BriarEdge Academy: October

by Kit Kyndall

  He’d tried steering clear of her. His hope had been that if he avoided her, that would work her out of his system naturally. He’d even lost a lot of his resentment for her being at his school and in his life over the last few weeks as he tried to put her out of his mind. That all came roaring back now, but this resentment was for an entirely different reason.

  He followed Lex as the other guy searched for Candace. Dalton was tempted to find her first and state his case, but he wasn’t certain he was logical enough to do so. He was angry and on the edge of losing control. When he found Candace, he wasn’t likely to be too eloquent. He just wanted to lose himself in the softness of her skin and extract the promise that she was his. Only his.

  Lex moved to her dorm after the incident with the bumblebee and the ghoul. He hung back but followed closely enough to know where Lex went. He waited in the stairwell, listening to what he could hear of their conversation when she came to the rec room. He grew angrier as he picked up bits and pieces. She seemed to be accepting with pleasure his news that he and Jonas would share.

  As he heard them coming his way, he rushed down the stairs and hid in the shadows with his back turned as they moved past him on the first floor, not looking at him. They were too busy holding hands and staring at each other like lovesick fools.

  When they moved past him, he had to fight the urge to stop their progress and take Candace’s hand from Lex’s. He wanted to drag her away somewhere private and claim her, but he didn’t risk it with the people milling about.

  He was practically seeing red as he headed in the direction of her dorm, climbing up the stairs again. A couple of people called his name as he walked past a group in the second-floor rec room. He waved, but he didn’t stop. He was thankful Malone wasn’t among them, because she would’ve wanted to know what he was doing. He couldn’t imagine telling her what was on his mind, and he wasn’t in the mood to listen to her complain about Candace either.

  The only mood he was in was one that convinced Candace to drop the other losers. There’d be no sharing when she was with him. With that thought in mind, he climbed the last flight quickly, getting off at the third floor instead of going on to his room on the sixth floor. He turned away from the rec room after ensuring it was empty.

  He moved quietly past the resident advisor’s door, having only seen Edna Grimley in passing, but not wanting her to know he was on the floor. It was a violation, and he didn’t want a demerit. If Edna caught him sneaking into Candace’s room, that would be more than a demerit for both of them. For a moment, he felt selfish risking Candace’s standing at the school, knowing she was already on thin ice thanks to Malone’s efforts, but he was too consumed by the need to see her, to confront her, and get her to swear she’d drop the other two.

  With a furtive look around, he tried the handle on her room. It was unlocked. He held his breath as he slipped inside, hoping her roommate was at the dance as well. He exhaled with relief to find he had the room to himself. After examining both halves of the room, he was confident he’d identified Candace’s even before he opened her closet and saw shirts hanging in her closet that he’d seen her wear.

  He stripped off the coverall that was part of his zombie hunter costume, along with the accessories, and laid them on her desk chair. Then he moved to her bed, which was covered with a black and white comforter emblazed with red lip prints. He laid down on the bed, arranging himself for maximum comfort, as he gritted his teeth and settled in to wait for her return. Knowing she was with Lex and Jonas, dancing the night away, made his jaw ache with how hard he clenched it.

  Time passed slowly, and he used his phone to occupy himself until he heard footsteps nearing the door sometime later. He braced himself for it to be Candace’s roommate, but then he heard her giggle, followed by silence. His mind insisted in supplying another visual of her kissing Lex. That was all too easy to conjure after seeing it for himself earlier in the evening.

  He doubted Lex had tried to sneak past Edna’s room though, so she wasn’t too likely to be in the hallway kissing him. Maybe she was just fumbling for her keycard and giggling about the night she’d just spent dancing with her boyfriends.

  That thought was almost as bad as imagining her kissing Lex. Only picturing her alternating between Lex and Jonas, kissing each of them in turn as they both touched her, was worse.

