by K. G. Reuss
“Easy.” He laughed, pressing his hands against mine to stop me.
“Why?” I pouted, pulling away from him.
He cleared his throat and glanced away from me, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
“Ethan, what’s wrong?” Worry coursed through me. I’d ground against his dick before, so I knew he was packing in that area, so he had nothing to be shy about. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, sweetheart.” He turned back to me, his pretty eyes shimmering with tears as he cradled my face. “Of course you didn’t. It’s just, I-I…” The words faltered on his lips, and he grimaced.
“Tell me.” I squeezed his hand.
“I’m a fucking mess.”
“Ethan, I already told you I don’t care. I want you. Whatever you comes with it, I’m in.”
“I’m scared that once you see me, you’ll be disgusted by me.” His words were soft.
“You could never disgust me. I think you’re beautiful.” I leaned in and kissed his lips. “Perfect. Mine.”
He let out a soft moan as I kissed down his neck, my fingers back in his waistband. When he didn’t stop me, I reached inside and grasped his thick hard-on.
“Fuck,” he groaned as I pumped him in my hand for a moment.
“I want to see you, Ethan.” I kissed his neck. “I want to taste you. I want to feel you inside me.”
“Shit,” he hissed out, shoving his pajama bottoms off and exposing himself. I moved south and looked down at him in my hand and gasped.
“Don’t hate me,” he whispered.
“Why are you hurt?” I asked, staring at the deep tears to his thighs. It looked like he’d fought a razor and barely won. There were wounds in various stages of healing. Some of them were fading, and some were angry, red cuts.
“I-I cut myself to make the other pain go away,” he whispered. “I’m sorry, Rosalie. I’m fucked up.”
“No. Shh.” I straddled his lap and peppered his lips and face with kisses as he cupped my ass. “I don’t care. I want you.”
“Still?” He stared up at me with wide eyes.
“Always, Ethan.”
“Babe,” he murmured, pressing his lips to mine.
I ground against his dick, both of us breathing hard.
“Will you come to my bedroom?”
“Yes,” I answered breathlessly.
He kicked his pajamas off the rest of the way and lifted me into his arms. Ethan carried me to his room where he laid me on his bed and hovered over me.
“You’re beautiful, Rosalie. I’m a lucky man.” His hands worked beneath my shirt so he could tug it off. He tossed it aside and went for my pants next. In moments, he had me bared before him. His remaining clothes joined mine on the floor.
I took great delight in running my hands over his hard muscles, enjoying the way he trembled beneath my touch as he kissed along my breasts before pulling a hardened peak into his mouth and sucking.
“Do you want me to keep going?” he asked. “I don’t want to push you.”
“Keep going. All the way,” I managed to rasp as he slid a finger through my folds and teased my clit.
He let out a soft chuckle before pulling away and opening his bedside drawer. I heard the rattle of a condom wrapper before he rolled the condom over his dick.
He positioned himself between my legs and gazed down at me, so much adoration on his face it made my heart race.
Slowly, he pushed inside me, his thickness stretching me until I gasped. His eyes never left mine as he slid deeper. When he was fully seated inside me, he kissed along my jaw before whispering in my ear, “I love you so much, Rosalie. You’re my entire world.”
“I love you too, Ethan,” I answered back. And I did. Right down to my bones, I loved this incredible man. The most beautiful smile graced his lips before they met mine.
He thrust in and out slowly, tormenting my body with his movements, his dick buried so deeply inside me I was sure I could feel it in my navel. All my guys could take care of my needs.
But were they still my guys?
“Where did you go?” Ethan breathed out as he moved in and out of me.
“Right here,” I answered, kissing him.
“I thought I lost you.”
“Never.”
He moved faster, thrusting harder as our kisses grew more passionate and more frantic. The tingles grew, building quickly, before I came undone on his dick. He followed a moment later. He lay breathless over me, our bodies covered in a sheen of sweat.
“Amazing,” he whispered, resting his head against mine. “I always wondered, but now I know.”
