Next Man Up (Making the Score Football Romance Book 2) Read online

  “Relax your jaw.” His voice was rough with what I guessed—hoped—was passion. “Open a little wider and take . . . more.”

  I nodded, which wasn’t easy in my current position. Holding onto the bottom of his shaft, I bent my neck, letting more of him fill my mouth. What I did next just came naturally; I bobbed my head, creating a sort of rhythm between my mouth and Eli’s length.

  “That’s it,” he croaked. “Jesus, that’s it. Suck a little harder, baby. Just like that. God, yeah.”

  I focused on my movements, hollowing out my cheeks when I lifted up and licking as I went down. To my amazement, he lengthened and hardened the more I worked him.

  “Wait a minute.” If Eli had sounded turned on a few moments ago, now his voice growled with urgency. “Wait. Come here. Hold on.”

  I paused, letting him out of my mouth with a pop of my lips. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No.” He was emphatic. “But I’m not sure you’re ready to swallow yet, baby. So c’mere. Up here.”

  Feeling proudly accomplished, I crawled back to my spot in the pillows. Before I laid down, Eli passed me the bottle of liquor.

  “Have a swig. Your mouth is probably dry.”

  My forehead knit together. “Oh, I’m not sure I should.”

  He laughed. “It’s not going to hurt you. Look, I’ll have some, too.” He took a long chug, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and passed the bottle to me.

  I stared at it for a minute and then shrugged. “Just a little.” The glass rim was still warm and slightly moist from Eli’s mouth, and I savored that as I sipped. The rum burned more drinking it straight, and I shook my head, coughing as it hit me.

  “That’s good.” He set the bottle back on the night table as I fell back into the pillows, closing my eyes. Everything felt good and easy now. The sounds from downstairs, the feel of the bed under my back, the cool of the air against my still-naked boobs . . . all of it was softer now, a little more removed. Nothing felt wrong.

  Then Eli was kneeling between my legs. I gazed at him through half-opened eyelids, noting that he’d taken off his boxers, and now I was getting a good look not only at his bobbing penis but at the sac that hung beneath it. He had something in his hand—a small circle—and as I watched, he positioned it over himself and rolled on what I realized was a condom.

  “Oh, a condom. Good.” I wasn’t sure exactly what I was saying, but I remembered from healthy class that condoms were something we were all supposed to use. “Smart thinking.”

  I heard the humor in his tone. “Thanks. I think so, too.” He grasped the edges of my dress where it was still bunched around my waist and pulled, taking it down over my hips, where somehow, he managed to drag my panties down with it. Suddenly, I was naked on the bed . . . and so was Eli.

  “Baby, I can’t wait to be inside you,” he was murmuring as he trailed kisses down my neck. “God, you’re so fucking hot.”

  He reached between us and rubbed the head of his thing between my legs. Something stirred in me—it felt good, what he was doing—and then he was kissing my boobs, sucking my nipples, and that combination made me moan.

  “I can’t wait anymore.” Eli shifted slightly. “Got to be in you now.”

  The words didn’t register in my brain until the pain hit. And then everything assaulted me at once.

  He wasn’t just rubbing against me anymore—he was thrusting into me. And my God, it hurt.

  He didn’t notice, though, because his eyes were shut, his face rapt with concentration. “Jesus, you’re tight. God, you feel so good.” He pushed in further, and the stretching, burning sensation got worse. I wanted to wiggle away from him, push him off me or cry out, but the combination of the alcohol and the shock of what was happening combined to render me both paralyzed and silent.

  “Yes.” He hissed the word, picking up speed as he pumped into me over and over. “Yes, oh, God, put your legs around . . . yes.”

  I didn’t move, but I guessed that didn’t matter, because within a matter of seconds, Eli stopped moving, his entire body going stiff as he grunted. I could feel his spasms deep within me, and I watched his face as rapt pleasure filled it.

  When he was done, he fell onto the bed next to me with a long exhale. His arm was still over me, heavy and warm. My heart was beating so fast that I was sure he had to feel it shaking the bed.

