Higher (The University of Gatica #3) Read online

  She sighed as she stared at his lips. They were incredibly perfect. Lush without being big. Soft with just the right amount of roughness. A reddish-pink color that begged to be kissed. She licked her own and desperately wanted to taste his again.

  Carter pulled back as she leaned in. “Guess I should get this cleaned up.”

  Jani huffed and fell back against the couch. Carter chuckled and she knew he was laughing at her. She threw a pillow at him. “You’re a terrible tease, you know?”

  He easily avoided the cushion. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

  He dropped down to the hallway floor and Jani moved on the couch so she could watch him work. She wished he would take his shirt off. Could mentioning the bleach in the Lysol make him consider taking it off?

  “Jani?”

  “Yes?” she answered, craning her neck to see him.

  He was on all fours, scrubbing a spot he had just sprayed. “How come we never hung out more last year?”

  “What do you mean?” Her heartbeat seemed to echo in her ears. “We hung out a couple of times.”

  He chuckled and paused in his scrubbing. “I didn’t mean that kind of hanging out. I meant, like actually spending time together. Like going to the movies or dinner or something.”

  “Like a date?”

  “Yeah.” He crawled to the next spot on the floor.

  “You never asked me.”

  His head popped up. “I didn’t?”

  She shook her head.

  “Then I was an idiot.”

  She smiled, liking him more for admitting that. “It might have been because you were in season competing, and then the next time we hung out,” she said, using two fingers on each hand to emphasize the word, “was just before NCAA indoors for me. Then I had a training camp down in Alabama and right after, outdoor track season started. I guess things got kind of busy.”

  “That didn’t stop me from thinking of you.”

  Sigh. Score a point for the swimmer. “You thought of me?” She knew she was smiling and couldn’t get her mouth to stop.

  He moved to the next area to clean, almost disappearing into the kitchen, just his legs and half his back were visible.

  Jani didn’t mind the view.

  “I did,” he said, talking a bit louder so she could hear him. “I came by your place once too. Linda said you were out.” He stopped talking. His legs disappeared from her view and water began running. He appeared again, wiping his hands with a clean towel. Carter leaned against the wall that framed the corner of the kitchen and living room. “She also made it clear you weren’t interested.”

  Jani stood and marched over to him. “She told you that?”

  He nodded.

  She shook her head emphatically. Some friend and teammate Linda had turned out to be. “I never said that! I figured you weren’t interested. In me!” She nearly laughed out loud at the irony. “I wasn’t going to go and chase after you if you weren’t into it.”

  He stared at her, trying to figure everything out. “Well, ain’t that a bummer?” His blue eyes danced as they flitted back and forth at hers.

  “Big time.” She stared back at him, a silly smile pasted on her face as well. Why were they acting so cheesy? And worse, why did she like it? She hated sappy stuff and she was pretty sure Carter wasn’t into it either.

  “So, what do we do now?” Carter glanced down at her lips.

  “Hmmm…” She ran her tongue over her lips and enjoyed watching him swallow hard. His Adam’s apple dropped down and then back up again. Even the muscles in his neck were strong. The chemistry between them felt about to boil over.

  Carter crushed the distance between them in a heartbeat. His arms wrapped around her, drawing her body tight against his. His fingers sank into her dark hair as he brought his head down to kiss her.

  Jani opened her mouth to allow his tongue access. She ran her hands up the sides of his long torso, enjoying the heat she could feel radiating off his hard toned abs, even his intercostal muscles were defined along his ribs. She moved her hands to slip them under his shirt.

  Soft skin over powerful strength.

  She tugged at his shirt, not realizing she had urged him to pull it off until he pulled his lips away from hers to get the material over his head. She gasped and tried to catch her breath, only to have it catch when she stared at his naked upper body.

  Carter dropped his hands to his sides and let her stare.

