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

I finally give up, letting my hands drop to my sides from where they were hovering over the keys of my laptop. I close my eyes and sink into the pillows, letting out another moan when Adam presses his thumbs deep into the arch of my left foot.

  He chuckles. “That good, huh?”

  “You have no idea. I mean, I know I need to get used to this, being on my feet all the time. But after just one week at the hospital…” I groan again as Adam rolls my ankle and massages my heel. “Well, let’s just say I’ve got a whole new appreciation for nurses.”

  Adam smiles, rubbing my foot with admiration in his eyes. I don’t know why it even interests him, sitting on my bed in the Kappa Kappa Beta house while I filter through all the medical school pamphlets I collected over break and compare them with my online research. You would think I was doing a boudoir shoot rather than talking about where I wanted to go for med school.

  “No matter where you go, you’re going to be amazing,” Adam says, switching to my right foot. “But let’s just say someone walked in right now and said your life depended on you naming your top three schools. Don’t think too hard, just say what your gut tells you.”

  I grimace. “I don’t want to—”

  “Cassie, just say it, dammit, or I’ll suck on your big toe.”

  “Ew!”

  Adam opens his mouth big as a trout and pretends like he’s going to shove my whole foot in his mouth, to which I respond with jerking back so hard I nearly pull him into my lap. He laughs, grabbing my foot and rubbing again with a go on look on his face.

  I sigh. “Harvard. Johns Hopkins. Duke.”

  “And if that same person said you can only choose one, your top choice, and it’s yours. You’d say…”

  I chew my lip for a long while until Adam starts tickling my foot while I writhe and try to break free.

  “Johns Hopkins!” I scream, partially begging for mercy. “Johns Hopkins, okay?”

  Adam smirks in victory, going back to the massage. “Well, there you have it. You can toss the rest of these pamphlets.”

  I laugh. “I wish,” I say, picking up one for a smaller, lesser-known school in Florida. “But the truth is, the chances of me getting into those places are… well…”

  “You’ll get in.”

  “I need to apply to at least ten schools, just to be safe.”

  “Fine, do what you want,” Adam says, and then he starts reeling me in like a fish, using my leg as the pole. “But you’re going to get in. You and I both know they’d be crazy not to let you in. With your GPA and the research projects you’ve already done, plus the fact that you’re graduating a whole year early?” He shakes his head. “You’re going to be the best damn doctor anyone has ever known.”

  I welcome the kiss he presses to my lips with the sentiment, and then my cheeks heat as I finally admit out loud what I’ve been considering for months now. “Or… surgeon.”

  Adam’s eyebrows shoot up into his hairline. “Surgeon, huh?”

  I nod. “Am I crazy to think I can do that?”

  “Are you kidding?” Adam pulls me into his lap then, covering me in kisses. “I’d let you perform surgery on me right now, no training or anything. That’s how great I think you’ll be.”

  “You’re crazy,” I say with a laugh, squirming under his kisses.

  “Crazy in love with you.”

  As corny as the line is, it makes me swoon all the same, and Adam pulls me back into the mountain of pillows on my bed as we stare at each other all googly-eyed.

  For once, it feels like Adam and I are on stable ground.

  After the hellish semester we endured in the fall — well, really, the hellish semesters, plural, that we’ve endured ever since we’ve known each other — it feels amazing to finally just be together.

  We spent the holiday break with each other’s families, going to stay with his aunt first, and then with my parents and sister. I knew I loved Adam before, but there was a whole new level of love uncovered when I walked into the house he grew up in, when I met his aunt who took over after his grandfather passed away, when I saw pictures of Adam growing up, when I made cookies with his aunt and got to know the woman who raised the boy I was so in love with.

  And if that wasn’t heartwarming enough, watching him play video games with my sister and listening to him talk golf with my dad and watching him load the dishwasher for Mom while she nearly cried at the sight?

  Well, that was the icing on the cake.

  And now, we’re back at PSU, Adam in his last semester before graduation and me going into my last full year, now that I’ve decided to graduate early.

