My Next Play by Carrie Ann Ryan

Chapter 14

Miles

I walkedinto the house and nodded at Pacey and Dillon as Pacey glared at his homework, and Dillon stared at his.

“Everything okay?” I asked, raising a brow.

Pacey scowled even harder. “Yes, just having trouble with this one.”

“I’d ask if I could help, but I’m the science geek. You’re the math one.” Pacey flipped him off, and Dillon just cackled. “Pacey is doing physics homework, so I’m pretty sure he’s the science and math geek.”

“And proud of it. Usually,” Pacey grumbled. “I’m just not wrapping my head around this, but I will. I need to let it click. And coffee. Coffee helps everything.”

“Coffee sounds great. I’m cold,” I said as I took off my coat.

“I don’t understand how there are random cold fronts and icy weather at all times of the year in this state,” Dillon said as he leaned his head back.

“It’s because you got spoiled being out in California for so long,” I said. “Now, you have to suffer through all four seasons.”

“Sometimes in a day,” Pacey said.

“At least, we have sun here. Unlike your old home,” I added.

Pacey shrugged. “Touché. Okay, coffee and homework. Sounds like exam time.”

“Nessa should be here soon. She had an afternoon shift with Everly and wanted some help with her stats homework.”

“Is that what we’re calling it these days?” Pacey asked, waggling his brows.

“Stop it,” I said, my ears turning red.

“What? You guys seem happy. You are happy, right? Nessa’s my friend, and I will kick your ass if you’re not making her happy.”

Maybe if it had been anyone else, a tiny kernel of jealousy would have filled me. It couldn’t, though, not with Pacey. At first, when the whole Pacey and Nessa thing had exploded last year, I’d been pissed off at Pacey. Not because of Nessa’s crush and her feelings for him, but more so that Pacey hadn’t seen it. He hadn’t done anything about it until it was almost too late.

That had annoyed me to no end. And I said something about it. It had been the only time I’d ever stood up to Pacey because Pacey wasn’t the kind of person I needed to stand up to most days. Only Pacey had hurt Nessa, even if by accident. And though I hadn’t been a part of the situation at the time, I still hadn’t wanted to see her get hurt.

Things were better now, and I knew there were no feelings there, so the fact that Pacey was so overprotective was almost something nice—a boon rather than something overbearing and domineering. At least, that’s what I told myself. I would not be telling Nessa that. She would kick both our asses, and we would probably deserve it.

“Nessa and I are taking things slow,” I said after a minute, taking a sip of my coffee.

“Slow,” Dillon said, shaking his head. “Seriously? That’s what you’re going with?”

“Yes, slow. Things are different between us than they were with you and Elise and Mackenzie. I’ll be leaving soon. I only have a semester and a half left, and then I’m gone. And though we might have next semester figured out with her and school, she will be leaving soon, too. And we don’t know where yet. None of us do.”

“It’s odd to think that some of you guys will be moving out of state.”

Pacey cleared his throat. “Mackenzie and I are both applying to Oxford, by the way,” he said, almost too casually.

My eyes widened. “You mean you guys would be leaving the country?”

“If we find programs that work. We’re going to try to find a place together, and with our majors and the programs we want, that means we’ll have to focus on some of the bigger schools that have programs big enough for both of us.”

“Hell,” Dillon said, shaking his head.

“You guys can’t just leave,” I said, and then I laughed.

“You’re leaving, as well,” Pacey said.

“Elise and I are staying here,” Dillon said after a minute. “We’re thinking about finding a place together. You know, after the school year.”

I just smiled. “You know that’s not an actual announcement or a surprise, right?” I asked, and Pacey laughed.

“The two of you fit. There’s no going back to something less serious.”

“The girls are here often enough, and you guys are at the girls’ house enough that you’re practically living together now.”

“True, but it’ll be different. You know?” Dillon asked, shaking his head. “But we’re staying in Denver.”

“Of course, you are. Your degrees and jobs make sense for that. And you have the big family businesses you’re going to be working towards. It makes total sense.”

“You and Nessa won’t be finding a place together?” Pacey said.

