“Who’s going to stop me?” he asked, and I had no answer to that.
Who would stop him? Winston? My parents? Winston’s parents? The law? The law could stop him, right? If everyone else failed, a restraining order would surely shut this madness down, right?
My mind scrambled for some kind of solution to my situation. It was one thing to tease me about sex; it was another to hold my hand in the hallway on our way to class. That hinted at shit that he couldn’t possibly want with me. I knew I wasn’t a complete toad, but I wasn’t powerful like Emerson or strong like Roselyn, and Deke Marlow needed a girl with a commanding presence to walk with him in that context. His group of friends wouldn’t tolerate a weak link, and I would totally be a weak link.
Maybe…
“I’ll make you a deal,” I whispered. He didn’t comment. He just arched an ebony brow. “I’ll let you…” Christ, I couldn’t believe I was even contemplating this, much less saying it out loud. “…be my first. I’ll let you…have your way, but then after that, you leave me alone.” Take away the curiosity, right?
“Oh, I’m going to be your first, alright,” he smirked. “I’m going to be your last, too. And I had better be your only, Delaney.” I stared dumbfounded as he said, “Let’s get to class.”
Ava was right.
I was going to have to tell him about Winston.
Chapter 7
Deke~
I’ve never tried to hold a girl’s hand before, and so, Delaney’s blatant rejection had had me seeing red like a sonofabitch. I had been so pissed when we finally got to class, I had dragged her with me towards the back of the stadium seating and planted her ass next to mine.
I’ll admit that this had all started out as curiosity, but that kiss changed everything.
I’ve kissed plenty of girls in my lifetime, but the kisses had all been part of foreplay. I never kissed a girl who I wasn’t about to fuck, and I sure as fuck have never kissed a girl in public for the sake of demonstrating affection. Hell, I’ve never even had a girlfriend before. I didn’t need one, and sex around here was served on goddamn tap. I didn’t need to a girlfriend to get laid.
But Delaney Martin had changed all that with that kiss and that goddamn slap afterwards.
Even though I wasn’t a psychopath like Ramsey, or a madman like Liam, my tastes had always run towards the darker side of things. I was fine with soft sex and missionary if that’s what the girl preferred, but what I preferred was hard, rough fucking. I enjoyed pulling on a girl’s hair so hard it brought tears to her eyes. I enjoyed leaving bite marks and bruises. I enjoyed the ownership. I enjoyed knowing a girl was so out of her mind with pleasure that pain didn’t register. I loved knowing that a girl was so turned on she’d let me do whatever I wanted to her.
Admittedly, throughout my eighteen years of life, I’ve only experienced that a few times, and it was with one-night-stands from other towns or some of the older siblings of the girls I went to school with. Not too many teenage girls will let a guy choke the shit out of her during sex.
But I saw that…desire on Delaney’s face when she focused on my hands tightening in Melissa’s hair Friday night. I saw that same curious need on her face when she slapped me. And I saw it in her eyes when I explained how I knew she was a virgin.
Anticipation nearly drove me to my knees at the thought of Delaney bleeding all over me. I never knew why Liam had deceived Roselyn the night he took her virginity and did it without a condom on, but now that I’ve…connected with Delaney, well, now I understood. I wanted my dick covered in the proof that she’s never been with anyone else. Birth control was something we were going to have to discuss because, the way I’m feeling now, I wouldn’t care if she got pregnant.
And, right now, my future-baby-mamma was reluctantly being dragged behind me as we walked to my locker so I could pick up Linnie for third period. It astounded me sometimes how I could have had sex with Roselyn for close to a year and still feel nothing but friendship for her. It’s only been a few months since the last time I saw her naked, but I can’t even picture her anymore, and not because she wasn’t memorable. My mind tricked my memories somehow the second she became exclusive with Liam.
