“What’s with the long face?” Tennison asks.
I grimace. “I’m sorry. What’s up?” I try to change the expression on my face, but the reminder of last night leaves a bubbling anxiety in my gut. As much as I hated him bossing me around last night, I love my brother. He’s never led me astray.
“A meeting. We want you there.”
My face heats. The way he simply states that they want me there makes me ache in places I’ve learned only burn for guys. “Yeah?”
His lips tilt again, and I’m melting. What is it with this guy?
“Ten tonight, Crystal Tower.”
No explanation, no directions, just a command.
I peer at my feet, hiding the burn beneath my skin by looking away from his penetrating stare.
“And, Colton,” he purrs, tilting my chin up at him. “Don’t tell anyone. House rules. Come alone.”
The hammering in my chest should scare me, but it only makes my body warm everywhere.
“Got it,” I whisper.
He rubs a knuckle across my cheek, and I’m melting.
He walks away right after, leaving me a breathless and excited mess. Cass must just want to protect me from hot guys. That’s it. Must be. He’s always been so protective over me.
MY NERVES ARE SHOT as I trail to Crystal Tower later that night. It’s pitch-black out, and I didn’t know what to wear, so I put on sleep shorts, a tank, and a hoodie. It’s not unusual for chicks to venture out in shorts, and mine aren’t extremely short.
I don’t know how to get into the tower. It’s only for Student Gov. They have exclusive access. Out of the three buildings that house people, this one is more like a house than the hotel feel of the other two.
Before I reach the entrance, a hand clamps onto my arm. A squeak escapes me as I come face-to-face with a blond boy. It’s too dark out to see his eyes or feel for his intentions, but he looks really familiar. Letting my arm go, he smiles. It’s not seedy, but it doesn’t help he scared me either.
“Must be Colton.”
He doesn’t ask, more like comments, as if random girls don’t sneak around at night. He’s wrong. We all sneak around. Some are just better than others. I’m sure he’s well aware.
“You scared me!” I hiss.
A low chuckle leaves him, and I’m immediately drawn to the sound.
“I’m sorry,” he placates, putting his hands up. “Didn’t want you to get caught.” He gestures to the door, and a security guard is there. “He decided to do a late run. Didn’t want you to have a mark on your record.”
The words read kind and in good faith, so I nod.
“Thanks,” I whisper. It’s against the rules to be out past ten. Curfew. Even without parents to breathe down our necks, our school does it for them.
“I’m Lennox DeLeon,” he practically purrs.
My hands feel all sweaty at the way he announces his name. It’s proclaimed like he’s a god rather than a school boy. They seem to forget we all grew up in the same small town, but I let them introduce themselves anyway, like I’m not aware who they are.
“Colt,” I respond, knowing he already knows. These guys seem to be privy to it all.
“Happy to make your acquaintance, Colt.”
I like how he says my name. Part secret, part reverence, but all pleased.
“Let’s head up the back way. It’s how we get to and from,” he explains.
Makes sense. It’s how we sneak out at Ivory as well.
He leads me behind Crystal, and I see a back door. Ivory has a fire ladder, not a door like this. It’s almost like a real house, how some have back entrances. We head through, trailing up the stairs, and I see three other guys sitting in a half-circle on couches. It’s dimly lit, and I can’t really make out the room much, other than it feels more homely than my tower.
It’s definitely not a dormitory, more like a fancy mansion that caters to the rich, but since we’re all wealthy, it only serves the Gov. Tennison included.
A smile breaks free when I see him. He returns it easily, leaning back, relaxing his entire stance. It has that same heat sizzling my skin. Yeah, I like him.
Lennox leads me to the loveseat in the center of the room. It’s plush and leather, swallowing me whole as I sit. Remembering my lack of clothing, I adjust immediately, catching stares from each guy. They glance at one another, an unspoken conversation that has me both interested and nervous.
“You’ve already met me and Ten,” Lennox explains. Ten. Not Tennison. “This is Bridger.”
