I didn’t want to disappoint someone who had looked out for me such a long time, so I nodded and kept quiet. If given the opportunity to play professional hockey before I’d earned my degree, I would jump at the chance without a doubt. I only had so many years to play hockey at that level, and I could always go back to school later on if needed. The paycheck I would earn in the league would more than make up for any scholarship dollars lost.
I was saved by something behind me that drew her attention away. Turning to see what was happening, I was surprised to see a sheet cake being rolled into the room with a few of my teammates trailing it. When they spotted me, the guys broke into an off-key performance of “Happy Birthday.” Emme pressed up against my side and whispered, “It’s your birthday?”
“Yeah.” I flashed her an apologetic grin when she glared at me. “Sorry, I didn’t think to tell you. It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything for my birthday, and I was so focused on what was going down today that it didn’t seem like a big deal.”
She wagged her finger at me. “From now on, we celebrate everything.”
With her at my side and my college scholarship clinched, I was all for that plan. For the first time since my mom died, I actually looked forward to the holidays.
13
Emmeline
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into my mother’s office and asked, “What time should I tell Corby to be here tomorrow?”
She glanced up from whatever she’d been looking at on her computer, and the confusion in her eyes was obvious. I was certain her brow would have wrinkled if she didn’t get regular Botox injections there. “Pardon?”
When I had told her I was inviting someone to her Thanksgiving get-together, she hadn’t asked for a name. I didn’t volunteer one since I didn’t want to get into an argument, but there was no chance she didn’t know exactly who Corby was by now. Not after the local news station ran footage of me standing behind him when he signed his national letter of intent two weeks ago. I’d been waiting on pins and needles for her or my dad to bring it up, but neither of them had said a word so far. I had barely seen my dad, but I wasn’t sure why my mother hadn’t voiced her opinion on who I was dating yet. I wasn’t looking forward to having this conversation with her, but there was no avoiding the topic now. “My boyfriend is coming to Thanksgiving tomorrow, Mother. I need to let him know what time to come over. Will we be eating at five o’clock like we normally do?”
“Of course, the meal will be served then. Any earlier is crass.” She gave an exaggerated shudder while pursing her lips in distaste.
“Great, I’ll let Corby know.”
I turned to escape, but she wasn’t going to let me get away that easily. “Not so fast, Emmeline.”
I stopped and heaved a deep sigh. Straightening my spine, I swiveled on my heel and met her gaze. “Yes, Mother?”
“I assume you realize that your little boyfriend will feel ill at ease with our crowd.” She leveled me with a pointed stare, as though she was waiting for me to take the verbal bait she had just tossed my way. I remained silent, seething inside over her judgment of a boy she’d never even met. Corby didn’t have the kind of money her so-called friends had, but he was smart, kind, loyal, and talented. I’d take him over them any day of the week. But what I valued in people was the opposite as my mother, so she would never understand my point of view. “Since you refuse to see reason on your own, you’re forcing me to be blunt. There will not be a seat for Corby King at my table tomorrow.”
The way she said his full name let me know she hadn’t said anything about me having a boyfriend until now because she’d been waiting for this moment. “If that’s how you feel, then I won’t be here either. Good luck explaining my absence to your guests. I’m sure Corby and I will be the focus of most of the gossip at the holiday parties this season as people speculate why I wasn’t here.”
My threat didn’t sway her. “Oh, for goodness’ sakes, stop acting like a child. You’re too old to throw a tantrum over an inappropriate fling. You’ll be eighteen soon. It’s past time for you to think about your future. When you get to college, you will meet plenty of eligible young men.”
I was a great student and would probably have my pick of schools, but my mother wasn’t worried about me getting my bachelor’s degree. She looked at college as my opportunity to gain an MRS degree by finding a husband with a bank account as large as my dad’s. Her priorities were messed up, but that wasn’t anything new. Marrying someone like my dad had been her sole aim when she’d been my age, after all.
I was not a younger version of my mother, though. Marrying into money wasn’t something I would ever worry about for many reasons. One of which was something she apparently needed a reminder about. “Your control over my life is nearing its end, Mother. As you pointed out, I’ll be eighteen soon. And when I am, I will receive distributions from the trust fund set up for me by my grandparents. If you push me too far away, you might not like the consequences,” I warned before turning away again.
“Your empty threats don’t frighten me, Emmeline. You’re much too sheltered to venture out on your own before college,” she scoffed before turning her attention back to her computer, effectively dismissing me.
“Think what you’d like, Mother. You always do.” I paused at the doorway for a final, parting shot. “I loved my grandparents dearly, but I never liked how they treated you. After spending years having them look down their nose at you, I’ll never be able to understand how you can act even worse toward Corby.”
After shutting the door behind me, I jumped at the loud crash of something being thrown against the hard surface. My knees were weak as I walked away, but I was proud of finally standing up for myself. I wasn’t about to let Corby spend the holiday alone just because my mother was a snob.
“I think this should be a new tradition.” I twisted my neck to look up at Corby. We cuddled in his bed, watching holiday movies as we polished off a whole pumpkin pie.
