Forever Love: A Friends to Lovers Collections Read online

  He laughed. “I’ll pretend that doesn’t sting. I’m Ray. We had –”

  “Psychology and Biology together last year.” I decided to redeem myself.

  “Right. Ok, so I wasn’t completely invisible to you.”

  “Sorry, I’m really bad at names.” It had taken me weeks to memorize the names of all the girls in my sorority.

  “So you’re here for the summer too?”

  “Yeah, it seemed better than going home.”

  “I know the feeling.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “You’re really into music, right? You have that show on the radio.”

  “Yeah.” I smiled. I loved when people knew that. It was my one claim to fame on campus.

  “Cool. Maybe we could go listen to music sometime?”

  “Oh. Um.” Talk about awkward. How had this gone from a random discussion to him asking me out? I was so out of my element I didn’t know what to do.

  “Is that a yes?” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  “No. I’m kind of seeing someone.”

  “You have a boyfriend?” His voice was more suspicious than disappointed.

  “Not exactly, but it’s exclusive.”

  “Ok, if that doesn’t work out, let me know.” He frowned.

  “It’s going to work out.” I startled as Kyle looped a hand around my waist. “I wouldn’t waste your time waiting.”

  “Kyle? This is the guy you’re kind of seeing?” Ray asked.

  “Yes, you have a problem with that?” Kyle tightened his hold.

  “No, I’m just surprised. Remember what I said, Jade.” Ray walked off.

  “Uh, hi.” I couldn’t ignore my excitement at seeing Kyle again. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get him out of my head.

  Kyle turned me around so I was looking at him. “Was that guy bothering you?”

  “No. It’s fine. We had some classes together last year.”

  “You’re too irresistible for your own good. We’ve been back on campus a few hours and someone’s already asking you out. And there’s almost no one here.”

  “Maybe that’s why. The pickings are slim.” He didn’t need to paint me as some sort of guy magnet. I wasn’t at all.

  “You’d never be just a fall back.”

  “I never once had a date to a date party last year.” I wasn’t sure why I was admitting such an embarrassing detail, but I did. Kyle seemed to have a very warped view of me.

  “Only because you made yourself seem unapproachable.”

  “I did not.” I stepped back.

  “Did so. Why do you think I never asked you out?”

  “You were dating Abby.” I crossed my arms.

  “Only for a few months.” He held out his hands palm out.

  “You could have asked me out anytime.”

  “Don’t feel bad about not having dates by the way. I had to beg Cara to go as mine once.”

  “I remember that.”

  “I forget you girls tell each other everything.” He shook his head.

  “You should probably try to remember that from now on.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Mind if I finish lifting?” I adjusted the weight in my hand.

  “By all means. I’ll do the same.”

  “But then I can’t concentrate.”

  “Why not? I’m not going to bother you.”

  “I’ll end up staring at you.” Kyle was very distracting.

  “I’m not apologizing for that. It’s not like you’re only allowed to look.”

  “Stay a good distance away.”

  He laughed, and I went back to working out. I forced my eyes to stay on the weights, and before long I was done.

  Kyle strolled over. He was sweaty, and the sweat made him look even hotter. “Feel like saving water?”

  “Saving water?”

  “Yeah, we both need to shower…”

  “I’m not going over to your place to shower.” Not that it sounded bad, I just needed to ease my way back to normalcy. Besides, showering at his place with Savy around felt weird.

  “I had to try.” He grinned.

  I attempted to calm my racing heart. “No you didn’t, but I give you points for trying to tie it into an environmental issue.”

  “Trying to? I completely succeeded.”

  “Are you two already arguing like an old married couple?” Glen walked over shaking his head. “I thought that was going to take at least a few more weeks.”

  “Nice to see you too, Glen.” I pretended to pout. I hadn’t known Glen for long, but I’d liked him immediately. He was such an easy guy to get along with, and he was perfect for Savy.

  “I’m glad to see that Savy didn’t kill you with all her questions.”

  “She actually went pretty easy on me.”

  “Probably because she spent all week asking me questions I couldn’t possibly answer.”

  “I’m sure you survived.”

  “I did. I’m still loving the whole non-long distance thing.” He grinned.

  “I bet.” Savy and Glen had dated long distance for six months, and I had a feeling they’d never do it again.

  “You guys heading out already?”

  “I don’t know about him.” I pointed to Kyle. “But I am.”

  Kyle nodded. “I’m still trying to talk her into a shower, so I’m going too.”

  I nudged Kyle.

  “What? Now I can’t joke about sex?”

  “Not to other people,” I hissed.

  “It’s just Glen.”

  “So, he’s still a person.”

  Glen laughed. “See you later, guys.”

  I waved at Glen before heading down the stairs. I assumed Kyle would follow.

  “Mind if we push off your cooking lesson for the evening?” he asked.

  “Not at all.”

  “How’d I know you were going to say that?”

  I shrugged. “But what for?”

  “Glen wanted to grill, sounded good to me.”

  “Works well. Should we split to shower and then meet up at the station?”