He points at this astute boy. He’s got brown hair, or at least, it seems brown, and it’s a little shaggy, curling at the ends. It gives him a charming appearance, like he’s a sweet guy underneath the lack of facial expressions. “And this is—”
“Ross,” the guy seated next to Ten announces. Unlike Bridger, he seems appeased at me being here. He stands up, sauntering over to me with purpose. His green eyes, even while the room is darker, show just fine. They’re stunning and make his frosty blue hair seem even frostier. When he erases the space between us, he crouches to my eye level. “Nice to meet you, Colty.”
The way he says Colty as if it’s something to be cherished has me squeezing my legs together. “Hey,” I squeak, my voice small and scared. Why are these guys looking at me as if I’m a five-course meal?
“You’re scaring her, Dare,” Ten scolds. Dare?
“Why do they call you Dare?” I interrupt their staredown.
“Oh, sweetness. Can’t exactly tell you that on our first meet, now can I?” Heat rises up my throat, making me swallow hard. Why do his eyes seem like they could eviscerate my every secret with one look?
“We wanted you here to ask you to join,” Lennox announces, sitting in the couch next to mine. “We need a treasurer, and who’d be better than you?” Someone actually good at math, I joke in my head. Math isn’t my best subject, but numbers aren’t hard. Not in this kind of way.
“Why me?” I sigh, not sure if it’s out of nervousness or anticipation, but it comes out soft. Ross smirks at me, standing just to sit next to me. What’s with these guys and smirking? It makes them hotter to me. Most chicks would feel repelled by it, but these guys are making me feel something I’ve never felt for an Arcadia student. Lust.
“You’re the perfect choice,” Bridger sounds out from my other side, making my heart race. His voice is like melted chocolate when I make homemade hot cocoa. It’s sweet and rough, almost like it’s barely used. And I like that, knowing he doesn’t talk often, but was willing to just now.
“He’s right,” Ten agrees. “Perfect.”
My face feels too hot, and as Ross brushes his thigh against my bare one, I’m feeling like I’ll have a heat stroke if I don’t get some space or air. “Oh.”
“What do you say, Diamond Girl?” Lennox requests, his eyebrow raised.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“Good, then let’s get started.”
“S-Started?” I question with a stutter. I twine my fingers, the sweatiness making me internally cringe. It’s really fucking hot in here.
“Yes, we play a game with all newcomers.”
“How come Yang and Cass aren’t here?” I ask, wondering why the other two members aren’t here. Not that I told Yang, they said I couldn’t.
“They’re not part of new initiations,” Lennox easily explains. “They’ll know tomorrow.”
I nod, understanding.
“Truth or dare?” Ten asks suddenly. I stare at him, wanting to pick dare because only wimps do truths, but I don’t know their angle and truths can be just as cruel.
“Truth.”
Everyone chuckles. “She’s smart. See, perfect choice,” Ross muses from next to me, his hand brushing my knee. I gulp, feeling tingles lick all over my body like little spiders. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“Is it true you’re a virgin?” Lux prods.
I balk, my mouth opening at his easy question. Easy for him, at least. To me, it’s like hanging a banner on my neck saying in
desperate need of cherry picking. He sees my unease and saunters over, crouching in front of me.
“Come on, Colton. Tell me your secret,” he hums, making the blood thrum in my veins, present and quick.
“Y-Yes,” I admit, hiding my face and closing my eyes. He tilts my chin, his hand sure and strong.
“Look at me, pretty girl.” I swoon at that name, feeling so many emotions all at once. The couch next to me moves and then there are hands on my arms. My eyes open on their own accord, unable to keep looking away while being in a lion’s den.
Both Ross and Ten are kneeling at my feet. “It’s incredibly sexy,” Ten nearly hisses as I lean forward. It’s like my body doesn’t want to stay away from them, but my mind tries to struggle over Cassidy’s warning.
“Very,” Ross confirms, brushing my thigh.
Between their heads, I see Bridger gazing in a heated interest that makes a small whimper leave my mouth. Lennox’s lustful gaze drills through me like a hot poker, and sweat lines my spine.
“Your turn, Colty,” Ross says, then saunters to the chair next to Bridger.
Ten waits another few breaths before dropping my chin and heading over to Lennox. They’ve left me all hot, and bothered in a lonely chair and I don’t know why.
