Crushed

by Marie Cole

  His hand went to my breast and squeezed it through my shirt. He growled against my lips and then ripped at my shirt, the buttons popping off one by one. He was a man possessed. What happened to the sweet innocent puppy dog that I'd fallen for? Surely this was not one of the tips on the website he'd been looking at.

  I pulled his head down so his lips moved to my neck and while he was pre-occupied I bit his ear hard. He hissed and pulled back, panting as hard as I was. "Claire! That hurt." He was pouting, actually pouting at me. And I wanted to laugh but I didn't; I was still trying to catch my breath.

  "No shit! Will, you need to stop." He went back to kissing my neck, moaning and rubbing himself against my jeans.

  "I can't," He groaned against my neck. "I want you so badly, I can't control myself. I don't want to rush you but if I don't get inside you I'm going to die." I pushed at his chest to try to get him off me but he was too heavy.

  "Will! You'll have to die because you aren't going to take my virginity!!" I wasn't going to give up, I couldn't. When he leaned to the side and one of my legs was free I was kicking at his stomach, trying to use my strong thighs to push him off. Will groaned and pushed my leg back down, pinning it.

  He murmured against my hair, "Claire, please... I love you." I stilled underneath him, did he just say?... "I love you, Claire." Holy shit, he did. What the hell is wrong with him?? I started struggling again, I had to get him off me, I had to put distance between us.

  The door opened and Tse walked in, when he saw Will over me he turned back around. "HELP!" I yelled as I turned my face to the side and reached out towards Tse. Tse paused and looked at us, wide eyed. He wasn't sure what to do, I could see it in his face that he had a big decision to make. His roommate was bare assed trying to seduce a woman in his bed, did he help or walk away? Thank god Tse bolted forward and pulled at Will's large arm.

  "Hey man! Get off her!" Will pushed Tse back with a growl. Tse's back hit the wall with a loud thud. Will got up and pulled his pants up and approached Tse as he redid his buttons. I pulled my shirt together to try to cover myself and hopped off the bed. I looked between the guys, unsure what to do next.

  "What the hell is your problem, man? I'm just trying to make love to my woman."

  Tse snorted. "She didn't want to be made love to, Will. You need to go take a cold shower, dude." Tse stayed where he was and was very carefully avoiding looking at me.

  Will turned around and looked at me, now that his skin wasn't touching mine he seemed to be a bit more sane. His eyes roamed my body and he ran a hand through his hair. "Fuck! Claire, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. You should go. Now." He didn't have to tell me twice. I grabbed what was left of my clothes and high tailed it out of there, not looking back.

  Chapter 6

  Neil

  I heard her before I saw her. There was a female sitting on the steps in the back stairwell. I considered how best to comfort the damsel in distress when I recognized the blonde hair and the legs that went on for miles. Fuck. Why would she be crying? I'd known Claire for years and I'd never seen her cry.

  I sat down next to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, "I thought Saturday was the best day of the week." I smiled at her just in case she looked up, she didn't. She stilled and stopped sobbing next to me, as if hoping that maybe I was a figment of her imagination. That made me smile wider. She was so damned cute. I bumped my shoulder against hers gently, which sent tiny sparks through my body. "You can't just cover your face until I go away, what's going on?" I looked her over and noticed a trickle of blood going down both her knees.

  She sniffled softly and lifted her face from her hands. Her right cheek had some blood on it from her scraped up hand. She glanced at me quickly before looking down at her knees. She pulled her skirt down to cover her knees. "Nothing, I just... I just scraped my hand and my knees..." I knew her long enough to know she wasn't one to cry over a little scrape. I also knew she probably wasn't going to open up and tell me what the crying was really all about. I wanted to hold her and comfort her so I scooped her up into my arms, she felt weightless and made a tiny noise of surprise. Her body fit snugly against my chest as if she belonged there.

  "So you were on your way home, scraped your knee and couldn't take the pain so you sat down and cried? That doesn't sound right..." I looked at her face, her nose was a little pink from the crying. She wouldn't meet my gaze.

  "I'm PMSing." I busted a laugh. She wasn't about to scare me off by mentioning the mysterious girl thing. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I snapped my eyes forward, it the most sober touching she'd ever given me and I'd be damned if it didn't send jolts through me and right to my dick, which was quickly waking up.

  I snuck a glance at her, she was batting her long lashes at me. "Uh-huh." I wasn't going to press the issue at hand but she had to know I didn't believe her PMS story. She sighed and looked at my chest, I flexed it. I was very proud of my muscles, I worked hard in the gym to get them. I hoped she was enjoying them. I shook my head a little to clear my thoughts.

  "I'm having boy problems." She looked so sad and defeated.

  "Did the bowsie turn you down?" I frowned at her, if that idiot turned down Claire he was a fucking idiot. She snapped her head in my direction at my strange terminology. I laughed at her, "Bowsie...it's a good for nothing...sorry for my Irish slang." Her beautiful sapphire eyes looked over my face and I found myself smiling in spite of myself.

