All In (Cedar Mountain University #2) Read online

  He smells like stale cigarettes, cheap beer, and cedar.

  It is a strangely intoxicating mix that enhances the edgy attitude that rolls off of him in tidal waves.

  Girls line up for a chance with Lincoln, and rumor was he shuffled them through his bed like it was a revolving door. Didn’t seem to bother the girls who waited for their chance.

  Now that I was actually standing this close to him, I could see why they didn’t hesitate. Mostly though, I wanted to kiss him for interrupting Jacob and distracting him from what was surely going to be an embarrassing conversation.

  Or at least more embarrassing than it already had been.

  “Hey Linc, what’s up?”

  There was the universal male hug, handshake, high five or whatever the hell it is that they do to appear manly while greeting each other.

  “Haven’t seen you in a while, man, how’ve you been?”

  “Not too bad.”

  “Yeah?” Lincoln lazily looks me up and down, interest flaring in his eyes. “Who’s your friend?”

  Oddly, even though I can’t ignore the sexiness that is surrounding him like a freaking blanket, I’m not even remotely interested in joining the ‘I slept with Lincoln Montgomery club.’

  Interesting.

  “Grace Marsh.” I hold out one hand as I introduce myself. Lincoln stares at it for a moment before smirking and then wrapping it in his own. No tingles dance their way through my body at the contact.

  Isn’t that fascinating?

  “Very nice to meet you, Grace Marsh. I’m Lincoln Montgomery.”

  “Oh, I know.” I smile. “I didn’t realize you were a member of this fraternity.”

  “He’s not.” Jacob has shifted even closer to me, so now our bodies are actually touching, instead of just the phantom touching from earlier. I feel the gentle press of his forearm against the small of my back as the hand holding his drink comes to settle on the counter next to my hip, effectively caging me against him.

  Is he staking his claim?

  I can feel the deep rumble of his words when he says, “I met Linc the same way I met Robby.”

  “Really?” I look at Lincoln again. I could totally see him being involved in underground fighting. More than I could either Robby or Jacob. “How…fascinating.” I finally say.

  Lincoln laughs. “You know Robby?”

  “Apparently not as well as I thought.” I mutter. “He’s friends with my brother Cole.”

  Recognition of Cole’s name burns in Lincolns honey brown eyes. “If you tell me you know my brother through the same means, I’m seriously going to flip out.”

  “Nope.” Lincoln shakes his head. “I met him at my bar a few months ago.”

  “Linc’s family owns the Black Heart just outside of town.” Jacob tells me. That fits him just as well as the underground fighting did, I think.

  I’d seen the bar a few times. It was located on the outskirts of town, in a seedier area than any of the bars I frequented. The building itself was gray, with one large black heart painted on the side.

  “I didn’t realize you were seeing anybody.” Lincoln says to Jacob.

  I say, “He’s not” at the same time Jacob says “I am” and Lincoln just starts laughing.

  “All right then. I just wanted to check to see if you were interested in fighting again. I’ve got a guy who I think you’d be good against.”

  “I told you I didn’t want to fight anymore.”

  Lincoln shrugs one large shoulder. “Never hurts to ask. The girls liked to watch your pretty face and the guys liked to watch you kick ass. You were good for business.”

  “Business slow?”

  “Nope. Just thinking ahead. I’ll catch you later. I’ve got a couple other guys I want to talk to.”

  He ambles away and within seconds there are two blonde sorority girls flanking him on either side. One is bold enough to wrap her arm around his waist, snuggling in against his side without invitation.

  Not that he seems to mind.

  “He’s an interesting guy.” I turn back to look at Jacob. He’s watching me and not Lincoln, and his ice blue eyes are intense as they meet mine.

  “Come on.”

  “Where?”

  His hand latches on to mine, pulling me along behind him out of the kitchen. “Upstairs. Where I can answer your question.” He stops walking long enough to meet my eyes again. “In private.”

