by Alex Grayson
I hang up and toss my phone on the dash before raking my fingers through my hair. It’s still damp with sweat from the fight.
“I’ve got to get home. Dad needs to head into work.”
“Okay,” Rylee says quietly.
I grip her hand and yank her until she’s against my chest. I lean down and kiss her, needing one more taste before I have to give her up for the night. She melts into me, making it damn hard to let her go.
Her eyes are soft when she lifts her head.
“Buckle in, baby.”
“Am I allowed to sit here now?” she asks, giving me a sexy grin.
“The passenger seat is off limits to you from now on,” I tell her.
She giggles and snaps her seatbelt in place. When I start my truck and begin to drive, her hand moves to my thigh.
RYLEE
“WHAT ARE YOU doing tonight?” Savannah asks moments after I lift the phone to my ear.
“Hello to you too.” I laugh.
“Oh hush.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “I’m calling to see if you want to come hang at my house tonight. My parents have been asking about you. I know they’d love to see you. And truthfully, I need some best friend time.”
“I thought maybe you were looking for a new best friend after how Oliver treated you the last time you came here,” I tease. “It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve heard from you.”
“One, screw Oliver. You know I don’t scare off that easily. And two, I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve called. I’ve been swamped with student council and cheer, on top of the mountain of schoolwork I’m trying to keep up with. Not to mention I’m in charge of planning the spring formal.”
“It’s almost time for the spring formal, already?” I think out loud.
“It’s February,” Savannah reminds me. “The dance is the last weekend in March.”
“God, how is it February already?”
“I know, right? In just four months’ time, we will be high school graduates. Can you believe it? Time is flying.”
“I’m gonna miss not being there with you girls. I can’t believe I have to miss the last Spring Formal at Bristol. It feels wrong.”
“It feels wrong for me, too. Then again, most things feel strange without you here.” She sighs. “But, I do have some happy news to report. You’ll never guess who asked me to be his date?”
“Wait, you already have a date to the dance?”
“Yep. Bryan Avers asked me yesterday after Bio. I guess he was afraid I would agree to go with someone else, so he wanted to ask me before anyone else could.”
“You’re going to the dance with Bryan Avers?” I can’t hide the shock in my tone. “I thought you didn’t like him.”
“I didn’t. But then we were forced to work together as lab partners and, I don’t know, he’s kind of grown on me.”
“Wow.” I shake my head, ignoring the small pang of sadness in my chest. I hate feeling like I’m missing out on everything. Like my old life evaporated and everyone else’s went on like I was never there to begin with. And while I know that’s not true, it still feels that way sometimes.
“So tonight? Think you can make it? Maybe we can do some online dress shopping.”
I’m just about to answer her when my bedroom door swings open. My eyes dart to the doorway, my heart kicking up speed when I see Zayden prop a shoulder against the doorframe and hit me with a sexy smirk.
“Actually, I don’t think I can tonight. I, like you, have a ton of schoolwork right now,” I say a little too quickly.
I actually do have quite a lot of homework to get done before Monday, but clearly that’s not why I’m declining her invite.
“On a Friday night? Can’t you wait and do it on Sunday like most people do?”
“I can’t put it off until Sunday. At this rate I’ll be lucky if it doesn’t take me all weekend. Can I take a raincheck?”
“Fine,” she groans. “You officially suck.”
“Oh, hush.” I chuckle. “Listen, I gotta go. Can I call you later?”
“Yeah, yeah. Love you, Ry.”
“Love you, too.” I hang up the phone, not able to hide the smile that creeps across my face when my eyes swing back to Zayden.
“Love you, too?” He quirks his head to the side. “Is there something you need to tell me?” I can tell he’s teasing, but something in his expression still darkens slightly.
“Well, considering I was talking to Savannah, no, I don’t think I do,” I fire back at him, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth as I watch him step into my room and close the door behind him.
I don’t miss the little flick of his wrist as he locks the knob.
“Savannah, huh?” He stalks toward me.
“She wanted me to come over tonight.”
“And you told her no?” He stops at the foot of my bed.
“Pretty sure you heard me do just that. How’d you get in here, anyway?” Last time I checked no one else was home.
“I used my key.” He kicks off his shoes, then reaches for the hem of his t-shirt. My stomach swirls nervously as I watch him pull it over his head—revealing his perfectly toned torso.
“You have a key?” I swallow hard.
He nods slowly. “Have since I was like ten.”
“And you thought it was okay to walk in like you live here? What if my mom had been home?”
“I knew she wasn’t. No one’s car is here but yours,” he tells me, dropping his shirt on the floor before his hand goes to the waistband of his jeans.
I hold my breath as I watch him pop open the button before slowly sliding down the zipper.
“Um, why are you getting naked?” I ask, a nervous shake in my voice.
“I think the better question is, why aren’t you?” He lifts an eyebrow in question. “Considering the last two times we’ve been alone together, we’ve been interrupted, I thought maybe we could have a do-over?” He grins, watching my expression as he pushes his jeans over his hips and shoves them to the floor.
My mouth goes dry and every inch of my body tenses as my eyes trail the length of Zayden, standing in front of me wearing only a pair of tight, black boxer briefs.
