Five shot glasses, filled to the brim, were raised in the air, clattering and spilling as people fumbled around getting chasers. It was ten o'clock Saturday night and the party at Tasha's off campus house had just begun. Our entire team was squished into the small kitchen, away from the loud, pulsing music.

"I'd like to dedicate this round to Carmen," Tasha began.

"To Carmen!" We all shouted prematurely.

"And walking through boats!" Paul, one of the male rowers drunkenly added as he popped open a beer.

"Press set tens!" Papi yelled, spilling half of her shot as she thrust her hips.

"To fucking winning" I supplied.

"And showing up Harvard," Carmen peeped.

"Fuck yeah!" Dana yelled, "Let's start drinking!" We clinked our shot glasses together and threw them back. I relished in the familiar burn, knowing that all too soon my sore muscles would be wholly forgotten and numb, loose like I just had an hour-long massage.

With the stress of practice and studying on the backburner, it was time to loosen up and have some fucking fun. I was in a good mood, Natalie and Megan walked in earlier. Plus, I was looking forward to the awkwardness that would surely ensue when both Papie and Kyle started making a move on Carmen. Seeing as they both couldn't keep their eyes off of her, I decided to fuck with them a bit.

Leaning down, making sure my mouth was close, I whispered in Carmen's ear, "Welcome to the team."

"Thanks, Captain," she nudged me with her hip and I gave her a broad smile.

Our short and friendly interaction did not go unnoticed like I had hoped. Papi sneered like a wolf claiming her property and Kyle blanched as Paul linked arms with Carmen, dragging her towards the living room to dance to some electro pop. They didn't have to worry about Paul though. He had a small, albeit secret, fling going on with the male coxswain, Brock.

But as for the majority of the varsity team, with the exception of pussy-whipped Dana, and love struck Tasha, well, they were all gunning for one thing tonight, Carmen.

That's what I meant when I said welcome to the team … someone would be taking her home tonight, it was almost a rite of passage to have an embarrassing hook up. The gossip would spread around the boathouse on Monday. We were like a fucking sorority with that shit.

"What are you doing man? I thought you weren't interested." Tasha said as she handed me a beer.

I shrugged. "I was just being polite. We're friends now," I admitted hesitantly. "Just like you wanted."

"And you thought you could piss off Papi in the process," she corrected.

"You know me too well." I grinned widely as I took a huge swig of my beer.

A few hours later, I heard someone call my name while I was in the middle of a beer pong game with Tasha and some underclassmen. A flushed Carmen sauntered towards me having been propelled forward by a devious looking Paul.

"Yes, Carmen?"

"Come here." She crooked her finger at me and winked, her body wiggling from side to side slightly from intoxication.

I gave a shrug to Tasha and walked over, putting aside my nearly empty bottle on the kitchen counter. She moved unbelievably close, only inches away from my face and I thought she was going to reach up and kiss me. I hadn't noticed before, but she had specks of green in her eyes, causing the hazel orbs to sparkle when the light hit them just right.

"Do you mind explaining to me" She began, shyly toeing the carpet, "what the fuck you were thinking complaining to Haspel about me behind my back?" She screamed the last part, her voice cracking, still sore from today's race. "Are you really that trifling, trying to get me kicked off the team? Telling him I wasn't good enough or up to your standards as a Coxswain!"

I was speechless. Getting to know Carmen this past week combined with her performance today…well, it made me regret my petty actions. I glanced up and noticed Paul barely containing his guffaws.

"Are you that cowardly?" she accused. By this time, we had gathered quite an audience so I grabbed her wrist and wrenched her upstairs away from the nosy crowd.

"What the fuck, Shane!" Carmen complained, tripping up the stairs as I led her into Tasha's bedroom. "Let go of me!" She wretched her arm out of my grasp, gently massaging the wrist I held easily in my fist.

"Carmen, I'm sorry."

"For what?" she spat, not letting me off the hook that easily.

"For starters, hurting your wrist, let me see it." I gently pried her arm away from her warm body and tenderly stroked the inflamed skin. She gasped when I brought it up to my lips and planted a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist.

"Yeah, yeah, charmer, what else have you to say for yourself?" I chuckled; she was always on the defensive.

"You're a ball breaker, you know that, right?"

"Well, you're a dick, so we'd make great friends." She flashed me a smile that had too much teeth and absolutely no sincerity.

"Listen, I'm sorry about Haspel. But you need to understand this from my point of view. He pulled this last-minute switch that could have messed with our …"

"And did it?" she interrupted, looking even more pissed off than before.

"No, it didn't, but let me finish." She made a zipping noise as she pulled her fingers across her mouth and then "threw away the key."

"Funny." She quirked an eyebrow at me to continue, "I'm sorry for being a dick and not trusting you. But I'll have you know that Haspel was quite a fan of you. He didn't listen to anything I was saying."

"You're damn right he didn't because he knows I'm fantastic."

"Oh yeah?" It was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah, and before I accept your gracious apology, that's what I want to hear."

"You want to hear how good you are?"

"Yes," she asserted, running her tongue across her bottom lip.

"Carmen, you were phenomenal today. You blew my mind …"

She interrupted my lame compliments with a firm hand on my chest, "Feeble attempt there, Captain. Let's try for more sincerity and less sarcasm, shall we? Again."

I didn't know what to say, so I spoke the truth. "You're infuriating."

"That's not a compliment."

"Not in the way you're thinking…you challenge me when no one else will. You keep me on my feet, constantly surprising me. It's frustrating as all hell, because I can never pin you down. I never know what you're thinking or what you'll say next. And it's addicting, but, as I said, infuriating."

Silence echoed in Tasha's room as I finished and I was afraid I had said too much, "Shit, I'm sor…" She cut off my apology by crushing her full lips into mine, all sticky and sweet. She was warm and wet and I responded in kind, grabbing a fist full of her hair lushes brown main and pushed her lower body to curve into mine.

She bit my lower lip, capturing it between her teeth and tugging. It verged on the precipice of pleasure and pain before she released it, dipping her tongue out to gently lick the teeth marks she left behind.

Carmen felt strong and capable in my arms; her muscular thigh nudged mine apart, her heated center seeking friction against my denim clad thigh. She was aggressive, and I liked it. My jeans tightened as I pressed into her, reveling in the warmth of her skin and the fire her caressing hands left behind.

Her eager tongue sought entrance into my mouth and all I could taste was spiced rum as I parted my lips willingly. After a few moments my brain finally registered what my mouth was tasting and I pushed her away, "You're drunk." It was a statement, not a question.

We were both breathing deeply, our chests heaving, as my brain sought to catch up to this new development. Kissing and Carmen. Drunk and sober. I was no better than Papi or Kyle, taking advantage of a drunken girl.

"Yes, I am drunk." She paused and took a step away from me and towards the door. Her eyes narrowed as she looked over her shoulder, casting a final glance at me, "and you're still a dick." She walked out without another word, slamming the door behind her, leaving me to my thoughts. What the fuck?