by Rina Kent
“You know what I don’t get about you?”
I peered up and slyly shifted away, managing a few more inches of distance. When I didn’t answer, he continued.
“When I’m mean to you, you get all fired up. Total confidence. But when I compliment you, you’re all shy and quiet.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just stared. I never knew what to say to him when he wasn’t being an asshole. It was too weird. Too unlike him. I preferred him mean because at least I knew how to feel about that.
I crossed my arms over my chest and backed up a step.
“Did you send the picture or not?”
“What if I did? How are you going to retaliate?”
My face fell and arms slowly uncrossed.
No.
Before I could think up any response, he reached out and grabbed my wrist. He jerked me forward and I stumbled into him, my eyes going wide. For a moment, I was in too much shock to push back. Camden used that moment to shove me into the side of his Jeep, the door handle digging into my back. He pressed himself up against me and pinned my wrists to the window.
I was at a loss for words. My tongue was heavy and lungs were too busy sawing air in and out to even think about speech.
My eyes darted around the parking lot. There were still a few cars, but the team for the most part was gone. If I managed to yell for help maybe—
“Eden.”
I shifted my gaze to the gold ring around his eyes. It was smaller now. Darker. Yet, Camden showed no sign of aggression in his expression. Even with him pinning me to his car, he was eerily calm.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “W-what do you want from me?” My voice shook, but it was stronger than I felt.
Camden didn’t scare me in class. His rumors didn’t scare me, his lies, his disemboweled animals. It’s like he tried to get to me from every angle, and with the pictures, he had. I’d come to him this time, but I still hadn’t been scared. The only time I’d truly been frightened was when they took my clothes and made me think they were going to rape me.
And now. Now, I was terrified.
“I think you know what I want.” His smirk never came over that calm expression. His voice was serious, soft, almost a whisper. It chilled my bones… but there was something else too. A warmth began just below my belly, small at first, and then growing as I stared into his eyes more. Felt him more. Smelled him more.
His hair was still wet from his after-practice shower and it smelled of masculine shampoo. It registered more as seconds ticked by and fear dulled. Axe, maybe?
Every breath I took grazed my breasts against his chest, turning my nipples into hardened buds.
“I’m not having sex with you,” I blurted, shifting to try to get away, but only increasing the friction of our bodies.
I turned my face away from his and stared at the back of the bleachers, ready to scream if I spotted anyone.
He laughed and leaned in, pressing his lips to my ear. “At some point, you’re going to want me to fuck you, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, that’s not what I’m asking for.”
A shiver ran down my neck, and I jerked against him again.
“Stop fighting,” he whispered, warm breath skating over my ear.
“Please, just leave me alone.” My voice came out whinier than I intended, but I didn’t care. A boulder rested on my shoulders, pushing me down while Camden and his friends tossed more rocks onto it each day. It was getting to be too much. Too heavy. I didn’t want to carry it anymore. I just wanted all this to stop.
“No.” He pulled back, looking into my eyes now. My hands were still pinned against the window, and when his gaze roamed between us where my chest lifted and fell, I squirmed. “I’ll make a deal with you, though. I won’t show anyone the nude if you do something for me.”
I narrowed my eyes and remained silent for several seconds.
Sex. He said that wasn’t what he wanted, but what else could it possibly be? What the hell could he want from me?
I didn’t know. But whatever it was, there were strings attached. I had two options. I could do what he said and most likely fall into another trap meant to torment me, or I could tell him to go fuck himself and ignore the talk about the picture.
The photo wasn’t even of me, so who cares about it, right? So what if it’s my face. I knew the truth. That’s all that mattered.
Except, I did care, and it wasn’t all that mattered. My insides coiled just thinking about the way people would look at me. The way guys would—
“You’re overthinking it.”
I blinked a few times and focused back on Camden. “What is it that you want, Camden? Honestly.”
He smiled and finally loosened his grip around my wrists. I yanked them away and crossed my arms over my chest, amazed when he made enough space for me to do it.
“Let’s go talk about it.” He backed up enough for me to move around him.
“We can talk here.”
“No.”
My eyes roamed the parking lot. No one was around. He had me pinned to his car… How much worse of a situation could I get myself into? My head began swimming with possibilities… much much worse possibilities.
He could rape me.
Maybe roofie me first. Hunter had sex with Jade while she was unconscious, so who’s to say Camden wasn’t capable of something like that? He was delusional enough that he claimed I wanted to have sex with him, maybe he’d even think I wanted it.
I didn’t.
My body might’ve responded to him in an odd way, but when I had sex for the first time, it’d be with someone I loved. Not someone I hated. Definitely not him.
His chuckle snapped my attention back to him. “What do you think is going to happen? I just want to talk someplace more private. Coach is going to be heading to his car any minute, and I don’t want to be interrupted.” Camden pointed to the truck over his shoulder, the one I now assumed to be Coach Clyde’s. “I promise I’m not going to do anything to you. You don’t need to be so scared.”
