by Lauren Helms
"Clothes, off. I need them off, Blondie," he commands, his hands reaching down and pulling off my tank.
Suddenly, I'm naked from the waist up, and he's devouring me with his eyes, then with his mouth.
His lips pepper kisses and nips all over my chest. My breasts are full and heavy with a need I never knew possible.
With my hands in his hair, he leans forward, worshiping my body in a way I'll never forget. I tug too hard. His head pops up, and he stares me down as he takes a deep breath and breaks all connection between us.
"Zella, I need to know how far you want this to go tonight? I need to know now, so I don't push you."
My heart melts with his concern—another reason why he's the one. I lift my hand to his face; he leans into my palm. "I want it all with you, Ryker. I'm ready."
His eyes close with my words, a small smile playing at his lips. "I want it all with you too, Blondie." The moment between us is sensual, but it doesn't last long. He points to my tiny sleep shorts. "Off."
I get them off as he pulls down his own, and I'm struck stupid at the sight.
I might be a virgin, with little-to-no-experience when it comes to being with men, but I know how to research. I know how to please myself. But seeing Ryker now, the real deal, right in front of me, I could stare at him forever. I want to feel him. I want to feel his hard length in my hands, against my body, inside me, and in my mouth.
I pull my eyes away from his cock at the sound of his low growl. My voice barely above a whisper, "I want it all."
He pounces. We're a tangle of arms and legs. Our skin, coated with a light sheen of sweat, causes us to nearly stick together— as we touch, kiss, and explore. Soon, his hand traces a trail down my stomach, to my hip, thigh, and ending between my legs.
"I want this to be so good for you. Don't hold back," he says in my ear, as his fingers run through my wet folds. I let out a moan when one finger enters me, then another. He works me up to the top of a cliff, and it's long until I'm blissfully falling over the edge.
He lets me catch my breath while he places tiny kisses across my collarbone. When he leans away, I force my eyes open to see why. He's reaching for a condom, and within seconds, he's positioning himself between my tired, languid legs.
"How's the shoulder?" His voice is low, husky, and sexy as sin.
"What shoulder?" I offer.
He smiles, but his expression turns concerned. "You need to tell me as soon as anything starts to hurt, that includes your shoulder. I'll stop, we'll readjust, or be done. Up to you." He's so sweet, but I'm already too far gone to stop now, so I answer by wrapping my arm around the back of his neck and pulling him down to me. I kiss him with as much fervor as I can to show him just how ready I am.
He lines himself up with my center, and before I have a second to think, he pushes in.
My gasp, due to the shock shooting through my body, causes him pause.
"Zella," he whispers, searching my face. Whatever he sees causes him to place a sweet kiss on my cheek. Then another and another, as he slowly pushes in further. The initial pain and sting fade as he slowly starts again.
Only moments later, it’s like I’m back in the field full of fireflies. Thousands of tiny lights float around in my vision as I clutch to him. He holds on to me as I fall into a sea of stars, and then he finds his own release.
We lay there, wrapped up together in silence. The AC unit in the room kicks on, and I realize how hot it is in our tiny room. I run my hand up his back and feel his shiver at my touch.
"You alright, Blondie?" he asks into my neck.
"Best. Day. Ever." I smile.
16
Ryker
We wake later than we planned, but when you stay up too late having the best sex of your life and eating cookies, what do you expect?
I woke her up a couple of hours before our alarm went off for another round. When her alarm finally rang, we snoozed it. Just a few times.
We've been on the road home for a few hours, and our drive is much the same — music, talking, but this time around, a lot more touching. Seems as if I've awoken some kind of sex kitten; Zella can't get enough. I have to admit, it makes me really fucking happy. Not that she wants me so bad, but the fact that I woke something up inside her.
She's scrolling through her phone when she gets a text.
"That was Cam. He said Wells has been trying to get a hold of you." She looks up from her phone. I look around for my own phone. "Now that he mentions it, I haven't seen you on your phone in days. Did you lose it?" Her expression is full of alarm.
"Nah, I put it on do not disturb the other morning. I wanted to take a break. Since we've got the GPS in here, I thought I'd disconnect for a couple of days." Truth is, I needed this. I needed to take a couple of days off from my phone, potential jobs, and the dark web. I still love hacking shit, but it’s refreshing not being on my computer. I admit, my fingers are itching to hit my keyboard.
"I was wondering about that. I haven't seen your computer the entire time we've been on the road. Did you even bring it?" she asks, looking over her shoulder into the back seat.
"Yeah, I don't go anywhere without my computer." I actually have a hidden compartment under my seat that you can access from the back. I slide my messenger bag into it when I need to. That's where it's been the whole trip, minus the night my car was in the shop.
She snickers at my response but goes back to her phone. I start to think about why the heck Wells might be trying to get a hold of me. Did our loft burn down? Surely, Cameron would have relayed the information to Zella if it were an emergency. As the minutes tick on, I struggle with the decision to dig my phone out of my pocket and turn it back on. For the first time in my life, I actually turned my phone off last night. I'm curious as to what Wells wants, but at the same time, this trip with Zella is nearly over. We have only a few more hours together, just us, before it's back to real life.
