Friends with Benefits: A Steamy College Romance (Beta Brothers #2) Read online

  “Say yes for a dying man.”

  I swatted his chest and noticed it took real discipline not to let my hand linger. “You're not dying.”

  “Sure I am,” he said, his expression serious. “For another chance to make you laugh.”

  Which I did.

  And something told me it wouldn't be the last time.

  T E N

  - Carter -

  “Can you pass the ranch?” Nina asked, pointing across me towards the far end of Logan's coffee table.

  I handed it to her before leaning back on the futon and putting my hands behind my head.

  “Did somebody put a bucket next to Trey's bed?” Logan asked, covering his mouth full of pizza sticks.

  “Yeah,” I said. “On both sides.”

  “I've never seen him that shitty,” Zoey said. “He was on another level.”

  I nodded. “He'll be on another level tomorrow, too.”

  Logan laughed. “I think the word is horizontal.”

  Logan’s Spotify faded out for a moment before Queen's “Somebody to Love” began pouring through the speakers.

  I glanced at Nina, who was sitting cross-legged beside me holding a napkin full of pizza sticks. We hadn't spoken much since we got back to the house, but I’d been lucky enough to hear her melodic laugh a bunch of times. Still, it wasn't enough.

  “Anyone want anything from the vending machine downstairs?” I asked, standing up so I could dig in my pockets for spare change.

  Everyone stared at each other and then me.

  “Suit yourselves.”

  I left the room and took a deep breath. I needed to clear my head if I was going to come up with a clever way to get Nina to stay. Usually, I wouldn’t bother if I wasn’t absolutely sure my efforts would get me laid. But when it came to Nina, I didn't even care. I’d settle for her company if it was all I could get. The chance to see her green eyes smile.

  The ground floor of the frat house was in disarray, but besides the pledge passed out at the bottom of the stairs, there was nothing surprising about the mess. I checked his pulse and then carried him over to the nearest end of the worn wraparound couch, where a few red-eyed sophomores were ripping a dirty bong.

  “Make sure he stays on his side,” I said, before walking off and dismissing their offer to join them with a wave of my hand.

  I pulled my phone out on the way to the vending machine by the kitchen and texted her. “Sleep over?” I backspaced and looked at it without the space. “Sleepover?” Fuck. Would she even check her phone at this hour?

  Disappointed that I couldn’t think of a more enticing offer, I shoved my change in the machine and waited for the metal coil to release my Reese’s Pieces. Then I dragged my ass back upstairs to Logan’s room.

  When I stepped inside, Zoey was curled in a ball on the far side of the bed, and Logan was chugging a bottle of water beside his desk. Across the room, Nina was picking at the label on her empty cider bottle, making it impossible to tell if she’d seen my text.

  “Think we're going to call it a night, guys,” Logan said, kicking his shoes off.

  I lifted my chin towards Nina. “I'll walk you home.”

  Her expression lifted, and I hoped it was because of my smooth cover story and not because a walk home was what she really wanted. After all, the thought of venturing out into the cold only to come back here and sleep alone was pretty unappealing. Then again, maybe it would be romantic. Maybe she'd even invite me up when we got to her place. Naw. Those dorm beds were shit. We'd be more comfortable here.

  Why the need for a cover story even occurred to me, though, was a mystery. Concealing my late-night activities certainly wasn’t a habit anyway. But for some reason, it felt important in this situation. As if this thing between us was too fragile and new to survive the insensitive scrutiny of others.

  I said goodnight to Logan and Zoey as I grabbed my ranch off the table and then waited in the hallway while Nina gathered her things. When she pulled the door closed behind her, I turned towards my room without saying a word.

  “I got your text,” she said quietly as she followed me down the hall.

  “And?” I pushed my door open and returned the ranch to the fridge. When I turned around, she was leaning in the doorway.

  “And I don't know if it's a good idea.” Her eyes searched mine. “I mean, what's the point?”