We walked up to my locker and since all our lockers were together, with the exception of Linnie’s, all my friends were standing gathered around. Liam had second period with Roselyn, so he turned her over to me during third and fourth periods, and then he got her back during fifth. Emerson and Roselyn always had one of us with them. The only exception was Roselyn’s sixth period. She was alone, but it was art, so she was allowed to wander around taking pictures and shit if she wanted to. Liam couldn’t get her scheduled changed so late in the year.
And all of our possessiveness was simply due to the fact that even as tough as our girls were, there were plenty of people still hating on them for doing the one thing they couldn’t; landing Ramsey and Liam. Thinking about it, I knew I was going to see what I could do about Delaney’s schedule now.
The second we stopped in front of my friends, Liam fired the first shot. “That’s a hell of a swing,” he chuckled. “Did you have to go see the nurse?”
I opened my locker with the one hand that held Delaney’s. No way would I let go of her hand. She’d take off running. “Fuck you, dude,” I replied, putting my book away and grabbing another.
“Hi, Delaney,” Emerson said, greeting her. “I don’t think we’ve ever been formally introduced.”
“Very polite, babe,” Roselyn laughed.
Emerson side-eyed Roselyn. “What? I don’t want the girl to think we’re all crazy.”
I rolled my eyes as Delaney addressed Emerson. “It doesn’t matter, Emerson,” she replied. “I’m not going to be around long enough for it to matter.”
You could hear a pin drop.
Ramsey’s and Liam’s eyes shot to mine, while the girls looked uncomfortably everywhere else but at me or Delaney. I slammed my locker shut, letting the noise cut through the tense silence. “Keep talking that shit, Delaney, and see what happens.”
The strength in her voice surprised me. I thought being around everyone would intimidate her, but it didn’t. “You can say whatever you want, and act like an asshole however much you want, but that changes nothing, Deke,” she announced before cutting to the heart of the issue. Most girls would kill to date me, but her next words told me everything I needed to know about her reluctance. “You’ve ignored me for four years. You can just keep on ignoring me.”
She was right.
I never paid her any mind. I never thought about her. I never spoke to her. She never even crossed my mind whenever I did see her passing in the hallway, or wherever. I had lumped her in with the masses, and now that she had my attention, she was throwing it back in my face, and I really couldn’t fault the girl.
“Delaney?” Every head swiveled to see Ava standing a few feet away, clearly concerned for her friend, but not confident enough to approach us all. While Ava had a spine of steel and wasn’t timid in the least, there’s no way she was brave enough to battle me, Liam, and Ramsey. She also knew that the fact that she’s slept with both Ramsey and Liam, it’d be up to the girls if she was ever welcomed into our fold.
Delaney yanked her hand out of mine, and without a word, turned her back on us and rushed towards her friend. I let her go because it wasn’t like I didn’t know where to find her. We had our next class together.
After they were out of earshot, Ramsey asked, “Trouble?”
“She offered to let me be her first if I promised to leave her the hell alone afterwards,” I admitted. Liam let out a low whistle and the girls both visibly winced.
“Uh, that doesn’t sound promising, Deke,” Roselyn pointed out unnecessarily.
“Especially after that slap heard around the world,” Emerson added.
I looked over at my two pretty girls. “Doesn’t matter,” I told them. “She’s mine.”
“What do you need from us until she comes to terms with t
hat?” Ramsey asked.
“Just watch out for her if I’m not around,” I answered, even though I knew that was a given with them.
The bell rang, and I grabbed Linnie’s hand and dragged her with me to third period. I’d miss Delaney during fourth period, but after fourth it’d be lunchtime, and I expected Delaney to be sitting with us at our table. When we got to class, I saw that Delaney was sitting in the front between two other girls. There was no room for me or Roselyn and that wasn’t acceptable.
As Roselyn marched towards the back where we always sat, I walked over three students until I was standing next to Delaney. I grabbed her backpack and book off the desk with one hand while my other hand wrapped around the back of her neck. I squeezed and pulled her out of her seat literally dragging her struggling and cussing through the row of students.
“What the hell, Deke?” she yelled. I ignored her as I walked her up the steps towards the back.
“Mr. Marlow?”
