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

by Payton Reed

  The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew. He stood near his door most of the evening, waiting to hear the telltale sounds of her passing by. When he finally heard her footsteps on the stairs, he put his hand on his doorknob. He waited to open it until she was passing, and then he wrenched it open and reached for her, dragging her into his room and slamming the door a second later.

  He locked it before pressing her against the door. “Who were you with?” His mouth was pressed almost to hers. “Which guy?”

  She glared up at him. “Let go of me.”

  He settled his body more firmly against hers. “Not until you tell me who you were with, and what you were doing.” As he spoke, he pushed one of his hands into her hair, which she’d braided. He used the braid to jerk her head back, so he could place soft kisses against the column of her throat in apology for causing her a flash of pain.

  “Just tell me. Please,” he muttered against her skin. He sounded desperate to his own ears, and he couldn’t help recalling Malone calling him pathetic. The reminder was enough to stiffen his backbone, but he still couldn’t bring himself to pull away from her.

  After a moment, she relaxed slightly and put a hand on his shoulder. “I was with my friend, Tori, who lives in Springfield. She was happy to see me, since we hadn’t had a chance to hang out in months.”

  He let out a breath of relief before collapsing against her. He pressed his face against the crook of her neck and started sucking lightly on her skin. She gasped and trembled against him, but then she was pushing against his chest. He wanted to keep kissing her, and to escalate, to kiss up the column of her throat before taking her mouth. He wanted to feel her underneath him like last time, but this time without the barrier of any cloth between them. He wanted to slide inside her to claim her virginity and mark her as his.

  Instead, he forced himself to take a step back, though his body was still pressed against hers. “I’m glad you weren’t with your losers. I don’t want you to be with anybody but me.”

  She let out a shaky breath. “You’ve made that clear, Dalton, and I’ve made my position clear. I don’t like you calling my guys losers, and I have no intention of choosing between any of them.”

  He groaned. “Just tell me what I can do to win?”

  She looked sad and shook her head. “It’s not a game, and I’m not a prize you win. Just maintain a distance for both our sakes.”

  “I can’t.”

  She pushed against his chest, but it was a gentle motion. “Since you can’t share, you have to. I’ll never pick, and you’ll never win me for just yourself, so let it go.” She pushed again. “Let me leave.”

  Dalton warred with himself for a moment, knowing he could pick her up and carry her to the bed. He was certain he could seduce her into surrendering to him, and the idea was tempting. If he did, it might ultimately cost him any chance with her if he pushed her too far too fast. With a regretful sigh, he stepped back and let her slip out of his room, wishing he knew how to share her, but unable to fathom doing so.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Willow

  She was feeling shaky when she returned to her room, which was kitty-corner to Dalton’s across the hall. She’d barely been back in her room and sat on the bed, hugging a pillow, when there was a knock before Hannah entered.

  She struggled to hide her melancholy as she looked up at her mom and forced a bright smile. “It was great seeing Tori again. Thanks for loaning me your car.” Zipping around in the sporty little Miata had certainly been fun, and Tori had enjoyed it as well. It had also been fun to treat her friend to a few new things and experiences, including pedicures, courtesy of Ashton’s credit card.

  “I’m glad you had a good time. I saw you coming out of Dalton’s room just now.”

  Willow stiffened, expecting her mom to ask some uncomfortable, embarrassing questions.

  “Are you guys getting along better?”

  She breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t completely relax her guard. “I don’t know. He’s tried to rein in Malone sometimes, and sometimes he’s a halfway decent human being, but he’s still Dalton, and he still doesn’t want me here. He sure doesn’t want me at his precious school.” Although she wasn’t entirely certain about that these days, since he hadn’t seemed to be actively campaigning to get rid of her. Most of her trouble came from Malone.

  “So, Malone’s still making you miserable?”

  Willow shrugged. “When hasn’t she?”

  “Have you made some friends at Dunwich?”

  Willow nodded as she grinned. “Quite a few, actually.”

