by Mae Doyle
“Please what? Please don’t stop? I knew that you would come around, Elle. Any girl here would pay money to be in your position right now, you know that? You lucky fucking kitten. Have you been thinking about our time together in the locker room? Because I have. You tasted so sweet.”
His fingers skim my underwear and I gasp at the touch. I’m pinned down and stroked by the hottest fucking guy I’ve ever seen.
I should not like this. My panties should not be wet, and I shouldn’t be panting. I don’t know how much of it I can take, though.
“You said that you weren’t going to rape me.” In response, Clay leans down and kisses me, his mouth hard on mine, his lips forcing my mouth open. I struggle against him, but he persists, until he finally rakes his tongue across mine.
Feeling me. Tasting me.
He then bites my lower lip, and I moan.
Honest to God, I don’t mean to. It came out of my mouth on my own. I just…I haven’t ever been kissed or touched like this.
I can’t help it. As soon as he hears it, though, Clay sits up. He’s breathing hard and looking at me like I’ve lost my damn mind. I want to touch my lips – they feel hot and swollen – but I can’t move my hands. Even as I struggle against his grasp, he tightens it.
“Did you like that, little kitten?” He strokes me again, his fingers pushing harder this time, and another small moan escapes my mouth.
Goddammit.
I don’t like him, and I don’t like this, but I can’t help the fact that my entire body is throbbing and aching for someone to touch me now. I can’t help that when he strokes me, it sends shocks through my body and makes it hard for me to breathe.
I don’t want this. I don’t want him.
Right? Right.
“No.” I tell him, but immediately close my eyes again as he gently tugs my panties to the side. My hips rock up to greet him and he loosens his grip on my wrists.
“You like it. You want me.” His voice sounds amused as he finds my clit. I’m hot and swollen and he strokes it, making me bite my lower lip.
I can’t help that this feels good.
“No.” My voice is soft, but I’m trying to be strong. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not here. Not now. Even as I tell him to stop, I realize that I don’t want him to. I want him to keep going.
God help me, I want Clay, and if that means letting him touch me on the football field, then I don’t know how to stop it.
“Aww, Elle, your mouth is saying ‘no’, but your body is begging me not to stop.” He traces one finger down the inside of my arm, making me shiver, and tugs at the bottom of my top when he gets to the side. “I think that you’re just a prude who needs to get laid. Luckily for you, I love a little hate fuck.”
Something clicks in my brain. What he’s doing to me feels amazing, but I sit up, surprising him with my sudden movement. When I plant my hands in his chest and shove, he falls back and off of me, letting me scramble to my feet.
I adjust my cheerleading outfit and stare at him for a moment before turning to run. The look on his face is terrifying.
He doesn’t just hate me. He wants to hurt me. He told me earlier that he would kill me, and I have no doubt that he wants to. He’s no different than Ted. I thought that he was, but I can see now that they’re the exact same. They don’t care about me, all they care about is what they can do to me.
I just have to make it inside. I have to make it home. I have to make sure that I’m never alone with Clay Bryson or any guy ever again. It’s the only way that I can make sure that I’m going to be safe.
There’s no way that this is possible, but that’s not what I’m telling myself right now. I can’t be alone. Not at school, not at home.
There’s nowhere for me to hide, but my brain can’t accept that right now.
Run. Run. Get safe.
My feet pound across the grass, the soft turf making it feel like I’m springing back up with each step. I can barely control the stitch in my side that aches as I run, and each breath that I suck in feels like a knife stabbing through my ribs.
“Run, kitten!” Clay’s voice echoes across the football field and I trip when I hear it. “Run as fast as you can, little kitten!”
I pitch forward, throwing my hands out in front of me to try to break my fall. The dirt cuts into my hands when I fall, but I scramble back to my feet as quickly as possible. I’m too afraid to turn around.
Is he behind me?
I can’t look.
I have to keep running.
It’s one thing that I’ve gotten good at.
Clay
Fucking bitch thinks that she can push me off of her and not give me what I want and I’m going to just let her go? She has another thing coming to her.
I’m going to let her go now, sure, but later? Later the kitten is mine. I can’t wait to see the look on her face when I’m balls deep in her fucking her.
I was going to give her the courtesy of letting her come, but not anymore. Now I just want to use her and fill her and then leave her.
Discard her like the stupid bitch that she is.
She runs to the locker room and picks herself right back up when she trips. Good to know that I have such an impact on her that I can make her fall.
Fucking little bitch.
That’s okay. I take a deep breath and try to focus on the rest of the night. I’ll go pick Elle up and keep an eye on her all night long. She may think that she can get away from me, but after her little stunt out here, she’s just sealed her fate.
My cock throbs and I reach down to adjust myself, moaning as I do. I would have loved to take her virginity right here and now, but the middle of the field is not the best place to bury myself in Elle.
That will have to wait until later. I need a little privacy.
She’s gone from sight and I sigh, pushing myself up from the field. I know that she wants me, hell, it’s fucking obvious to anyone with eyes, but there’s something about her holding back.
