Swipe Me: A Friends-to-Lovers College Football Romance (Covey U Book 1)
Swipe Me: Chapter 21

I pretended to chug a beer. This party stinks. I keep a fake smile plastered on my face because it’s Adam’s birthday after all. The place is full of jersey chasers, the sea of red uniforms nearly blinds me. It’s off-season but these people are still acting like we just won a game this week and they’re the trophy. I walked over to Jackson, tipping my beer as I stood next to him, leaning against the kitchen countertop surveying the room.

‘Not a bad party,’ Jackson says, tilting his head up at some girls smiling. Okay, maybe it’s not the worst party we’ve been to. It stinks because I’ve been wandering around the place looking like a lost puppy for the last couple of hours. I was fully expecting to see Reign here tonight. It’s Adam’s birthday after all and I thought she was at least loyal to him. When Adam told me, he had lunch with her today, I thought chewing a wasp would cause me less pain. They still haven’t kissed apparently so everything is still in play. I had it all planned out. The minute she walked through the door, I was going to grab her wrist, drag her up the stairs into my room and show her just how much I’ve missed her these past few weeks. It hasn’t happened though. Mainly because she hasn’t bothered to show up.

Just as I was about to give up, an idea popped into my head. If she’s not here, then she’s at her house. I scanned the room one last time, confirming my suspicions. Laura is standing by Matty, laughing with him while Lyss, no surprise is scowling at Aiden chewing on ice. If they’re both here, then Reign is at the house on her own. I don’t have long. ‘I’m gonna head out for a few.’

‘You can’t bail, dude. It’s Adam’s birthday.’ Jackson retorts looking over at the birthday boy himself. Adam is relaxed on the couch with several hot girls vying for his attention. Why can’t he just be interested in one of them? He’s got enough admirers to leave Reign alone. She’s mine for all intents and purposes.

‘Looks like Adam is doing just fine without me.’ I grind out.

Cheers and hollers interrupt our conversation as a giant cake comes into view and is placed directly in front of Adam. ‘Who ordered the stripper?’ Jackson elbowed me in question.

I shrugged. ‘I didn’t. Probably Aiden. He’s such a horndog.’ The music gets louder as the cheering takes over and we all wait in anticipation to see what’s going to happen next. Maybe I could sneak out once the stripper’s in full flow? No one will notice then.

The sound of ripping cardboard overtakes the room and the first thing to pop out are two delicate hands dancing. Nothing else happens for a good thirty seconds. Just hands daintily dancing. Finally, the hands grasped at the sides of the cake and up popped a pair of black bunny ears. Slowly, so slowly, the bunny rises up to reveal a sexy blonde. Every part of her face is covered except for her bright red heart-shaped lips. They look familiar, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.

As she emerges from the cake, she fumbles around, replaceing it hard to get her grip. It’s about as sexy as a baby traveling through the birth canal. Awkward and messy. She must be new. ‘Help her out Adam.’ Aiden jeers from the side. ‘She’s your gift after all.’ The girl struggles to stand as I watch Adam reluctantly make his way to the cake, looking around the party. Probably looking for Reign. He stepped onto the table where the cake was resting and reached over, picking the girl up like it was nothing and helping her out of the cake with at least some of her dignity still intact.

It’s the first time I can get a real look at her. She’s a tiny little thing in an incredibly hot vintage playboy bunny costume. I can’t keep my eyes off her curves. Her lips. There’s something drawing me to her, but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is.

Adam looked uneasy as he stood next to her. The tips of his ears pinkened when the bunny wrapped her arms around his neck, expecting him to move her off the table. This isn’t our type of thing, especially as there are a lot of uncomfortable looking girls here. I wondered why Aiden arranged this, but when I glance over, I notice he and Lyss are in a heated argument. I wouldn’t be surprised if he arranged it just to specifically tick her off.

There isn’t much dancing from the bunny, she’s too busy clasping onto Adam for dear life as she slowly rocks her hips, moving her hands down his chest. Her nails scratching as they go. I took a swig of my beer, watching the interaction with amusement. He looked shell shocked and she looked awkward. After a few minutes of uncomfortable dancing, the bunny turns around, whipping her long blonde hair to one side.

She looks as though she’s scanning the room for someone until she draws her attention back to Adam. It looked like he had backed away, hoping his good deed was done. The crowd roared when she planted both of her hands to his chest, forcing him down on the sofa behind him. He nearly dropped his beer he was so surprised. He obliged more out of fear than anything else.

Flitting around, she ground her ass into his crotch. Adam wasn’t the only one feeling uncomfortable with this display. I was ready to upchuck my lunch. There’s a sick part of me that hopes Reign walks in right now and it all comes crashing down for them as a potential couple. I’m a dick. Tell me something I don’t know.

