Strung

by Victoria Ashley

  The excitement of that has me grabbing at his bare shoulders and digging my fingers in as he grinds his hips between my thighs, like he’s desperate to feel me against him.

  The truth is, I’m just as desperate to feel him against me. The way my heart and body are going crazy from beneath him, there’s no hiding it.

  There’s only one thing stopping me from allowing him to take my shirt off when he reaches for it.

  “Micah . . . no,” I pant. “My brother is in the next room. What if he hears us? We can’t . . . you should go.”

  “He’s a heavy sleeper, and besides . . .” He runs his tongue over my earlobe, before sucking it into his mouth with a slight nibble. It sends a chill throughout my body. “I’ll swallow your screams with my mouth.”

  I throw my head back and bite my bottom lip as his hand slides down my body, disappearing into the front of my panties. “Micah . . .” I halfway moan. “Shut the . . . shut the door.”

  “Shutting the door would involve me stopping and that’s not something I’m ready to do yet.” He slides a finger inside of me as deeply as he can, letting out a sexy little growl as he does. “You can’t hide how badly you want me, Tegan. We both know you wanted me to fuck you right there in Kalon’s kitchen and we both know I wanted to.”

  “Dammit, Micah,” I moan out as he slides another finger inside, stretching me, before slowly pumping in and out. “We both know we should stop this.”

  But it feels too damn good.

  His growl rumbles against my ear when he speaks. “And we both know we can’t. So shut up and let me fuck you like you want me to.”

  He sits up and grabs my panties, sliding them down my legs, before quickly kicking his jeans off and standing before me, completely naked.

  I swallow and grip the sheets as my gaze runs over his perfect body. Every dip of muscle makes me stupid and unable to think straight.

  Not to mention his rock-hard dick that I could feel between my legs for a good day or two after he fucked me the last time.

  And I have a feeling that this time it’ll be rougher, because we both have some anger to let out.

  “Lift your arms,” he demands.

  I do as told and allow him to strip me out of my t-shirt so that I’m lying before him, completely naked too.

  “So fucking perfect.” The way he tilts his head while running his hand up my bare thigh is almost animalistic. He looks me over as if he’s ready to mark me as his.

  And there’s no way I’d be able to turn him down right now, because the idea of him doing that is oddly arousing and exciting.

  He grabs my waist and roughly flips me over to my stomach before he slaps my ass. When I let out a little scream, he’s quick to push my head down, burying my face into the pillow to muffle the noise.

  I clench the sheets around me and moan into the pillow as he runs his tongue up my right ass cheek. For a moment I allow my body to relax, thinking that he’s going to be gentle, but then he bites it so hard that I reach back and slap him across the face on instinct.

  “Ouch! What the hell was that for, Micah?” My heart races as he steels his jaw and turns me back around to face the wall again.

  I let out a gasp when he fists my hair and pulls my head back so he can speak against my ear. It’s so damn hot the way he handles me and it’s something I’m not used to. “For going on a date with Parker. I didn’t like seeing you with him and I sure as fuck didn’t like seeing his mouth and hands on you.”

  “Well, fuck you, Micah Beck.” I turn my head sideways so our lips are brushing when I speak. “I don’t belong to you.”

  “Oh yeah,” he whispers, before running his tongue over my lips. “What if I want you to?”

  My entire body shudders from his words. The idea of Micah owning me almost causes me to come undone on the spot.

  “Then you’ll have to show me,” I bite out. “But I doubt that’s what you really want or else you wouldn’t have had some girl all over you tonight. I wanted to rip her hair out.”

  “I don’t fucking want her,” he growls against my lips. “I’ll show you who I want, but I’ve got to keep that pretty mouth of yours under control.”

  With that he slams into me hard and deep, keeping his grip on my hair tight so he can swallow my moan with his mouth.

  His body is hard as he moves behind me, his hips pushing me forward with each thrust, but his lips haven’t left mine yet.

  I’m thankful for that, because I know without a doubt that if it weren’t for Micah’s mouth on mine my moaning would’ve woken Alexander by now.

  It’s so messed up that the person we’re both betraying is less than twenty feet down the hall, yet we’re so fucked up over each other that we can’t stop.

  My body moves with his, my nails digging into his strong arms as he continues to hate-fuck me or whatever the hell this is that we’re doing right now.

  All I know is that it feels too good to care.

  After a few more thrusts, he pulls out and flips me over, not wasting any time before spreading my thighs and entering me again with one deep thrust.

  The mixture of pain and pleasure has me biting his shoulder as he lowers his face down to my breasts, kissing them as he fucks me.

  I pull at his long hair as his mouth brushes over my nipples before he bites the left one and then the right one.

  As he moves up to meet my lips again, the sound of my brother’s door closing has Micah slapping his hand to my mouth to silence me.

  I thought he was going to stop, but doesn’t. Holy hell, I lose it when he continues to move in and out of me.

  There’s something about him risking it all because he’s in too deep to stop that has me wanting him more.

  With his hand still on my mouth, he leans in close to my ear, talking into it as he keeps his movements slow and steady. “Fucking hell, Tegan. He’s going downstairs for something. Just don’t make any sounds and he won’t look this way.”