  After what seemed like forever, she slipped inside. Fortunately, her gaze didn’t go directly to him. She closed and locked the door before turning to him. Her eyes widened at the sight of him on her bed. Her mouth dropped open, and she was clearly stunned. Her mouth moved, but no sound emerged.

  Perhaps anger had rendered her speechless. If not, definitely shock. Either way, it took her a moment to recover. She blinked, and then she glared at him as she crossed the room while he stood up. Her hands moved to her hips, and she took a step forward, which brought her body almost against his. He hardened in response.

  Apparently, she realized that, because then she took a step back, eyes wide. “What are you doing in here? Get out of my room before I get in trouble.”

  He walked toward her, reaching out a hand that she darted around. Soon, their positions were reversed, with her standing near the bed, and him blocking the door. That suited him well, but he could tell she was displeased with the reversal by the sudden comprehension in her gaze.

  He loomed over her as he walked forward. She backed up to avoid him, until he had her pinned between himself and the bed. If she moved back any farther, she’d fall on it. “You’re in plenty of trouble, but not with the school. I saw you tonight with Lex, and then I heard what’s going on with you and Lex and Jonas.”

  She glared, but she didn’t look embarrassed. “Get out,” she said again, just as firmly as last time.

  Ignoring her demand, he brought up a hand to hold her chin still, so she couldn’t turn her head away from him. When her eyes didn’t meet his, consciously looking over his shoulder instead, he shook her gently. He wasn’t trying to hurt her, but he needed her attention.

  After a moment, she finally looked at him, clearly under duress. “What?”

  “Are you trying to stack the odds in your favor so you end up with at least one rich boyfriend?”

  She was meeting his gaze now, but she rolled her eyes. “Just let it go. It’s none of your business, and I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

  “I didn’t ask for you to be a slut.” As he said the words, he bent his head to brush his lips against her cheek.

  She flinched away from him, but she also trembled. Looking at her dilated eyes, he was certain it wasn’t fear making her quiver.

  “Don’t be so old-fashioned. I’ll bet you aren’t a virgin, and I’m not a slut. I can’t help whom I love, and it’s none of your business.” She glared up at him.

  Being close to her had soothed some of his anger, but it flared white-hot again at her lack of shame and use of the “L” word. “You don’t love them.”

  She glared up at him. “I might. I don’t know. It hasn’t been long enough to be sure, but I’m sure of one thing—my love life doesn’t concern you, so get the hell out.”

  He pressed his mouth against hers, kissing her roughly. She stifled a moan for a moment before she placed her palms against his chest and pushed hard, obviously wanting him to step back. “Don’t touch me.”

  “So, you think you love those losers?” His tone was brittle, and he couldn’t hide the hurt underlying his anger.

  For a moment, she looked receptive as she gazed up at him. Then her expression hardened. “They aren’t losers, and it’s not your business.”

  “You keep saying that, but it doesn’t make it true. Why do you think you love them?” He was gripping her upper arms now, and he realized he was shaking her. He made an effort to calm down with a few deep breaths. “Why them?”

  She shrugged a shoulder.

  He grunted. “Why not me?” He was aware of how much vulnerability the question revealed, but he’d been compelled to a
sk.

  Her mouth gaped open for a moment, and she was clearly searching for some alternate explanation besides the most obvious meaning in his words. “What are you talking about?”

  “Why don’t you love me?” He leaned forward a little more, pulling her into his arms. He ignored that she was stiff with resistance, certain she was forcibly holding herself back from her reaction because she didn’t want to reveal she was attracted to him. He already knew, due to their shared kisses, and the intensity of his anger for her, matched only by his desire.

  “How could I ever love you? You’re cruel, pushy, and downright mean. You hate me. Only a fool would let themselves have feelings for someone who hates them and is mean to them.” She glared at him. “I’m not a fool.”

  The words were appropriate and full of sincerity, but he knew she was trying to convince herself as much as him. She didn’t want him to know, but he could see it in her expression. She was torn between how she felt and how she should feel. He could understand that, experiencing the exact same thing.