  “There's no point,” I said. “We'll just watch some stand-up and pass out. Maybe play a round of the Reese’s Game, if you want?”

  She scrunched her face. “The Reese’s Game?”

  “You haven't played the Reese’s Game?” I asked, buying myself time to think.

  She shook her head. “No. How do you play?”

  “It's sort of a doors-closed kind of game,” I said, hoping she would take the hint.

  Her green eyes squinted at me. “It better involve eating Reese’s.”

  I pulled the bag from my back pocket and held it up. “What kind of monster do you think I am?”

  She stepped inside and closed the door but didn't come any closer.

  I gestured towards the bed. “Please. Make yourself comfortable.”

  “I'll stay for one drink.”

  “Great,” I said. “In that case, I'll make it a double Long Island.”

  She laughed but didn't object.

  I feigned surprise when I looked in my fridge. “Uh-huh. Looks like my drinks cabinet is a bit sparse.”

  She slipped her heels off and crawled onto the bed. “Vodka Gatorade is fine.”

  “Funny you mention that. It's the house special tonight.”

  “Go easy on the vodka,” she said. “If I get any drunker, I might not understand the rules.”

  I swiped an orange Gatorade from the fridge. “The rules?”

  “Of the Reese’s Game?”

  Shit. “Oh right. The rules.”

  “Actually, maybe don't add any vodka,” she said. “I've probably had enough.”

  “Sure,” I handed her the bottle of unspiked Gatorade before sitting on the edge of the bed and opening the bag of candy.

  She held her hand out.

  I shook my head. “You can't just eat them. You have to earn them.”

  “What?! You better be kidding me?”

  “’Fraid not,” I said. “And you can only earn one at a time.”

  She groaned and dropped her head back, unwittingly flashing her smooth neck at me.

  Then again, maybe she knew exactly what she was doing.

  “Let's get on with it then,” she said, making a gimme gesture.

  “Okay,” I said, releasing one into my open palm. “To put it simply, what you have to do depends on what color you get.”

  She glanced at my palm. “So what's yellow?”

  “Yellow is truth,” I said. “So if you asked me a question like do you want me to stay? I have to answer it truthfully.”

  She tilted her head.

  “The answer in that case, would be yes, by the way.”

  “Got it,” she said, suppressing a shy smile.

  I handed her the yellow one and squeezed an orange one into my hand.

  “Let me guess,” she said. “Orange is dare.”

  “Exactly. So if I got this one, I might say I dare you to stay over.”

  She scoffed. “This game is a bit one-note, don't you think?”

  “Just want to make sure you get it,” I said, surprised she couldn’t tell I was winging it.

  “What's left?” she asked, watching as I squeezed one more into my hand.

  “Brown.”

  “What's brown for?”

  “Confession,” I said. “So if I get this one, I have to confess something.”

  “Oooh,” she said, shifting onto her knees. “I like that one.”

  I smiled.

  “Give me an example.”

  “I want you to stay,” I said, fixing my eyes on hers.

  She swallowed. “Shouldn't it be something I don't already know?”
/>   “Technically, yes.”

  “Okay,” she said. “I think I get it. As complicated as it is.”

  “So what do you say? Play a few rounds, and I'll take you home in the morning?”

  She took the bag of Reese’s from me and squeezed one into her hand.

  I saw that it was brown before lifting my eyes to hers.

  “Okay,” she said. “I'd like that.”

  E L E V E N

  - Nina -

  I was the little spoon.

  I could tell because there was a strong arm draped over my body and when I inhaled, I could sense the weight of it…and the body it was attached to.

  Carter's body.

  Much to my surprise, my first reaction wasn’t to wiggle free. On the contrary, I stayed as still as possible, trying to recall the exact order of events that led me to this position.

  It was Trey's birthday. He'd been messy. I'd been messy. Our pizza sticks afterparty had been messy and then…The Reese's Game. I could scarcely remember all the stuff that came up, only that I was sad when it ended, as if divulging information about myself had been worth it to learn more about Carter.

