Hazed: A New Adult College Romance (Palm South University Book 6) Read online

  “Babe,” Kip says through a laugh. “All Natalia wants from me is a ticket to Los Angeles. She’s buttering all of us up because she wants to be a movie star, and honestly, I think her dedication to the project is admirable, considering it’s just a college web series.”

  I frown, shoulders slumping as I lean back, but Kip holds me in his lap. “Do you honestly not see the way she looks at you?”

  Kip chuckles, threading his hands at the small of my back. “No. I don’t see how any girl looks at me, because the one I have is too fucking gorgeous to see anyone else.”

  I smile, but my lip is still in a protruding pout.

  Kip thumbs it with a grin. “I’m all yours, baby. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

  “Just promise me you’ll be aware when she’s around, okay? Don’t put yourself into any stupid situations.”

  “I promise,” he says, and then he’s pulling me in again, his next kiss greedy and deep. “It’s kind of hot when you’re jealous.”

  “I’m not jealous,” I say, dragging my hand down his abdomen.

  He sucks in a breath when my fingertips skate over his hard-on through his swim trunks. “Good. Because no one holds a candle to you.”

  With that, he’s crushing me to him, his arms wrapped all the way around me as he devours me kiss for kiss. I nearly pass out from lack of oxygen before he releases my mouth and travels down my neck, over my collarbone, down to the swells of my breasts. He pulls his hands from around me just long enough to slip each triangle-shaped piece of fabric from my swimsuit to the side, leaving my tits exposed, nipples pebbling to a hard peak from the cold and his touch combined.

  Kip groans and bites his lip, rolling his thumbs over each nipple as he takes in the view. Then, his blue eyes flick to mine before he’s licking and biting and sucking each one, making me writhe in his lap.

  “Seriously, they’re going to be home any moment. Maybe we should take this inside.”

  “Or maybe we should just make this quick,” Kip counters, and then his hands disappear under the water.

  He’s still kissing me as he moves, and he lifts me off his lap for just a moment before he lowers me back down. This time, though, his shorts are gone, somewhere in the water or around his ankles, I can’t be sure.

  Kip’s hand slips between us, and I brace myself for him to press his fingers inside me next. But he doesn’t. Instead, he pulls my swimsuit to the side, lines himself up with my entrance, and pulls me down onto him as he thrusts his hips up.

  He fills me in one slick, all-consuming flex.

  “Fuck,” we both groan together, our foreheads meeting as we take a moment to revel in how it feels to be connected. Slowly, Kip grabs my hips and starts to move me — up and down, up and down — as his mouth travels the length of my neck, showering me in devastating kisses.

  It’s always like this when Kip touches me. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been together, how many times I’ve felt him inside me — it never gets old. It never feels boring. It’s always this passionate fire with blue flames that lick at every inch of my skin every second that we’re fucking.

  I grip his shoulders, using my knees against the hot tub seat to bounce myself faster, to feel him deeper. Still, there’s something off, something missing from our connection under the water.

  “I need more,” I pant, biting his bottom lip.

  He thrusts deep, and I cry out with pleasure but hop off him in the next moment.

  “I can’t feel all of you with the water,” I pant, and then I stand, slide my bikini bottoms down to my shins, and brace my hands on the edge of the hot tub. “I want it like this.”

  “Jesus Christ, Sky,” Kip says, his eyes trailing a blaze over me. “You look so fucking hot bent over like that, with your pussy all wet and swollen and begging for me.” He stands, stroking himself as he makes his way over. “The mountains behind you, the sunset over your hair and your eyes.”

  “Alright, alright, enough with the poetry,” I tease, arching my back more. “Fuck me hard and tell me when you’re close. I want you to finish in my mouth.”

  The groan that rips from Kip’s throat next is guttural and raw, and then he’s behind me, using one hand to press my back down even more and the other to pull my hips toward him. He lines us up, flexes into me, and there’s barely time for me to adjust to the way it feels to have all of him — no water — before he’s slamming it home.

