The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 192

The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

I absolutely did not, but the way he was looking at me made asking feel dangerous for reasons I wasn’t prepared to examine

His fingers slipped into my hair instead, sweeping it away from my face before curling lightly at the nape of my neck. The teasing faded from his expression, replaced by something that made heat crawl slowly beneath my skin.

Neither of us spoke. His hand remained in my hair, my body still fitted against his, and suddenly there was nothing casual about sitting in his lap.

Then he asked quietly, “Do you want me to leave?”

Maybe I should have hesitated.

I didn’t.

“No.”

Something in his face softened.

I looked down at my hands where they rested against his chest. “I mean… you’re already here.”

“Right.”

“And throwing you out would require effort.”

“Obviously.”

“And I’m tired.”

“Very convincing, Trouble.”

I looked up and found the smallest hint of amusement in his eyes, warm enough to make my chest ache.

“Don’t make me change my mind.”

“I won’t,” he murmured, drawing me closer until there was barely any space left between us.

My head settled against his shoulder while his fingers wandered through my hair. I should have been more aware of how intimate this was, but being wrapped up in him had started to feel far too natural.

10:04 Fri, Aug 14.

The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

A LITTLE MORE TIME

ZANE

She didn’t want me to leave, and hearing her say it did something viciously satisfying to me.

I didn’t give her much time to think.

My mouth found the side of her neck, pressing a lingering kiss against the pulse beneath her skin. A shiver ran through her, I followed it higher, letting my lips travel along her throat until the grip she had on my shirt tightened.

“Zane…”

I ignored the warning in my name and kept going. The faint sweet scent of her skin was driving me fucking insane. When V reached the sensitive spot beneath her ear, I caught it lightly between my teeth.

Astra gasped and jolted in my lap, pressing her ass harder against me before she seemed to realize what she’d done.

Jesus.

/

I soothed the spot with my tongue, then kissed across her jaw, slower now, savoring the way she trembled. My hand slid up her back, fingers spreading wide between her shoulder blades, holding her in place while my mouth claimed every inch of skin I could reach.

Knowing I was the reason for that tremor sent savage heat tearing through me.

My mouth found the corner of hers. Her uneven breath spilled against my lips before I caught her bottom lip between mine and sucked gently.

Astra made a soft sound. Her hands flew to my shoulders. I bit down just enough to make her gasp again, then soothed the sting with my tongue before claiming her lip all over again.

She softened against me. I groaned into her mouth as I pulled her closer, one hand firm around her waist while the other mapped the soft curve of her hip, then higher along her side. I needed to memorize every inch I was allowed to touch.

Every little tremor that ran through her went straight to my head.

“You have no idea,” I muttered against her mouth, voice rough, “what you do to me.”

Her answer was another shaky breath.

I kissed her again, and whatever softness had been there disappeared as she kissed me back. My fingers tightened on her hip when she shifted closer. The tiny movement went straight through me, and I pulled her against me before I could think better of it.

This girl.

This soft, stubborn, sweet disaster of a girl had gotten so far under my skin I wasn’t sure she was ever coming back out.

I broke the kiss only long enough to drag my mouth along her jaw and back to her throat. Astra tipped her head with a soft sound that nearly wiped out what remained of my control.

“Zane…”

“I’ve got you.”

My hand traveled greedily over her back while my mouth returned to the base of her throat.

14

KIKA

G

O

10:04 Fri, Aug 14 d.

The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

She was in my lap.

In my arms.

Letting me touch her.

And I was so far gone for her it wasn’t even funny anymore.

I lifted my head just enough to look at her flushed face, swollen lip, glassy eyes.

Mine.

Whether she was ready to say it or not.

I brushed my thumb over her bottom lip again, still damp from my mouth, and leaned in until our noses nearly touched.

“Tomorrow,” I murmured, “you’re going to let me spoil you.”

Her breath caught.

I kissed the corner of her mouth one more time, softer now, but no less possessive.

“And every day after that.”

Hours later, I woke to the softest sound.

Not quite a snore. Just the faintest little hitch of breath every few seconds, so quiet I almost convinced myself I’d imagined it the first time.

My eyes opened slowly, and there she was.

Astra was sprawled across me, completely dead to the world. Somewhere during the night she’d worked her way halfway onto my chest again, one hand curled loosely into the front of my shirt, her hair spilled over my arm and half the pillow. Her mouth had fallen slightly open.

I stared at it.

Then at her.

Christ.

How was someone this fucking pretty while unconscious?

It felt almost unfair.

Long lashes rested against her cheeks. Without the usual suspicion, sarcasm, or stubborn fire animating her face, she looked impossibly peaceful. The tension that so often gathered between her brows was gone, and unlike last night, she wasn’t tossing around or making those frightened little sounds in her sleep.

She was simply Astra, cuddled against me and safe.

My hand moved before I could think better of it, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. Another tiny hitch of breath escaped her, and my mouth twitched.

Oh. I was telling her about that.

Eventually.

10:04 Fri, Aug 14 10

The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

Maybe.

Actually… probably not. She’d deny it on principle, accuse me of lying, then spend the next several nights fighting sleep just to prove a point. I could already picture the glare.

Instead, my fingers slipped gently through her hair, careful not to wake her.

Tomorrow.

Technically, with darkness still covering the windows, it might already be tomorrow.

Her eighteenth birthday.

The thought brought everything waiting for her in the morning rushing back-the present hidden in my room, whatever Mom had planned downstairs, and the twins somehow managing to keep their mouths shut about the whole thing.

Astra shifted against me, and every muscle in my body went still.

Her nose scrunched for a second before she settled again, pressing her cheek more firmly into my chest as though even asleep, whatever distance remained between us was too much.

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