I find myself laughing more than I'm used to after meeting someone new. There's just something about talking to him that is, I don't know, easy. He reminds me a lot of Emilio in that way.
I discover Deacon is in fact on the football team. No surprise there. He’s second string seeing as he’s an incoming freshman, and he’s a QB so he’s gunning for Dominique’s spot.
He’s confident and definitely a little cocky that he’ll get it by the end of the year, but I know that won’t happen. Not before Dominique graduates at least, so Deacon will have to wait until his junior year to start.
A part of me wonders if the two of them are friends, or friendly at least, since Dominique would be the one responsible for working with him. None of the guys are particularly social unless they have to be, Dominique less so than even Roman, and that’s saying something.
In high school, the guys actively avoided everyone not in their close-knit circle, including their fellow teammates, and were called Devils for a reason that had nothing to do with the school mascot and everything to do with the hell they rained down on anyone dumb enough to bother them.
I can’t imagine things are any different here. It’s unlikely Dominique would bother getting to know a second-string player off the field, but during training and practices, he might be less of an asshole. Maybe. Okay, probably not, but a part of me is tempted to ask Deacon how well he knows Dominique. I try not to dwell on why I want to know that, though.
We reach the school's athletic center and I turn to wave goodbye.
"See you around, Deacon," I tell him, but before I can move for the doors, he clasps my hand with his and tugs just enough to stop me.
“Okay, can you not do that?” I ask.
He drops my hand immediately, lifting his own in a show of surrender. “My bad. I just …” He adopts a sheepish expression. “I wanted you to know, I’m glad we ran into each other today. Literally and figuratively.” He drops his hands and a slow smile spreads across his face.”You’re not like other girls, Kasey. It’s refreshing.”
Oh.
“Thanks. I, uh, I’m glad we ran into each other too.”
“Yeah?” he asks.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah. You’re not that bad, but don’t let it go to your head. I've only agreed to coffee," I remind him, and the next thing I know, he closes the distance between us, reclaiming my hand anyway as he brings it to his mouth, gently pressing his lips to my knuckles.
His eyes flick up, holding my gaze, and a small smile plays on his lips before he straightens and takes a step back. “See you around, friend.”
“Yep.” I turn and make a beeline for the doors, not sure what to think of that, when for the second time today I crash into another warm body, this time hard enough that I stumble back a few steps and fall flat on my butt.
“Seriously!”
A warm chuckle has me looking up to find Dominique’s amused stare locked on me. Not who I wanted to run into right now.
Chapter Six
“Where’s the fire?” he asks, peering down at me like the brooding asshole I know him to be.
I open my mouth to snap at him for being a jerk and letting me fall, because I know he did it on purpose. Dominique’s reflexes are lightning fast, so there is zero doubt in my mind he could have prevented my fall if he’d wanted to. But before I snap at him, his gaze shifts past me to the doors, a frown marring his face and a flash of anger ignites in his eyes.
I turn, but no one is there. I wonder if he saw me talking to Deacon. If he did, does he care? Probably not. But then why would he be angry?
I shove myself to my feet, dusting my hands on the back of my jeans. “Thanks for the save,” I mock.
His attention turns back to me. “Why were you walking with Hunt?” he asks, his gaze probing.
“Who?”
“Hunt?” At my blank look he huffs. “Deacon Hunt. The guy you were talking to on your way over here. Why were you talking to him?”
“Am I not supposed to?” I ask, not bothering to answer his question as I head to my next class. I have ten minutes before it starts, but I’d rather Dominique think I don’t have time to talk at the moment. Instead of dropping it, though, he falls into step beside me, his long strides eating through the distance and instinctively making me speed up until I realize what I’m doing and force myself to slow down.
“He’s on the team,” he says and his frown deepens. He slows down once he sees I’m no longer beside him.
“Why is that a problem? You, Roman, and Emilio are all on the team too.”
We walk in silence together for several minutes before he finally says, “It’s not the same.”
