Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cole extended his arm behind him and handed his helmet off to whoever would take it. Jace grabbed it from his hand. He brought both hands to Quinn’s waist and walked her backward, never breaking the kiss. When the back of her legs knocked the bench, he sat her down while he kneeled on the ground in front of her, his knees in the dirt. He separated from her mouth and we all watched, as he talked to her in a low voice. He looked like he was asking her questions while she would nod her head ‘yes’ or shake it for a ‘no’.

I started to step forward so I could hear what they were talking about. These were my two best friends in the whole world, taking this monumental leap, and I just wanted to be there to see everything happen. Jaxon grabbed the hem of my shirt from behind and pulled me backward until I collided with his chest.

“Let them do it, Beautiful.” I remained quiet and nodded, while I kept my eyes glued to the two of them.

From behind, I heard Jaxon ask his brother if he had a pen, then he reached around me, grabbed my hand and started writing on it. I pulled my eyes away from my two friends on the bench who were deep in conversation, and watched Jaxon etching letters into my skin. His hands were sweaty and warm from playing, but I didn’t mind. When he was done, he smiled at me and let my hand fall from his. I brought it up to read.

You’re my favorite cheerleader.

I giggled at his message and playfully elbowed him. I knew I hadn’t hurt him because my elbow hit his padding, but that didn’t stop him from making a grunting noise.

When I finally heard Cole excitedly shout, “Really?” I pulled my face away from Jaxon’s.

Quinn nodded her head ‘yes’, and then they both grabbed at each other and started kissing passionately. A couple of minutes later, they finally came up for air, but continued staring at one another smiling. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I ran over to them and wrapped my arms around the both of them. Cole chuckled and wrapped his arms around the both of us and we all three sat there in a mixed up hug.

When I was ready to give them their space again, I turned to Cole, “Are you okay, from earlier?” I asked, pointing out to the field where I could still picture him lying on the ground not moving.

“I’m good, Emmy, I just got my lights knocked out. When I came to, Jax was screaming in my damn face that he would kill me all over again if I didn’t wake up,” he laughed. I turned to look at Jaxon who shrugged sheepishly.

I looked at Cole again and made a serious face. “If you hurt her, I’ll castrate you, Cole West.”

“Are you kidding me? I’ve been dreaming about this since orientation freshman year, when she let everyone in a five-yard vicinity know that I was a sex god!” he replied with a cocky tone and I watched as Quinn blushed a deep scarlet.

We all waited outside of the locker room for the boys to go inside and change out of their uniforms. Quinn just leaned up against the wall with her fingers on her lips, smiling, and looking off into the distance. I could take a guess as to where her mind was.

“This doesn’t mean you get to move out, away from me,” I said, while glaring at her with my arms crossed.

“No way. I’m not the let’s-get-married-in-college type.”

“Thank God.” I hugged her tightly, hoping that wouldn’t change anytime soon.

The guys came out, freshly showered with wet hair dripping down onto their clean shirts. Cole walked right past us, grabbed Quinn’s hand, and kept walking.

“Hey, guys, wait a second. Quinn, you’re totally not ditching me tonight to go get your love show on. You invited everyone over, you get an hour and a half, and then you better be back at our place! I mean it, this wasn’t my idea!”

Quinn frowned, forgetting she had suggested our place for the party. “Fine, we’ll be there.” Then they were gone, off into their own little world.

We got out to the truck with the motorcycle parked right next to it.

“Dude, I’ll take the truck,” Jaxon said to his brother as they exchanged keys.

“Hey, Jace, can I ride with you on that?” I tried to say it softly so only he could hear.

He gave me a strange look and said, “If you want to. I’m sure you’d have more fun riding with Jax though.”

“Shut up, Jace. Get in the truck, Emerson.” Jaxon stepped in between us and opened the passenger door for me.

I leaned over to see Jace around Jaxon’s body and said, “He won’t ever take me on the motorcycle, but I’ve seen you ride around with girls. Please.” I knew I was begging, but I really wanted to know what it felt like to be on one.

