Thank you everyone who has read this story!         

Chapter One 

Jackson

   My voice is getting hoarse from trying to shout over the loud music that is blasting through every speaker in this house.  My headache is thumping along to the beat and I am trying to wash it away with the warm beer in my red cup.  The overwhelming scent of Tina’s perfume is making me feel nauseous and I try hard not to cringe every time she rubs her perfume-drenched body up against me. 

            Don’t get me wrong, she’s hot, but that perk wore off about three weeks ago.  Now she’s approaching stalker status and all I can think about is shaking her loose.  I adjust my stance so that I can have a little more space between us, but she just moves right back in.  It’s like some sort of strange female territory-marking move; I move over a step and she slides over and rubs up against me.  It takes all the strength I have not to yell that she should just piss on me and get it over with. 

            I look around the room for an open pocket of air.  I know this sounds crazy, but right now I am shoved up against a counter in a packed kitchen full of my teammates and sorority girls.  The testosterone is thick, but the cackle of fake girl laughter is thicker.  It’s nights like this that make me miss my home town.  There is nothing like having a party out in an open field with plenty of room…and air. 

            Untangling Tina from my side, I motion that I need to head to the bathroom.  She makes a sad face, but then turns her back to me so that she can continue her conversation.  I push my way past the herd of college kids and head for the hallway.  I don’t really need to go to the bathroom so instead of turning right I make a sharp left and sneak out the front door.  The lawn in front of the house is littered with red party cups and a few beer cans.  There is also an empty keg on the porch so I am guessing that there has been a steady flow of alcohol since right after practice this afternoon. 

            Standing on the porch is not helping my headache since the music is loud enough to be heard a few streets away.  The shrill sound of girls screaming before being tossed into the pool only hikes up the intensity of my headache.  I kick a few cans on my way down to the farthest bricks in the short wall between this frat house and the apartments next door.  Finally I feel some relief as I sit in the darkness and drink my warm beer. 

            The street is packed with cars like always and there are a few people making their way up to the various houses along this strip.  I watch as girls stumble around in their ridiculous shoes and boys try hard not to notice how much that wrecks how hot the girl is.  After about fifteen minutes outside, my headache is all but gone and I am pretty much finished with my beer.  I am about to stand up to go back into the party to get Tina when I see the silhouette of a tall, thin woman walking my way. 

            Unlike the girls from earlier, this woman has walking on heels down to a science.  When she gets in front of the frat house however, she stumbles a little on the uneven ground.  I watch closely, trying to make out her face in the darkness.  The light from the house behind me shines a small distance, but she has not yet entered its range.  Finally, she stumbles into the light and completely steals my breath.  She is fucking gorgeous. 

            I’m not sure why she is smiling, but the smile along with the mystery of it has my heart pounding.  I think I heard a small giggle as she almost fell and I find myself leaning forward for the opportunity to maybe hear it again.  My prayers are answered when she hops around, slips her heels off and then continues her walk in my direction.  Maybe this night wasn’t a total waste after all.

            Her long dark hair swings as she walks, holding her heels from her finger.  Her dress is super short, which I appreciate and it leaves little to the imagination when it comes to what her figure looks like.  The best part however, is her long, toned legs that seem to go on for miles.  I can’t take my eyes off of her as she walks past me and steps onto the wet grass between the frat house and the apartment building next to it. 

            I lift my eyes to take in the old building and notice it must have been a frat house once also.  There is an old trellis that is climbing the wall, but other than that it is pretty bare on the outside.  I hear that sexy giggle again and bring my attention back to the girl.  I can’t believe what I am seeing as I watch her throw her belongings up onto the roof.  She is unbelievable. 

            When I see her tuck her phone into the top of her dress I have to bite back a laugh.  I lose the battle when she whizzes her purse up onto the roof.  My chuckle startles her and she spins around quickly, trying to see me in the darkness.  I know that the lighting from the house behind me makes it hard to see my face so I lean forward a little and let the light flow past me.  When she leans in to see my face I hold my cup up to her in greeting and then wait to see what she does next.

            It’s as if she sizes me up and decides to ignore me.  She turns back around and makes her way over to the trellis.  I have no idea what she is doing, but I love watching her.  She is confident and unpredictable and that is a combination that has my blood pumping.  I let myself check out her legs again as she steadies herself at the bottom of the trellis.  She can’t be serious.