I chuckled softly. “Good?”
“The best, sweetheart.” He placed a kiss to my lips before pulling out of me and disposing of the condom. The bed creaked as he settled back beside me and pulled me into his arms.
“Stay with me tonight?”
“Yes.” I nuzzled against him. “I already told my parents I was going to stay at Jamie’s so we could talk about things.”
“On a school night. Such a rebel,” he teased, kissing my temple.
“You’re one to talk.” I giggled. “You’re here seducing me on a school night.”
“I think you seduced me, sweetheart.” He gave me a squeeze.
“Mm, maybe.”
He chuckled again and pulled the blanket around us.
“Ethan?”
“Hmm?” He twined our fingers together.
“What’s your plan for Ian? How am I going to get free?”
He tensed for a moment before speaking. “You might have to do things you don’t like.”
“Fucking him?”
He let out a low growl in his throat. “I don’t want him to ever fucking touch you, Rosalie, but we may have to get creative.”
“He has one copy of the videos.” Quickly, I told Ethan everything I knew and waited for his answer.
“Then maybe you need to get into his room and steal it.”
“He watches me like a hawk.”
“Then maybe turn the tables on him,” he murmured. “Drug his ass.”
“What?” I sat up and gawked down at Ethan.
He shrugged. “It’s not like you’re going to steal his virtue. Plus, he’d do it, and has done it, to you. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. This is probably one of those times … unless you just want me to kill him.”
“I don’t want anyone to die,” I mumbled, only half-lying. I hated Ian.
“I can get something that’ll knock him out. You can take it with you and try to slip it to him. You’ll have to plan it just right. If it doesn’t work, I’ll do what I have to do. OK?”
“It’ll work. I don’t want you to kill anyone, Ethan.”
He chuckled softly. “I’d take down the entire world for you, Rosalie. I’d die for you. Know that.” He pressed a fierce kiss to the top of my head as I settled in beside him.
I knew he would, but I didn’t want him to. I could do this. I could take Ian down without him dying for it.
Hopefully.
Twenty-Four
Ian blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. I knew he was nervous about seeing his dad. Hell, I was too, but for different reasons. The fact I had to look the monster in the eyes made me sick to my stomach. He’d taken Amy away from us. He’d changed the course of my whole life, of Fox’s.
My guts clenched as a muscular man came into view dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. He looked so much like Ian I cringed. Having two of them in the world was far too much.
“Dad,” Ian called out, tensing beside me.
A wide grin spilled onto the man’s face, the skin around his eyes crinkling.
“Ian. How are you, boy?” He reached out and gave Ian a quick, one-armed hug.
“Good. Great.”
“Your mom and brother didn’t come?” Daniel looked over Ian’s shoulder to the parking lot behind us. The smile slowly slid from his face.
“No,” Ian answered with a tight smile
. “She had to work and said to remind you to stay away.”
“Of course she did.” Daniel’s dark-eyed gaze swept over to me.
I shifted closer to Ian like his ass would save me. He’d probably throw me to the wolves if he thought he could have a scrap of me when I was done being eaten.
“Looks like you brought me something else instead. What a beauty.” Daniel reached out for me, but Ian shifted so he was in front of me.
“No. This is Rosalie. She’s my girlfriend.”
Daniel lifted a brow. “Is that a fact? Well, at least you did something right.” He let out a soft laugh. “So you’re fucking this girl?”
I ground my teeth. “He’s definitely not fucking me.”
“Rosalie,” Ian warned, gripping my wrist tightly.
I winced beneath the pressure.
Daniel laughed louder and shook his head. “Son, don’t you know you need to keep your woman in line? Pretty girl like her should only be opening her mouth for your cock. If she’s opening for anything else, get rid of her.”
“Is that what you did to Cindy?” I asked, mentioning Ian’s mom.
Daniel narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re a smart mouthed, little bitch, aren’t you? Ian would do well to show you some manners.”