  But then what? We must've fallen asleep watching stand-up on his computer and…my pants. When had I taken my jeans off?

  A sleepy groan rumbled behind me, and the bed dipped for a second as Carter shifted his weight and… Oh God. That couldn't be.

  I arched my back and pressed my ass against it, my pulse jumping when I realized he was not only hard but huge.

  He pulled me to him and bent his legs, enveloping me further and bringing his face so close his lips teased the edge of my ear.

  “Morning,” he said, his sleepy voice so deep I felt it between my legs.

  Did he not realize he was pressing his hard-on against me? Should I ask? Try to pass it off as a joke? Maybe if I called his attention to it…? I arched my back again until his boxer-shrouded dick nestled between my butt cheeks, causing my guts to flutter again at the size of him.

  And suddenly it all made sense. No wonder girls whispered amongst themselves everywhere he went. No wonder they were constantly forgetting their pride for a chance to hook up with him.

  Carter slid his palm up my thigh and began tracing his fingertips against my bare flesh, so the only sound in the room was that of gently shifting sheets.

  I closed my eyes and let the warmth from his touch spread through me, wondering how far he wanted to take things moments before he pulled my hips towards him and swelled against me.

  I guess that answers that question.

  Suddenly, my soggy brain and dry mouth seemed terribly uninteresting.

  “Let me make you feel good,” he whispered, moving his hand to my stomach and pulling me close again.

  I wasn't sure what to do. All I knew was that I liked the heat coming off his body and how small I felt in his arms.

  I rocked my hips back just enough to urge him on, and he responded by sliding his hand down my stomach and parting my bent legs.

  I held my breath when I realized he going to touch me there, in that place no one had touched me for so long.

  He wasted no time with the outside of my underwear. Instead, he slipped his fingers under the fabric and drew their tips against my slit.

  A growl rattled up his throat when he found that I was already wet, and the primal sound made my skin prickle with goose bumps.

  He smeared my silk across my swelling clit and started to massage it, crushing it in circles like I was a cauldron he was bringing to a boil.

  “Tell me how you like it,” he whispered softly, making the whole thing seem like a dream. “Is that too gentle?”

  “No,” I said, squeezing my eyes shut. “That's perfect.” Too perfect. If anything, it frightened me how easily he'd figured me out, how easily he conjured curls of heat that rose through my stomach. Even I couldn't turn myself on that quickly, and I'd had a lot of practice.

  My breath hitched when he picked up the pace, my body melting against his as he dangled me over the brink, reducing me to a helpless puddle of pleasure.

  “I'm gonna get a condom,” he said, his light stubble tickling my neck.

  “Okay,” I breathed, hoping his capable hands wouldn't be away too long.

  The bed creaked when he rolled away, and I took my first deep breath of the morning, thinking now was the moment to stop him if I didn't want it.

  But I did want it. I wanted it so bad it was a joke. In fact, there was nothing I wanted more. Not now. Not now that I’d been so close to coming…

  Besides, I was in safe hands, right? The hands of a friend I could trust.

  “Take off your underwear,” he said, crinkling a foil packet behind me.

  I wiggled them down my hips and kicked them off over my ankles. Then I glanced over my shoulder at him just in time to catch him smoothing the condom over himself.

  That's not going to fit, I thought, realizing I was about to experience the most embarrassing moment of my life. Yet, despite my certainty, I still wanted him to try me on, still wanted to feel his arms around me again.

  I squeezed the edge of the pillow as he sank down behind me, my breath shallowing as he assumed the position he'd been in before. Did he think it was odd that I hadn't turned to face him? Was it? Or was it more like a dream this way?

  His hand found my slit again, but only for long enough to confirm that I was dripping. Then he propped himself up and guided the tip of his dick to my seam.

  I exhaled slowly as he pushed his way inside me, impaling me on his monster cock until I was overwhelmed by a feeling of fullness I'd never known.

