Despised: A Reverse Harem Academy Bully Romance (Dukes of Dunwich Book 1)

by Payton Reed

  She was struggling to be quiet, uncertain where Jonas’s parents’ bedroom was, and uncertain if they might even be going to bed this early. She didn’t want to make it obvious what she and Jonas were doing though, so she tried to be quiet. Her breath was a series of ragged gasps as she held his head against her.

  His tongue moved over every inch of her, finding each little niche that electrified her. She writhed against him and put a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out in her pleasure. Jonas seemed to know exactly what he was doing as his tongue swept through the length of her slit, darting into the opening before homing in on her clit.

  He circled it with his tongue, making her cry out softly. When he applied firm suction, that was all she could take. With a sob she couldn’t contain, Willow came with an intensity she hadn’t experienced before. The world seemed to turn into bright flashes of color around her despite her eyes being closed, with the pleasure spreading outward. She swore she could feel it everywhere for the longest second before the ecstasy started to break apart and fade away.

  When she could breathe and think again, she opened her eyes to find Jonas lying on his side with his head propped on his hand, just looking at her. She felt self-conscious. “What?”

  “You’re just so beautiful like that.” He leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek, and Willow surprised herself by turning her head to meet his mouth instead.

  She could taste remnants of herself on his tongue, which was strange, but not unpleasant. It made her want more, but not from herself. She wanted to taste his pleasure. Pulling back, she grinned. “My turn.”

  Jonas frowned. “You don’t have to.”

  “No, I really want to.” She slid down his body as he turned over onto his back. She’d done this once before with Lex, but it was different with Jonas. For one thing, his cock was quite dissimilar, and for another, everything about the moment was different. Different man, a different way he spurred her emotions, and a different approach to pleasing him with her mouth.

  She started out slowly, occasionally licking him like an ice cream cone. Since there wasn’t a time limit of the bell about to ring, she could take her time and really get familiar with his shaft. It didn’t take long to discover he really liked it when she trailed her tongue across the corona, or when she pressed it against the V on the underside.

  She stroked him with her tongue while sucking with her mouth, escalating the intensity of her movements. Jonas squirmed underneath her, his hands buried in her hair, though he wasn’t forcing her to stay against him. He seemed to need an anchor to keep from losing it completely.

  She wanted him to lose control completely though. She paused sucking to run her tongue down the underside again, this time tracing over his sac as well. When her fingers drifted behind his sac to stroke lightly, Jonas stiffened.

  She could feel his cock twitching, and she quickly wrapped her mouth around it again and sucked with enough pressure that he came a second later. It wasn’t as easy to swallow in this position, so she lost some of it, but she swallowed what she could before gently disengaging from his sensitive shaft and sitting back. She wiped at her mouth as she looked down at him, enjoying his expression of pure bliss. She could see why he’d been watching her now.

  Afterward, she climbed over him to lie beside him, putting her head on his shoulder with her arm across his waist. “That was so good.”

  Jonas laughed, still sounding slightly drained. “Shouldn’t that be my line? And it is. That was amazing. Thank you.”

  She shrugged. “Honestly, I liked it.”

  Jonas turned his head slightly. “Have you ever done that before?”

  She arched a brow. “Given or received?”

  “Given.”

  She hesitated before nodding. It wasn’t that she was trying to hide what she’d done with the other men, but she didn’t want to upset Jonas. “Lex,” she said simply.

  He nodded, not asking any questions she didn’t want an answer, like who was bigger, or whose cock she preferred to suck. She honestly couldn’t have picked if she needed to.

  “Are you ready for dessert?”

  She wiggled closer. “Is that code for something?”

  Jonas laughed. “Yeah, cherry pie. You ready to eat pie?” He blushed. “I mean real pie.”