  Gradually, lying there, reality crashed in over me. I had just had sex. Me, Zelda Porter, who had never done more than kiss a boy until now, had given a guy a blow job, let him kiss me in my most private spot and had had full-on intercourse. I wasn’t a virgin anymore.

  The part of me that had always assumed I would do as my grandparents had taught and treasure my virginity until marriage died right there. I couldn’t do anything about this; I couldn’t turn back time, and no amount of regret was going to make me innocent again. I had to deal with the situation as the person I was now, not as I had been an hour ago.

  Between my legs, I felt sticky and sore. I wondered if Eli had realized that this was my first time. He hadn’t said anything, but maybe I should now, I thought. Then again, if he didn’t know it, there wasn’t any point in saying something that might make him feel bad.

  The adrenaline that had flooded my veins subsided, leaving me exhausted. I knew I should get up and find a bathroom where I could clean myself. I should put my dress back on and go find Hannah and Becca. But maybe Eli wanted me to stay here with him. He wasn’t saying anything—his eyes were still closed, and it seemed maybe he’d dozed off—but I didn’t want to leave before we talked about what had just happened.

  But not yet. Right now, I couldn’t make myself move. The minute I did, all of this became real, and I wasn’t ready for that yet. So instead of speaking, I closed my eyes, too.

  I concentrated on Eli’s breathing as it slowed to a normal rate, and the hypnotic rhythm of it, helped along by the rum in my system, lured me into a deep sleep.

  I wasn’t sure how long I’d stayed asleep. When I opened my eyes, the bed was empty. My dress and my panties were next to me, tossed up there carelessly. The rum and the cola were both gone from the night table. Eli was nowhere to be seen.

  I sat up, hugging my arms around my naked body, shivering. I could hear music coming from downstairs, which told me the party was still going on. I wondered if Hannah and Becca had been looking for me. Maybe Eli had just gone downstairs to tell them that I was okay. Maybe he was getting me a bottle of water. He was going to be right back, I was sure of it. He wouldn’t just leave me here. Not after what we’d just done together.

  Meanwhile, though, I knew I had to get dressed. I didn’t really fancy the idea of him coming back and finding me still naked. Moving slowly and wincing at the twinges of discomfort between my legs, I managed to tug on my underwear and wriggle into the dress. It was sadly wrinkled now, an absolute mess. It looked the same way I felt.

  I slid to the edge of the bed, only then noticing the splotch of pink-smeared wet on the pretty flowered quilt. Guilt and remorse gripped me at the sight of the tangible evidence of what I’d done. I wanted to fix it, to make it go away, but I wasn’t sure what to do.

  There had to be a bathroom up here somewhere. Opening the door a crack, I peeked out into the hallway. A dim light burned, but I didn’t see anyone—it seemed the coast was clear. I slipped out and ventured a few feet. A closed door with a line of light beneath it seemed to be a good candidate for the bathroom; I hesitated, wondering if I should wait here or go back to the bedroom until I heard someone come out.

  The decision was taken from my hands seconds later when the door flew open and two people stumbled into the hall, laughing. The girl, who was closely followed by a guy with his hand on her backside, caught sight of me and winked. I didn’t miss the way the boy paused to zip up his pants.

  Now I wasn’t sure I wanted to use the bathroom they’d just vacated, but I didn’t have much choice. I crept inside, locking the door behind me, and used the facilities,
cringing at the stinging sensation. After washing my hands, I opened up a couple of cabinets until I found a pile of washcloths, which were thankfully a dark purple. That color would hide anything. I used one to clean myself and then dampened a second one to take with me to the bedroom.

  The stain on the quilt didn’t come out completely, but it wasn’t quite as noticeable when I was finished. Taking both washcloths back to the bathroom, I opened the laundry hamper there and buried the evidence deep within other towels and clothes.

  Eli still wasn’t back by the time I’d finished all of this, and I was beginning to suspect he didn’t intend to come upstairs again. Or maybe he was trying to be considerate of me, giving me space to clean up and dress. Now that I had, there really wasn’t anything to do but to return to the party and hope I could find him. Hooking the straps of my heels over my fingers, I padded softly down the steps.