Part of me wants to just destroy her. The other part of me wants to figure out what makes Elle Suttles tick, and I have no idea which side of me is going to win out.
***
We have to be at the dinner at 7:00, so 6:30 seems like a safe time to pick Elle up so that she can’t make a run for it. Leaving my car idling in the driveway, I saunter up to the house. My BMW purrs on the street, looking completely out of place here, and all I can do is hope that nobody tries to take it.
It’s going to be the first time that I get to meet her parents, so I need to make sure that I make a good impression. I want to look into the eyes of her parents before I destroy her. Then, when I see them later, I can see how hollow they are.
The sidewalk is cracked, and the porch sags a little to the side. It really is a shithole of a house, but I steady myself and knock on the door. There are lights on inside, but nobody comes.
She ran.
This time, I pound on the door and call her name. I keep expecting to see her stupid face looking at me through one of the windows, but nothing moves inside. The door is locked, although it gives a little when I push against it.
I could tear the whole fucking thing off of the hinges if I wanted to.
But I don’t. I want to get to the school and see where my little kitten ran off to. Someone picked her up and brought her here. But who?
I’ll kill them.
It’s a few miles to the school, but I close the gap quickly and park up front, ignoring the bright blue lines outlining the space and the sign in front. Handicapped parking is a fucking joke. Kennedy Academy won’t let you in unless you’re in prime physical condition.
Everyone’s already seated by the time I make it to the hall, but I don’t give a shit. We were supposed to bring our parents to this dinner, but mine won’t be seen in public with me. Useless.
I saunter in and sit down next to Teague.
“Where is she?” He keeps his eyes on the stage where our coach is talking.
&nbs
p; “She ran. She wasn’t home. Have you seen her here?”
“Nope. I don’t think that the orchestra is going to play until after the presentation. It’s going to be dinner music or some shit.” Teague’s mom turns around and gives him a dirty look but then smiles when she sees me.
Nothing like a little sympathy from a parent. All I had to do was kill my girlfriend and suddenly all of the parents wanted to take care of me. Especially the moms. They all want to protect me.
Fine. I’ll sit through this joke of a dinner and wait until I get to see Elle. She was going to be punished, but I can’t believe that she would have the balls to run away from me. I have to find her, and I have to find out who brought her here.
Nobody stands up against the prince.
The presentation is a waste of time, but I do my best to seem interested. Finally, it’s time to eat, and the wait staff brings out platters groaning with food.
There’s only one thing that I want to eat, and it’s not steak.
“And now, for a little dinner music while you enjoy your meal, the Kennedy Academy Orchestra!” Our principal steps to the side, still clapping, while the orchestra comes on the stage.
They all walk to their spots in front of their chairs, their instruments at the ready.
But there’s no Elle.
I paid her instrument a little visit between classes this morning.
Looks like she just found out.
Chapter 11
Elle
Dammit, I would pay any amount of money to keep the tears from streaming down my face right now, but I can’t stop crying. Each breath I suck in hurts, and I feel like I’m not getting enough oxygen to focus on what’s going on, but I can’t calm down.
There is no calming down. Not after what’s been going on. Not after this.
Who the fuck would come in here while my violin was in the band room and cut the horsehair on the bow?
I pulled it out of its case to tighten and rosin it, but every single hair had been cut. It took me a moment to register what had happened, and in that moment, all of the other kids saw.
So did Mrs. Ward.
Victoria had locked eyes with me. The sinking feeling I had welled up and threatened to overwhelm me.
“You.” I mouthed it at her. She shook her head, her eyes wide.
Not her. She hated that I’d taken first chair, but she loved violin as much as I did. There wasn’t any way that she would hurt an instrument like this.
Clay.
Now everyone else is out on stage and I’m in the back room trying to tighten a spare bow. Mrs. Ward had found it in a hurry, but it’s not mine and I don’t like playing with things that aren’t mine.
And I don’t want to go out and play in front of Clay. I know that he’s out there at one of the tables, watching me. I know that he’s going to be pissed that I didn’t wait for him to drive me to the dinner tonight.
I don’t know what he really wants from me, but now I’m scared to find out. No amount of hot showers can wash the feeling of his hands off of my body or the thought of being with him out of my mind.
“You ready, dear? Will the bow work?” Mrs. Ward pops her head into the room where I am. I know that she cares and is worried about me, but I also know that everyone else is out on the stage, ready to play. I’m the new first chair violin. I can’t let them down.
“Ready.” Taking a deep breath, I try to steady myself. Thank God there aren’t any mirrors back here. I know that I must look a mess. As much as I didn’t want to cry when I saw my cut bow, there wasn’t any way to stop it.
“You’re going to be great, Elle.” Mrs. Ward looks at me with pity, which is the one thing that I can’t stand. “Just go out there and do your best, okay?”
I grit my teeth and hold the bow so tightly that I feel the wood digging into my hand. I’ll do my best, alright. I’m going to play harder than ever.
He may think that he broke me, but all he did was push me close to the edge.
