by Maya Nicole
I snorted. "You're the only one who watches baseball. I thought you were just checking the score."
"He's nervous, the bases are loaded." Reve was watching the screen now too.
I got bored quickly and leaned into Reve, fitting like a puzzle piece in the crook of his arm. His light touches on my skin as he played with my hair were so relaxing I felt my eyes grow heavy.
My head jerked as Reve started laughing and Tobias let out a slew of curses. Someone hit a homerun with the bases loaded.
"The Giants will always be superior to the Dodgers, by the way."
"Funny. Dodgers are at the top of the league right now. Where are the Giants? Oh, that's right, near the bottom."
I didn't know much about team rivalries in sports, but living in California for your entire life, it is well known that Dodgers fans and Giants fans did not see eye to eye.
"Can you two please stop. There's only so much of this back and forth I can take." I put my head on Reve's shoulder as Tobias looked over at me with a frown on his face.
"If he tells me he's a Raider's fan, I don't think I can deal. Raider's fans are crazy." Was he being serious? I didn't understand the obsessive nature of liking a sports team. Maybe there was a sports demon that had hold of Tobias's brain.
"Raider Nation, baby."
"You two have a lot in common after all. Both of you are sports fans and you both love me." I leaned over and grabbed the controller that Tobias was still gripping. "And you both want to make me happy by turning to something else."
"I think maybe it's time for Tobias to head home for the night."
"I'm going nowhere if you're still here."
"So, what you're saying is that if I wanted to have sex with Danica this evening, you'd want to supervise?"
"You aren't having sex with her."
"Shouldn't that be her decision? You have all had sex with her. Two of you at a time. Watching each other. Why can't I have sex with her?"
"Guys, I'm sitting right here." I couldn't believe they were still at each other's throats. Was this how parents felt when their two children bickered with each other?
"You're probably into all kinds of BDSM shit. That's not Danica's style."
"I can assure you that shit is never part of the equation. Maybe Danica has some secret fantasies you are unaware of. Did you ever think of that?"
"Like what?"
My face must have been fifty shades of red when both men turned their heads to look at me.
"Danica?" Tobias raised his eyebrows.
"I might be a little interested in trying some things out. You always threaten to spank me and you haven't yet. Being tied up appeals to me." I bit my lip because I didn't want to sound like I was unsatisfied with the sex because, hell yes, I was very satisfied. "And I definitely would be turned on if I could boss Olly and Asher around with each other."
"See? I know her better than you think." A cocky grin spread across Reve's face.
"Only because you hijacked her dreams. We could tie you up and torture you a bit. That sounds right up your alley."
The smile slid from Reve's face and he cleared his throat before turning his attention back to me. "I should get going. I have nightmares to create."
He stood and I jumped up after him as he started walking away. I grabbed his wrist and he froze. I let go quickly.
"Reve-"
"It's fine."
I followed him to the door. Once he stepped outside, he turned towards me and gave me a small reassuring smile. It wasn't very reassuring at all.
My eyes dropped to the chain tattoo around his neck then down to the chains on his wrists. I looked back at his face.
"It was a long time ago, I just haven't been reminded of it in a while. I really do need to get to work." He put his hands in his pockets and I heard a set of keys move.
"Will you be visiting me tonight? It's been a while." I bit my lip. I missed him taking me out of my own nightmares.
"I will." Then he turned and unlocked the door to the apartment right next door.
I should have been shocked or upset with the fact that he was a level ten stalker by a human's standards, but I wasn't. I was starting to come to terms with the fact that nothing in my life was quite human anymore.
Chapter Eleven
Monday mornings were such a drag, but first thing when I opened my door to leave, I found another bouquet of roses sitting on my doorstep. Reve might be a demon, but he certainly was a charmer.
I quickly unwrapped the cellophane and cut off the ends. I ended up poking myself about a dozen times and wondered why floral shops didn't take more care to cut off the thorns. I emptied the packet of flower preserver in water and stuck the roses in a vase.
I drove to school and walked into class excited for once. There were only two more days of classes before three days of finals. Half of my excitement was from classes being done and half was from not having to wear the atrocious sailor's uniform anymore. Every time I looked in the mirror I thought about how easy it would be to sneak on a yacht and steal it without looking suspicious.
If I didn't need them for next year, I'd have burned them. I really wanted to burn them. The temptation to not return was strong.
I put my bag down on the table and approached Tobias's desk where he was staring at his computer screen with an intensity that made him sexier than usual.
"Good morning, Mr. Armstrong. How are you this marvelous Monday?"
He grunted without looking up from his computer screen. I stood there for another moment, hoping he was just in the middle of reading an email, but then he closed his computer and shuffled some papers.
I swear sometimes Tobias had mood swings like he was the one that had to deal with a bleeding vagina. Yesterday we had all, with the exception of Reve, hung out all day. Tobias even helped me study.
"You need to take a seat Ms. Deville." He looked up at me, his eyes pleading.
I tilted my head a bit, trying to figure him out. He hadn't called me Ms. Deville in what felt like forever. It was a warning.