  Hannah beamed. “I’m so glad to hear that. I was afraid they’d all be so snobby, like Malone and Dalton.” She whispered the last part in a conspiratorial fashion.

  “Some of my friends are scholarship kids, which are pariahs at that place, but not all of them. I think I’m fitting in okay.” She hesitated before deciding to confide in her mother. “Though Hastings and Malone would love to have an excuse to get rid of me.”

  Hannah scowled. “Is the headmaster harassing you?”

  “Not exactly. He’s just all too happy to act on any situation Malone creates to cause me trouble.”

  “I’ll talk to Ashton and ask him to talk to Malone. He’ll get her to dial down the hostility.”

  Willow wanted to laugh at the idea, but she forced herself to smile and sound optimistic when she said, “Maybe he can.”

  Hannah sat on the bed beside her, reaching for one of the shopping bags she’d acquired while at the mall with Tori. “May I?” At Willow’s nod, she opened the bag and looked at the new shirts. “These are nice.”

  “I like the colors.” It felt strange to be using the credit card Ashton had given her, but he seemed so genuinely eager to please her, and he’d insistently reminded her this morning before she headed out to meet with Tori to use her card for whatever she wanted, so she’d been unable to reject the offer.

  She was afraid it might hurt his feelings, and since when had she started caring about Ashton’s feelings? Did that mean she was starting to see him as a more permanent fixture in her mom’s life? Not that she ever doubted Hannah’s long-term commitment to Ashton, but she didn’t know the other man, and she wasn’t certain he was as big on forever as her mother was.

  “Oh my, these are lovely.” Hannah sounded a little uncertain.

  Willow blinked, realizing her thoughts had wandered, and in that time, her mom had opened the bag from Victoria’s Secret. She blushed as her mom examined the sexy panty and bra sets, along with a pair of stockings, some new pajamas that weren’t too sexy, and one nightgown that certainly was.

  “These seem like the kind of items you buy for a boy.”

  “I don’t know any boys who wear my size,” said Willow, striving for a casual tone.

  Hannah gave her a look of exasperation. “You know what I mean, sweetie. Is there a boyfriend?”

  Willow nodded. “Lex is amazing. He’s really been a sweetheart.”

  Hannah invited her to talk about him, so she did for the next few minutes, telling her mom some of what she knew about Lex. “Are you getting serious?” Hannah looked uneasy.

  “Maybe. I mean, we did just get back together, when I was afraid, he wouldn’t talk to me ever again. After Jonas, he had a problem with me dating D… Did…” She stopped talking abruptly, realizing what she’d almost revealed.

  Apparently, she’d exposed enough to make Hannah suspicious. Her eyes narrowed. “Who’s Jonas?”

  Willow thought about lying, but she didn’t want to do that. If things worked out with both her boyfriends (and Kip), there would be a point where she’d introduce them to her mother, so lying about them now would just make it harder later. “He’s a boyfriend.”

  “You mean an ex-boyfriend that you dated while you and Lex were separated?” asked Hannah with apparent hope in her eyes.

  Willow licked her lips. “Not exactly. They’re both my boyfriends. They know about each other,” s
he hurried to say.

  Hannah’s eyes widened, and she looked concerned. “You’re dating two boys?”

  Willow nodded, not bothering to correct the impression that Jonas was a student. She didn’t need to spring anything more on her mother right now, and she certainly wasn’t mentioning Kip—or the possibility she’d succumb to Dalton, though she was resolved that wouldn’t happen again. Maybe.

  “I see. And they’re both okay with this? Are they dating other people too? I mean, it’s because none of you are committed or using labels?” Hannah still seemed hopeful.

  Willow shook her head again. “No. I’m dating both of them, but they’re only dating me. I’m not secure enough for them to have girlfriends too.”

  Hannah looked overwhelmed, and she seemed to suddenly realize she was still holding the sexy lingerie. She dropped it into the bag and pushed it aside as though she could completely banish all thought of it from her mind if she couldn’t see it. “This is a dangerous game you’re playing.”