  Chapter Twelve

  I’m sure he can hear the thundering of my heart as we make our way through the house to the stairs that will lead us up to his room. It’s pounding so hard in my chest that I can hear it over the thump of the music from the party surrounding us. He’s brushing the pad of his thumb softly back and forth across the pulse point on the inside of my wrist. The contrast of his skin against mine is tantalizing.

  He nods his head once at someone who calls his name just before we hit the stairs, but apparently there’s no stopping.

  Much to my dismay.

  His room is just as I remember. Mostly bare, incredibly impersonal, save the one picture sitting on top of the dresser. My eyes dance over it, just briefly, before moving back to him. I’m sure the younger girl in the picture is his sister. The one who I now know has passed away since this picture was taken.

  The part of me that wants to ask him about her, about what happened to her, is buried deeply under the unfortunate knowledge that we are now here to discuss my complete lack of self-control when it comes to keeping my mouth shut.

  My seating choices in Jacob's room are not spectacular. The desk chair looks freaking uncomfortable, a simple wooden chair with no cushioning, the hard floor, or the bed. Which, considering the conversation we’re about to have, sitting on the bed feels awkward.

  I must be the only idiot in the world who finds themselves in these types of situations. Surely, no one else is this dumb. With a small sigh, I sit on the very edge of the bed, my body tense as I watch Jacob move around the room. He drops his wallet and keys on top of the dresser, turning around to look at me with a half-smile, the tiniest hint of his dimple flashing before disappearing back into his cheek.

  “Do you think you’re using me?”

  I lick my incredibly dry lips, watching the ripple of muscles under his shirt as he moves across the room to flick on the lamp on top of his desk.

  “I, ah,” I break off when his eyes shift over to meet mine. “I thought maybe I was.”

  “And now?”

  Now? Now I think I’m in a world of trouble because I don’t think I’m using him. But I’m terrified he does, or everybody else does. A few weeks ago I had thought I would never get past Grant, and I hadn’t known Jacob Ross beyond the whispered rumors that swirled around campus.

  “I used to be so sure of everything, you know? My life, my relationship with Grant,” I pause for just a second, “Myself. I don’t have that anymore, not like I did before, and that pisses me off.”

  “So do you doubt your interest in me, or mine in you?”

  My gaze flicks back to his at the words. “Maybe both.”

  He moves across the room with purposeful long strides that eat up the distance between us in no time at all. He doesn’t move to touch me, but I feel his gaze like a touch as it moves across my face.

  “You shouldn’t doubt yourself, Grace.”

  He moves again, one hand lifting up to brush at the hair hanging against my cheek, moving it back behind my ear. It settles there for a second before sliding out again. Smiling, he tucks it back again.

  I pull in a breath of air, trying to force my tense shoulders to relax, even just a fraction. I’m only making a little bit of headway when Jacob settles on the bed next to me, his long legs kicked out in front of him, our thighs touching.

  So no more headway on relaxing.

  Jacob touches the small of my back, and the heat from the touch burns through my clothes and scorches my skin. I’ve never been so physically aware of anyone in my entire life.

  “Relax, Pixi
e, this is going to be painless. It’s just a conversation.”

  “An embarrassing conversation.” I point out, shifting around on the bed so I’m sideways and looking at him. I pull one leg up, careful to not be touching him.

  “It’s not embarrassing if it’s what you’re feeling.”

  “Nope,” I say after thinking for a moment, “Still embarrassing.”

  Laughing he says, “I don’t think you’re using me, Grace. The thought never entered my mind.”

  That was all right, I had thought it plenty of times for the both of us, but I don’t tell him that. It’s bad enough that I even put the thought into his head. I glance down as one of his hands comes up to trace along my fingers where they lay cross my calf. “You touch me a lot,” I murmur.

  “You’re very touchable.” He chuckles. “Which didn’t sound quite so creepy in my head.”