            As she starts to climb, I stand up and make my way over.  “Is this some LA tradition I don’t know about?”  I am worried about her hanging there, but I am also greatly enjoying the view so I don’t make a move to steady her yet.  From this distance I can see that her legs are smooth and tan.  I follow them up to her ass.  She is like a fine piece of art and I can’t stop myself from appreciating it. 

            “How else am I supposed to get up to the roof when clearly it is a behavior the management frowns upon.  There must be twenty doors in the damn building and not one leads to the roof.”  She sounds frustrated and I find it adorable.  I take my eyes off of her face long enough to check that she has a good footing on the old wood.  If she isn’t careful she is going to slip and get hurt.  I’m not sure why I care, but I do.

            Just as I predicted, she slips and dangles from her grip on the trellis.  Instinctively I put my hands on her calves and slide them up over the back of her knees.  I could just boost her up, but I can’t resist the opportunity to touch her skin.  My hands slide up higher and I let my thumbs graze the inside of her thighs.  She is so sexy that I am having trouble remembering to be a good guy and I’m finding myself wanting to touch as much of her as I can get away with.

            Looking up from her perfect thighs, I catch a peak at her black lace panties.  They might be my undoing.  From this day forward, whenever I think of panties, I am going to have the image of her perfect ass barely covered by a tiny scrap of black lace.  They should be illegal, but I am so glad they’re not. 

            “I thought I had myself some sort of female quarter back for a minute with that perfect pass you threw to the roof, but clearly it is your agility that keeps you from the team.”  I slap her ass like I would a teammate before a play, “Knees up Rookie, we’ll make a first string player out of you.”  I can’t fight back the grin that stretches across my face.  I can see she is embarrassed and I find it very enduring.

            “Thanks for the help coach, but I would now like to get onto the roof with a little of my dignity still intact.  So, would you please turn around so I can disappears into the darkness and we can pretend this never happened?”  Her voice pitches high at the end and I can’t help but to smile.  She is so beautiful and so sweet; I am having trouble staying on the ground.  Now I know I can’t let her climb over the ledge and disappear from my life. 

            “Not a chance Rookie.  Can’t take the risk of you getting injured.  Go ahead and climb up there and I’ll spot you from here.”  I let my eyes explore her from her delicate feet to the plump lips she is now pressing tightly together. 

            “How big of you,” she says harshly before throwing herself over the ledge.  That sarcasm and attitude does nothing to cool down the burning feeling I have inside.  She is different from other girls.  I’m intrigued by her and can’t stand the thought that she might not give me the chance to get to know her better.  I don’t usually have to try very hard to get a girl’s attention, but she is something else.  For the first time in a long time I’m interested in the chase.

            I think fast because I have no idea what is up on that roof.  “I know I’m from the South and  y’all do things a little different here, but aren’t you going to invite me up Sweetheart?”  I exaggerate my accent in the hopes of getting a small laugh from her.  I don’t give her a chance to turn me down since I get the feeling this girl is a runner.  She is not getting away.  I carefully climb the trellis even though I worry it is going to break under my weight. 

            As I reach the ledge of the roof, the woman my heart and other parts of my anatomy are after, lunges over the edge to look down.  I know I am the luckiest man alive when her breasts bump right into my face.  It happens very quickly, but I think I will carry that image forever.  I look to her face right away and see that she is even more embarrassed now.  It makes me a little more curious about her since I don’t very often meet girls as pretty as her that are so shy.

            “Well now, this just keeps getting better and better, Rookie.”  That comment earns me a scowl and I am practically twitching with the need to kiss it off her face.  She crosses her arms over her chest and I am both disappointed and amused. 

            “I realize you may be used to women throwing their assets in your face all day…”

            I don’t give her a chance to finish, “I’m not complaining.”  When I shrug a little she loses the fight to not smile.  It is like a bucket of adrenaline has been dumped into my blood.  My heart is pounding and I love the way she looks when she smiles at me.  I’m desperate to make it happen again. 

            “I wasn’t finished.  Like I was saying, while you may have grown accustomed to women shoving their assets at you, I have a little class and would not have willingly assaulted you with said assets, so please can we forget the last thirty minutes of our lives and move on?”