  It feels like a new era.

  It feels like everything I could ever want.

  “Are you sure you don’t need to be at the A Sig house?” I ask, but I’m already wrapping myself up more in him, knowing full well I don’t want him to leave. “Fraternity Rush is still under way, and I know you have a lot to do.”

  “Oh, I have plenty to do,” he agrees, but wraps himself up in me just as tight. “Fortunately, I did a lot of it when we first got back, and I’ve become rather good at delegating. Jeremy is handling everything tonight, and the other brothers are stepping up, too.”

  “Are you sure?” I ask again.

  “Yes, I’m sure, my little parrot,” he says, kissing my nose. “Hey, I’ve got to step back a little this semester and let the other guys get their chance to shine. I’ve already been the first to ever be president two years in a row.” He shrugs. “I’m graduating in just five months. These guys gotta figure out what comes next, and I have to step out of the way in order for that to happen.”

  I arch a brow. “You’re surprisingly… calm about all this. You’re not going to miss it?”

  “Of course, I will. I mean, I feel like I’m largely responsible for turning our entire chapter around, for giving us a new reputation, for getting A Sig back in the game.” Adam pauses, his eyes focused somewhere in the distance. “But I think I’m ready for the next chapter in my life, and I have faith in my brothers. They’re going to be just fine without me.”

  “And what’s next for you?”

  Adam watches me for a long time, his eyes flicking back and forth between my own, like there are a million things running through his head and he can’t tell me a single one of them.

  “I’m not sure,” he finally says. “I mean, I majored in Business. Pretty versatile. But… you know… I’ve been thinking… and I really loved turning our chapter around here, and I know there are a lot of other Alpha Sigma chapters struggling across the nation.”

  “Oh my God,” I say, jolting upright so I can face him. “Are you thinking about being a Field Executive?!”

  Adam laughs. “You stole my thunder.”

  “Babe!” I smack his chest, my smile so big I think it might split my face. “You would be amazing at that.”

  Field Executives are college graduates who go on to work for their fraternity at the national level. They’re usually assigned to a chapter for a semester or a year, and their tasks range from everything from recruitment and expansion to best practices for the chapter and spreading historical fraternity knowledge.

  Adam wouldn’t just be amazing at the job — he was practically made for it.

  “Don’t get so excited,” he says, holding up his hands. “They don’t hire many guys, and I’m sure I’ll be one in a sea of hundreds applying.”

  “Doesn’t matter. One look at what you did here at Palm South, and they’ll hire you on the spot. With a signing bonus.”

  Adam laughs as I cuddle up against him again. “A signing bonus, huh? Like a baseball player?”

  “Yep. Millions of dollars, just like that.” I snap to illustrate.

  He laughs again. “You know, my aunt is obsessed with you.”

  “Is she now?”

  “Yep. Which makes two of us.” He pins me into the sheets then, kissing all over my neck while I laugh and wriggle beneath him. Just that simple movement fires me up, and Adam pauses wher
e he hovers over me with a wicked smile.

  “This semester feels different, doesn’t it?”

  “It does,” he agrees, sweeping my hair from my face.

  “You and me, we’ve been through so much…”

  Adam nods, resting on his elbows so that we’re chest to chest, stomach to stomach, lined up in every possible way.

  “I kind of feel like nothing can stop us now.”

  At that, Adam smirks, pressing a long kiss against my mouth before he whispers, “It’s only up from here, baby.”

  And then, he peels my shirt up and kisses his way down to show me just how unstoppable we are.

  THERE’S NO BETTER VIEW than a redhead sucking your cock.

  I don’t care what the travel buffs say about mountains and valleys, beaches and lakes, bustling cities or tiny map dot towns. They can say whatever they want about that kind of scenery — I much prefer this one.

  My dark hands, twisted in bright copper hair.

  Plump lips around my thick length.

  Manicured nails digging into my thighs.

  A cotton-candy pink tongue, dragged from balls to tip.