  She puckered her lips as she tried out the new term. It was all I had in me to keep walking and not shove her against the nearest wall. She needed comfort, not a lay. "The bowsie...didn't turn me down he just..." She stopped, took a breath and changed the subject, "Where were you headed before I derailed you?" I was carrying her across campus towards the medical center and I saw the building up ahead.

  "I was just going back to my room to change so I could go out for a run. Nothing that can't wait." I opened the door and walked inside with her. I set her down on the waiting room chair and then checked her in. I sat down beside her as we waited for her name to be called. She was staring at her hand which was still bleeding pretty badly.

  "Are you dating anyone?" She looked up at me and I tried to stay in my seat. Claire had been trying to set me up with girls since middle school. I always told her I didn't need help in the girl department but she never seemed to listen. I might have been interested had she ever decided she was ready to date...but then she was now, wasn't she? She wanted to attract some wanker's attention.

  "Yes, I take girls out sometimes." I smiled a little as I watched her. I was going to take Claire out. Why should I have to sit back and wait for the bowsie boy to fuck up? I'd throw my hat into the ring, no competition and I'd finally get to bang Claire out of my system. She sat back and lifted her eyes to mine.

  "Oh? Who?" I answered her, throwing a couple names out and then a few more. I did go on dates, I just didn't do serious relationships, there was a difference.

  "And you're not serious with any of them? Or want to be serious with any of them?" She was still staring at me. Fuck. It was time to lay it out there, not that I was going to hide anything, I never did. The ladies always knew what they were getting into with me.

  "Being serious in college seems," I chose my word carefully, "...silly." Her eyes widened a little as I shrugged my shoulders but her slender shoulders shrugged right back.

  "Practice for when you find the right woman?" I gazed straight into her eyes, I didn't want her to miss my response.

  "We're children of the gods. No one's plan is to settle down and be ordinary. So why act like it?" She dropped her gaze to her hands again. I wasn't really sure why she would talk about such things other than the fact that her father is who he is. The only reason to do anything in this life was to be the best. Love made you weak.

  "Maybe someone's plan is to settle down and be ordinary... if they could." She looked so vulnerable I couldn't help but lean towards her and brush her cheek with my thumb. I felt this weir
d need to protect her and keep her safe.

  "Definitely not your plan. You're far from ordinary, love." I heard my voice soften. She looked at me and rolled her eyes, causing the tightness in my pants to ease.

  "I'm not going to swoon over you like all the other girls, Neil." God the way she said my name made my pants tighten, again. I laughed off her rejection of my charms.

  "Gotta try anyway." I gave her the smile that did make the girls swoon but it never seemed to work on her.

  "No you don't. You can have, and probably have had, any other girl on campus that you want." Almost, I thought. I hadn't had Claire.

  "I don't –have- anyone. I date women, we enjoy each other's company. There's nothing about it worthy of contempt. It is natural to connect with people while we can." I flashed her another Neil-special.

  "You 'enjoy each other's company,' that's all?" She gave me a knowing look, alluding to sex. I chuckled.

  "Depends on the woman and our relationship, but there's nothing wrong with that either." She looked back to her hands again.

  "I'm no one to judge your lifestyle. I just wondered if you'd found someone to love yet, that's all."

  "No, I haven't." I shook my head slowly. And I didn't think I ever would. Love was stupid and it crippled you.

  "If you don't love anything there is nothing to fight for, ...or something." She smiled softly and shrugged again.

  "I'll go have a look and see where the nurse is." As I walked towards the nurses station I clenched my jaw tightly. This plan was never going to work. Claire wasn't going to let me fuck her unless she thought I was in love with her. And I was not the kind of guy to deceive a woman that way.

  Claire's voice stopped me, "...Neil?"

  I turned around and pasted my smile back on, "Yeah?" I noticed her clenching her fists tightly as she stood up and quickly approached me. I didn't have time to think or react before her hands were on my cheeks, her luscious chest imprinting itself against me, her lips were pressed against mine. I kissed her back properly and nuzzled her nose with mine when she pulled away a few seconds later. "I was coming right back," I said with a soft, gravelly voice.

  She took another step back, putting distance between us. It was a good thing, I was seconds away from kissing her again. She gently scratched at the back of her head and shrugged her shoulders, "Sorry."

  "You should never be sorry for a kiss." I stepped in closer and put a hand on her hip. "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere." I turned away before I did something inappropriate.

  The nurse bandaged Claire up while I was in the bathroom wiping Claire's blood from my cheek. My lips still felt heated from hers. There was something about her that made me want more, so much more. She came out from the exam room and I stood up and met her halfway. "Thanks," she said softly, "for bringing me here and keeping me company. I hope you h-have a good run."

  I stepped closer to her and gently brushed a stray lock of her hair off her shoulder. "Going to kiss and run then?"

  Her pink tongue came out to lick her lips and I restrained a groan. I wanted to do that. "What else should I do? I really jumped the gun, didn't I? The first kiss should be a goodbye kiss...like after dinner or something?" I smiled, so she was asking me out. I wasn't one to pass by an opportunity.

  "Dinner tonight then. I'll pick you up at seven." I brushed her cheek with my thumb, it was as soft as it looked and walked away.

  "Wh...wait, what?" She was flabbergasted, still dazed from our kiss, no doubt. I winked at her over my shoulder.