            I raise my brow at her declaration of class, but only because I know that it is true just from the way she carries herself.  This might not be her finest hour, but I can’t take my eyes off of her.  She sounds so innocent as she pleads with me to forget we have ever met.  I know right now I would do almost anything for her, but forgetting about her is an impossible request.  A little piece of her is already burning into my soul and that is not something anyone can easily forget.

            I make my way over the edge and stand up straight, reaching out to offer a shake with my hand.  I know it seems so formal, but right now it is the only thing I can think of that will allow me to touch her again. 

            “I’m Madeline,” she says.  It is a nice name, but doesn’t seem to fit her.  Well, maybe I would have thought it fit her before this little adventure in wall climbing.  Now it doesn’t feel flirty and playful enough.

            “Nice to meet you, Madeline, I’m Jackson.”  The feel of her small hand in mine is like a gateway drug.  I had a little taste and now I want more.  I pull her close to me so that her body brushes against mine and lean down to whisper against her ear.  When I see her skin flush a beautiful shade of red, I release her hand so that I can wrap my arm around her and steady her. 

            “You can try to pretend the last thirty minutes between us didn’t happen, but I don’t want to waste the time forgetting when my mind would rather spend it imagining what might happen next.”  I slide my hand from her waist down to her hip and take a step back before she realizes just how interested my body is in her.

            She doesn’t say anything and for a minute I get lost in her deep stare.  “So my beautiful Rookie, what are we doing up here?” As the words come out I realize that I just called her mine, but I don’t even think about taking it back.  If she were mine I would be a lucky man.  I watch as she gives her head a small shake and then smiles up at me. 

In the sexiest voice I have ever heard she whispers, “The meteor shower.  Tonight there is a meteor shower.  Should be any minute now and in order to see it best we need to be above the lights.”  I look up to the sky for a minute and think about what she might have been thinking climbing up here alone at night.  The caveman in me wants to roar that she is crazy and it was dangerous.  Instead, I decide it is best to handle it softly so she doesn’t get defensive. 

            “Let me get this right: you walked alone for God knows where along Frat Row in killer heels and that tiny dress with the plans to climb that old trellis and watch the stars by yourself on the roof of some old building?”  She throws her shoulders back proudly and my gut twists with the need to kiss her.  I sense she is going to give me some speech about how women shouldn’t be looked at as innocent and in need of a man’s protection all the time, so I hold up a finger to stop it. 

            With my best smile I say, “This must be the best spot in town to see the stars and some epic meteor shower for all of that risk.”  I know she gets my message and to be honest, I’m glad she took the risk because it has led to this moment right here where I get to be so close to her. 

            “I love to sit up here,” she says shyly, “I have a little spot set up over in the corner.  I wasn’t expecting any company but I think there is room for two if you want to join me.  It is supposed to hit around 2am but I have no idea what time it is now.”  Holy shit.  I have just walked into a jackpot.  I can’t even believe I have been lucky enough to find this small moment of wonderful with her. 

            I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone.  When I unlock it, it begins to beep obnoxiously with texts from Tina.  Ignoring the messages I say, “We’re in luck; it’s just about 2.”  My heart pounds in my chest when her eyes meet mine with a smile.  I have no idea how I am going to focus on some twinkling stars when she is right in front of me. 

            When I can’t resist any longer, I let my eyes wander up her body slowly.  I don’t want to miss one inch of her.  She is perfection, tall and thin with amazing curves.  I love the way her dress pulls tightly across her thighs and the way she fidgets slightly letting me know my look is having some affect on her.  My phone beeps again with another message and silence it and shove it into my pocket.  It is amazing how uninterested I am in Tina now that I have met Madeline.

            I know for sure that our paths have never crossed before on campus because I would have remembered her.  Now I am so curious about her I feel like a little puppy, following her wherever she is going.  I smile at the thought of finally feeling motivated to chase a woman.  I watch her face fall before she says, “You can answer it Jackson, it’s not like this is a date.”  She quickly turns and starts to walk away from me and I consider for a second chucking my annoying phone over the edge of the building so we can be totally uninterrupted. 

            “It’s not important,” I say as I follow her around an old skylight.  I see a champagne bottle and my heart squeezes at the thought that she had planned to be up here by herself, drinking alone.  I’m intrigued by her story and have to know more.  “What are we celebrating?”

            “It is my twenty-first birthday, or was my birthday,” she says as she lays a blanket out for us to sit on.  I almost can’t believe it.  Why is such a beautiful woman spending her birthday alone?  Surely she must have some boyfriend somewhere wondering where she is.  If she was mine, I would never be ok with her wandering around out here.  Where I am from, if you get a girl like that, you never let her go.