  “Sounds good. Not the split to shower part, but the meeting up after.”

  I smiled. “I think you can handle showering alone.”

  “I’ll try my best.”

  We walked silently back toward my house. It was the first awkward silence we’d fallen into, and I hoped it wasn’t a sign of what was to come.

  Kyle stopped in front of my house. “Meet you at the station in a half hour?”

  “Can we make it forty-five?”

  “You never took long showers this week.”

  “But now I’m home.” I was looking forward to a long, hot shower.

  “Are you trying to tell me you were putting on a ‘low maintenance’ show for me?”

  “I guess you’ll have to wait to find out.” I ran up the steps to the house. I turned back before walking inside and smiled. He was still watching.

  Kyle

  I’d like to pretend that Ray hitting on Jade at the gym didn’t bother me, but it did. Ray was the kind of guy who wasn’t going to step down once he knew he had competition. He’d go after Jade just because he could, just like Dylan. An hour after arriving back on campus and things were already complicated. I needed more time alone with her.

  I was ten minutes early to meet Jade at the station. We’d filled the week with lots of pre-programmed sets and a few of my hosts who happened to be around for the summer. The station was empty when I walked inside.

  I walked past the table where Jade and I had discussed her wanting to try out random sex. It made me wonder once again about what she was thinking. Was that all our week was for her? It wasn’t like I was ready to commit to some long-term relationship either, but I wanted more than hook-ups. I couldn’t get a read on what she was really thinking.

  I’d left things even messier than usual with my dad and brother, but I didn’t plan on seeing them again until Thanksgiving. I hoped things would naturally settle d
own by then. Somehow Dylan harassing my girlfriend had been my fault because clearly both she and I had provoked it—my dad’s logic never ceased to amaze and annoy me.

  “Couldn’t wait for me?” Jade called from the doorway.

  I smiled. “It was all I could do to avoid breaking into the Delta Mu house to find you.”

  “Oh yeah? Miss me that much already?” She was wearing a short black skirt and a t-shirt. The skirt was a little bit dressier than her usual attire, and I wondered if she was wearing it for me. I hoped so.

  “Of course. I must have gotten used to the whole twenty-four hour thing.”

  “It was a fun week.” She closed the door behind her.

  “And next week can be just as fun.” I walked around the desk toward her.

  “Except it can’t be. I need to find a job.”

  “Don’t you have that work study one at the library?” I knew she didn’t love that position, but she also didn’t seem to mind it.

  “Yes, but that caps me at fifteen hours. I need something else.”

  “Well if you need a reference, you know you have one.”

  She laughed. “Says the guy I’m sleeping with.”

  I rested my hands in their favorite spot on her hips. “Which will make the reference that much more convincing.”

  “And completely useless because of the bias. I’ll try my luck without it.”

  “If you’re sure.” I ran my lips down her neck, stopping at her favorite spot.

  “I’m sure.” She moaned softly.

  “How was your shower?” I moved my lips to her ear.

  “Nice.” She wriggled against me. My touch was having exactly the effect I’d hoped for.

  “It could have been nicer.”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “Why not?” I looked right in her eyes. “We could fix that later.”

  “If I run out of hot water I might take you up on it.”

  “How about you take me up on another offer then?” The move I was about to make was risky, but I wanted her, and I needed her to see that we weren’t over just because the trip was.

  “Is this the kind of offer I’m going to like?” Her lips parted.

  “I hope so.” I grinned.

  “If it involves you and me, I’m going to like it.” She touched her neck where my lips had just been.

  “Remember when you joked about having sex on this desk?” I tapped the table top.

  “Yes, I remember that well.” Her face flushed slightly in that cute way of hers. “You said you’ve never done it.”

  I reached out and took her hand in mine. “Care to change that?”

  “I’d love to change that.”

  “Good.” I crushed my lips into hers, and she responded immediately. I deepened the kiss as she slipped her hand under my t-shirt.

  I broke the kiss long enough to remove both my t-shirt and hers.

  She glanced toward the closed door. “I didn’t have a chance to show you my adventurous side this week.” She slipped off her skirt, and kicked away her flip flops.

  “I guess you didn’t.” I took off my shoes.

  She unbuttoned my shorts and pulled them off me. “Now it’s your turn to get inventive and decide exactly how you want to do this.”

  “I can take care of that.” The first thing I took care of was her remaining clothes. I unhooked her bra and tossed it onto the growing pile of fabric. Next I pulled down her panties. She carefully stepped out of them while not so carefully pulling off my boxers.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “I already told you I’ve missed you.” My lips descended on her neck again while I slipped my hand between her legs. She was already so wet, so ready for me.

  She ran her hand up and down my back while her other hand slid between us. She took me in her hand. “I really missed you.”

  “Is that your way of telling me to hurry up?”

  “Yes,” she breathed against my ear.

  I didn’t need to be told twice. I dug a condom out of my wallet before placing her on the edge of the table. I positioned myself between her legs. We’d had sex so many times already, but this felt entirely different. We weren’t on vacation. We were back in the radio station, ready to have sex on my desk.

