“Sorry,” he grunted. “You just feel so f**king good.”

I started again, drawing him in and sucking him back to the head in a slow rhythm. My knees were already killing me, and dear Lord, my jaw was on fire. I wasn’t going to be able to open my mouth in the morning. He’d probably like it that way.

I pulled back too fast and felt my teeth nick him. Ugh!

“Fuck!” Grant stopped me entirely and wrenched me to my feet. “No teeth.”

“S-sorry,” I stammered.

He breathed out heavily. “It’s okay,” he said through gritted teeth. “Just get on the bed.”

Oh man, am I that bad?

“Hey,” he said. “You’re going to get my dick nice and wet, and then wrap your lips around him. The faster you go, the faster I go. Focus on the tip, and we’re golden. No teeth.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

He kissed me solidly on the lips before lying back on the bed. I guessed I hadn’t sucked that bad if he wanted me to keep going.

I did exactly what he’d said. I didn’t care that my jaw was locking up or that I was pretty embarrassed by the entire interaction. Grant was moaning and groaning enough encouragement to keep me working him over until he was done. He started thrusting up into my mouth, and I tried not to fight him, but he was so big. I could tell that he was getting close before he even warned me.

“Oh f**k, Ari,” he cried out as he hit the climax.

I pulled back and felt his warmth run down my hand where I was still gripping him.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck me. Fuck.”

Chapter 21: Grant

Date Ten

This thing with Ari—I didn’t even have words for it. It was just f**king good.

I wanted to f**k her more and more every single f**king day, but now that she was handing out blow jobs, I didn’t feel like I was going to explode every time I saw her. I had my standard that the girl either sucked or f**ked, and I’d been amazed at how truly bad she was to start out with. For a split second, I’d thought about f**king her mouth until I finished or throwing her on the bed and having her prove to me that she f**ked better than that.

But she had looked so damn concerned when I stopped her that I just wanted to show her. I’d never f**king done that before. And f**k, once I’d told her what to do, she was a quick study. I’d be okay if she was studying all the time like this.

The strangest part of all was that as much as I wanted to push for more, I was having such a good time with her—dating her, laughing with her—that I wouldn’t. Each time I thought she was going to turn me aside for asking for too much, she would give just a little bit more of herself. Like the cupcakes. She had f**king baked me cupcakes. And the concert. I hadn’t been sure what I was in for when we walked into the venue, but not only was the show surprisingly good, Ari was also totally into it, which just made it that much better.

I’d been planning to take her out dancing on Halloween, but at the last minute, Miller had gotten news that ContraBand was being plugged in at the exact party I had been planning to attend with Ari.

We were scheduled for the eleven o’clock slot right before the club would switch to some techno DJ for the rest of the night. Ari and her friends showed up about fifteen minutes before our set. She was in a fitted white dress with long gloves, and she was holding an elaborate mask in her hand. I could see her from backstage, and it was fun to watch her search for me in the crowd.

“Bro,” Vin said as he took the spot next to me. “Halloween is the best f**king night of the year. So many chicks, so little clothing. I think I want a French maid, a Playboy Bunny, and a nurse all tonight.”

“Good luck with that,” I said.

“What are you going to take home? I saw a really hot referee.”

When Ari couldn’t find me, she secured her mask back in place and turned to talk to her friends.

“I’m thinking a masked angel.”

“That one?” Vin asked, pointing Ari out.

“Yeah.”

“Good choice. I’d bang her.”

“No chance in hell.”

The production manager popped his head backstage. “You guys are up.”

It was our first show in weeks, but we got right back into our rhythm without a hitch. I played the crowd the best way I knew how. Drunken girls in lingerie were throwing themselves toward the stage, and I even heard a few screaming for me to take my clothes off. I obliged them by shrugging out of the jacket of the military fatigues I’d worn for the occasion. The fans screamed even louder when I tugged up my shirt to expose my abs beneath. I laughed softly into the microphone, pulled the shirt back down, and continued on with the chorus.

“This is our last song, and I know that you’ll all be so sad to see us go. This one’s called ‘Letting You.’ Come out to our last show of the semester at The Ivy League on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.”

The crowd cheered.

I found Ari swaying and dancing all by herself in the second row. Her friends were grinding against guys who they’d found in the crowd, but she only had eyes for me. Right as we moved into the instrumental break, I pointed her out to the crowd and motioned for her to come onstage.

Her mouth dropped open, and she shook her head. I could see her mouthing, No, over and over, but the crowd roared and pushed her forward. I had the masses on my side, and soon, she was up the stairs and walking straight toward me. When I reached her, I swung her around into a dip and kissed her in front of the sea of people.

To everyone in attendance, this was nothing more than the band putting some random girl on display for the drunken Halloween crowd. But for me, this was new territory. I hadn’t picked Ari at random. It felt more like…I was claiming my girl.

Date Eleven

A week later, I picked up Ari from school. I’d dropped her off that morning after she stayed at my place. Ari was talking to some chick when she saw me pull up, and then she jogged over to my truck.

“Hey, Princess.”

Ari hauled herself up and into the passenger seat. “Hey. My professor loaded us up on homework because he’s worried we won’t cover everything before Thanksgiving. I guess we got behind a week or something. Ugh! It’s going to be terrible. I don’t know if I’ll be able to see you all weekend.”

I didn’t like the sound of that. “Do you want to cancel our date?” I asked anyway.