“Never,” I truthfully admit. “I can’t get you out of my head. I’m going crazy.”
Her tinkling laugh filters down the line. “You’re not alone in it. You are all I’m thinking about.”
I close my eyes, picturing her with Phoebe again. “That makes me happy.”
“You make me happy.”
“I think I might die of blue balls before the week is out.”
Loud peals of laughter tickle my eardrums. “You have two working hands. You’ll survive.”
I pout. “If I have to.”
“Look, let’s talk tomorrow. We’ll find a way to get together. I don’t think I’d last all week without seeing you either.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
“See that you do.” Another yawn slips out of her mouth. “Let’s hang up on the count of three.”
My belly rumbles with laughter. “One.”
“Two.”
“Three.”
She hangs up, and the flat line of the ringtone reverberates in my ear for several seconds before I end the call and switch off my cell.
Hearing her voice and her words was just what the doctor ordered. Starting my truck, I grin as I turn on the radio. I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy. We may not have admitted it to one another yet, but I’d bet my life Emily is falling for me in the same way I’m falling for her.
* * *
Two nights later, I’m still feeling those words while I have Emily pinned under me in my bed in my dorm room. She’s giggling uncontrollably. “Please don’t. I can’t take anymore, Adam.” Sam won’t be back until later, and Emily’s tutoring client canceled, so we seized the opportunity to grab a couple hours together. My cock thanks me for my quick thinking.
I squeeze her side again as my erection grazes her thigh. “Say it. Or else I’ll tickle you senseless.” I’m hiding a grin, trying to be serious, but it isn’t working.
Seeing her laughing and squirming beneath me is by far the best picture I’ve ever seen.
She grabs my cock. “Fuck me, please.”
“Now was that so hard?” I quip.
She shakes her head, holding in laughter, flashing her blue eyes at me. “But come on. It was funny.”
“Calling my cock Mr. Willy isn’t something any guy wants to hear.” I tease her more than anything. She can call my dick anything she wants, and I’d drop to my knees and worship at the altar of Emily. “I usually refer to him as the pleasure machine.” She busts out laughing, and I grin. I position my cock at her entrance. “Are you ready to meet the pleasure machine?”
Her lids fall closed as she lifts her hips, digging her nails into my triceps. “I’ve been ready from the instant I stepped foot in the door.” She runs the tip of her finger down my chest, eliciting a trail of shivers in her wake.
“I don’t like to keep any lady waiting.” In one move, I thrust inside her drenched pussy, and she cries out in a loud moan.
We’re on round two, and I’m thankful Sam is tutoring. Since our lust-filled weekend, all I’ve thought about is how to get Emily alone. Yesterday, we made out in my truck on a dark street off campus. While I’ll take whatever stolen moments I can with Emily, my truck isn’t big enough for the things I want to do to her. Regardless, we’re trying to be careful not to be seen in public, and finding a place to have sex is monumental. Sam tutors late every Wednesday, so we might be able to make this a regular thing. For about five seconds, I debated taking her to Mom’s for dinner, but it’s late, and Phoebe goes to bed early on school nights.
Lowering my head, I capture one of her nipples between my teeth and bite down.
“Harder,” she moans.
I swirl my tongue around, licking then nipping, teasing her. I love seeing her squirm when I don’t give her what she wants.
She digs her nails in me. “Harder and start moving.”
She’s such a bossy little thing, but I wouldn’t have her any other way. I pull out, and she shoots up almost to a sitting position. “Where are you going?” she protests, scowling.
I grin as I adjust my body, lifting her legs over my shoulders and burying my face in her pussy.
She flops back, and the minute I flatten my tongue on her clit, she moans so loud the guys next door can probably hear her.
But I’ve zero fucks to give.
I’ve got a good rhythm going, alternating between sucking her clit and plunging my tongue into her wet heat, when the sound of a key turning in the door makes me fly off the bed. I throw a sheet over Emily and hunt for my clothes.
