University Park Series Box Set: Books 1-3 (54 page)

“Underwear models wear that shit.” He
peeked down his shorts and I inched forward, trying to catch a glimpse. “Not
football players.”

“Oh, come on. For me?” I gathered his
shirt in my hands and pulled it off, determined to see him in the hot boy swim
trunks I bought. Shelby told me if Josh wouldn’t wear them, then Raven surely
wouldn’t. Maybe she was right, but I at least had to try to convince him.

He leaned forward and whispered, “Lexi, my
friends are going to make fun of me.”

“So? They’re just jealous because you
have a better body than they do.” I reached for the string holding up his swim
trunks and he swatted my hand. “Ouch!”

“Sorry.” He picked up my hand and kissed
it.

I gave him the same puppy dog eyes he had
convinced me with earlier in the bedroom. He sighed and his shoulders curved
inward. “Okay.” Slowly, he untied the laces and ran his thumbs under the band
of his long swim trunks.

“I’m waiting.” With my two fingers, I
motioned for him to drop them.

“Alright. Alright.” He rolled his head
around as if I was torturing him. It was kind of fun. Not that I liked tormenting
him, but it was exciting to see him out of his comfort zone. Raven was so laid
back, acting like nothing ever fazed him, so it was kind of thrilling to watch
him squirm a little. With a quick movement, he pulled down his shorts and
stepped out of them. “Happy?”

I took my time, eyeing him from head to
toe. The black and purple tight swim trunks clung to his well-defined body,
showing off his tight rump and the bulge in front. Raven’s body was made for
sin. “Hell yeah. You look damn hot.” I licked my finger and touched his chest,
making the sound of something burning. “Sizzling hot.”

“Woo hoo!” Shelby yelled as she clapped
her hands.

“Sexy!” Josh whistled as he held up his
phone, snapping a picture of us. Shawn and Kyle quickly turned around to see
what all the commotion was about. When they saw Raven in his boy shorts, they
started hollering and waving their arms in the air, just like they did when
they made a touchdown on the field.

“Great.” Raven narrowed his eyes at me.
“See what you’ve done. He’s going to show that picture to the whole team.
They’ll never let me live this down.”

“I’m sorry. I just—”

“That’s it. You’re going to pay for it.”
Raven smiled and waggled his brows at me. He then picked me up in one quick
sweep and hoisted me over his shoulder.

“Raven! Wait!” I squealed as he ran
toward the water. My body bounced against his as he barreled through the waves
and into the depths of the Gulf Coast. Water splashed against his legs and onto
my face and arms, awakening my skin with millions of chill bumps.

“Shit!” I yelled. “This water if
freakin’ cold.”

“Too bad. You want me to wear these damn
shorts… we’re staying in the water.”

“What?” My teeth chattered and I felt
his upper body shiver. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am.” He walked into the ocean and
stopped when the water was at his waist. He lowered me into the ocean and my
feet touched the soft sand, tickling my toes. I had to admit, even though it
was cold, it really was amazing. He held me close as we rocked back and forth
with the movement of the waves. “See, it’s not that bad.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re used to s-sitting
in tubs of ice for y-your muscles.” I bit my lip, trying to keep my teeth from
chattering. But it was no use; I was freezing. Releasing from his hold, I moved
my arms back and forth in rapid strokes and started jogging in place, trying to
get the blood flowing.

“Yeah, this is nothing.” He rolled his
shoulders a couple of times as he splashed water on his chest and arms. Then he
took a deep breath and went under, springing up a few seconds later. “Wow! That
feels great.” Water dripped from his hair and he ran his hands through it,
smoothing it back. Damn, Raven was one fine specimen. But it still didn’t
change the fact that I was slowly turning into a Popsicle. “Go under. It feels
freakin’ awesome.”

“Hell no.” I stared at him like he was
crazy. There was no way in hell I was about to submerge my head in the frigid
temperatures. This was absolute torture. I couldn’t enjoy it with the way my
body was convulsing. I rubbed my arms, trying to warm myself, but that didn’t
work either.

