The Perfect First (Fulton U, #1)(84)

She pushed against my chest and I loosened my hold on her like a creaky gate that needed oil. I’d never take this for granted again.

“I’m not going back to Boston.” She stared up into my eyes.

“I don’t care if you’re going to Timbuktu—we’ll figure it out when the time comes.”

Her eyebrows scrunched down and tugged on the buttons of my coat. “Did you just say you love me?”

I waited for the pulse-pounding freak-out or urge to backpedal, but there wasn’t any. There was only the bright glow of her smile and the warmth of my hand on hers. “You bet your ass I did, and I’ll say it every day for the rest of our lives.” I ran my hand along the side of her face and dipped my head.

Her lips parted in the sweetest invitation, and I poured my love into that kiss. The electrifying spark between us grew until I needed to get her to the closest flat surface immediately.

A loud squeal ricocheted from the loud speakers followed by some whoops and cheers. I glanced up and saw the two of us were up on the big screen.

Seph glanced up and her cheeks reddened. She dipped her head, holding on to the front of my coat.

Her head snapped back. “What the hell happened to your shoes?” She stared at them like they were something that had crawled out from the seafloor.

I looked down at the gray monstrosities on my feet and laughed. “After the game, I couldn’t find mine, so I stole Berk’s.”

“If you’d have led with that, we wouldn’t even have needed your whole speech.” She pressed a quick kiss to my lips, laughing and shaking her head. “Since you wear the same size, maybe you need to let him have a pair. Is that a hole?”

The side of my little toe peeked out of a rip just above the worn-down rubber sole of the sneaker. I shook my head. “He’s freaking hopeless.” I held on to both sides of her face and rest my forehead against hers. “Let’s go home.”

“And where exactly is that?” She tugged on the edges of my coat.

“Wherever we are.” I groaned. “There’s going to be an insane party in our house—hell, all over campus. It’ll probably be going on for the next week.”

She tapped her finger along her lips. “I might have a spot.”

“Where?”

She turned and walked, holding my hand. I rushed to keep up with her as she said, “You’ll see.”





34





Seph





Cheers and airhorns blared all over campus. The roving crowds of marauding cheerleaders lurked around every corner. A drum beat banging out the school’s fight song got closer. Ducking behind some bushes, we hid as the impromptu marching band passed by, carrying a fifth of rum and their own battery-powered blender in a wagon they towed behind them.

Campus security walked by and high-fived them. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, right? There probably weren’t enough citation notepads to give out to every person on the entire campus.

Pushing the wet, slick bushes aside, we stepped back out onto the path.

“Not that I’m complaining or anything, but where on campus do you think we’re going to find a place that’s not going insane right now?”

I tugged him forward, turning the corner. He stared up at the gray stone building and his head tilted to the side.

“Trust me.”

We walked in through the double automatic doors. There were papers strewn all over the floor, abandoned backpacks and orphaned coffee tumblers all over the tables. It looked like a zombie apocalypse movie. The circulation desk was empty and it was whisper quiet inside.

“I told you I’d find a place.”

He shook his head. “I should’ve known you’d have the inside track on the quietest spot on campus.”

“Where I study, it’s like this all the time—not in the post-apocalyptic, people just disappeared in the middle of what they were doing kind of way, but more in the no one has been here for years kind of way.”

“What exactly will you have us do once we get to this quiet spot?” His teeth scraped against the skin at the side of my neck.

“It’s a good place to talk.” I let out a shuddery breath as he sucked on my throbbing pulse point. Squeezing my thighs together, I tried to focus on what I’d been saying and doing. Too many days had passed without feeling his touch.

“All you want to do is talk?” He tightened his arm around me, running his thumb across my shoulder. Even through my coat, I could feel every stroke.

I licked my lips and nodded. “You need to tell me about your Christmas.”

“Sure, I’ve got a slideshow on my phone I can show you.” He released me and took my hand.

“Really?”

“Unfortunately, yes. My mom and dad put one together every year, like a little year-end review. They email it out to us and then we go through it on Christmas Day. I always thought it was weird, but it makes more sense now.”

“Why?” I searched his face for the answer.

He squeezed my hand. “I’ll tell you later.”

“I want to see the slideshow. I’m sure it’s awesome.” I grabbed for his phone.

He lifted it up high. “We’re not watching my family Christmas slideshow. Take me to your lair to have your way with me.” Reece wrapped his arm around me, kissing the side of my face.