Page 50 of Lords of the Campus

“Lucky,” Levi grumbles. I giggle and a strand of curls falls in my eyes. Levi reaches out and tucks it behind my ear, the contact sudden and unexpected.

A frisson of desire courses through me as our eyes lock, the tension nearly palpable. Even if I wasn’t supposed to be letting myself get drawn in by them again, my body doesn’t seem to have taken the memo.

I don’t know who reaches out first, but in an instant, Levi’s mouth is on mine and we’re kissing hungrily, tongues tangling in a passionate dance as our bodies press together, rising as our hands reach out, groping for our clothes.

Levi pushes my jacket off my shoulders and lifts my shirt over my head, staring at my body in wonder for a second. “I missed this,” he says in a voice so low that I barely hear it. His hands reach out, unclasping my bra and I’m naked from the waist up in front of him.

Not willing to be alone in this, I reach out and pull his sweater over his head, along with his shirt. “Your turn,” I say, moving forward to kiss him again, enjoying the way his skin feels against mine.

Levi’s got a softness to him, even when he’s touching me. Where Archer is all dominant, immediately putting me under his spell, Levi has a hypnotic quality that lures me in slowly. I can’t stop the way he draws me in, his soft smiles and gentle hands moving over my body, making me melt.

“Take me,” I breathe. “I want you. Please, take me, Levi.”

He nods, pulling my leggings down slowly, kissing up my legs as he works them down over my ankles and tosses them aside. His fingers tug my panties down and he relieves me of them the same way, kissing sensually up my legs until he’s right at the juncture of my thighs.

I spread my legs apart for him, uncertain what he might do, but when he kisses my pussy tenderly, I feel like I’m falling already. His tongue laps at me, delicate little licks that set off hot sparks inside me.

Arching my back, I let out a soundless cry, desperation rising. “I need you,” I whisper. “Please. I want you inside me.”

Levi pulls away, face shiny in the dim light from the kitchen that spills into the living room. “Lyric,” he whispers, his hand reaching out to cup my face. I close my eyes, leaning into his touch, a bubble of emotions is making me choke back tears as he pulls the rest of his clothes off and lines himself up, sinking into me slowly.

As our bodies connect, something white-hot erupts inside me, and the tears streak down my cheeks. Levi stills for a moment, concern on his face, but I brush the tears away and shake my head.

“Don’t stop,” I tell him. “I want this. Please, let me have this moment with you.”

He continues, hips rocking gently into mine on the dilapidated couch as we try to be quiet to keep from waking up my son. I don’t know how long it lasts, but it doesn’t seem to last long enough because before I realize it, I’m clenching around him as I come apart and he calls out my name softly, hips slowing to a stop as he releases inside me as well.

As we lie there together for a moment, it feels like maybe things can be different now. The boys have had their revenge. They’ve had their payback from me. Is it too much to hope that we can all move forward now, together?

I don’t know if I should get my hopes up, but I do know that I can’t seem to live without them in my life. At some point, I’m going to have to tell them the truth about Eli, but right now, I want to bask in the warmth of the connection that Levi and I just shared.

Because all I want right now is to soak up every last precious second I have with him in this calm, peaceful moment. Levi will have to leave soon and I’ll have to go back to being the nerdy outcast, the slutty bitch who sleeps with all the frat boys. But that can be tomorrow.

At the same time, hope blooms inside me that maybe tomorrow will be different. After tonight, I have to hope that things will be different.

29

ARCHER

The air is crisp with the promise of winter as I walk across campus. The holidays are coming, and with them, the annual fraternity competition to raise money for the toy drive. It's a tradition at Sterling Heights University, and every year, the Alpha Lambdas, win. However this year, the Sigma Thetas are putting on a hell of a show, having raised a ton of money already.

Normally, I'd be focused on crushing the competition, but my mind has been elsewhere lately. Things have started to shift with us and Lyric. There’s a tentative, fragile peace between us now.

I spot Levi and Zane already at our booth in the quad, trying to get donations for our booth at the fundraising event. A few Alpha Lambda brothers are helping, but my eyes are drawn to Lyric, who’s chatting with Levi. It’s strange seeing them so friendly, but it’s also… nice. I never thought I’d say that.

“Hey, Archer,” Zane calls out, waving me over. “We need to decide on the final setup. Lyric had a really good idea for how we can beat the Sigma’s.”

I walk over, trying to ignore the way my heart picks up when Lyric turns to me with a smile. “Let's hear them.”

She nods. “I was thinking we could set up a hot cocoa and coffee stand. Everyone loves hot cocoa, especially when it's cold like this. We can sell it for donations and have a spot for people to drop off toys.”

Levi grins. “That’s a great idea, Songbird. No one is going to turn down a warm drink when it’s this cold out.”

“On top of that, I hear the Sigma’s are trying to do some kind of kissing booth. People will be way more willing to pay for a cup of coffee or hot cocoa over a kissing booth. Great job, Lyric,” I tell her. “Let’s get it going.”

Over the next week, we work on the stand every afternoon. Lyric and I paint the stand in candy cane stripes while Levi and Zane string the lights and add a festive banner. There’s a lightness in the air that hasn’t been there before, a sense of camaraderie that truly feels right.

“Pass me the tape,” Lyric says, reaching out.

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