“A do-over,” I repeat slowly, my gaze making its way back up to Zayden’s face.
“You’re still wearing clothes,” he points out, gesturing to my oversized hoodie and pajama shorts.
“So it would seem that I am.” I look down at myself and then back up to him. “Perhaps you should do something about that,” I say, honestly a bit surprised by my own brazenness.
His nostrils flare as his gaze darkens.
“Perhaps I should.” A wicked grin plays on his lips as he steps around the side of the bed and reaches for me. Pulling me to the edge of the bed in one quick tug, he has my sweatshirt over my head before I can even think to react.
When his eyes shoot to my chest, I quickly remember that I don’t have a bra on, but before I can attempt to cover myself, Zayden tosses my sweatshirt to the floor and shoves me backward. He climbs on top of me, both of our legs hanging over the edge of the bed as he pins my arms above my head.
“What did I tell you about hiding from me?” He tisks, running his nose between my breasts.
“Zayden,” I practically moan his name, jerking when his warm tongue slides over one of my nipples.
“I love your body.” He moves to the other nipple, pulling it into his mouth on a hard suck. “I love how good you taste.” He trails kisses upward—across my collarbone to the soft spot at the base of my neck. “I love how you smell.” He inhales deeply and goosebumps erupt across my skin. “You’re all I can think about.” He presses a kiss to my jaw. “I go to bed thinking about you.” His lips graze mine. “I wake up thinking about you.” He gives me a soft, closed mouth kiss. “You have completely fucking consumed me, Rylee Harper.”
“Zayden.” I arch into him when he grinds his erection into my center.
“Do you have any fucking idea how badly I want you?” He slides his tongue along the seam of my lips. “How badly I want to feel you tight around me?” He dips his tongue into my mouth, and I’m instantly lost to the sensation.
When I’m with Zayden, it’s like the rest of the world falls away. I suddenly no longer care about anything or anyone else—only him. I want to be with him.
“I want that, too,” I admit, my voice thick with desire.
He pulls back slightly and stares down at me for a long moment.
“I would never ask you to do something you’re not ready to do. You know that, right?” His voice is soft, almost hesitant, and is a complete contradiction to everything I know about this man.
“I know.” I slide my hands into his hair, fisting the smooth strands between my fingers. “But I want to,” I admit truthfully. “I want this. I want you. I’m ready.”
“Are you sure?” He doesn’t seem convinced.
“I am.” I pull him back to me, kissing him slow and deep as I press upward, rubbing my center against his erection.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Zayden over the last few weeks, it’s that he’s not one to ease into anything. He’s aggressive and takes what he wants without apology. Because of this, I’m surprised he doesn’t rip the rest of my clothes off and take me right here and now. But that’s not what he does.
Instead, he takes his time.
He studies me.
His hands roam my body lazily, like we have all the time in the world.
And he kisses me… everywhere.
He makes me feel cherished and cared for. He makes me feel special. So much so that by the time he’s settled between my thighs with his condom covered erection nudging at my entrance, I don’t feel an ounce of fear. Nervous, most definitely. So nervous that my heart pounds so hard against my chest, I’m fairly certain it’s going to beat right through my ribcage. But there’s no fear.
I feel safe with Zayden in a way I’ve never felt with any other person in my life. The way he looks at me, is like he would kill anyone who dared hurt me. And in some weird way I know the feeling, because I feel just as protective of him. Not that a guy like Zayden Michaels would ever need me to protect him, but even still, I want to. I want to make him feel the way he makes me feel. I want to take every fear and silence it. I want to kiss every wound and heal it. I want to guard him as if he were the most precious and rare gem in the world, because truthfully, he just might be.
I suck in a sharp breath, my body tensing as Zayden slowly eases inside of me. His eyes stay fixed on my face, gauging my reaction as he enters me. I stretch and pull around him, the pressure so intense that tears prick the backs of my eyes—but no part of me wants him to stop.
Once he’s planted completely inside of me, Zayden stills, brushing my hair away from my sweat dampened forehead.
“I’m okay,” I reassure him. “Keep going.”
His lips brush mine as he slowly begins to move. At first, I feel like I might rip apart from the inside, but before long my body starts to adjust and my natural instincts take over. Eventually, I start to move with him. Pressing up to meet him, thrust for thrust as we push each other higher and higher.
The build starts slow—like a little voice that keeps getting louder and louder until it can’t possibly be ignored a second longer. My body shakes under the intensity—every cell feeling the effects of Zayden’s movements.
And while I recognize the familiar swirl of pleasure as it builds in my core, there’s something so different about it. It’s like my body is being pulled in a million different directions and my mind can’t seem to keep up with the sensation.
The pleasure is blinding. The intensity is overwhelming. And when Zayden groans against my lips—a deep, gritty noise that tells me he feels it too—everything peaks, and I go tumbling over the edge seconds later, Zayden falling right along with me.
Time seems to slow down around me. I experience an array of emotions that all hit me like rapid fire—one after the other until I feel like I can’t catch my breath. And I have no idea if it’s from the physical, the emotional, or a combination of the two.
