“Thank you,” I whisper.

  “Thank me later,” she says, her eyes still on the clock. “Go.”

  “Later?”

  “After the game. My place.”

  “Are you sure?” I ask, my heart still racing.

  “I’ll let you earn some extra credit.”

  I chuckle, clinging to her. “I knew you wouldn’t let me get away with that A-minus.”

  “I demand the best from all of my students,” she jokes.

  “I’ll be there.”

  “I know you will.” She gives me a little push. “Now, go. Kick some ass for me.”

  “You know I will,” I say.

  I toss the condom into the trash. I pull up my tights, fixing my uniform. The temptation to stay is too strong, so I focus on nothing but my next task.

  As I grab my helmet and open the door, I commit everything that just happened to memory. Her touch. Her taste. Her scent. The way her lips vibrate against mine as she laughs mid-kiss. All of it. Everything about this moment is mine and hers and no one else’s.

  Especially not Douglas fucking Floyd’s.

  I join the rest of my team as they make their way back onto the field.

  Junior comes up beside me. “You okay, John?” he asks.

  “Oh, yeah.” I nod as I slide my helmet on. “Couldn’t be better.”

  Victory has never felt so satisfying.

  Well, maybe it will feel better next month when we take that championship, but so far, this one is the best.

  I don’t want to jinx it, but the momentum is real. We’ve won every game this season, and we did it all without a famous football player coaching us. There’s no placebo effect happening here. Our team couldn’t be tighter or more focused. This is it. This is our year — especially with my good luck charm, Rose.

  I twist the shower nob, blasting myself with a bit of cold water because I’m getting a boner just thinking about it.

  We’re taking home a fucking championship this year.

  I step out of the shower into the surging locker room, positioning my towel so Little John doesn’t make an accidental appearance.

  “Hey, John.” Junior joins me at my locker and pulls a square white envelope from his bag. “For you.”

  I feign a gasp as I break the heart-shaped seal. “Oh, Junior, honey,” I coo. “It’s too early for Valentine’s.”

  He chuckles with rolling eyes as he throws his gym bag over his shoulder.

  I slide the card out and read it aloud. “You are invited by Junior Morgan and Alyssa Pierce to celebrate with them on their special day — November 7th?” I look at him. “Why so soon?”

  “Well, Alyssa took the fall semester off to take care of the baby,” he says.

  “Right.”

  “Which she absolutely loves doing, but she’s also bored as hell and has spent the last two months planning this wedding from top to bottom.”

  “I see.”

  “Anyway, she wants it over and done with before she comes back to school in the spring and what Alyssa wants, Alyssa gets, so November 7th.”

  “Makes sense.” I slide the invitation into my locker. “I’ll be there.”

  “It’s all happening at her dad’s house and we’re inviting the whole team so, it should be pretty casual and fun.”

  I laugh. “Doesn’t he hate you?”

  “Eh…” He winces. “I think he’s getting over the whole I knocked up his daughter thing…”

  “That’s good.”

  “And they’ve honestly never had that great of a relationship. This is his way of finally being there for her, and I’m not about to stand in the way of that.”

  “I guess it helps that his granddaughter is adorable.”

  He smiles. “Yeah. That helps, too.” He turns to leave but stops, tilting his head awkwardly at me. “Oh, also… make sure your plus one is…”

  “Classy?” I suggest. “Sophisticated?”

  “The term Alyssa used was not-whorish and — preferably — someone I haven’t slept with before.”

  “Ouch,” I say. “That’s a short list.”

  He blinks. “Yeah.”

  I wave a hand. “Don’t worry. This ain’t my first rodeo, man. I have the perfect girl in mind.”

  “Thanks, John.” He spins toward the door. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Junior.”

  A classy, sophisticated, not-whorish plus one? There’s only one option I can think of and she’s waiting for me to meet her at her place so I can fuck her brains out.

  It doesn’t get much classier than that in my book.

  I get dressed and rush out the doors, driven by one powerful, primal need.

