J. Lynn

“As long as the sun’s shining, shit can’t be that bad.”

“You’re a good guy, Cam.”“No, I’m not.” He exhaled deeply and his breath was warm against my cheek. “I’m only good with you.”

“Because he should want to be in a relationship with me! I’m friggin’ awesome.”

“We are your friends. It is the law of friendship that you tell us things you don’t want to tell us.”

“Envy grew like a cancer, deep and invasive.”

“I’m a shallow, shallow boy. Hey, it helps that you’re pretty. It brings out the nice guy in me. Makes me what to share my cookies with you.”

“Cuz if he was hot, you should’ve used it to your benefit. That could’ve become the best ice breaker in history. Like you two could fall madly in love and you get to tell everyone how you plowed him before he actually plowed you.”

“According to the three missed calls from her mother—who thought Madison had been kidnapped in the big, bad city and was now being held for an ungodly sum of money—the four text messages from her brother wondering if she knew how to navigate the beltway—because apparently little sisters couldn’t drive—and the voice mail from her father warning there was a problem with the reservations, she was late for brunch.”

“A sleepy smile pulled at my lips as I rolled onto my stomach, stretching my legs out and pointing my toes. The sheets slipped over my bare skin and ended up somewhere at the foot of my bed. There was either a perverted ghost in my bedroom or Cam was wide awake.”

“Did you guys have sex?" Jacob grasped my shoulders, giving me a little shake. "Oh my God, girl, details - I need details. What is the size of his-?" "We didn't have sex." I smacked his hands away.”

“Did last night really happen?" One side of his lips tipped up, and my chest swelled. I'd missed that smile. "Depends on what you think happend." "I took my shirt off for you?" His eyes deepened. "Yes. Lovely moment.”

“He raised his brows. "You're drunk." "Am not!" He gave me a bland look. "A drunk's famous last words before they fall flat on their face.”

“Within a few short hours, he nearly had me agreeing to try deer jerky for the first time. Almost. If it weren't for Cam continuously whispering "Bambi" in my ear every couple of minutes, I would've caved.”

“The moment we stepped out into the hall, Cam's apartment door flung open. Ollie appeared, a cellphone in one hand and Raphael wiggling in the other. "Smile!" he shouted as he snapped a picture on his phone. "It's like my two kids are going to prom.”

“I took a drink. "I guess it's different for you.""Hmm?" "I bet you have girls hanging all over you. Dozens would probably kill to be in my spot and here I am, allergic to your bread.”

“Cam was already on his feet, waiting for me. I arched my brow at him. "Following me?" "Like a true serial killer," he replied.”

“People got out of the way for Cam. He was like a hot Moses, parting a sea of drunk college students.”

“Leaning back against Cam's chest, I tipped my head back and I reached up, cupping his cheek. I drew his mouth to mine and kissed him softly. "Thank you."His lips curved up on one side. "For what?""For waiting for me.”

“Everything okay?" Cam asked, placing his hand on my lower back. Concern pinched his brows."Yes." I dropped my cell back into my bag.Everything was okay. Maybe not perfect, but life wasn't meant to be perfect. It was messy and sometimes it was a disaster, but there was beauty in the messiness and there could be peace in the disaster.”

“I didn't know what to say, but my heart was racing as he slid his hands down to mine. He placed them on his chest, right above his heart. "I have hope," he said, his gaze never leaving mine. "I have hope because I love you-I've been in love with you, Avery. Probably before I even realized that I was.""You loved me?"Cam dropped his forehead to mine and his chest rose sharply under my hands. "I love you."My heart stuttered. "You love me?""Yes, sweetheart.”

“So I was thinking we should skip tomorrow, stay right here and watch shitty movies all day."My first response was to say I couldn't skip a whole day's worth of classes, but as I met Cam's mischievous gaze, I said screw it. "That's a brilliant idea.""I know, right?" He tapped his head. "I'm full of great shit.""Yeah, you're definitely full of it...""Ha.”

“Guess what, Avery?""What?" I wondered if he could see how fast my heart was beating beneath my shirt."Remember how you just said you were having a good time?" Cam lowered his head so that our mouths were scant inches apart. "It's about to get better.""Is it?"He shifted his head and his nose grazed mine. "Oh, yeah.""Are you not going to kiss me again?"His lips tipped up. "That's exactly what I'm going to do.”

“And this must be Avery?""Oh, God, no," Cam said. "This is Candy, Mom."His mother's eyes widened and a bit of color infused her cheeks. "Uh, I'm...""I'm Avery," I said, shooting Cam a look. "You had it right."She spun around, smacking Cam across the arm. Hard, too. "Cameron! Oh my God. I thought..." She smacked him again and he laughed. "You're terrible.”

“I want to be here with you, Avery. You don't have to worry about impressing me or wowing me. You've already done that.”

