Palm South University: Season 1 Box Set (Palm South University #1) Read online

  She swallows, but her lips part slightly and I can feel the want radiating off of her. When she doesn’t answer, I fall down on top of her and slam my mouth on hers, hiking her leg up in the process. I know she’s only a temporary numbing, just like the gym was earlier, but she’s what I need. Sweat, alcohol, and sex. That’s the distraction I’m looking for, and Palm South is the perfect place to find it.

  I don’t even bother taking off her dress or even the lacy thong I feel underneath it. I just quickly maneuver it to the side, roll on the condom I pulled from my top drawer, and thrust inside her in one fluid motion. She moans loud in my ear and it sends chills down my back. Thank God Josh likes the music loud.

  “Oh God,” Lacy screams, gripping my headboard as I slam into her over and over again. Her breasts are nearly tumbling out of her dress and her head hits against the board a little each time I thrust in.

  “Nope, just me, babe.”

  I make sure she gets her release and as soon as she finishes, I lift both of her ankles up onto my shoulders and push deeper inside her pussy. She screams even louder and it doesn’t take long for me to find my release, too. It completely numbs me and awakens every nerve at the same time. Finally, even if just for that moment, I don’t think about anything else but the way it feels to come inside her.

  When we finish, I make my way to the bathroom to flush the condom and then I fall back into bed, turning on my fan on my way over. I pull a pillow over my head to drown out the music and let my temporary euphoria drag me toward sleep. I don’t know if Lacy stays and I honestly don’t care. She can stay and sleep or she can leave. Right now, I’m not talking. Or cuddling. Or doing anything other than reveling in the fact that coming feels fucking amazing.

  Before my thoughts have the time to sneak their way back in, I pass out.

  “YOU DON’T NEED TO SEND that much home to us, Skyler,” my mom says softly and I can hear her tearing up a little.

  “Mom. I want to. Please, just take it. It’s not even that much.”

  “A thousand dollars is a lot of money.”

  “Well, it’s not as much as I wish I could send.”

  Mom’s silent, probably crying, so Dad takes his cue. They always talk to me on speaker phone. “We are so, so proud of you, honey.”

  I shrug. “It was just a little tournament, nothing to get too proud over.”

  “It is to us,” he says. “And it may just be a small tournament now, but I know without a doubt that one day, you’ll win tournaments so big you can’t even imagine them right now.”

  “Whatever you say, Dad. Any word on that promotion?”

  He pauses. “Not yet. I’m still holding out though.”

  I nod, but my gut tells me I should be worried. Mom and Dad both work in retail. Dad has been up for promotion to manager at least four times that I can remember, but his boss always screws him over. They do what they have to to make ends meet, but since neither of them finished high school, they don’t have much to work with. But they work hard. Damn hard. And I’m determined to help them and maybe, one day, make it where they don’t have to worry about working, at all.

  “You’ll get it, Dad. I know you will.” I smile just as I key in the door code to the sorority house. “I just got home, I’m going to turn in. Love you guys.”

  “We love you too, sweetie,” Mom replies through what are now clear sobs. I chuckle a little and end the call, stepping into the foyer. When I do, I nearly crash into Ashlei.

  “Whoa!”

  “Oh my God,” she whisper-yells, clutching her chest. “You scared the shit out of me!”

  “What are you doing? It’s after three in the morning, Lei.” I note her eccentric makeup and eye her curiously. She’s dressed in what looks like pajamas, but clearly she wasn’t sleeping. She, Jess, and Erin helped me get ready for the tournament earlier, much to my surprise, before Jess and Erin headed off to the social. But Ashlei said she couldn’t go, so why was she covered in neon makeup?

  Ashlei shifts under my gaze, adjusting the gym bag on her shoulder. “Um, I went out. To a club downtown.”

  I cock a brow. “Really? With who? I thought you couldn’t go out tonight.”

  She bites her lip, curses, and pulls me to the couch. “Listen, please don’t say anything to Jess or Erin, okay? I had other plans tonight. That’s why I couldn’t go to the social.”