  She giggled. “I guess I could have some pie.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  She was asleep in his arms, finally having fallen asleep after accepting he wasn’t going to take her virginity. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. With her lying naked against his naked body, it took all his self-control not to accept what she so clearly offered. He wanted it too, but he didn’t want to rush her into anything she might regret. He thought they should have more time to build to that point, and she’d accepted that grudgingly.

  Still holding her, yet unable to sleep, he was entranced by a beam of light coming through the partially closed curtain that highlighted the creamy expanse of skin on her chest. He wanted to bend his head and nuzzle it, but he didn’t want to wake her. He also wasn’t confident he could control himself if he did. With that in mind, he pulled her a little closer and closed his eyes, determined to find sleep.

  He made sure Willow didn’t volunteer for hard physical labor the next day. They spent the whole day in his room, other than a walk around the farm to help loosen her stiff muscles. Toward the end of the evening, before she had to return to school, he gave in to her suggestion of bathing together.

  He groaned with her slippery body against his, his shaft positioned in the cradle of her thighs. It wouldn’t take much to alter positions and slip inside her, but he kept an iron control of his urge to do so. Even when she started sliding up and down him, taunting him with the wet heat of her sheath, he maintained control.

  With a sigh, she reached between them and grasped hold of his head, squeezing gently as she rubbed herself up and down against him. Her breathing grew more erratic, as did his, and she gasped when she came a few moments later. Jonas let himself give in at that point, and when she squeezed once more around his head, he spilled his seed. He wished he were inside her, but he was determined to respect her and build a real relationship, not one based just on sex.

  Afterward, he watched her, and she watched him. The bath was over, starting to cool too much to be comfortable, so they got out, and he toweled her off. Then he wrapped the same towel around his hips and kissed her. “I wish this weekend could last forever.”

  She nodded. “So do I. I don’t want to go back to Dunwich and how things are there. I’d be happy staying here with you.”

  Jonas put his arms around her, making her protest, since he was still damp. “You wouldn’t want to give up Dalton, Lex, or Kip just to stay here with me.” As he spoke the words, he was surprised to find they didn’t cause him any pain. They were an acknowledgment of the truth, and it wasn’t that concerning to him to share her. After the weekend they’d had, he was convinced she was falling for him just as much as he was falling for her, and it didn’t threaten him to know she cared about the others as well.

  She sighed, her only sign of acknowledgment, before pulling away. In a brash move, she snagged the towel off his waist and used it to dry her back and arms again before tossing it at him. Then she moved to the pile of clothes on the shelf and started dressing.

  Jonas quickly toweled off and slid on his own clothes. He wished she could stay one more night, but that would be too risky. She had to be back by midnight, or she would lose the ability to sign herself out for weekend passes. He couldn’t let that happen.

  While she finished dressing, he arranged for an Uber for her, knowing it was probably Gabe. Uber only had two or three drivers in their small area.

  When she was dressed, they returned to his room so she could pack up her things, and they walked down together. His parents were in the living room watching television when they paused in the doorway. Willow stood awkwardly, looking a little uncomfortable, so he put his arm around her waist for sup
port. “It’s about time for Willow to leave.”

  “I wanted to say thank you for the weekend, and for feeding me that amazing food, Mrs. Underell. I’d say thank you for the workout on Saturday, but I’m not sure I can forgive you for that, Hank,” said Willow with a wink.

  Jonas was proud of her overcoming her hint of anxiety to leave with the warm parting.

  “Just a minute, Willow,” said Martha as she got to her feet. “I’ll pack you some of that peach cobbler to go.”

  Willow nodded. “I would love that. Thank you.”

  “Come into the kitchen with me.”

  Jonas stiffened slightly, suspecting his mother wanted to get Willow alone. Willow seemed to realize that as well as she nibbled on her lower lip for a moment before following his mother with a hint of trepidation.

  Jonas waited a few moments before following, standing outside the hallway to the kitchen where he couldn’t be seen, but he could hear.

  “… seem like a lovely girl, but I’m worried what your relationship with Jonas could cost him.”