  I give him a half-smile. “We’ve been doing this, whatever it is, for over two weeks now.”

  “Normal people call it dating.” He inserts.

  “Thanks, jackass.” I roll my eyes. “My point is that you’ve had plenty of opportunities and you haven’t taken advantage of any of them.”

  My statement hangs heavily between us. He doesn’t say anything in return, just continues to watch me while his fingers trace over mine.

  Back and forth.

  Brushing across my knuckles then back down over the very tips of my fingers before starting the process all over again.

  My fingers are an erogenous zone.

  Good to know.

  His fingers brush back up, moving past my knuckles this time, barely skimming across the back of my hand before they gently close around my wrist. His thumb is dancing back and forth across the pulse that beats there wildly.

  So I know that he can feel the increased beat of my heart that his touch is causing.

  His eyes haven’t left mine, and the normally pale blue color has darkened slightly. Awareness bubbles between us, almost palpable.

  He tugs gently on the wrist he holds, and my body tips into his, one hand dropping against his chest to keep me from falling flat against him.

  “Grace,” his voice is deep, husky as it drifts over my skin, “I’m going to take advantage of the situation.”

  I can’t stop the laugh that bubbles out. “Thank Jesus.” I lick my lips, watching the way his eyes widen in response to the action. The heady feeling of satisfaction rolls over me at the visible proof that I affect him every bit as much as he affects me.

  Unable to control the urge any longer, I reach up to brush my hand across the whiskers covering his jaw. They prickle against the pads of my fingers, scrapping gently against my skin.

  “I just don’t want there to be any doubt.” His jaw moves under my fingers as he speaks.

  “There would be less if you would just shut up and do it already,” I whisper, watching as his smile kicks up on one side, his dimple flashing as it does.

  He opens his mouth to say something else, but before he can form the words I lean forward and lay my lips against his.

  The first taste of him races right down my spine, sending shockwaves through every nerve in my body. I’ve barely even touched him and I feel like I could go up in flames.

  It doesn’t take him long to take over, one hand sliding up my back to grasp my neck, fingers delving deep into my hair as he holds me in place against him.

  Like I was planning on going anywhere any time soon.

  He tilts his head just slightly to the left at the same time his tongue slips out to run across the seam of my lips. I gasp softly in response, and he delves in taking full advantage. He devours. It’s the only thing I can think as his mouth moves against mine. His fingers in my hair tighten, twisting in the strands so he can move my head to adjust to his own movements, and I can hardly think at all.

  I feel like dessert, at the end of a particularly delicious meal. He takes his time, he savors, and he draws out the kiss until there is nothing but him and his mouth against mine.

  When he pulls back just slightly, I know I whimper at the loss.

  I suck in air like it is water and I am dying of thirst.

  When I go to pull farther away he holds me in place. “Not done yet.”

  “Thank God,” I mutter, before tilting down and claiming his mouth as my own again. Keeping my mouth moving against his, I shift until I’m straddling him, one knee on either side of his hips as I align myself against him in the absolute most perfect way imaginable.

  He leans back on the bed, bringing me down with him. Hard to soft, I feel every inch of him as I brace my hands on either side of his head on the bed. His hand feathers across the small of my back, pushing my sweatshirt and tank top up just enough so his fingers brush across my bare skin, causing my entire body to shiver in response.

  My mouth breaks from his as his hand slides up my spine, brushing just under the strap of my bra before sliding back down once again. I feel the brush of his lips along my neck as my hands fist into the comforter on either side of his head.

  I drop my mouth back to his, sweeping in and taking over. I shift just slightly against him, reveling in the groan that pulls from deep in his throat, rumbling across my mouth that still covers his. The hand on my back flexes, fingers digging deep into my flesh as my body moves against his.

  I pull away from him slowly, licking once more across his bottom lip as I move into an upright position, still straddling his lap.

  Both of his hands come to settle on my hips as his eyes slide halfway open. They are like frost as they meet mine. His thumbs rub circles against my skin on either side of my body.