He smirked and nudged me out of the way when my mouth opened to speak. I was going to lie and tell him I wasn’t scared. That I just wasn’t stupid. But no words came out.
He opened his door and tossed his gym bag in the back seat before climbing inside and returning his gaze to me. “Careful, Eden, a bug’s gonna fly in there.”
I slammed my mouth shut and furrowed my brow.
“Come on,” he said with a wink. “I’ll take you back to your car later.”
“I can drive myself.”
“No.”
No. He’d said that word twice now with absolute authority, and it was pissing me off.
“Yes,” I said, challenge dripping in my tone. Maybe everyone else took his commands without question, but not me. Fuck him.
“All right.” He shrugged and pulled his phone from his pocket. I didn’t think anything of it for a moment, just that he was being a bit rude. But then I remembered what was on that phone.
“What are you doing?”
He peered at me through his lashes like he’d forgotten I was there. “Sending my friends a present. You think it’s been long enough that they’d buy us already having sex? I mean, I don’t want them to think I’m a quick shooter or anything. Maybe I should wait until I get home.”
“Don’t.” Panic flooded me and I shot toward him, reaching for the phone. He held it away from me with ease and cocked his head to the side. I could see the screen with Hunter’s name pulled up above a string of messages. It was ridiculous to think Camden hid any of this from Hunter, but my stomach twisted anyway.
“Okay,” I said, lowering my stretched arm back to my side and backing up a step from the Jeep. “I’ll go with you.”
His eyes sparked with something I prayed to God wasn’t malice and he tossed his phone in a cup holder. I still hadn’t moved to walk around to the passenger door. Still couldn’t decide which fate was worse. Probably the one I�
�d have from getting in that car.
This was stupid. So, so stupid.
“Let’s go then.” Camden twisted the key in the ignition and the engine roared to life. When I backed up a step, he shut his door.
I couldn’t see him through the tinted window, but I could almost feel that smirk, those eyes burning a hole into me.
He knew he’d won.
Cam
“Cold?” I reached over and turned the seat warmer for the passenger side on. I casually placed my hand on Eden’s thigh and fought a smile as she flinched.
This was too much fucking fun.
I stared out the windshield, steering with my left hand draped over the wheel, but it took all my restraint to do it. I wanted to focus my attention on her. Let the car veer off the road, not give a shit. Just stare into those brown eyes and try to guess what was going on in that pretty head of hers.
She tried pushing my hand off her thigh, and I clamped down just to see her reaction.
“Where are we going?”
Her pitch was high, but even. She was nervous. I could smell it wafting off her, sense it in the tension that filled the Jeep. It was too delicious to ease, so I said nothing. I think it bothered her most when she was partially clued in on my next move. Out of all the shit we’d—I guess I’d—done to her, she’d never acted this desperate. I’d even given her a chance to beg me to stop, and she hadn’t taken it. All she had to do was go to that damn football game and I’d have backed off.
I thought I’d liked chasing her, but fuck it felt good to hold to reins. I should’ve thought of the picture thing sooner.
“I need to go home. I forgot, I have a ton of homework to do.” Her voice was still even, but she squirmed beneath my hand. There was a layer of denim between us, yet she acted as if my touch was burning her.
“No, you don’t.”
“Camden, I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
She fiddled with the purse strapped over her shoulder, and it took me too long to realize what she was getting. A moment later, the pepper spray was shoved a foot from my face and her mask of calm was gone.
“Get your hand off me and stop the car, Camden. Now.”
I glanced her way only a moment before going back to the road. Her voice was still strong, but her hand holding the pepper spray was shaking. It was fucking beautiful, and might’ve even been intimidating if she hadn’t already pulled this tactic.
“Do it and see what happens.”
“I’m not kidding.”
Another glance her way revealed her wide eyes, and now both hands gripped the pepper spray. Maybe she was serious.
I lifted my hand from her thigh and gripped the steering wheel before jerking the Jeep into my driveway. Her eyes darted around, and while she was distracted, I yanked the pepper spray from her and tossed it in the back seat. Her head snapped to me and her eyes widened even more.
Fear. This time they widened with fear. Beautiful.
Seconds ticked by with my foot on the brake and the only sound in the car was her heavy breathing. She could’ve pressed the button if she wanted. Even now, she could open the door and run, but she didn’t. She averted her eyes to the floorboard and leaned away from me.
“Are you really that concerned that I’d send a nude photo that isn’t even technically of you?”
It was the only explanation I had that she could be so nervous, yet not run… Almost the only explanation. The other was that she liked it. She liked the fear, the drama.
So did I.
My dick stirred, and I had to fight not to acknowledge it. I was in track pants, and my boner would show if I didn’t adjust it soon.
Instead of answering me, she turned away and appeared to be taking in the house. That was the most normal reaction I’d seen from her. Most people were taken aback by the architecture. My parents had good taste… and a lot of money.
I eased my foot off the brake and continued down the drive. I tapped the button above my rearview mirror for the garage and waited as it opened.