“You’re freezing, aren’t you?” A look of
concern filled his eyes.

I shook my head, unable to speak.

“Let’s go a little deeper. Sometimes the
water is warmer.”

I wrapped my arms tightly around his
neck and clung to his body as he led us further into the ocean. Usually, his
body heat warmed me up, but his skin was just as cold as mine. I looked around,
noticing we were the only idiots in the water as far as I could see.

“Does this feel better?” He stopped when
a warm pocket of water swept over us. It made it somewhat bearable until the
chilly waves washed over us, soaking my hair. The salty water rushed up my nose
and down my throat, burning it. I coughed and squeezed my eyes together, trying
to flush the dousing of straight chlorine I’d just inhaled. “I guess not, huh?”

I wiped my nose and sneezed a few times.
Nothing like getting a sinus rinse times ten. So much for trying to look sexy
and hot for Raven. I was sure I looked like a wet mop. “I think I’ve had enough
of the ocean,” I admitted, trying to pull my hair away from my face.

“Let’s just hang out on the beach
instead.” He took my hand and led us back to shore.

“Man, this sucks. I was really looking
forward to being in the ocean. Why is it so cold?” We trudged through the sand
and out of the icy water. The minute the sun’s rays hit my skin, I sighed in
relief.

“I guess it hasn’t gotten warm enough
yet.” He wrapped an arm around my waist as we walked toward the canopy. “Tell
you what, we can go to the Caribbean or somewhere tropical for our honeymoon.”

I smiled. “I think I’ll like that much
better.”

“How was the water?” Josh asked as he
sipped his beer.

“Freakin’ cold, man.” Raven handed me a
towel and I wrapped it around me. “I remember it being much warmer last year.”

“Aww, that sucks.” Josh looked at Shelby
and she glanced up from her magazine. “I guess we’ll just have to swim in the
pool.”

“That’s fine with me. I really don’t
like the ocean anyways.” She twisted her face and then shook her hands. “I
can’t stand the seaweed or the feeling of something brushing against my legs.”
She adjusted her sunglasses. “I’ll just sit here and work on my tan.”

“But you just got that spray on shit,
didn’t you?” Josh looked at her from head to toe. Shelby’s skin was a nice tan
color, nothing like Christine’s.

“Yes, but it’s already fading away.” She
reclined her chair and tossed her magazine to the side. “Besides, there’s
nothing better than a good dose of Vitamin D.”

“I totally agree.” I turned to Raven.
“Will you pull that lounger over here so I can lie on it and dry off?”

“Anything for you, baby.” He winked and
went under the canopy to get the chair.

“Damn, you two already sound like an old
married couple.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I laughed. “Actually,
we sound like newlyweds. You and Shelby sound like an old married couple,” I
joked.

Shelby laughed. “You got that right.”
She leaned over and reached for Josh’s hand. “But I love my old man.”

He latched onto her hand and kissed the
top of it. “And I love my old lady. She’s smokin’ hot.”

Shelby winked at him. “You’ve got that
right.” We all laughed. Life was great. Not only for Raven and me, but also
Josh and Shelby.

Raven set up our chairs just outside the
canopy, directly in the path of the sun so we could warm up. We laid in the
recliners for an hour or so, just relaxing and enjoying our time away from
school. Most of all, we soaked up every minute with each other.

Raven and Shawn fired up the grill and
we cooked burgers and hotdogs. Later that evening, we played a game of tag
football, after Megan and Christine claimed that they couldn’t take any more
from Shawn and Kyle’s so-called easy tackles. They weren’t shocked to find out
that the guys played football for PHU. They actually went to an opposing
school, but Shawn and Kyle didn’t seem to mind. It wasn’t hard to figure out
why. The girls were actually nice.

