The Enemy Series

by M. E. Clayton

  Roselyn’s smile joined with Emerson’s. “Look, Delaney, I know Deke can be rather…much, but you’re a smart girl. After what happened Monday, you have to know that Deke’s claim on you is solid.”

  “Why, though?” I asked. “In all the years I’ve known who Deke’s been, he’s never paid me any mind. Now, all of a sudden, he’s interested, and I’m just supposed to accept that? Rearrange my life with no explanation, whatsoever?”

  “I don’t think you have a choice, Delaney,” Emerson answered. “Deke’s not going to let you go.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t understand any of this,” I admitted.

  Roselyn snorted. “Who does? This is Deke Marlow we’re talking about. Hell, trying to figure him, Liam, or Ramsey out is like trying to understand what makes the Bermuda Triangle tick. Give up the ghost, girl, and just go with it. Trust me. You’ll have fewer headaches that way.”

  I ignored their advice and asked the one question I’d been dying to. “Why’s he not in school?”

  Emerson’s eyes darted towards Roselyn’s before returning those grey eyes back on me. “The truth?” she asked.

  “Yes, please.” Roselyn started gnawing on her lower lip, and she gave me the same sad look Ava had when I had told her I was attracted to Deke. She looked like she felt sorry for me.

  Emerson cleared her throat and told me the truth. “He’s staying away because he’s in such a bad headspace, he’s afraid for your safety.”

  All the air left my lungs at her statement. “What…what do you mean?”

  Roselyn let out a deep sigh. “The boys are really hush, hush when it comes to…their man-bonding, but whatever it is you did to get on Deke’s radar…well, it’s serious for him. That’s all I know.”

  I looked over at Emerson and asked, “What has Ramsey told you?” I knew she’d never breach his confidence, but I still had to ask.

  She looked sad for me too. “Nothing. Roselyn’s right about their bond. But I can tell you that there’s no outrunning Deke Marlow, Delaney. You’re pretty much fucked, chic.”

  Chapter 13

  Deke~

  I still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to come back to school, but I couldn’t stay away any longer. For years, I hadn’t paid any attention to Delaney Martin, and in a matter of one Friday night, she was all I could think about now.

  I knew from the gang’s reports that Delaney was keeping to herself, but that didn’t surprise me; she always did. While she chitchatted with people here and there, Ava was her only real friend. What had surprised me was the phone call I got from Emerson telling me all about the talk she and Linnie had had with Delaney and Ava, and it made me fall in love with my two girls that much more. The fact that Emerson and Roselyn would clear the air with Ava, just to make her and Delaney more comfortable about my pursuit, showed me what real class acts those two girls were. While Ramsey and Liam knew the extent of my obsession with Delaney, I hadn’t shared the details with the girls, and they still went to bat for me.

  As per usual, I was hanging out in front of school waiting for the bell to ring and for Delaney to pass by. I wasn’t exactly sure how all this was going to go down, but during my self-imposed hiatus, I realized I needed to get the full story on her and Reynolds. I also needed to know if she’s slept with him. Now, with my past, I’m the last person to judge, but I wanted to know because I needed to know if he had a hold on her or not. Most girls were funny about the guy they give their virginity to, and I needed to find out exactly what all Reynolds meant to Delaney. I already knew their families were close if they had arranged a goddamn marriage at the age of fucking ten, so I already had that working against me. I needed to know how Delaney felt about the asshole. I had no doubt I’d have Delaney in the end, but I wanted to know what I was up against.

  I felt the charge in the air a split second before I saw Delaney and Ava walking together towards the front doors of the school. I didn’t bother with goodbyes as I knew the crew already knew where I was with this. I hustled my way over to the girls, ignored Ava, grabbed Delaney by the arm and dragged her around the back of the building, and the most important fact in all this?

  She let me.

  I pinned her up against the building and caged her in with my palms flat on either side of her. She adjusted her backpack over her shoulder as she looked up at me putting on a brave face. My eyes darted over to her scar, and just like that, my dick was hard.

  “You’re here,” she muttered quietly, and my entire body stilled with the implication of her words. Delany fucking missed me. Or, at the very least, she wondered about me.

