her tongue to his ear. “I especially love to see you pulverize some cocky offensive lineman.” For good measure, Gia nibbled Luka’s ear, earning a teasing grab of his hand on her ass when she did it again. “But the idea of learning the business…God, Lu…that makes me wet.”
“Aw, hell…” he groaned, then flipped Gia over, settling her on the mattress before he slipped inside her.
“This was fun,” she told him as he dressed in her dorm room the last night of Thanksgiving break. They hadn’t spent the entire time together. Luka had been forced to help his mother and grandfather out with the holiday meal prep since, as he’d relayed to Gia, Kona had been defiant enough that he invited Keira, whom their mother hated, to lunch and Luka was expected to play middle man and divert any pending disasters. It had worked fine for most of the day, according to him. Kona had followed Keira back to the Northshore, Luka had played board games with his kuku Koa and then slipped to Gia’s dorm with a heavy plate of Thanksgiving leftovers and the promise of burning off every carb she ate the second after she’d consumed them.
“Still fun, G. I haven’t left yet.” Luka hoped his voice sounded relaxed. He didn’t like the way worry started to creep inside his chest when he heard the dismissal in Gia’s words. It was ridiculous to let his thoughts move in that direction. There were no obligations. No entanglements. For God’s sake, he wasn’t Kona. Gia wasn’t Keira. They were just having fun, not being ridiculous and involved like his twin and his girl had found themselves.
So why did it feel like something inside his gut was turning sour when he thought of leaving her room? Why did the prospect of no entanglements with Gia make Luka feel like there might be no more chances for him to ever taste her again? The thought made him feel a little desperate.
“Of course you’re still here,” she said, adjusting his collar as she knelt in front of him on the mattress. “I like this.” She fingered the smooth black stone pendant he wore on a thick leather strap around his neck. “Where’d you get this?”
“Oahu, when I was a kid,” he told her, pulling it out of her hand before he stuffed it under his shirt. “Swam out to the caves near White Sands Beach and me and Kona found these little bits of obsidian. I think we might be the only kids to make it there and back that day.” He shrugged when she smiled at him. “These pendants are important to us.”
“Well, it’s pretty.” She leaned up, kissing him once on the mouth. “You’re pretty,” she said, smiling when he laughed. “And I’m glad you’re still here.” Gia seemed to be trying for cool, unaffected but couldn’t quite keep her gaze away from Luka’s face as she messed with his shirt. “It can continue to be fun…if you want.” She stopped looking away when he grabbed her hands, holding them still at the wrists to keep her attention on him. “What?” Her tone was sharp, but barely above a whisper.
“You want that?”
“Maybe, but I know you said…”
Luka shook his head, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make him sound like a hypocrite or a flake. He wanted her. He probably would go on wanting her for the rest of his life. And he knew Coach would take his balls if he ever found out about them, but damn if Luka seemed unable to help himself.
“I said no entanglements,” he finally admitted, deciding vagueness was best. “Didn’t say I was opposed to accidental meetings.”
“Oh?” Gia relaxed, her smile coming easy as she leaned against him, arms around his neck. “And where would one such accidental meeting take place?”
“Maybe…if say, you happen to stop by the library at ten tomorrow night and find your way to the fourth floor…you’ll run into me in the study room I have booked for the semester.”
“The study rooms have glass windows that…”
“The fourth-floor study rooms are soundproof and have no windows. You’re thinking of the third-floor study rooms. Those are for little honor students.” Luka leaned close, smoothing his mouth over her lips; a sweet tease that had her opening up to him. “Dissertation defenses require seclusion and privacy.” Gia relaxed in his arms, giving no objections when Luka slipped his hand under her shirt to run his palms up her back, then curl