Her blue eyes are huge as she clutches the sheet to her chest.
I grab a pair of sweats off the floor, but it’s too late.
Sam barrels in, completely out of breath. When he takes in the scene, his mouth falls open. He quickly averts his eyes, looking at the side of the room. “Have you heard?”
I manage to pull my sweats on.
Emily tugs the sheet up to her neck, remaining calm and attentive as she asks, “What happened? Did Wes get arrested?”
Sam flicks on his computer, taps a few keys, and a video brightens the screen. “Wes is in jail.”
Hallelujah.
Emily squeals, dropping the sheet in her excitement, exposing her perfect tits. “For real?” She jumps up and into my arms buck-ass naked. “Oh my God. Did you hear that, Adam?”
“You need to put some clothes on,” I whisper in her ear.
“I agree,” Sam says, not turning around yet, being the perfect gentleman. He clearly has supersonic hearing.
I can’t say for sure the last time Sam has gotten laid. We don’t talk about sex much, and he hasn’t dated any girl since he came to CU. I pray one day he finds a girl who will rock his world like Emily has rocked mine.
Emily slides down my body, taking her sweet time and cupping my junk along the way.
“Tease,” I mouth at her as blood rushes to my cock.
Emily dresses as fast as she can before rushing over to Sam to read what’s on the screen. “This says he was arrested yesterday. What the fuck? How come we’re just getting wind of this now? I even eavesdropped on my mom’s conversation last night, hoping I’d hear something.”
I want to know too. Sam was supposed to have tabs on Wes.
Sam pops to his feet, his face beet red. “Sit, Em.”
She takes his seat and starts reading the page he brought up from a local news station. “Weston Blakely, a pre-law student at Cypress University, was arrested last night on multiple charges of gang rape and sexual assault.” She goes quiet for a minute. “Holy crap. Two girls aside from Kim came forward. I have to call Kim.” Just then her phone goes off.
Then my phone pings.
It’s Carter. “Did you see the news?”
Emily is talking at the same time, and Sam’s blue eyes are bouncing between Emily and me with a look I can’t quite figure out.
“Yeah, man. It’s fucking fantastic, but can I call you later?”
“Sure,” Carter says and hangs up.
I pocket my phone and walk to Sam. “You okay? You seem a little out of sorts.”
“I’m cool,” he says. “Glad this Wes shit is over.”
“How come you didn’t know when it happened?” I ask.
“Wes’s old man kept the whole thing from going public. And since the police confiscated Wes’s computers and phone, I couldn’t do a thing. But I found out Wes’s crew got tagged too.”
Emily is listening to her caller, smiling and bouncing her knee up and down. “I know. Best news ever. I feel like I’m walking on air.”
Shit. I feel like I can breathe again too.
“So,” Sam says. “Did anyone see Emily come in?”
Bingo. That’s what he’s freaking out over.
“Nah. I snuck her in the back way.”
Emily hangs up her phone, beaming from ear to ear. “That was Kim. She’s so relieved. I bet my mom is pissed.” She says the last sentence with some giddiness, and Sam and I laugh.
Sam stabs a thumb at the door. “I’m going to get something to drink. I’ll be back.”
When the door snicks shut, Em walks right into my arms. “He doesn’t seem excited.”
I thread my fingers through her silky strands. “He’s worried about you getting caught in here.”
She wiggles her hips against my crotch. “I can’t blame him. I actually hate us sneaking in here. I worry about you and Sam. My mom would freak out for sure. Maybe we should tell my dad.”
I rear back. “Say what?”
She pokes my chest. “You heard me.”
I shake my head. Fuck no. Coach will string me up by my balls for dating his daughter and then cut off my dick for fucking his daughter. Not ready to go down that road.
She crosses her arms over her tits. “If he knows you rescued me, he’ll change his tune.”
I tug her to me. “I don’t share your confidence.”
She snorts. “I get it. You’re not ready.”
