FURY: A Dark High School Bully Romance (Rosewood High Book 6)

by Tracy Lorraine

  My attempts are futile, I make no contact with the asshole who thinks this is a good idea.

  My heart pounds in my chest and I continue to try to scream as we disappear into the dark undergrowth behind the hotel.

  “Keep fighting, little one. You know it only makes me want you more.”

  Ashton.

  He spins me and presses my back against a tree.

  “You fucking asshole,” I spit at him. “Why are you here?”

  We might be in the dark with only the moon helping us see, but I can’t miss the darkness of his eyes, or the fact that both show lingering evidence of him fighting.

  “What happened?” I ask, hating that I sound like I care as I reach out and run my fingertip gently across the healing cut on his bottom lip.

  “Just exorcising some demons.”

  “Via your fists. Don’t tell me. Axel.”

  “Yeah, him and a few others. But they don’t matter.” He leans into me, his hard length pressing against my stomach. His hand skims up my side until his fingers wrap around my throat, flexing a little as if to tell me something.

  “You shouldn’t be here.” My voice is hard but my insides are having a freaking party at having him so close, at having his scent in my nose.

  “Maybe not,” he says, his nose running up my cheek. “But I’m here anyway.”

  “You should leave.” I try to stay strong but with his lips so close to mine, it’s getting harder and harder.

  I force myself to remember how he rejected me before we left Seattle, trying to focus on the pain, not how good things had been between us.

  “You don’t mean that, little one,” he says, lips so close they brush mine. The scent of him mixes with the alcohol on his breath.

  “You’ve been drinking.”

  “So have you. I hope your coach doesn’t know what you’re slipping in your drinks.”

  “Our coach doesn’t give a shit.”

  The hand that isn’t around my throat finds the bottom of my hoodie and slips under, finding the smooth skin of my stomach.

  “You looked so hot in your little uniform up on that stage earlier.”

  I gasp. “Y-you were watching?”

  “Sure was, little one. Watching and hard as fuck imagining what it might be like to fuck you while you wear that uniform.”

  “N-not happening.” I want to sound strong, sure, but my voice comes out all breathy.

  Damn him and the effect he has on me.

  He chuckles. “It’s cute that you think you can deny what you really want.”

  His hand lifts higher until he cups my breast over my crop top, and I fight my need to moan when he pinches my nipple between his fingers.

  “I’ve missed you, little one.”

  “Well, maybe you should have considered that before turning your back on me.”

  “I’m sorry,” he whispers in my ear, sending goose bumps racing across my skin.

  “No, you’re not. You’re just saying that to get your way.”

  “Am I?” His lips graze that spot under my ear and my entire body shudders.

  I lift my hands to press against his chest to try to push him away from me but when he sucks that patch of sensitive skin into his mouth, instead of pushing, I find my fists curling into the fabric of his hoodie.

  “Ashton.” It’s meant to be a warning but it’s far from it when his name passes my lips. “You need to leave,” I try again, but my argument is weak at best.

  “You’re only lying to yourself.” He wraps his hand around the back of my thigh and hooks my leg around his hip, allowing his length to grind against my core.

  My head falls back against the tree with a thud.

  “I hate you,” I groan as he presses harder against me.

  “You should,” he admits before sinking his teeth into my neck.

  “Then why are you here?”

  “Because I need you.”

  I tense against him. “So you just want an easy fuck?” I snap.

  “No, little one. If I wanted easy, I certainly wouldn’t be here.”

  His hand skims down my thigh until he’s palming my ass. He groans into my neck when he realizes I’m just wearing a thong and my ass is bare.

  “I don’t want anyone, Ruby. I came for you, no one else.”

  “Fucking hell,” I mutter to myself, squeezing my eyes closed tight. Why is it so hard to say no to him?

  His fingers inch lower until he finds the edge of my panties.

  “Oh little one, so wet for me.” He runs his fingers over the damp fabric, teasing me.

  “Ashton.”

  “So now you want me to stay.” He laughs against my neck.

  “No. I want you to leave, but if you insist on torturing me, I may as well get something out of it.”

  He pulls his head from my neck and stares into my eyes. I swear he stops breathing as he does, causing my stomach to knot in anticipation.

  “You fucking slay me, Ruby.”

  He dives for my lips and I’m powerless to stop him as his tongue plunges into my mouth and licks at mine.

  His taste explodes in my mouth and I suck on his tongue. A groan rumbles up his throat as his fingers slip under my panties.

  “Fuck, I missed this.”

  “You mean you didn’t run to that slut the second I got on an airplane?” I regret the words the second they pass my lips, but I can’t help that I’ve wondered if that was where he went when he stormed out.

  He pulls back, his fingers almost cutting off my air supply, his eyes boring into mine.

  “Is that what you really think of me?” Anger flickers across his face, his lips pulled into a thin line.

  “I can only go on previous experience, Ashton. You went running pretty quick last time.”

  “That was different.”

  “Was it?”