I rolled my eyes at him and sat down in my seat just as other students began trickling in. They were talking in hushed whispers and kept sneaking glances in Tobias's direction. I picked up bits and pieces of the conversation and my eyes widened and my gut clenched.
"She moved off campus."
"He was on call Saturday night and Sunday, but he wasn't here."
"I heard Dean Whittaker got a report that our wards were compromised for a short time because he wasn't here when he was supposed to be."
"Oliver is never around anymore either."
"She must have them under some kind of spell. Do you think they even know?"
"I hope he doesn't get fired. He's my favorite teacher."
The sudden urge to vomit hit me and I tried to busy myself by getting out my notebook. This was my fault. I was the one who moved off campus. I was the one who had a demon love interest that made Tobias uncomfortable enough to shirk his duties.
I braved a glance up in Tobias's direction. He was holding it together pretty well considering what was being said about him. Well, besides the slight tremor in his hands and the frown on his face.
When Olly entered the room, the whispering stopped and more staring happened as he strode over to the seat next to me and sat down. Whispers started again and he turned to look around the room and then to look at me.
"What happened?" he asked under his breath.
"I'm not sure but they’re whispering about us. All of us. I think Tobias is in trouble." I worked my bottom lip between my teeth and took a calming breath, not that it helped much. "What if he gets fired?"
Olly made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a snort. "Michael assigned him here. He isn't going anywhere."
I considered his words, allowing myself to calm down a bit. "But he'll have some kind of consequence, won't he?"
"Stop worrying. You have enough on your plate. We've all made our choice to be with you. He's known that people m
ight find out at some point." Olly put his hand on my thigh and squeezed.
Class started and Tobias went through what we would be covering over the next two days. Our final was on Friday so we would spend time reviewing the most important takeaways from the semester.
I tried to pay attention to his words, but my mind had other ideas and instead played through the events from the weekend. Tobias had built himself as a well-respected and competent instructor, and here I was ruining it for him.
Classes were over for the day. I was glad I no longer had to study for my GED or meet Olly to review the absurd amount of expectations at the academy. I had passed both the GED test and the bullshit made-up test with flying colors.
I walked across campus to the faculty building and let myself in. Tobias hadn't taken my keys yet. I made my way to his room and let myself in with the key he had given me. He wasn't back yet, so I planted myself on his futon.
I pulled my phone out of my bag and was surprised to see a text from my dad. He had been fairly silent lately and we hadn't been talking much. He knew I had moved, had been opposed to it as any father would, but he hadn't stopped me.
I would like to see your new place. Thursday evening?
Despite knowing that he hadn't wanted me to move off campus, I was excited to show him I was adulting. I knew he just worried about me being on my own, but I had Asher right upstairs and apparently Reve had slyly leased the apartment next door.
It was like the building was made for the three of us rejects. The ex-Fallen, the demon, and the freak.
I put my phone on the table and picked up a large, leather-covered photo album I had never seen before. Tobias didn't have pictures lying around. I flipped open the cover and smiled. These were probably the pictures Asher had gotten from Tobias's family and scanned into his computer.
The photos were black and white, but in a way that made them even more vibrant with life. You notice other things in black and white photos. The first several pages were of Tobias and his wife, Margie. In every picture of them, they were glued at the hip with smiles on their faces. There were pictures of their wedding day, them posing on a beach, and them in front of a house.
They were a beautiful couple. Tobias looked exactly the same with his trimmed beard, broad shoulders, and narrow waist. Margie was what I'm sure was considered a bombshell back during that time; a classic beauty. She had long blond hair, the softest eyes, and Marilyn Monroe-like curves.
I turned the pages and watched his children grow up before my eyes. He had done the same, watched them grow in photographs. It broke my heart to know he only had memories up until the time he left for war.
He had missed everything. Their first days of school, their first lost teeth, graduations, marriages. I wiped at my face to stop the tears from dripping onto the plastic protected pages.
I heard the door open behind me, but continued to look through the pictures. I wasn't sure if he'd be upset that I was looking at them, but I couldn't hide the fact that I had seen them. I had taken an intimate tour of his past life and a life that could have been.
"Hey." I heard his bag hit the kitchen table and his keys follow shortly behind. I could tell by the sounds that he was kicking his shoes off. First his left, then his right. It was always the same.
I didn't say anything and instead shut the album and placed it back on the table. I heard him let out a sigh as he walked towards me.
"I'm assuming you've heard the rumors?" He sat down next to me and reached forward to run his hand over the cover of the album.
"It's all anyone talked about today. No one seemed to care that I could hear every word they said." I fiddled with the hem of my button-down shirt, which I had untucked earlier. "Are you in trouble?"
He grabbed one of my hands to stop me from fiddling and laced his fingers through mine. His head landed on my shoulder and my heart nearly burst out of my chest.
"Michael is coming tomorrow after classes to meet with me and Sue." He ran his thumb back and forth across the length of my thumb. "I'm sorry about this morning. There was a pretty scathing email sent to me and Michael about it. You know how Whittaker is."