She’s not ready either. “Does your dad know about what Wes did to you?”
Fear freezes her in place. “No, but I’m going to tell him.” Determination washes over her features. “I’m not looking forward to that convo, but it has to happen.”
I agree.
She slides her hands up my abs and over my chest. “I want to resume playing with the pleasure machine.” She slants me a flirty look as her tongue darts out, wetting her lips.
As much as I want to slide my cock into her and finish what we started, Sam will walk through that door any minute. “We’ll have to take a rain check. Sam will be back any second.”
“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” She stretches up, planting a passionate kiss on my lips. She sighs dreamily as she pulls back. “I better get going,” she says, as a smile lights up her face. “I can’t wait to tell Scar and Zach. I’m sure they already heard though.”
“Most likely, it’s all over campus by now.” Serves the douche right. I fucking love karma. I lace my fingers with hers. “Come on, beautiful. I can maul you in the stairwell on our way out.” I know the perfect place to finish what we started.
She slaps a hand over her chest. “You say the most romantic things.” A giggle escapes her lips, and it’s becoming my most favorite sound in the whole world.
“Anything to please my girl,” I say, brushing my lips against hers as I pull her out of the room.
20
Emily
The sound of glass breaking greets my ears the second I enter my house. Frowning, I drop my bag and keys on the hall table, walking in the direction of the kitchen. Dad pokes his head out of the living room. “Princess, do you have a minute?”
“Sure.” I smooth my hair back, tucking it behind my ears, hoping Dad can’t spot the freshly fucked aura I’m sporting. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not quite sure.” He paces the polished hardwood floor, running a hand through his reddish-brown hair. “And I was hoping you might be able to help me out.”
All the tiny hairs stand to attention on the back of my neck as I sense where he’s leading. I sink onto the couch, sitting ramrod straight.
“Your mother has been locked in her study since she arrived home early today. All I know is she’s dealing with the fallout of Weston Blakely’s arrest, but she’s been throwing things around the room the last ten minutes, so whatever is going down isn’t good.”
“I suppose it’s too much to expect an apology from her.” I purse my lips, swallowing back bile.
Dad stops pacing, sitting down alongside me. “I never liked that guy, and I couldn’t understand why Carole was so keen to push you together when it was obvious you couldn’t stand him.”
“Then why did you allow it?”
He has the decency to look ashamed. “For an easier life.” His shoulders hunch forward. “I need to ask you about him, Emily, but first, I want to apologize to you.”
My eyes pop wide.
He takes my hands in his big, meaty ones. They are warm and comforting. “I haven’t been much of a father to you—”
I open my mouth to speak, but he places a finger over my lips.
“Don’t attempt to refute that. We both know it’s the truth. And I need to say this. It’s long overdue.”
I nod, urging him to continue with my eyes.
“I haven’t been in a good place for a long time, Emily. That’s no excuse for not taking proper care of you, for allowing your mother to push both of us around, but I’ve been meeting a therapist, and I’m seeing things more clearly now.”
“Like what?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t want to get into that now. Just know that things are going to change. Starting with this ridiculous threat your mother is holding over your head. I don’t want to see you sliding back into a dark place again, but threatening you with eviction is not the answer. We failed you two years ago. I failed you. And that’s not going to happen again. All I want is for you to be healthy and happy.” He presses his lips to my cheek. “And I want you to know you always have a home with me. I would never let her take home or college away from you.”
“You really mean that, Dad?” I can scarcely believe it.
“I do, honey.” He presses a kiss to the top of my head this time. “But you need to be honest with me too.” He pins me with a serious look. “Are you taking drugs again?”
I vigorously shake my head, and it’s not really a lie, because I haven’t been high in almost two weeks. “I’m clean and sober, Dad.”
His shoulders relax a little. “That’s great, princess. I was a little worried there for a while.”
He’s more observant than I’ve given him credit for.
“And maybe you should consider going for a few therapy sessions. It’s really helped me.”
