Just a Little Crush(23)
“Sadly…yes.” I slumped against the wall. My buzz waned quickly and now I just wanted sleep. “But trust me, I’d rather find a sock there than blindly walk in. Been there, done that.” I shook my head, recalling the awkward run-ins before the sock rule was instated.
“You’re kidding?” His expression was somewhere between incredulous and amused, but if he’d known my roommate, he wouldn’t have been surprised. Though he’d probably still be amused. Mason sure had been as I’d recounted the whole incident in horrifying, graphic detail.
“Um, no. But the whole knocking to enter my own room got old after a while. This was our compromise.”
He nodded toward the door. “So what do you do when it happens?”
“Depends what time of day it is. Usually I just go to Mason’s room.”
“Oh.” He crammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Walk with me?”
He could probably hear my frantic heart rate. “Um, sure.” Cocky Ryder was intimidating. Sweet Ryder damn near killed me. When his ego ruled his attitude, I could pretend to still hate him, but the way he’d behaved tonight kind of made me want to let him do everything Fallon theorized.
We stepped outside and walked down the sidewalk. The campus was dark and quiet. Occasional laughter or voices would ring out, but for the most part it was just us.
“Can we sit for a minute?” My feet throbbed from the wedges and I desperately wanted them off.
“Yeah.” He glanced around.
There really was no good place to sit and, considering I was in a tiny dress, I couldn’t just sit on the ground. Along the sidewalk the ground sloped a little and was padded with grass. It’d have to do.
“Here’s fine.” I sat on the embankment and unlaced my shoes. They slipped off and I buried my feet in the cold grass.
Ryder leaned back, placing his palms on the ground behind him. “I’ve never really spent time on campus this late at night. Kind of nice.”
“It is.” The sky was dark but a few stars were visible. A gentle breeze rustled the trees overhead. I stretched my legs out and crossed them at the ankle.
“Tell me something about yourself,” Ryder said.
“Like what? There’s nothing that interesting.”
“Everything about you interests me. Start with your major.”
“Biology.”
“Pre-med?” he asked.
It wouldn’t be easy to get into med school, and I worried people wouldn’t take my aspirations to do so seriously. I glanced at him and nodded. “Yeah.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Impressive.”
I smiled. “Thanks. How about you?”
“Civil engineering.”
“Seriously?”
“Don’t look so surprised.” He grinned. “Tell me something else.”
“I don’t know what else to say. Ask me what you want to know and I’ll answer.”
“Okay, then, quick fire. Ready?” He glanced at me.
“Fire away.”
“Do you like scary movies?”
“No.”
“Do you like to read?”
“Yes.”
“Do you eat sushi?”
“No.”
“Do you like chocolate?”
“Yes.”
“Do you like Noah?”
“No.”
“Did you hate me in high school?”
“Yes.”
“Do you hate me now?”
“No.”
“Can I kiss you?”
“Yes.”
As the word left my mouth he cupped my cheek, leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine in a kiss that was hot and sweet all wrapped up in one. His fingers slipped around my neck and he scooted closer.
It didn’t matter that we sat outside the dorms, I just wanted his body closer to mine. I sat on my knees and angled toward him. His tongue swept over mine then ran along my top lip.
Shivers drifted through me as my stomach tightened. Without breaking the kiss, he cradled my hips and pulled me onto his lap. My knees pressed into the grass on either side of him and he ran his fingers along my thighs before tightening his grip and holding me firmly to where he strained against his jeans. The dress I wore rode up and the thin fabric of my panties was insubstantial against him. The tiny bit of rational thought I clung to fought the urge to moan and grind my body against him.
He slid his hands under my dress, following the curves of my back. Then ran his fingers down before settling his hands on my ass. “You look so fucking hot in this dress,” he said, lips inches from mine. His mouth crushed mine and he tugged my lip between his teeth.
I squirmed against him and an intense wave of pleasure radiated up my body. A moan started in my throat and I clamped my mouth shut.