“The hell I am,” I insist. “You lost me. All of you did. Now get your fucking leader and get the fuck out of here. I never want to see any of you again.”
Sebastian takes a hesitant step forward. “O.”
“No. Please … just go. All of you. I can’t do this anymore.”
He lets out a breath before finally nodding and cautiously stepping around me. He walks right into the boys’ fight and hooks his arms around Nic, hauling him away from Colton. Nic resists and tries to fight him off but the fight has worn him down. “Let’s go,” Sebastian urges. “She doesn’t want us here.”
“I’m not leaving without her,” Nic spits. “She doesn’t belong here. She belongs with us.”
“I know,” Sebastian says, “but today is not the day. We’ll come and sort it out once you’ve calmed down. She’s never going to come back like this. You know that. We need to earn her trust back.”
“How is that going to happen when she won’t fucking talk to me? To any of us?”
“Time, bro,” Eli says, meeting my eye. “She just needs time.”
I walk over to Colton and look him over before watching as Kai gives Sebastian and Nic a hard shove to get them moving. “This isn’t over,” Nic says, looking back at me and wiping blood off his face while making all sorts of guilt come rushing in and sit heavy in my gut. “I’m going to come back for you. You don’t belong here.”
I shake my head, watching as the hurt seeps into his eyes but surely he must know that he stood no chance after the bullshit on Saturday night and then storming in his like a fucking raging bull and making demands. Hell, my fucking wrist is going to be sore for days. “Just go home, Nic.”
He clenches his jaw and as Colton’s hand slips into mine, he finally turns around and walks away.
Chapter 31
There’s a long beat of silence as we stand out in the night, watching my crew disappear up the long drive before Colton pulls me into his side. “Come on,” he finally says. “Let me get you back inside.”
I keep my eyes on the boys, unable to look away and watch how each one of them glances back to look at me with longing and regret filling their deep gazes. I know they’re all hurting, but surely they can understand how wrong this is. Nic’s behavior … I’ve never seen anything like it from him. He's always been so put together, cool, calm, and collected. This possessive wildness isn’t him. I understand that he has a lot on his plate with becoming the new leader of the Black Widows and trying to fill his father’s shoes but he can’t keep going down this destructive path. He's screaming out for help, but it can’t be from me. He needs to learn how to let go.
As for the others, they should have been smart enough to reel him back in. How could they think that coming here tonight was a good idea? Clearly, they’re all aware that I don’t want anything to do with them otherwise I would have responded to their constant calls and text messages. They all need to back off and give me a chance to catch up with everything that’s been going on.
With a heavy heart, I let Colton lead me back up the stairs and as his arm slips over my shoulder, I listen to the soothing tones of his deep voice. “Are you alright?”
“I should be asking you the same thing,” I murmur. “How the hell did you learn to fight like that?”
Colton scoffs. “You don’t grow up as a Carrington without learning a thing or two about defending yourself. But I wasn't asking about you physically? They’re just bruises. You’re strong and they’ll fade. I’m asking about on the inside. Are you alright?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I honestly don’t know. Nic is supposed to be my best friend. He’s supposed to be the guy who has my back and always wants what's best for me, but over the past few weeks he’s become a stranger.”
“He’ll come around,” he promises me. “It's a guy thing. He'll realize that he’s fucked-up and he’ll make it right. You just need to give him the time to figure out how to do that and work up the courage to admit that he was wrong.”
“And when that happens?” I question. “Are you going to get jealous and force him away?”
“Why would I do that? You’ve already told me how much he means to you. If having them in your life makes you happy, then that’s where they need to be. But don’t get me wrong, they're going to have to make up for their bullshit and don’t expect me to let them anywhere near you until they’ve magically earned your trust back, but we’re going to have fucking problems if they can’t get on board with you and me being together because I’m not about to give you up.”
I stop at the top of the stairs and turn to look up at him. “You really mean that?”
“Yeah,” he says. “I want you to have the world, Jade, and if I have to kick each of their asses to make it happen, then I will.”
I press up onto my tippy toes and brush my lips over his and as someone opens the front door and walks around us, we hear the music pouring out from the ballroom. “Do you want to go back to the party?” he asks, pulling away only a fraction.
I shake my head. “I’m not exactly in the party mood anymore. Nic killed my vibe.”
“Okay,” he says. “Should I take you back to the pool house?”
I shake my head again, meeting his eyes, and just like that, his hand slips into mine and he leads me back inside the mansion. We walk through the long hallways, listening as the music from the party gets quieter and quieter the further we walk.
Colton leads me upstairs but when we pass all the bedrooms, I find myself looking up at him and hating the redness on his jaw from Nic’s punch. “Where are we going?”
The corner of his lips twitch into a small smile and when he looks back down at me, I see nothing but awe shining down at me. “I want to show you something,” he murmurs, gently squeezing my hand and making the butterflies soar in my stomach.
My brows furrow but my curiosity is too great and I allow him to pull me along until we reach two massive double doors on the top floor at the opposite end of the house to the library. Colton pushes through the wide doors and I stare in wonder at the open living space with floor to ceiling windows the whole way around.