“I’ll think about it,” I lie, because there’s no way I’m ready to delve into all the shit stored in my head.
“I want you to know you can come to me about anything. I mean it. I know we haven’t had that kind of relationship since you were a little girl, but I am here for you. No judgment. Just support.”
Tears sting the back of my eyes as I launch myself at him, hugging him tight. I hate that I can’t remember the last time we hugged it out. His arms go around me without hesitation, and I cling to him, squeezing my eyes shut and committing this moment to memory.
“How touching.” Mom’s words are laced with venom, and she’s not attempting to disguise it.
We pull apart.
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, how about saying nothing at all,” Dad calmly replies.
“Did you have anything to do with this?” she snaps at me, as if Dad hasn’t even spoken.
“To do with what?” I feign innocence, frowning in confusion.
Her eyes narrow to slits and she plants her hands on her slim hips, slanting me with a look of cool disdain.
I think my mother hates me.
Like legit can’t stand me.
And I hate how that affects me. Because she’s a cold-hearted bitch, and I shouldn’t care.
At least I’m not like her. At least I can still feel. Even if the overriding emotion is hurt at her continuous rejection. I stand, and Dad rises too.
“Don’t play dumb. You know I’m referring to this mix-up with Weston.”
“Mix-up?” My voice oozes disbelief. “It’s no mix-up, Mother. He is everything those reports say he is.” She stares blankly at me, and I’m disgusted. I know she’s an unfeeling bitch, but she’s the fucking president of the college! And she’s a woman! Where is her empathy? I didn’t think it was possible to hate my mother any more than I already do, but I guess I’m learning something new today. Because her reaction sickens me.
“I’ve told you what he’s like, but you refused to listen to your own daughter,” I hiss, on a roll. “You’ve had a monster preying on women on this campus. Monsters, actually, as in plural, because his buddies are every bit as perverted as he is, and yet you did nothing.” My
gaze challenges her as much as my words.
“It’s just a misunderstanding.” She continues to deny the truth.
I fist my hands at my side as red coats my vision. “You’re kidding, right? Three girls have come forward, Mom. Three. Victims. And I’m betting more will make statements in the coming days. He is a predator, Mom. A sick, disgusting, vile, pathetic excuse of a human being.”
She glares daggers at me. “Just because you’ve never liked him doesn’t mean you get to throw stones. He will be exonerated.”
“Don’t you even care about how this will impact CU? How it will impact your job?” Because the fact she hasn’t considered that angle is really odd. Mom lives and breathes her job, so why isn’t she more concerned? This case is already garnering international attention and there’s no denying enrollment will drop. She’s going to come under severe pressure from the board, so why isn’t she worried? What the hell is going on with her?
A low growl erupts from Dad. “Open your ears, Carole. Listen to what your daughter is saying. And if you won’t do it for Emily, I know you’ll do the right thing for your position.” Dad’s thinking is in line with mine. “After all, that is all you care about.” Usually, Dad would bark those words at Mom, but his voice is even-keeled, and it doesn’t appear he’s trying to cause an argument.
“Don’t talk about stuff you know nothing about,” she fumes, wringing her hands. “Ensuring Weston avoids prosecution is what’s best for my position,” she murmurs, more to herself than us.
Dad and I exchange suspicious expressions.
“What exactly do you mean by that?” Dad asks, taking a step toward her.
“Nothing that concerns you.” She turns on her heel.
“Where are you going?” he asks.
“Back to my office for an emergency meeting. We need to do damage control and come up with some new policies and procedures that will keep everyone happy until this is resolved.”
“That can wait.” Dad folds his arms across his toned chest. “We need to listen to what Emily has to say.”
She lingers in the doorway for a split second with her back to us. “Don’t wait up.” Then she stalks off, the tap-tap of her stiletto heels echoing along the hallway until she slams the front door shut and we’re met with dead silence.
Holding on to Forever Page 19