  Our wet skin slaps together with each thrust, my tits bouncing where they’ve been freed from my swimsuit, and if there’s anyone hiking the trails below our cabin, they’re getting one hell of a view right now.

  I can feel every inch of him this way, though, and every time he pumps, I nearly pass out from my orgasm building quickly. It comes on so fast I almost fall over the hot tub before I grip harder and hold my balance. Kip reaches around me to rub my clit in just the right way when he realizes I’m coming undone, and with him circling and pumping, I fly apart into a million little stars.

  And I moan loud enough for the entire town to hear.

  “Fuck, Skyler,” Kip says, removing his hand from my clit. He pumps twice more and then rips out of me. “I’m—”

  He doesn’t even have to say it before I’m flipped around, and I sink into the water far enough to take him in my mouth. I cup his balls and roll them as I take him in deep, and he curses, eyes rolling up to the skies before he empties inside my throat.

  I look up at him with a wicked smile and swallow.

  An all-over body shiver racks him in the next instant, and he hangs one hand on his hip as the other runs back through his hair. “Fucking hell, babe. That was ridiculously hot.”

  I bite my lip, and I’m just about to stand to kiss him when the sliding glass door opens and a loud whistle rings out.

  “Nice ass, Jackson,” Kade says, waggling his brows. He’s still in his ski pants and jacket, his goggles pushed up in his hair. “Looks like we missed the party.”

  Kip immediately sinks down into the water to shield me, even though I’m already covered by the bubbles. I can’t help but laugh hysterically, and after the shock wears off, Kip chuckles, too.

  “What’s going on out he—ewwww, Big! Did you two just contaminate our hot tub?!” Cassie asks, her eyes wide and nose wrinkled. Her hair is even wilder than usual, a frizzy, wind-blown mess from skiing all day.

  “Don’t worry, Little,” I say with a wink. “I swallowed, and the chlorine will kill the rest.”

  Kade bends over in a fit of laughter as Cassie flushes such a deep red she looks sunburned. She shakes her head, leaving first, and then Kade wiggles his fingers at us as he closes the door again. “I’ll let you two get dressed. Let me know if you need a cigarette or anything.”

  Kip laughs, and when the door is shut and we’re alone again, he looks at me with an arched brow. “Round two, shower?”

  I fix my suit and hop out, wrapping myself in my robe. “And then round three, bed.”

  “I’m not going to have energy left for the slopes tomorrow.”

  “Sorry, not sorry,” I say, and Kip smacks my ass as he follows me inside.

  MY HEART IS MORE like a ravenous beast banging against the confines of my rib cage as Cassie and I stroll through Breckenridge hand in hand.

  Spring Break has been incredible so far, days filled with skiing, and nights filled with hot tubs and partying our faces off only to get up and do it all over again. Skyler and Bear booked us all the perfect cabin on the edge of town, and where last Spring Break, Cassie and I had our breaking point, this year, everything is perfect.

  It feels like all the drama we’ve gone through, all the other people, the misplaced timing, the hidden feelings and miscommunication… it’s all led to this moment.

  I’m about to lavalier Cassie.

  And she has no idea.

  In Greek world, lavaliering a girl is about as close to committing to her for life as you can get, other than proposing. When you get your fraternity’s letters on a chain an
d put them around your girl’s neck, you’re letting her know she’s as important to you as your brotherhood — if not more. You trust her. You love her. You’ll fight for her.

  And one day, when college is over and the timing is right, you’ll marry her.

  For me, that day can’t come soon enough.

  “I’m kind of hungry,” Cassie says. “Wanna get tacos?”

  “You know I will never say no to tacos.”

  She leans in close enough to whisper. “Or blowjobs.”

  I bark out a laugh. “Right, or those. Although, we’ve come a long way. I remember the first time you went down on me… you remember?”

  “In the shower,” she recalls with a smile. “You had your hand in my hair and you had to guide me and show me what to do.”

