Kiss Me Like This
Page 44

“I’d better go,” he finally said, “before I can’t stop myself from dragging you back to my place. Because you’ve probably got tons of studying to do, don’t you?”
“I do,” she made herself say. And it was true. She had a bit more preparation to do on her big midterm presentation about the Brontë sisters’ novels, and it wasn’t going to get done while she was making out with Sean. “You’ve got studying and baseball, don’t you?”
He nodded, and when she looked into his eyes, she knew that even one more little kiss would send both of them spiraling off again. “Thank you for an amazing night. And an even more amazing morning.”
“Tonight.” He didn’t say it as a question. “I want you with me tonight. Once you’re done studying, text me and I’ll come pick you up.”
She nodded, shivering slightly at what she knew would happen again tonight. Because even if he wouldn’t yet make love to her, he would touch her in other ways that made her burn in the best possible way.
“Tonight,” she echoed. A beat later, he was gone.
* * *
“You’re glowing.”
Serena slowly turned to face her roommate. She felt as if she were dreaming and one too-quick move would break the beautiful spell. “I feel like I actually am.”
“So much for taking it slow,” Abi said with a wide grin that showed how much she approved of seeing the two of them together.
“We didn’t—” Serena began, but there was so much that they had done, that the full truth came down to, “I’m still a virgin.”
“So technical,” Abi teased. “Well, whatever you did with him, you’re one lucky bitch!” She sighed. “All the guys I’ve hooked up with on campus so far have been major creeps. Total losers.”
“Sorry.” Her roommate was sweet and fun, and Serena wanted only good things for her. “I’m going to be meeting his family tomorrow, so I can check out his other brothers if you want.”
“Of course I want! Where are you meeting them?”
“His sister’s birthday party.”
Abi made an I knew it sound. “He is so in love with you.”
“He hasn’t said anything like that to me.”
“Are you kidding? He’s saying it to you every way a guy possibly could. Setting up all these clandestine Friday nights so that you aren’t bombarded with photographers. Not rushing you to do him. Taking you home to meet the fam. And I’m not even going to ask you if you’re in love with him, too. Nothing has ever been clearer than that.”
The thing was, Abi was right. Serena was in love with Sean. And even if he hadn’t yet said the words, he had shown her in so many different ways just how much he cared about her. So then why hadn’t she let him all the way in?
Tomorrow, she decided. Tomorrow, after she met his family, if she still felt good about everything, she’d finally open up completely to him about her mother and what her life had really been like before she came to Stanford.
And then maybe, just maybe, he’d finally feel comfortable opening up completely to her, too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
One of the biggest things Serena had learned during the past few weeks was the art of concentration. It would have been so easy to lie around daydreaming about Sean, or even better, to spend every free moment with him. But pursuing her dream of getting a serious education that she could build into a rewarding career was just as important. Close, anyway, she thought, as he drew her closer with his arm around her shoulder to shield her from the cool evening breeze.
For the past eight hours straight, she’d been writing and rewriting her big presentation for Monday. She could practically recite it in her sleep by now, but she’d never had such a big test before. Especially not an oral one in front of her professor and her entire class.
“You sure you’re okay with coming over tonight?”
Sean had her things in a bag slung over his shoulder, and they were already more than halfway between her dorm and his frat. But even though she knew turning back was the last thing he wanted, he’d take her right back if he thought that was what she needed.
“Yes. I’m totally sure about staying with you tonight.”
But he didn’t just listen to what she said, he made them stop in the middle of the path so he could look into her eyes. “Did you get through all of your work today after I left?”
“I did.”
“But?”
Had anyone ever understood her this well, hearing all the things she wasn’t saying, making her admit even her smallest fears so that she could finally get over them?
“I feel like I’ve been preparing for my presentation forever, but I’m still a little nervous about it. Especially since I’ve never stood up in front of a class to talk before.”
“What if you gave the presentation to me tonight? And then after you aren’t nervous about it anymore…” He gave her a smile, one full of so much sensual promise it took her breath away. “I’ll take your clothes off and make you come again.”
She loved that he hadn’t just blown off her concerns by telling her how great she was going to do. And she definitely loved the way a few hot words from his lips had her entire body burning up even as a cold breeze blew over her. Still, “You don’t want to hear me talk about the Brontë sisters and their influence on the modern novel.”
“I do.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Nice try, but I’m pretty sure being bored senseless isn’t the kind of foreplay every guy looks forward to.”
“Screw foreplay. If you just need to stay up with me working on your presentation tonight, that’s what we’ll do. I want you, Serena. But I want you to be happy more.”
It was the most seductive thing he could possibly have said to her.
“Thank you,” she said as she kissed him. “But, honestly, I think just admitting out loud that I’m nervous has already helped. Because the truth is that I really am ready to ace this thing.”
He studied her face for a few long moments before his obvious concern eased. “You really are, aren’t you?”
Finally feeling as though she could conquer absolutely anything she set her mind to, even meeting Sean’s entire family tomorrow, she said, “I really am. Now, how quickly do you think we can get to the part where you’re taking my clothes off and making me—”