3.

Lori’s POV

A dark gleam flashed on his eyes as Lucas’s smirk widened. He guided me out by placing his palm firmly against the small of my back.

I was putting on a denim jacket, but the heat from his touch burned into my skin.

I was surprised to find out that his dorm room didn't look like a typical college boys own. There was no trace of dirtiness anywhere. In fact, it smelled of cedar wood and laundry detergent.

However, immediately his door closed behind us, the charming casualness disappeared.

He rushed to where I was standing. His large frame completely blocking out the light from the hallway. While his hands came up to frame my face, and his thumbs wiping away the streaks of my smudged mascara.

"Let me guess. You are still thinking about whatever made you so angry," Lucas murmured, his eyes looking right through me. "And another guess is that it is a guy."

"You’re not completely wrong," I breathed, my heart slamming against my ribs. "But I want to forget. I want... I want to wake up tomorrow morning with a different kind of thought."

Immediately he leaned down, his lips brushed against mine in a slow tease. It made me whimper. I pulled him closer, wrapping my arms around his neck. I desperately needed the distraction.

He tasted like whiskey and dark promises. But as his hands slid down to my waist, gripping my hips to lift me onto the edge of his desk. A sudden wave of panic cut straight through my anger.

I pushed gently against his broad chest. "Lucas, just wait."

He stopped instantly. His breathing was heavy, his dark eyes hooded. "What's wrong?"

"Errmmm... I need to tell you something," I bit down on my lips, "I've never done this before. I'm a virgin."

I expected him to pull away. I was waiting for the player reputation to kick in. Maybe for him to decide I was too much drama or too much commitment for a simple hookup.

His whole mood changed instantly.

The air in the room grew heavy and thick. The relaxed, patient hockey captain disappeared. And replacing it is a dominant male which made me shudder. His fingers excitedly dig in my skin while tightening the grip on my hips.

"A virgin?" Lucas pushed his body closer to mine and then his thighs parted my legs. I looked up at him and noticed a wild hunger flared in his eyes. "Why are you telling me this now, Lori?"

"Is it a problem?" I whispered. I suddenly noticed how big he was compared to me.

"No," he growled. Then his lips took mine with a sudden intensity that stole the breath right out of my lungs. "It’s not a problem. But it means you’re mine tonight. Entirely mine."

A blur of sensations overwhelmed me the next hour. I was completely unprepared for it. Lucas was nothing like Travis. Where Travis was hesitant, polite, and ultimately selfish, Lucas was a force of nature. He dictated exactly how and when I moved beneath him.

It felt like a total surrender; it wasn’t just sex. Like he was marking a territory with every touch. It left me completely breathless and trembling. He was demanding, and fiercely dominant. He whispered d dark, possessive commands into my ear that made my blood run cold and hot all at once.

The room was silent, except for our ragged breathing by the time it was over. Lucas lay beside me. With one heavy arm cuddling my waist, he closed his eyes as his chest rose and fell.

My body was aching in places it never had before as I laid there staring at the ceiling. My heart was pounding a frantic rhythm. The anger which had fueled me to come here was gone. And replaced by it was a sudden, terrifying realization.

Who the heck is this guy?

On campus, Lucas wore a golden-boy athlete mask. But the man next to me was unpredictable. He was intense, and far too much for me to handle.

I had wanted revenge. But I had jumped straight into the deep end of an ocean I didn't know how to swim in.

I lifted Lucas’s heavy arm off my waist carefully. He let out a low grunt and stirred. But didn't wake.

My legs felt like a jelly. While my heart was in my throat, as I scrambled off the bed. I gathered my crumpled dress, my underwear, and my denim jacket from the floor. I was shaking violently as I threw them back on. I didn't even dare to use his bathroom to fix my hair.

After grabbing my keys from his nightstand. I took one last look at the sleeping hockey captain. He looked so peaceful now. However, the memory of his dominant, wild grip on my wrists made me shudder.

After quietly unlocking his dorm door, I stepped out into the empty hallway. Then I bolted. Running down the stairs and out into the night. I was desperate to escape the touch of a man who was entirely too dangerous for his own good.

***

I had sneaked in around 3 am. I climbed into my bed after scrubbing Lucas’s cedar wood scent off my skin until my flesh was raw. Then I collapsed into a fitful sleep.

I gave my virginity to a stranger. A notorious playboy. Elena’s ex.

Realizing this wanted to make me pull the duvet over my head and disappear. I had wanted to take revenge against them. But instead, I ended up handing total control over to a guy who looked at me like I was a prize he’d just won on the ice. Still fresh in my memory, is his heavy hands and his rough, dominant whispers. While the wild intensity in his eyes sent a frantic shiver straight down my spine.

"I think she's awake. I heard her groaning."

Jessica opened the door opened and strode in. She looked entirely too energetic for a Saturday morning.

Ann was following close behind. She was holding a mug of black coffee and a bottle of ibuprofen.

They both sat on the bed almost at the same time. Their expressions were a mix of fierce worry and burning curiosity.

"Drink this," Ann handed me the pills and the mug. I swallowed them gratefully. "Now, talk. Yesterday you ran out of here like the place was on fire. And we saw Travis leave your room looking like he’d seen a ghost. Lori... what the hell happened?"