  My cock twitches under my snow pants when I think of how she looked on her knees staring up at me, and I clear my throat and aim for a subtle adjustment as we walk. “Alright, enough of that talk, otherwise I’m going to have to find a dark alley to drag you into, and I don’t think there are many dark alleys in Breckenridge.”

  Cassie giggles, light and airy, her strawberry pink lips curling up into the prettiest smile. Her face is slightly pink from our days on the slopes, save for the outline of her ski goggles, and it’s adorable how fresh and rejuvenated she looks. Her hair is unkempt, but her shoulders are relaxed, and the way she’s smiling up at me makes me want to take out my phone and snap a picture.

  Except, I don’t have my phone. Right now, it’s in Skyler’s hands where she’s hidden away ready to capture what’s about to happen on camera.

  “So, tacos,” Cassie says, releasing my hand to loop her arm through mine, instead. The main street of Breckenridge is what you’d expect any western town to look like, except with mountains sprawling up all around and snow covering every inch. We walk carefully even in our snow boots to make sure we don’t slip on the ice hidden in patches. “What about that place,” she says, nodding toward a little Mexican restaurant at the end of the strip.

  “Looks perfect,” I say, and then I glance around, making sure everyone and everything is in place. “But first, you should come over here.”

  I drag her toward a staircase lined with fairy lights and flowers that leads up to the outlet mall on the main strip, smiling at her confusion the whole way.

  “I don’t really feel like shopping.”

  “We’re not. Just stand here,” I say, placing her in the middle of the staircase about halfway up. “It’ll be a nice picture.”

  She chuckles at that, crossing her arms over her chest. “Since when have you been on the lookout for photo ops?”

  I grin, kissing her forehead before I hop down the stairs two at a time. When I get to the bottom, I turn to face her again. “Since now.”

  Suddenly, the music coming from the speakers lining the main street goes dead, and four of my brothers scramble from where they’d been blending in at various outdoor dining tables along the street. They gather right in the middle of the road — one with a guitar, one with a cajón, and one with a tambourine — while the last of them starts singing into the wireless microphone now connected to the speakers.

  Jason Mraz.

  “I’m Yours.”

  Cassie’s brows tug inward at first, and then she laughs, shaking her head and looking from the band to me and back again. “What in the wo—”

  Before she can finish her sentence, a few more of my brothers jump up from where they’d been pretending to shop or eat, and start dancing. Then, a handful of Cassie’s sisters do the same. It’s a waterfall effect, and as the first verse is sweetly sung, dozens and dozens of Alpha Sigmas and Kappa Kappa Betas start filling the street below Cassie and dancing in a choreographed flash mob.

  Cassie is laughing and clapping along, and every time her eyes find mine, she’s looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. I can see the confusion in her eyes, and she mouths, “What is this?!”

  When the first chorus finishes, my brother who was singing tosses me the mic, and I catch it with a spin just as everyone else freezes.

  Suddenly, the jubilant affair is at a stand-still, and Cassie gasps, still smiling as she looks around at everyone frozen in various dance moves.

  “Cassie McBee,” I start, still standing at the foot of the stairs with the microphone in my hand. “You and I… we have put each other through the wringer. From other people stealing our attention to our own damn pride standing in the way, we have taken anything but the easy route to finally being together.”

  She chuckles at that, and already, I can see her eyes welling with tears.

  “From the first moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you’d be mine. Even if I didn’t realize at the time what the feeling was, I can look back now and say with confidence that the way the world tilted, the way my breath caught, the way everything before that moment seemed to fade away — it was my body and soul’s recognition of forever standing right in front of me.”

  I start slowly walking up the stairs, one by one.

  “It killed me to see you hurt by others while I fought my way to you. It killed me even more that I was so blind to see what we had from the start, that it took us both so long to finally make this official. But one thing I know without a single doubt is that I wouldn’t change any of it. Because all the pain, all the heartache, all the frustration,” I add with a chuckle. “It all led us right here, to this moment, to this incredible, one-of-a-kind love that no one else in this world has.”

