Tease Me, Baby: A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance (Silver Creek High Book 2)

by Belladona Cunning

  Actually, it’s too close for my liking. So never mind.

  Turning the dials on my locker, I thrust it open and take my bag from him, shoving it inside. When our eyes meet, my body decides for me. I’ve never been the person to make up an excuse for anything, shouldn’t start now.

  “I’m not really the dating type.”

  He’s silent, mulling over my words. Asher gets this little cute wrinkle between his eyes when he’s does that, and before I can talk myself out of it, I lean up and smooth it out with the tips of my fingers. He grabs my wrist, fingers dancing along the sensitive flesh of my inner arm.

  “I know you have reservations because of what happened, but honestly, you don’t have a say in the matter,” he informs me, shooting a sensual smile as I continue to gape at him. “We’ve already claimed you. You, Jessalyn Savoy, are our girlfriend.”

  Shock courses through me as I release a bout of strained laughter. “Oh, really, Shawcrass?” Girlfriend? Is it hot in here?

  He quickly pecks my lips, and I have to force myself to stop from deepening the connection. His lips are freaking addictive. I honestly wish I could hate myself for loving the feel of them pressed against mine, but I’m not a hypocrite, so I’m not even going to try.

  “Really,” he concurs, pulling away. “We’ll pick you up at six. We’ll catch a bite of dinner and go watch that new action flick showing at the movies.”

  What a way to a girl’s heart, even if it is dead and lying dormant in her chest. Give me action over horror any day of the week. The last time we watched anything remotely scary, I ended up on my back with Ellis between my thighs and Asher’s lips wrapped around my nipple. Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe we can see the new scary movie instead.

  “If you think you’re getting lucky, dear sir, you may be on to something.”

  “Ha, you hear that—all it takes is a trashy movie and takeout to get the slut to sleep with you,” a voice hisses from behind me.

  “You better walk on, Alessandra,” Asher warns.

  “Or what, Shawcrass?” she taunts as I slam my locker closed, turning to face her. “Are you going to tell your friends I’m being mean to poor Miss Pathetic?”

  If it’s not one thing it’s another. Alessandra will think of absolutely anything—do anything—to rain on my parade. She’s not one of your typical “mean girls” because at least they have some originality. No, instead, she’s the type of girl that won’t say shit unless she has back up, because she knows if she said it without her friends here, I’d bust her nose all over her face.

  “Ooh, do you hear that, Ash? I think someone is jealous,” I volley.

  Asher snorts a laugh; all the while Alessandra’s face turns huffy. “Jealous of you? Do not make me laugh, slut.”

  “Then why are you so fucking obsessed with me then?” My brow rises in question. “The Elite’s took down their order, but you’re still out for blood. Why?”

  Stepping into me, I don’t move an inch as I glare down at her much shorter stature. “You are nothing but trash, Savoy. Trash simply does not belong in my school.”

  “Your school, huh?” Out of the corner of my vision, I see movement. A strong wall of muscle coming up behind her. Without sparing her another glance, I raise my eyes to meet Callum’s, then Ellis,’ and Quinn’s. “Did you hear that, guys? It appears I’m in her school, and she doesn’t want trash here.”

  Giving her a smug smile, I step back into Asher’s hold. She quickly turns toward the guys, spying their evil glowers. Menace practically dances in their eyes, and I hope and pray to whatever deity out there, that someone, anyone, puts this bitch in her place. It’s been a long time coming, and regardless if it’s about me or not, she needs to know she owns nothing.

  “Jess,” Callum says, eyes never once meeting mine. He continues to stare down at her, livid. “Come here.”

  Craning my head, I catch Asher’s gaze before he flicks his head in Callum’s direction. Maybe they’re okay with this. I mean, I had my doubts, because, come on—four of the hottest guys in school don’t want to share a girl. There’s not enough to go around, and one of them is bound to get jealous. Yet, the only thing I see in Asher’s eyes is a deep-seated understanding and acceptance.

  “Ash,” I say, but he merely jerks his chin in Callum’s direction again, more forcefully this time.