“What? Jax takes girls on this thing all the time,” Jace said shocked.

“Shut the hell up, man!” Jaxon yelled. “I haven’t taken any girls on this bike since we’ve been in California.” I watched as Jace shrugged his shoulders, got onto the bike and started it up.

I turned around and stepped up into the truck. Jaxon tried to help me up, but I got into it before he could even touch me.

“Emerson, I don’t take you on the bike because the idea of you getting hurt makes me physically sick to my stomach. I need you here.” He patted the leather bench seat. ”Safe, not on the back of a motorcycle where one mistake can end you. You’re so small. It worries me even to think about you back there.” He turned my body to face him and his hands were on my thighs.

“I don’t need a protector, okay?” I breathed.

“I’m trying my f**king hardest here, Beautiful.”

He stepped up into the cab and leaned in over me. His lips were hovering lightly over mine. I couldn’t resist him when he was this close. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down on top of me as I lay back onto the leather. I knew anybody walking by would see our legs sticking out the open door but I really didn’t care right now. He kissed me hard and fast. I ran my hands down his back and dug my nails into him through his t-shirt. He groaned against my mouth, while I could feel how ready he was for me through his jeans.

He placed his hands down on the bench on either side of my head and started pushing away from me. “Emerson, no.” I looked up at him, speechless. “You’re not allowed to have sex for two weeks; if you keep this up, I’m not going to be able to say ‘no’ soon.”

Well that was easy enough. I grabbed a hold of his shirt and pulled him back down to me. He shook his head before our lips could meet, climbed off of me, and out of the truck. He came around to the driver’s side, scaled in and started up the truck.

“Seriously?” I asked him. “This has never happened to me before.” I actually couldn’t believe this was happening; what guy denies sex? Especially with a girl he was obviously attracted to.

“Oh trust me; I’m calling myself an idiot in about ten different languages at the moment.” He avoided my gaze.

The drive back to the apartment was long and quiet. He had country music turned up loud while very softly he sang along. I loved listening to his voice and could melt into a puddle in his lap hearing him sing for the first time. I wanted him so bad. I needed to think of a way to change his mind. I knew how to seduce guys; I’d been doing it for years. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to seduce Jaxon Riley. We pulled up to the apartment and he parked the truck in their designated garage. When he turned off the ignition, I quickly pulled my shirt over my head. I knew he would appreciate my black lacy bra.

“Fuck…” He instantly put his palms over his eyes.

I climbed over into his lap and straddled him. He still had his elbows in the air, with his palms pushing into his eyes.

“Emerson, you’re cheating,” he spoke in a breathy voice.

I leaned in real close to his lips and whispered, “No I’m not.” He let out a long, frustrated groan.

The cab of the truck was silent as he waited for my next move, or for me to get off. I reached behind and unclasped my bra. I grabbed his hands from his eyes. When I removed them from his face, his eyes slammed shut. I pulled his hands down to my chest and cupped each hand to me. He gently squeezed and moved his hands around slowly. I smiled when I saw his eyes open and look right at me. He brought a moan out of me with how good it felt to have him touching me again. The second he heard my moan though, he lifted his hands away from me and put them behind his head.

With a cocky grin he said, “Uh-uh, you’re not getting me like this. I’m going to make you wait two weeks, and then you’ll be dying for me.”

Just then, we heard the roar of a motorcycle pull into the garage next to the truck. Jace parked on the passenger side. When I realized Jaxon wasn’t kidding, I reached out and pulled the door lever. Before he could stop me, I slipped off his lap onto the ground.

I walked down the side while Jace was on the opposite side of the truck bed. Only my shoulders and head were visible to him. He looked at me and cocked an eyebrow.

“Um, Em, are you missing something?” he asked.

At the same time, Jaxon was jumping from his seat, standing right behind me, covering up my br**sts with his hands. I tried my hardest to not close my eyes in that moment and make Jace uncomfortable. “Not funny, Emerson,” he growled in my ear. “Keep walking, Jace.”