  “What other plans?” My brows rise higher.

  “I can’t tell you…”

  “And why is that?”

  She sighs. “Just, please, Skyler. Don’t tell them and don’t make a big deal about it. I was out with a few friends. That’s all.”

  I study her for a moment more, but nod. “Okay, Lei. I won’t say anything.” She lets out a breath of relief. “Should I be worried, though?”

  “No. I’m fine. Trust me.”

  “Okay.” I nod again. “Well, I won the tournament tonight but I am exhausted. I’ll see you in the morning?”

  “Yeah,” she says, smiling. “And congrats, Skyler. I may not understand the whole poker thing, but I know it’s important to you. And I know what it’s like to be worried about what others might think of the things that make you happy. So just know I’m proud of you.”

  I smile, but can’t help but wonder how she knows what I feel like. Ashlei fits this sorority and all our friends like a glove. I’m not sure what she knows about worrying what others think of her. “Thanks, Lei. Love you.”

  She blows me a kiss and I scamper up the stairs to mine and Jess’ room, quietly letting myself in and stripping down to my underwear before crawling into bed. Before I plug in my phone, I type out a quick text to Clinton. When no answer comes in after five minutes, I sigh and roll over toward the wall, pulling the covers up to my shoulders.

  Something weird is going on with Clinton, and now Ashlei is acting strange, too. I know Jess is hiding something from all of us – something boy-related, if I had to guess. And Erin has barely spent more than ten minutes with me since classes started. I hate not knowing what’s going on with my friends, and it hits me that maybe I need to stop focusing on distracting myself and start paying attention to the people around me, instead.

  There are way too many secrets floating around PSU right now, and I’m determined to start uncovering them. It’s time to hone in on my friends and reveal their truths.

  Starting with Clinton.

  PULLING MY TIGHT spandex shorts out of my ass, I wipe down the pole and pat my hands together around a pinch of chalk. I don’t usually chalk my hands before I work out – especially after seeing so many of my teammates start to rely on that method – but today, I need it. My palms are sweaty as hell.

  There’s a nervous pit in my stomach and I’m not sure if it’s because the competition is less than a week away or if it’s because I know what Hayden is doing behind the studio right now. Regardless, even with the chalk, I’m straining more than usual when I grip the pole and climb my way up, warming up with basic climbs and spins to keep my mind off everything else.

  Skyler caught me sneaking in the house the other night and I know she’s getting more and more curious about my whereabouts, which means I have to be extra careful. Pole dancing fitness isn’t something you can easily explain to just anyone. Hell, I was a judgmental bitch when I first started learning about it. But then I met Hayden. Once he and Leslie started training me, I felt myself become addicted. Over the summer, I trained hard and used everything I learned from dancing my entire life to transfer into the moves on the pole. My flexibility made some of the moves almost natural for me, but building the body strength took time and patience. I’m proud of everything I’ve accomplished, but there’s no way I can ever tell the girls about my hobby.

  I’m pretty sure Erin would faint.

  Jess would be pissed and say it’s slutty.

  Skyler would probably laugh and broadcast it across campus.

  And my parents? Jesus… I can’t even imagine.

  No, I can’t tell anyone. Some
times, it’s just better to keep certain parts of your life separate from others.

  “Damn girl,” Hayden smacks my ass playfully just as I transition into my Russian splits.

  I giggle and drop back down to my feet. “Way to break my focus.”

  Hayden pulls me into him for a long, sensual kiss that I feel all the way down between my thighs. “All part of the training, I swear.” As much as I love the way his hands feel on me, I can tell he’s high, and it turns me off as much as his tongue turns me on.

  “Mm hmm. I’m sure.” I push him away and climb back up. Leslie and Kya enter through the door he came through just moments ago and Leslie immediately starts warming up while Kya changes her shirt. Both of them are gorgeous, but Leslie is just downright hot. When I first met her, I was more attracted to her than I knew how to handle. I’ve always known I have a bisexual mindset, but I’d never really considered trying to openly hit on a girl until Leslie. That was, until Hayden stole my attention.

