“It’s about what I said earlier. I just, I have to—best friend time, you know?”

“Yeah.” Jordan sighed. “Taz wants to take Race to the hospital, so Z and I are going with the girls. They’re shook up. We’re going to comfort them, if you get my drift.”

Cross snorted, tipping his head back. “Have fun getting laid.”

Jordan laughed. “Yeah. Yeah. See you guys.” He tapped the door once in his farewell, then started back down the hallway.

Cross dipped down, grabbed me around the legs and tossed me onto the bed.

He followed right after, dropping to the bed almost at the same second. His hands slid up my neck, his fingers moving through my hair, and he bent down, his lips meeting mine, taking mine.

He commanded, and I answered. I couldn’t do anything else. This guy—I’d do anything for him.

It wasn’t long until we heard everyone start to leave—footsteps traipsing outside, crossing the lawn. Voices outside, then car doors opening and closing. Headlights came on, some lighting up his room, until suddenly and so blissfully, everyone was gone.

It was just us. Us and his bed.

He paused, lifting his head. “Did you want to go to the hospital too?”

I smiled. “You’re joking, right?”

He smiled back. “Yeah.”

This was what I wanted. Him. Me. Alone. I just purely wanted him.

I wanted to let go of the armor I had to wear all the time. I could with him, and I was at that moment. I was merely a girl being held in the arms of the boy she was already in love with.

He’d been watching me and ran his hand down my hair again before moving to the side of my face. His thumb rested over my cheek. “I want you. God.” He groaned, his lips coming to mine again. “I want you.”

I whispered back, “Then have me, because I want you too.”

His eyes blazed, burning into mine, dark and fierce and powerful, and he leaned down again. His lips touched mine as his hand slid inside my jeans.

My head fell back. Pleasure and ache surged inside of me. “Shit, Cross.”

“Hmmm?” His lips moved down my throat. He touched right where my artery was, where the blood was pumping, and began to suckle there.

I felt his hand on my stomach, and he slid it upward, moving my shirt as he went. I stretched out, savoring this feeling as he explored my body, pulling my shirt up and off of me. I wore a sports bra, and that came off too. As soon as it did, his mouth was on me. He was kissing, licking, tasting. He was savoring me.

Every inch of me was in a frenzy. He added to it, making it richer, stronger, making it rise all over me until I was quivering in his arms.

“Cross.” I grabbed for his shirt. I wanted it off. Now. Desperately.

Taking the end, I pulled it up and Cross pulled back, helping toss it off of him. He paused, right there, settled firmly between my legs, his jeans unbuckled, and his shirt off. I could see him in the street light. It cast a perfect glimmer through his curtains, just enough where I could see all the shadows over him. Rising up, I began to kiss him. I kissed his chest, moving down, lingering, exploring him the way he had done to me.

I made him shake, quiver, groan.

And when I couldn’t wait any longer, when the throbbing was so strong that I swear he could feel it, my hands went to his jeans.

“Bren?”

I looked up. “Yes.”

That was all he needed.

He pushed me back down, my head to his pillow, and he lay over me, his entire firm body molding to every inch of me.

I raised my leg and he caught it, curling it around his waist. One movement, and I was helpless to him. He held me in place as he continued to suck on my throat. His finger slipped inside, a second soon joining, and I couldn’t do a thing except bite my lip. I was gone. I was beyond reality, lost in this ride.

In and out.

His fingers kept going.

“Cross,” I moaned.

I found his mouth, and his lips pressed over mine. His fingers plunged in again. A gentle pressure from his lips, and then he cursed under his breath. His fingers came out of me, but he made quick work of pulling my other leg around his waist. I locked them around him, and he undid his zipper. He leaned over, opening his drawer, and I heard the crinkle of a condom wrapper.

He paused, holding himself above me, lined up at my entrance. “You sure?”

I opened my eyes and saw him hovering an inch from me. “Get the fuck inside me.”

His eyes darkened, and he pushed inside. Sliding to the hilt.

I gasped. Finally.

He was inside.

He waited for me to adjust, stretching me, and with a low, guttural groan, he began moving in me. Slowly at first, his hands finding mine, our fingers lacing together, he pressed my hands to the side of my head. There was nowhere else I wanted to be.

In this moment, I felt more than I’d ever felt. Pleasure laced my insides as he thrust in, slid out, paused, and went back in.

My hips moved with him as he started to speed up. I strained to feel every inch of him. I wanted him as deep as possible. I felt him in my fucking stomach.

“Fuck, Bren.” His hands moved to my hips, and he held me tight. He began going harder, a little rougher. My climax was building—whipping through me, making me feel feverish, but I couldn’t do anything except go with him. I wanted it harder. I wanted it rougher. I wanted him to stay in me forever.

My hands went around his back, and he tipped my hips up, thrusting deep and pausing. He ground in there, and I groaned. I felt myself coming, but I wanted to hold off. I wanted to go with him.

As I raked my nails down his back, he let out a deep growl and began ramming into me.

“Cross!”

His mouth found mine again. His tongue was inside, and I opened for him, feeling him at both ends.

He pummeled into me, and when he slowed, I felt him coming just as my climax ripped through me. We surged together, our bodies straining to get closer than was possible.

Waves went through me, and Cross held me until my body stopped trembling. With a soft kiss to my lips, then forehead, he eased out of me.

I ran my hands over his chest, feeling him tremble above me.

This was unexpected, but so damned good.

It was hot. It was fast. It was—he lifted his eyes to gaze at me, and I reached to touch his mouth. God, that mouth. How could I crave him so soon? I already wanted to be kissing him, to be holding him again, to feel his hands all over my body.

“Holy shit,” I breathed.

I pressed my forehead against his chest, and he laughed, running his hand down my arm.

He sounded just out of breath as I was. “You can say that again.”

He pulled off the condom and tossed it into a garbage can in the corner, then moved to lie beside me. He curled around me, holding me tight.

He lifted his head to look down at me, his eyes darkening once more.

A lone finger touched my stomach as he murmured, “We’re not moving from this bed.”

I wanted that too. “Not arguing. I’m good with that.”

“Good.” He kissed my shoulder, tucking some of my hair behind my neck, gently.

I felt some stickiness between my legs, and as much as I didn’t want to move, I needed to. “I should clean up.”

Cross nodded, raking a hand over his head. “Okay.” He sat up as I slid from the bed and crossed to his bathroom.

When I was coming back, after I’d pulled on one of his clean shirts, his phone buzzed from the floor. He bent to grab it, the screen lighting up his face.

“It’s from Taz,” he said. His finger scrolled down the phone. He tapped on another text. “Race is fine. She’s staying with him. Everyone else went to Manny’s.” Another text, another tap on his screen. “Someone saw Alex there.”

“We have to go.”

“Wait.” Cross grabbed my hand. He was reading more text messages. “Jordan said to hold off. They’re partying with the Normals, but will watch Alex if he’s there. They won’t move on him.” Then he started laughing, putting his phone on the nightstand.

“What?”

“He asked if I could keep you away. He’s still hoping for a shot with Tabatha Sweets.”