“Fuck, why didn’t you tell me?”
“It hurts,” she whimpered, instead of answering. “It hurts, Colten.”
“I know,” I soothingly kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry, baby. I’ll make you feel good soon, I promise.”
I kissed her, trying to make amends through my lips. I wanted to take away her pain and apologize at the same time. The whole time I’d been touching her and making crude jokes, she was a clueless virgin.
I slowly reentered her but stilled soon after, allowing her to get used to the feeling.
Pulling away from her lips, I trailed my tongue to the crook of her neck, lightly biting her delicate skin. Finally, she started to wiggle. “Colten … please.”
Her begging triggered something feral inside of me. I fisted the sheets hard, then started to pound hard and fast into her tight channel, on a mission to make sure her cunt would become addicted to me in the same way I was with her. “Fuck, you’re making this hard for me not to fuck you until you can’t think of anyone else but me, baby. I’m going to be the first and last, you hear me?”
Her eyes widened at my question. “W-what?”
“Say it, baby,” I snarled. “Say it, or I won’t let you cum.”
“First … and last,” she cried out.
“You said it, Starlight,” I gritted out. “You’re going to be mine now, you understand me?”
She pried her eyes open, nodding feverishly. I could see the disbelief on her face, but if only she knew I had meant every single thing I said to her. She moaned, loving me pumping deep into her. She was writhing, whimpering, and panting as I brought us both closer to orgasm.
“C-Colten,” she whimpered, parting her dry lips. “I’m—”
“You’re close, huh?” I asked, my finger finding its way into her long hair and tugging hard. I continued to suck her neck, leaving more hickeys. She needed that push and I knew her body just like my own. My hand slowly found its way to her neck and wrapped around it. Not enough to cut off her breathing, but we both needed to get off on the pleasure and pain.
Her eyes widened, and she went off like a rocket. Her pussy clenched hard onto me, milking me. I could feel her pussy gripping me so hard, I had no choice but to release hot bursts of cum into her, filling her to the brim—so much that some sprayed out of her pussy. She clawed at my chest as I collapsed onto her, pulling her close to me.
Everything about it was … perfect.
Usually, I hated cuddling and wanted nothing more than to kick the girl out. Yet, this time, I wanted her to stay. I needed her to stay as I squeezed her to my chest. “Stay for the night, Tori.”
“Okay,” she whispered sleepily. Then, ever so slowly, her breathing started to become even, and she was out like a light. I chuckled lightly, kissing her forehead and loving how adorable and trusting she was with me.
It was then that it hit me—the reason why I seemed to lose control whenever I saw her. Why, when it came to her, everything seemed to feel more vivid and vibrant. It had always been there, but I couldn’t grapple with that emotion, so I lashed out at her in retaliation.
I was in love.
It had to be love. There wasn’t another explanation as to why I’d felt this tug towards her since I met her.
The revelation settled in my bones, rocking me to the core as I sighed, cuddling her close to me. It seemed that either way, I was keeping her. It didn’t matter what she had to say, because I was going to do everything to convince her to be mine.
Forever.
Chapter Eighteen
Tori
I was always addicted to the moment just after you wake up. The moment when you’re still trying to put the dots together as to who you are, and your mind tries to form coherent thoughts. I was disoriented, dizzy, and there was a sweet soreness between my legs that made me freeze.
My body felt encased in warmth, the smell of cedarwood and vanilla filling my lungs. Something was brushing the top of my head, and a pair of strong arms were wrapped around me. I opened my eyes and found myself nestled in the crook of Colten’s neck. One arm was draped over across his stomach. My legs were entangled with his. We fit perfectly together. Colten had both of his strong arms around me, holding me tight. Although, last night, what he did to me made me flush, my eyes widened when I realized it hadn’t been a dream.
He had ravaged me like a starved animal—four times. My favorite had been waking up to an orgasm by his tongue before he lazily made love to me. I paused at that. There was a difference when Colten made love to me versus fucking me.
Yet, why was I getting worked up over it? It didn’t change how he felt about me.
It was just a moment of weakness, nothing more. Now that he got what he wanted, I was sure he would finally go back to ignoring me while I worked towards getting my degree and then leaving town with the inheritance. Somehow, the thought of us going back to being strangers only made my stomach churn, and I became alert enough to register everything from last night.
What was happening to me?
I had never cuddled before, and certainly not with him. The fact that I didn’t want to leave Colten’s arms meant I had lost my mind. I shouldn’t be feeling all of this for someone who liked to make my life a living hell. We also lived in different worlds.
I glanced over at the clock on the wall and two things went through my head.
The first would be how good of a sleep I’d had. For years, I was barely able to get more than four hours of sleep at a time. If it wasn’t for the night terrors, it would be because I had to sleep with one eye open in the trailer with my parents and their addictions. Yet, last night, I slept without fear, only to wake up because of the amazing orgasms.
The second would be how I was going to make it to school.
How the hell was I going to get to class without a car? Not to mention, escape from his death grip?
