Chapter 62: Sadie: Needs And Wants

SADIE

The second our lips meet, the strangest thing happens. Heat rushes through me in pulses, starting at my mouth, making my breasts tingle, then spreading lower.

Trey tastes like the beer he just drank, and I should hate that, but my lips part before I can give it another thought.

His tongue slips against mine. When I kiss him back, a low sound rises from his throat, and I feel it through his chest and the arm holding me against him.

I open my eyes for a moment, and the sight of him sends another rush of need through me. I want more of this kiss, more of him, neither of which I expected when this night started.

I angle my head and kiss him deeper, a moan slipping out before I can stop it. My tongue meets his with a hunger that surprises me, and Trey’s fingers thread through my hair as if he wants me just as close.

His other arm holds me at the hip, keeping me against him while my breasts press to his chest. I lay my palm there and feel his heart pounding beneath it.

Knowing he’s as caught up in this as I am makes it harder to stop. I know we’re sitting at a table full of people, or I should, but I keep kissing him until a loud "ooooh" erupts around us. Panic jolts through me, and I pull my mouth from his.

That’s as far as I get. My forehead stays against his while we catch our breath. His eyes are such a dark green from this close that I almost miss the other thing I can feel against me.

Fucking hell.

Don’t overreact, Sadie. Don’t.

Slowly, I shift my waist, hoping it’s his phone I can feel. Or his wallet. Hell, I’ll take a pack of gum.

Trey’s grip tightens before I can convince myself of any of them. The veins in his neck stand out, and the look he gives me makes me think he caught on to what I was checking.

I’m embarrassed enough to want to hide my face, but turning away means facing Nia and everyone else who just watched us kiss. For another moment, I leave my forehead against his and keep my eyes on him. It would be easier if I felt even a little relieved that the kiss was over. Instead, I’m staring at his mouth and wondering what would happen if I kissed him again.

No. Trey is Ezra’s brother. That’s where I draw the line, even if I should have remembered it before now.

My skin is still hot, though, and my hands are shaking. If he leaned in right now, I’m not sure I’d stop him.

What the hell is wrong with me?

"Damn," Nash says, breaking into my thoughts. "Maxwell’s gone. Guess that kiss did the job."

Everyone bursts out laughing. Any courage I had to turn around vanishes, and Trey must notice, because he brushes my hair back from my face before looking toward them.

"Forgive us," he says. "We got a little lost there."

That earns another drawn-out "ooooh," followed by hands beating against the table. I close my eyes.

"Hey, Cap," Dawson calls over the noise. "You know I’ve been waiting for you to break that no-kissing rule with me. We can still make this happen. I’ll count what I just saw as null and void."

Cam shakes his head. "You’re all running with something Maxwell said? I’ve never seen Cap bring a girl around. That dude’s a psycho."

Dawson grins. "So you’re saying I still have a chance?"

The table gets even louder. I consider keeping my eyes closed until they forget I exist, but Trey’s fingers brush my cheek, and I look at him.

"No one’s laughing at you," he whispers. "They’re always like this."

My fingers knot together in my lap. He says it as though he knows exactly what I’m afraid of, and I’ve never seen his face this soft before. If I didn’t know him better, I might think he was trying to protect me.

Maybe he is. Or maybe the kiss was an ordinary thing for him, and he’s being kind because I look ready to crawl under the table. I study his face, wishing I could tell which it is.

Did he even like kissing me?

I finally make myself turn toward the table. Nia’s mouth is hanging open, which is fair, considering how many times I’ve told her nothing is going on between us. Walker and Nash are smirking, and my cheeks grow hotter. They’re never going to let me forget this.

"Don’t overthink it." Trey leans close to my ear again, his voice low enough that only I can hear. "I wanted to kiss you. I still do."

My gaze flies to his face. He looks so sincere that my lips part, but I can’t think of a single thing to say. He wanted to kiss me? How long has he felt this way?

Trey inches closer, and my eyes catch on the pulse beating in his throat. I tell myself I could be imagining what it means, but after what he just said, it’s getting harder to believe I’m the only one affected by that kiss.

Could he want this as much as I did?

"So what’s going on between you two?" The question comes from across the table in a voice that might have sounded sweet if I didn’t hear the way she said you two.

The girl sitting with Michael is looking straight at us. When I meet her eyes, the displeasure on her face is impossible to miss. I don’t even know her, so I’m left trying to work out when I managed to offend her.

"Yeah, tell us," Jordan says. "Because I’ve heard a lot of versions." He points at me. "Tutor." His finger shifts to Trey. "Nothing." Back to me. "Roommate." Then Trey again. "Still nothing." He gestures between us. "That kiss didn’t look like nothing."

"Prez, that was tongue and everything," Noah calls from the other table.

Now everyone’s looking at us, waiting for an answer. I’d love to give them one, but after what just happened, I’m not sure I know the truth myself.

"Why does it matter?" Trey asks, saving me from having to respond. "Now I know why you guys play so sloppy. You spend all your time gossiping."

A few people laugh, and for a moment I think that’s the end of it. But the girl beside Michael is still watching me.

"No offense," she says, "but I heard Sadie was mated to your brother. Is that true? Because it would explain why neither of you wants to say what this is."

Anger pulses through me. I don’t even know her, and she’s brought up Ezra in front of both teams like it’s a question she’s entitled to ask. First Maxwell, and now her. Why are people I don’t know trying so hard to ruin my night?

"No offense," I tell her, "but you should learn to mind your business."

She opens her mouth, but Michael leans toward her and whispers something I can’t hear. Her lips close again. She holds my gaze for another second before turning away.