He snarled at that, flipping himself behind me and pressing me up against the wall. His erection pressed hard against my arse, as he was holding my left hand up against the wall he ripped the ring off, chucking it to the side of the room. “I thought you were the one who had bailed on us. You had caused so many rifts that I thought you had deliberately left me. How convenient that the engagement comes with a change of address to America.”
I trembled under him but held my composure to snap back. “You didn’t even give me a fucking chance to explain.” I arched myself back, rubbing up against him, against his obvious need for me, for us, and asked him the question, almost scared of the answer. “You haven’t given up on me, on us, have you?”
The silence was deathly. Prolonged. Eventually, Blaise slapped the curves of my arse and I gasped. From surprise. From the acceleration of desire. “You did something rash but maybe I needed that,” he murmured fast, consideringly. “Maybe I needed to realise how fucking trapped you are.”
“And maybe I realised that you aren’t my fucking white knight,” I challenged.
Blaise bit down sharply on my neck, kissing away the sting, “No. I’m your fucking devil, who you made a deal with.”
“Alia iacta est,” I breathed out.
“And I’m sure, sweet Xanthe, that you are dripping for me. You liked my touch.” He ran his hand up my thigh, stroking along my folds, before withdrawing his finger. The loss of his touch made me moan and he chuckled. “Always so sweet. And so needy. I won’t keep my sweet needy girl waiting.”
In a flash, he lifted the bottom of my dress, ripping off my lacy panties. Pushing down his trousers, he entered me with one brutal thrust. The prolonged torture of dancing and the fucking argument, had keyed me up so much that I cried out as soon as he entered me, sparks dancing in my vision. My head lolled against his shoulder, boneless from his sudden intrusion, needing to fuse my very being with his.
He chuckled, “I’m not even close to being done with you.”
“I hope not,” I breathed out as he began moving with sure, firm thrusts inside me. It wasn’t long before my walls were clamping down around him again as his fingers found my clit, rubbing it with smug confidence. I vaguely processed him spilling himself inside me, breathing out long moans and falling lax against me, pinning me against the wall.
We stayed like that awhile before Blaise picked me up and deposited me on the bed, spread before him. He smiled wickedly at me before kissing his way down to my core, sodden from both our releases, and licking away at the evidence of our consummation, holding my thighs tight against the bed as I squirmed from the overload of sensation. Soon enough, he was bringing me back to the heady precipice and he turned me over and entered me once more. He wasn’t done with me until we had both fallen over the edge a few more times and then he positioned my weary but sated body flush against his and cradled me to sleep.
The security of last night soon dissipated as I woke to sunshine streaming in and I snuggled up against Blaise. The sickening realisation of our stupidity had yet to settle in. I looked up at him, my smile soon fading as I saw his serious expression. The cold mask was in place once more. That always meant something foreboding was in store for us.
“Morning, sweetheart.” He tried to force a smile.
I smiled back, trying to stretch but my body felt like it had run a marathon. I scowled at him and he chuckled. “I wasn’t sure how long it would be before we could be together like this,” he murmured, unrepentantly.
“It’s okay.” I kissed him briefly before pulling away. “Is everything okay?”
“Not exactly. I guess we weren’t subtle last night.”
“No shit. We just came back here and didn’t bother with excuses.”
“And now we have to go face them. They are all in the sitting room and if we don’t, they’ll come in here… I think we’d rather face them once dressed?”
I nodded and managed to get out of bed, scowling at Blaise’s smug expression as I put on my gold dress and located the ring which was in some dusty corner. He gave my appearance a once over and chucked me a dark, navy sweater which I put on gratefully. Hopefully, more layers would be enough of an armour. Or maybe not, as I thought back to the tense encounter with Damien last night and I shivered.
Blaise wrapped his arms around me and we walked out to the sitting room like convicts facing a jury bound to deem them guilty. The other boys were in various positions around the room and Gemma was curled up on Bastien’s lap looking upset. This mirrored the tense, angry expressions of the others and I automatically recoiled into Blaise.