  Stepping around Alessandra, I shoulder check her for good measure. I crack a smile when she balks at me before coming to a stop in front of Callum. I never get used to him being so much taller than me, nor with this new anger that always seems to simmer beneath the surface.

  He’s like a wall of steel with barbed wire at the top. Appealing from far distances but frightening when encountered up close. Or is that just me?

  “Don’t do something you’ll regret,” I can’t help but remind him. Once he takes a step, like the one I think he’s about to take, there is no going back.

  “There is no way I’ll be able to regret this, little mouse.” He finally looks at me, his eyes brightening. “So, Lennox, you think this is your school, huh? And since I run this school, you think you own me, right?”

  I hear the swish of hair in the background and cannot for the life of me refrain from rolling my eyes. Ellis smirks at that, and Quinn full out grins.

  “Of course, I do. It will always be me and you. We’re the king and queen of this school.” She is so delusional. Jesus Christ.

  “Then how about I make something very clear right now,” he growls. A gasp of shock chokes me when his large hand grabs my hip and pulls, anchoring me to his mouthwatering, hard body.

  “W-What are you doing?”

  “This is how it will go.” I watch, transfixed, as his Adam’s apple bobs from swallowing, then he glares up at her. “I never liked you, Alessandra. Not one moment of us dating could I even remotely stand your whining ass. You were a means to an end; an ending I’m fucking glad of. I don’t want you. None of the guys here want you, and trust me, we’ve all had you.” Say what? I turn my glare on all of them, each one giving me a sheepish look in return. We will definitely talk about this later. “You are no queen. Just a silly, little girl that believes she can get what she wants by begging for it.”

  “I wasn’t the one begging last night,” she taunts, causing my stomach to roll with her insinuation. I fucking knew there was a reason I couldn’t reach none of them last night! I called, and called, but no one picked up. Motherfuckers!

  Callum’s sadistic laughter catches me off guard, the vibrations causing my nipples to perk up in interest.

  “Ellis?” Callum utters, and I go to move away, but his hold tightens. I twist my upper body around so I can make eye contact with Asher, but his smile is so sincere I soften in Callum’s embrace.

  Then, he mouths, “Trust him.”

  It’s so much easier said than done. The last time I opened myself up to him, I got my heart stomped on. No, you’re turning over a new leaf. You can’t half ass it now because you’re scared, Jess. I harden my resolve, placing a hand on Callum’s chest.

  “Already on it.” He punches a few apps on his phone. My curiosity is getting the best of me, but before I can ask what he’s doing, I hear it. Then … I have to shove my face into Callum’s chest to stifle the laughter.

  “Callum, what did I do wrong? Just tell me and I’ll fix it, I promise! You know I want you.” Then there are a few moments of silence before she starts once more. “Please, Callum, please. I don’t care if you were using me; I enjoy being used. Please, please, call me back. I love you! You can’t choose that whore over me!”

  As soon as the recording drops off, Ellis pockets his phone again. “Now, who was begging whom?”

  “That’s not me.” Worst. Lie. Ever.

  Why is it people always try to lie out of things when they’re caught red-handed? It makes no sense, like a toddler trying to prove their innocence to their mother’s. It never goes over well, and I don’t expect it to now.

  I turn to see her fac
e pale immensely.

  “Oh, I can assure you, Alessandra, that it is you.” Callum’s thumbs are rubbing in small circles on my back, and damn it’s soothing as fuck. “The guys and I had a good laugh over it, didn’t we?”

  “You can say that again,” Asher cracks up.

  “Callum …” Her lips thin in irritation. “I can see you are merely making a scene because the little whore is here, so I’ll let this slide. When you get your head on straight, you know where to find me.” She is seriously deranged.

  She goes to make a move, and I almost choke on my spit when Asher puts a hand on her shoulder to stop her from escaping. My eyes snap to his, thinning. He immediately lets her go, even wiping his hand on the back of his pants. Good boy, I think, shooting him a tight smile of approval.