  We stay like this for a few minutes, both of us moving slowly and quietly, being sure not to draw any attention our way.

  His slow movements are teasing my body in a way it’s never been teased before and I can’t handle it.

  I need Alexander to go back into his damn room so Micah can go back to fucking me as if I don’t matter.

  Things are too intimate now and it scares me, because I don’t want to take it for more than it’s meant to be.

  Just two people fucking out our frustrations.

  No strings attached.

  No emotions.

  Just sex.

  And he does just that as soon as my brother’s door open and closes again.

  As if he can’t handle the gentle anymore either, he grips my throat and squeezes as he pounds into me over and over again, until I’m moaning out my orgasm and shaking below him.

  It’s almost as if me getting off was all he needed, because he thrusts inside of me once more before growling out his own release onto my stomach.

  All it takes is a few seconds while we catch our breath before reality hits and I can see panic set in his eyes.

  “Shit,” he growls. “I can’t think straight when I’m around you. That’s why I’ve been staying the fuck away. But seeing you with Parker tonight had me losing my shit. I’ve been going crazy ever since I walked into the party to see you two having fun.”

  “I didn’t really think you’d care, Micah. From what everyone has told me, you sleep with a girl once and never give her the time of day again. You haven’t been around in days so I . . .

  “Because I have to stay away, Tegan. It’s not because I want to.” He sounds angry now. “You think I really want to stay away from you? Fuck no.”

  “I don’t want you to,” I admit. “But what we just did . . .” I stop to catch my breath once more. “We could’ve gotten caught and that wasn’t even enough to make us stop. We came so close, Micah. Too close. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so damn confused with you around.”

  I watch a
s he jumps to his feet and slips back into his jeans, before reaching for his shirt. His body looks stiff as he presses his hands against the wall to think for a second. “Fuck. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. It was a dick move for me to come to your room and make the situation more difficult than it already was.”

  “Maybe you should leave then.” An ache fills my chest the moment the words leave my mouth, but with the way I’m feeling right now I think it’s best that I get some space when it comes to Micah.

  I’m so damn confused, and him being here right now is doing nothing to help me think.

  I seriously would’ve died if Alexander decided to look into my room to find Micah on top of me when he walked by to go downstairs.

  “Yeah,” he says stiffly, while walking over to wipe my stomach clean with his shirt. “I think that’s best.” He looks at me for a moment, the struggle of leaving obvious in his body language, before he turns around and exits the room.

  The moment I’m alone I quickly get dressed and try like hell to convince myself that I’m okay with kicking Micah out of my room.

  But the knot in my stomach and the emptiness that takes over now that he’s back downstairs tells me otherwise.

  I don’t want Micah to leave and I don’t want just one or two ‘anything goes’ nights with no strings attached.

  I’m falling for Micah Beck and I’m not sure how long I can hide the way I truly feel . . .

  I’M FURIOUS WITH MYSELF OVER the fact that I wasn’t able to stop myself from fucking Tegan, even with the thought of my best friend possibly catching us. He would’ve beat my ass for touching his sister after he warned me not to.

  Stopping wasn’t an option for me at the time, because after seeing Parker place his lips where mine had just been, all I could think about was being inside her again.

  I wanted her to feel me; wanted to be able to make her feel something that son of a bitch couldn’t tonight.

  She might’ve told me that she planned on stopping him from kissing her, but I couldn’t give her the time she needed for that earlier, because the moment I saw his lips on hers, I saw red.

  Who the hell was he to kiss her not even five minutes after my lips tasted and owned hers?

  He didn’t know . . .

  “Shit, I need to think rationally.”

  I angrily toss my dirty shirt into the bathroom and sit on the edge of my bed, my head reeling.

  I’ve never been overprotective and territorial over a woman before. Not to mention that I’ve never wanted to be with a woman more than once.

  One night has always been my limit, because anything more and things get complicated. Feelings grow and attachments form and I just went and did that with Tegan.

  It pisses me off that things have changed for the one person I was never supposed to touch in the first place.

  My hands grip my hair as I try to figure out where to go from here. Do I pack up all my shit and leave before I’m able to fuck things up even more?

  If I do that then Alexander will know I’m leaving for a reason, and I can’t have him angry with both of us.

  It’s my fault that we’re in this situation to begin with.

  I’m screwing with family by letting my heart win over my damn head, but . . . I’m addicted.

  To her.

  To her taste.

  To the way she wants to get to know me.

  To the way she feels beneath my body.

  I’m completely fucking strung.

  Get some air. You just need some air, Micah.

  I stand and walk over to the dresser, pulling out a pair of shorts to run in.

  I can’t sit here knowing that she’s upstairs alone in her bed, covered with my scent.

  Hell, I didn’t even use a condom. I’m everywhere on her.

  Once I hit the beach I run for hours.

  I run until my muscles and chest aches.

  It doesn’t even matter that I’m supposed to be at Vortex in less than six hours. I know I won’t be getting any sleep tonight.

  I managed to go the entire day yesterday keeping my distance from Tegan. It makes me feel like shit that I have to run away from her every time we have sex. I hate the space.