“Well, well, well,” Damien began, glaring at us and playing with his damn knife. He saw me looking at it and smirked, knowing full well what we had talked about at the event last night. “If it isn’t you two, yet again.”
“Good night?” Ludo snarked.
“Sounded like it,” Bastien joked. “Oh, oh, Blaise…”
“Now’s not the time for your witticisms, Delacourt,” Damien snapped, his voice ice cold and his glare as penetrating as a Basilisk. “What the fuck were you two thinking? Is some meaningless fuck really worth more than us, than what we are all owed?” he gestured around the group and I felt Blaise tense behind me. “I mean how stupid are you? You are acting like a pair of bloody spoiled teenagers who don’t understand the gravity of the situation but just want to keep eating the motherfucking candy they know they aren’t allowed. Fuck. And what are you going to do if we have Marcus coming round later? Or if Isadora does good on her promise of insanity? How the hell were you two thinking of explaining yourselves to The Club?”
Blaise shifted me behind him and glared at everyone. “I know that we’ve all had to go through hardships for the fucking Club but this outweighs everything. You don’t know Xander. Xanthe can’t marry him and move to New York because he’s a fucking psycho. He will kill her if she steps out of line.”
“Or because some idiot is fucking his fiancée?” Ludo snapped. “It’s shit that neither of us can have her but that’s how the world works, okay? It’s part and parcel of being an adult.”
“Exactly,” Damien added. “You’re exaggerating. Xanthe’s being fucking hysterical and we all need to grow up. I don’t know what kind of curse that witch has cast on you but we lost our cool, collected leader the day we met those girls, and I’m sorry but logic is pointing to one prime suspect.”
“Or maybe because I finally allowed myself to fall for someone? Hell, Delacourt has fucking Gemma sitting there looking like the cat with the motherfucking cream and no one is complaining,” Blaise gestured to the couple in question before continuing. “I had no idea that my final task was going to be an arranged marriage…”
“And in his defence he did try to push me away…” I spoke up weakly.
“And you just had to go and pursue him, didn’t you?” Damien snapped at me, making me recoil under his ferocity.
“She had no idea of the insanity that would follow,” Blaise said. “Who would?”
“Are you seriously asking us that, de Vere? You know better than anyone about The Club,” Ludo asked coldly.
“I know about that but I didn’t know about her family…”
“So you were happy to keep Xanthe as a mistress until the terms had been fulfilled but then Xander had to throw a wrench into your plans with the engagement,” Bastien commented. “And so speaks the one who claims he has encountered true love with Xanthe.”
That hit too close to the bone. Panic clawed at me. That’s what Blaise would have done. I would have had to be happy with it. Could I have been happy with it? As if sensing my distress, he turned to me and kissed me softly. “How about you go home with Gemma, hm? And us four will sort this out.”
I nodded mutely as she disentangled herself from Bastien and followed me out of the flat. The car ride back was tense. The hurt, anger, disappointment was tangible. Suffocating. I turned to her and said, “Gem, what’s the matter? I’ve been wondering what’s up all week
.””
She faced me, tears sparkling in her eyes. “Why, Xanthe? Why did you have to pursue Blaise? You’ve just made it so complicated now and Bastien is going to push me away like every other fucking boy. You’re so selfish and unthinking sometimes. I was happy to help you but this is why I didn’t want you to come last night. I didn’t want you to act recklessly. You and Blaise just don’t fucking think sometimes. You needed to be subtle but you couldn’t even do that. Why the fuck do you think you are now an engaged woman heading off to America? Just keep your legs shut for once.”
“Seriously, Gemma? It’s not like I planned this and I’m sure that everything will be fine.”
“And what if it isn’t? Will I have to endure being the awkward third to our little trio, where you and Noelle have no problem keeping guys and I just have to pretend I’m okay?” What the actual fuck? Was I so unseeing that I didn’t realise how much this hurt her? Gemma continued, noticing the confusion on my face. “Of course you didn’t notice because you were too wrapped up in Xander’s issues and I genuinely was worried, Xanthe. I was. So, I put my stress to one side and supported you. Then when you broke up with him and I met Bastien I thought it would all be okay, but clearly not. You just had to go after something you couldn’t have.” The Uber pulled up to the flat and as we entered she spun round to face me. “Honestly, I just need some time, okay?” With that the door to her room slammed in my face.