  She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I returned to my favorite place. She moaned softly as I moved inside her, needing all of her.

  “Kyle,” she called out my name as I continued my hard and deep movements. If she wanted sex on the desk she wasn’t looking for slow and gentle. Her nails dug into my back, and I slipped a hand underneath her to cup her ass and pull her body closer to me.

  I held on as long as I could before shuddering as I reached my release.

  I stayed inside her as we looked deep into each other’s eyes.

  “Welcome back.” She spoke with a straight face, but I could see the hint of a smile on her lips.

  “Shouldn’t I be welcoming you back? I am your boss.”

  “You can welcome me back another time.”

  I stepped back, and let her hop off the table. She got dressed while I stood staring at her.

  “Aren’t you going to get dressed?”

  “When I’m done watching you.” I’d never get tired of seeing her naked body.

  “Out of context that could sound skeevy.”

  “But since I just had myself buried inside you, I think it’s okay.”

  Her eyes widened. “That was open.”

  “Open? Isn’t it what I was doing?”

  “Yeah… but you don’t usually talk that way.” She clasped her bra and all I wanted to do was take it off again.

  “You’re bringing that side out of me I guess.” I pulled on my boxers.

  “I’ll have to decide how I feel about it.”

  “Meaning it turns you on, but you don’t want to admit it.”

  She pulled on her shirt. “Maybe.”

  I stepped into my jeans. “If you rather I didn’t talk that way I won’t.”

  “And that’s the Kyle I know.” She kissed me lightly on the lips.

  “I’ve never changed.”

  “No. I just get to see a different side of you now.” She ran her hands over my bare chest.

  “And I get to see a different side of you, although there’s more I’d like to see.”

  “What makes you think there’s more?” She pulled on her skirt and slipped into her flip flops. If anyone walked in now they’d have had no idea she’d been naked on my desk moments before.

  “It’s that look in your eyes you get sometimes.”

  “That look?” She laughed. “Very descriptive.”

  I shrugged. “I’m saying it like it is.”

  “Do you actually have stuff to do here today, or were you just stopping by?”

  “Why? Have any other good ideas?”

  “Because sex on your desk wasn’t enough?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Just checking.” I pulled on my t-shirt.

  “I’m asking because I’m hungry.”

  “We can leave.” I put on my shoes.

  “I can’t really believe we just did that.” She fidgeted with her t-shirt as though she were trying to get it to sit right.

  “And to think you were the one who originally came up with the idea.”

  “Yep, I’m the one with the dirty mind.”

  “It’s not dirty. It’s perfect.” I walked her to the front of the station and we stepped out. I pulled the door tightly and locked it.

  “At least it’s not as sordid as yours.” She laughed.

  “Let’s get some food.”

  “Sounds great.”

  I took her hand in mine as we headed back toward my apartment.

  * * *

  Jade had been over to my apartment plenty of times, but it felt completely different now. She wasn’t there to visit Savy or to talk about the station or her show. She was there for me.

  “You two are adorable.” Savy grinned at us as we sat drinking so
me wine after dinner.

  “Thanks.” I put an arm around Jade. I was already getting used to having her next to me—to being part of something that could be called adorable.

  “You’d think anything is adorable. You’re still on a Glen high.” Jade crossed her arms as she leaned into my side.

  “Don’t say that like it’s a bad thing.” Glen topped off my glass and set aside the empty bottle of red wine. He settled back down next to Savy on the love seat.

  “It’s not a bad thing, it’s a fact.”

  “Are you still going for that interview tomorrow night?” Savy looked at Jade.

  “Yeah. It could be a good job.”

  “Which interview?” She’d discussed looking for a job, but not where she was applying exactly.

  “Over at the Music Attic. Bryan thinks he can get me something.”

  “At the Music Attic? You want to work at a bar?” I tried to keep my voice level, but why didn’t she mention it to me? Had she been hiding it or something?

  “It’s more than a bar. It’s an awesome music venue, and I’d just be doing door work and stuff. I’m not old enough to serve or anything.”

  “Yeah, but you’re going to have to deal with loads of annoying drunk people.” I didn’t like the idea of her working in such a crazy environment. I knew she was tough, but some drunk guys could get dangerous.

  “But I’d get paid to listen to music.”

  “Want me to come with you?” I knew most of the people who worked there, so they probably wouldn’t mind me tagging along.

  “To the interview?” she turned to look at me.

  “Yeah. I’ll give you a ride or if you prefer I can walk you over.”

  “No thanks.” She pressed her lips together.

  “Why not?”

  “Because there’s no reason for it. I can get this job myself.”

  “I wasn’t implying you couldn’t. I thought you’d want the company.”

  “So you wanted to babysit or something?” She moved away.

  “Of course not. I thought you’d want me to come.”

  Glen laughed. “And you’re at it again. At least you’re getting used to the fighting now.”

  “Fighting is normal for new relationships.” Savy scooted to the edge of the love seat. “It’s natural.”

  “This isn’t a relationship.” Jade sighed.