  My hand came off the building, landed on her shoulder, and slid across her collarbone, down over her left tit, and kept going until it stopped at her hip. Delaney’s breath hitched as I slid my hand upwards underneath her uniform shirt and wrapped it around the flank of her waist.

  Nothing ever felt so good as my hand on Delaney Martin’s bare flesh.

  I leaned down until my lips grazed her ear. “Did you miss me?”

  “Deke…” she moaned, and I lost all common sense.

  I pushed up against her, so she was completely blocked off by my body, and not waiting for permission, I slid my hand down the front of her uniform pants causing the button to pop off and the zipper to bust open. Delaney’s backpack slid off her shoulder, and her hands fisted in my shirt, as her head dropped to rest on my chest. She wasn’t stopping me and that shamed her to the point where she couldn’t look at me, but I was okay with that. We’d work on that later.

  I slid my hand in between her legs, and the second my fingers touched her wet flesh, I knew whatever she had with Reynolds didn’t matter. Her grip threatened to tear the fabric of my shirt as I slid my fingers back and forth between her pussy lips. It sounded like she might be crying, but I wasn’t sure, and I wasn’t going to stop to find out. As long as she wasn’t telling me to stop or pushing me away, nothing was going to stop me from making Delaney cum like this.

  When I felt my fingers were lubed up enough from her wetness, I slid one into her pussy, and it was so tight, there’s no way she wasn’t a virgin. Delaney threw her head back hard enough I could hear its impact against the building. Her eyes were screwed shut, but I could see the wetness decorating her lashes.

  Yep, she’d been crying.

  I leaned in and did the one thing I’ve been wanting to do since I cornered her at that party last Friday. I had my fingers buried deep in her pussy, going in and out, as I licked that fucking scar on her face. Delaney whimpered, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to get out of this without fucking her right here in front of whoever might happen by.

  I pulled back to look at her. “Have you fucked Reynolds?” I growled. “Has he ever touched you, Lamb?” Her eyes shot open, and she looked breathtaking in tears. “Or are my fingers the first fingers to ever touch this pussy?” Delaney nodded, and because she looked positively torn up about her admission, I knew she had nodded to my fingers being the first to ever touch her. “You’re going to explain about Reynolds, but I need you to know that, no matter what, you’re mine, Delaney. You. Are. Mine.”

  Her eyes shut again when I started upping the tempo of my fingers. I was finger fucking Delaney hard and deep, and I didn’t care that we were out in the open at school. I was doing my best to shield her with my body, but it wouldn’t be too difficult to deduce what we were doing.

  My name was a heartbreaking sob on her lips, “Deke…”

  “It’s okay, Delaney,” I breathed against her face; against her scar. “Cum on my fingers, baby. I got you. I promise I got you.” Her nails dug into my skin through the fabric of my shirt and she let out the throatiest moan as she came all over my hand.

  We stood there in complete silence as Delaney started coming off her high. My hand was still down her pants, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before the reality of what she just let me do set in and she lost her shit. I wasn’t confused. Delaney wanted me, but she didn’t want to want me.

 
; When her eyes opened and latched onto mine, I pulled my fingers out of her pants, stuck them in my mouth, and licked them clean. Her eyes widened and I could actually see the panic start to take hold in those beautiful eyes of hers. Delaney had lost herself to me and it was written all over her face, plain as day, how humiliated she was over the fact.

  “De…Deke…oh, God,” she muttered as her hand flew to her pants and her face rushed red when she realized the zipper and button of her pants were useless. “Oh, shit. Oh, shit,” she rambled on.

  “Delaney-”

  Her hands pushed at my chest and I knew our moment was over. She was going to go back to not wanting to want me. “I can’t believe I let you do that,” she hissed. “I can’t believe…I…what the hell was I thinking letting you…oh, Christ.”

  “Delaney-”

  Her eyes were blazing, and she was nothing but a ball of unchartered emotions. “I don’t even like you, Deke,” she claimed.