  I groan and let my head roll back only long enough to keep myself from coming too quickly before my eyes are on Kailey again. I met her earlier this week when Fraternity Rush started and she showed up with a tray full of freshly baked brownies. I loved her hair, her sweet and innocent smile, her long eyelashes.

  I especially loved when she blew all that shit away, leaning in to whisper in my ear that she couldn’t wait to see what my bedroom looked like.

  And now, here we are, and with a hot, wet mouth driving me to the edge of my release, I finally feel like myself again.

  “Fuck, I’m going to—”

  I don’t even get the words out before Kailey takes me all the way down her throat — or at least, as deep as she can go — and I don’t miss the gag when I find my release. But, like a champion, she holds me there, and it’s the sexiest thing I’ve seen in a long fucking time.

  “Damn, girl,” I say when she looks up at me with a wicked smile, swallowing and wiping the corners of her mouth. “That was hot as fuck.”

  “Glad you enjoyed yourself,” she says. Then, she stands and pulls her sweater dress down from where I’d hiked it up over her hips. She checks her makeup in my mirror, running her fingers through the hair I mussed.

  “Your turn?” I ask, sliding up behind her. My cock is already soft, but I know plenty of ways to get her off.

  “You can get me next time,” she says, turning to tap my nose with her pointer finger.

  She’s already out of my arms and heading for the door when I say, “Oh, so it’s like that, huh? You’re going to just suck me off and then waltz right out of here?”

  Kailey laughs, pointing a thumb over her shoulder. “Can’t you hear? There’s a party going on out there. Don’t worry,” she says with a wink as she opens my door. “I’ll come to collect soon enough.”

  I laugh when she blows me a kiss before shutting the door behind her, and when I’m alone, I can’t help but appreciate that kind of confidence and ownership of a woman’s sexuality.

  I think I’m even more turned on now.

  With a sigh, I yank on my sweatpants and flop back on my bed, resting my hands behind my head as I look up at the ceiling.

  The holiday break was… tough, to say the least. After Becca broke up with me, and Erin refused to talk to me and let me apologize for the whole Friendsgiving mishap, all I could do was go home to Pittsburgh and lick my wounds.

  Fortunately, it turned out to be just what I needed.

  Being with my brothers and my mom brought me back to myself, and for the first time since I can remember, we’re a unit.

  Carleton is getting clean, has a full-time job, and even his wife is working at the grocery store down the street from them. My nephews are in school and happy. Clayton is ecstatic after a killer football season and growing more and more into a lady killer every day.

  And mom is… around. For once.

  It’s as uncomfortable as it is exciting, having my mom present, getting to know her again after all that has transpired between us. I have Becca to thank for getting me to pull my head out of my ass and realize that giving my mom a chance to right her wrongs was the least I could do.

  And to her credit, she really is trying.

  So much so that Clayton moved out of Mac’s house and in with Mom in her new two-bedroom apartment.

  It scared me at first, when they told me the news, but it helped that at least I was there to help them both move in and get settled. I even took Mom to the Goodwill to get furniture and things they needed. Clayton seemed excited to have his own place again. Even though Mac’s family had been amazing, I knew it gave him a sense of independence to not have to depend on them anymore.

  Still, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison assured me they would still be there, checking in, making sure all was well. And it makes me feel better to know I’ve got eyes in town even when I’m not there.

  And the timing of it all couldn’t be better.

  It’s my last semester at PSU, my last semester as a brother, my last semester of college, period.

  This is it.

  Just a handful of months filled with classes and partying in equal measure stand between me and graduation.

  I have no idea what comes next for me. I feel confident in my skills as a graphic designer at this point, but the question isn’t what I’ll do.

  It’s where I’ll do it.

  There’s a huge part of me that yearns to go back to Pittsburgh, even though I used to swear to myself that I never would. Now that my family is there, mending our past, my thought have shifted and I realize that I want to be there with them.

  Pittsburgh is a cool city.