All I know is that when Zayden presses up on his elbow and looks down at me, I feel like I’m seconds away from bursting into tears. Not sad tears, though. Actually, what I’m feeling is the furthest thing from sad I think a person can feel.
I’m elated. I’m overjoyed.
I think I’m in love….
“I WISH I COULD STAY.” Zayden presses a kiss to the top of my head as he hugs me tightly.
The last two hours have been indescribable, and while I know Zayden has to leave, I’m not ready to let him go just yet.
“Me, too,” I whine, my arms wrapped around his middle.
“Look at me.” His hand slides under my chin seconds before he lifts my face upward. “Tonight was probably the best night of my fucking life.” He smiles, leaning down to kiss my lips. “And I can’t wait to do it again.” He kisses me again. “And again.” Another kiss. “And again.” He smiles when I laugh against his mouth.
If you had told me a month ago that this version of Zayden existed, I never would have believed you. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still unapologetically Zayden—domineering, abrasive, an asshole. But he’s also so much more than that.
He’s sweet and funny. Caring and compassionate. And when he looks at me the way he’s looking at me right now, I forget why everyone is so damn afraid of him.
“Can I see you tomorrow after I get off work?” he asks, taking a step backward so that he’s got one foot still on the porch and the other on the top step.
“Call me when you get off.” I nod, placing both of my hands on the sides of his face as I lay one more lingering kiss to his lips.
Seconds later, he’s jogging across the front lawn. The faint interior light of his truck comes on as he pulls open the door and climbs inside. He fires up the engine and moments later, I watch his taillights disappear down the street.
Not able to contain the smile that I’m pretty certain is now permanently attached to my face, I make my way back inside and head for the kitchen. I haven’t eaten anything since lunch at school earlier today, and I am downright famished.
The kitchen is dark when I enter. I flip on a light, screaming when I catch sight of someone sitting at the table.
“Oliver! What the hell?” I flatten my palm to my chest. “You scared the hell out of me. Why are you sitting here in the dark?”
I take in his disheveled appearance. His wrinkled t-shirt. His messy hair. The dark circles under his eyes. I also don’t miss the glass in his hand that’s about half full of an amber liquid.
I can’t help but wonder what’s going on with him. He seems even more out of sorts than usual.
I try to remember if he looked this bad at school today, but truthfully, I can’t remember seeing him. Was he even at school?
“So he actually pulled it off.” His head bobs as he nods, an almost impressed look on his face.
“Huh?”
“You know, the sad thing is I was actually rooting for you.” He leans back further into the chair—his gaze locked on me as he swirls the liquid in his glass. “I didn’t think you’d go down quite so easy.”
“What are you talking about, Oliver?” My confusion quickly morphs into irritation.
“After all the shit we’ve pulled—Zayden and I—did you really think this was anything other than a game?” He empties his glass in one long pull before slamming it down on the table as he pushes to a stand. “You didn’t really believe that one minute he hated you and then suddenly,” he snaps his fingers, “Z has a thing for you?”
“I don’t…,” I start, but Oliver doesn’t let me finish.
“He said he could do it. But I gotta say, I didn’t think he could. Especially not this fast. I knew you were a virgin, after all. I figured it would take him at least a couple months to get into your pants, not
a couple weeks. I guess what they say is true. Like mother, like daughter.”
“Am I supposed to know what the hell you’re talking about?” My pulse is thrumming rapidly against the side of my neck.
“I guess not.” He snorts. “You would think after everything you’d be a little more careful. But alas, you let Z right on in. You let him fuck you for sport and clearly you had no idea that he’s been playing you this entire time.”
“Seriously?” Anger surges through me. “You expect me to believe that?”
“You don’t believe it?” He snickers. “How else do you think I would know that you were a virgin? Or that you two had sex for the first time tonight?”
“Well, considering you have zero boundaries or respect for other peoples’ privacy, I think there’s a few ways you could have known that information,” I fire back, refusing to let him ruin this night for me.
And even though I’m not willing to entertain what he’s saying, a part of me has always wondered why Zayden went from hating me to liking me, seemingly overnight.
“And what about this?” Oliver pulls his phone from his pocket and unlocks it, turning the screen to face me. On it is a single text message from Zayden.
I told you I could do it. Easiest bet I’ve ever won.
“That could mean anything.” My voice goes up an octave as doubt starts to creep in.
“Look at the time stamp.”
I lean in, looking closer.
“The message came through right as you were walking into the house,” he points out. “He didn’t even make it to the end of our street before letting me know of his conquest.”
“No.” The single word falls from my lips as disbelief and uncertainty starts to take hold.
“Yes.” Oliver smiles. “I bet my best friend that he couldn’t score your V card. He bet that he could. Looks like I lost. The sad thing is, you really thought this was real, didn’t you? You thought he actually cared about you.” He lets out a throaty laugh and it takes everything in me not to rear back and punch him in his smug face.
“He wouldn’t….”
“He wouldn’t do this to you?” He cuts me off. “Sorry to tell you, sis, but he already did.” His phone vibrates in his hand. “Oh, and there he is again.” His eyes scan the phone, his smile widening.
