3
" Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, his entire body tensed and he looked at me swiftly. He started to pull out, alarmed, but I wrapped my legs around him and pushed him deep.
Romeo’s groan filled my ears as I felt him jerk inside me as he spilled his hot seed inside my body. I’d never felt anything more intimate in my entire life.
I kissed his shoulder and the inside of his neck when he partially collapsed on top of me.
I let out a sigh, content.
He pulled back and looked at me, his eyes unfocused and droopy. “I had no idea it would feel like that.”
“Me either.”
“Promise me you won’t let anyone ever do this with you. Just me,” he demanded. “Only me.”
He was so possessive. He was so selfish when it came to me.
I liked it.
Maybe I shouldn’t, but my God, I did.
“What about you?” I asked.
“Oh, baby, the thought of dipping my dick into anyone that isn’t you does nothing for me.”
“Okay.” I agreed. “Only you.”
His tongue stroked over mine, mingling and tasting me like he just hadn’t had enough. "
― Cambria Hebert , #Hater (Hashtag, #2)
4
" The crowd started going crazy. Like even crazier than when Romeo got up from the hit. I was clinging to the railing, wondering if I would like prison, when Ivy sighed. "I swear. You have all the luck."
Confused, I glanced around. Romeo was jogging toward us, helmet in his hands. Quickly, I glanced at the big screen and it was showing a wide shot of me clinging onto the rails and him running toward us.
When he arrived, he slapped the guard on his back and said something in his ear. The guard looked at me and grinned and then walked away.
Romeo stepped up to where I was. At the height I was at one the railing, for once I was taller than him.
"You're killing me, Smalls," he said. "I had to interrupt a championship game to keep you from going to the slammer."
"I was worried. You didn't get up."
"And so you were just going to march out on the field and what?"
God, he looked so… so incredible right then. His uniform stretched out over his wide shoulders and narrow waist. The pads strapped to his body made him look even stronger. He had grass stains on his knees, sweat in his hair, and ornery laughter in his sparkling blue eyes.
I swear I'd never seen anyone equal parts of to-die-for good looks and boy-next-door troublemaker.
"I was going to come out there and kiss it and make it better."
He threw back his head and laughed, and the stadium erupted once more. I was aware that every moment between us was being broadcast like some reality TV show, but for once, I didn't care how many people were staring.
This was our moment.
And I was so damn happy he wasn't hurt.
"So you're okay, then?" I asked.
"Takes a lot more than a shady illegal attack to keep me down."
Behind him, the players were getting back to the game, rushing out onto the field, and the coach was yelling out orders.
"I'll just go back to my seat, then," I said.
He rushed forward and grabbed me off the railing. The crown cheered when he slid me down his body and pressed his lips to mine.
It wasn't a chaste kiss. It was the kind of kiss that made me blush when I watched it on TV.
But I kissed him back anyway. I got lost in him.
When he pulled back, I said, "By the way, You're totally kicking ass out there."
He chuckled and put me back on the railing and kept one hand on my butt as I climbed back over. Back in the stands, I gripped the cold metal and gave him a small wave.
He'd been walking backward toward his team, but then he changed direction and sprinted toward me. In one graceful leap, he was up on the wall and leaning over the railing.
"Love you," he half-growled and pressed a swift kiss to my lips. "Next touchdown's for you. "
― Cambria Hebert , #Hater (Hashtag, #2)
5
" When I burst into the terminal, my eyes swept around, bouncing from person to person in the crowded, bustling space. My stomach fell a little when I didn’t see him, but I knew he probably couldn’t come this far. He was probably at baggage claim.
I looked around for a sign to point me in the right direction and finally saw one labeled Baggage Claim with an arrow pointing off to the left.
But I didn’t follow the arrow.
My eyes fixed on someone standing beneath the sign.
His hands were jammed into the pockets of his well-worn slouchy jeans. The relaxed action pulled the waistband low, highlighting his flat, narrow waist his Henley tee molded to. As usual, he was wearing his varsity jacket and his blond hair was a mess.
My gaze locked on his sapphire-blue eyes and didn’t let go. His eyes, ohmigod, his eyes. The blue was so intense it served as an emergency brake on everything in my life. The second I looked at him, everything else came to a screeching halt. I no longer noticed the huge crowd rushing around.
The anxiety-causing flight was just a distant memory, and the two weeks I spent longing for his touch became something I would live through ten times over just to be in this moment with him again.