“I took my shirt off to try to seduce your brother, but he refuses to have sex with me,” I blatantly told Jace pouting.

Jace bent over, laughing hysterically. “Oh, buddy; there is something wrong with you, Jax. I’d take care of you in a heartbeat, Emmy.” Even though I knew he was kidding, I still smiled back at him.

When I perked up, Jaxon yelled, “Fucking leave, Jace!”

Jace walked up the stairs to the apartments laughing. I turned around to face Jaxon. Still standing in front of me, he leaned over and grabbed my shirt from the truck. He slipped it over my head and pulled my arms through the holes as if I were a toddler.

“You’re no fun.” I stuck out my bottom lip to him.

He leaned down and bit it between his teeth, “I think you’re enough fun for the both of us.”

We walked up the stairs to our apartments. When I reached my door, he leaned over and kissed my cheek before continuing down to his.

Before he stepped inside, he asked, “Jace and I are going to do a beer run to bring over tonight, any requests?”

“Sex on the beach? Slippery nipple? Screaming orgasm?”

His eyes got dark as he looked at me. “Do you serve these often, Miss Bartender?”

Very slowly, I replied, “Every. Single. Night.” His eyes widened as I walked in and closed my door before he could add anything else. Let him stew on that for a bit!

Great, now I was sexually frustrated and there was no way I could fix it. Well technically, I know that I could go out and fix it and Jaxon would never know. For some reason though, I knew I couldn’t go back on our bet, especially since it was my idea. I don’t doubt that he would have held up his end of the bargain if he had lost. That was two bets I had lost to him in a row. I needed either to step up my game, or stop betting with the hot country boy.

Chapter Seven

First Fight

By ten o‘clock, people started arriving at our place, all on a high from the team’s win. Quinn still hadn’t come back down to our place. I had been texting her for the last thirty minutes with no reply. Jaxon was still out doing a beer run. Jace, who I guess decided not to go, had come over to help me rearrange furniture and move all the breakable things to a locked closet. We pushed chairs and tables against the wall to allow for more room. I put trashcans on the patio for the smokers and beer cans that will undoubtedly pile up. I walked down the hall to the guy’s apartment. Just as I expected, Cole’s door was closed.

“Quinn! I’m counting to three and then I’m dragging your butt out of there. You promised!” I heard shuffling around and laughing. “One… two… th-“ I was interrupted by Cole opening the door in front of me with a huge grin on his face.

“Emmy, give us a break,” he laughed. He only had a pair of navy blue boxers on.

I pushed past him and found Quinn buttoning up her shirt. I walked over and grabbed her arm as she reached the last button. “You’ve had your fun; you’ll have plenty of time later for this business. There are five of us and Jace is the only one that’s helped me so far. This wasn’t even my idea.” I walked her down the hallway to go out the door. She wasn’t saying anything, just had a satisfied smile on her face. While it frustrated me that I was left to take care of her party, I was still really happy for her and Cole. I loved seeing her this peaceful and happy.

“Hey, I resent that,” I heard Jaxon’s voice coming from the doorway. “I just supplied your whole party with booze.” He pointed down the hall. I lightly shoved Quinn toward the door to make sure she wasn’t going to turn around for more Mr. Cole West lovin’.

“Thanks, Jax, that was nice of you,” Quinn said, while walking past. He was still staring at me.

Before I could make a smart-ass comment to him, some random guy knocked on the open front door.

“Do you guys know the people next door, I have a delivery and they aren’t home?” He was wearing a shirt displaying a local florist shop but was holding a giant box of chocolates.

“We live next door,” I told him, gesturing to Quinn and me.

“Sweet, then this is for Quinn Montgomery.” She walked up to him with a confused look and took the box.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have any cash for a tip,” she told him.

“No worries, I was paid a lot for this late-night delivery. He said you wouldn’t be home till about now. You guys have a great night.” He closed the door behind himself.