This is where I’m the most comfortable. I’ve been pushed to the edge before. He can’t break me because I’m not afraid of falling. I’ve been surviving on the edge since my dad died, and Clay can’t ruin me more than I already am.
Following Mrs. Ward out onto the stage, I try to keep my head high, but I want to duck it and hide. The lights are trained on the stage, which means that I can’t see out into the auditorium. I know that he’s out there, eating his dinner, patting himself on the back.
Asshole.
Mrs. Ward announce the pieces that we are going to play, and I steady myself, lifting my bow to my violin.
I hate him.
But I love this.
Everyone else needs to look at their music, but I don’t. I feel the notes coursing through me and feel them flowing from my fingers through my instrument. There’s nothing that can interrupt me now. I’m in my own world of classical music and, try as he might, Clay isn’t welcome.
***
“Elle, I had no idea that you could play like that.” Victoria turns to me now that we’re done. Everyone at the tables in the auditorium clap politely while still talking to the other people at their table. I want to rage at them. They should be on their feet, weeping.
Did they not hear the passion in the piece?
“Thanks, Victoria. You’re also amazing. I hope that you’re not mad that Mrs. Ward put me in the first chair.” This. This is what I’ve been afraid of all day. Victoria is friendly and I may have actually made a friend at Kennedy Academy, but not if she hates me for taking her spot.
“No, not when you play like that. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She grins and walks past me. I turn to follow her, but there are footsteps on the stage behind me and someone grabs my shoulder.
I swear, I know that it’s Clay even though I haven’t seen his face.
“Nice playing, little kitten. How did you fix your bow so quickly?” His breath is hot on my cheek and I try to ignore him, but he squeezes my shoulder even harder.
To the crowd, it probably looks like he’s whispering sweet nothings in my ear. I can imagine parents and staff in the auditorium feeling happy for me. The prince has chosen the new girl to be the object of his affection. Isn’t she lucky?
I try my best to keep my face neutral. If he can see how much I hate him and how unhappy I am that he’s touching me, it’s only going to make things worse. His fingers are like hot irons digging into my skin and I have to use all of my self-control not to pull away from him.
The lights feel hotter than before and are getting dizzying. My palms start to sweat and I have to grip my violin hard to keep myself from dropping it.
When I don’t respond to him after a minute, he gives me a little shake.
“That’s not your bow, is it, kitten?” He traces one hand down my arm until he reaches my wrist and then squeezes it. I swear, I feel the bones shift and rub together.
Biting my lip to keep from crying out, I shake my head. “It’s not my bow,” I whisper.
“Why don’t you and I go backstage and you can tell me all about who loaned you a new bow, okay?” His voice is dark and full of gravel and I stumble forward as he pushes lightly on my shoulder.
Mrs. Ward looks concerned, but Clay simply waves her off when she walks over to us. “Just wanted to be the first to tell Elle what an amazing job she did,” he tells her. I glance up at her face to see that she’s beaming.
He has this effect on everyone at the school. He’s like a damn magnet and the entire school revolves around him, wanting to make sure that he is happy.
Their fucking vindictive prince.
“Now, kitten, tell me where you go the bow.” He turns me around so that I’m facing him but doesn’t let go of my wrist. By now, it’s burning, and I want to pull back from him, but I know that I can’t get away.
And that will just make him angry.
“It’s just a school loaner.” I try to look him in the eye, but I can’t manage it. I don’t want to know what I’m going to fin
d there. He hates me like I’ve never been hated before, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.
“That’s a lie.” His voice is quieter now and he steps forward, closing the gap between us. For one insane second I wonder what it would be like to have his body pressed completely up against mine. I wonder how it would feel to have his hard muscles against my curves as he wrapped his arms around me.
Fucking crazy. I’ve lost my damn mind.
“Mrs. Ward gave it to me.” I drop my eyes to his shoes – anything to keep from having to look at him.
“Your sweet little strings teacher.” His voice drips with fake compassion. “Well, I think – ”
But I don’t get to find out what he thinks, because in that exact moment someone calls my name. I know the voice, but I can’t believe that he’s actually here. Between my house and the school, there isn’t a single safe place for me in my new world, but I’m doing my best to keep the two of the separate.
I failed.
We both look up at the man walking over to us. My heart sinks as Ted takes in the scene.
Clay doesn’t know him yet, but he’s about to.
He’s about to learn why I want to leave home so quickly.
I thought that I would be safe playing my violin, but between Clay and Ted, there’s nowhere for me to run.
Clay
I’ve seen this guy once before and the way he’s looking at Elle pisses me off. I made it pretty clear when she first came to this school that she was off limits to everyone in town, but this asshole must have missed the memo.
And he’s old enough to be her fucking father, so I really don’t like the look in his eyes.
Elle’s given up struggling against my hold on her wrist and has dropped her hand limply down by her side. I want to let go of her, but the look on her face tells me that trouble’s coming.
What in the hell could be bigger trouble than me?
“Elle, what are you doing back here? It’s time for you to go.” The asshole doesn’t even look at me when he speaks to her, but it gives me a chance to size him up.