  “See,” he says, his voice gruff, “I totally took advantage of the situation.”

  “You certainly did.”

  “I plan to take total advantage of the situation again, very soon, just an FYI.”

  “I’m good with that.”

  His hands tighten on my hips when I go to slide off of him. “Nope. You’re good,” he says. “I like you right where you are.”

  For several moments the only sound in the room is our slightly labored breathing.

  “Jacob,” I whisper. His eyes, which had closed again, bounce back open to meet mine. “I’m still a little broken.” He quietly watches me, waiting. “You might not have ever thought I was using you, but I was terrified I was.” I brush a finger over his lips when he opens his mouth to speak. “I want you to hear this, okay?”

  He nods his head.

  “Good. Because I want you to know that when I’m with you, I don’t think about him. And when I’m not with you, I’m thinking about when I’m going to be with you again. I don’t know that I’ll ever be completely over him, but I do know that in this moment, right here, there is nowhere else, or no one else, I’d rather be with than you.”

  “I don’t think you’re as broken as you think you are, Pix.”

  “He shattered my world.”

  “Dented, maybe.” He reaches up, brushing a strand of my hair off my cheek. “I’m going to share some more of my stalker tendencies. You ready?”

  “Uh, sure?” I say hesitantly.

  Laughing, he wraps a strand of hair around one finger before letting it go and watching it bounce back into place. “I knew who you were before we shared a class. I saw you once last year, walking with Robby and Grant across campus. It was right after I stopped playing. I wasn’t in a good place. I was angry at everyone and everything. Your hair was shorter then.” He wraps another curl around his finger, tugging gently. “You were laughing at something and it animated your entire body. It was like being punched in the gut with sunshine, watching you walk by. It was the first time I had felt something other than anger in weeks.”

  Well.

  I lean over and brush my mouth against his again. Pulling back before it can go any further I can’t help but ask, “Punched in the gut with sunshine?”

  “Lame, right? But when you smile everyone around you smiles. They can’t help it. You’re just s
o damn beautiful.”

  “Seriously, do you like, have a book where you get these lines from?”

  “I’m just that good.”

  “Of course you are. What was I thinking?”

  “Obviously you weren’t. Do you mind if I take advantage of you some more? You’re slightly addicting, Grace. I don’t think I’m going to get enough of you any time soon.”

  The sound of my phone ringing shatters the air. I still, waiting until the ringing stops before leaning forward again. Just before our lips can touch, just as I’m close enough that our breath swirls together between us, my phone starts ringing again.

  “Jesus.” I shift back up, still straddling Jacob and reach into my back pocket to pull out my phone. Cole’s face stretches across the screen, and with a frustrated sigh I brush the button to accept the call. “I’m a little busy, Cole.” I snap into the phone.

  “I need you to come to the apartment.”

  With a frown, I turn away from Jacob, shifting so that I slide off his lap and am sitting next to him on the bed. “What’s up?” I question, though I’m sure it has something to do with Delaney, and something to do with the fact that we’re entering November.

  I knew he had planned on talking to her tonight. It was one of the reasons I had let myself be talked into going to the party. Cole had thought the conversation might go better if it was just the two of them. His tone indicates that any conversation that had happened, hadn’t been pleasant.

  “She won’t listen to me.”

  “And you think she’s going to listen to me?”

  He grunts. “I think I’m desperate enough to try any damn thing.”

  “Maybe she knows what’s best for her, Cole.” I say softly. “We don’t,” I look briefly at Jacob, before turning to whisper into the phone, “we don’t really know what she went through. Maybe she’s dealing with it the only way she can.”

  “You didn’t see her, Grace.”

  “Cole—”

  “No.” He growls into the phone. “I’m supposed to just walk away for three days and leave her alone? Knowing that she’s hurting? Knowing that she’s reliving all that shit while I’m laughing it up with my friends? Not happening.”