The room looks over the front of the property and I can see for miles, looking over the whole of Bellevue Springs. “Woah,” I say, walking into the room and taking it in. “How have I never been in here before?”
“Dad liked to keep this room private. I had the den downstairs and he had this.”
“Geez, I don’t blame him. If this was my place I’d keep this all to myself as well.”
Colton chuckles under his breath before taking my hand and pulling me along. “You haven’t seen the best part.” He leads me over to the window and just like downstairs, presses a few buttons, and watches as the windows sink back into the main part of the house and open to a wide balcony that spans nearly the whole length of the mansion.
“Wow,” I breathe, walking right to the edge and peering over to get the best possible view. I look out and watch as people walk down the massive drive to their cars after having an incredible night. I watch the moonlight sparkle in the many pools and watch as the soft evening breeze sweeps through Charles’ prized gardens. “This is incredible.”
Colton’s hand drops to my lower back and I find myself turning into him. “Thank you,” I whisper. “I really needed this.”
“What’s that?”
“A reminder that there’s still beauty in the world.”
Colton’s lips drop to mine and gently brush over them before he meets my eyes, looking deep into them and saying all the things we refuse to say out loud. “Trust me,” he whispers. “There’s plenty of beauty in this world. I look at it every fucking day.”
I raise my chin and kiss him again, feeling all sorts of emotions begin to overwhelm me and pulse heavily through my veins. His arms curl around my waist and he pulls me in tighter against him and for a brief moment, I’m scared that Nic might have done some damage and one wrong move could have him dropping in pain, but as he deepens our kiss
and tightens his hold on my body, I realize that a little pain isn’t going to stop him.
Colton’s hands drop to my ass and he gently lifts me off the ground then takes me back into the private living room, leaving the glass windows wide open. The cool breeze brushes across my skin as he lays me on the soft couch and comes down on top of me. He never once breaks our kiss, his lips always moving against mine and our bodies never breaking apart.
The desperation creeps up on us and I slip his suit jacket down his strong arms until the soft material is crashing against the carpeted floor. He untangles the headpiece, pearls, and feathers from my hair and tosses them aside before replacing it with his fingers, guiding them deep into the back of my hair and holding me still.
Our bodies grind against one anothers and when his other hand finally reaches down between us and tugs the beaded dress up over my hips, my eyes begin rolling into the back of my head.
I never knew I could need him this bad. Need his touch, his kiss, his love.
My thong is torn down my legs as I reach down between us and release him from the confines of his suit pants. His cock springs free and as he guides himself to my entrance, I hook my leg around his hips and draw him in, needing it more than I could have imagined.
Colton presses up into me, thick and heavy, completely filling me and I feel my world explode around him. It’s exactly what I need, what my body craves and desires. How is it possible to be this good? But fuck, when he actually starts to move … it’s like arriving at wonderland and being told that you get to go on all the rides.
He moves in and out of me, filling me over and over again and as his lips come back to mine, he untangles his fingers from my hair only to lace them through mine and hold them tight. The connection intensifies between us and something becomes so much … more. It’s raw, real, and honest. It’s not just two people getting it on and fucking for a good time, it’s two people becoming one, coming together and making something beautiful, finding a connection and holding onto it for dear life.
He takes me hard, increasing his speed and giving me everything he’s got until I push him back and straddle his waist, needing desperately to be the one to take control.
With me sitting up, he tugs the dress up over my head, leaving the pearls around my neck and tossing the borrowed dress aside. My strapless bra is undone and dropped to the carpet just moments before his mouth comes down over my aching nipple.
His tongue swirls over it and I tip my head back as I ride his cock. His hand tightens on my hip, holding me close, and refusing to let me stop. “Fuck, Jade,” he groans low, the torture, need, and desire in his voice doing so much more to me than anyone else ever could.
I feel my orgasm building and as his hand slips from my hip and reaches around to my ass, I know I’m not going to last much longer. He squeezes my ass with a firm grip and I clench my eyes, feeling myself just moments from falling over the cliff into a blissful, earth-shattering orgasm.
“Don’t you dare come, not yet, Jade.”
“I can’t,” I breathe, clenching down on him so fucking tight and doing all that I can to ride this out. “I can’t hold on.”
His hand squeezes my ass again and I groan knowing there's not a damn thing I can do about it. The devil could come and take my soul and I’d happily hand it over just to feel this moment with Colton.
Knowing I’m just moment’s from falling off the edge, Colton grabs my hips and holds me still. He slams up into me, holding onto the same rhythm and sending my world into a complete tailspin. “Holy shit,” I pant, grabbing hold of his shoulders and squeezing them tight.
My head drops to his and he instantly collects my lips in his, never once slowing his movements. Colton’s hand drops down between us and he finds my clit with the softest pinch and my head gets thrown back. “Fuck, Carrington!”
He does it again before adding pressure and rubbing over it, the sound of his desired chuckles filling the room. “That’s right, Jade.”
I clench down around him even tighter and he groans with need. “I’m going to come,” I say, almost frantic, breathing heavily as he slams up into me and teases my clit with his magical fingers.