  Rose.

  Northies pack the quad, but I navigate the crowd with my head down, eager to get out of here in one piece. I spot several teammates scattered around, each one surrounded by adoring sports fans. Last year, that was me and I loved every second.

  Not this year.

  This year, I have the best sports fan in the world by my side.

  “Where the hell are you going, Kirby?”

  I pause in the parking lot, tempted to just bolt for my car at the back of the lot, but Douglas catches up with me.

  “I have somewhere else to be,” I say.

  “Okay…” He slaps a hand on my shoulder. “I don’t mean to win your challenge for you, buddy, but the quad is full of hot, sexy ladies for you to choose from. This is Homecoming. Freshman and alumni, just sitting there waiting for you and you have somewhere else to be?”

  That’s right. I do.

  And you know what?

  Fuck it.

  “Actually, Douglas.” I hear the words fall off my tongue. “I’m out.”

  “You’re out?”

  I take a deep breath. “Yeah,” I say, feeling lighter than before. “I’m out.”

  “Out of rubbers?” he asks. “Because I’ll lend you one. Or two, if needed.”

  “No.” I shake my head. “The trifecta. I’m not completing it.”

  “Really?” He takes a step back. “Really?”

  “Congrats, man. You win.”

  He follows me. “Wow. Of all people, I never expected this challenge to be too much for you.”

  “It’s not,” I say. “This is more of a lack of interest than a defeat.”

  “Well, I’m shocked… and a little tickled.”

  I unlock my car. “Enjoy it, Douglas.”

  “I certainly will.”

  There’s a couple leaning against the car across from mine. I shake my head at the girl’s familiar face. Little Samantha Jaxx certainly doesn’t have trouble finding a plaything on Homecoming night. I look at the guy and pause, almost laughing at the ridiculous grin on his face.

  Damn, Dr. Zach. Have fun.

  I cast one last glance at Douglas Floyd’s stupid grin before speeding off through the parking lot.

  Yeah. Enjoy it, asshole. I don’t care anymore.

  Maybe now that his competition is gone, he’ll back off of Rose. But if he doesn’t, well…

  He’ll have to get through me first.

  CHAPTER 21

  ROSE

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  I set my pen down on the bed with an instant smile on my face.

  Not that I’ve been able to focus, anyway. The last of the ungraded quizzes just don’t come close to the excitement of the Homecoming game.

  It was incredible. One of the most shocking turnarounds I’ve seen in football in a long time. Even Daisy got excited. Unfortunately, she’s smart enough to have put the entire thing together and sent me a slew of texts proclaiming that my pussy was “magic.”

  I rush to open my door, but peek through the peephole first.

  John Kirby, the star halfback on everybody’s radar. He’s here, freshly showered and handsome as ever. All for me.

  Knock. Knock.

  I don’t open the door yet. I watch as he smirks and silently steps out of view.

  With a laugh, I jerk the door open and poke my head out into the hallway. “I knew you were going to do that,” I say.

  John doesn’t say a word. He steps forward and cups my face, drawing me in for a soft kiss while I guide him inside.

  I break the embrace and close the door. “I just have a few more quizzes to take care of,” I tell him, walking back to my room. “Then, I’m all yours.”

  “That’s all right.” He makes himself comfortable in my desk chair beside the bed. “I can wait.”

  I lie on my stomach and grab my red pen, easing back into teacher mode so I can get them out of the way to focus on John’s extra credit.

  I hear John stand up and his feet whisper across the floor. I feel the mattress sink near my ankles.

  “John,” I warn, peeking back at him.

  “Don’t mind me,” he says, lowering his lips to my feet. “You grade those quizzes.”

  I turn back around as his mouth pecks at my ankles. It takes all of my concentration not to melt in place, but I throw my focus on my work as he travels up my bare legs toward my shorts.

  He lays over me, sliding his fingers beneath the back of my shirt and his tongue tickles my lower back.

  “John…”

  “Shh,” he whispers. “Quizzes.”