"I do. Maybe we should cool things off for a bit. Until you clear this mess up." The words felt wrong coming out of my mouth. I hadn't wanted to say them, but I also couldn't sit by and watch Tobias let his life spiral out of control because of me.
Especially not when I was harboring such a large secret that I was certain would change things.
His head popped up from my shoulder, and with his other hand, he grabbed my chin and turned my face towards him. His eyes searched mine.
"We're not running away from this. I won't run away from it." His eyes were glossy and I bit the inside of my lip, trying to keep my own tears at bay.
I nodded my head and he pulled me against him, taking the hair band out of my hair and running his fingers lightly through it.
"Don't say shit like that. It hurts." I could barely hear his voice against my hair. "I don't care what anyone says. I haven't since the moment I touched you. I love you and I'm never letting you go."
I couldn't stop the tears from falling. He said that now, but I wasn't so sure. I needed to tell them, all of them.
"Make love to me," I mumbled into his shirt.
He pulled back and looked at me, swiping his thumbs under my eyes to wipe the tears away.
"Are you okay?"
I nodded my response and he brushed his wet thumb over my bottom lip, my salty tears spreading over it.
"I'm fine." I shifted so I was straddling him. I really wasn't fine, and I hadn't been in a while, but telling him now would just make matters worse.
I lowered my lips to his neck and kissed my way down as I unbuttoned his shirt. Right now, what I needed was him in my mouth.
His lids grew heavy as I reached the final button and slid from his lap onto the floor in front of him. He parted his knees and I kept my eyes on his as I unbuckled his belt.
"Danica, you don't have to-" His head tilted back onto the cushion and he let out a hiss of breath as I palmed his length through his slacks.
He came to life against my hand, and despite the somber mood, I couldn't keep the smile off my face. I loved the effect I had on these men, time and time again. No matter what I said or did, they always seemed to have an eternal flame burning for me. I could only hope that it would remain.
I pulled his zipper down and tugged his pants down and off. I ran my hands up his thighs before gripping him at the base of his cock. He was fully aroused now, a bead of pre-cum already at the tip, waiting for my tongue to lap it up.
I gave him a few firm pumps before blowing air gently on the tip.
"Fucking hell." His voice was raspy with desire.
He threaded his fingers through my hair as I flicked my tongue across the head, taking a taste of him. He rolled his hips up, urging me to take him into my mouth. As much as I wanted to, I also wanted to savor him, to worship him.
I tilted my head and sucked the sensitive skin at the base, my tongue darting out to tease his balls.
His breaths became short and fast as I slowly moved my lips back to the tip and took him in my mouth. I watched his face as I took him all the way in until he hit the back of my throat.
I hummed as I worked him with my mouth, his hips moving in shallow thrusts, attempting to get deeper.
Once he was thoroughly worked up and panting, I stood up and made slow work of taking off my blazer, shirt, and skirt. He eyed me hungrily, but didn't move from his spot.
As much as he enjoyed taking charge in the bedroom, he also enjoyed torturing himself by watching. I unclasped my bra, letting it fall as I took an extra-long time sliding my panties off. I dropped them on top of his pants, the message clear. He could keep them.
I watched as he stroked himself before I lowered onto his lap, my knees on either side of him. I braced my hands on the back of the futon as he helped guide himself into me until we were completely connected.
&n
bsp; Our lips touched in a gentle kiss that left my toes curling as I began rolling my hips. This was my favorite position, the downward movement always hitting my clit just the right way.
Tobias buried his face in my neck, sucking the skin lightly as I increased my pace. His hands slid to my ass and palmed my flesh.
"Spank me," I breathed, barely managing to get the words out as my body prepared itself to erupt. I gripped the back of the futon and felt my body tense as one of his hands moved and then sent a sharp slap to my cheek.
"Jesus, Danica," he growled, rubbing the spot. His hips began working under mine, pushing himself deeper.
"Again." I'd never been spanked before, and now I wondered why I had waited so long to request it. When his flattened palm hit my ass again, my muscles clenched around him and my orgasm hit with such force that I ceased to exist. My bones turned to jelly and I could barely move.
Taking that as his cue to take over, he lifted me and laid me on the futon, settling between my legs. I arched my body into his and brought his lips back to mine.
He moved in slow, torturous strokes with his face buried in the crook of my neck. I clung to him like he was the anchor keeping me from floating away.
As his pace increased, I felt another orgasm building deep inside of me. My skin felt feverish from the friction of our bodies and the prolonged love making that was making my head feel fuzzy.
Tobias came in a final deep thrust that sent me over the edge with him, our bodies shuddering as they rode out the waves of pleasure.
"That was..." I couldn't find the words to describe it. I loved sex, but this transcended sex. It was a declaration.
"I love you." He kissed my cheek and then pulled back, concern in his eyes. "You're burning up."
I raised a hand to my cheek and shrugged. "Fantastic sex will do that to a person."
"I don't have a thermometer." Tobias pulled out, leaving me feeling empty, and stood. I gazed up at him. "You look really flushed."
"I'm fine." I sat up and my head spun. That was some orgasm. "Really. Don't worry so much. I'm sure in a few minutes my body will realize the orgasms are done with. At least for now."
