Uncomfortable, Undone University Series, Book 1

Chapter 17

Jace

I can think of a million reasons why I shouldn't kiss Krystal right now. Not the least of which is how much I want to. After our encounter in the shower, I kept hoping my attraction to her would fade, kept hoping I could be a one-and-done type. But not only has my attraction to her grown, I'm feeling something for her that goes beyond physical.

I try to conjure the annoyance I felt the day I met her, even recalling the memory of her shouting at Ryan on the front stoop of the Zeta house, but now when I mentally replay the scene, all I feel is tenderness. I want to go back in time and beat the shit out of Ryan for her.

She's so vulnerable right now, in this moment, I'm not sure there could be a worse time to want to kiss her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask and sink back against the headboard, pulling a pillow into my lap so I don't pull her into my embrace instead.

"I didn't know you," she answers matter of factly and sniffles. "For all I knew, you could have helped him do it. Ryan's not a smart guy... someone had to have given him the idea to create a fake account."

She's probably right. I live with the guy. Not smart is an understatement. "The guy is a douche."

She nods and smiles weakly. "Why do you think we broke up?"

We sit there in silence for a long time. Finally, Krystal shifts on the bed until she's sitting next to me, leaning against my arm with her head on my shoulder. "Thank you."

"For what?"

She tilts her head up to look at me, and there's something in her expression that makes me dip my head closer. "For being nothing like him," she whispers the words against my mouth and then presses her lips to mine in the softest of kisses.

I turn my body toward her and place a hand on her cheek. Her skin is the softest velvet against my palm, and I stroke a thumb against her cheek as I move my mouth over hers. When she parts her lips, I slip my tongue through, and she meets it with her own. A lightning bolt of desire shoots through me, waking every part of me. She must feel it too, because she moans into the kiss and shimmy's her hips lower on the bed.

Without breaking the kiss, I follow her as she moves down the mattress until she is lying flat, then I cover her with my body. Her fingertips tickle up my sides, over my bare chest, up to my shoulders where she loops her arms around my neck.

Her body is warm and soft and pliant beneath me, and I want nothing more than to strip her clothes off and feel every inch of her pressed against every inch of me. But ten minutes ago, she was crying over another guy, over his betrayal and nude photos she'd trusted him with. And now, I'm on top of her, shoving my tongue down her throat.

I am such a jackass. I pull away from the kiss and bury my face in her neck, panting for my next breath, for control. I'm sure she can feel how hard I am for her. I consider rolling off her, but can't force myself to break the contact between our two bodies.

"What's wrong?" She asks, as if she's concerned about me, about my feelings.

I take a few more deep breaths, struggling to formulate the words to express what I'm feeling right now. "I don't want to take advantage of you."

She barks out a sharp laugh. "Take advantage of me?" Her body shakes with silent laughter beneath mine.

"What?" I ask, not sure what she finds so amusing.

"I kissed you, dumbass." To punctuate her statement, she leans up on her elbows and kisses me again.

When she pulls away, I try to explain again. "I just feel like, you know, when a girl is pouring her heart out to you about her ex, maybe it isn't the best time to try to get in her pants."