Colton grabs my jaw and forces my eyes back to his and I see his whole world, so close on the edge. His eyes are dark and stormy and without a doubt, he’s about to come undone. “Let me see it. I want to watch you come.”
His words tear me apart and within seconds, my orgasm rips through me. “Fuck,” I yell, digging my nails into the warm skin of his shoulders. He doesn’t dare stop moving, even when his own orgasm comes up and threatens to paralyze him.
His hands dig into my skin and we both ride out the high together, intense and so fucking powerful.
My breath comes in quick, sharp pants as I come crashing down into him. He holds me against his chest, both of us still reeling from that incredible ride. “Holy shit, Jade,” he whispers into the cool room. “I could do that every day for the rest of my life and never be done with you.”
I lift my head and meet his eyes. “I’m counting on that,” I tell him, laying out all my cards and letting him see just how serious I am about this thing between us.
Colton’s hand travels up my body until his fingers are brushing over my jaw. “Good,” he finally says, his eyes boring into mine and holding me captive. “Because I don’t plan on ever letting you go.”
I crash back into him, my lips crushing against his and devouring him and just like that I feel him hardening between my legs, more than ready to prove it all over again, and as he slowly starts to move, I realize more than ever that I’m not just falling for Colton Carrington, I’ve already fallen and fuck, it feels good.
Chapter 32
I push the broom through the silver confetti littering the ballroom floor. I don’t know whose stupid idea it was to have confetti bombs go off when Colton officially announced that he will be taking over for his father and running Carrington Incorporated indefinitely.
Oh, shit. That was my stupid idea.
I can’t deny that it was fun and watching the surprise on his face after the announcement was pretty fucking incredible. The cleanup … not so much. This shit is like glitter. It goes everywhere. Even after the cleanup, I'm going to be finding little confetti pieces for months.
I hadn’t exactly cleared this with Mom or Harrison so I wasn’t surprised when the job got dumped on me. It's not a big deal though. The cleanup crew have been here since six this morning and have done an incredible job of packing away the party so considering it’s after one in the afternoon and I’m only just getting started, it’s really not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Though, having said that, it’s still not going to be a five-minute cleanup job. I’ll probably be here for a good part of the afternoon.
People hurry around me, dismantling tables, pulling off table cloths, taking down decorations while others scatter around collecting discarded champagne flutes and making a pile of lost clothing items which I’m sure all belong to Milo. Though there are a few too many hats in there but I’m sure Milo will claim them all anyway.
Wanting to get this over and done with, I push my broom around the ballroom and do my best not to miss a damn silver sparkle, though after finishing the floors, I quickly realize that my job isn’t even close to being done. Confetti litters every tabletop, every chandelier, every statue, and every floral arrangement.
I’m going to be here forever. At least I learned a lesson though—don’t fuck with Mom and Harrison’s plans.
I get stuck into it and have to put up with Colton as he constantly walks past and laughs at my punishment. The confetti might have been a slight surprise for him too but it’s not as though I let off fireworks inside the room. I’ll save that great idea for the next one.
By five in the evening, the staff is gone and the ballroom is mostly put back together. I stick around to do the finishing touches, the ones Maryne used to do herself. She liked the ballroom set up a certain way when it wasn’t in use, jus
t in case Charles wanted to show it off to his guests—because he always wanted to show it off.
Once it’s absolutely perfect, I walk out of the ballroom and peer back through the open doors. Last night was crazy amazing. The last two parties I’ve attended here have been incredible but both ended in a shitty way. Last night though … it was perfect and I can’t wait to do it again. Well, assuming Nic can keep his stubborn ass away.
Stepping back, I close the door and officially bring an end to the most incredible night of my life. I turn around and as I start pushing the cleaning cart back toward the staff quarters, noise from the foyer catches my attention.
I let out a frustrated sigh. I’m so not in the mood for guests.
With Mom busy in the kitchen and Harrison taking the afternoon off, I’m left to go and welcome these people in. I start making my way toward the foyer and with every step I take, I become more and more on edge. There was no buzzer for the gate and no knock at the door. Whoever these people are, they just welcomed themselves into Colton’s home as though they had every right.
That realization has me picking up my pace. The last time people just ran in here, the house got shot up and Maryne ended up dead. I can’t risk that again. Whoever these people are, they need to take a back seat and realize that they can’t just live life however the fuck they want, and if I was smart, I’d be running the opposite direction.
What kind of idiot rushes into situations like this? I should be scrambling away and letting Colton know that someone just barged their way through his doors again, yet something keeps me moving. If these people were dangerous, I feel like they would be making more noise. Dangerous people seem to be loud, you know, with the whole intimidation thing they’ve got going. These people are just talking among themselves in a snappy, bitchy kind of way.
I break out into the foyer at a pace too fast for my feet to handle and I come to a screeching stop by slamming my hip into the hallway table. “Ah, fuck,” I grunt, making the three women in the foyer whip around.
Cocky F*ck: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rejects Paradise Book 2) Page 32
