Elly & Kent - The Complete Story: Includes Books 1-3 (61 page)

 
"Did the bowsie turn you down?" I frowned at her, if that idiot turned down Claire he was a fucking idiot. She snapped her head in my direction at my strange terminology. I laughed at her, "Bowsie--it's a good for nothing. Sorry for my Irish slang." Her beautiful sapphire eyes looked over my face and I found myself smiling in spite of myself.
 

 
She puckered her lips as she tried out the new term. It was all I had in me to keep walking and not shove her against the nearest wall. She needed comfort, not a lay. "The bowsie...didn't turn me down he just..." She stopped, took a breath and changed the subject, "Where were you headed before I derailed you?" I was carrying her across campus towards the medical center and I saw the building up ahead.

 
"I was just going back to my room to change so I could go out for a run. Nothing that can't wait." I opened the door and walked inside with her. I set her down on the waiting room chair and then checked her in. I sat down beside her as we waited for her name to be called. She was staring at her hand which was still bleeding pretty badly.

 
"Are you dating anyone?" She looked up at me and I tried to stay in my seat. Claire had been trying to set me up with girls since middle school. I always told her I didn't need help in the girl department but she never seemed to listen. I might have been interested had she ever decided she was ready to date...but then she was now, wasn't she? She wanted to attract some wanker's attention.

 
"Yes, I take girls out sometimes." I smiled a little as I watched her. I was going to take Claire out. Why should I have to sit back and wait for the bowsie boy to fuck up? I'd throw my hat into the ring, no competition and I'd finally get to bang Claire out of my system. She sat back and lifted her eyes to mine.

 
"Oh? Who?" I answered her, throwing a couple names out and then a few more. I did go on dates, I just didn't do serious relationships, there was a difference.

 
"And you're not serious with any of them? Or want to be serious with any of them?" She was still staring at me. Fuck. It was time to lay it out there, not that I was going to hide anything, I never did. The ladies always knew what they were getting into with me.

 
"Being serious in college seems," I chose my word carefully, "...silly." Her eyes widened a little as I shrugged my shoulders but her slender shoulders shrugged right back.

 
"Practice for when you find the right woman?" I gazed straight into her eyes, I didn't want her to miss my response.

 
"We're children of the gods. No one's plan is to settle down and be ordinary. So why act like it?" She dropped her gaze to her hands again. I wasn't really sure why she would talk about such things other than the fact that her father is who he is. The only reason to do anything in this life was to be the best. Love made you weak.

 
"Maybe someone's plan is to settle down and be ordinary... if they could." She looked so vulnerable I couldn't help but lean towards her and brush her cheek with my thumb. I felt this weird need to protect her and keep her safe.
 

 
"Definitely not your plan. You're far from ordinary, love." I heard my voice soften. She looked at me and rolled her eyes, causing the tightness in my pants to ease.

 
"I'm not going to swoon over you like all the other girls, Neil." God the way she said my name made my pants tighten, again. I laughed off her rejection of my charms.

 
"Gotta try anyway." I gave her the smile that did make the girls swoon but it never seemed to work on her.

 
"No you don't. You can have, and probably have had, any other girl on campus that you want." Almost, I thought. I hadn't had Claire.

 
"I don't –have- anyone. I date women, we enjoy each other's company. There's nothing about it worthy of contempt. It is natural to connect with people while we can." I flashed her another Neil-special.
 

 
"You 'enjoy each other's company,' that's all?" She gave me a knowing look, alluding to sex. I chuckled.

 
"Depends on the woman and our relationship, but there's nothing wrong with that either." She looked back to her hands again.

 
"I'm no one to judge your lifestyle. I just wondered if you'd found someone to love yet, that's all."
 

 
"No, I haven't." I shook my head slowly. And I didn't think I ever would. Love was stupid and it crippled you.

 
"If you don't love anything there is nothing to fight for, ...or something." She smiled softly and shrugged again.

 
"I'll go have a look and see where the nurse is." As I walked towards the nurses station I clenched my jaw tightly. This plan was never going to work. Claire wasn't going to let me fuck her unless she thought I was in love with her. And I was not the kind of guy to deceive a woman that way.

Claire's voice stopped me, "...Neil?"

 
I turned around and pasted my smile back on, "Yeah?" I noticed her clenching her fists tightly as she stood up and quickly approached me. I didn't have time to think or react before her hands were on my cheeks, her luscious chest imprinting itself against me, her lips were pressed against mine. I kissed her back properly and nuzzled her nose with mine when she pulled away a few seconds later. "I was coming right back," I said with a soft, gravelly voice.
 

 
She took another step back, putting distance between us. It was a good thing, I was seconds away from kissing her again. She gently scratched at the back of her head and shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry."

 
"You should never be sorry for a kiss." I stepped in closer and put a hand on her hip. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere." I turned away before I did something inappropriate.

 
The nurse bandaged Claire up while I was in the bathroom wiping Claire's blood from my cheek. My lips still felt heated from hers. There was something about her that made me want more, so much more. She came out from the exam room and I stood up and met her halfway. "Thanks," she said softly, "for bringing me here and keeping me company. I hope you h-have a good run."
 

I stepped closer to her and gently brushed a stray lock of her hair off her shoulder. "Going to kiss and run then?"

 
Her pink tongue came out to lick her lips and I restrained a groan. I wanted to do that. "What else should I do? I really jumped the gun, didn't I? The first kiss should be a goodbye kiss...like after dinner or something?" I smiled, so she was asking me out. I wasn't one to pass by an opportunity.

 
"Dinner tonight then. I'll pick you up at seven." I brushed her cheek with my thumb, it was as soft as it looked and walked away.

 
"Wh...wait, what?" She was flabbergasted, still dazed from our kiss, no doubt. I winked at her over my shoulder.

 
"Can't wait." As I pushed open the door of the exit I heard her call out to me.

 
"It's not a date!!"

Discover the passion waiting for Claire and Neil in Marie Cole's Lucky Bastard.
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