“We’ve only been together for a few weeks.” Though it felt like longer in some respects. I just didn’t allow myself to think too hard about that.

“Hell, it’s odd to think we’re not going to be like this next year. That we’ll all be in different places.”

“Colorado is still my home. I want to move back once I finish grad school. If I can get a job out here, I want to be near my brother.” And my parents, but I didn’t say that. Mostly because it was hard to think about them without feeling as if they were honing in.

“For however long you have, just take care of her,” Pacey said after a moment, and I nodded. “That’s my goal. And now, I’m going to get a few snacks and head up to my room. If I don’t hear the doorbell, can you send her up?” I asked, and Pacey nodded.

“Of course. After I question her about her motives with you, much like I’m doing with you right now.”

I rolled my eyes. “Please, don’t do that. You’re going to scare her away.”

“Nessa’s made of sterner stuff than that,” Dillon said.

“I don’t know,” Pacey said. “Not that she isn’t strong, but she does frighten quite easily.”

“That’s enough of that,” I said, shaking my head. I made a quick cheese and vegetable plate and then headed up to my room, books in hand.

I was just getting settled when the door opened, and Nessa walked in.

“Oh, good, you have snacks,” she said as she put her things down on the small table in the corner and came to sit next to me on the couch. She kissed me softly, and I leaned forward, deepening the kiss slightly. She sighed and leaned into me.

“Hi there,” she whispered.

“Hi back. Let me feed you.”

“You sure do like taking care of me,” she said as she pulled away slightly to pick up a cube of cheese.

“Of course, I do. I kind of like you.” I leaned into her again, kissing her softly and doing my best to hold back and not move too quickly.

She smiled and then leaned back, picking up another cube of cheese. “I like that you take care of me, though.” She gave me a warm look, and I figured that was as good as we would get, talking about our feelings and who we were to each other. Talking about it too much would only make us remember that this wasn’t permanent. Not that any relationship was guaranteed, but especially in college, ours had an actual expiration date. I purposely didn’t want to think about that.

I nipped at her lip, and she grinned.

“So, I guess we’re supposed to be studying?” she asked, and I sighed.

“Yes, for now. Later? Just you wait.”

“That sounds like a plan to me,” she said and bent over the table to pick up her books.

“You’re getting this,” I said after we finished the first sets of problems for her homework.

“Finally. I’m going to have to thank you for this later.”

She blushed, and I chuckled. “Yes, you should.”

“I meant like baking you something.”

“Sure. With all this time you have,” I said dryly.

She winced. “It’s only going to get worse next semester if I get that TA job.”

“You can make it work. You may need to sleep while standing up, but you can make it work.”

“I hope so. My dad sort of laid into me, thinking about dropping out.”

My brows rose. “You didn’t tell me about what your dad said. I knew you talked to him, but I didn’t want to ask.”

“It’s not good. But my dad is amazing.” She went on to tell me exactly what he had said, and I leaned forward and kissed her gently.

“Your dad sounds pretty amazing.”

“I know. I’m lucky to have him, even though what we might lose sucks.”

“You’ll gain so much because you have each other. And now I sound like I just rolled right off of a Hallmark movie film truck.”

“People watch those for a reason. They want to feel warm and happy. It’s why I read romance. Even though they sometimes break me along the way.”

“You’re going to have to tell me which books I need to read then.”

Her brows rose. “You would read them?”

“Of course. I want to know what you like, Nessa.” I hadn’t quite meant to say that, but there was no taking it back now.

“Oh,” she whispered. “Yes, I’ll find a series for us to read together.”

“Would you reread something, or would it be something new?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll find something.” She smiled, and I leaned forward and kissed her again. Her pencil dropped from her hand, and she groaned.

“You are so good at that.”

“I try,” I whispered and kissed her again.

She groaned once more, wrapping her arms around my neck. I deepened the kiss, then reached around and gripped her by the hips, picking her up. Her eyes widened as she pulled away slightly.

“How did you do that? You are so freaking strong.”