I didn’t bother looking back. It’s not as if Mrs. Joy was going to interfere. “Delaney was lost, Mrs. Joy,” I called back. “I’m just helping her find her way.”
And then Delaney Martin really got my dick hard. “You motherfucker!” she ranted.
I took a seat, and with my hand still wrapped around her neck, I forced her to the seat next to me. Linnie was sat on my other side, wisely not saying anything. “Sit your ass down, Delaney,” I snapped. “Sit the fuck down or I swear I will drag you out of this school and no one will hear from you all week.”
Her bright brown eyes were shooting out sparks, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew I could do what I just threatened and that no one would stop me. There’s a chance Ava might, but I knew Delaney wouldn’t want to put Ava on my bad side.
Delaney sat down and slammed her book on the desktop in a show of rage and defiance. She didn’t bother to look at me when she said, “Go ahead and think you have me under control, Deke,” she hissed. “But rest assured you do not.”
My arm shot out and snaked a fist full of her brown hair in my hand and I twisted her head towards me. I had my lips mashed to hers in a bruising, forceful kiss. She opened her mouth to let out a grimace at the pain, and the second she did, I bit down on her bottom lip until I tasted blood. The warmth that flooded my tongue made me damn near delirious with need.
I pulled back and, have you ever been so enraged that tears burned in your eyes? Well, right now, that was Delaney Martin. The look in her pretty brown eyes was pure unadulterated rage and hate for me, in this moment.
There was no way she was sleeping anywhere but in my bed with me. Ever.
Chapter 8
Delaney~
In a surprise move, five minutes before the bell rang for fourth period, I had jumped out of my seat and ran out of the classroom before Deke could stop me. I ran out past the teacher and didn’t stop until I was safely secured in the girl’s restroom. Windsor had three different girls’ restrooms, so I ran to the farthest one from class and Deke’s locker.
It might have been cowardly to flee like that, but the rage I had been feeling all through class gave me no choice. It was either run or beat Deke Marlow within an inch of his life.
I knew the more I fought, the more it called onto his predatory instincts, but what else could I do? I wasn’t going to just follow him blindly, nodding my head like a tool. Or maybe that’s what I needed go do for him to lose interest.
When I had suggested I let him be my first as long as he left me alone afterwards, I had suggested that for a lot of reason. Even though I still had another four years to commit before I couldn’t change my mind, if I married Winston, I planned on being faithful even if he wasn’t. I might not be marrying him for love, but that didn’t make marriage vows any less sacred. A part of me kept going over Ava’s suggestion of having a fling with Deke before giving myself to Winston for life, but I wondered if I’d be better off not knowing what I was missing. I didn’t suspect Winston would be horrible to me or even horrible in bed, Lord knows the boy’s had enough practice if the rumors were to be believed, but I didn’t feel anything with him. Winston didn’t inspire any emotions out of me; not love, like, lust, excitement, anger, jealousy, warmth…nothing. And I had a feeling that if I let Deke in my bed, and then had to settle for Winston afterwards, I’d be sorely disappointed for the rest of my life.
“Delaney?”
I whirled around and there stood the guy occupying my thoughts. “Winston,” I breathed out. “This is the girls’ restroom. What are you doing in here?”
He walked towards me until he was standing in front of me, looking down into my face. Winston was an attractive boy, with his dark brown hair and startling blue eyes, but he just did nothing for me. “I left class early so I could catch you by your locker and I saw you running this way.”
“Let’s go talk outside,” I suggested. The bell had rung a few seconds ago and I knew girls would be coming in soon to use this restroom. He followed me outside and we kept walking until we found a little alcove on the side of the building. I pressed my back up against the wall and looked up at him. “Why were you going to wait for me?”
The look he gave me would have cut through a lesser person, and it gave me pause. In all the years I’ve known Winston, I’ve never seen him upset. This was new. “Why the hell do you think, Delaney?” he snapped. “There’s a goddamn video of Deke Marlow kissing you and you slapping the shit out of him.” I closed my eyes and sighed. When I reopened them, Winston’s expression hadn’t changed. He still looked pissed. “What the hell is going on between you and Deke Marlow?”
