“Yes, friends forever.” I take a bite of my eggs and lean back in my chair, enjoying the view of Knox’s sly smile.
“Good.” He writes it down and then starts scribbling the second rule as he talks out loud. “Rule number two: lots and lots of oral. Pantloads, no boatloads of oral. More oral than anyone can ever imagine.” He actually writes that down. “Oral all the time. If there is a tongue and a pussy in the same room, they’re connecting.”
Jesus.
I shush him, moving my hand up and down to lower his voice. “Seriously, can you be a little less . . . proud?”
“No,” he answers, while finishing his sentence, and then he looks up at me. “I want everyone to know that the only person who’ll be between your legs is me.” He perks his head up and speaks louder. “Did you hear that, everyone? I’m the only one—”
I’m out of my seat in seconds and clasping my hand over his mouth before he can continue. “Oh my God, Knox, please, control yourself.”
He takes me by the wrist and spins me so I’m sitting on his lap, and of course . . . all eyes are on us. My back is to his chest and his arm is wrapped around my stomach, keeping me in place.
“You’re too much fucking fun.” He kisses the side of my neck and then goes back to writing. “Rule number three . . .” He pauses and then shakes me. “Go ahead, rule number three.”
“Keep things casual.”
“Hmm . . . not sure if I like that as a set rule. Can we make an addendum to that?”
Why is he so beyond adorable? I can’t take it. You’d never guess this larger-than-life, outgoing, and powerful man would be so . . . cute. And I’m not talking about the physical. His personality is cute, sweet, as if he grew up with five sisters and knows exactly how to treat women: with a smidge of teasing and a whole lot of caring.
“What kind of addendum?”
He moves his hand to under my sweatshirt and my camisole to my skin where he lightly strokes his thumb. It’s innocent, almost like he just needs to make that connection while we’re sitting together, but it’s lighting me up inside.
“Well, let’s say we’re casual and all, we accomplish all the oral and then you’re like, holy fuck, I can’t ever let this man go because he’s just so fantastic in bed. We should be allowed to make the switch from casual to more than friendship bracelets, you know?”
“Are you saying like . . . boyfriend, girlfriend?”
“Yeah, that’s the term I’m looking for.”
Curious, I ask, “Have you ever been in a relationship before, Knox?”
“Nope,” he answers nonchalantly and starts writing an addendum to rule number three. “But it can’t be too hard. You listen, you talk, you give and take, and of course . . .”
“Lots of oral.’’ I roll my eyes. And even though I should feel stressed by this overzealous sports hotshot, I’m smiling. He’s a nut . . . but he might become my nut.
“Exactly, you got it now, babe.” He squeezes me and I chuckle, loving how he can make me happy in a matter of seconds. “Okay, I think we have one rule left.”
“Only going with four?”
“Why not? We don’t want to make things too difficult right off the bat. Let’s keep it at four. And the last one is, no matter how casual we are, we are always exclusive. That means my penis is the only penis you’re fondling. Got it?”
I roll my eyes even though he can’t see my face. “I know what being exclusive means and trust me, you don’t have to worry about that with me.” My voice comes out more snide than I meant.
“Hey.” He turns me on his lap so he can see me, and I can see how he’s switched to serious Knox. “Are you worried about me cheating or something?”
“No,” I say, hanging my head and playing with the drawstring of my hoodie. “You’re a good guy, and I don’t think you have that in you. But it will probably be something that’s in the back of my mind.”
“Because of your ex-boyfriend?”
“Yeah, because of him.”
He moves his hand around my back, and the heat of his palm warms me. “You’ll never have to worry about that with me, Em. I promise. I may not have been in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship before, but that doesn’t mean I don’t believe in monogamy. My word is my word.”
“Thank you,” I say, cupping his face.
I lean forward, staring at his lips. I’m about to press my mouth against his when he says, “Are we really going to have our first kiss in the dining hall with all these onlookers?”
I smile. “I’m game if you are.”
A wicked gleam lights up his eyes. “You know I am.” One of his hands slides up my thigh while the other cups the back of my head and lowers me to his lips.
Nervous—because Knox is only the second guy I’ve kissed—I try to be as loose as possible when his lips touch mine.
Soft with the perfect amount of pressure, our lips fuse together. The sounds of clanking silverware against plates and students chattering fade away, leaving only the thrumming of my rapidly beating heart to fill my ears.
Our lips part at the same time, wanting more, exploring. My tongue slips into his mouth while my fingers thread through his hair. A low groan rumbles from his chest as his grip on my thigh tightens. Our tongues work in tandem together, seeking more, reaching for more but never sloppy. Little flicks, tiny kisses, our mouths never extending too far. Gentle but new, the tension in our hands is a contradiction to the soft movements of our mouths. I’ve missed this. This softness. Intimacy. Honesty.
I could kiss this man all day. That’s how good he is. How patient and relaxed he is, almost like he’s letting me take charge, but I know deep down he’s not. He’s guiding me with his movements, slightly tilting my head, flicking his tongue over my lips, leaning into me. He uses his entire body when he kisses, and I can feel the power move from his spine to the tips of his fingers, letting me know just how much he wants me.
It’s perfect.
It’s—
“Yeah, Gentry. Get it, man,” some douche cheers off to the side.
On a deep breath, I pull away and tuck my head into his shoulder, embarrassed that I lost control in the dining hall.
Keeping my head tucked, I ask, “How many people are staring?”
He soothingly rubs my back and says, “Pretty much everybody.”
“Perfect.” I laugh.
“I’m not even mad about it, because now every dickhead in this building knows you’re mine.”
“And I just became enemy number one with all the girls here.”
“Nah, they’ll just talk behind your back,” he jokes.
“Great.” I lift away and keep my eyes trained on him. I draw my finger across his bottom lip and say, “You’re a really good kisser.”
“I practice on my hand every day.”
“Shut up.” I push his shoulder, causing him to laugh even more.
When his laughter dies down, he says, “You’re a damn good kisser too, Em. Too good.” He sneaks one more kiss in. “Fuck, I hate that I have to get going now.” With a sexy smile, he pats my backside and says, “Walk me out?”