  Willow scowled. “It’s no game, Mom. I care about both of them a lot.”

  “You know one of them will be hurt when you choose.”

  “I’m not going to choose. They’re not going to make me either. We’ve already discussed it.”

  Hannah closed her eyes for a moment, looking overwhelmed. Then she opened them again. “Are you at least being safe sexually?”

  Willow grimaced. “I haven’t slept with either one of them, Mom.”

  Hannah waved a hand in the direction of the bag she’d shoved away. “That underwear indicates you aren’t too far away from making the decision.”

  “I need to tell you something, Mom.” Hannah seemed to be bracing herself, so Willow blurted it out quickly to curtail her mom’s torture. “I’ve been on birth control since I was fifteen. I was dating a guy, and I decided not to sleep with him, but it made me realize that I needed to be protected if I chose to, okay? I’m not going to be a teen mom, I promise.” She reached out and squeezed her mom’s hand. “I’m almost an adult, and you can trust me.”

  Hannah seemed on the verge of arguing, but then her shoulders slumped. “I know. I trust you to make good choices, but I doubt the soundness of deciding to date two different men.”

  “Are you going to tell Ashton?” The idea of him knowing was humiliating, which she suspected meant she needed to become more certain of her decision. She couldn’t imagine hiding her boyfriends away, so she’d have to prepare for judgmental looks and nasty words if she was going to openly claim them. She firmed her shoulders. “I mean, I don’t care if you do. I’d like you guys to meet them at some point.”

  Hannah paled slightly, and she put a hand to her head. “I think I have a migraine coming on. We’ll discuss this later, but for now, I don’t plan to tell Ashton what you’re doing.” She stood up. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Okay, Mom.” Willow read between the lines that her mom was still hopeful she’d either get over the entire idea of dating two boys, or she’d pick one of them. Her mom was destined for disappointment, but she wasn’t going to badger her when she looked genuinely ill. “Would you like me to walk you to your room?”

  Hannah walked to the door. “I’m okay. I have more migraines right now, but I have medicine that works pretty well for them. I just need to lie down for a while in a dark room. I really do want to talk more with you later though.”

  Willow squeezed her mom’s hand as she walked by, hoping she hadn’t caused the migraine. More likely, the pain was because Malone was in the house and being such a brat but learning about Willow’s two boyfriends probably hadn’t helped matters. She could see Hannah was conflicted about what she’d told her, but she appreciated her mom giving her space to make her own decisions.

  The next day was Thanksgiving, and the house was a bustle of activity. Of course, they had staff to decorate and cook, which was a change for Willow. She and her mom had always prepared Thanksgiving dinner together, so that’s how they found themselves in the kitchen that afternoon, much to the clear irritation of the chef. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do it all together, but we still have to make our chocolate pecan pie, right?” asked Hannah with a grin.

  Willow nodded her agreement as she pounded pecans with the rolling pin. “Absolutely. It’s tradition.”

  A couple of hours later, they all sat down at the table together. Everyone had dressed up, and Hannah seemed practically glowing. She had clearly fully recovered from yesterday’s migraine.

  Willow was surprised when one of the staff poured her half a glass of wine. She shot a questioning look at her mom, who nodded. Pleased by the acknowledgment of her maturing, she took a sip and discreetly spat it back in the glass as she grimaced. It tasted more like vinegar than anything.

  “Such an unsophisticated cow,” said Malone in a hissing whisper.

  She had the misfortune of sitting beside her. “It doesn’t taste good.” She turned her attention from Malone and found herself looking at Dalton across the table. Calvin was beside him, home from MIT for the rest of the weekend, and she turned to smile at her older stepbrother. He was the only one who’d been nice to her and her mom right from the start. “How’s college, Calvin?”

  “Busy, busy, busy. I’m in the middle of my senior thesis, so I have a lot of work to do. I really shouldn’t have taken these four days off, but I wanted to be with the family for a while.”

