Colliding with You (Chapter One)

A tongue flicked over Cori’s clit as she squirmed beneath the hot mouth devouring her. Each pass made her anticipate her release and the sweet sensation that would rock her from head to toe. Despite how desperately she needed to come, one thought prolonged her orgasm.

She was going to be late. The clock on the wall proved how much.

There was no one else to blame. She was the one who invited Dusty Rowe to her dorm room. From the moment he shoved her onto her bed, spread her legs, and pushed her panties aside, she knew she was taking a chance of running behind. If he weren’t so damn insistent—or good at fucking her with his mouth— she would have beaten her sister to the rehearsal. Now she’d be the last one to arrive.

Cassie would be pissed.

This wasn’t the way Cori wanted to spend her Friday night. She’d rather be out with her friends, hitting up parties and clubs before semester finals began the following week. Instead, she had to go to the church her mother attended and rehearse. What was so difficult about walking down the aisle that people had to practice? It should be natural.

Even so, she dreaded the thought of doing it. Saturday would be worse when she had to dress up and repeat the process in front of a crowded church. Then, she would watch her sister marry Theo McCabe.

Another flick of Dusty’s tongue had her whimpering. Sandy hair brushed her inner thigh, as his face remained planted at her apex. He alternated between sucking her tender nub to swirling it. His mouth worked its magic. It stole away every other thought.

His hair filled her hand as she grabbed it and bucked against his mouth. He groaned at her excitement, but the vibrations only made her wetter. It did little to relieve the pressure building in her core.

Dusty pushed her legs wider. His tongue plunged into her entrance as he lapped her juice. Each swirl made her body feel lighter, and yet, it felt like she couldn’t move. It was more than the sensation his mouth was evoking. It was her orgasm coming to a head.

Her clit ached as Dusty sucked it into his mouth again. He glided two fingers inside her, working them as far as he could reach. The faster he thrust them in and out, the harder he sucked.

A cry ripped from Cori’s chest. Her legs trembled from the electrifying pulses filling her body. Each of her breaths grew more labored than the last. The sweet sensation spilled over, and every part of her throbbed.

“Fuck yes,” she moaned.

As her clit grew sensitive, she tightened her legs around Dusty’s head. He moaned too, then he pried his head from her thighs and stood.

“Damn, girl, you could crush someone with these legs.”

“Sorry,” she giggled. “It’s years of dance lessons. I can’t help it.”

“Oh yeah? Well, are you ever gonna let me feel them wrapped around my waist?”

She lowered her eyes to the bulge in his pants. There was no denying how much she wanted him to take them off and give her a full view of his cock. She’d felt it on several occasions, but something always interrupted them.

Today was no different. Another glimpse at the clock reminded her as much. So did a round of knocks on the door.

“Cori, are you in there?”

Shit. It was Mariah.

“Just a second.” A quick glimpse across the room toward her friend’s bed revealed Mariah’s keys. Thank God she had forgotten them today when she left for her shift at the campus bookstore. How embarrassing it would have been if she’d walked in. She’d come close several times before.

Mariah didn’t just have a knack for interrupting. Her best friend was punctual, which is why Cori was counting on her to make sure they arrived at the church on time. What a lot of good it did this time. At least she wouldn’t be the only one who was late.

Once Dusty stood and grabbed a nearby towel, Cori pulled her panties into place and lowered her skirt. She adjusted the waist to its rightful position then made her way to the door. As she tried taming her unruly waves, she finally gave up and pulled on the handle.

Mariah stood with her hands on her hips tapping her foot against the carpeted hallway. After scanning every inch of Cori, she shook her head.

“I hope to hell you’re ready because we’ll be late if we don’t leave now.”

“I’m good to go. I was just waiting for you.”

“Mm-hmm.” Mariah peeked inside the door then crossed her arms. “So why is Dusty here? Is he keeping you… Never mind. I don’t want to know. We gotta go.”

Cori hid her amusement at Mariah’s innocence. Her friend wasn’t a prude, just a virgin. Having glasses, braces, and pimples throughout high school didn’t win her many dates.

