’t say anything, just reached for a handful of chips and stuffed them into her mouth.
“Is that okay? I’ll be here tomorrow night because of classes the next day, but we still have one day left.”
Casey waved me off, popping the chip into her mouth. “You have fun and tell us everything later. We’ll live vicariously through you.”
“Speak for yourself.” Kristina grabbed another handful of chips. “I have a man.”
Casey sighed. “You both have men. I hate you.”
They each waved as I left. Going to the back door, I texted Shay where I was, but it wasn’t long until headlights flashed over the building. His Jeep pulled into our parking lot and turned so the passenger’s door was facing me.