  She raked her eyes over his dark hair that hung slightly into his eyes. She had the urge to run her fingers over it and pull it back over his head the way he usually wore it. She held back, knowing if she touched him she wouldn’t get this chance again to look at him so openly. She watched his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm over his insanely well-developed pecs and rib cage. She swore he had muscles inside his muscles. No one should have that many abdominal muscles. There had to be eight, no ten. She couldn’t be sure because his black jeans covered part of them. If she reached over and unbuckled them…

  A heavy panting sound caught her attention. When she realized it was coming from her, she forced her lungs to inhale deeper, slower breaths.

  Carter, apparently amused by the reaction his half-naked body had created in her, gave her a sexy grin. “Do you want to chill out on the couch? Watch a movie or something?”

  She did not want to watch a film. Without saying a word, she entwined her fingers in his and sauntered to the couch. Using both hands, she pushed Carter down onto the sofa. He fell gracefully backward, grabbing Jani by the elbows so she landed on top of him.

  Their lips locked and Jani hungrily devoured the taste of him. She moaned against his mouth as his hand reached under her shirt and pressed against her breasts. She sat up on his hips, rotating against the hardness growing under her. She moved his hands away and laid them over his head. Winking, she straightened again and slowly unbuttoned her top.

  Carter’s eyes widened, but he didn’t move. She wore a black lacy bra with under padding. She didn’t care, it gave what little she had a push in the right direction. She slowly exposed a shoulder and let her sleeve slip before shifting to free her other arm.

  She spread her hands over his chest. “I think we need to lay some ground rules.”

  He grinned, apparently amused she was trying to set some boundaries while her hips said otherwise. “Do you want scrambled eggs?”

  “Pardon?”

  “Tomorrow. Morning. Do you like scrambled eggs?”

  She chuckled. “Maybe.”

  “In bed?”

  “Breakfast in bed?”

  He nodded once.

  “I’m not having sex with you tonight.” She hated saying it, but it needed to be said.

  Carter didn’t bat an eye. “I kind of figured. I’m cool with that. Doesn’t mean you can’t spend the night.” He stared at her intently, a sly, there-are-loads-of-things-we-can-do look on his face.

  Man, he’s toxic. “I’m sure we can figure something out.” She lay down on top of him, loving that their bodies fit together almost perfectly. “You seriously offering to make me breakfast?” No one had ever offered her that before. It seemed so… so… gentlemanly.

  “Eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, the whole fancy feast.”

  Fancy feast? Wasn’t that some kind of cat food? She didn’t say the thought out loud. “Hmmm…” She ran her hand down his chest, over the bumps of his rock hard abs and slipped the tips of her fingers inside his jeans. “I guess we’d better work up an appetite.” She heard Carter’s breath catch as she lightly scraped her nails against his hot skin and then undid his belt and jean button.

  Dropping her head to his neck, she kissed him just behind his ear and ran her tongue down as her hand pressed against his erection. He groaned and reached for her. “Come here,” he growled, flipping the two of them over so he could lay on top of her. His mouth covered hers, demanding all of her attention.

  Her hands came up to touch both sides of his face. Jani loved kissing.
She felt it was very intimate. Kissing had a lot to do with chemistry, the emotions surrounding a kiss and the passion behind it.

  Carter knew how to kiss her.

  Toxic. The word popped into her head again. He was her drug of choice if she had any say to it. She didn’t want to sleep with him tonight because she didn’t want it to just be a one-off thing. She wanted to see him again, and again.

  Their kiss deepened and grew in intensity. His hands were touching her everywhere and left her head spinning. She wanted to be closer to him. They were both shirtless and it didn’t feel close enough. If he asked, she was scared she wouldn’t be able to say no.

  His hand slid up her thigh under her skirt and rubbed against the thin satin of her panties. His fingers played a perfect rhythm of teasing and tormenting. When his finger slipped inside her, she cried out in pleasure. It took less than a minute for her to climax. She clutched his strong shoulders letting her teeth bite into his skin as she shuddered and surrendered.