I bark out a laugh. “I’m sorry. How exactly is it different?”
He glowers down at me, but I refuse to be affected.
“You know what jocks are like. They’re not better in college than they were in high school. They’re worse.”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, I’m well aware. I have three guy friends who are damn near football gods with a well-established reputation for being man-whoring assholes. Luckily, two met the girls of their dreams and have since been reformed, the third...” I make a show of thinking it over, tapping my finger against my lower lip. “The third is still up to his asshole man-whoring ways. It’s sad, actually. He’s a bit of a lost cause.”
Dominique’s gaze sharpens. “I’m not a man-whore.”
I snort. “At least you don’t deny you’re an asshole.”
His teeth grind together. I struck a nerve with that one.
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
“Ding. Ding. Ding. You are one hundred percent right.”
His eyes widen the smallest amount, but it’s enough to relay his surprise at my words. Oh, he made this too easy and doesn’t even realize it yet.
“And I should respect that. So, I will. And since you brought it up, you must also know that I don’t need to explain myself to you, either.” I grin, my smile widening the darker and more hooded his expression gets.
I know Mom always said you should never poke a bear, but I don’t think she realized just how much fun it could be.
A growly sound rumbles deep in his chest.
“He’s a player.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Cool. I don’t really care.”
“You don’t.”
I roll my eyes. “Why would I?” I’ve already decided I’m not dating the guy, so it’s a non-issue.
Dominique goes quiet again before he barks out a mocking laugh. Shaking his head, his mouth curls into a cruel smile, the one he seems to wear more and more whenever I’m around. “I shouldn’t be surprised.”
I frown. “Surprised by what?” I ask and then kick myself for being so damn predictable. The smart move would have been to ignore his comment. Not to play right into his hands.
His eyes burn with thinly veiled hostility. “That you’ve become like every other chick on campus. Both stupid and shallow if you’re willing to date a known player to gain a little bit of popularity.” He shakes his head as though I’ve somehow disappointed him. “I thought you were better than that.” He shrugs. “Guess I was wrong.”
I ignore his stab, but then he decides to cut a little deeper. “I give you a month. Maybe two before he cheats.” His gaze rakes over me, but there isn’t a hint of desire in his eyes as they travel over my body. Instead, they hold mock pity and disgust. “On second thought, just the one. He’ll lose interest before you hit the second.”
My cheeks heat and I know he can see the blush climbing up my neck.
“Fuck you.” My words shake as I clench my hands into tight fists at my side. Why did that hurt so much?
He grunts. “Pass.”
Fury spikes my bloodstream, my anger and humiliation at his words filling me like a vicious, violent wave. I don’t even realize what’s happening until it’s done. One second I’m about to storm off and the next, my fist is flying, connecting with his jaw, but only enough to graze it be
cause dammit, he’s too fucking tall.
The next thing I know Dominique is shoving me into an empty classroom. The door closes behind us and he locks it before pressing me back into the nearest wall. I suck in a breath and Dominique lifts both arms on either side of me, caging me in with his bulk. “That was an incredibly stupid thing to do.” I don’t miss the threat in his voice, but I absolutely choose to ignore it.
I fist both hands in the fabric of his shirt and shove him with all of my strength, but it’s like trying to move a mountain. “I always knew you were a jerk. But I never knew you were this cruel.”
“It can’t be considered cruelty if it’s the truth.”
Tears sting the backs of my eyes before I blink them away. “Never let them see you cry, sweetheart,” Mom used to tell me. When Dad left her and filed for divorce, it was the lowest I’d ever seen her, but she never did let him see her cry. She was strong. And she raised me to be strong too. I refuse to break down and cry in front of Dominique all because what? He hurt my feelings? Fuck that. His opinion means nothing to me.
“Well, thanks for clearing that up.” My lower lip trembles until I sink my teeth into it, using the pain as an anchor.