  The first tears slip free when Cassie blinks as I step up to stand on the step right below her.

  “You’re my person, Cassie,” I say, reaching into my pocket for the delicate silver chain with my fraternity’s letters on it. When I withdraw it and let it dangle from my fingers, Cassie gasps, covering her mouth with both hands. The tears flow stronger. “You’re my now. You’re my forever. And though I may have a lot to figure out still, I know I can do anything with you by my side.”

  “Adam…”

  I step up to meet her, tucking the microphone between my arm and ribs long enough to unclasp the necklace and hold it up.

  “Cassie McBee, will you wear my letters? Will you take this lavalier as a promise that I am yours? Because if you will, one day, I’ll put a ring on your finger so the whole world knows it, too.”

  She shakes her head as more tears slip free. “Of course, I will, you idiot.”

  That earns her a laugh from the frozen crowd, and once the necklace is around her neck, I toss the microphone behind me and back into the hands of my brother. The band launches into the next verse as everyone starts dancing again, and — yes, I went full-out cheese — Cassie’s sisters launch confetti out of little cannons and cover every single one of us in a paper shower.

  Cassie’s arms are around my neck in the next instant, and she’s crying and holding on tight as I spin her around while being careful not to take us both tumbling down the stairs. When I land her on her feet once more, she looks up at me with those glistening emerald eyes and says, “I love you more than anyone or anything in the world.”

  “I love you, too,” I promise, and then we share a kiss so long and deep and passionate that it shouldn’t be allowed in public, but I don’t care.

  I’m hers.

  And she’s mine.

  And nothing in this world can ever keep us apart.

  Later that evening, Cassie is tucked under my arm in the hot tub as we listen to Skyler and Kip telling a funny story about their summer in Kansas. My phone buzzes from the edge of the tub, and I glance at it, heart jumping into my throat when I see an email from the Alpha Sigma National Chapter.

  I clear my throat, excusing myself inside to use the restroom, and only after I close the door and lock it behind me do I open the email.

  Mr. Brooks, it is our pleasure to offer you a position as a Field Executive for the Alpha Sigma National Chapter.

  The rest of the email is a blur, even though I read it several times, because it takes all my str
ength to keep myself standing upright as the meaning of what I’m reading sinks in.

  “Holy shit,” I murmur to myself, and with the phone still in my hands, I lift my gaze to lock eyes on my reflection. “I got it.”

  ON THE LAST NIGHT of Spring Break, I’m nostalgic as fuck.

  As I get dressed for an evening out — slowly get dressed, thanks to how sore I am from skiing — I can’t help but reflect on the past four years. I guess this isn’t anything new. I guess most seniors in college go through this. When you first come to college, everything is fresh and new and exciting. Then, as the years go on, you’re a veteran. You’re experienced and know what to expect and can make the most of everything.

  But when you’re in your last semester and just a couple of months from graduation, it’s hard not to experience every moment with a sense of longing and sadness.

  This is my last semester living in the fraternity house. This is my last couple of months of classes — and no matter how many times I cut class or bitched about exams, a part of me knows I’ll miss it. I’ll miss having a house full of rowdy brothers who are always down to do something, go out, party, play video games, hit the gym, whatever. A part of me will miss learning something new every day, and that feeling of studying hard and seeing it pay off with a good grade.

  And on the last night of my last Spring Break, all I can think is did I take advantage of this the way I should have? Did I soak up every minute? Did I appreciate these responsibility-free vacations with my brothers?

  I’m still lost in my contemplation and fucking with my button up when my phone rings. It’s sitting on top of the old wooden dresser with the mirror I’m currently staring at my reflection in, and when I glance down, I’m surprised to see Erin’s face on the screen.

  Requesting a video chat.

  I smile, but my brows furrow in confusion as I slide my thumb over the screen to answer. “Well, hello there.”

  Erin whistles. “Damn, Bear. You’re all dressed up!”