  She kept her head buried against the side of his neck, embarrassed by how fast it had happened. That had never happened before. Like some wanton woman. If Carter noticed, he didn’t show it. His lips sought hers again as his hand trailed up and down her thigh. She let him kiss her and touch her. Soon her hands were reaching for him and tugging the zipper of his jeans down. He didn’t stop her. His body hesitated as he hovered over her when her fingers curled around his cock. Only a moment and then his tongue thrust deep into her mouth as she squeezed and found a rhythm that had his hips following what her hand directed.

  She wanted to feel him inside of her, knowing he could probably bring her to climax again in one thrust. The thought made her rhythm quicken. She felt him stiffen and his breath come out in ragged gasps.

  He pulled back and out of her reach. He held a single hand up, begging her not to touch him. She watched him, desire pleading her to force him on his back and find a way to satisfy both of them.

  It took Carter a moment to compose himself.

  Screw it. Jani sat up and pushed him into a seated position. She leaned forward in the same motion and slid him into her mouth.

  “Shit, Jani!” Carter gasped.

  She took him by surprise and it was worth it.

  Chapter 3

  By the morning, they were both physically exhausted. Somehow Carter kept his promise and they did not have sex. How he managed to hold back earned a new stripe of respect from Jani. She knew there were several points in the night where she had begged him, and he had not let it happen. They fell asleep when it was already starting to get light out.

  Jani snuggled against the soft comforter and pillow. A delicious smell of bacon cooking filled her nostrils. She rolled onto her back, pleasantly sore from the physical exertion the night before. She smiled, her eyes still closed, as she stretched. She had liked Carter last night before they dropped Aileen off, but now she seriously liked him.

  She heard Carter moving around in the kitchen and sat up, wrapping the sheet around her naked body. She felt shy in the bright sunlight lying in his room, even without him in there.

  His room didn’t have the messy appeal that hers had. His clothes were folded and put away or hanging in his closet. She half imagined a couple pairs of speedos hanging on hooks or lying in the corner on the floor. Only her panties and bra lay there – one on the bedpost, the other in the corner. She didn’t want to know how that happened.

  The room was pretty bare: a bed, dresser, closet and two Ikea-style shelves on the far wall with plaques, a glass trophy, and some photos. Goggles and swim caps sat on the far side of the lower shelf. She wondered who were on the pictures; she couldn’t see from the bed.

  Jani grabbed her bra off the post and slipped it on. She raced over to her panties and put them on also. “Crap!” she whispered. Her blouse and skirt were lying somewhere downstairs. She moved to the dresser and skipping the top drawer because she figured it would be full of socks and boxers, she checked the second. Bingo! The top shirt on the side closest to her had a swim meet logo design on the front folded part. She pulled it out and slipped her arms through it. Downy fresh scent waffled through the heavy smell of bacon as her head came through the top.

  Her feet stepped silently across the wood floor. She smiled when she heard Carter singing downstairs. She picked up a silver pair of goggles and ran the rubber over her fingers. They were tinier than she imagined and the silver was shiny enough to be a mirror. She checked her reflection and quickly set the glasses down. Her hair seemed to have grown a mind of its own. She pulled the band she always kept on her wrist beside her watch and pulled her hair into a messy bun. It was better than crazy-head.

  The pictures on the shelf were team photos and a few individual ones of Carter racing. Someone had taken the time to make black and white pictures and frame them in silver – the same color as his swim goggles. Maybe an old girlfriend. Did he have one last year? He hadn’t mentioned it, but then again, what kind of guy would talk about an ex while trying to hook up with someone else? She hadn’t asked the first time they fooled around, and it never crossed her mind the second time.

  She covered her hand with her mouth. What if he had a girlfriend and had messed around with her? Her eyes swung around the room trying to see any hint of something girlish. She couldn’t find anything but the possibility of the pictures. Shoot, he could have a sister who made them for his birthday or something like that. She was silly to jump to any conclusion. She could just ask him if she really wanted to.