Dominique is silent as he stares down his nose at me, eyes devoid of emotion.
“I fucking hate you,” I tell him.
Zero reaction.
“You said your piece. Told me I’m stupid and shallow and can’t hold a guy’s attention. Is there anything else you need to get off your chest? I have a class to get to, and this right here,” I wave my arm between us, “is a waste of my time.”
His gaze latches onto my arm.
With surprising speed and gentle hands he lifts my arm up, bringing it closer to his face like he’s looking for—
I mutter out a curse seeing what caught his attention. Light bruises in the shape of fingers wrap around my forearm. Shit.
Dominique’s expression goes from blank to murderous as he grinds out his next words. “Who touched you?” His already dark brown eyes turn even darker, sending a shiver down my spine.
I don’t answer him.
“I’m not going to ask again, Kasey. Who. Fucking. Touched. You?”
Chapter Seven
My nostrils flare taking in the yellow and purple bruise on Kasey’s fair skin. There’s no mistaking that it’s from a hand. The shape is too distinct, and the imprint is large. A man’s. Someone hurt her.
Whoever he is, he’s a dead man.
Kasey’s already pale skin has gone two shades paler, making her bright blue eyes damn near glow. Her mouth parts, tongue peeking out to lick her full bottom lip. My dick twitches and I silently curse, willing it to stand the fuck down.
She swallows hard, and I know her mind is racing for a response.
“Don’t even think about lying to me,” I warn.
In a move I never would have expected from her, Kasey twists her arm out of my grasp and dips beneath the arm I have pressed against the wall caging her in, in a desperate attempt at escape. It takes two seconds for her hand to reach the door, but before she can open it, I catch her by the waist and tug her back against me. “Not so fast, baby girl.”
Her anger and hatred for me roll off her in waves as she digs her short nails into my arms and kicks her legs, cursing my name.
I flip her around and press her against the door, using my body to pin her in place. I’ve tried to keep myself in check, but she is not making this shit easy.
“Get off of me,” she shouts, and I cover her mouth with my palm, my hand so large I damn near cover half her face. Fuck she’s small. Fragile.
Her eyes blaze and I lean in, ensuring she sees that I am not fucking around right now. Not when it comes to something like this.
“Don’t you dare open that pretty little mouth of yours and scream like that again. Do you feel me? Unless you’re ready to tell me who the fuck was dumb enough to touch you, or decide to drop down on your knees and wrap your lips around my cock, you’re mouth is going to stay closed.”
Her eyes narrow, nostrils flaring. She’s so fucking pissed, and I wish I had more time to enjoy it. I’ve worked hard this past year getting Kasey to hate me. It makes keeping her out of my bed a hell of a lot easier that way. But damn if seeing her like this doesn’t make my dick hard, and the thought of her on her knees for me … fuck. I can’t be the only one affected by that image.
Her small fingers wrap around my wrist, pulling to get my hand off of her mouth.
“Are you going to behave?”
If looks could kill I’d be dead right now with the way she’s glaring at me.
“It’s a yes or no question, baby girl. Blink twice for yes. Once for no.”
Her eyes narrow. Seconds pass and the air grows impossibly thick. I’m sure she can feel my hard-on pressed against her stomach, but neither of us is going to acknowledge it.
When a full minute has passed, she blinks twice and concedes. A rush of satisfaction swells inside my chest. I drop my hand, but don’t step away. I rationalize that the moment I do she’ll bolt. It has nothing to do with how fucking good she feels with her tight little body up against mine. Her lips are pressed into a thin line, her cheeks scarlet. A mix of anger and indignation. She is so fucking beautiful like this.
A few strands of her blond hair fell from her hair tie during our struggle and I slowly reach out, tucking the flyaways behind her ear. Her eyes are guarded as I trail one finger down the side of her face before cupping her jaw. She closes her eyes, a small shudder moving through her.
“What’s his name, Kasey?” I ask, and there’s a bite of steel in my tone.