  “Yes, it was before. Before...”

  “Before?” I prompt.

  But he doesn’t respond, he just shakes his head before slamming his lips back on mine and plunging two fingers deep inside me.

  Any fight I might have had—which admittedly wasn’t a lot—disappears the second he curls his fingers inside me and finds that magical spot.

  “Oh God,” I moan into his mouth.

  “Come for me, little one. But don’t scream. Not unless you don’t want my cock inside you.”

  I feel a wave of heat in my core at his promise of more and he doesn’t miss it.

  “Fuck, could you be any sexier? You’re dripping down my hand, little one.”

  I want to be mortified by my reaction to his dirty words, but I can’t find it in me to care.

  “More,” I plead.

  His hand leaves my neck in favor of the zipper running down the length of my hoodie. He parts the fabric before pushing my crop top up and over my breasts.

  The cool air surrounds them making my nipples pucker.

  “Oh God,” I moan when he blows a stream of warm air over my sensitive peaks.

  My head crashes back against the tree again but I barely feel it.

  He pushes my hoodie from my shoulders and then leans back a little to stare at me.

  “If you’re not quiet, everyone else is going to get to see what I see right now. Do you want that?”

  I shake my head, squeezing my eyes closed in embarrassment.

  “Look at me. I want you staring into my eyes as you fall over the edge so you remember who’s doing it to you.”

  I slam my lips shut to refrain from telling him that there wouldn’t be anyone else in my mind. He already knows he’s the only one, and right now, I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of the reminder.

  He closes the space between us once more, my nipples brushing against his hoodie causing sparks to shoot down to my core and push me closer to release before his lips find mine.

  He kisses me so deep it causes emotion to clog my throat but I refuse to allow myself to believe this is more than a bit of fun. He saw an opportunity to torment me and h
ere he is.

  “Come, Ruby,” he demands into my mouth, and with one movement of his fingers, I crash.

  “Ashton,” I moan against his lips as my body convulses as wave after wave of pleasure surges through me.

  Long before my release has subsided, his fingers are gone leaving me cold, but it only lasts so long because in seconds he’s got me up against the tree, both of my legs around his waist and his cock pressing at my entrance.

  “I need you so fucking bad, Ruby.” He surges into me, and I have to bite down on the inside of my cheeks to stop me from crying out as the pleasure and bite of pain from a week without this, mix and engulf my body. “So good. So fucking tight,” he groans in my ear.

  His hips begin to piston, thrusting in and out of me as he kisses down my neck and one of his hands lifts to tease my nipples.

  “Ashton,” I moan quietly as pleasure collides with the pain of the tree trunk scratching into my back. It’s a heady combination and one I’m not ready to end quite yet.

  “Fuck, I’m not gonna last, little one.”

  His fingers find my clit and he pinches hard, encouraging my next release to come crashing forward. I fall under his spell without any warning and I cry out his name louder than necessary as I fall. His cock twitches violently inside me, filling me with his hot cum.

  “Oh God,” I half moan, half curse.

  We really shouldn’t have done this.

  The music from the party I left comes back to me as I float back down from my high.

  Ashton is still sucking on the skin above my collarbone. Threading my fingers in his hair, I pull him back.

  “You need to leave.”

  “I’ve barely started, little one. Do you have your room key?”

  “No, absolutely no way, Ash.” I think of the room I’m sharing with Harley. No, just no.

  “You need to leave, and I need to get back. Tomorrow is one of the most important days of my life and I don’t need to lose myself in you.”

  “Aw, you get lost in me.”

  “Do you give me much choice?” I snap. Now I’ve come back to myself, I’m angry and disappointed that I let him get to me so easily.

  I should be stronger than this after the way things ended between us.

  “Put me down,” I demand, trying to wiggle out of his hold and only successful with scratching up my back more.

  “Fine,” he spits. “But this isn’t over.”

  I right my clothing before staring him dead in the eye.

  “It is, Ashton. This was the last time you’re getting anywhere near me. Consider it a goodbye fuck.”

  “Ruby?” His brows pull together as if that hurt him, but I know better. Nothing I could say to him could hurt him. He only came here to get inside my panties, well, mission accomplished, asshole. I hope you enjoyed it because it’s not happening again.

  “I suggest you go home, Ashton. I don’t want to see you here again this weekend.”

  Before he gets to respond, I do exactly what he did to me in Seattle, turn my back on him and walk away as if he means nothing to me.

  He doesn’t need to know that my heart is shattering all over again with every step I take.

  29

  Ashton

  Watching her walk away is the least of what I deserve after what I’ve put her through. That being said though, it hurts like a motherfucker.

  I stand there in the shadows for the longest time wondering if she’s gone straight back to the party with the evidence of what we just did dripping out of her or if she’s run straight past them and back to her room.

  The temptation to see if I can follow her and find out which room is hers is strong, but I know she’s right. I need to give her the space she wants. This is her big weekend; I’d never forgive myself if I ruined it for her.