“Rosalie, come,” Ian snarled, tugging me toward the car. He shoved me hard when we reached his vehicle, and I stumbled, banging my hip on the mirror.
“Get the fuck in, and if you say another word, I won’t hesitate to shut you up. Got it?” Ian hissed in my ear.
I nodded tightly and got into the back seat as Ian went around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. Daniel moved into the passenger’s seat. Once we were on the highway and Ian and Daniel were engaged in conversation—bullshit catch up stories and talk of all the chicks Daniel planned on fucking—I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to Ethan.
Rosalie: I hate this.
Ethan’s answer came immediately.
Ethan: I do too, babe. It’s tearing me up to know you’re stuck with those two fuckers. I’ll make it up to you tonight. Promise.
A picture message of Ethan smiling at me came through, making my heart thrum happily. I darkened the screen and stared out the window at the passing scenery, wondering how exactly I was going to get to Ian and his flash drive.
“What are we doing here?” Daniel demanded as Ian pulled into the parking lot of a hotel.
“Mom said you can’t stay at the house.”
Daniel let out a snort. “Just because she decided to get a divorce doesn’t mean I wanted it. I didn’t plan on killing that dumb bitch—”
I’d had enough. I pushed open my door and got out.
“Rosalie, what the fuck are you doing?” Ian shouted, following me.
“I’m leaving. I will not sit another minute in the car with that man. In the few moments I’ve known him, he’s managed to not only insult me, but Amy, the woman he murdered. Beat me if you need to, Ian, but I’m out.” I glared up at him, my chest heaving.
He surveyed me with cool eyes before glancing back to his car. His dad hadn’t gotten out.
“Fine. Go. You’ll have to walk though. I’d like to spend some time with him alone anyway. He’s been locked up for five years. He could use a decent meal.” He reached out and tilted my chin up. “I’ll call you later or something.”
“Fine.”
He didn’t bother kissing me, which I wasn’t even upset about. He simply turned and stalked back to his car, got in, and drove away.
When he was out of sight, I pulled my phone out and dialed Ethan.
“Are you OK?” Ethan asked the moment he answered.
“Yeah. Can you come get me? I’ll be at Wanda’s Ice Cream Palace,” I said, noting the ice cream parlor across the street.
“I’ll be there in a minute. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said before clicking the phone off and making my way across the street to Wanda’s.
The sooner I was out of Ian’s grasp, the better. I couldn’t live like this.
Twenty-Five
Weeks passed in a blur. Fox wasn’t talking to me now, which surprised me. Not that I saw a lot of him. He was often working separately on his songs for the show with Mrs. Adams. I worked on my songs and some dumb dance routine I had to learn.
Ian had been scarce because he spent every waking moment possible with his dad in an effort to catch up on time lost. I figured that meant selling drugs or beating some poor woman, something that plagued me. Not because I gave a shit about Ian, but because I worried for whatever woman it was.
Knowing I couldn’t be seen with Ethan, I wandered to the auditorium at lunch on Friday. Ethan spent his time hiding in random places in the school. I hadn’t been able to find him and hadn’t seen the guys at lunch. Ethan had been staying as far from them as he could, but I saw how much it hurt him. Rumors circulated around school about how Ethan had left the group. Of course, I was the center of that shit storm.
But my heart still hurt. I missed the guys. Being with Ethan reminded me of just how much I really did feel for them. Maybe it was history with Fox which made me feel closer to them, like they were simply an extension of my former best friend. Dwelling on the past was taking away from just enjoying Ethan, and despite him saying he wanted me, I knew he wanted them too. They were his life. His family. I was a piece of shit for even thinking I could break up their friendship in the petty game I was playing.
I wanted my guys back more than anything. My steam for playing had run out the moment Ethan had kissed me.
I ran my hand over the fresh paint on the backdrop, marveling at how pretty the clouds were. I allowed myself to think about how I could maybe talk to the guys once I got the flash drive from Ian and was free. Maybe if I went all in with them, they’d drop Juliet and reveal their secrets. Imagining it brought hope to my heart. I dug in my bag for my phone as I walked toward the stairs behind the stage so I could text Fox to see if he’d meet me at the treehouse. Before I could, a hand shot out and pulled me back onstage. My backpack fell to the floor with a thud, my books spilling out.
