Riley shoved a little harder, but his kiss deepened, insistent, and soon her resistance faded. Her fingers, once fighting, curled into his shirt, clinging like she didn’t want to let go.
They kissed for what felt like forever—three minutes at least. When they finally broke apart, Alex glanced down, smirking at her small hands still tangled in his shirt. Riley caught his look and yanked them back, flustered.
“You were holding on pretty tight,” he teased, his eyes dancing with mischief. “Sure you want me to leave?”
Her cheeks, already flushed, burned hotter under his stare. She nibbled her lip nervously, the soft pink tempting him all over again.
“You… you have to go,” she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. Her head dipped, avoiding his gaze as his warm breath grazed her forehead, sending a shiver through her. “This is a girls’ dorm. You can’t stay.”
The air between them thickened, heavy with tension.
“Oh, really?” Alex tilted his head, pretending to mull it over, then flashed a sly grin. “How about one last kiss goodbye then?”
Before she could protest, he leaned in again, scooping her up in one smooth motion and setting her on the desk beneath her bunk. Her skirt swished slightly—funny how the right outfit could make everything move faster.
When he said he’d leave, a tiny pang of sadness tugged at Riley, though she couldn’t quite place why. But as his lips met hers again, that feeling softened, and she melted into him. Her arms slid around his neck without her even noticing, pulling him closer.
Three minutes later, they parted. Alex studied her—her face was a deep red now, the flush creeping up to her ears. “You held on again,” he said, his voice playful. “Still want me gone?”
“You… you have to,” she whispered, firmer this time. It was her line in the sand, and she wouldn’t budge.
But there she sat, perched on the desk, the cool wood doing nothing to tame the heat racing across her skin. Behind her silver glasses, her eyes glistened, brimming with something unspoken, like tears might spill if she blinked too hard.
“Alright, I won’t stay the night,” Alex said with a nod, his tone casual.
His hands, though, told a different story—sliding over her like he had no plans to leave anytime soon.
Riley felt stuck, caught between pushing him away and giving in. Her eyes fluttered shut, and flashes of a romance novel she’d read danced through her mind, vivid as a movie reel.
Somehow, they stumbled onto the balcony. It made sense—the dorm was stuffy, even with the AC buzzing, and summer’s warmth was sneaking in. Out here, a cool breeze swept through, brushing her hair back.
The campus stretched out below, hushed and still. No one wandered the paths—just the streetlights standing guard, their golden glow pooling on the ground like silent sentinels.
As things heated up, Riley stopped fighting it. She went along, caught in the moment, though her lips stayed locked tight—just like in the stairwell. No words, no sounds, only the occasional soft hum slipping out, too quiet to stop.
Still, every now and then, a tiny noise escaped her throat—faint, fragile, and impossible to hold back.
The very air in the room felt thick with tension. It felt like any stifled cry could tear loose the deepest feelings hidden inside her heart or body.
Riley desperately tried to stay silent, playing the part of a mute, but Alex had no intention of making it easy for her.
‘So, you couldn’t manage it in the hospital stairwell… he thought. Did you really think changing places would make a difference?’
‘Think your own dorm room gives you the upper hand?’
‘You want to play quiet game? Let’s see how long you last this time… if you’ve learned anything.’
From the balcony to the small room itself – it wasn’t a large space, but for Alex, it held endless possibilities.
Every move Alex made, every subtle shift in the sounds escaping the ‘quiet play,’ was instant feedback. He knew immediately how well he was doing, whether the angle was right, what needed changing.
It was a strangely fascinating dynamic.
Slowly, she transformed. The complete silence of the ‘little mute’ gave way to choked, broken sounds. Then, even those softened into faint whispers.
Alex heard it all, registering the feedback. ‘Yes,’ he thought. ‘He was definitely getting better at this.’
….
Normally, the dorm room held the usual clutter of college girls, a lot of stuff everywhere. Being their private space, underwear and some surprisingly daring clothes might be casually draped over furniture.
But the moment Alex called saying he was downstairs, Riley had scrambled to tidy up, quickly hiding away any personal items, hers or her roommates, that shouldn’t be seen.
Stepping inside, Alex noticed the room smelled pleasant, a soft, distinctly feminine fragrance.
Maybe it was true that people gravitated towards those like them, because Riley’s three roommates were nothing like Sera’s.
Sera’s room always had desks overflowing with makeup and designer clothes hanging openly. The air itself was heavy with the clashing scents of expensive perfumes.
Riley’s dorm, however, was different. Her desk, like her roommates’, was clean and organized. Some makeup, yes, but nowhere near the same amount.
This neatness, ironically, gave Alex more room to maneuver, to explore certain positions without obstruction.
Beyond their door, the corridor echoed with the loud chatter and laughter of other students just hanging out, completely oblivious.
It only made things more interesting, dialing up the intensity of the forbidden atmosphere.
Riley, reduced now to soft, pleading whispers, found it harder and harder to endure. Her cheeks were flushed crimson, sweat beaded on her forehead.
The expensive white shirt he’d gifted her, the one with the daringly low neckline, l was long gone, tossed aside carelessly.
Alexs’ gift might be missing, but Riley wasn’t worried about it. He gave it, and he took it off. Simple as that.
Her responses, her involuntary feedback, became impossible to ignore.
But for Alex, it still wasn’t enough.