Something about the girl’s face irks a memory in the back of my mind. That mouth looks familiar as she smiles away, forcing Adam to hold her hips while she curves her body into him. In an instant, she turned around and leaned her hands on the tops of his thighs, dangerously close to his crotch. The crowd jeered as she gave the audience a full view of her ass. Adam squirmed underneath her and was going redder with every passing second.

I leaned into Jackson who was chuckling at the performance. ‘Do you think the bunny looks familiar?’ I asked, trying to get a better look of her face.

He dragged his eyes toward me and quirked a brow. ‘Nope. Have you been visiting the strip bar without me?’ He teased.

I shook my head, watching the bunny closely again. ‘No. I’ve seen her before. I just can’t pinpoint where.’

Jackson watched as Adam leaned further away from the bunny. It was funny for a while, now it was just awkward. ‘Maybe she goes to Covey and she’s just trying to pay her tuition,’ Jackson suggested with a shrug.

The bunny leaned forward, her face inches away from Adam’s as she poked her ass out for everyone to see. Her panties, not quite a thong but not quite briefs rode up high. I grimaced thinking about how uncomfortable that must be. It didn’t stop me scanning the curve of her ass until my eyes stopped and I swear my breathing did too. Right on that delectable ass was a very familiar birthmark. It’s the same birthmark I spanked and bit that first night we slept together. I remember it well because it was the best night of my life.

Reign?! My mind can’t keep up with all the thoughts running through it. What the hell is she doing here dressed like that? Why the hell is she giving Adam the most awkward lap dance of his life? She wobbled just standing up in those heels. Is this a surprise for Adam? Why the hell would she put on a show like that for him? It can’t be her. She’s not like that. There’s got to be another explanation.

My gaze searched the room, noticing Laura was close to Adam, watching Reign with interest. Lyss was still by Aiden, but they weren’t talking now. They too were mesmerized by the terrible lap dance. This has got to be part of some elaborate prank.

Reign turns back around, and I can’t believe it took me so long to figure out it was her. Those tits. Those lips. Those thighs. I’m an idiot. My dick gets hard watching her because I want her so bad. I’m too busy looking at her body to notice she’s eyeing me up, watching me as she bites her bottom lip. I knew those lips were familiar. I feel Aiden’s presence as he strides across the room, about to leave. She immediately perks up, watching him, and hastily walks away from Adam to follow Aiden. Adam looks relieved, shaking his head and scrubbing his face.

Jealousy courses through my veins as I watch her saunter (as best as she can in those heels) towards Aiden. She tapped him on the shoulder, waiting for him to turn around before lifting her chest in his direction. I watch my friend lick his lips, taking her in. The idea of her grinding against him is too much. I need to stop this, but it’s not like I can call her out in front of everyone. No one knows it’s her and knowing her, I’m sure she wants to keep it that way.

Aiden skates his hands down to Reign’s hips, pressing his fingers there as his head drops to her shoulder. ‘Where are you going?’ Jackson asked, I didn’t even notice I’d already started walking in their direction.

‘It’s my turn with the bunny,’ I mumbled, more to myself but I did hear him laugh from behind. Striding over to them, my eyes burned holes in Aiden’s hand. his pinkie was going a lot further south and he straightened up when he saw me coming.

‘Hey, D,’ He scoffed. I ignored him completely and focused solely on Reign.

My mouth met her ear. ‘Can I get one of those dances, darlin’?’ I whispered, hoping she would know I recognized her. Her body shivered at my voice. I knew there was something between us. She just needs to stop all this bullshit with Adam.

Her hands dropped from Aiden and she turned, looking at me. How can no one recognize her? Those deep chocolate eyes give her away immediately. She nods slowly, still focused on me. ‘Devin you dirty dog. Begging like that.’ Aiden chortled. I hardly noticed. The heated look in Reign’s eyes was enough to burn an entire rainforest down.

I held my hand out to her and she gracefully accepted. All I could think about was how badly I wanted to kiss her again. It didn’t help that she kept biting her bottom lip. My plan was to walk her out of the room, get her alone, and ask her what the hell she was doing. She didn’t give me that option though. She pulled me back and led me towards the couch, still in full view of everyone. Her eyes swept over my roommates. For some reason, she wants us all in here.

She pushed me down onto the leather sofa, Adam still sat off to the side watching every move of this display. She swung a leg over me and sat her plump ass down on my lap. A sight I love seeing without the audience.

Her perfectly peachy ass sits right on top of my groin and her boobs beg for attention. I can only hope my jeans are thick enough to cover how hard I’m getting. Laying one hand on my shoulder, she grinds into me, getting into the music and the crowd. This is the least awkward she’s been tonight, and I’d like to think it’s because she’s with me.

She leaned closer, grabbing both of my hands, and placing them on her butt cheeks. It was done with expert precision and it’s only when she reaches back behind me that I realize what she’s doing. She’s trying to get the phone out of my pocket. I could stop her now, expose their prank but in doing that, I’d expose her as the bunny. There are too many cameras recording this for her to be comfortable with that.