  A groan of frustration rumbles in Callum’s chest. Before I can do anything, his fingers weave through my hair with just a touch of pain. It elicits a huff of surprise from between my lips. I’m just able to meet his eyes before he slams his mouth down onto mine. His tongue forces its way into my mouth, tangling with mine. His movements are calculated, controlling. Warmth coats my entire body. Cinnamon—yum.

  A whimper bubbles up my throat and releases before I can stop it. My world tilts on its axis, and my eyes close as I give in, melting into the kiss. His cinnamon scent filters all around me, making me lightheaded as I try to take in everything at the same time. His kiss is forceful, yet sensual; a tease of more he’s taunting me with. But just as fast as it started, it’s over, and Callum pulls away from me, breathing just as heavily as I am.

  “Need I go further?” His eyes turn into dangerous slits of fury; a complete contrast to how he feels in my arms. I can tell he’s affected. It’s taking everything I have not to drag him to the nearest empty classroom, and he’s not my favorite, Asher currently holds that position.

  I need some dick stat, because it’s clear I’m in crazy need of some.

  After coming to my senses, I turn my upper body to face hers. Her face is the color of a delicious red apple. She’s practically a bouncing ball of fury as she shakes in her three-inch heels. I’ve never seen her this furious before, and I have to admit, it’s quite hilarious.

  “You will wish you were never born,” she snarls at me, showing per porcelain capped teeth. “I will ruin you and enjoy every fucking bit of it.”

  “Bring it on, bitch,” I seethe right back at her, melting into Callum’s arms.

  As I watch her stomp off in the other direction, I’m damn near high off that kiss I don’t notice the people loitering around. Most are gawking, while others take quick pictures on their phones before shuffling away in a hurry. My head cranes to the side as I watch them, wondering what’s gotten them into a tizzy.

  Then, it hits me. Callum claimed me in front of the entire hallway. Before lunch, it will be all over school. The rumor mill will twist and turn the truth until it makes Alessandra out to be the victim in all of this. It doesn’t matter if she’s the bitch plotting my demise. Someone like her can do no wrong. Ever.

  If the queen bees weren’t out for my blood before, they will definitely be out for it now. They lost their four hotties, in public, to a girl that’s labeled nothing more than a whore, a slut. Alessandra will see my actions as a direct threat, but I refuse to go down without a fight.

  CHAPTER 23

  The first attack comes in the form of glue on my seat in History. Of course, I didn’t catch it in time and sat down without looking. Now, the ass of my jeans is saturated with a sticky substance that dried before I could get it cleaned off.

  The second attack was trash being thrown at me as soon as I entered the lunchroom. They didn’t dare hit me with anything when I was sitting at the table, surrounded by Karma, Davis, and the guys. No one even did anything once the guys stepped into the cafeteria. I’d say if anyone were to do something like that, there would be Hell to pay.

  Everyone who took it upon themselves to do Alessandra’s bidding was in deep shit when Quinn broke rank and basically pulled them out by the ear, like he was a father chastising his kids. It embarrassed them terribly but made me chuckle with glee.

  Their target wasn’t the elites, and everyone knew it. It was me. And the guys aren’t standing for it anymore.

  I’m nearly at my wits’ end when I enter my last class of the day. Indubitably, after I spend the next hour and a half batting off remarks from my classmates, I will have to deal with Alessandra, herself, during practice. But something tells me she will be more subdued since she’s inherently gotten the guys involved.

  But damn, the edge of insanity from all the bullying has never been as close as it is now, and I’m teetering between losing it completely and continuing my trek along its rocky path. I’m livid; pissed beyond all comprehension. I knew they would come at me, but I didn’t think they would resort to things so petty. It’s almost insulting.

  Glancing down at my chair, I huff a sigh of relief when I don’t see shit, glue, or anything else resting on the seat. Shifting my bag off my shoulders, I quickly sit down and bring out my textbook and notebook.

  Maybe if I dive into this class and focus, I’ll forget about everything happening around me. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself during each block. So far, the outcome hasn’t been good. There is something that always draws my attention—whether it be whispers, the sound of cameras snapping, or veiled insults.

