My finger trips dance across Xan's collar bone, trailing over the tail of his tiger tattoo. "Your tattoos are so pretty and intricate, I love them." I say, my eyes solely focused on the ink in his skin.

He texted me right after Tayen left to meet up with Ace, saying the person he was supposed to tutor canceled and if I wanted to come over before his shift at the shelter I could. So of course I came over. I attacked him as soon as he opened the door and now we're laying on his bed naked in post orgasmic bliss.

His thumb grazes back and forth across my hip where his hand rests. "Thanks. My Uncle did them, he has his own shop."

Right over his Adam's apple there's a skull with three flowers peeking around it. "What kind of flowers are these? I ask, my fingers tracing the petals.

He brushes my hair away from my face and tips my chin up so I meet his gaze. "Mugunghwa, South Koreas national flower." He replies but I'm too focused on the emotions dancing in his dark eyes as he looks at me.

It's something I want to catalogue and store in my brain forever, I want him to always look at me exactly like that. Flutters scatter around deep within my stomach and my heart thumps a rapid beat in my chest. I know I'm falling for him, I'm falling fast and with that look in his eyes I know he's there falling with me into the beautiful unknown.

I press a kiss against the tiger tattoo and lay my head on his chest, breathing him in, memorizing everything about this moment because I know in the future I'll look back at this time with nothing but a smile on my face and love in my heart.

My eyes focus on the wall beside his bed, my index finger tracing letters and shapes across his bare chest. "Draven invited me to a party at his house tonight."

He always invites all the cheerleaders, football players and basketball players to his parties. They're usually better than the Frat parties because he buys the good alcohol but he doesn't have them often.

"You know I liked Draven until I found out he had a thing for you." Xan grumbles.

I raise up on my elbow so I can see those dark gray eyes of his and flash him a smile. "You're cute when you're jealous."

He narrows his eyes at me and I can't help but laugh lightly as I press a kiss against his lips. "You'll be happy to know he's moved on and is interested in Divya now." Not that I thought he was all that into me. It's Draven, I don't think I've ever seen him seriously date anyone and with his impending arranged marriage I can see why. "Even if he was into me you should know he wouldn't have a chance. No one did after New Years Eve." I admit.

The crush I harbored for Jax was a speck of dust compared to the way Xan makes me feel.

"Of course not." He smirks playfully.

I groan and bury my face in his bare chest. "God, your ego!"

He laughs and rolls over on top of me. "You love my ego too."

I do for some crazy reason. Now that I've seen more than just the surface level of him I don't mind the teasing, it's how he flirts.

I shoot him a fake glare. "I'm starting to rethink—"

His mouth cuts me off and I sigh into the kiss as our lips move in sync to one another until I can barely form a coherent thought. I think I'd be perfectly happy with spending the rest of the night just like this.

He grins down at me, that beautiful crooked grin and those dark gray eyes have my stomach doing somersaults. "New Years Eve only solidified how I felt about you. Like I said before I've been a little obsessed with you since freshman year."

I just can't picture him obsessed with me, not before our kiss. He never once acted like he was interested and I'm usually pretty good at reading body language and catching subtle hints.

I quirk an eyebrow at him. "Is obsessed really the word you'd use though?"

He nods.

"But you were so rude that day." I laugh lightly.

He didn't even want to walk me to the student health center to be checked out afterward.

"Because you didn't see me, you were too busy giving Jax heart eyes, which he noticed, by the way." He rolls his eyes in annoyance. "He asked about you after class that day."

I shake my head. "But you always teased me and you never made a move."

He shrugs. "I stay pretty busy, you know that. I didn't feel like I could give you the time you deserved so I didn't act on it."

Warmth spreads across my chest and I bite my lip. He didn't ask me out because he felt like he couldn't give dating me the time it deserved, is this man even real?

"So what exactly changed that made you initiate the kiss on New Years Eve?" I ask curiously.

"I don't know what exactly changed, honestly. Maybe it was because you were in my house, having fun. Smiling and laughing in my space." He tugs on his lip ring with his teeth. "Something about seeing you here for the first time made me think about what it would be like if we were together and you were here all the time so I decided to just go for it. I figured a New Years Eve kiss was a good excuse just in case you weren't interested but once I kissed you I got lost in the way you tasted and the way you felt, we danced... things escalated and I panicked afterward, thinking I went too far too soon so I left you to dance by yourself."

Wow, he didn't seemed panicked in the least from what I remember. I think he even smiled or smirked at me before he walked off.

"Things did escalate fast." I agree. "I couldn't believe I let you do that but I didn't regret it."

How could I? It was exhilarating.

"And if I would've asked you out you would've laughed in my face, wouldn't you have?"

I think back to the way I thought Xan's mind worked before and then answer. "I don't think I would've laughed but I definitely would've taken it as a joke and I would've turned you down in fear that you'd tease me for ever thinking you'd actually ask me out."

He frowns. "You talk like I bullied you."

"No, you didn't bully me but you always teased me. I never knew what you were thinking. After New Years Eve I went a little crazy because I could not get myself off, I was so mad at you. Tayen invited me to your birthday dinner and told me I should ask you if you wanted to be friends with benefits but I couldn't do it because I knew you'd tease me over it."

He cups my face. "If you would've asked, I would've been stunned and disappointed because I wanted more than that, I just knew I didn't have the time."

I reach up and smooth the messy hair off his forehead. "Well I'm glad I didn't ask and I'm also glad that you made the time for me."