  "Can't wait." As I pushed open the door of the exit I heard her call out to me.

  "It's not a date!!"

  Chapter 7

  Claire

  I exhaled nervously as I slipped my arms into my black cardigan sweater. Neil would be here any minute and I was not doing a great job at holding myself together. I know I told him that it wasn't a date but in truth... I was starting to think it was. Kind of.

  I had to test my theory, I had to see if Neil reacted the same way Will did. I had already kissed Neil and he let me go so there was something different between him and Will. I had a theory that the either the purple aura is toxic to me or Will was just magically inclined to not hear the word no. After I let Neil kiss me and saw how he reacted I was going to test it on another guy, a purple aura guy. I'd make sure it would be in public just in case it got too intense again. I tucked my mace into my black purse along with the vanilla flavored lip gloss I'd popped onto my lips a minute ago.

  There was a knock on the door fifteen minutes before the set time. I opened the door and gripped the doorknob tightly, ready to shut the door in Will's handsome face. He shifted from one large foot to the other nervously. I noted his aura, the gray and turquoise. He was feeling guilty.

  "Claire...I wanted to apologize for the other night. I honestly don't know what happened, it was..." He paused and looked down at his feet and then held a red rose out towards me. His blue eyes met mine, "I'm so very sorry."

  I took the rose and smiled softly. He had melted my heart again with just this little gesture. "I accept your apology." His eyes roamed my red dress and black tights slowly.

  "You look very lovely tonight. Are you going out?" I think I detected a little hurt in his eyes.

  "I am going out with ... a guy, yeah." I wasn't one to lie, I didn't see the point. "I need some time to figure out how I feel about the other night...some time to see if there can be another date between us." He exhaled loudly and nodded, eyes dropping to the floor.

  "Yeah... I get that." His eyes lifted and I felt myself freeze. "I do hope I get another chance, Claire, I like you...a lot."

  I nodded and smiled softly. "I'll let you know when I figure it out, Will." I looked at his aura, the purple still very clearly there. I wanted to hug him but I resisted. I couldn't risk Neil coming to my room and seeing me in another man's arms. It would not have been a great start to our date, I mean our non-date. Or maybe jealousy would've be good for him. "You should go, my guy friend will be here soon." My eyes left his gaze to look down the hallway and Neil was strolling towards us confidently with a picnic basket over his left arm. Will followed my gaze and grunted softly seeing the quarterback headed this way.

  "Alright, Claire. Be careful. Even I have heard about his reputation." His large hand patted the doorframe and then he left me standing in my doorway. I turned, gathered my purse, set down the rose and then left my room, meeting Neil in the hallway.

  He tsked me softly, "Was that the bowsie? Good to see him seeking you out." I rolled my eyes and then tried to bite back my smile as his held out a rose for me as well. I could get used to the wooing thing. I held the rose to my nose and took a sniff of the delicate fragrance. "Ready?"

  "Thank you. I'm ready. Where are we going?" I wasn't going to let him know how much I was enjoying the attention. He looked good in a button down gray shirt and black jeans.

  "Out by the lake to sit and talk over dinner." He flashed me his smile and I found myself wondering if that's all he had planned. Was he taking me out to the lake for the privacy? Did he take all the girls there? I looked at his aura, still no purple. I fell in step with him as we walked towards the lake. This was for science, nothing more. Neil was Neil. He was used to entertaining girls. Oh God. What if he wanted something else in exchange for the dinner? Was I ready for that? No...but kissing wouldn't hurt, right? Well it might if he couldn't control himself like Will. Hopefully the lack of purple would also mean a lack of wanting to rip my clothes off. "You look very nice, love. Very casual." He was making fun of me for dressing up. What did he expect? Sweat pants and a T-shirt?

  I huffed softly, "Its not a crime to want to look nice."

  "I am not disagreeing. Maybe next time I'll take you somewhere fancy where a cocktail dress will be required." I found myself shivering, little sparks moving through my body as his eyes tried undressing me. I cleared my throat and lifted my chin.

  "Who said there was going to be a next time? Maybe I'll find you terrible company."
I was looking straight ahead but heard him chuckle beside me.

  "But you're too nice to cut me down like that, yeah?" He put his hand on my hip from behind and steered me towards a little opening by the water. There was a large blanket already spread on the ground and a little electric lantern in the middle for extra light when the sun set. It was very romantic. Damn him. Whatever comeback I'd had for him was lost at the sight before me.

  "Wow..." I watched his backside as he set the picnic basket down beside the lantern. Did he know I meant wow to his ass in those jeans? It should be illegal for a man to be so delicious looking in clothes. I looked away before he caught me eye-banging him.

  "I manage." He grinned at me as he sat down and started prepping for eating. His attention was on pulling out the parts of the meal. As much as I didn't want to, my attention was on his body. He wasn't extraordinarily handsome like Will. If he was in a lineup the girls wouldn't pick him first or second. His parts fit together, he wasn't too thin or too bulky but he was ripped. I sat down on the blanket before I started drooling over his biceps which bulged in his shirt when he leaned over to place a bread bowl on a plate opposite him.