  She was right too. He’d been nothing but horrible to her, aside from returning the locket Malone had stolen, planning to give it back to her in pieces, one at a time. That had been his sole good deed, other than steering clear for the last few weeks.

  His avoidance was motivated by selfishness rather than concern for her. He’d been trying to get over his fixation on her, and he hadn’t spared a thought to how relieved she might be not to have him constantly in her face. He hadn’t kept his distance to give her a breather or a chance to get over this attraction. It had all been for him. “Candy, just—”

  She frowned. “Don’t call me that.”

  “Sorry.” He gave her a crooked grin. “You’re sweeter than candy, so it seems natural to call you my candy.”

  She rolled her eyes again. “Just get out. Please.” She looked exhausted. “I’m not discussing this with you of all people.”

  He should. He knew he should, but he couldn’t do it. His hand was still on her chin, and he lightened his grip enough to nudge it upward, so she was looking at him again. He glanced down at her for a moment, and their gazes locked before he bent his head and kissed her.

  For a moment, he forgot his purpose. Anger, confusion, and resentment entwined, and it was a punishing kiss again. Only when she whimpered in protest did he lighten the pressure of his kiss.

  She was still stiff for another moment, but as he changed the tempo, becoming more coaxing and less demanding, she slowly relaxed against him. Her arms rose of their own accord, going around his neck, and he pulled her closer.

  He continued to kiss her for what felt like hours, memorizing the taste of her before his lips drifted to brush against her ear. He nibbled softly on the lobe, and she trembled against him. He couldn’t deny a wave of tenderness that came over him, and he wanted to take care of her. He wanted to worship her and make her feel good, along with himself.

  She stiffened once more when he started unbuttoning the shirt of her costume. She was no longer wearing the jacket, but he didn’t know where it was. All he knew was there were six buttons between him and seeing more of her flesh. Six impossible little buttons that his fingers fumbled with, though he’d fastened and unfastened buttons thousands of times in his life. Dalton took a deep breath to calm down when he realized he was shaking from excitement.

  Refocused, he continued to kiss her, not wanting her to put a stop to what his hands were doing. Finally, the last stubborn button opened, and all he had to do was untie the shirt at the waist. That was much easier than the buttons, and then he dropped it on the floor.

  He wanted to see her, but he was afraid to break the kiss. He feared pulling away might shatter the moment between them, so he settled for cupping one of her breasts in his hand. She moaned low in her throat when he dragged his thumb across the nipple, deciding it wasn’t enough. Her bra opened with a front clasp, but he held his breath for a minute as he waited to see if she’d shove him away. She didn’t, and he was able to open it and peel it off her.

  No longer able to resist the need to see her, he pulled back and looked down in appreciation. Her breasts were a little more than a handful, with pale pink areolas and slightly darker nipples. He rubbed his thumbs across them while moving his gaze upward to see her expression.

  Her head was thrown back, black hair cascading backward, and she was clearly enjoying his touch. He couldn’t resist the need to taste her, so he bent his head and sucked lightly on her right nipple.

  “Dalton.” That was more of a gasp than a word, but it was enough to reassure him that she knew exactly who she was with, and who was touching her this way.

  Gently, he nudged her backward until she was lying on the bed. She was still uncertain, so he wanted to make the separation brief. He stripped off his costume as quickly as he could, standing only in his briefs. She looked like she was going to open her mouth, probably to object, so he left them on in his haste to join her on the bed.

  As soon as he laid down beside her, she turned her head to meet his gaze. Her indecision was clear, but when he put his hand on her stomach and started massaging lightly, her eyes closed after a brief hesitation.

  Slowly, he dipped his fingers lower, tracing under her belly button before reaching the end of her abdomen. The pants from her costume had yet another button, along with the zipper, but it was much easier to maneuver. He pulled her pants slowly down over her hips but left her underwear when she froze. He looked up to gauge her reaction. She looked uncertain, but she wasn’t telling him to stop. She seemed frozen in indecision.