  “Fuck,” I breathed, surprised I could even speak.

  He spooned me again, nestling his lips against my neck before moving inside me nice and slow, massaging me from the inside out.

  I moaned as he hit me deep, his every thrust sending such strong waves of pleasure through my lower body that I couldn’t feel anything but the blissful vibrations passing from between my legs to the area behind my belly button.

  He kissed his way down my neck and slid a hand up my stomach, squeezing my breasts as he fucked me, his thick fingers tweaking my nipples just hard enough to make me feel like they were his.

  Like they were his and he could do what he wanted with them.

  He lowered his hand again and pushed my top leg up so he could crush my clit against the base of his thick shaft.

  “Carter,” I begged, intoxicated by his touch.

  His teeth pulled at the skin on my neck as he worked me, my body clenching around his cock so hard I could feel it exhausting me.

  “Come for me,” he growled, the tip of his nose tracing my ear.

  I whimpered as I got close, the flames about to consume me coming into view.

  Moments later, a noise I'd never heard escaped my throat. It was a mixture of a cry and a sigh and a moan, and my pussy choked his cock so violently that he had to steady my shaking hips while I gushed over him, giving him everything I had.

  Everything.

  T W E L V E

  - Carter -

  I'd never felt a girl come like that.

  Honestly, I don't think lightning could've struck my dick any harder, and no thunderstorm would've left it so drenched.

  Even my balls were soaked.

  And her orgasm lasted for so long. Whether it had been too long since she had one or whether I just turned her on that much, I couldn’t be sure. All I knew was that her green eyes had never looked wider than they did the moment she saw my cock, which didn't feel too bad at all.

  When she finally stopped shaking, I wrapped my arm around her waist and rose to my knees, careful to stay buried inside her warmth so I wouldn’t miss a single aftershock. The sheets fell around us when I leaned back, and I couldn’t help but admire the way my girth looked as it disappeared inside her.

  I smoothed my palms over her soft ass and saw her sink her nails into the bed.

  Fuck me, this girl was going to be the end of me.

/>   I sank my fingers into her hips and pulled mine back, clocking the way she gasped, readying herself for me. Then I slid back inside her as slow as I could, listening to the sound of her breathy exhale as I pushed the air from her lungs.

  She looked over her shoulder at me, and I swear to God, I almost came right then. She was so beautiful, so sexy, so much more…everything than any woman I'd ever met.

  She turned to face the headboard again and dropped down to her elbows, causing the red T-shirt she borrowed to bunch around her waist, revealing her perfect hourglass shape.

  My eyes traveled up the gorgeous dip of her spine, and my jaw clenched so hard it ached. Then I dragged a finger down her crack, inhaling as it drifted over her asshole, which puckered so sweetly at my attention it made my mouth water.

  God help me.

  Knowing I couldn’t take much more, I grabbed Nina’s waist with both hands and started rocking my hips against her, hitting her so deep she cried out before burying her face in her pillow.

  I meant to ask if she was okay, if I was hurting her. I knew I was…bigger than most girls were used to. Bigger than some girls wanted anything to do with. But I was so close I couldn't stop. So close all I could think about was pounding Nina's tight pussy until I busted deep in her belly.

  When I finally came, everything faded away except the goddess before me, and as I emptied my load in her hot center, I watched her knuckles turn white where they gripped the bed.

  Wasted, I bent over her lithe body and scooped an arm around her, breathing her in as I lowered us down to the mattress, savoring my last few moments in her glorious, pulsing warmth.

  I forced myself to roll away so I wouldn’t crush her, panting as I peeled the condom off and tossed it in the direction of the garbage. I probably missed, but a guy would have to have a care in the world to check and, in that moment, I certainly didn’t.

  Nina moved onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

  I rolled my head towards her, admiring the deep flush of her cheeks. “You okay?” I asked finally.

  She nodded but didn't look at me.

  “Nina.”