Page 35 of Hard Hitter

He growled his pleasure when I nipped at his bottom lip, and the vibration shot straight to my core, igniting an ache I wasn’t sure I could handle on my own. I needed to be full to the brim with him and begging for more.

A cold blob on my leg pulled me back from the edge. My jeans soaked up the remains of my ice cream where I’d dropped it next to me. I pulled back, sucking in air, and he rested his forehead against mine.

Holy fuck, Noah could kiss. If he was this good with his mouth, what else was I missing out on?

“Strawberry is my new favorite flavor,” he murmured.

Shit, what had I done? So much for good decisions and sticking to my priorities. The tug of his fist in my hair gave me a subtle preview of things to come should I give in, and I so badly wanted to give in.

But how long before Noah figured out I was nothing more than a shiny bit of fluff floating through life collecting disasters? Long enough to break me when he changed his mind if I let my emotions get involved.

“Not a date,” I whispered, mostly to myself.

Noah stiffened and released me, returning to his spot on the wall. “If you say so.”

“We can’t do this, Noah.” My lady parts wailed in anguish, but I was stronger than my urges. “You can’t just kiss me and expect it to change anything.”

His hooded eyes drifted over my face, and he nodded. “I didn’t expect a change, and I won’t kiss you again until you ask.”

I wanted to tell him I’d never ask… but I think we both knew I’d be lying. How the hell was I supposed to get through an entire evening with him at the alumni dinner without losing my mind?

* * *

For the first time,I was looking forward to the alumni dinner. Being on display put me on edge, but I’d get to touch Chloe for the first time since our ice cream non-date. I was careful to keep my hands to myself whenever other people were around, and our schedules ensured we didn’t have any time alone.

Until tonight.

Mac had suggested we carpool, since all six of us from both apartments were going to the same place, a fancy hotel in the rich part of town. The university had rented out a big ballroom space and informed us there would be reporters everywhere. A not-so-subtle warning to be on our best behavior.

I told the other four to go on without us. We’d be under constant supervision at the dinner, and maybe it was selfish of me, but I wanted Chloe all to myself for the short drive. Which left me alone with her now. In her apartment.

Chloe walked out of her room, head tilted to the side as she fastened an earring. “Eva, can I borrow—”

She stopped abruptly when she spotted me leaning against the wall. Her glossy lips curled into a smile as she gave me a slow onceover. “Wow, you look good, Noah.”

The easy compliment slipped right past me as she came all the way into the room and my breath halted in my chest. She licked her lips as I stared, and I couldn’t stop the hungry sound that came from me.

She spun slowly in a circle, eyes locked on me. “What do you think?”

I thought I might have swallowed my tongue.

Chloe’s long dark hair curled down her back and teased the bare skin of her shoulders. The bright blue dress she wore tied behind her neck with a single bow. My jaw clenched at the image of slowly pulling the knot free and letting the material fall.

She’d worn shorter dresses before, but this one tucked in at her tiny waist and clung to the curves of her hips and ass, wrapping around her thighs to end just above her knees.

The fabric moved with her without budging an inch, and I wanted to see how far I could spread her legs before the material stopped me. I was suddenly sure I’d spend the rest of the night glaring at anyone with eyeballs who dared to look at her the way I did.

“You’re always beautiful, Chloe, but that dress…” I shook my head. The half-assed compliment was the best I could do without dropping to my knees and trying to convince her to forget the damn dinner.

A faint blush crawled up her neck. “Is Eva still here?”

“No, they left already.”

She eyed Eva’s bedroom door for a second, then shrugged. “Girl code says this is an exception to the ask first rule.”

I stayed where I was by the door—less likely to incur Eva’s wrath that way—while she disappeared inside for a minute. When she came back out, she looked the same. I tilted my head as she approached me.

“You ready?”

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