“Whoa," Brit breathed, handing my drink back to me. "That was...""Really hot," Jacob finished. "I thought you two were going to rip off each other's clothes and start making babies right here on the dirty, beer covered floor. Like I was going to have to start charging admission for what was about to go down.”

“You've been checking me out, haven't you? In between your flaming insults? I feel like man candy.”

“I'm beginning to think cookies is a code word for something else.""Maybe it is." He tugged on my bag again as he took a confident step back, forcing me down another step. "And just think about it. If cookie was a code word, whatever it symbolizes, it's been in your mouth, sweetheart.”

“I kind of missed the whole running into each other thing. Provided a lot of excitement.""I don't miss that," I admitted, bending over and rummaging through my bag for my notebook. "That was really embarrassing.""It shouldn't have been.""Easy for you to say. You're the one who got plowed. I was doing the plowing."Cam's mouth opened. Oh my God, did I really just say that? I had.”

“We have to stop meeting like this."And that was the truest thing ever spoke. I needed to stop staring at his bicep... and chest... and tattoo. Never thought the sun could be so... sexy. Wow. This was awkward."You running over me, me almost running over you?" Cam elaborated. "It's like we're a catastrophe waiting to happen.”

“You can not drop astronomy. To get through this semester, I must live vicariously through you and hear about Cam at least three days a week.""I'm not going to drop the class-" Even though I sort of wanted to. "-But I doubt I'm going to have anything to tell you. It's not like we're even going to talk again."Jacob let go of my arm and sat back, eyeing me. "Famous last words, Avery.”

“Do you have ovaries?" Jacob asked. I shot him a look. "Yes" He slid down the back of the couch and sat beside Brittany. "Then how are you not intrested?”

“Am I going to have to carry you? If so, it would complete my badass knight-in-shining-armor act with you today.”

“Pens?" Chase echoed.Bridget rolled her eyes. "Pens are by far more stimulating than most people.""I'm kind of wondering what you're going with those pens," Chase saidMadison scrunched up her nose. "Get your mind out of the gutter.""My mind is always in the gutter around you.”

“Chad had prowled over to her, and she felt good caged in between those powerful arms, but when he kissed her flushed forehead and then the tip of her nose, she lost a little of herself forever.”

“Bridget did the only thing she could do in this situation that wouldn't end with her doing a life stint in prison. She flipped the woman off. With both hands.”

“I want you. Bad. Right now. Against the wall. On my bed. The floor and maybe in the bathroom later. I have a shower stall and a Jacuzzi we could put to really good use. I know you'd like it.”

“It was a Friday night, she was at a club, and a good-looking man was currently giving her the I-want-to-take-you-home-and-I-hope-I-last-longer-than-five-minutes look… and she was thinking about pie, a young adult book, and feeding her cat. She was so turning into the cat lady at twenty-seven. Sweet.”

“There is no one else - there's never been anyone else but you. You're it Maddie.”

“Don’t stop,” she whispered. “I want to feel you inside me.”“I couldn’t stop now, even if I wanted.” He kissed her, marking her with all the passion and yearning she had felt for so long. “I need this. Damn it, I need you.”And then he plunged into her with one deep stroke.”

“He dipped his head, placing his mouth to the space below her ear. He nipped her there, just a tiny bite that sent a wave of heat through her veins. And then his lips moved lower, leaving a hot trail behind. “You drive me insane, absolutely freaking insane. Do you know that? I bet you do.”

“She tried to swallow, to take a breath, but her eyes met his, and there was nothing but aching intensity in his gaze. And she was drawn in, swept away.”

“His lips hovered over hers.“No,” he snarled.Madison wasn’t sure to whom he was talking, but then his mouth was crushing hers, and her world became him—the touch and feel of his lips pressing down, forcing hers to respond. It wasn’t a gentle kiss or a sweet exploration. It was angry and raw, breathtaking and soul burning. Right now, she didn’t want gentle. She wanted hard and fast, him and her, on the floor, even the bear rug, both of them naked and sweating.”

“Those lips had curved into a knowing half smile that did funny things to her insides. And like a match tossed to gasoline, her body sparked alive and flames licked every inch of her.”

“His brother fell silent again, another oddity for Chad. Several seconds passed. “Bro, all of us are a little fucked up.” “No shit.”

“I’ve seen you naked before, Maddie.”Her mouth dropped open. “You have not seen me completely naked, thank you very much.”His eyes glittered. “Actually, once before I have, when you were like five. You ran through the house buck-ass naked when you had chicken pox.”“Oh, dear God, why do you remember these things?” She was going to drown herself, right here in the tub.”

“...his gaze met hers. It was crazy. Dressed down in worn blue jeans and a black shirt, he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.And the moment was sort of perfect.Even with the deer head staring over his shoulder like a total creeper.”

“God, there needed to be an anti-sex pill or something for when she was around him.”