by Liza James
My stomach twists in arousal, already eager and wanting to get back as it is.
"Let's go home?" I say quietly, turning toward her so I can snatch her bottom lip between my teeth as I kiss her.
"I'll close the tab." She kisses me again quickly, stepping away and walking toward the bar in order to pay.
My phone rings, and I glance down to find Aura's name running across my screen.
"Hello?" I answer, pressing it to my ear when her sweet voice rings out on the other line.
"How was your show? I'm so sorry we couldn't make it, we both tried to get our shifts covered at the club tonight." Aura's voice is laced with complete disappointment, but it means everything that she even called in the first place.
"Amazing," I say, trying to contain my own excitement. "Fucking amazing."
"Good job, Lyppy! Remember us when you're a fucking rockstar," Ruby's rough voice yells from the background.
We continue chatting in new happy memories until K comes back and tugs me behind her. I hang up with the girls and jump on the back of K's bike, feeling it roar to life underneath me before K weaves us through the city streets.
Wind on our skin, wild hair blowing in the breeze, pulsing heart beats reminding how thankful I am for our survival every single day.
We survived.
When we pull into K's apartment complex and park, I'm hurrying of the bike and reaching for her hands as I haul her into the building. We reach her door, and she unlocks it, stepping inside as I follow and move into the kitchen.
I want to drink a bit more, relax and celebrate after a night like that. So, I pour us a couple of Malibu's and soda water, walking to the dimly lit living room as K lights a few candles.
I'm aching for something dark tonight, already burning with a strength and pride from being on stage. Now, I want even more, diving into the dominance I gladly hold over K when we're together.
When I hand her the glass, she leans forward to kiss me, but I pull back. A smile stretches over my face, my eyes dipping down to her leather jacket and black tank. It stretches thin over her chest, giving me a perfect view of her tits as she leans over.
Slowly, I step away from her and back toward the couch. Her eyes narrow and she casually takes a sip of her drink while I sit down in front of her.
"What are you thinking, Lyp?" She asks, her head tilting to the side as she watches me intently.
"I want something from you," I tell her, my voice dropping into a lower sound of desire and control.
She scoffs, turning to set her glass on the cabinet behind her. Our crystal dragonflies rest there, hers meticulously glued back together after I found the shattered pieces. I surprised her with it, taking it to get repaired before gifting it back after we escaped that final night with Dom.
Dom. He's dead, a heavy weight free of my shoulders when I remember. He still haunts my dreams however, and K's the one who has to remind me we'll never face those demons again.
Jed was quickly arrested thereafter, and the four of us underwent countless hearings and trials in the fight for our freedom. Ultimately, self-defense was declared, and as far as we know, The Nation was disbanded for good.
K never went to her father or brother's funeral. And we have one single picture of her mother tucked into the bottom of her dresser drawer.
My parents reached out once they heard of what happened on the news. But even then, they stayed away, and I don't have any intention of forming a relationship with them in the future.
My eyes fall back to K as she turns around to face me. "No," she suddenly says, that defiant little tone biting back.
Exactly how I like it.
"Take off your jacket," I press further, lifting my glass and taking a sip of my own drink. "Do it, or I'll fucking make you."
Her heated eyes settle on me, deciding which battle to fight in this. But she surrenders, slowly removing her jacket and dropping it to the floor at her feet. My eyes rake over her body, the way her tank clings to her slender figure, narrowing in on her tight waist and blooming over her hips. She's wearing a pair of black, ripped up leggings, her creamy skin glowing underneath with the firelight.
She lifts a hand and runs her palm over the back of her neck, stretching her spine before pulling her long blonde hair over one shoulder.
My lips part, my heart beats harder, my skin aches to touch and feel her against me.
She's teasing me, and her hand slowly falls to the front of her neck and down her chest while her darkened eyes remain on me.
"Dance for me," I command next, reaching for my phone and turning on a playlist she made for me. The rhythm is dark and slow, with an edge of danger haunting each note.
She's silent for a moment, tracking my movements while the music filters into the small space. But I'm not finished with the rules, and I hold up my hand to pause her steps forward when I continue. "On your hands and knees first. Come toward me, and I'll give you a drink before you start."
"You're fucking joking," she replies, her tone drifting up while her eyes flare in the darkness.
"Not for a second," I reply, widening my legs as I lean back comfortably on the couch in front of her. "Unless you'd rather I pull out the whip. But I assumed you still needed some time to recover after last night."
"Yeah, no. I'll pass on that option for now," she groans out in frustration, but slowly drops to her hands and knees on the other side of the living room.
My blood spikes, my skin heats and I try to keep a straight face but fuck, the sight of her crawling toward me like this is making my pussy wet and already aching to be filled by her.
She nears me, quickly lifting to place her hands on my thighs when I raise my foot and press it tightly to her forehead, shoving her back just a bit before speaking. "Slowly, K. Don't rush this or we'll have to start again."
I watch as her body tenses, her eyes falling shut when I remove my foot and she moves back a couple of paces. When she looks up again, a brighter flame is dancing in her eyes, and I know how much this is already turning her on as well.
She's so fucking sick.