  She stood in the middle of his room undecided if she should head downstairs or stay here. She moved to his bed and quickly made it as neatly as she could before going to the kitchen. On her way through the living room, she noticed her skirt and blouse hanging on the back of the sectional.

  “Sleeping Beauty awakes.” Carter whistled when she stepped into the kitchen. He wore a gray t-shirt, basketball shorts and a pair of flip flops. He stood behind the sink drying a frying pan and pointed it at her. “You look way better in that shirt than I do.” He smiled appreciatively.

  She twirled and laughed. “It’s the black lace bra underneath. If only there was a wet t-shirt contest going on somewhere this morning on campus.”

  Carter leaned over and kissed her hard on the lips. Jani had the sudden fear of wondering what her breath smelled of. She hadn’t brushed her teeth last night or yet this morning. Carter didn’t seem to mind whatever it was. When he went to butter toast that popped, she moved over to the pitcher of orange juice and poured a glass.

  It was deliciously sweet but thick, with pulp.

  “I just squeezed that this morning.”

  She smiled, appreciating his effort and unable to tell him the pulp made her gag reflex want to spring into action.

  “Breakfast is ready.” He rubbed his hands together. “I hope you’re hungry.”

  He carried two large plates over to the nook-bar style table built into the wall of the kitchen. He set one down in front of a stool and set the other by him. “I went with scrambled because I didn’t know if you liked sunny-side up or over-easy.” He jumped up and went to the fridge. “You need ketchup?”

  “I’m good. Thanks.” She sat down and waited for him to come back.

  He kissed her again as he passed. He grabbed a piece of toast and bit into it as he sat down. “You have no idea how incredibly hot you are in that shirt. I can’t stop staring.” He chewed and grinned wickedly at her. “Those are the most fabulous never-ending legs I have ever seen.” He touched her bared knee.

  “They’re skinny.” The long shirt only covered her butt on the underside. It stopped where her legs hung off the bar stool.

  He shook his head, shocked at her comment. “They are not! They are sexy. Long. Toned. Muscular. Hell, did I mentioned long? I love that part.”

  She smiled. “You’re very talented.” She took a bite of the scrambled eggs. They were fluffy with cheese grated and now melted inside. “These are yummy.”

  “Thanks. I though
t you were referring to my talent in the bedroom.” He winked at her.

  “I was.”

  Her instant reply made him hesitate a moment.

  She reached out and touched his forearm. “I actually meant that you have the incredible ability to compliment me. It blows my mind some of the things you say.”

  “Really?” He grinned, all proud of himself. “So you’re suggesting I start taking notes on the comments I make towards women?”

  “Exactly. You could write a book on what turns women on. I, of course, would get forty percent royalty. We can become insanely rich together.”

  He let out a low laugh. “I agree with the insane part. The rest is just crazy.”

  “Literally.”

  “Huh?” He raised his eyebrows before rolling his eyes. “Lame, Jane. Really lame.”

  She laughed and grabbed a piece of bacon. “So tell me something about you I don’t know.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  Can I marry you? “Well, I know you can cook—”

  “Only breakfast. Lousy at dinner. Except for pasta. I can make pasta.”

  “You know how to impress a lady…”

  He moved his chair closer to her. “That depends on the lady.”

  She set her fork down and used her fingers to count the other things she liked about him. “You have an incredibly sexy body, breathtaking blue eyes, and a beautiful, perfect smile. You’re an All-American, and you’re mister popular.” When he looked ready to argue, she quickly spoke again, “I know you’re an All-American because I saw the pictures and plaques in your room. You’re mister popular because the quarterback of the football team came to your place, and he knew exactly who you were.”

  “That doesn’t make me popular.”

  “It does in my book,” she joked. “I know who our school quarterback is, but he doesn’t have any clue who I am. Tyler Jensen only knows me because we went to outdoor nationals together last year and he’s interested in my roommate.” She winked at him. “You sir, are mister popular.”