Free Losing Control by Laramie Briscoe

into her pocket for another time, she found the tape and walked back out into the bedroom.
    “You are one messy man.”
    “I’m a bachelor, what can I say?”
    For some reason, she felt the need to tease with this new relationship. “Bachelor, huh?”
    “Not anymore, of course,” he stuttered to correct his mistake.
    “Really? Because we’ve never put a label on any of this.”
    “Well, I sure as hell ain’t seein’ anybody else, and I assumed you weren’t either.”
    Even though it had started out as teasing, Bianca was happy to hear it confirmed for her. “I’m not.”
    He got up and stood in front of her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Their height difference was not huge, but he widened his stance so that they could touch noses. “Bianca Hawks, will you be my girlfriend?”
    A feminine giggle bubbled up from deep within her. It caused every macho part of his genetic makeup to take notice. It made him protective of her, and he knew that he would do anything within his power to keep her safe and happy.
    “I haven’t had any better offers lately, so why the hell not?” she teased.
    It always seemed so important to the two of them that they not take anything too seriously. But this, this, he wanted serious. “Don’t joke, it’ll hurt my feelings.” His honesty was plainly there in his eyes.
    Suddenly, she realized how much this really did impact them. It wasn’t something to joke about. “I would love to be your girlfriend, John Edward Stone,” she finished with a shit-eating grin.
    He blinked, surprised that she had known his real name. “How the hell did you know that?”
    “You really shouldn’t keep your birth certificate underneath your bathroom sink. Who the hell does that anyway?”
    “That’s not important. What is important is the fact that you said yes.”
    “Now don’t think you can start bossing me around or anything,” she warned.
    He placed his hand over his heart, fixing her with a cute glare. “Never.”
    “Somehow I think you’re placating me, but I’ll take it.”
    His hands buried in her hair and pulled her mouth to his, giving her a kiss that promised possession and a million other things she didn’t want to think about for fear that they would never come to fruition.
    “You guys ready?” Tyler’s loud voice boomed from beyond the door to the dorm room.
    “Give us a minute,” Jagger called back, his eyes never leaving Bianca’s face. Her eyes followed his tongue as it snaked across his bottom lip.
    “So, girlfriend of mine, tape these ribs up so we can have fun.”
    She loved the sound of that.

    Mandy shrieked, holding on to Jagger’s waist as they went flying down the hill.
    “You might have to fight my daughter for your boyfriend,” Denise teased as the sled came closer to the women.
    They had been outside for hours playing in the snow, and Bianca’s face was freezing. “I think it’ll be alright,” she said, blowing her breath into the hands that cupped her face.
    “I don’t know, teenage crushes are powerful.”
    “I’m sure if she takes another ride down with Tyler, he’ll be the object of her affection.”
    Denise raised an eyebrow. “You might have a point there. Mr. Blackfoot seems to be the object of every woman’s affection.”
    They laughed as they nodded their heads in agreement. “You do have a point there.”
    Jagger got up from where he and Mandy had come to a stop. Bianca didn’t miss the grimace on his face.
    “You okay?” she asked, walking over to where he stood, a little unsteadily.
    “Yeah, but I think I over did it,” he admitted, taking fast, shallow breathes.
    She put her arm around his waist and let him lean his weight against her. “You wanna go inside?” she asked.
    “Why don’t you go get in the hot tub?” Liam asked, coming to stand next to the two of them.
    “There’s a hot tub here?” Bianca asked, her face brightening.
    “Yeah, we got it a few months ago. Some of us are getting to be a little old