We laughed and talked with our friends long
into the night, finally ending up in Josh’s heated pool and hot tub. My senior
Spring Break had definitely been one to remember. I just wished Delaney and
Luke were here with us. Even though the water was cold, I still enjoyed the
beach over the mountains. Spring Break with Raven was so much better.

Σ

“Happy Birthday!” a familiar voice
echoed in my ear and I slowly opened my eyes. “Get up, girl. It’s your day!”

“Laney?” I blinked a few times. “You’re
here!” I threw my arms around her. “I can’t believe you came.”

 “Did you think I was going to miss
celebrating your birthday?” She hugged me tightly.

“Yes. I mean, no.” I was confused and
still half-asleep. “How did you get here? Did you drive by yourself?”

“Nope.” She plopped on the bed. “I came
with your brother.” Her face glowed with radiance and it wasn’t the highlighter
or blush. It was a sparkle of happiness that emerged from deep within her. “So,
now you two can celebrate your birthdays together.”

“Luke came, too?” For the past twenty
years, we had celebrated every birthday together. This would’ve been the first
one apart. But he was here. “He didn’t go to Breckenridge?” I sat up in bed and
quickly checked to make sure I was dressed. Thankfully, I had put on a night
shirt, one that Raven had picked out for me when we went shopping with the VS
gift card.

“Nope. He told your parents he was
coming here instead.” She had a huge smile on her face. I was glad he had
decided to bring her. “He changed his flight to Dallas and we left last night.
We spent the night in San Antonio and got up this morning.” She raised her
brows at me and I immediately knew what she was hinting at.

“That’s great! I’m so glad you guys
came. Where are you staying?”

“Luke talked to Josh and he said there
was plenty of room for us to stay here.” She relaxed against the bed, allowing
her long, dark hair to spread out. “Josh already showed us to our room and it’s
just a big as this one! This house is awesome.”

“Tell me about it. His parents must be
very well off.” I did a quick sweep of the room, noting the white wood
furniture with the exquisite furnishings. Each of the five bedrooms had its own
theme and we were apparently staying in the nautical room.

“I guess so.” She rolled onto her
stomach and smoothed the wrinkles from the navy blue and white bed cover. “So,
I guess that means no house party, but that’s okay. We’re going to have one
helluva of night. You’re twenty-one, girl!”

“Finally!” I did a little dance. “But I
don’t want to party too hard. I mean, I told Raven I didn’t want him getting
drunk, so it’s not right for me to.”

“Says who?” Raven stepped into the room,
carrying a tray with food on it and a single red rose in a vase. “Happy
birthday, baby.” He set the tray on the nightstand and leaned over, giving me a
sweet kiss. He had on a muscle shirt and shorts and his tanned skin made him
look like he was a regular on the island. Sexy. I was one lucky girl.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to bring me
breakfast.” A perfectly folded omelet with shredded hash browns on the side and
sliced strawberries waited for me.

“I wanted to. It’s your day. I want you to
feel special. Why not start it with breakfast in bed?”

“Aww, babe. I don’t know what to say.
You’re going to make me cry.” Raven was the sweetest guy ever. I swallowed a
few times, warding off the tears.

“It’s just the start.” Raven kissed my
forehead and handed me a card.

I glanced at the front —
For my
fiancée
. I opened it and removed the card. Lying flat inside was a hundred
dollar bill. “But you already gave me my birthday present.” I showed him my
ring. “And something else.” I gave my body a little shake.

“I know.” He grinned from ear to ear.
“But I still wanted to give you something. I figured you might want to go shopping
with the girls.”

“And we know just where to take her,”
Delaney said, taking the card from my hand.

“Yes, I’m sure you can show me how to
spend it,” I teased.

“Hell yeah.” Delaney turned to Raven.
“I’ll make sure to pick out something sexy for her.”

“Please do. I want my baby to look
really hot for her twenty-first birthday. I’ll make sure it’s a birthday she’ll
never forget.”