His lips pulled into a smile and the charm that oozed from every pore in his body made me almost lightheaded. Romeo pulled his hands out of his pockets and straightened, motioning for me.
I rushed across the space separating us, my bag slapping against my side as I, for once, gracefully maneuvered around the people in my path.
His chuckle brushed over me when I was just steps away, and I threw myself at him with a little sigh of relief. My legs wrapped around his waist and his arms locked around my back. I burrowed my head into his shoulder and inhaled deep, taking in his distinctive scent.
“Rim,” he murmured, his voice low. I pulled back and his lips were on mine instantly.
The moment our lips touched, he stilled, his body and mouth pausing against mine. Before I could wonder why, he muttered a garbled curse against my mouth and then his lips began to move. He kissed me softly but fiercely. There was so much possession in the way he kissed me, in the way his arms locked around me that my heart stuttered.
I parted my lips so his tongue could sweep inside, and when my tongue met his, desire, hot and heavy, unfurled within me.
Someone chuckled as they walked by, and Romeo retreated slightly, still letting his mouth linger on mine before completely pulling away.
He rested his forehead against mine and he smiled. “I really fucking missed you.”
“Me too,” I whispered.
-Romeo & Rimmel "
― Cambria Hebert , #Hater (Hashtag, #2)
9
" I landed on my side, my hip taking the brunt of the fall. It burned and stung from the hit, but I ignored it and struggled to sit up quickly. There really was no point in hurrying so no one would see.
Everyone already saw
A pair of jean-clad legs appeared before me, and my suitcase and all my other stuff was dropped nearby.
"Whatcha doing down there?" Romeo drawled, his hands on his hips as he stared down at me with dancing blue eyes.
"Making a snow angel," I quipped. I glanced down at my hands, which were covered with wet snow and bits of salt (to keep the pavement from getting icy).
Clearly, ice wasn't required for me to fall.
A small group of girls just "happened by", and by that I mean they'd been staring at Romeo with puppy dog eyes and giving me the stink eye. When I fell, they took it as an opportunity to descend like buzzards stalking the dead. Their leader was the girl who approached me the very first day I'd worn Romeo's hoodie around campus and told me he'd get bored. As they stalked closer, looking like clones from the movie Mean Girls, I caught the calculating look in her eyes. This wasn't going to be good.
I pushed up off the ground so I wouldn't feel so vulnerable, but the new snow was slick and my hand slid right out from under me and I fell back again. Romeo was there immediately, the teasing light in his eyes gone as he slid his hand around my back and started to pull me up. "Careful, babe." he said gently.
The girls were behind him so I knew he hadn't seen them approach. They stopped as one unit, and I braced myself for whatever their leader was about to say.
She was wearing painted-on skinny jeans (I mean, really, how did she sit down and still breathe?) and some designer coat with a monogrammed scarf draped fashionably around her neck. Her boots were high-heeled, made of suede and laced up the back with contrasting ribbon.
"Wow," she said, opening her perfectly painted pink lips. "I saw that from way over there. That sure looked like it hurt." She said it fairly amicably, but anyone who could see the twist to her mouth as she said it would know better.
Romeo paused in lifting me to my feet. I felt his eyes on me. Then his lips thinned as he turned and looked over his shoulder.
"Ladies," he said like he was greeting a group of welcomed friends. Annoyance prickled my stomach like tiny needles stabbing me. It's not that I wanted him to be rude, but did he have to sound so welcoming?
"Romeo," Cruella DeBarbie (I don't know her real name, but this one fit) purred. "Haven't you grown bored of this clumsy mule yet?"
Unable to stop myself, I gasped and jumped up to my feet. If she wanted to call me a mule, I'd show her just how much of an ass I could be.
Romeo brought his arm out and stopped me from marching past. I collided into him, and if his fingers hadn't knowingly grabbed hold to steady me, I'd have fallen again.
"Actually," Romeo said, his voice calm, "I am pretty bored."
Three smirks were sent my way. What a bunch of idiots.
"The view from where I'm standing sure leaves a lot to be desired."
One by one, their eyes rounded when they realized the view he referenced was them.
Without another word, he pivoted around and looked down at me, his gaze going soft. "No need to make snow angels, baby," he said loud enough for the slack-jawed buzzards to hear. "You already look like one standing here with all that snow in your hair."