  But it’s the only way I can stop it from happening again.

  It’s the best thing for both of us, because every time we see each other we end up more drawn to each other than before.

  After my shift at Vortex I left and came straight here to Express to work on putting together the tables that came in yesterday morning.

  I was only able to afford six tables for now, but it’s a start.

  I’m in the middle of piecing together the third one when Sebastian walks through the door sporting an annoying grin.

  “Hey, big guy. I figured you’d be here when I didn’t find you at Vortex.” He takes a seat at one of the finished tables. “You’re always at one or the other. Shit, your life makes me sad. All work and no play. Well, outside of the bedroom at least. I’ve seen the girls you’ve left Vortex with and damn . . .”

  I grunt and look over at him when his words trail off. “What the hell do you want? If you’re not here to help then you can see your way out. I’m not in the mood for any shit today, and trust me, seeing your grinning face is almost enough to make me snap already.”

  I flip the finished table up to its legs, before moving on to the next table.

  “You’ve been extra pissy and demanding lately. Have anything to do with that chick Tegan who told me you weren’t at Vortex about twenty minutes ago? She was fucking slamming hot. Too bad she was with that pretty boy. What’s his name again . . . shit . . .”

  “Parker,” I say stiffly.

  He snaps his fingers. “Yes. That’s the dude’s name.”

  His words have me gripping the table in front of me. She’s at Vortex right now with that fucker?

  Why does it piss me off that not only is she there with Parker, but also that she decided to wait until I left to go there?

  It shouldn’t, but it does.

  “I don’t know what the hell makes you think it has anything to do with a girl,” I bite out, trying my hardest not to look as if I’m ready to kill someone. When I look up he’s still grinning like he can see right through me. I’m not going to entertain how I’m feeling right now. “Alright, what do you really want? I’ve got work to do and you’re slowing me down.”

  “My parents are back.” The smile on his face is no longer present. “They’ve been sauced since the moment they stepped through the door last night and my dad is extremely angry at life like usual. Mind if I stay at your place tonight and maybe even tomorrow?”

  I shake my head and release a frustrated breath. I can’t even begin to deal with his parents right now; not when all I can think about is getting to Tegan. “I don’t mind.” I reach into my pocket and toss him the key to my apartment. “Keep the door unlocked for me.”

  He stands and holds up the key. “Got it, Man. I’ve gotta go meet my friends.”

  “Don’t let any of those little assholes into my apartment, got it?”

  “I know the rules,” he mutters. “You don’t have to remind me every time. I’m not going to forget, shit.”

  “Hey, I’ve gotta make sure, because I don’t want to have to kick the shit out of some underage kid’s ass for stealing my shit or touching something that doesn’t belong to them. Just keep your friends out and we’re good.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you later. They’re waiting on me.”

  Once he leaves I spend the next thirty minutes finishing up the tables, before locking up and heading out.

  I get into my truck with my mind set on going to my apartment and calling it a night, but I find myself pulling up at Vortex instead.

  It’s the last place I should be, but I can’t help wondering if Tegan is still here. From the looks of the parking lot Parker is already gone, but that doesn’t mean she is too.

  It’s a Thursday so it’s pretty quiet, which would ma
ke it ideal for her to work on her book out back without too many interruptions.

  I walk inside and Gavin nods at me from behind the bar. “What are you doing back, Boss?”

  Ignoring him, I make my way around him and pour myself a shot, slamming it back. “I needed a drink and I don’t have my place stocked up yet. Where’s Alexander?”

  He nods toward the stairs. “In his office with some chick. They’ve been up there for a while. Might want to knock first if you’re headed up.”

  “I’m not.” I reach into the cooler for two beers and pop the tops off. “Colby still out back?”

  “Yes, sir . . . shit. I didn’t mean to call you sir.”

  “Relax, Gavin.” I grip his shoulder. “You act like I’m going to rip your head off or some shit. Just don’t call me sir again and all is good.”

  He nods. “Okay, Micah. Thanks.”

  Apparently, I really scared the shit out of this kid when he first arrived, because he’s been tense around me ever since.

  I’m sure he’ll be happy to know that soon enough someone like Parker will be his boss instead of an asshole like me.

  When I step out back, I see Colby hanging around Tegan’s table, but as soon as he sees me watching him he says something to her and walks over to join me.

  “So . . . Parker came in a little while ago for some training and his face was all fucked up.” He smirks. “Know anything about that?”

  I take a swig of beer. “Is that what you heard?”

  He laughs and steps behind the bar. “Nope. He said he got into a drunken fight the other night with some guy he didn’t know.”

  “Is that right?” I look straight ahead, keeping my gaze on Tegan as she types away on her computer. “Weird. He must’ve touched something that didn’t belong to him,” I say stiffly.

  Tegan looks up from her computer, her eyes locking on mine from across the patio.

  My heart skips a beat as she shifts in her seat. I make her nervous just by being here.

  Fuck, I like that I can make her nervous.

  It means I affect her.

  I just don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing.

  “Bring us two more beers in about ten minutes.”

  Colby nods. “Will do, Man.”