“Bridger,” I whisper, almost uncertain of why he’s my first choice. Maybe it’s his voice I want to hear, or the stiffness in his posture that doesn’t reflect the absolute tumultuous flames in his eyes.
“Truth,” he grunts.
It takes me by surprise, but the others just smile, knowing something I don’t.
“Why me?” I ask.
His eyes widen a fraction before he adjusts himself in his chair. He wasn’t expecting this, but unlike the others, I think he’ll be the most truthful.
“Because I want you,” he finally lets out. It’s rough, like it took everything in him to admit. “We all do.”
We all do. Want me why? Why can’t they stop being cryptic?
“Ten,” Bridger deflects, no longer looking at me.
“Dare.”
In that word, I feel promise. Whether proprietary or not, it’s there.
“I dare you to undress to your boxers.”
Ten smirks, confidence oozing off him in heaps. My entire body heats as he grips his shirt and takes it off. His shoes are next, and finally, he undoes his pants in a slow deliberate fashion, his molten gaze not leaving mine for a second. As his pants make their way down his legs, his erection pops up like a whip, making itself known. I grip my chest, unable to stop the hammering. I’m a virgin, not a saint. I know what a big dick looks like.
He sits back, widening his legs, giving off what Yang calls big dick energy. Now, I know what she meant because he’s bleeding that energy, and from the tent he’s sporting, it’s not an inaccurate vibe.
“Colton,” Ten vibrates, hands gripped on his thigh.
“Me, again?” It makes me nervous, and I know they’re not about to let me pick truth again.
“And don’t you dare chicken out,” Ross teases, amusement gleaming in his expression.
Lennox’s cool appearance has me squirming. It’s like he’s waiting for my move.
“Dare.” The single word comes out a prayer, a hushed one in the wind, not expecting response.
Ten’s face heats as he leans forward, placing his elbows on his thighs, a calculating expression present. “I dare you to kiss every one of us.”
Bridger adjusts in his chair, his face showing a little desire that he masks just as quickly. Why does he hide? Why does it intrigue me so much that he does? It’s like unwrapping a gift you never asked for, slowly un-taping each edge in patience and care, knowing the result will be worth the time taken.
A jolt of lust spikes in me. I grab my hair, putting it all one way so my neck can breathe a little from the hotness overwhelming me. Standing with confidence that’s half-false, I go directly to Bridger.
Something about him makes me want to give him my first taste. I think he needs this as much as I do, but for completely different reasons.
He notices me picking him, and it’s like he licked a nine-volt battery, shocked and uncertain. Instead of leaning forward and kissing him with a peck, the stares of the other guys has me sitting in his lap.
He’s dressed to the nines, almost too much for this late hour, like he wears a suit to bed. These guys don’t wear the normal school attire. They’re always wearing Gucci and Armani. Ten wore Dior today, so I know they’re not ones to hide their wealth or privilege. It should bother me, but it doesn’t. I almost wonder if it’s because they’re Gov. Maybe they get a free pass for more than I’ve heard.
When I’m fully settled on top of his slacks, I feel rock hardness beneath me. He’s not as unaffected as he pretends. He groans while I’m scooting up, making sure there’s not much space between us. Next to him, Ross is breathing heavily. It’s the only noise I can hear besides Bridger’s shallow breaths and my heart rate.
Once his eyes connect with my own, it dawns on me that they’re black. Colorless. Depthless. A void. They’re beautiful. Even if others see emptiness, I see an entire universe.
“You going to kiss me?” he grits, his jaw ticking from the action. Is that anger? Desperation? While I lean forward, my pussy drags across his length, and his jaw locks even tighter, like he’s biting on diamonds.
Our breaths intermingle as the distance between us disappears and then he’s pushing toward me, taking my mouth with his. It’s so overwhelming and spicy, like he ate cinnamon gum or a toothpick. My belly burns with unbridled warmth, making my core ache with need.
His palms trail up my body and grip the back of my throat with care, but with enough strength to tell me who’s in control. My hips rock into him, craving friction. A hiss escapes him, and groans ease out nearby, reminding me that I’m not alone. That thought only turns me on more.