Her eyes snap open and she bears her teeth. “You’re making a big deal out of nothing. It was an accide—“
“No man leaves a mark on a female by accident.” My voice is deceptively calm. I lean down closer to her until our breaths mingle. “Was it Hunt? Did he do that?” The sudden widening of her eyes gives her away, and my vision goes red.
My jaw flexes and I go to step back but she latches onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Whatever it is you’re thinking of doing, don’t. It was an accident. I don’t think he meant to hurt me.” I fight the urge to encircle her waist and rise to my full height, taking her with me.
Her arms tighten as her feet lift from the ground. “Dominique—”
“You can’t protect your boyfriend,” I tell her. “Not from this.”
Her feet sway off the floor and her arms tighten around my neck, squeezing to maintain her hold on me since I haven’t bothered to help her out.
“He’s not my boyfriend. We literally just met because I slammed into him running late to class.” My pulse jumps at her words. “I don’t even know the guy. We have one class together and this is the first time we’ve spoken.”
I grab the backs of her thighs, hoisting her higher up. Her legs wrap around my waist and my hands move to her ass. I lean her back against the door and wait to see if she’ll demand to be put down. She doesn’t. Neither does she yell at me for the way I’m cupping her ass right now.
“If you’re protecting him—“
She snorts. “I’m not. I have no reason to, so get off your high horse. I’m not some damsel in need of saving.”
“Is that so?” I ask, shifting my hips so her center grinds down on my cock.
She gasps. “What are you doing?”
I repeat the movement, and she shakes in my arms. “Are you sure you’re not in need of saving?”
Chapter Eight
I ignore the way my heart is racing in my chest.
“By the guy who just called me stupid, shallow, and implied I was unattractive and incapable of holding a man’s attention?” I shake my head. “I think I’m good.”
There’s a flash of something in his gaze I can’t quite put my finger on. His hold tightens on my ass and his dick strains against his jeans, pressing firmly between my thighs. What was I thinking wrapping my legs around him like this?
As if hearing
my thoughts, Dominique smirks. Asshole. I decide to give him a taste of his own medicine.
Using his shoulders for leverage I raise myself up a few inches and roll my hips over his length in a long caress. He sucks in a breath, his eyes dark and filled with challenge.
Holding his stare, I do it again, and his entire body trembles with need. I'm not blind. Despite his earlier words, he wants me. He won't after today, but right now at this very moment, Dominique Price wants to fuck me, and knowing that sends a flood of euphoria surging through me. This means he's no longer in control here. I'm the one with all the power now.
"Don't start something you can't finish."
"Why not? It's not like you could possibly want me, right? So why would me doing this," I grind my pussy against him again, liquid heat soaking my panties, "matter to you? You can't possibly be affected, right?"
He doesn't say a word, but when I give another deliberate roll of my hips, he digs his fingers into my ass and thrusts upward, grinding his dick into me in response.
To my complete horror, a moan escapes me, and he levels me with a knowing smirk.
I dig my short nails into his shoulders as he dry humps me against the classroom door in long languid thrusts and Oh. My. God. That feels good.
One of his hands comes up to knead my breast and I shamelessly arch into his touch. He grunts against the corner of my mouth and the sound snaps something in me, lifting some of the pleasure-induced haze from my eyes.
Why do I let him make me feel like this? I fucking hate him.
Taking a deep breath, I lean forward, licking and biting my way up his neck until my lips graze the shell of his ear. "What would you do if I told you to fuck me?" I whisper and swirl my tongue along his skin.
His sharp intake of breath lets me know I've surprised him and he freezes, pulling back just enough to meet my gaze. His eyes are drowning in need, but there's a hint of confusion too, so I decide to taunt him some more. I make a show of licking my lips and his eyes immediately drop to my mouth.
Cruel Devil: A Small Town Brother's Best Friend, Enemies to Lovers Romance (Devils of Sun Valley High Book 3) Page 5