  “I understand, Mrs. Underell. It worries me too.” Willow sounded regretful.

  Jonas’s heart squeezed at the words. He didn’t want her to worry or try to do something noble like break up with him.

  “There must be other prospects for you. A girl like you has every advantage. What could you see in Jonas?”

  Willow sounded vaguely irritated now. “I see his gentle soul, along with his zest for life, and his calm wisdom. Jonas is amazing, and I’m sure you know that as his mother.”

  “He is, but his simple traits that you like so well leave him ill-equipped for dealing with all the drama and scandal that can ensue if people find out about your relationship. Will you please promise not to see him again?”

  Jonas’s heart skipped a beat as he waited for Willow’s answer. The silence stretched for a moment, and he was half-convinced she was contemplating the idea. He couldn’t help an exhalation of relief when she said, “I can’t make that promise. I’m sorry, but I care too much about Jonas.”

  “If you cared, you’d steer clear,” said Martha brusquely.

  Having heard enough, Jonas stepped into the kitchen. “That’s enough, Ma. I know your concerns, but my relationship with Willow is between us. I hope you like and accept her, because neither us are giving up on this just because there might be some unpleasant consequences. Okay?” As he spoke, he put his arm around Willow’s shoulders and pulled her closer. It was a sign of solidarity, and also a reminder to his mother that he and Willow were a team.

  Looking upset, but no longer protesting, she passed Willow a container of peach cobbler moments later. “I suppose I’ll see you next time then, Willow.”

  Willow nodded. She didn’t say anything more than Jonas led her out to the front porch, deciding they would spend the last few minutes waiting for Gabe on the porch swing. He sat down with her, keeping his arm around her shoulders, and she laid her head against his chest. “Thank you for not agreeing to her request,” said Jonas.

  “I couldn’t. I don’t want to make her angry or worried about you, but I can’t promise not to see you again when I know I’d never be able to keep that promise.” She lifted her head while Jonas bent his so they could share a sweet kiss.

  An arc of headlights coming up the driveway ended their embrace, and they stood up together. He walked her to the car, recognizing it as Gabe’s, and opened the back door for her. “I’ll see you later in the week for lunch.”

  She lifted a hand and touched his cheek. “I wish it didn’t have to end.”

  “It’s only a temporary separation.” He was referring to the next few months of school, where they had to hide what they had together. He wondered if she interpreted it that way, or if she thought he meant just a couple of days until she joined him for lunch again.

  Now wasn’t the time to have a heartfelt talk about the future with Gabe listening, so he just took a step back and waved at her as the car flipped a U-turn and disappeared down the driveway. He watched until he could no longer see the lights before returning to the house. It felt far too empty without Willow.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Willow

  Other than a big snowstorm that brought a foot of snow, along with several other days of snow that made sure it never went away, life remained pretty much unchanged for the next couple of weeks. Willow was looking forward to Thanksgiving break, though she wasn’t eager to spend a week trapped in the Westerly home with Malone and Dalton.

  Her mother had told her Malone had requested to go to Paris for the holiday, but Ashton had refused to let her. That meant Malone would probably be an even bigger brat than usual, since she hadn’t gotten her way.

  So far, she’d been lucky enough to steer mostly clear of Malone. She hadn’t yet had any other opportunities to cause trouble, mainly because Willow was careful in every interaction with Malone. She didn’t want to give Hastings the excuse he needed to get rid of her, since she refused to give either one of them the satisfaction—and she had no intention of leaving Dunwich when the men she cared about were there.

  If only Dalton would be as diligent about avoiding her as she was in avoiding Malone, she’d have more peace of mind. He kept surprising her, sometimes following from a distance, and sometimes just appearing in the corridor. So far, he hadn’t managed to get her alone again, and that was a victory. She was afraid if he did, all her common sense and reasons for disliking him would disappear under the intensity of her attraction to him. Since Dalton had no hesitation in exploiting that attraction, she couldn’t risk being alone with him.