"I couldn't fight the pull I felt toward you anymore." He murmurs and I smile up at him.

He leans down and presses a kiss against my lips. "What time is Dravens party?"

"You actually want to go?" I question in surprise.

He shifts to my right and lays on his side, his arm draped across my stomach. "If it means I get to dance with you, yes."

"He said to show up whenever so we can just go after your shift at the shelter." I suggest and he agrees.

We lay together for a while, just talking about anything and everything until it's time for him to get ready for work. We get dressed and Xan walks me to my apartment. He leaves me the keys to his car so I can drive to the shelter instead of walking since I'm going to go ahead and get dressed for Dravens party so we can go straight there after his shift.

I get dressed in a white bodysuit, a short floral print skirt and my cowboy boots. I straighten my hair and do a small bubble braid on each side before applying mascara to my lashes and swiping lipgloss across my lips. I grab a jacket and then Xan's keys off the kitchen table before leaving the apartment, excitement for the night to come thrumming through my body.

It's weird being in his car without him. I snap a selfie of me behind the wheel and send it to him before making the short drive to the shelter. I text Xan to let him know I'm there and a few minutes later Brutus greets me with a loud bark as he and Xan enter the lobby.

"Hello, Brutus." I coo, scratching under his chin.

I wish I could adopt him and give him the home he deserves but mine and Tayens lease agreement doesn't allow pets.

"I've officially lost it." Xan mutters to himself.

"What?"

He shakes his head. "I'm jealous of a dog."

I wrap my arms around his neck and give a light laugh. "Awww, don't be jealous." I press a long slow kiss against his lips and he hums in satisfaction as we part.

His eyes trail across my body and he smiles. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks."

He gives me Brutus' leash while he goes to get a few more dogs and then we exit the building and begin our walk.

After Xan's shift he changes clothes and we go to Dravens party. He rents a massive house right off campus that he shares with a few teammates. I lace my fingers with Xan's as we enter the house. There's music playing, people dancing, a group playing beer pong and then there's Draven. He is drunk, way more intoxicated than I've ever seen him before. He's being loud and crazy and then he tugs three girls onto the couch and they start making out. Three girls at once in front of everyone right on his couch.

"What's going on with him?" I ask Tayen as her and Ace approach.

"Don't say anything but he told Ace his parents are pushing the wedding up to the second day of spring break." Tayen replies.

I frown. "Wow."

"Yeah, he wants out but he can't really figure a way to go about it without losing everything." Ace adds.

My eyes go back to the couch where one of the girls is kissing up Dravens abs while the other two suck and nip at his lips. "That's awful, he shouldn't get married if he doesn't want to."

Divya and Pria walk up, their eyes also focused on Draven.

"Do you think they'll just have sex right there in front of everyone?" Pria asks.

Divya's nose wrinkles. "I hope not." She looks over at Ace. "Go talk some sense into him."

Ace sighs and walks over to Draven. It takes Draven a minute to hear Ace but when he does he stops the girls and rises to his feet, bringing Ace in for a quick hug. Draven follows Ace back over to our little group and he gives us all a wide, drunken smile. "Hey, guys, thanks for coming."

His eyes drop to where mine and Xan's hands are joined between us. "Damn! I did not see that coming. Congrats, you two are cute as hell together."

I lean into Xan's side and smile. "Thanks."

Dravens eyes go back to Divya. "You made it, I didn't think you were gonna show up."

The interest he has in her is clear as day.

She gives him a small smile that I see right through. "Yeah, glad I came. You gave a good show."

She sure seems unhappy to see him messing around with other girls for someone who turned him down and acted as if she wasn't interested in him. I like it.

He scratches the back of his neck and chuckles awkwardly. "I may be a little drunk."

"A little?" Ace mutters and Tayen elbows him.

"You didn't drink all the alcohol in the house, did you? I could use a drink." I say, cutting the tension in the group immediately.

Draven smiles. "There's still plenty left. Come on and I'll pour us all a shot, I could use another one."

"Nah, dude, I don't think you could. A couple more and you'll be on the floor." Ace objects quietly as we follow Draven toward the kitchen.

Draven shrugs, the playful smile still on his face but his eyes are empty. "Well I'll just make sure I land on a rug then."

Draven pours us each a shot as promised, his eyes locking with Divya's as he hands her hers. I get a whiff of fireball as I bring the shot glass to my mouth and groan.

"Shots in your hand you have to!" Tayen laughs.

Damn it. I quickly toss the shot back and grimace at the taste. A shiver travels up my spine and Xan pulls me in for a brief kiss as a reward and the alcohol tastes much better on his lips.

Tayen wrinkles her nose in disgust after taking hers.

I put my shot glass down on the counter. "Another."

Draven laughs and Tayen scowls at me but hands her shot glass over too. We all have a second shot and talk for a little while about our spring break plans, Draven stays quiet for most of the conversation and sneaks another shot in when Ace isn't looking. By the time we exit the kitchen Draven is wobbly on his feet. Xan pulls me over to the group of people dancing and I throw myself into the music. Tayen, Ace, Divya and Pria all join us while Draven slumps on the couch by himself, barely able to keep his eyes open. He's going to hate himself in the morning when he wakes up with a hangover from hell.

Tayen laughs as Pria does random dance moves and Divya can't keep her eyes off Draven. I glance over at Xan who has a small smile on his lips and sigh happily. Surrounded by my friends and my boyfriend, dancing with the warmth of alcohol in my stomach. I savor the feeling. It just doesn't get better than this.

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