  “Just us today?” I ask just before performing a simple drop.

  “Only the ones who want to win, it looks like,” Leslie answers. Her long, jet-black hair spins around her tight body as she warms up and I can’t help but be temporarily mesmerized. The chick is still insanely hot, whether I’m with Hayden or not.

  And I’m not even sure what we really are, anyway.

  The South Florida Pole Dance Event is this Saturday and everyone in our troupe is entered in the competition. Leslie is the owner of Kitty Heels, our small-but-talented dance company, and she tells me every day that she could all but kiss Hayden for bringing me to them this summer. She sees potential in me, and this will be my first time to prove her right.

  “You ready for your first competition, Ashlei?” Kya asks, her eyes shining in the flattering lighting of the studio. Kya is another star student of Leslie’s. She’s been dancing with Leslie since the beginning. Standing just shy of six feet and breaking that point in heels, she’s the tallest girl in our troupe. But, she’s also the strongest, and her moves are perfected to a point that I’m envious of. I’m not easily intimidated, but I’m threatened by her, for sure.

  “Getting there.” I answer, trying to feign confidence.

  “You’re going to be amazing,” Hayden says, stretching on the floor by his pole. They brought Hayden in a little over a year ago, but he seems to fit in perfectly. He’s one of only two males in our entire studio and when he’s on the pole, he’s absolutely hypnotizing. His strength is out of this world. “When you bring home better awards than the rest of us, I expect a kiss of appreciation.”

  “And just where do you want this kiss, Hayden?” Leslie teases.

  Hayden flashes his model grin. “I have a few ideas.”

  The girls chuckle and I drop to the floor long enough to toss my sweaty towel at him. Hayden Rivers is trouble walking. He’s covered in beautiful tattoos, has a pierced eyebrow, and wears his shoulder-length hair back in a man bun that I swore I would never find attractive but did after the third time we hung out. He’s lean, ripped in every muscle group from his neck to his ankles, and has just the slightest bit of facial hair. His piercing blue eyes top off his look and I swear he’s the most exotic creature I’ve ever come in contact with. He’s just as handsome as he is strange – and I love it.

  He’s also into hard drugs that Leslie doesn’t know about, which makes me worry more often than I care to admit. But, he’s a big boy – he makes his own decisions.

  We run through our routines until we can barely stand anymore. By the time we finish, it’s past midnight and I know I’ll have to figure out a way to sneak back into the house again. Luckily, I room with Erin this year and she’s always passed out by this time. With all her campus and sorority activities, she’s exhausted by the time night rolls around and she sleeps heavier than anyone I know.

  “Stay with me tonight,” Hayden whispers into the back of my neck just as I pull a loose white t-shirt over my sports bra. He wraps his arms around my middle and pulls me back into him, pressing his hard on against my ass and forcing me to exhale a long, needy breath.

  “I can’t,” I turn toward him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I have class early in the morning and a sisterhood event tomorrow night. I have to get some sleep or I’m not going to make it.”

  “Sleep is overrated.” He holds me tighter and nips up my neck to my earlobe, pulling it between his teeth. Hissing, I place my hands on his chest and try to put distance between us.

  “You’re killing me.”

  “I could be pleasuring you if you’d come home with me.”

  I push him off and grab my gym bag. “Goodnight, Hayden.”

  “Temptress,” he teases, but he lets me go and I silently thank him for not trying again. Lord knows I can only say no to that kind of offer so many times.

  When I climb into my little white Lexus SC convertible, my phone rings and I’m surprised to see Erin’s name on the screen.

  “Hello?”

  “Where are you?! It’s after midnight!” she yells into the receiver. At first I think she’s scorning me, but then I realize it’s exceptionally loud wherever she is and she has to yell over the noise.

  Shit. The O Chi party.

  “I… uh,” I stammer, trying to figure out how to save my ass. I promised the girls I would go out to the Omega Chi Beta party tonight since I’d bailed on so much this semester. “I’m on my way. I got caught up working on this group project thing.”

  “Listen, if I’m up past my bedtime on a school night, you can blow off a group project,” she jokes. “Get your ass here!”

