Matched (LSU, #5)

by Becca Steele

Charlie Brooks, the person I’d been on two accidental dates with. Everything about it was bizarre.

I think I might fancy Nate Glover.

“Fuck. Do you even fucking know?” he ground out, his gaze never leaving mine. “Kn-know what?” “How it feels. To be jealous of your own fucking sister. Do you know how fucked up that is, Charlie?”

He’d stolen my fucking senses with that kiss. No one had ever kissed me like that before. Like they needed me to breathe. Like they’d die without my mouth on theirs.

“Tell me this is real.” I needed to hear the words. “Tell me we’re not gonna go back to being in denial. I know you can’t give me anything, but I want—I don’t want to pretend this is going to go away. Because it isn’t. Not for me.”

“It’s real, and I’m sick of pretending that the thought of you with someone else doesn’t cut me into pieces.”

Last night, I’d told him again that he was gorgeous, but that wasn’t a good enough word to describe him. He was beautiful, inside and out. He took my breath away, made my stomach swoop every time I was around him,

This was everything I needed, right here. The sun on my skin, a football at my feet, and the company of the person who was beginning to mean everything to me.

“I love you, Charlie Brooks. I love you so much. I can find another postgrad course, but I can’t find another you.”

“I’m the lucky one. Nate Glover loves me.” I felt him shift next to me, the mattress dipping, and then soft lips were on mine. “I do. I really, really do.”