But so am I, and I don't think I'll ever get enough of this.
Gradually, she moves closer, her hips swaying with every step while her tank pools over her tits. I can see her almost entirely, but my hands beg to run over those tight nipples and between her legs.
Once she reaches me, she halts, refusing to lift up until I give her permission. I wrap my hand around her throat, tilting her head back as I lean over her. "Open your fucking mouth, K," I bite out, an edge sharp against even my own ears.
She does as I say, and parts those sweet lips while I take a sip of my drink and hold the liquid without swallowing. When I lean forward again, I dip closer, until I'm aligned just over her parted lips with my own.
My eyes meet hers in the same moment I open my mouth, spilling my drink into her own while I tighten my fingers around her throat. She takes it all, swallowing below me just before I'm dragging her up and onto my lap.
"Do you want me to make you come tonight?" I whisper, leaning back as she straddles my thighs and arches her chest against my own. I slip my other hand under her tank, dragging it up her stomach and over her tits until she's entirely exposed for me.
"Yes," she replies, her tone already strained while her shoulders shift with each heavy breath.
“Then dance.”
She responds immediately, with my hand still holding her against me. Her body rolls and moves with the music. I sit forward, arching against her as we grind together. Her hands fall to my neck, weaving through my hair as she pulls me closer.
Fuck, I want to taste her again. Always. And I let my tongue slip out and trail over her chest, circling her stiff nipple before tugging it into my mouth. She whimpers at the sudden pain but falls into a moan as soon as I suck and lick again. Her body stops moving however, caught in the feeling of me on her tits. So, my hand falls to her ass as I grip her tightly, digging my fingers into her flesh before pulling back and
looking up to meet her eyes again.
"Don't fucking stop," I snap, and she instantly starts dancing over me again. I move to her other breast, licking along her skin and continuing my own exploration of her body.
I release my hold on her neck and use both of my hands to pull her leggings down her ass and thighs. The cold air brushes between her legs, and when I slide one finger through her cunt, she's already soaked in her own arousal.
When I look at her, she's watching me, her lips parted and her breath blowing along my skin while her hand remains wrapped around the nape of my neck. I slide through her again, venturing to move inside her when I have a different idea.
So, I pull back, dropping my hands from her body as I halt her movements. Her eyes narrow, and she's just about to question what I'm doing when I tell her.
"I want to watch you," I whisper, keeping my tone hard and strict in this space.
"What?" She asks, disbelief on her features. I haven't ever demanded this before, but it's something I've constantly thought about.
"Touch yourself, right here.” I take her hand in my own, guiding her fingers to slip between her legs as she gasps. “While you're straddling my lap and my eyes are on you. I want to see you play with your own cunt, stretching yourself open while you moan and come."
"Fucking hell, Lyp," she says breathlessly, but at the same time grazes her fingers through her core. She sits back just a bit, her legs spread and open for me while I watch. Sliding up, she circles her clit, dipping back down until she pushes inside of herself and elicits a seductive moan.
"Goddamn," I breathe out, running my hands up her thighs while she pumps in and out of herself. I can hear how wet she is, see her cum shining over her hand and inner thighs in the darkness.
I can hardly hold myself back, so I wrap my arm around her waist and flip her on to the couch. She's on her back and I yank her leggings off completely before dropping them to the ground and move back to her thighs.
My fingers run up her skin, begging to touch her myself but enjoying the torture I'm experiencing as well. "Spread your legs wider, baby," I urge. She responds, extending them farther while her hand moves back to continue touching herself for me.
Now, her back arches completely, and she's rolling over her clit as she works herself up even hotter. Sliding down and stretching herself with one finger, I'm quick to demand a second and third until she's pumping so quickly she's clearly about to come.
That's when I lean over her, dropping my hand on top of hers as I push her even deeper inside of herself. "Come on, K. I need you to come for me," I tell her, colliding with her lips as she whimpers and falls apart on her release.
She's shaking beneath me, and as soon she pulls out of herself, I'm sliding lower, burying my face between her thighs while I grip and drag her against my lips.
Her hand falls to my hair, pulling tightly while still riding out her release until she's quickly moving toward a second one. She's arching her back as I lick up her slit, sliding over her clit and sucking it into my mouth.
Her hips roll and thrust against my face, and before I know it, she's coming again while I pull back and breathe. She's frantic though, and she launches up, devouring my mouth with her taste on my skin. Her hands yank my top up and over my head and she's ripping my own jeans off my thighs until we're both naked and grinding against each other on the couch.
Suddenly, her hands are ripping at my legs, turning me around so I'm hovering over her pussy again, my own is straddling her face. Her fingers bite into my flesh, tugging me down while her tongue slides through my pussy and thrusts inside of me.
I moan out uncontrollably, my own orgasm begging to release while I move against her eager touch. I lean forward, desperate to taste her again, eating at her pussy while she's hungry for mine.
My fingers move to her clit, rubbing and pinching before leaning down and licking through her again. She's doing the same to me, but then she's pumping two fingers inside my cunt at the same time, devouring my soaked pussy and fucking me roughly.