  I know one thing though, I’m not leaving. I’m not missing out on a chance to watch her up on stage again tomorrow.

  Like most guys, I like cheerleaders for one very good reason. But I’ve never really paid much attention to what they do unless they’re on their knees for me, so to say I was a little blown away by Ruby and her squad when they were up on stage earlier, would be an understatement.

  She was utterly captivating as she defied gravity with some of those moves. I might not have hung around long enough to watch any other squads, I didn’t exactly have any interest in them, but I already knew who deserved to win.

  After long minutes, I turn away from the music playing from the pool area where they’re all hanging out and head back toward the motel where I’ve booked a room for the night.

  It didn’t take all that much research to find out where she’d be this weekend, and after snooping through her laptop that she’d helpfully left on her bed without a password, I soon found the hotel she was in.

  Thankfully, Dad and Lisa weren’t in when I pulled up to the house this morning. It might have been a week since they left me in Seattle, but I have no doubt that they’re still pissed at me for corrupting their good little girl.

  I unloaded everything I’d packed into Dad’s car before repacking a bag and heading back out. I know I’m going to have to deal with them, I’ve already put too much off, but I figured they could wait a few more days. Ruby was more important.

  I knew I’d fucked up the moment I rejected her that morning. I didn’t need Willow turning up to confirm it. But equally, I really needed this past week to attempt to put myself back together.

  I’ll be the first to admit that my life in Seattle was a mess and losing Mom really didn’t help at all. Being back there, having to bury her. It was all just too much.

  It may have taken three drunken, and high days with the Kingston boys and without Ruby but by the time I woke up Tuesday morning with the same hangover I’d been suffering with almost since she left, I knew it was time to pull my head out of my ass and attempt to put my life back together.

  And the first thing I needed to do was find her. To find her and to tell her how much I appreciated everything she did for me.

  Although, I already know I’ve fucked that up.

  She didn’t have to drive to Seattle with me, she didn’t have to stay in the apartment and she certainly didn’t have to try to hold me together while I was so insistent on falling apart.

  I push the key into the lock of my motel room and swing the door closed behind me.

  My bag is still sitting on the bed where I left it when I first arrived, I stare at it, knowing what’s inside.

  Kicking my shoes off, I crawl onto the bed and pull my bag closer, unzipping it and pulling out the book that’s sitting on the top.

  I found two full boxes of journals that I had no idea Mom wrote. Both of the boxes are sitting in my bedroom at Dad’s house. Those, along with a few other of her things I kept needing something of hers in the hope it helps me feel closer to her even though she’s gone.

  I trail my fingertip over the embossed leather cover with this year’s date on it. I’ve not read any yet. I told myself that I’d have a few days in Seattle to lose myself as I sorted through the rest of the apartment and decided what to do with all the things that made up our lives then I was going to come back here, apologize to Ruby and attempt to rebuild my life.

  Well, I’ve been back a few hours and I’m pretty sure I’ve fucked up that first part of my plan for being back here already.

  I blow out a breath and tip my face to the ceiling.

  Things can only get better, right?

  Flipping the cover open, I prepare for what I might read.

  January 1st

  New year. New start. New me.

  That’s what everyone says, right?

  I guess it’s fitting because this is the year everything changes. This is the year I take life by the balls and do something I’ve been dreaming about for years.

  Ashton graduates this year, or at least I hope he will. And then we are gone. Out of this hellhole that has bled so much life out of both of us.

  I thought Seattle w
as my chance to start over when I came here for college. I had plans, dreams. I wanted to make something of my life. Be better than what I’d seen up until that point, be better than the people I’d been forced to spend my early years with.

  And it was great. It was everything I wanted it to be.

  I got my degree, the job, the boy.

  Everything was perfect.

  Until it wasn’t.

  I can’t pinpoint exactly when things went wrong with Stephen—although if I were to read back a few years, maybe I’d find it—and to this day, I don’t think either of us did anything wrong. We just... grew apart. And through that, he found Lisa again, and I found... loneliness.

  I’m happy for him. A part of me will love that man until my dying day. After all, he gave me my boy. A boy I would give my life for if I needed to.

  That’s why it’s time for this to happen.

  He thinks I don’t know what he’s doing. He thinks I’m oblivious that he’s got himself tangled up with the Kingston boys, that, or he doesn’t think I even know who they are in the first place.

  Every day, I see a little bit more of the happy boy I knew drain out of him and in its place the anger, the dejection that it takes to do the kinds of things that I’m sure they’re going to ask of him. If we stay here too much longer, they’re going to pull him in so deep that they’ll never let him go.

  That’s why we’re leaving.

  That’s why I’ve saved every single penny, I could since the day Stephen left, to give us a new life, a good life, a life with prospects, a future. A forever.

  I close the book and run my hand down my face.

  She was planning on us leaving Seattle?

  My brows pull together as I think back to the weeks and months before she died. I had no idea. Why didn’t she tell me?

  Because you would have refused to leave, asshole.