  As luck would have it, Hannah was standing by the newel post. She glanced up at me with a mix of exasperation and relief.

  “Oh, Zelda, there you are. I’ve been looking all over.” She grabbed my arm. “Becca disappeared an hour ago with some guy she just met. Can you believe that? I was talking to someone, but then he had to leave, and I couldn’t find her, and I couldn’t find you . . .” Her voice trailed off as she frowned at me. “Where were you, anyway? Why were you upstairs?” My cousin seemed to register my wrinkled dress and bare feet finally.

  I thought fast and came up with a plausible story. “I wasn’t feeling great, and it was so loud down here.” I lifted up my shoes. “My feet hurt me, and I didn’t have anyone to talk to. I looked around, and you and Becca had disappeared. So someone told me that I could go lie down upstairs in the guest bedroom. I fell asleep, I guess.”

  “Oh, Zelly.” Hannah slung an arm around my shoulders. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone. Becca and I went out to sit by the fire in the backyard, that’s all. I would’ve told you, but it looked like you were talking to someone.” She cocked her head, curiosity in her eyes, and I wondered if she could tell that there was something different about me.

  “Just for a minute. That was the quarterback of the football team, and I was congratulating him on the win.” I shrugged. “No big deal.”

  Even as I made that claim, I was surreptitiously glancing around, looking for Eli. He wasn’t in the living room. I wondered if he might be in the kitchen.

  “It’s super late.” Hannah yawned. “And you and I have to drive back home tomorrow. I’m ready to go back to Becca’s house and get some sleep. Let’s find her and drag her out.”

  “You go.” I gestured with my head. “I’ll wait here.”

  “Oh, no, you don’t.” Hannah grabbed my arm and dragged me with her as she headed for the kitchen. “I’m not going to take a chance on losing you again before I find Becca. Come on.”

  With a sigh, I let my cousin lead me through the kitchen, where there was still a fairly sizable crowd, standing around the table and downing drinks. I didn’t see Eli, though, and Becca wasn’t there, either.

  “Maybe she’s outside.” Hannah and I stepped out the back door onto an expansive deck. The wood was cold on my bare feet, and I hissed a little, lifting first one foot and then the other. I followed Hannah to stand at the railing, from which point we could see the bonfire and the people standing and sitting around it.

  It took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the dark, but once they did, I spotted Becca talking with a boy on the far side of the firepit.

  “There she is.” I pointed. “See? Standing between the two groups of chairs?”

  “Yes.” Hannah let out a long breath. “Listen, you stay right here. You don’t want to walk across the grass in the dark without your shoes. But don’t move. I’m going to grab Becca and then we’ll come back and get you. Got it?”

  I gave her a mock salute. “Aye, aye, captain.”

  Rolling her eyes, Hannah began to march toward the fire. I followed her progress, and as she passed one chair, the person sitting in it leaned forward, the light illuminating his face. It was Eli, and a smile of relief began to curl my lips.

  But before I could tug on my shoes and get to him, I realized that he wasn’t alone in that chair. Someone else leaned forward, too—and this someone had long, dark hair that Eli swept away from her face before he lowered his head to kiss her.

  In that moment, watching him with her, something cracked inside me. Reality and realization hit me hard, as truth swept over me like a cold wave. I’d just given my virginity to a guy who was even now, not two hours later, kissing another girl. I’d had sex for the first time without meaning to do it, without thinking about it and without really knowing the boy who I’d allowed to invade my body. I’d gotten slightly drunk, and I’d let his flattery, his sweet words and his touch tear down my defenses like they were nothing at all.

  And standing there, I knew I was never going to let it happen again.

  Chapter One

  Tuck

  I think it’s important to establish one fact right from the beginning. Much later, Zelda would claim that on the day we met again, I didn’t remember her. That’s absolutely not true. I knew who she was.

  Well . . . maybe that’s not completely accurate. That day we met in my dorm at Birch College, I was aware that I had probably known her. In the biblical sense, that is.

  Unfortunately, that didn’t narrow it down much.