I dropped my backpack on the ground next to me and crossed my arms over my chest. “Nothing is going on between me and Deke,” I denied. “And, even if there was, what business is it of yours?”
His dark brows shot up. “Are you serious? We’re supposed to get married one day,” he reminded me. “Anything you do is my goddamn business.”
I laughed at that. “Are you serious?” I didn’t let him answer. “You haven’t made my life your business since the day I met you, Winston. And now, suddenly, you give a shit?”
“You’ve always been my business, Delaney,” he repeated. “You’ve just never had any business to get into, until now.” His eyes darted to my split lip; Deke’s bite mark.
Wow.
Talk about some nerve. “So, suddenly, you’re jealous?” I asked. “You’ve slept with half the school and you want to stake claim now that someone is showing me interest?”
His jaw ticked and I could tell he didn’t like being called out on his behavior. “Delaney, if you wanted to spend your high school years sowing your wild oats, I would have understood. Just like you gave me the freedom I needed, I would have done the same,” he said, lying through his teeth. “My problem is you wait until we’re seniors, when our arrangement is getting closer, to start getting involved with other guys.”
“Getting involved with other guys,” I murmured. I cocked my head at him. “I’m not even involved with you.”
“Cut the shit, Delaney,” he barked. “You know damn well what I mean. All those other girls? I made it clear I was unavailable for more than sex. Does Marlow know you’re taken?”
I uncrossed my arms and ran my hands through my hair in frustration. “No,” I told him. “He doesn’t know because he doesn’t need to know. There’s nothing going on between us.”
“That kiss suggests otherwise, Delaney,” he argued.
I dropped my head back, closed my eyes, and let out a deep sigh. For four years I’ve been ignored by everyone, and in the span of a weekend and one crappy Monday, I had the attention of two guys I didn’t know what to do with.
This fucking sucked.
I could hear and feel Winston step closer, and when I opened my eyes, he was towering over me, and I wished-oh, God, how I wished he did something for me. If he had, we would have begun a real relationship years ago, and I would have never had been at that stupid party and I never would have gotten caught in
Deke’s crosshairs.
The look of irritation was gone, but not forgotten. I needed to make a mental note that Winston wasn’t as laid back as he seemed. He reached up and pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. It’s the first time since the last time we kissed, when we were 14-years-old, that he’s shown any affection towards me. “Delaney, you’re mine,” he stated. “You’ve always been mine no matter what…may have transpired over the years. You need to tell Deke.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” came a voice that froze the both of us.
The bottom of my stomach fell out and I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had fallen out in a full-blown panic attack. Winston turned around, and we were both face to face with Ramsey Reed. I was pretty sure I was going to be sick.
“Reed,” Winston acknowledged.
“Reynolds,” Ramsey acknowledged back.
I stepped forward, and the movement made Ramsey’s eyes focus on mine. “Uhm…”
Ramsey threw up a hand to stop me. He looked back and forth between me and Winston as he said, “I’m going to make this short and sweet. Someone-I don’t care who-better explain what I just walked up on and heard.”
I had to give Winston credit. He stepped up and explained the situation. “Delaney and I are engaged to be married. The arrangement was made years ago by our parents, and we’ll be getting married after we graduate from college.” Ramsey’s eyes shot to mine before returning to Winston’s as he went on, “I was just making sure Delaney was…being honest about her situation.”
Ramsey addressed Winston, “So, you’re telling me that you and Delaney have an arranged marriage agreement, and you’re just making sure she’s not stringing Deke along, is that it?”
“Yeah. We…we agreed to get…some stuff out of our systems before committing to marriage, and since this is the first time Delaney’s shown any, uhm, interest in anyone, I just wanted to make sure she was being forthcoming.” I wanted to argue against Winston’s explanation because he was half-ass lying, but I wasn’t sure if I was up to going against Ramsey Reed, so I kept quiet.
The Enemy Series Page 42