Now that those things were gone and the beauty that was always there came through, Mariah was gorgeous. She had every opportunity to lose her cherry to whatever hot guy she wanted. Cori thought for sure it would be Chris, until he ended his relationship with Mariah a few months ago.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out the reason why he’d split. Mariah refused to have sex with him. Once Cori found out, she didn’t blame Mariah for turning him down. Perhaps she would have said yes if Chris had kept his dick in his pants instead of half of the female freshmen.

“Let me grab my purse.”

Before Cori could turn away, Dusty walked up behind her. “Looking for this?”

As he handed Cori her purse, she winked. “I’m sorry, handsome, but I need a rain check for tonight.”

“No worries. We kinda have a record when it comes to these interrupted dates. I know where to find you.”

Dusty cupped her ass and gave it a firm squeeze before he eased past her and Mariah. “Good to see you, Grant.”

“Rowe.” Mariah addressed Dusty by his last name, just like he had her.

Had he noticed the same sarcasm Cori heard? He didn’t give any sign that he had. His gait was normal as he walked down the hallway of their dorm. Watching him was a special treat. How could it not be with an ass as perfect as his?

“Gawk at him when you have time.” Mariah closed the door to their room. “We need to go.” She gripped Cori’s arm and ushered her down the hall toward the back staircase, in the opposite direction of Dusty.

As disappointed as she was to end her date early, family duty called. Mariah sure as hell wouldn’t let Cori get out of going to the rehearsal or the wedding, not that Cori wanted to let down her sister. She just wanted to have some fun.

Making their way to the staircase, they descended the steps to the lower floor. Cori did her best to keep upbeat about the weekend. She owed it to her sister.

After what happened, she was lucky Cassie was speaking to her.

She cringed as memories resurfaced. Cassie’s face showed every emotion she felt when Cori confessed to hiding her identity so she could screw Theo McCabe, their former neighbor and close friend of Cassie’s.

Cori never had a chance. Theo wasn’t interested in anyone but her sister. Deep down, Cori knew the truth. Then Theo revealed his feelings during their brief encounter in the storage closet at the nightclub.

It was one stupid mistake she wanted to forget. If Theo had realized who she was, he wouldn’t have gone anywhere with her, much less made out with her amongst boxes of soap, hand towels, and toilet paper. It definitely wasn’t romantic.

Thankfully, Cassie forgave her. Now her sister and Theo would spend the rest of their lives together.

So she’d lost her chance to fuck her former crush. It wasn’t the end of the world. In fact, it was a blessing in disguise. Had she slept with Theo, there would have been irreparable damage to her and Cassie’s relationship. Her sister deserved to be happy. Besides, Cori was getting something out of the fiasco. Come spring, she would have a niece or nephew.

She was excited to be an aunt, and she’d be a hell of a good one. Still, the baby wasn’t here yet. Cori had needs, and being a part of the wedding wasn’t one of them. All it would do is remind her of her mistakes.

“Cor, I gotta know something.” Mariah’s voice broke through her thoughts as she went to the driver’s side door and gazed over the top of her Mazda. At least her question distracted Cori from an ugly trip down memory lane.

“What do you want to know?”

Mariah grimaced and slightly shook her head. “What is it with Dusty? Why do you mess around with him?”

“I don’t know. He’s fun, doesn’t expect anything but a good time, and he does this thing with his tongue—”

“Okay,” Mariah held up her hand, “that’s more info than I needed. We don’t have time to discuss it anyway. We’re going to be late for the rehearsal. Cassie’s going to murder you slowly.”

“Tell me about it,” Cori groaned as she opened the passenger side door and slid into the seat. “I hope you have on your lead shoes.”

Mariah shut her door before flashing her heels. “They may not be made of lead, but my foot is. Don’t worry, girl. I got you.”

As Mariah started the car and backed out of the parking space, Cori laughed to herself. Mariah might be the only virgin she knew, but the girl could be bad when she wanted to, especially behind the wheel of a car. It wasn’t just her speeding that made her naughty. It was the way she flirted with the local cops to avoid a ticket. In time, Cori was sure her wild side would rub off on Mariah.