  I laugh as my spine tingles with each kiss. My toes curl and my body twitches, utterly pulled away from any hope of getting this work done.

  John hooks my shorts and pulls them down to expose my ass. He bites at my flesh. I let out a quiet, irresistible moan.

  “Are you still grading?” he asks, his hot breath tickling my skin.

  “Yes,” I answer, dropping my pen. And my glasses.

  His tongue draws a line down my crack, firing sparks toward my knees. I push upward, raising my hips higher off the bed to give him access to all of me. I squirm on his tongue. He fucks me with it and I can barely contain the moans falling from my lips.

  “Thank you,” he says.

  I quiver. “For what?”

  He pushes my shirt upward. “You know why,” he says. “You gave me your body when I needed it most.”

  “Oh.” I bite my lip, tickled pink. “Yeah, I did.”

  He pulls my shirt over my head and I raise my arms, letting him strip me. “I want to return the favor.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  He leaves a kiss between my shoulder blades. “Anything you want,” he whispers.

  “Anything?”

  “My fingers. My tongue. My cock.” His breath tickles the back of my neck. “It’s all yours tonight, Darling.”

  I shiver as goose bumps spread across my skin. “Is that right?”

  “Tell me.” His voice is deep. “What do you want?”

  Desire tingles through my body, but my mind goes blank. I can make him do anything — anything — and I’ve got nothing? No kinky fantasy? No taboo roleplay? Nothing?

  “Rose?”

  “Yeah, I’m thinking,” I squeak.

  John laughs, his mouth barely leaving my skin. “You can have my tongue again while you think about it.”

  I tilt my head. “Okay, yeah. That sounds good.”

  He kisses down my spine. I angle my hips again, spreading my knees to give him room. Suddenly, he pushes me up higher and I feel his head and shoulders thrust beneath me.

  “John—!” I gasp, his mouth crushed against my groin.

  He sucks on my clit, and all resistance melts away. I hover on his face, swept away by the vicious assault of his tongue. I tremble and shake, partially worried about his ability to breathe, but if he hasn’t passed out yet, then he probably won’t. I think.

  Wait, what am I supposed to be thinking about?

  Ah, fuck it.

  I grind on his nose, his mouth, and his chin. He cups my rear and thighs, pulling me even closer than I thought possible. His tongue refuses to yield, even after I’m mewling and shaking in orgasm with his head crushed between my thighs.

  “John, stop—” I laugh, choking. “Stop, stop!”

  He releases me, rolling over onto his stomach as I fall onto my back. While I twitch in ecstasy, I purr in satisfaction as he leaves a trail of kisses from my navel to my breasts.

  “So, what did you come up with?” he asks before sucking on my taut nipple.

  “Uh…” I chortle. “Still thinking it over.”

  John grins. Silently, he continues kissing me. My chest. My arms. My neck. Back down to my breasts. My belly. My hips. Back between my legs. He licks wetness off the freckles along my inner thigh before laving my clit.

  I close my eyes, letting passion wash over me again.

  “Rose,” he whispers.

  “Hm?” I ask.

  “Go out with me tomorrow night.”

  I snap my eyes open. “Out with you, out with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “On the date?”

  “Yes.”

  “On a school night?”

  He squints, amused. “How old are you again?”

  I sit up, feeling a rush of blood to my head as he abandons my clit. “You want to go out on a date with me tomorrow night?”

  “Is that bad?” he asks with a smile.

  “No,” I say. “Not bad, but—”

  “Then go out with me.” He kisses my belly again. “It’ll be fun.”

  “Where?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “A public surprise?” I ask. “With people seeing us together and stuff?”

  “No. We’ll keep it private.”

  “How?”

  He smiles wider, shifting down again. “It’s a surprise.”

  I place a hand on his forehead, stopping him. “Like a casual surprise? A formal surprise? What do I need to wear?”

  “Casual. In fact…” He pushes against my hand, drawing close enough to kiss my mound. “You probably won’t be wearing clothes for long at all.”