“Cole?” I gasped as I swung around to face my captor. “W-wha—”
His hair was a mess, and his blue eyes were filled with that darkness he typically kept so well hidden.
Before I could finish my question, he spoke, “Shh,” he hissed, shoving me roughly against the backdrop, his hand covering my mouth. “I have something to say to you, and you need to fucking listen, Rosebud.”
His body moved along mine as I gazed back at him, my heart thudding in my ears. The thickness of his erection had me wide-eyed as one of his hands moved lower, finding its way between my legs. This was a sudden turn of events. My heart leaped in my chest at his nearness, hope blossoming. But something was wrong. Cole was upset.
“I’ve been waiting for you to wear a skirt,” he growled, his hand still over my mouth. “Because it makes this so much easier for me.”
“Cole—” The moan I emitted was muffled against his warm hand over my mouth as he shifted my panties aside and slid a finger into my tight channel, moving it slowly as his thumb swirled around my clit.
I tried to squirm from him because I wanted to tell him I was giving up, that I wanted him, but he pressed against me harder, his lips brushing along my ear, sending a torrent of goosebumps across my skin.
“You’re pissed off. I get it. I’m pissed too. I think a little hate sex is just what we both need, so this is what’s going to happen. I’m going to take my hand from your mouth. You’re going to spread your legs and let me fuck you on this stage. When I’m done filling your pussy, I’m going to walk away. No one has to know. Do you understand?”
He inserted another finger into me as I whimpered beneath his hand.
“I know you’re fucking Ethan. And I know about Enzo. You already fucked Fox. Now, it’s my turn. I want you so much, Rosebud. You don’t even fucking know. I lie awake at night thinking of you. Wanting you. Fucking needing
you. You’ve done something to me I just can’t get over. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”
He pressed a shaky kiss against my temple as his warm breath blew against my skin. I remained frozen beneath his confession, my heart dancing with promise.
“I want my cock buried in your pussy. Tell me you want it too. That you want my mark deep inside you, claiming you, owning you. You belong to me. To us”. He hooked his fingers inside me, hitting the perfect spot, making my eyes roll back. “You being pissed and fucking around with Ian doesn’t change a damn thing. I know what you’re going through, Rosebud. I ache for your pain alone. I know you’re saving Ethan. If it’s for real, I want in. I want you. You win, babe. I’m done playing.” He pulled out, his blue eyes locked on mine as he sucked my wetness from his fingers.
Holy baby Jesus.
I knew I could stop this, and he wouldn’t push me any farther. But I knew what I wanted, though. What I’d always wanted. Cole showing up in my moment of clarity was a sign. Originally, I’d wanted revenge. But now, I just wanted my life back. No more lies. No more games. Just my guys back.
I’d never been with Cole. We’d been so close, but then the shit with Juliet went down.
“Don’t say a fucking word. If you scream or try to run, best bet I’ll bury my cock in your ass instead. I’m not playing. Got it?”
I stared back at him, my heart racing so fast I was sure he could hear it. His hand fell away from my mouth, his eyes locked on mine. I didn’t say a word as he lifted me up like I weighed nothing and shoved my panties aside. I’d give Cole Scott anything he wanted. Just like Ethan. Fox. Enzo. All of them had me. In that moment, I realized they’d never lost me. Did I hate that about myself? A little because I knew Juliet was still a problem. But in the words of Ethan, Fuck Juliet.
A moment later, the sound of his zipper was the only warning before he thrust into me with his bare cock in one fluid motion. Whimpering, I winced beneath the ache of his intrusion. The heat from his erection mingled with my own fire.
“Fuck,” he hissed, breathing hard as he thrust viciously into me, both hands cradling my ass. The noise of slapping skin and heavy breathing filled the darkened auditorium as he ravaged me.