She always blushes, rolls her eyes, when I say that. I get it—she can’t see herself that way any more than I was willing to believe I could still be a decent person. She just needs someone to help her believe.

“I’m not going to stop trying to convince you,” I warn.

“I don’t want you to.” She kisses me, then climbs off my lap to stand with her back to me. “Help me.”

As my pulse quickens, I slowly drag her zipper down, then watch her step out of her dress. I know she gets nervous about being so exposed, so I don’t give her a moment to feel self-conscious. Wrapping her in my arms, I pull her back down to the bed to lie against the pillows, settling myself between her legs. She hooks one smooth leg around my hips as I pull her bra off to kiss across her chest, squeezing her tits. My lips travel south, from her nipples to her stomach, while my fingers slip her lacy panties down her legs and spread her pussy for my tongue.

I know she’s close to orgasm when I feel her tugging at the duvet, digging her nails into the fabric. Her body trembles, back arches. I slide two fingers inside her impossibly tight channel, and rise on my knees to watch her shatter for me.

It’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. With a muffled moan because she’s biting her lip, she shakes and clenches around my hand.

“That’s it, baby,” I coax, loving the flush of her cheeks, that same rosy hue on her tits, the sexy breaths leaving her mouth.

While my fingers are still lodged inside her, Taylor tugs me down, kissing me deeply while her hands search for my zipper.

“I want you,” she says, breathing hard. She gets the button open, then the zipper, then shoves my trousers down my hips.

Grinning at her impatience, I kick my pants and briefs free from my legs and send them flying across the room. The moment I’m fully naked, an urgent Taylor encourages my hips forward to meet hers and whispers the two sweetest words I’ve ever heard.

“I’m ready.”

I search her eyes, my dick hard against her pussy. “Are you sure?” My voice is a bit hoarse. “You know you don’t have to do this tonight? I meant what I said before. I’m not in a hurry.”

She reaches over to her nightstand and pulls out a condom. “I’m sure.”

Our mouths collide again and somehow it feels new, like learning each other for the first time. Supporting my weight on my forearm, I use my free hand to slide the condom down my shaft.

“Just go slow,” she says, when I’m once again settled between her legs.

“Promise.” I kiss that cute little mole over the corner of her mouth, then press my lips to hers. “Just relax.”

She’s so tight, her body still clenched.

“Relax, babe. I got you.”

With a deep breath, she lets go. Her body softens. As slow as I can, I push inside her. I grit my teeth, allowing her to adjust before I move again. Just a little. Just enough to make us both take in a sharp breath.

“You okay?” I whisper.

Taylor nods, her turquoise eyes shining with trust, need, arousal. She sucks in another breath, then grabs my hips to bring me closer.

She’s perfect. Warm and tight, squeezing my dick every time I pull back and gently, achingly, plunge back into her. More than that, though. Her nails softly drag down my back and it’s like my fucking soul trembles. She licks my neck and my mind is wiped of everything but her voice, her taste. I forget where I am, who I am. There’s just this moment and the space between us. Her softness and her breath against my skin.

Too quickly, though, my climax builds. I want to make it last for her, but this feels too good and every time she arches her back, I can’t help but draw every ounce of pleasure I can get from her body.

“Baby,” I choke out.

“Mmmm?” The pleasure swimming on her face brings me dangerously closer to the edge.

“I promise I will spend every second of this relationship fucking you so good and giving you hundreds and thousands of orgasms, but right now…” I groan against her neck, my hips flexing forward, fast and erratic. “Right now…I need…to…”

I come so hard I see stars, shuddering against the perfection that is her body. When the rush of pleasure subsides, I pull out to discard the condom in the small wastebasket under her nightstand.

Lying on my back, I bring Taylor to rest against my chest, threading my fingers through her soft hair. After a few minutes, she tilts her head up to place a kiss under the corner of my jaw.

“I love you, too.”

35

Taylor

Sasha texts me on my way into my co-op class at the elementary school. Something to the effect of “hey, bitch, if you get a chance, take that hockey stick out of your mouth for five seconds and text me.” Which is her endearing way of saying she misses me.

I take full responsibility for our dwindling amount of girl time; after patching things up with Conor, he and I have spent every day together for the past week. Now it’s May, finals are only a couple weeks away, and I’m a little ashamed to admit that what used to be study time with Sasha at the Kappa house has become failing to study with Conor at my place until we give up and get naked.

Turns out sex is good. I sure do like sex. Especially sex with Conor.

Although as it also turns out, sex is terribly distracting. Hard as I’ve tried, my reading comprehension skills tank when he’s trying to tear off my clothes.

I did make it to the Kappa house for the election, however. No surprise there—Abigail won. Though to ask her she was just elected supreme leader for life. I expect she’ll soon have portraits of herself riding dolphins and shooting lasers out of her eyes hanging in every room. Sasha and I were two of only four protest votes against her. I’m a pessimist and even I thought the resistance had greater numbers in the house than that. I guess we’ll all have to get used to bowing down to our new supreme leader.

The thought of spending a year under Abigail’s rule turns my stomach. It might have been a secret ballot, but she knows damn well I cast one of the votes against her. And I have no doubt she’ll make me pay dearly for that show of dissent. How, I’m not sure yet, but knowing Abigail it won’t be pretty.

If it weren’t for all the time and effort I’ve already contributed to Kappa Chi, I’d consider leaving the sorority. But at least I have Sasha as an ally. Besides, being a Kappa means a support network of professional connections for life. I didn’t assimilate into the collective just to blow up my future capital so close to the end.

So, one more year. If Abigail really runs things off the rails, Sasha and I can mount the insurrection.

Now in Mrs. Gardner’s first grade class, I’m helping the kids work on collages they’re making about the books they read in class this week. The room is the quietest it’s been all day. Everyone has their heads down, eyes focused. They’re cutting pictures out of old magazines and gluing their creations on poster board.

Thank goodness for glue sticks. I’ve only had to wash glue out of one girl’s hair today. Mrs. Gardner banned liquid glue after a major catastrophe led to three emergency haircuts. I’ll never understand how kids manage to constantly find new ways to attach themselves to each other.