“Just you wait,” I winked and then leaned forward, biting her lip before I kissed away the sting. She wrapped her legs around my waist as I carried her to the bed. I gently set her on the mattress before I stripped her, ever so slowly. First her pants, then her top. She groaned as I lapped at and placed kisses along her body, trying to take in every inch of her, savor every breath. She lay naked before me as I stripped off my shirt and leaned down, bending myself between her legs as I looked my fill. Her pussy was wet, inviting. I lapped and licked, spreading her folds.

“You’re so pretty. So wet.”

“Only for you,” she whispered.

“I’m going to have to do a better job, then,” I said before licking and sucking more. I ate her out as she came, licking her clit as she rode my face. She came twice in an almost unending burst before I finally pulled away and flipped her onto her stomach. She groaned and pushed against me, but I reached out and smacked her on the ass. She shivered before pressing into my hold, and I slowly rubbed away the sting.

“You like?” I asked, being careful with her. Oh, so careful. I always would be. No matter what happened between us.

“I do,” she whispered.

I spanked her again before reaching around and plucking at her nipples. I twisted harder than I had before, and she let out a shocked gasp. She froze, and I did the same.

“Too much?”

“No. I just…wow. I think I liked that.”

“Good, then.” I did the same to the other nipple, and she let out a shocked gasp before moaning. I slid my hand between her thighs, cupping her. I knew she was even wetter than she had been before. It seemed my little Nessa liked this. Good.

I rubbed my jean-clad cock against her heat before reaching around for the water bottle I had set near the bed earlier. I opened it, grateful for its insulated metal, and pulled out an ice cube. I rolled her onto her back, and she widened her eyes.

“What are you going to do with that?”

“You’ll see.” I gently rubbed the ice cube across her nipple, and she let out a shocked gasp, immediately putting her hands above her head. I nearly came at the sight; at how she submitted to me, even though that wasn’t what we were doing. We didn’t have that kind of relationship, and I wasn’t ready for anything like that, but we were playing and being safe. That was all that mattered.

I slowly played with her nipples, using the ice and my warm mouth to send her over the edge again, but it wasn’t until I slid the ice between her folds, and she bucked against my hand, that I knew she was mine. She came again, and then I stripped quickly as she shook, her entire body pink and flushed. I slid a condom over my cock, spread her thighs, and pistoned inside her.

She arched off the bed, and I latched onto her mouth, pinning her hips to the bed as I pounded into her. She groaned, scratching her nails down my back, and I knew I would treasure those marks for as long as they lasted. Hell, I would probably feel them far longer than they were ever in evidence. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t do anything. All I wanted to do was have her forever. And because that couldn’t happen, I pushed away those thoughts and kept going.

I was fucking happy. And Nessa was mine.

I followed her orgasm as she clamped down on my cock and did my best not to think about what would happen after the semester and the year were up. I kissed her again, rolled to the side, my back to the door, and just held her as we both came down.

Tanner walked in at that minute. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I shouted and then growled.

Nessa giggled and pushed herself against my body as I slowly wrapped a blanket around us both.

I glared over my shoulder at my roommate.

He had his hands over his eyes and was cursing. “Shit. You didn’t notice that the power was out?”

I looked around. It was indeed dark. “Not really,” I said, still balls-deep in Nessa.

“Well, fuck. The power’s out. A storm’s coming. Batten down the hatches, or I guess you’re doing your own battening down. Not that it’s a euphemism, but I’m going to make it work. Fuck. I didn’t see anything of you, Nessa, but I’ve seen way too much of my roommate now.”

Tanner slammed the door on his way out, and I looked down at Nessa before we both laughed.

“Well, then,” Nessa said, blinking up at me. “I don’t know if I can be embarrassed anymore.”

“Ah, well, I’ll probably feel this later.” I leaned down and kissed her. “We should probably make sure everything’s okay.”

“Maybe. Or perhaps we can just stay under the blankets and forget the rest of the world.”

And as much as I wanted to do that, as much as I knew she wanted to do that, we both got up after a moment. Still, I held her close.

I was fucking falling for her, and I knew it was a damn mistake.

After all, Nessa wasn’t for me.