Pursing my lips, I slowly turned my body in hopes of wiggling myself free from him. School wouldn’t start for another two hours, which should give me enough time to think of something. There was no way I could go in Colten’s clothes, either. It would only solidify what everyone thought of us already.
I managed to slowly shuffle, getting to the other side now. Mentally, I was doing a victory dance in celebration before he grumbled something incoherent under his breath. I froze when he moved. He turned onto his side, seeming to reach around the bed until he found me blindly. He huffed in what appeared to be annoyance before bringing me back to him, so his chest was up against my back.
My heart raced upon seeing him sigh rather contentedly, almost as if he was happy I was back in his arms. But I couldn’t let this deter me.
Again, I tried my luck in escaping. Yet, each time, he would only tighten his hold on me, bringing me closer. Finally, frustration started to catch a hold onto me. I huffed before he finally spoke, causing me to give up hope in my escape plan.
“Stop wiggling, or I’m going to fuck you senseless,” he gruffly told me, his voice laced with annoyance, hoarseness, and sleepiness. I hated to admit just what sort of effect this man had on me, especially with how I was suppressing the moan that threatened to spill from my lips when I felt his boner digging hard between my ass cheeks. “Though something tells me you wouldn’t mind either, huh, Starlight?”
I ignored him, trying not to be distracted. “We’re going to be late for class.”
“You’re not going to class.”
His voice was filled with nothing but the certainty that I was glaring harshly at him. If he thought I would roll over onto my stomach after last night, he had another think coming. This time, I had to turn to glare up at him. “I’m going.”
“No, you’re not,” he scoffed. “You still need to recover from yesterday.”
I knew he was going to say that as I tried to size him up. It didn’t help at all, especially when my nipples brushed up against his pecs. “I’m fine. I’m not going to let yesterday’s incident stop me from going to school.”
&nbs
p; “Well, you’re not going,” he stubbornly continued with a giant grin on his face. “Not with all the hickeys I put on you as well.”
Reality hit me then. “You … you did it on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Yep.” He puffed out his chest, proud. “I already told Hudson and Zayn we’ll be taking at least three days off. The professors don’t mind. In fact, they seemed more than happy to suggest giving us lessons if you feel the need for it.”
By that, I was sure he meant he threw money at them to persuade the university to allow him to do as he pleased. “Un-freaking-believable. You really are a stubborn asshole.”
“Damn right. The sooner you understand that, the happier we’ll be,” he said matter-of-factly. Then, a frown appeared on his face. “Why did you go outside yesterday when I specifically told you not to?”
Instantly, another chip formed in my wall that I tried my hardest to keep up. I had forgotten about Justin until just now. I had reached over to check my phone in between intervals but then Colten fucked me till I was asleep again.
Justin had yet to reach out to me.
I wanted to see him and clear up the tension, but there was no way Reed would drive me there. Reed reported everything back to my aunt, and she wouldn’t allow such a request. She wanted me to forget my old life. Not because she cared and wanted me to move on, but because it looked terrible on her image.
Perhaps it was because I was too tired, but I decided not to lie.
“Justin called me, and I thought something was wrong,” I confessed. Colten tensed, but he didn’t try to stop me from continuing. “After all, we told one another we couldn’t call or text too much. It would seem too suspicious to my aunt. He only calls me if there’s something wrong and I thought something was wrong with him or Cleo, who’s my other best friend. If you’re wondering, they’re the ones who protected me when I used to live with my parents at the trailer park, but that was after the incident with the rapist dealer, which happened when I was younger.”
He shifted, holding me closer as if he knew talking about him made me upset, but he needed to know exactly what had happened. There was no point in hiding anything anymore from him. I sighed into his chest, nuzzling him even though I didn’t quite understand why. “Starlight.”
“He told me he was in love with me,” I confessed, still feeling uneasy and wounded about this whole thing. “He told me he wanted to run away with me.”
Colten went rigid. “You’re not going anywhere. Not after what I said yesterday. Not after I had a taste of your sweet cunt and know that no one has ever been there before. You hear me?”
Such possessive behavior.
I liked when he was talking dirty to me. It was shameful but his filthy mouth turned me on to the point I felt throbbing between my legs.
Damn, what was happening to me?
“We got into a huge fight afterward when I wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings. I love him, but only like a brother. Nothing more than that. It always been like that for both of us, at least I thought."
“Good,” he huffed. “I’ll let it slide then that you went out to talk to another guy then. Though, you’re still not allowed on campus until I know you’ve rested enough to be deemed fit.”
I could only laugh at his words. “What are you? My boyfriend?”
There was no point in trying to win this fight. Not only didn’t I not have clothes, but I didn’t have make-up to cover up the hickeys, either. Frankly, I was still a bit tired, and a three-day weekend sounded more than perfect. Unfortunately, I was still not done processing this weekend, and I didn’t think I could handle anything else being thrown my way.
“I want you to go out with me, Tori Watson.”
I stiffened in his arms, baffled at his words. It seemed that the universe had a cruel way of making a joke, as I didn’t expect it at all. I didn’t think that giving him my virginity would change anything between us, but it seemed he had a different way of thinking about it.