  Malone snorted. “This isn’t a family anymore.”

  Calvin rolled his eyes. “Geez, will you just knock it off, Malone?”

  Malone settled into sullen silence as the food appeared on the table. The person hired to serve them was efficient and quick as he gave them their selections. Then he and the wine person, whose technical term for the position she’d forgotten, moved to stand in the corner. It was awkward, and she shot looks at them a couple of times.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Dalton.

  Willow shrugged. “It just feels weird eating with people standing in the corner staring at us. It feels like we should offer them a plate.”

  Malone gasped. “You want to eat with the staff? How uncivilized can you be?”

  Willow held on to her patience somehow. “I just meant that’s how I feel. I’m not going to do it. I understand how you people do things, but it’s weird to me.”

  “Don’t feel too bad for them,” said Calvin as he dabbed his mouth with a linen napkin. “All the staff will be invited to have the leftovers, and I know the chef made plenty for everyone. The sommelier and the server are simply here to ensure we all have a smooth dining experience.”

  Sommelier. That was the word she’d forgotten. It still boggled her mind that she was having a family dinner at home with a sommelier and a server standing nearby, but she dropped the subject. She still felt vaguely uncomfortable and studiously avoided looking in the direction of the people who stood nearby, waiting to attend to their every need.

  As they approached the end of dinner, the server dished out the chocolate pecan pie while the sommelier provided fresh glasses and filled them from a bottle of champagne. He poured a glass for everyone, and then he and the server left the room when Ashton nodded at them.

  “Your mother and I—” said Ashton.

  “Stepmother,” said Malone.

  Ashton looked like he wanted to smack her, from the way his eyes went squinty and his fists clenched on the table, but he just took a deep breath. “Hannah and I want to thank you all for coming and trying to make this a pleasant meal.”

  Willow couldn’t help exchanging a surprised and disbelieving glance with Dalton, who was smirking. Clearly, Ashton had selective hearing and had been filtering out all of Malone’s snarky comments. She was a little nonplussed to share the moment of amusement with Dalton, but she couldn’t completely fight back a grin.

  “I know this year has been difficult for you, and we appreciate you making the effort to blend into a happy family. On the family front, we have an announcement.”

  Dalton grimaced sudden
ly, and Willow was almost certain she knew what he was going to say before he spoke the words. After all, her mom had mentioned having more migraines right now. She’d thought she meant because Malone was home, but that didn’t seem like the right guess now. She bit back a groan.

  “We’re having a baby, due April Sixteenth. Isn’t that wonderful?” Ashton was beaming, his pride and excitement unmistakable.

  Willow wasn’t certain how to process her feelings. The spoiled brat inside her protested the idea of sharing her mother, but the almost-adult took a better approach. Her mom would definitely be a good mother to another child, especially since she wouldn’t have to work two or three jobs this time, and it seemed like the logical step for her and Ashton to seal their relationship.

  Willow wasn’t exactly thrilled about getting a newborn sibling at her age, but it wasn’t that hard to imagine either. She was away at school, and then she’d be going to college, so their baby wouldn’t impact her life very much. “Congratulations,” she said in an only slightly stilted voice.

  Calvin was the next to raise his glass. “That’s happy news. Is it a boy or girl?”

  Hannah smiled. “We don’t know yet. We probably won’t find out for another few weeks, but I’ll be sure to email you when I know… if you want me to?” She seemed uncertain of his sincerity.

  Calvin grinned. “Certainly, I do. I hope it’s a boy though. That’ll break the tie. Right now, we have two boys and two girls in the family.”

  “Are you out of your mind?” Malone screeched at Calvin. “She’s not part of our family, and neither is she.” She pointed first at Willow and then at Hannah with the last she. “There’s no tiebreaker. This isn’t happening.”

  “You might consider it a bad dream, but it’s definitely happening,” said Dalton without a hint of sympathy. “You’d better accept it and move on, Malone.”