Page 63 of Campus Heat

I stood up, and she dipped her hand into my pants. I was so ready for her that it physically hurt, but mentally I wasn’t done torturing her yet. The other day I was forced to leave her in my room even though I wanted more, and I could instantly tell that it broke something between us. So this time I wanted to be slow and gentle because I wanted her to know that I wanted it too.

I kissed her deeply as I slipped my fingers into her core. I wanted to make up for what we had missed out on. To feel what I did to her and have her feel what she was capable of doing to me.

“I want you inside me,” she whispered, her hot breath on my neck sending a chill down my spine. “Right now.”

“I want to be inside you right now.” I nipped her ear and pushed my fingers even deeper. “But first you’re going to come, baby. You’re going to come like never before.”

She moaned as I started thrusting, and her grip on my shaft tightened. It felt so damn good that I wanted to call out, but instead I bit down on my hand, not wanting to draw unwanted attention. Pre-come wet my crown as my cock begged for a release. I wanted her more than I had ever wanted anyone else, and I couldn’t wait anymore.

My fingers teased her G-spot and her entire body tightened. She went up on her toes, and I just managed to put my hand over her mouth before she called out. Her inner walls clenched once as I pulled my fingers out. I turned her around, bent her over, and positioned my throbbing erection at her entrance. But something held me back.

I felt completely different than before. I wasn’t just calmer. I was also open, and that was both amazing and terrifying. Elizabeth picked up on my hesitation and turned to face me. Her hands gripped my shirt and her usually smooth hair was standing out, tangled by my fingers. She didn’t look at me like she saw a person who was busy falling apart. She looked at me like I was something steady, real, and wanted.

I kissed her again, but this time I allowed my emotions to pour into it.

“I don’t feel like I’m drowning when I’m with you,” I breathed against her lips.

The words stunned even me. They came out all by themselves, but I had never said anything that was more true. She didn’t laugh. She just pulled me closer, and for one reckless second, I thought that maybe we could stay like that forever. Suspended between metal lockers, with her steady heart and firm grip keeping me grounded while my responsibilities and the expectations placed on me faded into the abyss.

I shifted and turned her back around, gently pressing her face into the locker while I got ready to take what she had so easily given to me, what she had pleaded for. Ready to open up to her entirely, but the sound of laughter coming from the hallway had me frozen in my tracks. It was too loud and way too close for comfort. Then the locker-room door rattled. Elizabeth pulled away and straightened her clothes while I concealed my achingly hard cock. Reality was crashing our little party, and I no longer had a say in the outcome.

“It’s locked,” someone shouted, and Elizabeth’s eyes went wide.

I was about to let out a sigh of relief, but then someone slid a key into the mechanism. The door swung open before either of us could react, and Jenna stopped mid-step. I quickly moved away from Elizabeth and dragged my hand through my hair. My heart was still slamming against my chest, but it was doing so for all the wrong reasons now. The vulnerability I had exposed in that room now felt visible, as if it was written across my face for the world to see.

“Well, now,” Jenna said slowly. “If I had known you two were in here, I would’ve canceled today’s practice.”

I cleared my throat with the hope that it would force steadiness into my voice.

“I don’t know what you’re implying, but I obviously ended up in the wrong room.”

I turned to leave, but as I stepped out into the hallway, one thought followed me. I hadn’t just almost slept with her. I almost let her see me completely.

Which scared me more than any losing streak ever could.

24

Elizabeth

By Saturday afternoon, Havenport didn’t feel academic. It felt feral. The quad had transformed overnight. Tents in school colors lined the lawns, alumni milled around in vintage jerseys, and every fraternity within walking distance had claimed a section of grass as if it were territorial warfare.

Music overlapped in competing waves. Someone had hauled in the smoker, the size of a small car. And the scent of charcoal and cheap beer hung heavily in the warm air. Homecoming here wasn’t sentimental. It was loud, nostalgic, and slightly unhinged.

I stood near the intramural field, adjusting the flag belt that was slung low on my hips. My oversized junior-class hoodie was cropped and knotted around my waist, and Jenna was smearing glitter across my cheekbones with aggressive enthusiasm.

“If we’re going to lose,” Jenna said, stepping back to admire her work. “We’re going to look hot while we do it.”

“Confidence is key,” I said, encouraging her weird enthusiasm.

Across the field, the seniors were stretching as if they had been training for this all year, and they probably had. Powder puff at Havenport wasn’t an ironic little joke anymore. It had become a tradition. The juniors versus the seniors, and the winners got bragging rights for the rest of the year. And let’s not forget that the guys treated it like their personal source of live entertainment. That group included the football team.

I didn’t look at Ethan immediately. I felt him before I could spot him. He always caused this strange awareness under my skin. It was my body’s way of clocking his proximity before my eyes could. But when I did glance toward the sideline, he was leaning against the railing with the rest of the team. His sunglasses were pulled up into his hair, and his drink was hanging loosely from one hand. It was a casual look that I didn’t expect from him.

The only difference between him and the rest of the guys was that they were looking at the field and he was looking right at me. I tried not to stare, but then the whistle blew and chaos erupted around me.

Our first play was a mess. The snap went wide, Jenna tripped over her own feet, and someone ran a route in the completely wrong direction. The crowd roared with laughter, and I doubled over, breathless but grinning. This was ridiculous.

On our next drive though, something clicked. Jenna snapped the ball cleanly, and I cut across the middle just like we planned. The pass hit me square in the chest, and for half a second I just stood there, blinking in surprise. Then I ran like my life depended on it. My cleats dug into the turf, and wind rushed past my ears. The noise of the crowd swelled. It felt simple and pure.