Instead, I stay calm, splaying my hands over her ass so no one else can see it. I’m not going to deny how nice it feels cupping it though. I give it a squeeze for good measure. Yup, just as soft as I remembered. She squealed at me as she tried to suppress a smile. Her lips graze my collar bone and my hand instinctively goes through her hair, only to pull on her wig. That made her back away, looking around the room. I pushed it back, pretending not to notice.

Once my phone is on the sofa, she pops off me, leaving me with a hard on and a surly attitude. She walks over to Jackson who has the look of fear in his eyes. Not because he’s afraid of her. No. His girlfriend Olana is here and if she sees him interacting with Reign, she’ll make him pay in unspoken ways. Reign doesn’t get the memo though; she dances around him while he’s stiff as a board. I think she’s trying to pop her booty but it kind of looks like she’s broken her ankle.

It seems most people have gotten bored of the bunny’s antics, but I can’t stop watching Reign, wondering how far she’s going to take this. She spotted Matty, sauntered over to him and opened his legs up so she could place herself between them. A surprising move. Matty looks shocked for all of two seconds, then embraces it, dipping his face into her neck. That’s it. I’m done. All I see is red. I will kill him if that hand goes any lower.

I get back up, striding over to them. ‘Hey man, You okay?’ Matty asked as Reign’s hand runs through his dark hair. I don’t respond, choosing to focus on the need to unclench my jaw or I won’t have any teeth left. She turns in Matty’s arms, grinding her ass into his crotch barely noticing me, what a crappy turn of events.

That’s it. I’ve had enough. A low growl emanates from my throat as I grabbed her, forcing her into my chest. She stumbled on her heels and her little hands found balance on my pecs. She gawked up at me with her big almond eyes, biting her lip and man does my cock stir again. That bunny mask is so hot and it’s not like I had time to recover from her earlier dance with me. She balls up my shirt with her fists and moves her hips to the dirty R’n’B track playing from the speakers. She doesn’t even notice how crazy she’s driving me.

Guys around me cheer, calling me a dog as I keep hold of her ass. At this point, I don’t want anyone else touching her. Anytime she tries to move away, I drag her straight back to my chest, keeping her firmly attached to my front. If this was any other girl, I wouldn’t care. But Reign’s mine. Whether she or I like to admit it or not. She yelped when my fingers grabbed her ass a little harder. ‘You look hot as a bunny, darlin” I whispered in her ear and she let out a breathy gasp. I’m fairly certain she knows I know it’s her now. My fingers bite into her ass cheeks, like I did the two times we slept together. Just in case she needed verification.

She looked around and then back to me. ‘I’ve got to go.’ she said, in a random British accent. Was she trying to throw me off? She squirmed her way out of my grasp, wobbling toward the cake and when she got there, the same two frat guys helped her back in. Just like that, she was gone and all the guys at the party were booing. I looked over to the sofa remembering that I needed to get my phone, but it was gone by the time I went back.

After the cake was rolled out, unsurprisingly Laura and Lyss disappeared. So now I was phoneless and confused, with a hard on.

About 10 minutes after I watched Reign retreat into a cake… words I never thought I’d utter. She walked back into the house as though she wasn’t just dressed up as my wildest fantasy. One I only knew I had after seeing her in it. Her jeans hung low on her hips and the fluffy sweater she wore hid any kind of bad bunny vibes she was rocking before. She waved to people as she walked through the crowd. Nonchalant as fuck.

I walked to the kitchen, grabbing a coke to waste some time, contemplating when it would be appropriate to go over and talk to her. When I turned around from the fridge, she was leaning against the counter opposite me, throwing me a shy smile. ‘Hey.’ She said in her usual voice. A voice I didn’t know I missed so much. ‘You dropped this over there.’ Placing the phone on the counter, she pushed it toward me. Does she really think I’m that drunk that I didn’t know she took it?

‘Thanks,’ I grabbed the phone, eyes focused on her the whole time wondering what on earth she did to it. ‘Do you think we could talk, darlin?’ I asked her.

Her body bent back. ‘Maybe some other time. I’ve got to wish Adam a happy birthday.’ Her eyes don’t meet mine and I don’t bother mentioning that I know she’s already spoken to Adam today. What’s the point? She’s giving me clear signals she’s not interested in me anymore. It’s Adam she wants now.

I sighed, opening my phone. The first thing I checked was my messages, ready to do damage control. Luckily, they didn’t mess with that. The next thing I checked were my social media accounts. Nope, nothing there. My brows furrowed, maybe they couldn’t get into my phone because it requires facial recognition. I shoved it into my pocket, looking back up at Reign one last time. She was hugging Adam, giving him one of her perfect smiles. The ones I thought were reserved for me. I spun on my heel, going up the stairs to my room. I’m not staying down here to watch him get with the one girl I’ve wanted since arriving at Covey.