  Now I was getting pissed. I was willing to grant her some confusion and embarrassment because Delaney Martin was not the kind of girl who let guys finger fuck her in public, but I knew she liked me. She just didn’t want to like me. “Your scent on my fingers contradicts that statement, Lamb,” I bit out. “Or do you let all the guys you don’t like finger your pussy like a-”

  “Fuck you, Deke Marlow!” she yelled in my face. “I’m not…I don’t…”

  I grabbed her by her shoulders and held her firm against the wall. “I know you’re pissed that you caved when you don’t want to like me, Delaney,” I allowed. “But you are not going to act like what just happened wasn’t always going to happen. You missed me these past two days. Own it and quit being a little bitch about it.”

  Her spine straightened, and I knew I was pulling out the Delaney no one ever saw; the Delaney Martin no one knew. “I’ll show you a bitch, Deke Marlow,” she threatened, her voice still and absolute.

  I cupped her face in my hands and welcomed her threat. “I hope you do, Lamb,” I said. “I hope to fuck you do, because the second you start showing me what you’re capable of, I can start showing you what I’m capable of.” Her breathing hitched, and my dick reminded me that he was still hard from the finger fucking. “You think you’ve seen me at my worst because Reynolds has a broken nose and fucked-up face? Baby, that’s nothing compared to what my conscience allows me to do and still sleep at night.” I leaned in and whispered against her ear, “Show me how much of a bitch you can be, Delaney. Show me, so I can ruin you. Show me, so I can’t fuck you up so badly, your mind cracks along with your heart and soul, baby.”

  I pulled back so she could look into my face; into my eyes and see just how serious I was. I wanted to ruin Delaney. I wanted to break her into a million fucking pieces until I was the only one who could put her back together. Delaney called to the darkest parts of me and I knew I’d never let her go.

  “I’m not weak,” she whispered.

  I let go of her face and took a step back. “Maybe not,” I allowed. “But if you’re going to fight this-us, well, you should know what you’re going up against, Delaney.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “I’m Deke Marlow,” I stated simply. “You go up against me, you go up against Ramsey, Liam, Emerson, and Roselyn, baby. So, tell me how strong your inner bitch is now?”

  Chapter 14

  Delaney~

  Deke was right.

  He was right, and I knew it. I’d always known it.

  Deke was a package deal. Even if they all went to separate colleges, nothing would break the bond Deke had with Ramsey, Liam, and the girls. It was obvious in how they had hung around in the shadows these past couple of days watching out for me while he’d been gone. It was obvious in how Emerson and Roselyn had made the effort to make Ava feel comfortable around them all. They would back Deke’s play no matter how it ended up.

  They’d bury my body if Deke needed that from them.

  And now we were sitting in Deke’s car, missing first period, because he lured me to his car with the promise of a safety pin for my uniform pants. But if I’m being completely honest with myself, I needed these few precious moments. Letting him do what he did still had me a little flustered.

  Even with my admission to Ava last night about being attracted to Deke, I hadn’t been expecting to feel such a substantial amount of weight to be lifted from my chest when I saw he was back. Deke shouldn’t have been able to affect me so strongly after one confrontation on Friday, and one day of bullshit on Monday.

  I had told Ava I was attracted to him, but I was starting to fear it was more than mere attraction. I let Deke bring me to orgasm without a care to my reputation or my arrangement with Winston, which, let’s face it, was coming to an end. And, while I never judged Ava for being wild, having experienced my first orgasm at the hands of a hot guy, well…let’s just say, I understood a lot better now how a girl could get carried away. I also wouldn’t judge Roselyn if the rumors about her were true. Deke had me seeing Jesus, and I couldn’t imagine an experience where Liam McCellan joined in.

  Holy shit.

  Deke was turned in his seat looking at me, holding the safety pin hostage, as he demanded, “Now, tell me about Reynolds.”

  I rolled my eyes but told him, anyway. “When we were ten, our parents had sat us down and told us we were going to marry each other.” I shrugged a shoulder. “At that age, I hadn’t really understood the implications of what they were saying, but Winston was my friend. It hadn’t seemed like a bad idea to marry my friend. Over the years, we were kind of brainwashed into accepting that our getting married made sense. Lots of families with money or dynasties get married to secure business relationships or acquire more wealth. Winston and I bought into it and, quite frankly, it saved me from having to…I don’t know. Knowing my future was with Winston, I didn’t have to meet boys or go on dates. The arrangement worked for me because…well, in case you haven’t noticed it all these years, I’m a pretty private person.”