Bridger’s tongue slides into my mouth, tasting, dancing, giving me so much pleasure with simple flicks. Not even a few strokes more and he’s pulling back, his chest heaving. He felt it, too, the passion and need.
“That was so fucking hot,” Ross lets out.
Bridger’s forehead has a little sweat lining it, reminding me how hot it’s been in here since I walked in.
“My turn.”
I don’t get to stand up before Ross is hauling me onto his lap. Unlike Bridger, he’s not as controlled. His eyes are near desperate. This time, I don’t even get to lean in. He grips my face and slams it on him. It’s sloppy and full of promise, and we’re both undulating our hips. A moan slips from my mouth before he’s letting me go. In his eyes, there’s a promise, and I like knowing he’s not disgusted that I’ve already kissed someone else.
Rising off from him, I stand, staring at Ten. He looks high. His eyes are half-mast and glassy, like he’s spent just from watching me touch and taste two other guys. He drags his lower lip through his teeth, and I clench my thighs before making my way to him.
He gets up from his seat and meets me halfway. Gripping my face like a lover would, he’s soft, gentle, with absolute endearing care. His tongue strokes me like a secret, whispering it on my lips. I allow it and breathe in a taste that shouldn’t be on a seventeen-year-old’s breath, something that has me groaning. Beer, the stronger the better, is something I crave, and he tastes of it. Not the cheap Lite stuff, but something more edgy and flavorful.
He licks inside my mouth, tracing each groove, and as messy as it sounds, it’s not. It’s passionate and consuming.
He’s pulled away from me in the next beat, and Lennox almost glowers at us. Lust—pure, satanical, deadly almost—licks every hard and sharp feature. And his eyes, the ones I couldn’t see earlier, they gleam. They’re a soft hazel. Now, they’re a light green, but I know they’ll change with the sun and his moods. It’s bound to.
“Come to me.”
The demand isn’t harsh, but it makes it no less challenging, so I do. I seek out his lips, brushing so softly. He doesn’t reci
procate, but I can feel his unabated yearning as he shakes a little. It takes no longer than a few seconds before he’s lifting me, forcing my legs around his hips.
He leads us to the love seat I originally sat on and hovers over me. Lennox doesn’t rush. He takes his time, memorizing my mouth, savoring it, taking each guy’s taste and mine for the keeping.
How they’re able to all kiss me and not give me disappointment or a flicker of shame is an amazing feat on its own. Beautiful. Something to remember.
As he rocks into me, my body heats more and more, and with a few last thrusts, his clothed dick brings me to the hottest orgasm I’ve ever had, the first I’ve ever had from someone other than myself.
“Fuck!” I cry out, and they’re all watching me lose myself.
Barely getting off my high, I hear a booming, “What the fuck?”
I know that voice, one I’ve heard since we were babies. My earliest memory is that voice saying my name and me loving the comfort it brings.
When Lennox lifts off me, my brother’s ice gaze prickles with deadly intent. Dread overwhelms me as four guys face off with my best friend.
I’m totally fucked.
Twenty-Three
Present
Guess you’ll die then.
A hand clamps down over my mouth before much noise escapes me. Not that it would matter. The buildings are all too far apart, and there’s no one around to hear me. It only occurs to me now that the many students who have disappeared over the years could easily have been dead and buried out here. It wouldn’t be a reach. This is Arcadia we’re talking about.
Cassidy warned me. Even if he never brought it up again, his intent had been there.
“Can’t have you screaming, now, can we?” Jordan whispers near my throat as he squeezes my mouth deftly, cutting my complaints off before they truly start.
I can’t respond, and he doesn’t seem to need me too. He’s just like them—callous, greedy, and self-absorbed.
He leads me toward the cabin, along with all the others, and I struggle every step of the way. We’re getting farther and farther away from the Crystallites party. Where is Mel? Is she okay? That triggers another thrashing fit, and I’m not going to stop until they let me go. Out of every one of them, Bridger is the last I would suspect to be a total psychopath, but maybe that’s what he would want, for me not to notice how crazy he is deep down.
Here Lives a Corpse: A Dark Bully Academy Romance (Here Lies Book 1) Page 16