When I’d told Marta about my confrontation with my mother, she called the caterer and added an extra meal for me to bring over to the Whitney’s. They were in the Bahamas for the holiday week, so it was just the two of us. The roasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry relish, and yeast rolls had been more than the two of us could eat. It tasted better than the fancy dishes my mother had picked—like the kale and quinoa salad and cauliflower gratin she’d gotten because they were gluten-free—and all we’d had to do was heat everything in the oven. “Which part?”
“All of it.” He grinned and stretched his arm out to set the almost empty pie dish on his bedside table. Then his arms went around me, his fingers stroking up and down my side.
His touch sent tingles racing down my spine. Rubbing my cheek against his chest, I murmured, “Dinner was great, but this is my favorite.”
“I’m going to take that as a challenge to make an already fan-fucking-tastic day even better.” His fingers dipped under the soft material of my shirt and trailed up to my breast, leaving me with no doubt where this was headed.
He’d given me several more orgasms in the past month, but I’d only had the chance to give him a hand job once. His Jeep was a comfortable ride, but it only allowed us so much room and privacy when we were messing around. This was the first time since our trip that we were alone on a bed, and that extra month together was exactly what I’d needed to feel more certain about our relationship and where it was headed. “I have complete faith that you’ll find a way to improve on perfection.”
He rolled us over until my back was pressed against the mattress and his big, muscular body hovered over mine. “Hearing you scream my name while you come will definitely do it for me.”
My core tightened at the sensual promise in his tone, but I had something better in mind than us making each other come. I cupped his cheek with my palm. “How about you take my virginity?”
Heat flared in his blue orbs, deepening the color. “Are you sure you’re rea
dy to give yourself to me?”
“Yes, I’m beyond ready for this.”
The words were barely out before his mouth crashed down over mine. Things escalated quickly from there, and clothes went flying as we frantically stripped naked. It was as though my suggestion had broken the seal on all the pent-up lust between us, and there was no holding our chemistry back any longer. Each stroke of his tongue against mine and brush of his fingers across my skin drove me closer to the edge, and we’d barely even gotten started.
He groaned as he put more of his weight on me and his hard-on nestled between my thighs. “You’re already drenched for me. Is the thought of me finally sinking my hard dick inside your tight pussy turning you on?”
His dirty talk made my pussy spasm, and my nails dug into his shoulders. “If you keep saying stuff like that, this is going to be over before you know it.”
“Wrong, baby. Coming for me now will only make it easier when I pop your cherry.” Corby kissed along my jaw to just below my ear and whispered, “But make no mistake, you’ll get another one when I’m deep inside you. I can’t wait to feel your pussy clamp down around my dick while you come.”
I pressed my head back against the pillow as he nibbled his way down to my chest, my back arching off the mattress when he sucked a pebbled nipple into his mouth. I gasped and shuddered, twining my hands in his hair to press his mouth closer to my chest. A little whimper escaped my lips when he switched sides to suck and nibble on my other breast. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m not going anywhere until we’re both satisfied.”
Gliding his fingers down my belly, he circled my clit before dipping between my folds. “Feels so good.”
“It’s about to feel a fuck of a lot better,” he vowed as he worked one of his fingers into my tight entrance. “You’re so damn snug. I need to stretch you so you’ll be able to take my dick.”
He moved farther down my body as he added another finger, and my body bowed off the bed when he twisted his wrist to hit a sensitive spot inside my pussy while sucking hard on my clit. My orgasm crashed over me, and I shouted, “Oh, Corby. Yes!”
Before I came down from my release, he crawled up my body and claimed my mouth in a deep kiss. As our tongues tangled together, he lined up his hard length with my core. Just as he notched the tip in my entrance, he pulled back and groaned, “Shit, fuck, damn.”
“What’s wrong? Did you change your mind?” He pressed his forehead against my chest, his arms tightening around my body. Propping myself up on my elbows, I stroked my fingers in his thick hair.
“Fuck, no,” he rasped, lifting his head to stare into my eyes. “I want you more than anything, but I just remembered I don’t have any condoms. It’s been a long damn time since I’ve needed any. I’m sorry. I should’ve stocked up so we’d be prepared when this time came.”
“Oh,” I gasped, a rush of relief coursing through my veins because this was a problem I could solve—and at the confirmation that Corby hadn’t been with anyone for a while before we got together. Pointing at the tote bag I’d dropped in the corner of his room when I first got here, my cheeks heated as I explained, “Sarah shoved a box at me a couple of weeks ago and told me to be safe.”
“Thank fuck.” He pressed a quick kiss to my collarbone before he rolled off me to race across the room. I giggled as he tore the box apart the moment he found it. He pulled out a strip of foil packages and had one ripped open and was rolling a condom down his hard-on while he made his way back to the bed. After the protection was in place, he settled between my legs again and nudged my core. “Ready?”
I raised my knees to press them against his waist and twined my arms around his neck. “Yes, please.”
I felt some discomfort as he slowly pushed inside, but it wasn’t as bad as I had expected. Each time he made it about an inch deeper, he pulled back and glided back in. When he bumped against the thin barrier of my innocence, he paused to command, “Take a deep breath, baby.”