I'm caught up in my struggle when Zella puts her phone down in her lap and turns toward me. I can feel her staring at me. I glance her way, and she's got the biggest grin on her face, but she's also fluttering her eyelashes, and she's got the equivalent of puppy dog eyes going on.
I chuckle at the sight but get my eyes back on the road. "What's going on, Blondie? I get the feeling you're up to no good."
"Ryker. I like you, like really, really like you," she states, and I glance at her again. I see no nervousness or worry etched on her face. Whatever she's about to hit me with, she's confident about. It's sexy as fuck, and before she continues, I know I'll give her whatever it is she wants.
"Yeah, I really, really like you too, Blondie." Her smile is sweet, and her cheeks tinge a tiny pink color at my words.
"That's wonderful news." She nods, still smiling.
"It really is," I offer.
"With that all being said, I think it's a good time to define what this is." She motions between us. Damn, she's cute when she thinks she's calling the shots. Whatever it is she wants to call us, I've been hers since the first day. "I'd like you to be my boyfriend, and me, your girlfriend."
She's so matter of fact, almost business-like; I hold back my smile and play along.
"Are we exclusive?" I ask.
She doesn't even think before answering. "Absolutely." I nod in thought, still keeping my eyes on the road. Damn straight, we better be exclusive. I'm not going to share her with anyone else. Cameron should consider himself one lucky bastard.
"I don't expect you to pay for everything, like when we hang out and stuff," she adds.
"They are called dates. And I'm not sure I agree with you on that, but if it's something you're passionate about, I'll allow it. Occasionally." I risk a quick glance. Yup, still business mode. I bite the inside of my cheek.
"Good. And my last order of business, the ball. I know it isn't your thing, but I'm going. I already have tickets, and I don't want to go alone. I can't very well go with someone who isn’t my boyfriend, so it seems as if your only option is
to go with me." She takes a breath.
That sneaky little pixie. She knew exactly what she was doing when she gave me those puppy dog eyes.
I bark out a laugh. "You play hardball, Blondie. I fucking love it." I reach over and grab her hand.
"So, do you agree to my terms?" she asks seriously.
"I agree to the exclusive relationship and occasionally letting you pay for shit."
"Yeah? What about the last part?" I can see her out of the corner of my eye, and she's so damn hopeful.
"Yes, I'll take my girlfriend to the damn dance. But you owe me, big time." I growl my disdain but add in a wink.
"Anything you want." She pulls my hand into her with excitement. I wiggle my eyebrows, and she gets the hint and giggles.
"So do we need to shake on this or something?" she asks so innocently. A laugh erupts from my belly. I can't handle her cuteness right now. I want to bury my face in her neck and kiss her stupid.
"How about a kiss instead?" And before I take my next breath, she's leaning toward me and placing an excited kiss on my lips. It's a struggle to keep my eyes on the road, but I manage it. She's laughing as she sits back in her seat, and I'm cursing under my breath.
I'm driving a fucking car right now and not able to give her a proper kiss in return.
The relationship conversation was good. It was enough of a distraction that I forgot about my turned-off phone in my pocket. At least for a little while. With a groan, I maneuver the phone out of my pocket and power it on. I slide it under my thigh while I give it time to welcome its self back to life. All too soon, my phone feels like a damn vibrator with the constant notifications as it plays catch up.
Shit. Something's going on.
I'm not about to try to read my messages while I'm driving, nor ask Zella to read them to me, so I check the next mile marker sign and see that we are less than ten miles from an exit. I'm hoping there's a gas station.
Sure enough, we're in luck.
After getting gas, I pull the car up to the side of the station and finally peek at my phone.
I've got a half a dozen texts from Wells, plus two calls. What surprises me more than the few missed calls from an unknown number is that I have four missed calls from my uncle.
Pulling the phone up to my ear, I listen to the only message he left me. "Ryker, this is the last time I clean up your fucking messes. I'll see what my lawyers can do, but you might be shit out of luck."
His pissed off tone is enough to send shivers down my spine. But the message was short and didn't give me a lot of information. I open up my messages and start to read the several from Wells.
Wells: There are some suits here on campus asking about you.
Wells: Holy shit, Ryker. What did you do?
Wells: You need to call me ASAP.
Wells: I really don't want Zella to get hurt, but if you don't contact me soon, I'm going to have to call her. Shit isn't looking good for you right now, man.
My stomach drops, and sweat prickles on the back of my neck. I have no idea what the fuck is going on, but it doesn't sound good. No way did campus security catch on to my server hack. We're talking about a few semester grades, no biggie. The dudes who paid me weren't there on scholarship or anything.
I hear Zella before I see her. She must be heading back to the car, so I fire off a text to Wells.
Me: Phone's been off. I have no idea what's going on. Be back in about five hours.
Hitting send, I slide the phone back in my pocket.
"Did you get a hold of Wells?" she asks as she comes up to stand in front of me. I'm leaning against the side of the car. To calm my nerves, I place my hands on her hips and pull her into me. She moves effortlessly as if she were waiting for an invitation. Leaning down, I find her lips and kiss her. The kiss doesn't last long thanks to the vibration in my pocket, bringing me back to reality.
