The Perfect First (Fulton U, #1)(68)

He threw his arm over his face. “No, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one going on downstairs. We don’t have to join in. I’ll lock the door and they’ll leave us alone.”

“You don’t want to go?” I didn’t want him to miss out on a party because of me. I wanted to go down there, but the old insecurities came creeping back, the ones that snuck in whenever we were around people he knew. Would they look at us and ask how the hell it had happened? Would there be looks and snickers? Should I suck it up and go out there anyway? I thought I should add it to my list; then I could feel accomplished for doing it and give myself the excuse to not give a shit what anyone else thought. “We can go, if you want. I haven’t been to many parties—scratch that, any parties other than the last one you had here.”

He set up in bed and gawked at me. “Ever? The grilling we did in the backyard was the first party you’d ever been to?” His eyebrows shot up.

I nodded. “I don’t count academic mixers with people almost forty years older than me as parties, per se.”

“What about your birthday parties?”

“I never had any. It wasn’t like I had friends to invite. My mom would make my favorite meal and sometimes a cupcake, but that was it.” I lifted the sheets over my chest, feeling even more naked than in just the physical aspect. The kids on the street always tied balloons around their mailboxes or taped them to their front doors whenever there was a party. I’d sit on the wingback chair in the living room, my knees sinking into the hard leather cushions as I watched them stream in and out of the houses, laughing, playing, and chasing each other.

Reece pounced, caging me under him. “You’ve never had a birthday party?” He said it like I’d told him I’d never breathed air.

I shrugged. “They weren’t really a priority in the Alexander household.” I parroted back my dad’s words.

He pulled the sheets off me. “Then we’re getting in all the partying we can. Come on, Wild Child. Get dressed.” Scooping our clothes up off the floor, he piled them onto the bed. I leaned back on the mattress and watched him. His tanned, muscled ass disappeared under the dark blue denim. Damn shame.

Glancing over his shoulder, he stared back at me with his jeans unbuttoned. “Is there something on my jeans?” He spun in a circle, trying to check out his own butt.

I held back my laugh, smiling wide at him. I crawled across the bed and tugged him forward by his belt loops. “No, I was admiring the view. The only better one is when you’re taking them off.”

He smirked and let me have my way with him, stepping to the edge of the bed. Rising up onto my knees, I traced my finger along his abs, trailing it down. He caught my wrist and lifted it up, kissing the inside of it.

“Get dressed. I’m showing you off.” He pressed my shirt and pants against my chest.

“I don’t really think these are showing-off clothes.” I dangled them in front of my face.

“That’s what you think.” He grinned and tugged his t-shirt over his head.

I shook out my clothes, trying to find the one missing piece. “Where are my underwear?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He winked and tapped his naked wrist. “Chop, chop.”





26





Reece





Sprinting as fast as I could, I made it away from the line of scrimmage. There were two seconds left on the clock. Nix’s head whipped back and forth, looking for a way to end this. We were down by three. I jumped up, waving my arms in the air as I streaked down the field.

Keyton, a couple yards ahead of me on the other end of the field, had half the number of defenders on his heels. Nix’s gaze locked with mine. Linemen rushed at me and I raised my arms, waving them to my left. Pass to Keyton! He’s wide open! Nix shook his head and launched it at me.

The ball sailed through the air. The stadium was dead silent, thousands of people on their feet and not a sound in the entire place. It would have almost been eerie if the blood pounding in my ears hadn’t been such a roar. The ball flew through the fingers of the defender, nearly knocking me off my feet. I recovered, spinning backward and dodging another defender, and the ball slammed into my chest with a satisfying smack.

Pushing off the still slick grass on the field, I pumped my legs. My muscles strained and I ducked around one block. Spinning around another, I shifted, changing directions, and sprinted into the end zone. The silence of the crowd transformed into an ear-splitting rumble that shook the ground beneath my feet.

The entire team crowded around me, piling on top of one another. Keyton jogged over, his smile wide even under his helmet.

“I tried to get that one to you.” I slapped him on the shoulder pads.

He smiled wider and shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. A win’s a win.”

We rushed off the field, the fans chanting my name. This was what I’d always wanted, but on this night, something was missing.

“Two more games!” The voices and screams bounced off the closed tunnel walls on the way to the locker room as I followed the rest of my teammates toward the door. I wanted everything ready for Seph’s surprise. She had tutoring to do tonight but had promised she’d make it to one last game before the season ended. There was a ticket at the will call office with her name on it.