                        “My mother would kill me if she ever found out I attended a party without an invitation and did not bring a gift for the guest of honor.  I think it would reinforce her fears that I have completely left my southern hospitality behind when I moved here from Fayetteville, Georgia.” I tug at the corner of the blanket to help her spread it out for us.  Toeing off my shoes, I sit down beside her, scooting as close as possible.  I reach for the champagne and begin to work on opening it. 

            In a voice as sweet as honey she says, “Don’t be silly Jackson, your secret is safe with me.”  She pulls her knees up to her chest and hugs them tightly.  She tips her head to the side and watches me uncork the bottle.  I love the way she is letting me take care of her.  It sounds strange, but I love how peaceful it feels. 

With other girls there is always so much fake giggling and awkward moves to brush up against me.  Looking at Madeline curled up next to me, patiently waiting for me to open the champagne just feels right on so many levels. I look at her beautiful face and bright blue eyes as she watches me.  Madeline seems like such a formal name for this soft and delicate creature in front of me.  “What is a beautiful girl like you doing alone on her twenty-first birthday, Maddy?  Shouldn’t you be at home celebrating with some lucky guy who gets to tuck you in when this champagne makes you tipsy?”   

Maddy’s face flushes pink and I notice she is staring at my lips.  My heart begins to thump a fast pace in my chest and I feel a rush of excitement.  I don’t usually hesitate to kiss a woman when I read the signs, but with her I am different.  I almost feel like I am stealing something.  There is just no way she is free. 

“I want to see the show and he isn’t one for getting a little dirty even if the reward is worth it.” My heart sinks and my stomach knots.  The disappointment I feel right now is almost unbearable.  I saw it coming, but it is hard to come down from the high of being around her.  “What about you Mr. Quarterback, shouldn’t you be tucking some girl into bed somewhere or at least answering her text?” 

I smile at her sense of humor and tell myself that spending this small time with her is better than nothing.  What I should tell her is that I have lost interest in other women right now and that I only want to be thinking of her.  I know that saying something like that might ruin this easy flow of conversation we have going and I am not willing to risk it. “Who knows what tonight will bring.  She can survive a few hours without being attached to my jock.  I don’t make any promises during the season so she knows what she has gotten into.”

The champagne opens with a pop and it begins to flow over my hand.  I rush it to my mouth and quickly swallow the warm liquid.  I decide to tip it back and drink a little more.  Maybe the alcohol will help with the sting of her being taken.  I hand it over to her and she takes a few big gulps.  For a minute I wonder if she is feeling the same way that I am.  I can’t be the only one feeling this chemistry between us. 

We pass the bottle back and forth for a while and then I decide that I am not going to waste this time I have with her.  I want so badly to feel her against me that I convince myself that it’s her boyfriend’s fault that he isn’t with her right now.  I lie back on my arm and look up at the sky.  I can’t help but to reach out and rub her back, I have to touch her.  The alcohol does nothing to calm down the parts of me not currently touching her. 

Watching her sip from the bottle under the stars has me tied up in knots and completely invested in her every move.  With the slight buzz I have from the earlier drinks and the warm champagne, I make the decision that I am going to push this a little further.  If I don’t, I will wake up tomorrow and ever day after regretting letting this moment pass.  My hand slides over to her hip and I tug it back towards me. 

Maddy doesn’t even hesitate.  She lies her warm body down against mine and I wrap my arm around her.  There will never be another moment more perfect than this one.  I am truly happy and content just being with her, and that is not something I could say about any other woman.  The meteors are streaking across the sky, but I am not about to watch them when I could be watching her instead. 

It is when she turns towards me and press her sweet body against mine that I fall over the cliff into euphoria.  Her arm drapes across my stomach and I trace my fingers along her skin.  There is so much intimacy between us that I am almost in disbelief.  How can things feel so intimate when we are still fully clothed?  Her thumb slips under my shirt and skims across the skin of my abdomen.  I can’t help but to suck in a breath as I feel her touch in every part of my body. 

Immediately the blood begins heading south and I fight back the urgency to kiss her, remembering that she isn’t mine.  With a husky voice I ask, “What are you doing, Maddy?”

