Page 27 of Josh’s Play

Josh: Nah. I’m gonna work on my notes from tonight, and I just want to make sure I don’t have to babysit Drunk Devon.

Dev: You love Drunk Devon.

Josh: Not when I have homework.

Dev: Room’s yours. Have fun

Josh: You 2. Play safe.

Dev: Always

Dev: Also, it’s Friday night, and you’re doing homework. Nerd.

I ignored the dig.

Josh: So we’re good? Room’s mine?

Dev: So good.

“Cam, don’t freak out, but my roommate’s out for the night. We could … Why don’t we go back to my room?” His face tensed even more if that was possible, so I put my hands up in surrender. “To talk. You need someone to talk to, man. And unless you came dancing out of a closet since the last time I was around you”—I shrugged in an attempt to lighten the mood—“I’m your only option.”

“Who were you texting?”

“Huh?”

“Am I keeping you from something?” he asked before mumbling, “Or someone?”

I flashed my phone at him. “Just confirming with the roomie that he’s not coming back.” Cam’s panic level ratcheted up again, and I raised my hand defensively in front of my face again as well. “I told him I’m doing homework. I promise, Cam, it’s fine. It’s going to be fine. Except …”

“Except?” Good thing he was an elite athlete because Cam’s blood pressure had to be through the roof. I’d never heard a word uttered more tightly. Even in the shadows of the building, I could see the red flush of his face. I tried really hard not to think of it as sexy.

“Except the team will notice if you don’t end up at the party. Are you gonna text someone and let them know you’re not coming? You can … You can lie if you want, tell them you went off with some girl. I can cover for you if you need me to.”

“Oh, yeah. No, yeah. I don’t want to lie. Maybe we should just follow them. Go to the house. To drink. A lot. And celebrate, with the team.” He slumped along the wall of the complex and worried his hands through his thick hair, looking at me, so lost. “You can pull out that little notebook and come up with stuff to ask my teammates.” He was rambling on about our project, but I knew that was the furthest thing from his mind.

I looked around, and we were completely alone, the crowd so far down Windmill Road that I could barely hear their whoops of celebration.

“You’re not alone, Cam.” I stood in front of him, looking both ways once more just in case before daring to move so close. The area was deserted as we stood eye to eye thanks to Campbell’s slumped stance.

He took my hand and pulled me to him. I tripped into him, our lower halves touching, our legs entwined. He wrapped his big arms around me and pulled me in for a kiss.

I could feel the strength of those arms and the clamping of muscled thighs around one of mine, and I expected the kiss to follow suit, to show strength and dominance. I was ready for it, hungry for it. I wanted him to let loose, to know he was safe, to have his way with me.

Instead, I felt the soft press of cold, chapped lips as they brushed mine, hesitant and light. Slowly and delicately he moved his mouth against mine, holding me so securely and making me feel like I’d never been kissed before.

Maybe I never really had if that was how it was supposed to feel. I opened my mouth, subtly, as slowly and hesitantly as he had, and when my tongue peeked out, he pulled back.

“Sorry. My lips are chapped. All those hours on the ice …” He hadn’t let me go, and we looked at each other, just staring for a long moment.

“We should go somewhere and talk, Cam. It doesn’t have to be the dorm if you’re not comfortable with that.”

“No, it should be the dorm,” he said, his eyes showing a conviction that the hitch in his voice betrayed. He released me only to entwine our fingers once more.

I hated to ask it, but I wanted to protect Cam as much as I could. “Do you need to put in an appearance at the party first?”

“Yeah, I probably should. At least long enough to take this stupid suit off.”

“Do you want to meet me at my dorm?”