  Just as the last bell rings, I zip up my bag and set it on the floor next to me. A commotion out in the hallway has all of us craning our necks to see what’s going on. It almost sounds like Callum, but I know that can’t be right. He’s downstairs in the freshman hallway at English.

  Before any of us can get a hint, the teacher is already shutting the door behind her. I don’t miss the way her eyes scan the room and stop dead on mine. I could be wrong, but whatever it was at the door, I think it had to do something with me. At least, the scowl on her face leads me to believe that. A nagging feeling starts plaguing me.

  “Today we are watching a documentary on William Shakespeare. So, class, take notes, because at the end we will have a pop quiz over the contents.”

  Buckling down, I flip to a fresh page in my notebook. Our teacher, Mrs. Willis, rolls the television trolley from the corner of the room and starts setting everything up. Everyone is quiet, which is what usually happens when the teacher tells us we’re watching something for the entire class. Most kids fall asleep within the first few minutes, while others, like me, pay attention.

  It’s not like it’s a hardship for me, anyway. I’m a creative writing junkie at heart, and it’s what I want to do when I go off to college. Well, that, and take courses on investigative journalism. I want to be the person who gets into the grit. Be the person whom everyone looks up to regarding the “it” story. The truth. I won’t care how I have to get it, but I know it will be of great importance to all who reads my column in the paper.

  There are no high aspirations for me. At least, no higher than anyone else’s. I’m just an avid lover of the truth.

  About halfway through the documentary, I find it hard to concentrate on the television when I hear giggling coming from the back of the room. It isn’t loud enough to break concentration, but it is enough to cause a distraction.

  After jotting down a note, I quickly glance over my shoulder. I see Bree sitting in the back, peering down at her phone, then glancing up at me. Her eyes lock with mine, and a sick sense of dread cuts me clear to the bone. The nagging feeling from earlier buzzes harder inside me.

  Whatever she’s looking at is about me. I mean, all the signs are there. Her disgusting laughter, then making eye contact with me? Yeah, a big, fat giveaway.

  Furrowing my brows, I push that little bitch from my mind and get back to what I was doing. Just because they don’t take this shit seriously doesn’t mean I don’t. I’m not like them, never will be. I refuse to take my father’s money so he can send me off to some fancy college. No, I will earn my way. I don’t
want anyone to say I had anything given to me.

  But then, she giggles again, and again. It’s enough that it draws my attention away from the television at the front of the class, glancing back toward her and her cronies.

  I see her type a few things out on her phone, and when there’s activity at the front of class, she puts it away before Mrs. Willis catches her. Her eyes shine with a devilish gleam befitting a crazy lady in some psycho-thriller movie. Lips tug up in a sinister smile that completely morphs her face. She looks practically demonic in her glee.

  BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.

  My phone goes off in my pocket.

  That can’t be a coincidence, right?

  Checking out the teacher’s location, I quickly pull it out of my pocket and press the texting thread Callum and the guys created months ago. I still don’t know why I’m part of it, but—oh, well.

  When I click on the thumbnail, my throat dries. That terrible sickness inside my stomach blooms into horror.

  How did they get this? Tears prick the surface of my eyes, and I snap up to see that every student in the room is checking out their phone. Most are turning toward me with wide, unbelieving gazes.

  Oh, God. It wasn’t the same thread, then. It’s a new one; one that I’m slowly digesting has every person in the school attached. Slowly, the snickers start. Girls I don’t even know cover their mouths, laughing at my expense. The guys—some are respectful and say nothing, do nothing. They just look like they’re about to be sick to their stomachs.

  Eyes keep me pinned in my seat. Sweat collects along the back of my neck and palms of my hands. Breathing becomes harder; almost too hard as I force each bout of oxygen into my starving lungs. Then the shivering sets in; the memories already clawing at the back of my mind.

  It’s been months—months!—since I’ve had to fight this hard to keep them at bay. I know what’s been keeping me distracted enough not to have so many episodes, and I would really love to have that distraction in front of me now. The guys; whether one or all of them.