“Oh no, that sounds dangerous.” I threw
back the covers and got out of bed. I grabbed the fork on the tray and started
eating. “Maybe we should just hang out here. Have a nice dinner and watch a
movie.” I covered my mouth, trying not to show my food. I desperately needed
food to recharge.

Delaney started laughing hysterically.
“Are you serious?” She sat up. “That sounds like my old roommate.”

I set the fork on the plate and crossed
my arms. She was right. I did sound like the old Lexi. I didn’t want to, but
things had changed. Raven was on probation; I didn’t want to do anything to
jeopardize his chance at going pro. We didn’t have to celebrate my birthday at
a bar or with a big party. “I know, I just…”

Raven put his arms around me and turned
me to face him. Looking me directly in the eyes, he said, “I promise things
won’t get out of hand. It’s your day. Not mine. Let’s have some fun and
celebrate, okay?”

I chewed on the inside of my cheek,
contemplating whether I really wanted to give in. Why did I have to be the one
to make the decision? It didn’t seem fair. He should’ve been the one telling me
he wanted us to take the safer route, the one less risky, but that wasn’t
Raven.

He lived.

Lived for the thrill.

For that once in a lifetime chance.

He didn’t worry, not like I did. And
that’s why he needed me. I brought balance to him, helped him see the other
side. But the more I told myself that I shouldn’t agree, the more I realized I
sounded like Collin. And that was the last thing I wanted.

I wanted to live.

 Live like Raven.

If just for one night.

“Okay.” I spread my lips into a huge
smile. “I want to have a good time and go dancing somewhere.” I did a little
twerking action, showing Raven what the night had in store.

Raven arched his brows. “Oh yeah, baby.”
He raised his arms over his head and rocked his body against mine, doing an
enticing dance that sent every one of my hormones on high alert.

I was in trouble.

Big trouble.

“We’re going out!” Delaney chanted as
she jumped up and down on the bed, dancing without any music.

“Where’s the party?” Luke came into the
room, looking at us like we were a bit crazy.

“Luke!” I ran up to him and gave him a
hug. “Happy birthday, Brother.”

He hugged me tightly. “Happy birthday to
you.”

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“It’s our twenty-first birthday,” he
kept one arm around me, “did you think I’d be apart from my twin?”

Our relationship had definitely taken a
turn. Ever since Raven started working out with him, he seemed more accepting
of our relationship. Now that we were engaged to be married, I think he finally
accepted the fact that things were officially over between Collin and I. “What
do you want to do tonight?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “I
don’t care. You decide. It really doesn’t matter to me.”

“I thought we could go dancing.”

“That’s fine. Just tell me where the
party is and I’m there.”

“It’s right here, honey.” Delaney
crooked her finger for him to come to her.

He winked and then strutted his way
toward her, doing a little gyrating action with his hips. Raven and I laughed
as he teased her. Delaney acted like she was pulling on a piece of rope, reeling
him in slowly. He stood at the edge of the bed, looking up at her. Delaney
locked lips with him and he wrapped his hands around her waist. With swift
movements, he lifted her in the air. Delaney squealed as he swung her around,
holding onto her tightly. They looked so happy together.

All of sudden, music started blaring
through the house. We looked around, trying to figure where it was coming from.
Raven pointed up at the speakers mounted inside the ceiling. The house was
wired with a kick ass sound system. It almost felt like we were at a club.

“Happy birthday!” Shelby screamed,
piercing my ears as she rushed to join us. She threw her arms around Raven and
me, dancing with us. “This is going to be one awesome party. You and Luke
celebrating twenty-one years together!”

“I hear it’s someone’s birthday.” Josh
walked in next, his guitar around his neck. He strummed to the beat, doing a
great job for a fast, top-forty song.

Luke shook his head and laughed as Josh
leaned against him, serenading him. My brother was definitely the more serious
one, but he was loosening up to Josh’s playful antics.

