Chapter 1: The Party

I was in the middle of the hottest party on campus. Nobody cared that the weather outside was utter shit, full of wind and rain. Inside the house, people danced. They drank. They were doing inappropriate things in plain sight. The music was loud, the beer flowed, and I was absolutely miserable.

Why in the hell was I here, again?

Oh, right. I lived here.

When my roommates had suggested a party a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like a great idea. Now, not so much. My head was pounding. My date was MIA. Even though I knew I looked good in the skin-tight dress that hugged my ample curves, all I really wanted to do was go to my room, put on my pajamas, and curl up with a good book. My party animal was in hibernation, along with my sense of humor.

“Hey, Tess, can you grab some more ice?” One of my roommates, Brianna, yelled at me from across the room. We had three different kegs sitting in big galvanized tubs of ice and they needed more of the cold stuff.

I waved a peace sign over my head to let Brie know I heard her before I headed into the kitchen. It was just as crowded as the living room, people every-damn-where. It took some shoving, but I finally made my way into the small laundry room. A sign on the door proclaimed the laundry room off-limits for party goers. (Keep out, Assholes!) And yet, when I opened the door, I found a couple getting hot and heavy on the washing machine. I cleared my throat, loudly, but all I got back was a moan from one of them. I rolled my eyes in frustration. Subtle wasn’t going to work here, so I poked the dude in the shoulder, hard.

He turned to glare at me, “We’re busy here.”

“Laundry room is off limits for a reason. Did you read the sign? Your girl is sitting on our ice storage so go find someplace else a little more private.”

They both glared at me as they put their clothing back together and slammed the door behind them. The noise wasn’t quite so loud here and I took a few moments to enjoy the relative peace and solitude. I was reaching for the lid to the washing machine when I heard the door open behind me. The lights went out so suddenly that I thought someone had flipped the switch. I swallowed my yelp of surprise when someone touched my shoulder.

“Shh. I didn’t mean to startle you, Tess. I just came to help you with the ice. The lights went out as I opened the door. I think the storm took down a power line.”

The voice behind me was male, but low and quiet. It seemed familiar but I didn’t know who it was. The whole house was silent for a moment, before I could hear the murmur of voices out in the kitchen. I turned toward the laundry room door and banged into a very solid, very tall, person.

“Oh, sorry!” Whomever it was, I had just body-slammed him. I tripped over my own feet and was about to fall when his arm came around my waist and held me tightly against him.

“Careful. I’ve got you.”

Oh, yes, he did. I grabbed his shoulders and held on until I caught my balance. Holy crap, was he built. He was tall, a lot taller than I was. My breasts were pushed against his chest as his arms tightened around me. I’ve always been drawn to scent and his was incredibly sexy. Not overdone; subtle and spicy. I couldn’t help the soft purr that escaped me as I leaned closer to get a better sniff. I don’t know what cologne he was wearing, but it was wonderful and I wanted more.

One of his legs was braced between mine, his hard thigh rubbing up against my core. That wasn’t all that was hard, either. His generous length was pressed against my belly, erect and straining against his jeans. My whole body went nuts. My nipples tightened and my back arched as I breathed his scent in deep. He shifted slightly against me and I bit my lip to stop my moan of pleasure.

“I know I shouldn’t do this, but I just can’t help myself.” His whisper was quiet as I felt his face in my hair. One of his hands brushed the bottom of my chin and tilted my face up. His lips brushed over mine softly. I stood on my tip-toes, shifting higher to meet his kiss. That was all the invitation he needed as his mouth closed over mine.

Oh god, he could kiss. As his tongue brushed over my bottom lip, gently asking for entry, I opened and let him in. He took the kiss deeper until I was trembling with want and need. I strained higher, wrapping my arms around his neck as he kissed me breathless. I didn’t want it to end as he changed the angle of the kiss and took me deeper. I was drowning in him.