I was jolted out of my hurt and confusion by Noelle who poked her head around her door. “Everything okay?”
I headed into her room and sat on her bed, saying quietly. “I’m not sure, No-No. I think Gemma’s going through more than I realised. How could I be so fucking self-absorbed?”
She sat beside me, wrapping an arm around me. “What I know is that we won’t let these fuckers get between us. We’ll be there for Gemma and we’ll support her. Hopefully, Bastien will stay with her and treat her like the queen she is.”
I smiled at Noelle and said, “I bloody well hope so. She deserves it.” We sat in silence for a while before she got up and fumbled around in her dresser, withdrawing a packet. “What’s that?”
“I’m assuming you had a tense encounter this morning…” She trailed off, reading my face and sighed. “Anyway, I hope you had a good time because I’m sure that this will have changed things for the worse. You and Blaise really should have been more fucking subtle last night, but I guess you make your bed and you lie in it. Literally.” She smirked at that. I didn’t bite, too impatient to hear what was happening. “In here there are two ferry tickets to Calais and a sedative.” She smiled at my confusion. “A sedative so you can be the fucking white knight rather than the damsel in distress.” Comprehension dawned on me and I chewed my lip nervously. Would I be so bold to do something so outrageous? A sharp rap sounded on the door jolting me out of my thoughts. “Do with that what you will, okay?” Noelle said hurriedly.
We headed back out to the corridor to find that Gemma had opened the door to reveal a flustered Bastien. His gaze zeroed in on me. “I don’t approve of this and neither do the boys but we have agreed to give you and Blaise a night. Tomorrow. Not tonight. If one of your families intervenes then so be it. And after tomorrow it’s ended and you both are going to act like adults. I’m done hurting my brothers and my girlfriend by helping you.” He paused, tucking Gemma in tight to his side. “I’m going to take Gemma out for brunch now and once we’re back you better fucking clear things up with her, okay?” On that note they left the flat. A whirlwind of destruction.
I leant against the wall and looked at Noelle who waved the packet in her hand, looking mischievous. “See… this is what I meant by the universe being right. It’s a sign.”
“Fuck,” I breathed out. “I’m really doing this?”
“You are, babe, whether you like it or not, and you might well die trying.” She looked at me fiercely and I rushed to her, hugging her tightly.
“Thank you so, so much. I don’t know how I will ever repay you.”
Xanthe
The day passed mercifully quickly. I had a long soak in the bath during the morning, both for my aching muscles and to mull over the out that Noelle had given me. Would I be so bold? What would Blaise’s reaction be when I drugged him? I mean it wasn’t okay to kidnap anyone but I suppose that I was in extraordinary circumstances.
Relaxed after the bath, and the questions thankfully muted for the time being, I drifted off for a nap and realised that I had slept away most of the day when I heard Gemma coming back and calling for us. Groggily, I emerged from my room and smiled at her and she smiled back tightly. At least it was a smile, I mused.
“Good day?” I asked nervously, moving slowly towards her as though she was a wild animal about to bolt. She nodded and didn’t move so I gingerly wrapped my arms around her. “I am so sorry, Gem, for being so self-absorbed. I honestly didn’t realise what you were going through and that’s awful on my part.” I pulled back and looked at her desperately. “I hope we can get through this? Let’s just go, make some tea and have a chat?”
She smiled back at me, for real this time, and squeezed me tightly, her voice tremulous. “I just couldn’t, Xanthe. I just snapped earlier because that situation this morning was so crazy and I was just so scared….” She trailed off.
“Don’t be. Explain everything to me and we’ll work through this. I’m always here for you, even if it doesn’t seem like it.” I squeezed her back.
“Am I missing a flat group hug?” I heard Noelle say with mock annoyance. We both laughed at that, wrapping our arms tightly around her.