When I pulled air into my lungs, he punched his hips forward before I had let it back out. I felt as though I was being stretched past my limitations, and tears welled in my eyes.
“Fuck, you’re so damn hot and tight. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to last.”
I tightened my legs and warned, “It’s going to have to be a little bit at least so the pain can pass before you move.”
“Whatever you need, baby,” he promised, brushing his lips against mine in soft kisses that took my mind off my discomfort.
He continued to hold still and kiss me until I wiggled my hips. “It’s better now.”
“Thank fuck,” he breathed as he began to slowly move in and out, dragging his dick against my inner walls with each stroke. When I moaned in pleasure, he increased his speed, and the sensation only got better. “You feel so fucking perfect.”
“Uh-huh,” I panted, digging my nails into his shoulders when he angled his hips and hit a different spot on the next thrust. “So close.”
He slipped a hand between our sweaty bodies and pinched my clit, sending me over the edge. My pussy clamped hard around his dick, and he had to put more force behind his thrusts as he punched his hips forward, slamming the bed against the wall. After a few more thrusts, he anchored himself deep inside as he found his own release.
After we caught our breath, he pulled out and rolled to his back. Taking my limp body with him, he settled me on his chest. “What just happened between us changes everything. You gave yourself to me, and there’s no taking it back. I don’t care what your mom thinks, what anyone at school has to say, or whether the Whitneys give a damn. You’re mine now. Do you get what I’m saying, Emme?”
His possessive demand thrilled a part of me that had been neglected for so long. Nobody else had ever made me feel needed like Corby did. “Yes, I’m yours. And you’re mine.”
“Damn straight,” he agreed before tilting my head back and claiming my mouth in another deep kiss that led to another round of sex before we fell asleep. It was the best Thanksgiving ever, and I was more than happy to make this a new tradition.
14
Corby
Pulling through the gates of Emmeline’s home filled me with nervous energy. Emme had been in a tense standoff with her mother over the past couple of weeks over me attending the fancy birthday party her parents were throwing for her. Shit had gone down when she hadn’t gone back home until the day after Thanksgiving, and her mom had tried grounding her. Luckily, her dad had a rare day off work because of the holiday and had backed Emme up. Although he hadn’t been happy that his daughter spent the night with her boyfriend, he’d pointed out to her mom that Emme had let them know where she was and the whole thing would’ve gone down differently if she’d just let me come to dinner in the first place.
The fight had only made Emme’s mom dislike me even more, which was ironic as fuck since we still hadn’t met. Emme was going to introduce me to both of her parents tonight, and we’d be surrounded by a shit ton of people judging by how many cars were parked in front of their house already. Driving past them, I clicked the button on the remote Emme had given me yesterday and the garage door farthest away from the house slid open. After parking the Jeep, I climbed out and reached inside for the brightly wrapped present I had gotten for Emme with a good chunk of the allowance William had been giving me since I’d moved in. Other than gas, I didn’t have many expenses, so I’d barely touched the money. Which had been a good thing because I’d spent more than I planned on Emme’s present. I hadn’t expected signed romance novels to be so expensive but finding the perfect gift for a girl who could buy anything had made it money well spent. I’d been able to get a full series of ten hardcover special editions personalized by her favorite author, and I had no doubt she was going to love them.
I fired off a quick text to Emme to let her know I was here, and the door leading to the house was flung open about a minute later. “I’m so glad to see you. The party ended up being way bigger than I expected. I think my mom invi
ted everyone she knows in Black Mountain and at least half of the student population, including kids who’ve never said a word to me.”
I stopped myself from asking if my invitation had gotten lost in the mail. Emme didn’t need my sarcasm, and I wasn’t surprised that her mom hadn’t bothered to invite me. I was her daughter’s boyfriend, but that didn’t matter to her as much as having the right last name or over six figures in my bank account. I wouldn’t let her elitist attitude ruin my girl’s big day, though. So I pasted a grin on my face and wiggled my present in the air. “I know you’re not a fan of crowds, but at least you’ll get plenty of gifts.”
“The only presents I care about are the ones you, Emily, Sarah, and my dad got for me. Everyone else could leave right now for all I care.” She grabbed the brightly wrapped package out of my hands and pressed it close to her chest. “I guess your teammates can stay, too. They’re not too bad.”
My smile became genuine over her reluctant admission. I’d seen for myself how well she got along with the guys. “I’m sure they'll be on their best behavior.”
“Yeah, because they don’t want to piss you off.” That was fine by me as long as they looked out for her. She shook my present and tilted her head to the side. “Hmm, it’s heavy but there isn’t a rattling sound.”
“Go ahead and open it,” I suggested, more than willing to stay in the garage for hours if it made her happy.
“Thanks.” She beamed a smile at me and ripped into the wrapping paper. When the spines of the books were revealed, her lips parted on a gasp. “Oh, my gosh. They’re so pretty.”
I didn’t know anyone else who would gush over books the same way. “That’s not even the best part.”
I pulled one of the hardcovers from the stack and flipped the cover open to show her the inscription. When she saw the note from the author, she shrieked with joy and threw herself into my arms. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Charity: Black Mountain Academy/Fortuity Page 10