Before I could say a word, he picked me up and fastened his mouth to mine. My legs wound around his waist without thought, and I kissed him back as gentle snow fell against our faces. "
― Cambria Hebert , #Hater (Hashtag, #2)
13
" I pressed forward, pushing my body along hers, and wrapped my arms around her waist. Some of the intensity of my anger dissipated and drained away. After a very long, steamy kiss, I broke away, breathing hard.
Rimmel's head collapsed against the wall and she stared up at me with unfocused hazel eyes. The flecks of color in the center were green today. "Romeo," she gasped.
I pulled back enough so I could lift her arm and grasp her fingers. She made a sound of protest when I pushed back the material of the shirt once more and stared down at the dark blotches marring her skin.
"How were you going to explain this to me?" I rumbled.
"I wasn't going to lie, it that's what you're implying," she snapped.
"Ah, baby." I groaned and lifted her wrist to press my lips to the marks. "I'm being a jerk."
"You said it…" She agreed, letting the rest of her sentence fall away.
I smiled against her skin and then kissed her inner wrist once more. "
― Cambria Hebert , #Hater (Hashtag, #2)
14
" There was a knock on the bedroom door and Romeo stiffened. “What!” he yelled.
“I hope no one’s naked, ‘cause I’m coming in!” Braeden hollered. A few seconds later, the door opened and he stepped inside. One of his hands covered his eyes.
“Is it safe?” he asked.
I giggled. “Is that a no for tacos?”
Romeo shook his head and rolled his eyes. “We’re dressed, man.”
Braeden dropped the hand over his eyes and he zeroed in on me. It took everything in me not to shrink back from embarrassment. He came across the carpeting and held out my glasses. “Here,” he said. “I figured you might need these.”
Ah, that explained why everything still looked so blurry.
I slid them on and smiled as my sight adjusted back to normal. I noticed Braeden was soaking wet.
“Oh!” I exclaimed. “You have to be freezing!”
I rushed around the room, pulling out clothes and socks and tossing them at Braeden’s feet. “Here! Put this stuff on.”
“She’s giving away your clothes, man,” Braeden said to Romeo.
“Chicks.” He sighed.
Braeden shook his head.
“You’re dripping on the carpet!” I reminded him.
He laughed and went in the bathroom to get dressed.
“Just leave your clothes with ours. I’ll wash them for you,” I yelled through the door.
He laughed. “Laundry service? Damn! I’m moving in.”
Romeo shook his head.
I yawned. This entire day was catching up to me. Romeo frowned. “I’ll make everyone leave…” He began.
“No!” I exclaimed. “This is your victory party! Go enjoy it. I’ll stay here.”
He seemed torn on what to do. Braeden came out wearing Romeo’s clothes (they fit him pretty well) and ran his eyes over me in concern. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Did you jump in the pool to get my glasses?”
He nodded.
“Actually, he jumped in the pool right after I did. In case I needed help towing you out.” Romeo corrected.
I glanced at Braeden for confirmation. He shrugged. “What kind of brother would I be if I let you drown?”
Without thought, I walked over and wrapped my arms around him. He seemed a little taken aback by my display of affection, but after a minute, he hugged me back. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“Anytime, tutor girl.” His voice was soft and his arms tightened around me just slightly. For all his witty humor, sarcastic one-liners, and jokes, Braeden was a really good guy. “We need to teach you to swim.” He observed.
I shuddered. “I know how to swim.”
“Well, you sank to the bottom like an anchor,” he grumbled. "
― Cambria Hebert , #Hater (Hashtag, #2)
15
" That was some shady shit out there, Rome,” Braeden said once the total chaos of winning the game had gone down to a considerable roar.
We were finally in the locker room, and I was stripping off my sweat and grass-stained gear.
“Total douche move.” I agreed.
It wasn’t the first time a team had tried to take me out of a game. It was pretty much common practice, especially when something like a title and championship was at stake. Still, I’d never quite had anyone come at me like that before.
The play was already in progress. Sacking me wouldn’t have changed the touchdown I’d just thrown. Except of course to keep me from throwing another one.
That guy deliberately came in like a freight train and plowed me down. I lay there stunned for long moments, waiting for the air to come back in my lungs and for my body to process the shock of the hit.
Thankfully, he wasn’t that good at tackling and it did nothing more than stun me.
And it got him thrown out of the game.
It really hadn’t been a big deal. Like I said, it happened a lot. But it was the first time it happened in front of Rimmel.
I couldn’t help but notice how the large screen on the field had zeroed in on the girl in number twenty-four’s hoodie, who was climbing over the railing and preparing to leap down onto the field.