  Yeah, I’d been a dog back in the day. I’d gotten my share of tail, and about ten other guys’ share, too. I loved every minute of it.

  But that was before November 18th of my senior year. Before Homecoming. Before the hit that took my legs and nearly claimed my life, as well.

  Before everything changed.

  Anyway, the day she came sashaying into my dorm room freshman year at Birch, I knew she was familiar. And even if I hadn’t known that, I could tell by the look in her eyes when she looked at me that we’d hooked up. It was the challenge there: Are you going to remember? Are you going to acknowledge me? Most of the time, it was accompanied by a hint of desperation, too. Remember me! Tell me what we did was important.

  But not Zelda. In her, it was all attitude. Remember me or don’t. I couldn’t care less.

  She was there to visit my new roommate, Nate, tagging along with his friends, Quinn and Gia. The four of them looked tentative as only college freshmen could. I was a freshman, too, of course, but I was a year older than the rest of them, and after all the shit I’d been through since that November night? Starting college was the least of my worries.

  Nate greeted them all enthusiastically. As far as I could tell, he was pretty cool. I knew from messaging back and forth over the summer that he’d had some kind of disease since birth that made too much walking hard on him. It affected both his lungs and his large muscles, and it came along with the fun prize of a shortened life span.

  I also knew that Quinn was Nate’s best friend. He talked about her a lot, and at first, I’d thought she was his girlfriend. But apparently not, since Nate later told me she was dating their other best friend, Leo Taylor, a name I remembered from high school when I played football. They were all from Eatonboro, one of our county rivals. According to Nate, Taylor had gotten a full ride to Carolina, lucky bastard.

  The way Nate went on about Quinn, I’d expected someone drop-dead gorgeous. And Quinn was pretty, sure, but she didn’t strike me as beautiful. She had dark hair that was tied up on the back of her head, and she was dressed in worn-looking denim shorts and a T-shirt. The chick who trailed behind her was okay-looking, too, in an ordinary way—she had a cap of short black hair and wide brown eyes. That was Gia, a friend of Quinn’s, and of Nate’s by way of Quinn.

  They came into our room, and Nate introduced everyone to me. He was just finishing when the door opened a little more. The girl who strutted in was anything but ordinary, and this one? Yeah, she was fucking breathtaking.

  Her pale blonde hair was loose around her shoulders, and her eyes were hu
ge and vivid blue. But being the guy who I was, it was the body I saw first. Tits for days were on subtle display—they weren’t sticking out like some centerfold model, but they weren’t hidden, either. Fitted black shorts cupped a very fine ass, one I could almost feel under my hands. And legs? They went on for miles, tanned, toned and shapely.

  It was the legs that sparked the first memory blip. I had a sudden and inexplicable flash of those legs spread on a bed before me and wide, trusting eyes smiling up into my face.

  Shit. I’d totally done this chick. I narrowed my gaze, trying to see if I remembered her from high school. If she’d gone to Franklin as I had, she would’ve been a year behind me, assuming she was a freshman now like the others.

  Nate glanced at her and then back at me. “Uh, this is Zelda, um . . .?” He looked a little embarrassed.

  “Porter. Zelda Porter.” She lifted her chin, a clear dare. Would I say something?

  “Zelda’s my roommate,” Quinn put in. “She’s from Lancaster.”

  Lancaster. Had I ever been there? I didn’t think so, at least not since I was a little kid, way before my wild days.

  “Uh, hi.” I sketched a lame-looking wave, cringing inside even as I did it. That’s one of the drawbacks about being stuck in a wheelchair that no one talks about much. I couldn’t just get up and shake hands or doing anything natural. It always felt awkward to me.

  “Hey.” She leaned a hand on my desk and crossed one foot over the other ankle. I got the impression that every move she made was practiced and planned; nothing was accidental. Everything was deliberate.

  Nate, Gia and Quinn launched into a three-way conversation about their classes and professors, as Zelda and I stood by silently. I tried not to stare at her, but it was driving me crazy, wondering where I’d met her. Or maybe more accurately, when and where I’d fucked her. Because I knew without a doubt that I had.