  “And all of Reynolds’ fucking around?” he asked.

  “I didn’t care,” I answered truthfully.

  “How could you not care if your future husband was sleeping with the entire town of Sands Cove?” Deke’s face was impassive as he asked his questions, but like I said, Deke had a hell of a poker face.

  I let out a sigh, already tired of this conversation. “Because I don’t care about him like that.”

  “You don’t care about him like that?” he repeated.

  “No.” A part of me wanted, so badly, to tell Deke this was none of his business, but I didn’t want to be a hypocrite. I just let this guy do something to me that I’ve never let anyone else do. That was proof enough that Deke’s hold on me was stronger than I wanted it to be. “We tried being…uh, romantic back when we were like fourteen, and, well, I don’t know about him, but I felt nothing.”

  Deke’s hand latched around my upper arm in a painful grip. “What do you mean, romantic?”

  “We kissed,” I yelped. “We just kissed, you goddamn lunatic!” He immediately let go of my arm and gestured for me to continue. Jesus. “We kissed, and I didn’t feel anything. When it was clear that we’d never have a passionate marriage, Winston started looking to other girls for his kicks, and I just went about my business.”

  Deke’s eyes were like liquid emeralds when he asked, “And just now? When I had my fingers in your pussy? Did you feel something then?”

  I tried not to squirm in my seat, but I couldn’t help it. His words reminded me of just how sensitive I was down there. “You know I did,” I hissed. I knew I needed to come to terms with my surrender, but Deke’s arrogance and high-handed ways made that hard. I was attracted to him, but he made it hard to like him when he was being a dick.

  He didn’t say anything for a few torturous seconds, before he reached across the console of his car, and fastened the safety pin to my pants. “This should hold you until you get a new pair of pants from the office,” he said casually as if th
is morning hasn’t been full of ‘what the fucks’.

  “Deke-”

  His green eyes snapped to mine, and I could feel my willpower dwindling down more than it already had. My leg was bleeding, and I was diving into the ocean, exactly where the sharks lurked. “I’m going to give you today to…come to terms with this thing between us, Delaney,” he said. “I will give you the rest of the day to…get your mind together. But after tonight, you’re mine. Understand?” I nodded because I didn’t know what else to do. “I’m coming for you tomorrow, Lamb.” I could feel my breath leave me as he got out of his car, walked around, and opened my door to help me out.

  And I let him. I let him, because I wasn’t sure what came next.

  Deke grabbed my hand and started pulling me behind him when I yanked my arm back, bringing him to a halt. He turned and looked down at me, his looks and commanding presence screwing with my head and heart. “What does that mean, exactly?”

  Instead of answering me, Deke’s hands slid up my face until they were tangled in my hair and he had my back up against his car. His lips came crashing down on mine and all I could do was grab his arms and hold on for dear life.

  This kiss was powerful and consuming. His tongue was doing more than just invading my mouth; it was invading my soul. Deke was kissing me as if he was told he’d never be able to kiss a girl ever again. His hold in my hair was absolute, and so tight, my scalp started to hurt. He had his body pressed so closely to mine that I could feel his erection digging into my stomach.

  I never knew you could put so much feeling into a single kiss. I never knew you could lose your mind with just a kiss. I never viewed kissing as foreplay. What Deke had done to me earlier, that’s what I always considered foreplay.

  But a kiss? A simple kiss?

  Granted, there was nothing simple about Deke Marlow, but all I knew was that I wanted this kiss to go on forever. I wanted this passion to go on forever. I always wondered how Emerson and Roselyn didn’t suffocate under the constant dominant personalities of Ramsey and Liam, but if their obsessions made those girls feel even a fraction of what Deke was making me feel right now…well, I understood a little better now. Ava had been right when she said having a guy fight for you and make you matter was dangerous for girls like us; girls who were neglected and unloved.