He nods in understanding. Then he gathers all his books and indicates for me to join him. He leads me out of my room and into his. “So I called her when you'd left and told her I thought it was safer she be in the house. She didn't argue with me, just said she'd wait out front for me. She hasn't spoken a word since I picked her up.”

“Did something happen there?”

He shrugs. “I don't know. Do you?” he asks suggestively.

“I have no idea.”

“What happened with Raper Face?” I ask when I'm back in my room.

“Who?” she says, her eyes trained on her textbook.

I shut the book with a thud and roll her chair to the side of my bed, where I sit down and swivel the back of the seat so she has no choice but to face me. “Don't play games.”

“No. Chase called a little after you left and he was concerned. I didn't want him to worry so I told him to pick me up.”

“That's it?”

“Swear.”

“And you're not talking to me now because…” I trail off.

She leans back in the seat and crosses her arms. Evading my question, she asks, “So things didn't go well with the girl you left the bar for?”

My eyes narrow in confusion. “No.”

She shrugs. “Guess we both struck out tonight then.”

“I guess.”

After moments of us glaring at each other, she sighs. “I'm sorry.”

“Why?”

“Because you were right. I came here to hang out with you and first chance I got to hook up with a guy, I bailed on you.”

“Yeah…about that. Why?”

“I think I wanted to feel wanted, you know? After the shit with Tim…” She shakes her head slowly. “I don't know what's wrong with me, Ty.” Her voice cracks while she tries to contain her sob. “I just want someone to want me back. Why is that so hard? I feel so stupid.”

“You're not stupid, Allie.”

“Yeah, well then you explain my dating history.”

“You just haven't found the right guy.”

She rolls her eyes. “So cliché.”

“It's cliché because it's the truth. You deserve a guy that thinks about you non-stop. That worries about you and misses you whenever you're not around.” It doesn't escape me that I pretty much just described myself.

“That guy doesn't exist,” she says.

“He might.” I swallow nervously and decide fuck it. Throw it out there. What's the worse that can happen? “Allie, he could be right under your nose…”

A slow smile begins to spread on her face. “You mean Chase?” She looks over at my closed door.

“Yeah.” I look away because I can't fucking stand to see her anymore. “That's exactly who I mean.”

CHAPTER TEN

A weight falls on my chest, causing my breath to catch and my eyes to flutter open. “Wake up, Tyler! It's a brand new day!” Allie smiles down at me, her hair tickling my face. I look down at my chest, where she's currently sitting—her tiny shorts fitting her ass like a glove. If I look hard enough, I can probably make out the outline of her pussy. The question is, do I want to see it?

She slaps my cheeks lightly and leaves her hands there. I reach up and move her hair out of her face, fisting it in my hands. Then I pull on it, causing her head to tilt back. She moans, pushing down on my chest and rubbing herself against me once. “You like being in control, Playboy?” she whispers. She moves lower down my body until she's on my dick, where she continues to move on me. Up and down the length of my cock. Over and over.

Her eyes drift shut and I pull her down to me. She rests her face in the crook of my neck. Her teeth find my shoulder, biting gently. I groan in response and move my free hand down her side and to the small of her back. Choosing not to waste any time, I slip my hands down her shorts and grab a handful of her ass. She bites down harder. “Tyler,” she moans.

“I know, baby,” I say, thrusting my hips and pressing my cock firmer against her.

“Tyler,” she says again—louder and clearer this time. She jerks back quickly and narrows her eyes at me. “Tyler!”

My eyes snap open. For real this time. I'm lost in a sea of red hair again. Only it's the back of her head. “Huh?”

“Your boner's digging into my thigh,” she mumbles.

I shake my head, clearing the images plaguing my mind. “I must have been dreaming,” I mumble.

She turns over in my arms. “Clearly,” she yawns out. “You need to go take care of it?”

“You want to take care of it for me?” I joke.

“In your dreams, Playboy.”

***

Most of the boys are in the kitchen having breakfast when Allie and I make it down there. I jerked off in the shower. And then again when I got out. Then I had to take another shower. I don't recall ever jackin' the beanstalk since I've been in college. Apparently, I'd been building up to it.

Allie asked if I'd slapped the salami while I was in there. I told her that I had, but it was cool because I thought about her the entire time. She laughed it off. If only she knew…

Allie makes her way to Shem standing behind the stove making pancakes. He declares every Saturday pancake day—apparently they don't have decent pancake mix in England. “Happy birthday!” she squeals, hugging his chest. He turns around and hugs her back. When she looks up at him, she says, “I like your beard.”