Start a Fire: A Dark High School Bully Romance (The Savage Crew Book 1)

by Julia Wolf

  “Caught you.” Grace laughed, throwing her arms around my neck.

  “Shit, really? You knew I was there?”

  “Mmmhmmm.” She pressed her soft lips to the corner of my jaw. “You’re not so good at hiding from me anymore.”

  I gripped the back of her hair, tipping her head back and looking over her face. It was a work of art carved out of bones and cartilage and perfect, light brown skin. I’d drawn and painted this face at least a thousand times over the years, and I was always finding a new angle or light to see her. At this point, I figured I’d never tire of looking at Grace Patel.

  “I think I like you catching me, baby.” I pushed my hardening dick against her stomach, making her sigh.

  “You run, I’ll catch.” Her tongue peeked out to wet her upper lip. “I have twenty minutes.”

  That was all I needed to hear. Twenty minutes would never be long enough, but she’d be in our bed tonight, and I could take my time.

  We fell on each other, colliding, fucking with our tongues, caressing with our hands. Her back hit the nearest wall while I cradled her head in my hand. My other hand worked its way under her skirt, pushing her panties aside to rub her slick pussy. She was soaked for me already.

  “Jesus, Grace, you’re dripping.”

  She smirked against my mouth. “Told you I liked that game.”

  I would’ve dropped to my knees to taste that sweetness, but this wasn’t the time or place. Not that that normally stopped me, but my girl had her hand shoved down my pants, gripping my cock like she was on fire for it.

  “Take it out,” I gritted out.

  She shoved my jeans down enough to free my dick, and then I had her long legs wrapped around me and plunged into heaven between her thighs.

  For a second, we both stopped. Inhaled in time with each other. Her lips curved, and so did mine. My heart thundered in my chest, beating against its cage to try to get to its owner. The girl with the prettiest brown eyes I’d ever seen. My Grace.

  The moment snapped, dissolving into desperate desire. She moaned softly as I thrust into her, taking her with abandon. This need for her hadn’t lessened even though I had her. We went to sleep and woke up together every day now. Our lives were so intertwined, it would be impossible to untangle them without breaking ourselves into pieces.

  Not that we ever would.

  I once thought if I gave Grace a choice, she wouldn’t choose me. She’d proven me wrong a year ago. I still got mixed up thoughts, doubts, worries, but my girl kept coming back.

  Grace came undone around me, muffling her cries of ecstasy in my neck as I finished with a few brutal thrusts, coating her insides with my cum.

  I let her legs down, but kept her there against the wall while I sucked on her neck and tits, taking my fill of her soft skin. She had to get to class, and I had to go to work, so I wouldn’t be seeing her for a few hours. This taste had to last me.

  “Bash,” she sighed. “You’re going to make me want you again, and I don’t have time.” She shoved at me, but not with any force. If I wanted to fuck her again, she’d bend over and offer her sweet little pussy to me, even if she pretended to complain the whole time. Grace got off on a little struggle as much as I did.

  But with her, I’d discovered soft and slow could be just as good. Kissing every inch of her very fine body had become my hobby.

  “Love you, baby.” I touched my lips to hers one more time before pulling my half-hard cock out of her wet heat and tucking myself away.

  “I love you too.” She straightened her skirt and smoothed a hand over her hair, breathing out a deep exhale. “I guess I should go to class.”

  “I’ll walk you.” I picked up her portfolio, slinging the strap over my shoulder, and wrapped my arm around Grace’s shoulders. We took our time walking to the other end of the building, telling each other about our earlier classes and debating what we’d be making for dinner later.

  At her classroom door, I handed off her portfolio to her and pressed a hard kiss to her temple. She ducked into the door with a grin and a wave. My heart fucking ached the second she was out of my sight.

  The thing for me about Grace was I liked her. Above my obsession was this deep, abiding need to be with her and soak up who she was. I wasn’t likable, not like she was, but then again, not many people were. So, on top of wanting to be inside her pretty much constantly, I also just like being around her. And by some twist of fate, she seemed to like the hell out of being around me too.

  We’d lived together in our little college town since graduation. Her mom had been wary, but since Bradley agreed to foot the bill as long as I was enrolled in school, she hadn’t put up much of an argument.

  I hadn’t followed Grace here. We’d chosen together. There was a community college where I was busting ass to get good enough grades that I could transfer to Grace’s university next year. Our apartment was between our schools, and I got a job at a chill skate shop I could walk to. Everything had just...fallen into place.

  Life wasn’t perfect. Gabe was at a different university. Bex too. Sara still drank too much and overindulged in pills, and Bradley was still a motherfucking asshole, despite doing the one decent thing in his life by paying for my education and living expenses. Grace’s mom was lonely and missed her husband, but she’d started dating recently, which Grace hated but accepted. Grace’s dad was still dead. Nate fucking Bergen was still alive, although his dreams of playing college football had withered and died when he got expelled from Savage River.

  Perfection was overrated, though. When I painted, mistakes used to drive me crazy. As I got older, I saw them as part of the details that brought together the entire masterpiece. And then I learned from them, got better and better every time I picked up a can of paint or a brush.

  I looked at Grace and me the same way. I’d made a lot of mistakes with her. Some so bad, I really didn’t deserve a second chance. But she’d given me one anyway, and I got better at loving her the right way too.

