Page 40 of This Is War: All's Fair Duet
Her heart jumps against my chest. And she looks into my eyes, shaking her head. “W-we don’t know, but we’re fine.”
My gaze wanders back to the destruction zone that is their room. My brow pulls together, and I exhale hard, then catch the attention of one of the officers in the room. “Are you all done with them?”
The uniformed officer with the campus police patch stitched to his shirt gruffly clears his throat. “You ladies have somewhere else you can stay tonight?”
Hazel glances at me, then nods. “We’ll just bunk with some of our friends.”
The guy rubs his hand over his jaw. “Might be for the best if you all leave us to it for now, then.”
They don’t need to tell me twice. I turn on my heel, walking the short distance to my room. As we come back toward the gawking crowd, Levi’s eyes meet mine. I jerk my head toward our room, and he nods, understanding what I’m asking of him. There’s this growling, protective beast inside me, clawing his way out, and when he does, Levi doesn’t want to be in the vicinity. These moments alone with Rya are important, especially after everything that’s gone to shit between us. It’s obvious from her gut reaction that she needs me, and I’m done waiting to clear the air. I want so badly for our relationship to be right again, I’m willing to do anything to make her understand what’s in my head and in my heart.
Closing the door and locking it behind us, I stride swiftly into the room, stopping in the middle. She looks up at me, trust glowing in her eyes, and my forehead tips forward to touch hers. For several seconds we simply breathe together.
Finally, I raggedly whisper, “Tell me.”
She swallows hard. Takes a deep breath. And shudders. “We came back after our lyrical class, and when we got to the room, the door was partially open. Hazel knocked it open… and, well… you saw.”
“Did you go inside?”
She shakes her head, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “No. We got Stephanie to have a look, and sheimmediately got campus police involved. They said they might have to pull in the local police department because of the degree of damage.”
“Shit. Do you have any idea who’s behind this?”
She pauses, a hiccupping sob tearing from her throat, lip trembling. “I have no idea. Who would have reason to? Why?” Her final words come out on a heart-wrenching cry. Against my torso, her breaths are heavy, reckless things. The trauma of seeing her belongings like that is hitting her like a load of bricks, sending her spiraling. I don’t know what to do other than hold her, to remind her she’s safe with me.
With her chest heaving, she stares into my eyes for several beats of my fractured heart. Blood rushes in my ears in a relentless, harsh rhythm, and she catches me off guard as her mouth slams down on mine. Everything in my world skids to a stop, my mind reeling from the feel of her lips and their desperate kisses. Unable to process fast enough—or maybe it’s because I need my best friend more than I need air—but for several long glorious moments, she takes what she needs. I don’t stop her, don’t even consider it.
But then, worry creeps in, my conscience making me halt, and I wrench my mouth away on a gasp. “Whoa, slow down, Rya. You’re upset. You aren’t thinking straight. We need to ta?—”
I don’t get a chance to finish because she practically brings me to my knees with the anguish in her eyes. She blinks slowly before murmuring fervently, “I need you, Logan. Please. Help me.” Her fingers grip my nape, drawing me back to her. Against my lips, she whispers, “I don’t want to think about who or why or how. And I’m freaking out about how to deal with that mess. The idea that someone was in our room and how much it’s going to cost to replace everything that was damaged… I want to lose myself”—she looks at me from under hooded lids—“withyou.”
My mind reels at her words. I’ve wanted Rya for so long. I’ve pined for her, dreamed of what it would be like if she were mine. But we’re broken right now. And even if there were no issues standing between us, she’s my friend. Would I really sacrifice that? It’s been what’s stopped me from seeking more all along.
But recently, more and more, I’ve found myself giving in to the frustrated riot in my head and the pangs in my heart telling me I should take the chance. Hell, maybe it’s why our relationship has careened off a cliff.
Whatever we do next will change the course of our lives, and as I search her eyes and see the hope and naked insecurity there, I know I can’t deny her.
“Did you hear me, Logan?” she whispers. “Ineedyou.” She swallows hard, blinking back a fresh rush of tears. “Ineedyou.” Her lips tremble, green eyes panic-stricken. The distress radiating from her cuts me deep, like a knife slicing across my chest. There’s no way I won’t do whatever she asks of me. I would give her anything.
There’s definitely shit that needs to be said, but right now, it’s not important. Not when Rya’s in my arms, where I’ve wanted her since we first met. Not when she needs me. I take everything I don’t want to think about and drag it kicking and screaming to the back of my mind where I shove it into a box to be dealt with another day.
She feels so good in my arms—where she fucking belongs. This could backfire in so many ways. Maybe taking advantage of the situation—of her fragile state—makes me a dick. Or maybe I’ve waited so long for her that in my mind I deserve her. Either way, I have every intention of helping distract her from the riot in her head… in whatever way she’ll allow me to.
I nod carefully. “I will always be here for you, Tiny Dancer.”
A relieved breath stutters from between her lips, and they curve, though nervously. I cup her cheek, our mouths hovering millimeters apart.Fuck.I want to kiss her again. All the things I’ve ever hoped to have with Rya catapult through my mind, ramming into me with brutal force.
Shifting one of my hands across her ass for support, I splay my fingers, then gently squeeze, testing unfamiliarwaters. When she doesn’t flinch but instead moans, it sends a shot of lust straight to my dick. Her legs clamp hard around my hips, bringing our bodies flush. There’s not so much as a breath of air between us. Our mouths meet in a frenzy, untamed passion warring with the need to slow down, drink her in, and imprint every moment of this to memory. Another soft moan falls from her lips as we sink into the kiss, and the taste of her explodes on my tongue. This woman sets my blood ablaze. Together, we are combustible.
Rya wrenches her lips from mine and stares intently into my eyes. “Logan. Do you understand what I’m asking of you? I want you to be my first.” She releases a ragged breath. “You’re my safe place… and right now, I need to go there and get lost.”
My breath heaves from me as I take in the plea in her eyes and her pink-hued cheeks, and my cock stiffens. It takes me several seconds before I can coherently put together a string of words to respond. “Are you really fucking sure?”
She quickly releases her legs from around my waist and slips slowly down my body to the floor. I groan at the feel of her sliding over my erection, my head in twisted-up chaos. Biting her lip, she rips her hoodie off over her head. For two seconds, my gaze drops. All she has underneath is some sort of ballet-pink bra top, the color veryclose to her own skin tone. It crisscrosses in front, cradling her small breasts. It’s totally hot, but I really, really want to tear it from her body to see what’s underneath.
My cock strains against the confines of my joggers. I want to sink deep inside her body. I want to know what it’s like to really feel her. And, fuck. She wants me too. I whip my shirt off, then stand there, ragged breaths pulling viciously from my chest.
“I’m sure.” She lays a hand on either side of my torso, then leans in and flicks my nipple with her tongue. With. Her. Goddamn. Tongue. I literally shake my head to bring myself back to her, and when I do, her lips are skimming over my chest, alternately dropping kisses and licking the dips and ridges of muscle. Her palms coast down my sides, making my abs contract.