“Watching the stars, Jackson.  What are you doing?”  Her big eyes look up into mine.  I want her so badly it literally hurts. 

            “Trying to remind myself that you already have someone to tuck you in tonight.  Those fingers of yours are making that hard though. What I am thinking of instead is how much I want to know if your lips taste as good as they look.” She doesn’t pull away from me and I almost kiss her.  My phone buzzes in my pants and before I can tell her I’m going to ignore it, she slips her hand inside my pocket.  Having her hand so close to my groin is a sweet torture.  I can do nothing but look into her eyes. 

When she hands the phone to me, I see that it is Tina and she wants to know if I want her to come over.  I know if I don’t text her back she will never leave me alone.  I type out a quick text to let her know that tonight is not going to happen for us.  I notice Maddy watching me and I am glad she sees that I am turning Tina down.  Suddenly it feels so important for her to see I’m worthy of her time.  The small smile and sigh of relief tells me that she is feeling the same way that I am.

I slip the phone back into my pocket and begin to slide my hand up her inner thigh.  The skin is soft and inviting and I feel myself growing more aroused the further she lets my hand slide.  I stop myself when I reach the bottom of her hem.  I allow my hand to splay out against her thigh for the briefest of moments before tugging her hem back down so it won’t tempt me again.  She is not mine and we are on the roof of an old building.  “It is getting late, Maddy, and I think you might be a little drunk now so I want to make sure you get home safe.  Let me take you there. “ 

             I can see the disappointment on her face and it breaks my heart.  I want to tell her that I would gladly continue this with her, but I know that she has been drinking and I’m not that kind of guy.  It would kill me if she ends up regretting any part of our time together.  I stand up and then offer my hand to her.  She takes it, and I pull her up.

            We gather up the belonging she threw up here and then make our way back to the trellis.  I go down before her so I can catch her if I need to.  Maddy makes it down but slips when her bare foot meets the wet grass.  “Rookie mistake,” I whisper in her ear, loving that this gives me the opportunity to hold her in my arms again.  I swoop her up.  “I hope you don’t live far.”  Actually, I don’t mind if she does.  The farther away she lives, the longer I get to hold her close to me.

             “This is my building.  Did I miss the part where you rode up on a white horse and aren’t you supposed to be wearing some sort of shining armor?” She giggles and my heart squeezes again with how sweet she sounds.

           “Looks like the damsel I have just rescued is not only in distress but is also drunk.”  I smile down on her and make my way into her building.  She points in the direction of her front door and then digs around in her purse to retrieve her key.  After unlocking the door, I ask her which way her room is and then kick the front door shut behind us.  Once we get there, I lie her down on top of the covers.  I hate that she has to stop resting her head on me. 

            “Let me help get you under the covers, just lift up your hips a bit so I can pull down the sheets.” My mind flashes with all of the things I would love to do with her right now, but she is a little tipsy and I need to keep my distance.  Her arms wrap around my neck and I look into her eyes as I fight the urge to kiss her.  When her eyes drop to my lips I lose the fight and let my lips press to hers. 

            Our kiss is soft and tender at first, but then it builds as the tension between us peaks.  I love the way she tastes sweet and slightly like the warm champagne.  I get lost for s minute but then remember that she is not mine and I can’t be sure she is able to make the best decisions right now.  I won’t pretend that it is an easy thing to do, but I pull away from her and shut my eyes so I won’t see the disappointment in hers. 

            “You’re a little drunk beautiful birthday girl, and if we don’t stop, the regret you would feel in the morning would be more painful than that ankle is going to be.” I look down on her and try to memorize everything I can about the way she looks right now.  I have ben given a small gift tonight and now I’m feeling greedy for more.  I want her, and not just in the way I usually want women, I want all of her.  I want to know what she looks like in the morning, how she ended up alone tonight, and if I would ever have a chance with her. 

            Tonight I won’t get any of those answers.  I lean in again and press a kiss to her forehead.  I tuck the covers up around her and have to focus hard on the reasons I have to leave her.  “It has been an honor to tuck you in, my little Rookie, please don’t regret a minute of this in the morning because it has been one of the best nights of my life.”  Before I can change my mind, I kiss her cheek and leave the room.  I know as I close her front door behind me that I haven’t walked out of her life forever because now that I have had a few minutes with Maddy, I will never be able to give her up.  With each step I take on my way home, I grow more and more determined to make her mine. 

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