"Fuck," I cry out, struggling to focus on licking her while my orgasm crests inside of me.
"That's right, now you come for me, Lyp." She moans as I use my fingers to spread her apart and thrust inside of her. Her hips roll up to meet my face, her tongue diving deep inside of me while I do the same.
We're grinding and moving, eating and fucking in a chaotic rhythm of need and euphoria. There's no fucking high like this, and I'll do everything to keep it for the rest of my fucking life.
Both of us are getting close, and suddenly I'm coming over her face while she's unraveling against mine. We're breathing heavily, attempting to catch our breaths as we both ride out our orgasms over each other.
I slowly climb off, falling to the ground and dragging K along with me. We hit the carpeted floor, and I'm already shifting to climb over her. My hands fall on either side of her on the ground while my hair cascades over our faces.
"I love you," I say breathlessly, leaning down and claiming her mouth fiercely with my own. I bite her lip, sucking it deep before sweeping inside her mouth with my tongue and tasting my own arousal on her flesh. "I love this. I love us. Everything we are, everything you do to me."
She wraps her hands around my neck and yanks me in for another kiss. Her hot breath blows over my lips while her hand weaves through my hair. "I love you. Every moment, every fuck, every fight, every make up, every passionate and emotional piece of you. I love the way you've let go of your fears, how you've made me confront my own. Hell, I love what we've become both individually and together, Lyp."
My eyes search hers again and again, as if I'm waiting for something to storm in and pull us apart.
But even now, while I watch her, while her skin moves against mine and her touch is just as desperate as my own. I know.
I know this is it for us. Finally brought back together after years of hatred and regret. Our own pasts working to ruin us, monsters coming in the night to steal our connection.
But we've fought back, harder and stronger together, now thriving in this life and love with each other.
It feels like a dream, but it's the first time I'm thankful for my reality.
Here we are. Again. Another story down and seemingly the end of this world…and yet I can’t seem to shake these girls loose.
Sometimes I wonder why Vibe and Hush have such a hold on me, why these suppressed feelings and tragic pasts haunt my mind and breathe through my blood.
It’s like I can’t help but keep thinking about them.
If you know me personally, or you follow me on social media, you probably know how badly Vibe wrecked my headspace. It wasn’t because their story was too dark, or too painful, or too heavy.
It was because this world forces me to face my shadows. It rips up all of my own trauma and shoves it in my face, begging me to face and process it before moving forward.
Maybe that’s why I still struggle in letting go of this place. Because I still have so much more to work through.
I don’t think I’ll ever let go of them truthfully. They’re a piece of my heart and the most intimately personal story I’ve ever written. All of them, each girl holding a part of my own being.
So, that being said. There are a shit load of thank you’s for this book.
First and foremost, my girl.
KV. You helped me heal a lot of my broken pieces. When I was lost and confused, you helped me realize there was a purpose–even if I didn’t know what that purpose was. You’ve worked alongside these words in making me process and address things I’ve kept hidden. And you’ve remained true and authentic in yourself while I waded through my own darkness. I’m a lot…I know I am. Yet you continue to make me feel valued, wanted and completed in our relationship. When I think I’m going crazy, you step into the darkness with me so I’m not alone. I can never thank you enough for what we have and what you make me feel.
Mystery Girl. It blows my mind how much you constantly teach me. I need a bra
celet that says WWMGD. Your light is a brightness that shines ahead, reminding me to get back on track when I’m lost and confused. You literally take my emotions and help me filter them, teaching me how to process in self-awareness and growth. I can’t even begin to explain how much you have helped me and still do in every single conversation we have. Thank you for being the ever-present light in my life.
Abby and Vanessa. You both have worked so hard over the last several months when I disappeared. When I came back, you were ready, excited and incredibly welcoming in my return. I can’t thank either of you enough for the work you’ve put into this, whether through messages of encouragement, beta reads, comments and shares. All of it means more than anything to me.
Thal. You have always been a part of this world, and you’ll always be a part of it. I love you and I love everything you’ve given to Vibe and Hush’s stories. I appreciate you more than you could ever know.
Amy, my editor. I love you and the vibe we have while we work. Your encouragement and feedback means something EXTRA coming from you because I know you’re a hard ass. Thank you for walking through this journey with me.
Ashlee. My ultimate queen designer–you are literally amazing. You listen to my rants, my last minute needs, my fears and dreams and then you bring them all to life. Your designs literally inspire me to write and I can’t thank you enough for that.
Chelsea. I love you dude. Thank you for simply being there for me through this. For listening and helping and going live with me time and time again. Your friendship means so much to me and I am thankful to have you in my life.
Cult Sluts. You girls continue to blow my mind with your dedication and support. Even after being gone for months, you all were ready to jump right back in the game with me. You all have held on for this wild ride and having you beside me means the actual world. So, thank you. So so much. For every single thing you all do.
Readers, bloggers, bookstagrammers. I couldn’t do this without you all there to read my stories. Above everything else, this is for you. These words, these characters, these crazy villains. You guys help me bring them to life with every review, edit, art piece, share, like, comment. All of it breathes energy into these words and I am so beyond thankful for every one of you.