Page 91 of Icebound

“But you’re twenty-two?”

She gives me a big eye roll. “Not all college students like getting wasted every weekend. I don’t care if people do, but that’s not me.”

“So, you don’t drink at all?”

“Nope. I mean, I won’t say that I’ll never have a drop of alcohol again, but for now, I like being sober.”

“What about at the ¡Vamos! event?”

“I was faking because people can be awkward about it. I ended up dumping most of the champagne in those plants all night.”

She’s not anything like how I was in my twenties. Now, I really feel like an asshole for judging her for so long, but there’s a sting of hurt because she didn’t say anything. It’s another commonality we share. There’s still so much I don’t know about her, and I want to be able to ace a class on Philomena Alstyne.

“How come you never told me?” I ask.

“Because it’s not that big of a deal, and I don’t want to make it into a whole thing, so let’s not talk about it.”

If she doesn’t want to make a big deal about this, I don’t want to make her uncomfortable, so I go along with her. This girl could ask me to drive her back four hours to Nashville tonight, and I’d do it even though we’ve got a game this weekend.

She twirls her thumbs like she always does when she’s thinking hard about something, and then stands. The bed squeaks.

She stalks toward me with her hips swaying, and blood rushes to my dick because it feels like Nina breathes and I get hard. I start to pull back, but her fingers dig into my waistband. It takes everything in me not to shove her onto the bed and yank off her panties.

I should tell her to leave but seeing her makes this room feel less like a hotel and more like a home. She’s looking up at me with those big, mesmerizing eyes, making me feel weak in the best way. I don’t have to be strong for her like I do everyone else.

“Okay, I’m just going to come out and say it.” She sucks her lip into her mouth. “Have you thought about what happened in the office at all?”

Only every time I shower.

“Yeah, a bit.” She frowns at the words, and I backtrack. “Alright, a lot… A lot more than I should, but we want different things, and I’m trying not to lead you on, Nina. I don’t want to use you for sex.”

“I know exactly where you stand, so why don’t you let me decide what I want to be used for? Once might have been enough for you, but it wasn’t enough for me.”

My eyes widen. Is that really what she thinks? “You think once was enough for me?”

Fuck. My voice sounds like crushed gravel.

“Wasn’t it?” she whispers.

I don’t want something casual, but she’s cracking my resolve. I’ve done casual before, maybe I can do it again. I have a feeling I’d do anything for this girl right now. This is only going to complicate things, but I don’t want to lie about how I’m feeling anymore.

I guide a strand of hair behind her pierced ears. “I could have you every day, and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

That seems to light up something inside her, and she sinks to the floor in front of me. Damn, she looks sexy as hell on her knees.

“Nina…” I groan.

“Rhode,” she breathes in front of my dick.

She slides her hands up my thighs, and my eyes almost roll back into my head. This is such a bad idea, but I’m exhausted after the game today. My body hurts, and she feels so good, and she came here for me. No one’s ever done something like that before.

I stare down at her glasses. “What’re you doing, Nina?”

She uses her teeth to tug the rim of my shirt up from my pants. “I think it’s pretty obvious, but tell me to stop, and I will.”

“Yeah, I’m not telling you to stop.”

“Good. Because I’ve been thinking about sucking you off ever since our phone call a few weeks ago. I want to taste you.”