We then headed into the sitting room and I put the kettle on. Once we were all settled with a cup of tea, I looked to Gem who was nervously playing with the blue velour throw we had on the sofa.
Eventually she began in a small voice. “I’ve always had this stress. Like it never seemed valid because I’ve got you girls, I’ve got my job et cetera. My life is fine.” She paused, chewing her lip. “But it wasn’t always, if you get what I mean and it sounds so pathetic… do you remember Dylan?” she asked, looking at us, her big brown eyes swimming with tears and instinctively we both moved closer, offering her our silent support. He was some worthless waste of time who had strung Gemma along in uni much to our bafflement. He was clearly infatuated with a volatile, mentally unstable girl, Lila, rather than our sweet and stable Gemma. I kicked myself. I should have realised she was more cut up from the whole affair than we cared to realise.
Typically, Noelle scoffed, “Of course. He was such a dickhead and not worth your time.”
She smiled at that. “I know that’s what you girls think but I honestly thought he would wake up one day and we would be together.” She paused, reining in her emotions. “But then we graduated and parted ways. I tried to get over it, dating and all that, but the few dates I went on always fizzled out and, I don’t know, I just wanted to know what was wrong with me. I just couldn’t figure out what wasn’t clicking romantically.” She looked up at us, her expression a pitiful mix of being sheepish and beseeching.
I pulled her in tight and murmured, “I am sorry. I was too self-absorbed with Xander to see this.”
“And I was too full of my usual drama,” Noelle snorted.
“No girls, you weren’t. I hid it because I thought it would kind of click eventually.” Gemma looked sad at this. “And then it did.”
“Bastien,” I breathed out.
She continued, “Anyway, this morning was a disaster…”
“Bastards.” Noelle interrupted. I hid my grin behind my mug. Her reaction to the events of this morning had been filled with expected, righteous anger.
“Anyway, I just flipped. I mean, Xanthe, you could have pursued someone else but you didn’t envisage everything that would happen, especially with Xander.” Gemma put her cup down at this and clasped my hands tightly, “I want you to know this, and Bastien reassured me that it won’t impact our relationship. If there’s any problem, it’ll be of our
own making.” She laughed at this, her gaze never leaving mine. “I think that’s what I needed. Reassurance. My anxieties just got the better of me this morning.”
“And that’s 100% valid,” I said, putting as much emphasis as possible into the words. “100%, babe. And I’m sorry we had to find out this way, and I’m sorry that you’ve been under so much stress.” I pulled her into a hug, my gaze meeting Noelle’s with matching concern. As much as we loved Gemma she wouldn’t understand why I had to go ahead with the plan. It had to be hidden from her. And that pained me no end because I wasn’t sure if this betrayal was something that we could come back from. “But if he hurts you he’ll have Noelle and I to answer to.”
She chuckled at that. “Oh God. Please be nice.”
“Can’t make any promises, babe,” Noelle said airily and we laughed.
I savoured the rest of the evening. An evening of shit movies, a takeaway, and just being with my two favourite girls. Everything would change tomorrow. The unknowing kept the nerves bubbling away but it should be fine. I tried to channel Noelle’s confidence, her unwavering self-belief that whatever mess she found herself, she would end up unscathed.
Sunday evening came and I dressed up figuring that if I was going to mastermind a kidnapping I might as well look glamorous for it. Glamorous but functional because I never knew if I needed to run and that wouldn’t be very easy to do in heels. I left my room carrying a small backpack with my passport and a change of clothes in. Gemma was thankfully gone as she was spending the weekend with Bastien to meet his parents. It provided her with an ironclad alibi and for that I was grateful. I placed a letter to her on her neatly made bed, my hand lingering on the soft covers. I just hoped that if I pulled this off she would forgive me. That my selfishness wouldn’t cause irreparable damage for her.
Noelle met me in the corridor and hugged me tightly. “Looking fantastic as always, Xanthe. Remember, it’s now or never, yeah?” She pulled back and kissed my cheek. “Love you.”
Little Doll: Queens of Chaos 1 Page 28