Making their way down the main strip, the impending wedding weighed on Cori. Perhaps she’d be more willing to participate if she had a chance of hooking up with one of the groomsmen. Fat chance of that happening since Theo’s bandmates were filling those roles, and one was completely off limits.

She had standards. No way was she screwing a guy with a girlfriend and a child. It wasn’t right. God, she hoped her sister hadn’t paired her with him. It would be a perfect way for her sister to get revenge. Matching her up with a guy who was already taken.

That left two other possibilities—Theo’s best friend and bass guitarist, Jesse, or his drummer, Allen.

While she didn’t know much about Allen, she’d known Jesse all of her life. Hell, she and his sister Jamie were close friends all through school, especially high school. She was at their house as much as she was her own.

Cori lost count of how much Jesse used to tease her. He was a lot like Theo in that aspect. Yet, there was a big difference between the two. Jesse acknowledged her for being who she was.

To Theo, she was just Cassie’s little sister, and Cassie was the girl he’d always wanted. Jesse treated her like an individual, not some girl in her older sister’s shadow. He was more like a big brother and just as protective. At one point, she thought that maybe he . . .

None of that mattered now. It was ages ago. Life had carried them down separate paths.

Neither she nor Jesse talked much the night he and Theo followed her and her friend, Laura, to another club after their band performed at Midnight Blues. He’d spent most of the night at the bar talking to other girls, only giving her a strange look when she came up to get a round of shots. Just like Theo, Jesse had no idea who she was that night.

Though she and Allen had no history, she wasn’t interested in him. From what she remembered, he was good-looking, but he was Theo and Jesse’s friend. It would be awkward if she slept with him. He wasn’t really her type anyway.

So her prospects were slim with the wedding party. No biggie. There would be plenty of other guests. She knew that for a fact after helping Cassie mail out over three hundred invitations. Some of them were addressed to married couples, but plenty were going to unattached men. Her sister had made it a point to tell her and Mariah that fact.

Theo’s band was getting famous. He was meeting a lot of people in the industry. Surely one of those men would be worthy of a quick fling. Cori didn’t want anything else.

And if none of them caught her attention, she could always seek out Dusty.

* * *

Jesse read the text once more before tucking his phone in his pocket. He didn’t have time for Maggie’s shit. His ex-girlfriend loved to fuck with his head every chance she could. Not tonight. He needed to have his shit together. Being a part of Theo’s wedding party was enough to deal with.

He hated the thought of wearing a tux, but he couldn’t refuse his oldest friend’s request. At least he wasn’t the best man. That honor went to someone who was responsible enough not to lose the wedding band. With his luck, he would misplace it. Thankfully, Jonah had accepted the task, and being Theo’s older brother, the role fit.

Once his phone was secure in his pocket, he glanced at the church, feeling somewhat guilty for being there. It had been many years since he’d stepped foot inside this place. It wasn’t from lack of belief. Going to church made him feel like a hypocrite.

He wasn’t living the best life. Willful sinning is what his mother called it. While she didn’t mean to condemn him, it didn’t ease his mind about coming to this place.

The things he did for his friend . . . At least he knew Theo appreciated his being there. In the end, that’s what mattered most.

A puff of smoke blew his way when he turned to meet Allen. The cherry on his cigarette burned brightly as he took another drag. The grin on his face made Jesse chuckle.

“Something amusing you, my friend?”

“I just think it’s funny how you keep ignoring Maggie’s texts. You know she won’t leave you alone until you answer her.”

“She can text me all she wants. I set my phone to “do not disturb”. If she keeps it up, I’ll block her.”

“You can’t block her, man,” Allen snickered. “She’s Jensen’s assistant. He’ll tear you a new ass if you don’t answer her calls.”

“Good thing we aren’t inside yet. You’d be damned for cursing in church.”

Allen laughed heartily. “Saying butt wouldn’t have the same effect.” He threw his cigarette against the pavement and stepped on it, never once breaking eye contact. “Dude, I told you not to mess with that chick. She’s nuts.”

Allen was right about one thing. Maggie was insane, like stalker insane. Guess he was right about more than that. Allen had warned him not to mess around with a label executive’s assistant.