  “See you soon!”

  I end the call and curse. All I want is a hot shower and my bed, but it looks like I’ll have to settle for a quick shower and a frat party. I guess there are worse things I could be complaining about.

  Running to the sorority house just long enough to rinse off and change, I make it to Omega Chi just after one. Erin and Jess find me as soon as I get through the door.

  “About fucking time!” Jess yells. “Here, drink this.” She shoves a red plastic cup full of beer into my hand and tips it up to my lips. Before she has the chance to spill any on me, I meet the lip of it with my mouth and drink. She’s not satisfied until it’s drained. “You have some catching up to do.”

  “I see that,” I laugh the words, wiping beer from my lips. “Sorry I’m late.”

  “Whatever,” Jess cuts me off. “Let’s get hammered!”

  Erin leans in to whisper to me. “I think someone already is.”

  We both giggle and start to follow Jess toward a game of flip cup in the next room when Clinton’s booming voice carries from down the hallway.

  “Just fucking drop it, Skyler!”

  He emerges from the hallway just as Skyler tries grabbing his arm. He rips it away and turns to face her. Seething, he yells so loud it silences everyone else.

  “It’s none of your fucking business. If I wanted to talk to you about it, I would. But I don’t, so leave me the fuck alone. Stop being so goddamn nosey!” With that, he storms through the front door and slams it hard behind him.

  Everyone is staring at Skyler, including us, but like a pro she doesn’t miss a beat. Smiling, she shrugs. “Well damn. Anyone got a shot ready?”

  The crowd laughs, although a little uneasily, and then the games resume and everything is back to normal. Skyler’s eyes find ours and she makes her way across the room.

  “What was that about?” Erin asks.

  “It’s nothing. He’s fine, just stressed.”

  “He shouldn’t talk to you like that, Skyler,” Jess points out. “That’s fucked up. Whatever has his panties in a wad, he didn’t need to go all douchebag captain on you.”

  “It’s all good. I’m fine.” She turns to me and smiles. “And Lei is here! Let’s drink!”

  And we do. All night long. By the time we stumble our way into the house, I only have two hours to sleep before I have to be up for class. So much for sleep.
>
  Tomorrow is going to be rough.

  “SO I’LL SEE YOU there, right?” I ask the three freshmen girls standing in front of me. They all giggle and nod, their eyes flitting from the flier to me before they turn and walk away. I throw Jeremy a cocky grin and he just shakes his head.

  “Only you could pull this off, you know that right?”

  “Anyone could have before me,” I say, handing a few fliers out to groups of students walking past our booth. “It’s just that no one made the effort.”

  “That’s because no one cared.”

  “And that’s exactly why we’re the lamest fraternity on campus,” I deadpan.

  “Touché.” Jeremy chugs half of the water bottle in his hand and wipes his forehead. “Damn it’s hot. Florida sucks.”

  “What’s wrong, Michigan? Can’t hang?”

  He glowers at me before grabbing another stack of fliers. “Shut up or I’ll make you do this shit by yourself.”

  “You’ll make me flirt with every girl on campus to convince them to come to our concert? Wow. What a dick.”

  He flips me the middle finger before walking up to a group of Zetas. I laugh, but it’s cut short when I spot our president making his way toward the tent.

  Shit.

  I’m not in the mood to put up with Clay, but I don’t really have a choice. Out of all the brothers, he’s the most resistant to the changes I want to make to our organization. In my opinion, he should have been doing all this a long time ago.

  “So do we have a packed house for the concert yet?” he asks mockingly, eying our booth. I want nothing more than to smack that smug look off his face but I smile instead.

  “Getting there. You want to help us pass out some fliers?”

  “Nah, I’m on my way to the gym. Just wanted to see this shit show for myself.” He snickers. “I can’t wait to see this thing fail. Then maybe the alumni will realize why I didn’t listen to you the first time you suggested it.”

  “Why are you against me on this?” I finally ask him, perturbed. “We’re brothers, Clay. If we pack this concert, we’ll put Alpha Sigma on the map again.”