Kyle danced his way into the room,
wearing a large sombrero and carrying a bottle of Tequila. Megan shimmied
behind him and Raven shot me a quick look. Apparently, they had hooked up last
night.

“Oh no.” I shook my head. “I’m not doing
that. I want to remember my birthday, not pass out drunk.”

“Just one shot.” Shelby took the shot
glass from the top and urged him to open the bottle. Kyle poured the clear
liquid into the glass and Megan held out a lemon wedge and salt shaker.

Raven ran his hand down his face and
looked at me. “They’re determined to make you feel good.”

“Uh. No. They want to get me drunk.” I
backed away, burrowing myself deep into Raven’s arm as he protected me. “No,
thanks.”

“Please?” Shelby begged.

“I haven’t finished my breakfast.” I
pointed to the tray of food behind me. “But I promise, I’ll do a shot or two tonight.”

“A shot or two? Sweetie, you’re going to
do a lot more than that,” Shelby laughed, showcasing the rounds of her cheeks.

“Give it here. I’ll do it,” Luke said,
setting Delaney to her feet.

“Woo hoo!” Josh yelled as he strummed
his guitar faster.

“Hell yeah!” Kyle handed him the glass
and everyone chanted Luke’s name, over and over.

Luke downed the tequila in one quick
gulp and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Megan offered him the
lemon and salt. “I don’t need it.” He held the glass up to the bottle. “Pour me
another one.”

“Oh, shit. He’s going to be drunk before
we even get to the bar.” I peered from behind Raven’s shoulder.

“No, I won’t,” Luke said in a very
confident tone. So my brother knew his limit when it came to shots. He was full
of surprises today.

“We’re going to party, and party.”
Delaney sung at the top of her lungs as Luke slammed another shot.

“Yeah!” Luke grunted and shook off the
sensation that had probably burned his throat, like it had mine when I tried it
at the frat party. He handed Shelby the glass and then turned his attention
back to Delaney. They danced to the beat of the music and Luke got down, really
showing another side of him. I couldn’t believe that was my brother. I had
never seen him act or dance that way before. He was definitely ready to party.

“Where’s the birthday girl?” Shawn
marched in, maracas in hand, with Christine next to him. A Mexican serape
covered her entire body and she looked a little hung over. She had spent the
night with Shawn and it looked like they had started their morning off with
their own private party.

“Right here!” I laughed and danced
around the room. My friends took turns twirling me around and around until I
became dizzy. I was having so much fun and I hadn’t even had one shot. I
couldn’t even contemplate what tonight would be like. But if I knew Raven, he
would deliver on his promise of making sure it was a night to remember.

***

Delaney and Shelby took me to get
pampered while the guys stayed at the house. We invited Megan and Christine to
go with us, but they said they had to get back to their hotel, promising to
meet us tonight. Raven told me to get ready, because he had lined up something
fun for us to do.

We started the afternoon by getting a
full body massage, compliments of Shelby. Or Josh’s parents, if I knew her,
which I did. I kind of felt guilty, but Delaney said for me not to worry.
Apparently, she was always blowing either Josh’s money, or his parents’. It
didn’t seem right, but I decided that I might as well enjoy myself. After the
massage, we stopped and got something to eat before heading to the nail salon.

We got our toes and fingers done in
bright, neon colors. Shelby insisted we get gel nails so it would last longer. The
sand was torture on regular nail polish. I honestly didn’t know the difference,
so I just got what they did. We stopped at a small boutique that Shelby claimed
had the cutest clothes before heading back to the house. I thought the clothes
looked a little outdated, like something my mom wore when she was in middle
school, but I let them pick me out something and hoped Raven wouldn’t be
disappointed.

We pulled into the garage and went
inside the house. Raven and the rest of the guys were sitting on the couch,
watching a movie. “You girls back already?” Josh asked, looking up briefly.
“Did you buy the whole store?”

“No, we didn’t. Just got a few things.”
Shelby raised the bags in her hands and trotted off to her bedroom.