  He could relate to her internal conflict, but he was crystal-clear on his decision right then. He wanted to be with her, and to be inside her. He was certain she hadn’t slept with Lex or Jonas yet, and he was determined she wouldn’t. She belonged to him, and he wanted to make that clear.

  More than that, he wanted to be joined with her in a deeply intimate way. He’d had sex before, but he’d never made love, and this felt a lot tenderer and more meaningful than his previous times.

  His fingers dipped between her thighs, stroking her over the silky panties. She let out a shuddering breath when he started stroking her clit, and Dalton brought her to the edge of orgasm within a few minutes, after learning her anatomy, and her favorite spots—the ones that made her lift her hips, writhe, and moan low in her throat.

  For a moment, he thought about stopping, leaving her revved up on the edge before joining their bodies, so they could come together, but that seemed cruel. She was so close, and a couple more swipes of his thumb under her clit pushed her the rest of the way over.

  She let out a gasping sob as her body shook. She was still in the throes of her pleasure, so he took charge of the moment and rearranged her enough that he could share the bed with her while lying atop her. Nestling his cock against her pussy made him gasp in pleasure, even though two layers of cloth separated them.

  He rocked forward, making her gasp. She opened her eyes wide, seeming on the verge of rejecting him. He aborted his plan to slip off her panties and his briefs. If he tried that, or went for a condom, she’d have a chance to gather her thoughts. If this was all he could get right now, he planned to take it.

  He rocked against her again, rubbing his erection against her slick panties. She was soaking wet, and he tortured himself by imagining plunging into her tight sheath as he continued arching against her. He wanted to be inside her, but this was certainly giving both of them pleasure too.

  Dalton lost himself in rubbing and rocking against her, trying to angle the head of his cock to rub against the spot right below her clit, which made her twitch each time and elicited a new groan. As she started to come, evidenced by her jerky motions against him and her raspy breathing, he reached down to free his cock. It took only the briefest contact of his bare head against her wet panties, and the hot flesh underneath, to send him over the edge.

  He came on her stomach with a groan, looking down as his cock twitched, marking her with e
ach spurt of his cum. He reveled in the sight, seeing her skin bearing proof of his release. Proof of his claim on her. He’d beaten the other two to this point, and he was exhilarated by his victory.

  As he pulled back so he could sit up, she looked up at him through the veil of her lashes, and there was a tentative smile lifting her lips. She seemed on the verge of saying something but lacked the ability to do so.

  Knowing he needed to break the silence, he blurted out the first thought that came to him. “Dump those losers. You can only have me, because I don’t share.”

  Her tenuous expression morphed from one that was difficult to identify to pure anger. She stood up from the bed, pointing at the door with a shaking hand. “Get out.”

  He frowned, realizing he’d taken the wrong path, but unable to step off it now. “Not until I hear you promise you’re done with them. Tonight changes things, and you belong to me.”

  Her hands were on her hips suddenly, and she marched toward him. “I don’t belong to anyone. I definitely don’t belong to you because of one stupid mistake on my part. Get. Out.” She seemed on the verge of screaming at him.

  “Not until—”

  “Now. I made a mistake trusting you. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I let a moment of weakness sway me into this.”

  “Candace—”

  “Out. I don’t want to hear anything else from you. Just leave.”

  He thought about arguing, wanting to press the point that he was possessive, but it was only because he cared. He’d taken the wrong approach though. He should’ve just asked her to promise him she was done with Jonas and Lex rather than issuing it like an autocratic order.

  He would’ve protested, trying to convince her to see his point-of-view, but she looked so weary and fragile at the moment that he knew he had to back off. Without another word, he retrieved his clothes and dressed, his gaze not leaving hers as he did so. She still seemed angry and looked regretful, which made his stomach clench. He didn’t want her to regret them moving forward. “I…”