Like his friend had room to talk. Jesse couldn’t count how many times he’d caught Allen flirting with Nora, the receptionist at the recording studio. She may not be an assistant like Maggie, but she was Cassie’s right hand.

If Allen did anything to hurt Nora, Cassie would eat him alive. Then he’d have Theo to answer to. God knows the man was protective of his soon-to-be wife. Hell, Theo had always been protective of Cassie, even before they were a couple.

“You’re one to give me crap. I’ve seen the way you flirt with Nora. You know Cassie will kill you if you mess with her. Of course, that would mean you’d have to grow a set and actually make a move.”

He chuckled when Allen flipped him off.

“So what are going to do about Maggie?” Allen surveyed the area around the church. It wasn’t his first time in Jesse’s hometown of Savannah, but Allen had only left city limits to go to his house. They’d never been in this part of town.

“I don’t know what to do to get Maggie off my case. I need to talk to Josh or Joel. Then again, Joel is the one who got me into this mess.”

“He didn’t tell you to put your dick in her, man.”

Jesse grumbled under his breath as he stared at the doors of the church. He knew Allen was right. Joel had nothing to do with his sex life. He was just the one who insisted that Jesse talk to Maggie. Joel had good intentions, but he needed to stick to his day job. He was a kick-ass agent. When it came to matchmaking, he was horrible.

“If I had an answer for your question, I wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“You know what Theo would suggest, right?” Allen waited until Jess shrugged before he continued. “You need to find a new flavor of the month.”

“I don’t need to get involved with another woman when the last one is still calling me off the hook. No woman in the world would want to be involved with me under those circumstances, especially when I’m not ready to commit.”

Allen scoffed at his response. “You’d be surprised what some women would deal with. Maybe you need to dip your toe back in the waters of your home state and leave those Cajun girls alone.”

“You ain’t lying,” Jesse snorted. He’d definitely had no luck with women while he was living in Louisiana, not that he was searching for a special someone. He made sure women knew that upfront, but it didn’t stop them from getting pissy when he ended things.

Still, Maggie was the only one who wouldn’t let go. How was he to know that the blonde beauty from Beverly Hills was originally from the Deep South—or batshit crazy for that matter?

Leaning away from the brick wall, Allen slipped his cigarette pack into his jeans and strode closer. “I know you don’t want to think about getting involved with someone else, but another girl on your arm may be the only thing that gets through to Maggie. What do you have to lose?”

Jesse pointed to his temple. “Nothing but my sanity.”

Before Allen could comment, screeching tires drew their attention to the little red sports car turning into the parking lot. The engine revved a couple times before it shut off. The bass coming from the radio made the windows shake. They steadied when the volume lowered.

The moonless night made it difficult to see who was getting out of the car, but the nearby streetlight was enough for Jesse to notice two feminine figures shutting the door. He heard their giggles too.

“Who in the hell is that?” He muttered the question more to himself than to Allen.

“I’m not sure, dude. Maybe it’s your future girlfriend.”

Jesse slanted his eyes and gave his friend a menacing look. “Cute, man. You’re a fucking comedian tonight.”

Allen didn’t respond. He was too busy laughing. His gaze flashed back to the approaching women, and he attempted to regain his composure. Something must have worked because it wasn’t long before he grew silent. His mouth opened like he was about to say something. The only thing that came out was a grunt.

When Jesse joined him in looking, he understood why his friend was speechless. Two of the most beautiful women were walking their way. And the craziest part was the fact that he knew one of them.

Cori Clarke.

“I’ll be damned.” He mumbled the words while staring in disbelief. No wonder he hadn’t recognized her back in the summer when their band performed at Midnight Blues, or even later when she invited them to party at a different club. If not for Theo explaining what had happened, he still wouldn’t believe it was the same person.

His baby sister’s longtime friend looked and acted nothing like he remembered. For all he knew, the girl standing next to her was someone he should recognize as well. He’d find out eventually, but for now, he wanted to enjoy the moment.

Cori was approaching him. The young, innocent girl he once knew had grown up, and she was just as gorgeous as her big sister. Scratch that thought. She was way hotter. He’d never thought about Cassie as more than a friend.

And Cassie never made his dick twitch the way Cori did.