  There are plenty of jobs available.

  I know Pennsylvania. I miss the cold. I miss seasons, having a fall and winter and spring instead of one perpetual summer with a dash of chill now and then.

  And still, there’s something holding me here, something that says my time in South Florida isn’t over, something that makes my gut churn with a silent whisper of you can’t leave, not yet.

  I feel tethered to this place.

  I just haven’t quite figured out why.

  A loud ruckus down the hall breaks me out of my daydream, and I sigh, scrubbing a hand over my head before I hop up and check my reflection in the mirror. I look like a man who just got properly sucked off, and if anything, I kind of like the look more than when I first got ready for tonight.

  I don’t even bother to change into jeans again, just give myself a swig of mouthwash and then I’m out the door. All the what comes next shit running through my head can wait.

  Kailey’s right. There is a party going on.

  Time to do it up Clinton Fucking Pennington style.

  For one last semester.

  JUST REMIND ME ONE more time that I have nothing to worry about.

  I smile a little at the text from Kade, but can’t ignore the way my stomach somersaults, too.

  You have nothing to worry about. I’ll be in your bed in just a few hours.

  The little dots bounce on the screen as I check my reflection one last time in the bar bathroom.

  I’ll keep it warm until then.

  With another smile, I tuck my phone away, stilling a breath before I make my way out of the bathroom.

  This little beach bar hasn’t changed much since the first time I graced its presence. I still remember that night like it was yesterday, strolling in here looking for a little escape from recruitment. I thought I’d find a good fruity cocktail and a guy to fawn over me all night before I had to go back to a house full of screaming sisters.

  Instead, I found Jarrett.

  A shiver races up my spine at the memory of him behind the bar, the wicked smile he gave me, the confidence, the unforgettable first time of him touching me in his truck in the parking lot.

  That memory seems to grow three hea
ds and a dozen eyeballs when I round the corner out of the bathroom hallway and spot Jarrett coming in from outside.

  It’s chilly tonight, a rare and blessed event in South Florida, so the beach bar that’s normally all open and airy has plastic awnings pulled down to keep out the cold as best they can. Jarrett is bundled up in a brown leather jacket and dark distressed jeans. All his tattoos are covered, along with his bald head, thanks to a Patagonia beanie. I can tell the time he’s spent in Manhattan has given him more fashion sense just by the outfit and designer boots he’s paired with it.

  He’s my Jarrett, the same one who stole my heart with just one look.

  And yet, he’s a complete stranger, someone I don’t know at all.

  His smile is weak when his eyes meet mine, and he makes his way toward me with his hands in the pocket of his jacket.

  “Hi,” he says, and I have a flashback to our last conversation — the video chat where he broke up with me.

  I clear my throat and force a smile. “Hi, yourself.”

  “Thank you for meeting me.”

  I nod.

  “Shall we?” Jarrett gestures toward the bar, and when we reach it, he pulls out my stool first before taking the one next to me.

  It’s been about a year and a half since Jarrett left his job at this bar and took the internship in New York, but still, he’s like a celebrity when he sits down. The manager comes out and tells the bartender to put our tab on the house, an older woman who worked with Jarrett when he was here comes over to give him a big hug, and even a few patrons pay their respects. When it’s finally just the two of us again, he sighs, smiling sheepishly at me.

  “So,” he says. “My brother has threatened to castrate me if I so much as touch you, but for the record, I really wanted to give you a hug.”

  I chuckle. “Better not, just to keep the balls safe.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” Jarrett pauses, lifting his beer to his lips for a sip. It makes me happy that even after so long in the city and obviously graduating to better clothing, he still likes an ice-cold Pabst Blue Ribbon. “I will say, I’m glad you didn’t pass out when you saw me this time.”

  My cheeks heat, but I don’t really know what to say. Oh, yeah, that. Sorry. Just wasn’t prepared to see my ex-boyfriend whom I had barely gotten over standing next to my current boyfriend’s car. Oh, and double whammy, you two end up being brothers!