Hope for Her (Hope #1) by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle Read Free Book Online

knocked on another door and almost crumbled in a heap of relief filled tears when it opened.
    ***
    Joshua Elijah Griffin, IV
    Oh, fuck me.
    I spent half the night watching her, but a few of my brothers had their eye on her, too. I predicted it. While I wanted her in my life, they wanted her for one night.
    Our brief moment together wasn't enough for the brothers to register this was the girl I had been talking about all week. Carrington stood out in the crowd, and we all enjoyed the view from a distance, but as the alcohol flowed, the guys became bolder. Randolph made the first move.
    He came up behind her on the dance floor, and I watched as he touched her in ways I wanted to touch her. A lump formed at the top of my throat. I wanted to run and grab her, drag her away like a caveman.
    I stood there all night seething. I never had time to worry about being at a college party with alcohol flowing and drugs in close proximity.
    It pissed me off, but all she did was enjoy herself. She got off on the attention.
    After grinding a few other brothers, including James, it was Brandon who dragged her up to the loft.
    They passed me on the landing, and Carrington avoided my eyes as I stared her down. Brandon punched me on the shoulder and grinned. I knew what taking a chick to the loft meant. It was a few more steps closer to getting her in his room. Carrington looked more than willing—she was like every other freshman girl on FSU campus.
    Fuck her. I gave up and headed to bed. Not like she would want to be with me anyway.
    I settled into bed and pulled a pillow over my head to drown out some of the noise. It didn't help; the music was causing the walls to vibrate.
    I almost ignored the pounding on the door, but whoever it was, wanted in my room. I jumped up and yanked the door open; ready to yell at who ever it was to get lost.
    I blinked and stepped back when I saw Carrington standing there. She bit her bottom lip and pleaded with her eyes. My heart melted. I pulled her in my room as Brandon made it around the corner.
    I turned and found her crying with remnants of vomit running down her shirt.
    "Take that off," I said pulling a t-shirt out of my dresser. I dropped the shirt on my bed and went in the bathroom to get her a wet towel. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the mini refrigerator on my way back. She got her shirt off and when I turned back, I almost dropped the bottle of water. She stood in the middle of my room in a blue lace bra. I forgot to move.
    I wanted to touch the curve in her waist, run my fingers over the ink on her hipbone peeking out of the top of her low-rise jeans. She turned to look at me over her shoulder and her shy smile made me groan under my breath.
    I regained feeling in my feet and walked over to her. She took the towel and washed her face. She handed it back and took the bottle of water. She drank half of it in one gulp, and I stood there like a twelve year old watching her chest heave up and down, trying not to drool.
    She pulled my t-shirt over her head. When she started unbuttoning her jeans, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to get out of here, or I wouldn't be responsible for my actions. I grabbed her shirt off the floor and headed to the bathroom to wash it out. I returned to find her crawled up on my bed passed out.
    This was not how I wanted to get her into my bed.
    She curled up on her side, the sheet covering her up to her waist. I reached out and rubbed her shoulder, but she didn't stir. The V-neck t-shirt framed her cleavage. I stared for a minute. I lifted the blanket, wanting to check out the tattoo, but my shirt covered it.
    I pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched her sleep, moving her hair out of her face and touching her cheek. It was a soft as I had imagined.
    I thought for a second about being a gentleman and giving her the bed.
    After the way she acted tonight, though, I thought screw it. I crawled over on the other side of the bed and