  It might not make sense to anyone else, but it didn’t have to. As long as I had my girl, I didn’t give a fuck what anyone else thought. ’Cause this was life. Our life. In the midst of all the chaos and messiness, Grace and I were twin sparks. When we came together, we’d started a fire no one would ever be able to put out. I’d burn a motherfucker down if they tried.

  Through the Ashes

  Bex’s story is coming May 20, 2021…

  I’ve never fit in, but I have no desire to stand out either. I was perfectly fine hanging in the shadows, but my choice to remain anonymous is taken from me.

  I’m thrust into the spotlight. His spotlight.

  Asher Beck is a golden god at Savage River High. Football star, whip-smart, and popular, we don’t belong in the same hemisphere, let alone circle. But underneath that perfection is a darkness he only reveals to me.

  I have no idea what I did to capture Asher’s attention, but he is relentless in his pursuit. The problem is, I can’t tell if he’s trying to break me or own me...and I don’t know which I want more.

  Pre-order now: mybook.to/ThroughtheAshes

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  Stay In Touch

  Join my Sublime Readers. We’re a laid back group. When we’re not talking about books—and let’s face it, we’re talking about books 75% of the time—we’re making each other laugh, sharing hot pictures, oh, and talking about books some more!

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/JuliaWolfReaders

  Playlist

  “Lonely Dance” Set it Off

  “Black Parade” Dashboard Confessional

  “I’m Not Having Any Fun” Bad Suns

  “Devil’s Playground” The Rigs

  “Still Don’t Know My Name” Labrinth

  “Heather” Conan Gray

  “Devil Devil” MILCK

  “Stuck in the Middle” Tai Verdes

  “Colder
Parts” HUNNY

  “Start a Riot” JayThePlaya, K Blast

  “Control” Halsey

  “Team” Lorde

  “Paint it, Black” Ciara

  “Man or a Monster” Sam Tinnesz, Zayde Wolf

  “You Broke Me First” Tate McRae

  “Young & Sad” Noah Cyrus

  “All Your Love” Sir Sly

  “Late At Night” Buffalo Tom

  “Pardon Me” Incubus

  “I Feel Like I’m Drowning” Two Feet

  “Flames” Teddy

  “Worthy of You” Plested

  “Hands Down” Dashboard Confessional

  “Truly Madly Deeply” Yoke Lore

  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4EniMnDMDm73ZPi3Wi6sSL

  Acknowledgements

  I started writing this story about a year before I decided to finally dedicate myself to completing it. It was scary as hell to venture into writing something darker, with a hero who really shouldn’t be redeemable (but he is, I love that sweet psycho). But Grace and Bash were calling to me, so I followed my muse and this ragtag band of misfits came to be. Now I can’t even imagine a world where Bex and Gabe and Helen and even cunt-face Elena didn’t exist.

  I know I wouldn’t have gotten the guts to write this without my good friend, Laura Lee. I was able to sort of do a ride-along when she published her own bully series, Windsor Academy. I cheered for her as she jumped off the cliff into the unknown. She showed me it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, then she pushed me over the edge. She has been unrelenting in her support of my words for years, and I couldn’t ask for a better colleague and friend.

  Laura Lee also brought author Alley Ciz into my life. She was my beta reader, and more importantly, she has become the light of my life. (I’m pretty sure Alley is the light of everyone’s life who is lucky enough to encounter her. Make her laugh and you’ll never be the same)

  Jenny Dicks was my first beta reader, and her insight made this story a thousand times better. She not only asked important questions, she also sent me Facebook messages at odd hours expressing both her hatred and her undying devotion to Sebastian Vega.

  Jennifer, who beta reads my rock star books, read this one and reassured me I hadn’t ventured so off the path that my regular readers wouldn’t follow me. Thanks, girl. Your highlights always make my day!

  Thank you to yet another Jen in my life, my PA, who has been helping me get my act together when I didn't think it was possible! And thank you for scouring the tight-abbed men of Instagram to find me my cover model. I know that was a painful job, but someone had to do it!

  My editing team is just amazing. Monica, you always help me bring out the emotions and highlight parts of the story that need to shine. And Rosa, you have such an eagle-eye for the tiniest error, I’m always amazed. Your extra notes on this one made me smile.

  Thank you to Amy Queau for making this cover! You never lose patience with me, even when I lose patience with myself.

  To my rock star readers who came to the darkside with me, I hope you enjoyed this trip. It’s been incredibly fun for me. And to my new readers, thank you for staying until the end! I hope you love Sebastian Vega as much as I do.

  About the Author

  Julia Wolf is a lover of all things romance. From steamy, to sweet, to funny, to so dirty you’ll be blushing for days, she loves it all.

  Formerly a hair stylist, she spent years collecting stories her clients couldn’t wait to spill. And now that she’s writing full time, she’s putting those stories to use, although all identifying characteristics have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent!

  Julia lives in Maryland with her three crazy, beautiful kids and her patient husband who she’s slowly converting to a romance reader, one book at a time.

  Visit my website:

  http://www.juliawolfwrites.com

  Also By J. Wolf

  Built to Fall

  Unrequited Series

  Unrequited

  Misconception

  Rocked

  Dissonance

  Blue is the Color

  Times Like These

  Watch Me Unravel

  Such Great Heights

  Under the Bridge

  The Never Blue Duet

  Never Lasting

  Never Again

  The Sublime

  One Day Guy

  The Very Worst

  Want You Bad

  Fix Her Up

  Eight Cozy Nights