Rumor Has It I'm Dating the Football Captain

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Drunk Enough to Be Honest

Zoya stared at him. The hallway light flickered slightly above them. His hand was still resting gently on her waist. The heat from his palm was burning right through the neat fabric of her blazer.

She looked at his face. He had a strong jaw. He had dark, intense eyes. He was incredibly handsome.

Her brain felt completely clouded by the sweet alcohol. For her entire life, she had only focused on one single thing. Books. It was always books, studying, exams, and perfect grades. She never flirted. She never let anyone get close enough to distract her.

But right now, she was drunk. And there was a very attractive, free man standing right in front of her.

She reached into her pocket. She pulled out her keys with clumsy fingers. She unlocked the apartment door. She pushed it open just a crack. The apartment was completely dark inside. Audrey and Chloe were definitely asleep.

"You can come in," Zoya said softly. She looked back up at him. "No one is awake."

Jackson froze. He looked at the dark apartment and then back down at her. His thick eyebrows pulled together in a confused frown.

"Uh. No," Jackson said immediately. He took a tiny step back. He tried to gently let go of her waist. "I am just dropping you off at the door. You need to go to bed."

Zoya did not let go.

She reached out. She grabbed the thick fabric of his varsity jacket with both hands. Her grip was surprisingly strong.

"Zoya," Jackson warned quietly. "Let go of my jacket."

"No," Zoya refused stubbornly.

She did not think about the consequences. She did not think about logic or rules. She just pulled him forward. She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips directly against his.

Jackson went completely rigid.

His entire massive body turned to solid stone. His hands hovered awkwardly in the air. The kiss was clumsy. It tasted like artificial blue raspberry and pure desperation.

He tried to pull away. He stepped back quickly. He caught her shoulders. He held her at a safe distance. He was breathing a little heavier than before. His dark eyes were wide with total shock.

"What are you doing?" Jackson asked. His voice was a harsh, breathless whisper.

Zoya looked at him. Her vision blurred, but she kept her eyes locked on his face.

"You are obviously the type to not get too attached to a girl," Zoya stated. Her words ran together slightly, but her tone was completely serious. "You do it just for the benefit of it. You are a player."

Jackson stared at her. His jaw clenched tightly.

"This is just a one time thing," Zoya continued softly. She stepped closer again, looking up at him with raw, tired eyes. "So spend the night with me. Just for tonight."

The hallway was dead silent.

Jackson looked at the brilliant, terrifying girl standing in front of him. She was always so perfectly put together. She was always cold and sarcastic. Seeing her this vulnerable made his chest ache in a very strange way.

He knew he should walk away. He knew she was not thinking clearly.

But he looked at her soft lips. He looked at the desperate plea in her eyes. The heavy wall of his self control completely shattered.

"Just tonight," Jackson repeated. His voice was a low, dangerous rumble.

"Just tonight," Zoya promised.

Jackson did not hesitate anymore.

He reached out and grabbed her waist. He pulled her flush against his broad chest. He leaned down and captured her lips.

This kiss was not clumsy. It was demanding and incredibly hot. Jackson kissed her like he had been dying to do it for months. The intense, electric heat radiating between them finally snapped.

Zoya gasped into his mouth. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. She ran her fingers through his messy brown hair.

Jackson walked her backward. He pushed the apartment door wide open. He guided her inside the dark living room and kicked the door shut with his foot. The lock clicked loudly.

He backed her right up against the closed door.

"Are you sure?" Jackson asked. He pulled back just an inch. He breathed heavily against her skin. "Tell me to stop right now, Zoya. Because if we go in that bedroom, I am not stopping."

"Do not stop," Zoya whispered.

Jackson groaned. He picked her up completely off the floor. Zoya wrapped her legs around his waist instinctively. She held onto his broad shoulders tightly.

He carried her through the dark apartment. He did not care about bumping into the hallway table. He found her bedroom door and pushed it open.

He walked over to the bed and gently dropped her onto the mattress.

The room was pitch black. Only the streetlights outside gave them a dim glow.

Zoya watched him pull his varsity jacket off. He tossed it onto the floor. He grabbed the hem of his gray t-shirt and pulled it over his head. His chest was broad and highly sculpted from years of training.

He crawled onto the bed, hovering right over her.

"You talk too much in the library," Jackson murmured. He kissed her jawline. He kissed the sensitive skin of her neck.

"You are the one who never shuts up," Zoya breathed. She reached up and unbuttoned her neat blazer with shaking hands.

"I can be quiet," Jackson promised. "I will be perfectly quiet for you."

"Prove it," Zoya challenged softly.

Jackson smiled against her skin. He helped her slide the blazer off her shoulders. He tossed it onto the floor next to his jacket. He kissed her again, much deeper this time.

All the logic and rules in Zoya’s brain completely melted away. She did not care about exams. She did not care about being perfect. She just let herself feel the intense heat of his skin against hers.

He was completely gentle with her, but the passion between them was wild. Every touch felt entirely electric. Zoya felt her heart race faster than it ever had before.

Jackson pulled her closer. He kept his promise. He was completely quiet, letting his hands and his lips do all the talking.

They spent the entire night tangled together in the dark. It was messy and passionate and completely unpredictable.

And for the very first time in her entire life, Zoya finally stopped thinking and just let herself feel.