The security guard was yelling at her, but she barely noticed him. Her eyes were trained out on the field, where I was.
It was almost laughable that her tiny ass was going to rush out onto a field full of men more than double her size to make sure I was okay.
G**damn. I loved her even more just then.
When the guard put his hand on her ankle, trying to stop her from going back to her seat, something happened.
Something that never had in my entire life of playing football.
The game faded away.
For once, I was out on the field and unable to focus on only the game. It took a backseat to the girl teetering on the edge of the railing. "
― Cambria Hebert , #Hater (Hashtag, #2)
19
" Speaking of… I gotta go. I need to be at the field.” His voice rumbled through his chest and against my ear as he spoke.
I sighed and stepped out of his arms. I was sad that our couple days together were over and I would be here tonight without him. Classes started tomorrow, and I knew we were going to see a lot less of each other now that the semester was starting.
“I’ll walk you out,” I said and followed him to the door.
Ivy was still digging through my clothes and called out a good-bye.
“Just stay inside,” he said, palming the handle. “It’s cold and slippery out there. You’ll be safer in here.”
I grimaced. “You’re probably right.”
He grinned. “I’ll call you later, ‘kay?”
I nodded.
He released the door handle and closed the distance between us with one step. The toes of his shoes bumped against my boots and the front of his jacket brushed against me.
My stomach fluttered and my heart rate doubled. The effect he had on me was nothing short of amazing. I tipped my head back so I could look up into his eyes, and the corner of his mouth lifted. He looked at me with so much affection in his gaze that emotion caught in my throat. He didn’t have to say anything because I heard everything just by looking in his eyes.
My fingers curled around the hem of his shirt and tangled in the cotton fabric, and at the same time I stretched up, he bent down.
The feel of his lips against me was my favorite sensation. Nothing compared to the way his mouth owned mine. His tongue stretched out, sweeping through my mouth with gentle pressure, and I sighed into him and sagged forward.
A low laugh vibrated his chest and he pulled back.
“Be careful walking to class tomorrow, huh? Don’t fall and hurt yourself.”
I nodded, barely comprehending his words.
He slipped out the door before reality came flooding back. I rushed forward, caught the closing door, and called out his name.
He stopped and turned. The lopsided, knowing smile on his face was smug. “Good luck at practice,” I called, ignoring the few girls who stopped to watch us.
“Thanks, baby.”
I swear every girl within earshot sighed.
I couldn’t even blame them.
I shut the door and leaned against it.
Ivy put her hands on her hips and looked at me. “I’m gonna need a mega supply of barf bags to put up with you two this semester.”
I smiled. "
― Cambria Hebert , #Hater (Hashtag, #2)
20
" Before I knew what I was doing, I was out of my seat and rushing up toward the railing that divided the seats from the field. I had to make sure he was okay. I couldn’t just sit here and watch him lie there in pain.
I heard my name called, but I ignored it as I flung my leg over the top railing and prepared to hoist myself over.
One of the guys working security happened to see me and he rushed over and ordered me to stop.
“I can’t. That’s my…” My voice broke. I couldn’t force the word boyfriend between my lips. It just wasn’t enough. It just didn’t describe how desperate I was to get to him.
“He’s my everything,” I finished.
The security guard gave me a grim look. “You can’t come on the field.”
A lone tear tracked its way down my cheek, and I craned my neck. Frustrated, I glanced up at the big screen to see if it was showing a different angle.
But they weren’t playing Romeo. They were focused on me.
I blinked at the site of me half straddling the railing and the security guard standing there with a grim look on his face as he stared me down. My cheeks were red, behind my glasses, my eyes wild.
I turned away from the screen, irritated that they weren’t focused on Romeo.
I glanced at the guard. “I’m coming over.”
He crossed his arms over his chest as if to say, I dare you.
I flung my other leg over so I was balanced on the bottom rung.
“This is your last warning,” the guard shouted.
The crowd started to cheer and go wild. Romeo’s number started filling the air. I looked up.
He was okay!
He was on his feet, helmet in hand, and laughing at something Braeden was saying. Beside him, the coach looked relieved, and all the Wolves were clapping.
The guy who’d mowed him down was being escorted off the field.
Jackass.
Relief made me weak and a sob caught in my throat. I sagged back against the cold metal of the rails. The guard gestured for backup, and a few others that were dressed just like him started my way.
I mean, really. He was being a bit dramatic. I was only one girl. And a small one at that. "
― Cambria Hebert , #Hater (Hashtag, #2)