It didn’t sit well with me, and I wanted nothing more than to run away. But usually, I liked to fight things head-on. Like when I fought that rapist yesterday with all I had in me before Colten came to save me.
Now? I couldn’t physically fight Colten. I knew it would be a losing battle. So, I needed to get away.
He tightened his arms around me, almost like he could read my mind. I didn’t know what else I could say to him. What did he mean about going out with someone? I’d never dated in my life, and it never even crossed my mind.
Swallowing, I threw him the first question that came to my mind. “Why me?”
He didn’t seem shocked by my question. His eyes weren’t angry orbs but he calmly tried to make his point “Truthfully, I don’t know why.”
Well, that made the two of us. “Have you … dated before?”
“I don’t do exclusivity. It ties me down, and usually, they expect too much from me,” he murmured, slowly pushing the bangs out of my face. His gaze then moved briefly to admire the hickeys he had laid across my neck, down to my breasts. “I usually don’t mind sharing girls with my friends either. Yet, when it comes to you…”
He trailed off, and I couldn’t help but arch a brow. “When it comes to me?”
“I don’t want to share you with anyone,” he finished, his eyes becoming heated. “When I was taking you last night, I realized this. I have feelings for you, and that’s why I’ve been an asshole to you from the moment we met.”
My mouth parted in a gasp as my eyes widened—most probably like saucer plates. “W-what?”
“I’m in love with you,” he told me more firmly this time. “It’s the only explanation I came up with. I don’t want to share you with anyone. Like I said, Starlight, first and…”
“Last,” I whispered. His words made my head spin. It suddenly hit me that when he took my virginity, he was making a claim on me. From the moment he knew no other man had touched me before, it set an obsession to deeply root into his soul.
Yet, how long would it last? This had to be nothing more than a fascination, right?
I had to be losing my grip on reality.
“I’m in love with you, Tori Watson,” he confessed. “I’m not going to ask you out because that means giving you a choice in this matter. I don’t want to give it to you. So, you are going out with me.”
“I don’t believe you,” I confessed honestly. “You … you can’t be in love with me.”
“Why the hell not?” he questioned, his tone a warning.
“We’re too different,” I said. I had no clue what was wrong with me. Since the moment he had said he wanted me to think of him as my home, I’d been feeling off. My heart and brain were at war, trying to understand what was happening. I glanced down, not wanting to show him the vulnerability in my eyes. “You’re just obsessed with me, fascinated. You can’t be serious with someone like me.”
His eyes narrowed as he grabbed my chin. I had no choice but to look at him now.
“What do I have to do to prove I’m serious about you?”
Truthfully, I didn’t think my brain would accept any proof. In fact, I wanted nothing more than to run away because I felt my heart beating and crying out to be his. I needed to find a way for him to hate me again—to make him second-guess everything and go back to hating me.
“Drive me to see Justin and Cleo in the Southern part of town tomorrow then.”
Chapter Nineteen
Colten
We spent the whole day yesterday cuddling up with one another.
It was strange and dreamlike to me that the person I thought I hated this whole time now held my heart in the palm of her hands. Sure, she didn’t say she loved me, but that was a matter of time. She just needed a moment to collect her feelings and understand them the way I did. The whole day was blissful and calming, something I had never experienced before.
I also had to remember that she had gone through a lot, so she wasn’t going to trust me easily. I wanted to track down and kill the mot
herfucker who’d tried to touch her up when she lived in that trailer. Her parents had been useless and now I’d admit I was glad they were dead. They did nothing to take care of her, to protect her, and that pissed me off so much.
All my life I sought validation from my father and last night I stood up to him, so now there was no going back. I had set the tone for our relationship going forward.
Maybe he’d finally figured out that I was serious about my future and even … possibly … I’d finally gain his respect.
We spent the whole day nestled together, talking about everything and anything. For some reason, talking to her was so easy. We spoke and shared secrets as though we had known each other for years when we’d only known each other for mere weeks. When we weren’t talking, we were connecting with our bodies. It was rather odd that when we stopped hating each other, we were inseparable in every respect.
As we lay in one another’s arms, I would tell her about my past, what made me this way. I told her a little about my father and what I planned to do in the future with Accessicom. I never thought I could trust anyone else to know, apart from Hudson and Zayn, because word spreads fast. But she listened and even agreed that he was a broken man. No pity resided in her eyes, just sympathy.
I would go on to talk about what I wanted in the future with her in it. I wanted to move out of the estate and find something smaller to live in with our children. She would grow relatively silent and bashful but didn’t try to deny that she didn’t want it either, which was a start. I knew it was crazy to talk about marriage and children.
Hell, I didn’t even know I wanted it until she came along.
In return, Tori would tell me about her childhood and how it shaped her. I was in awe that she had come out of it so strong. I wanted to go back in time and save her from all the hardship that made her like this. If I had known she existed, I would have tried finding her sooner.
Bringing down the Star: Small Town Bully Romance Book 1 Page 14