  “Are we going swimming?”

  He raises his head. “No.”

  I laugh. “I’m kidding.”

  “Okay, that’s it—”

  John grabs my thighs and pulls me in, clamping his lips around my clit. I laugh and moan, the sensitive bud on the verge of exploding again.

  “Have you decided what you want?” he asks, nibbling my thigh.

  I hum as a new desire teases my thoughts. “You can finger me while you do that,” I say.

  John smiles. “Yes, ma’am.”

  He slides a finger into my pussy, and I quiver.

  “Not there,” I say.

  His brow rises. “Oh, I like you,” he says, pulling out and pushing his wet finger down. “I like you a lot, Ms. Hawthorne.”

  He slides his finger into my ass.

  I grip his hair, guiding his mouth back to my clit with a smile.

  “Such a good student, Johnny,” I say, moments away from coming again.

  CHAPTER 22

  JOHN

  There are plenty of options for private dates with Rose Hawthorne.

  A swanky hotel. A nice B&B in the suburbs.

  But neither of those are as impressive as taking a girl for a ride in the legendary Junior-mobile.

  Sure, it’s not much to look at on the outside. Just a crappy mini-van Junior picked up at some used car lot, but stripping out the backseats and putting in a mattress was a stroke of pure genius. Everyone on campus knew what it was, who owned it, and, naturally, not to come knocking if they ever saw it rocking.

  Then, Junior met Alyssa and officially passed it on to his former roommate, Ty Fisher.

  I park on the street outside of Ty and Grant’s place, casually eying the van sitting in the driveway as I climb onto the porch to knock on the door.

  The door opens, and Ty smiles at me. “Hey, John. What’s up?”

  “I need to borrow your sex van.”

  He tilts his head. “My what?”

  “The Junior-mobile.” I point at it over my shoulder. “Let me borrow it. You can use my car.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yeah, tonight.”

  “For what?”

  I blink. “It’s a sex van.”

  He shrugs. “Fair enough.”

  Grant struts into the entryway, drawn toward our voices. “Oh, hello there, Johnny,” he says, joining Ty in the doorway. “What brings you here on this glorious Sunday afternoon?”

  Ty smirks. “He wants to borrow the van.”

  I cringe as Grant’s eyes grow wide, like a toddler trapped in a room with a giant cake.

  “Who’s the lucky lady?” he asks me.

  “I can’t say,” I answer.

  “You don’t know?” Ty asks.

  “No, I do. It’s just a secret.”

  They both squint at each other before their lips curl.

  I shake my head. “It’s not a guy.”

  “Uh-huh…” Ty hums.

  Grant nudges his ribs. “Now, now. Let’s cut Johnny some slack. He’s having an identity crisis.”

  “I’m not—” I drop it. “May I please borrow the van?”

  Ty reaches for the hook by the door and slips the keys free. “The rules are simple. Fill up the tank and clean the sheets before returning it.”

  “Thank you.”

  He nods, flashing a wink at me as he drops the keys into my open palm. I hand my keys to him in exchange. “Be safe, Johnny.”

  “Yeah,” Grant adds. “Arrive alive.”

  I glance between the two of them before taking a step back and retreating off the porch.

  Okay. I’ve got the ride.

  Now, I need a venue.

  I drive the van back to campus, cutting through a few parking lots to bypass traffic on the way to Greek Row. While it’s impressive, the Junior-mobile isn’t enough for what I have in mind.

  I want tonight to be special, too.

  And I know just the sexy, rich, entitled man who can help with that.

  I park in front of the Delta Xi house and take the stairs two at a time to the third floor. His door is open, thankfully. I knock twice on the frame and peek inside, finding him sitting at his desk by the wall.

  “Hey, Drew,” I say. “I need to cash in that favor.”

  Drew Rose raises his head from his book with a cocked brow, intrigued.

  “Hey, Jo—”

  Rose stops mid-name as she spots the black blindfold in my hands.