  Lex was the source of most frustration. He wouldn’t even look at her, and she hadn’t had a chance to speak to him. She was still trying, but not as much. Lex seemed firm in his decision to be done with her, and she couldn’t bring herself to give up, but she was trying to accept that he might never want to be with her again.

  He wouldn’t even talk to her for five minutes, so how could they repair the breach and rebuild their relationship? They couldn’t, so she had to decide if she was going to let go of the idea of Lex, or if she was going to cling stubbornly and keep trying to salvage what they’d lost.

  That Friday, she was leaving Kip’s office after a lively discussion about “Wuthering Heights,” which she had loathed. Surprisingly, Kip had agreed with her that both Catherine and Heathcliff were completely horrible people, along with pretty much the entire cast of the book, and they deserved to suffer. That wasn’t the romantic view she associated with him, but it was refreshing to have an agreement on literature.

  Of course, there’d been the unspoken subtext between them, and the occasional touches along with lingering glances. It made her want more of him, but she wasn’t going to risk his position just to have a few stolen moments of cuddling or kissing.

  As she exited the office, she walked directly into Suzanne. The woman seemed to have been lingering there, probably listening at the door the last few minutes. With irritation, Willow glared at her when the other woman wouldn’t step aside. “Excuse me.” Nothing. After another second, she said, “Please move.”

  “You’re going to get him in big trouble, little girl.”

  “No, I won’t. I’m aware people are listening at doorways, spying, and eavesdropping.” She said the words with emphasis, and Suzanne flinched at each one, so her barb had clearly hit home. “I know how pathetic some people can be, with their filthy imaginations, but Professor Stuart is my literature mentor. There’s nothing more to it.”

  Suzanne’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not stupid. I can see there’s something between you.”

  “I doubt that, or you would’ve reported me to Headmaster Hastings. Excuse me, Professor Barnes.” With a cool nod, she moved around Suzanne and rushed down the hallway. It wasn’t to escape Suzanne so much as it was to escape her own urge to claw out the other woman’s eyes.

  She didn’t like feeling so violent, but Suzanne was driving her insane. The woman was determine
d to thwart any forming relationship between her and Kip. She was confident Suzanne wouldn’t find a way to come between them, but she still worried the other woman’s machinations might cause problems for both her and Kip. In spite of that, she wasn’t willing to give up her couple of hours alone with Kip on Fridays even though it might reduce the risk. Kip had told her he felt the same way, so their meetings continued.

  She returned to her dorm, crunching through the deep snow with her snow boots, and already sick of it. This wasn’t like the snow they got in Springfield, or even in Portland when she’d gone there with her mom sometimes. There was no dirty snow mixed in with the clean which was nice, but there were also no snowplows.

  Someone had the job of keeping the walkways clear, though she knew it wasn’t Jonas. He was pretty much reduced to just a couple of days a week caring for the roses, and she knew there really wasn’t that much work for him during winter, which was unofficially here. He kept the two days per week schedule just so he could come have lunch with her twice a week.

  whom ever kept the walkways clear did a good job, but they piled snow across the quad and on the grounds, so there was a never-ending blob of white. Since it was only November, she knew it would get worse. She was ready for spring. No, scratch that. She was ready for summer and graduation, so she could openly be with whom ever she wanted.

  After stowing her books in her room, she went with Isis and Octavia to eat dinner. Beth joined her and Octavia as Isis separated to go to her own table of friends. They had a good time, and afterward, she asked if either wanted to go for a swim.

  Octavia shuddered. “It’s too cold outside.”

  “The pool’s inside and heated,” said Willow.

  “No, I’ll pass.”

  Beth nodded. “Me too. I have plans.” She seemed to be blushing faintly, so those plans likely involved a boy. Or maybe more than one, though Willow wasn’t about to ask. That would require her admitting to her own relationships, and it was too dangerous to be open about them.