“Why are you doing this?” Her voice was feather light.
After putting the Jeep in park, I shut the car off and turned toward her. Most of her questions I ignored because I liked watching her squirm. It was fun to keep her in the dark. This time I didn’t know the answer. Or maybe I did, but it was too simple for her to understand.
I wanted to.
“I like you.”
“No, you don’t… I’m a game to you.”
“Well, I like games.”
She met my stare, seeming to work up the courage to say something before her gaze dropped to my pants. She froze for several moments before turning away and focusing on the floorboard yet again.
It was kind of cute. Shy. Nervous. Not the reaction I was used to when a girl saw me hard for them.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, I reached into my pants and adjusted my dick.
“Are you like Hunter?” Her voice squeaked.
Was I like Hunter? The fuck did that mean?
“In what way?”
She cleared her throat and turned to me. Her movement was so slow and muscles so rigid, it was like she had to force it. “In the way that you assume girls want to have sex with you, and so you just do it. Regardless of if they’re conscious or if they verbally reject you.”
Oh my God, she thought I was going to rape her.
My lips quirked and I rubbed at the back of my neck as I thought of an answer to that. It was so tempting to fuck with her, but I was having a hard enough time containing my laughter.
“It’s not funny, Camden.”
Oops, I guess she sensed it.
I chuckled and shook my head before opening my door. She was back to being fiery, and I liked it. I wanted more.
She stepped out of the Jeep as I made my way around it. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her eyes were narrowed.
I walked past her to the garage door and flung it open. With a glance over my shoulder at my fiery little hell cat, I stepped into my home and made my way toward the kitchen.
She’d follow. I don’t know how I knew it, but I did. It’s like she couldn’t resist. She liked playing tug-of-war with me as much as I liked playing it with her.
Sure enough, she appeared in the kitchen entryway as I was grabbing a couple of sodas from the fridge.
“You never answered my question,” she said.
I bumped the fridge shut with my hip and walked to the kitchen table. There was a much bigger table in the dining room that never got used. It was a fifteen-thousand-dollar prop. What a fucking waste.
I sat down and slid her soda in front of the seat next to me. “If you really thought that I was a rapist, would you have come here with me?”
My back was to her, but I could feel her there, staring at me. Probably trying to feel me out. She didn’t know me, and I didn’t know her. But for whatever reason, I wanted to. I didn’t even know what I was doing right then or what I wanted from her, but I saw the possibilities. My dick strained against my pants and my jaw tightened.
Maybe I did know what I wanted.
“Are you a virgin?”
She stepped up to the table and sat down in front of the soda, staring at it and not answering me. I guess she came to the conclusion I wasn’t such a threat.
Why did that bother me?
“Eden, I asked you a question.”
She traced the ring at the top of the can and shrugged. “You don’t answer mine. Why should I answer yours?”
I smiled and leaned across the table on my elbows. “You are, aren’t you? Easy Eden is a virgin. That’s rich.” I chuckled to emphasize the fact that I meant it as an insult. That I was mocking her. My dick strained against my pants again, and my face ticked in response.
Fight me, baby.
Her eyes snapped to mine. “Fuck you, Camden.”
Camden. Even my parents called me Cam, and for some reason I loved that she didn’t. My name was smooth as silk on that sex
y tongue.
She was a virgin.
She was my virgin.
“Careful what you wish for… Easy Eden.”
Boom. Triggered.
She stood, sending the legs of the chair scraping on tile. I let her stomp a few steps toward the door, watching to see if she’d look back. See if she wanted me to chase her. She didn’t.
Good.
I stood and, in a few quick strides, was right behind her. I grabbed her by the shoulder and yanked, spinning her to face me. Her eyes widened but then narrowed as her gaze moved to my hand still grasping her shoulder.
I dropped my hand to my side. “You still want to make that deal?”
Her gaze shifted to meet my stare. Flames ignited in her eyes. “I already told you, I’m not—”
“I’m not talking about sex. I wouldn’t want it that easy.”
Her brows knitted in confusion. It was justified. I hadn’t meant to tell her that, and it wasn’t necessary to put her at ease. But I meant it. If she fucked me now, it’d be a letdown.
No, I wanted to earn that shit.
That’s what was so special about her. She was strong. Fierce. She didn’t crumble. So many other girls would’ve ran home bawling after scaring them like we did Eden at the football field. But no, she’d improvised. She’d thrown it back in my face, begging for more. Challenging me to push all of her buttons until I found the right one.
She made me work for it, and I had one hell of a work ethic.
“Then just tell me what you want.” She jerked from my grasp and practically yelled the words. She was pissed. Genuinely. Her face was red, her fists clenched.
More blood pumped to my dick, reminding me how much it hated me right then for not taking what it needed.
“I want you to go to the football game next week.”
Her lips parted in a huff. “You can’t be serious.”
“Seems pretty basic, doesn’t it? One night. That’s all I’m asking for.”
“You’re not asking.”
True. She had me there.
“You can say no.”