"I did. Hop in the car. Going to run to the restroom real fast." Regretfully, I let her go.
"Already got you some snacks," she replies in a sing-song voice. She slides into the front seat and closes the door. I turn and walk into the building, barely waiting a second before checking my phone.
Wells: Come to campus security as soon as you drop off Zella.
Damn it. The next five hours are not going to be easy. Since I don't know what kind of trouble I'm so obviously in, I better make the most of my time with Zella. After I find out what the hell is going on, who knows if she'll still be into me.
The time somehow simultaneously drags on and passes at light speed. Before we know it, it's ten o'clock at night and I'm pulling up in front of the Lofts. Cameron is waiting just inside and meets us right as I pull the key from the ignition.
I drag myself out of the car and grab Zella's bags from the backseat. I get a look of concern from Zella when I hand her bags to Cam. She must be expecting me to come up. I badly want to come up with her. Hell, I'd stay the night with her if I could, but I can't. I can't ignore whatever real-life bull shit is waiting for me at the campus security building.
"All right, Blondie. I've gotta run, but we'll talk in the morning." I try not to be a dick, but I can't stay.
Her eyebrows crease. "Oh, okay." She turns away to follow Cam, who's clearly giving me the cold shoulder. But I'm not leaving things between us like this. I reach out and catch her hand, stopping her. When she looks back at me, I pull her arm, and she follows. I dig my hands into her hair and kiss her with passion. I hear a throat clear somewhere behind her but ignore it.
Slowly breaking the kiss, I smile down at her dazed, blissful face.
"I had an amazing few days with you. Don't forget to put lotion on that tat." She looks up at me and nods. She breaks away from me and walks back toward the building entrance.
"Night, Blondie." I try to keep the panic out of my voice.
With a half-smile, she waves and despairs into the building.
Slowly, I get back in my car and drive myself into what's surely about to be hell. Minutes later, I walk into the campus security building. There are a couple campus security guards milling about, and I briefly wonder what they normally do this late on weeknights while they are on call. One of the guards recognizes me; he walks over and knocks on a door. It opens and out comes the security director, followed by two men in dark suits and a police officer.
"Ryker, nice of you to show up," the director says. I've met him a few times. Over the years. You'd think I would know his name, but I don't. I've always thought of him as a joke though.
"I've been out of town," I offer.
"Mr. Stone. I'm Special Agent Black, and this is Special Agent Graham. We need you to come down to the station with us. We've got some things we need to talk about." Black is a tall, thin man; he looks like he's in his late thirties, but I'm not sure. Graham looks older and stockier.
I glance at the officer standing next to him, and then the campus police standing at attention, both strategically placed and ready for the chase if I were to run. That isn't going to happen though. I don't run. I'm not a coward.
"Am I under arrest?" I eye Black.
"Why don't you just come willingly? That way, we don't have to make a scene," he replies, but the officer looks disappointed. Douche.
“I’d like to call my lawyer.” Technically, it’s my uncle’s lawyer, but he’s helped me out before.
The good agent curses under his breath. “Yeah, I’m sure you do. Come on.”
With a sigh, I nod. I want to get to the bottom of this, then I want to crash because I'm fucking tired from the ten-hour drive I made today. I walk out into the night with Agent Black and Graham and some douchebag officer. I leave my car in the parking lot and hope like hell this is all a huge misunderstanding.
17
Zella
Ten days ago, I was on cloud nine. Today, I couldn't be further from the sky. Ten days ago, I had a boyfriend sitting next to me in the car, holding my hand and singing along to whatever song I played. Today, I don't know what I have, but it's not
a present boyfriend.
I haven't heard from Ryker since he dropped me off in front of my building. I should have suspected something was wrong when he didn't come up to my room. Though we didn't talk about it, I thought for sure he was going to come up. I would have even asked him to stay if I'd been given the chance.
He didn't show up in class Tuesday night, which pushed me over the edge. I might not have a lot of experience in the relationship department, but I don't want to be a clingy girlfriend. When you spend five days with someone and then get no texts, no calls, and don't see them for over a week, it's rough.
I knew something was wrong.
He regretted his time with me. I knew it. I could barely keep it together through class. Cameron kept giving me the side-eye. He’d try his best to comfort me. "He's probably just tired and missed class."
As the days went on, Cam's tune changed; he was no longer defending Ryker, which I assume a best friend does when your heart is broken.
I guess what's got me so upset is that I don't know where he is. It's like he just fell off the face of the earth.
Two days in with no contact, I wanted to march down to the police station and file a missing person report. That's when Wells stepped in. He said Ryker was involved in some bad stuff, and he's either in police custody or hiding.
That promptly started an argument because I know Ryker well enough to know he isn't a coward. He wouldn't hide. He would face up to whatever it was he did. Wells wasn't as sure. I told him that as Ryker's best friend, he needed to have more faith in him. That earned me a sad, shameful response, ending the argument.
Which brings me back to today. I'm standing at the counter in the lobby of the tiny campus security office. Once again, not getting any stinking answers.
