by Celeste, B.
I smiled at her pretending she didn’t know Ben’s name but hid it behind my glass when she eyed me with a narrowed gaze in warning.
Ren flashed her a sultry smile. “It wasn’t our fancies we were tickling on each other, baby. Why, are you jealous?”
The gagging came instantly from both me and Tiffany, but mostly from her. I wasn’t sure what to think about them. They’d become fast friends but flirted more times than I think they realized. It was cute…and maybe a little weird. Only because Tiffany was insistent that she and Ren were nothing more than friends and never would be. And Ren…well, he hadn’t offered me his opinion on what he thought about Tiffany, which left a lot to interpretation.
“You wish, Lawrence. I’m not keen on catching an STD anytime soon, but thanks.”
A palm flew to his chest. “Ouch.”
I shook my head at both their theatrics, focusing on Ren again. “So, is that guy over there the new flavor?” I’d felt bad for asking in front of Tiffany, but I think she wanted to know even if she wouldn’t admit it.
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “Decided redheads were my thing.”
My lips twitched. “Not shocking. Weren’t the actors who played the Weasley twins your first real crushes?”
“Wasn’t yours an anime character?” he shot back defensively.
I laughed. “I wasn’t being mean I was pointing out that it’s no surprise.”
Tiffany grumbled out something about another drink before heading toward the bar.
“What’s her deal?” he asked, leaning against the spot she’d been at.
“You’re so stupid.”
He had the nerve to look offended.
“She likes you, Ren.”
The noise he made sounded like a cross between a grunt and dying chicken. “What the hell are you talking about?”
We both looked over at where Tiffany waited by the bar. A few guys had also been staring, one of them walking over to her and leaning down to say something that she didn’t seem to appreciate based on the scowl. “It’s pretty obvious. Then again, you’re always busy scoping out other people to notice.”
“She’s…” He frowned, looking back at me with something that resembled sympathy. “I just don’t think she’s my type. She makes a great friend. It’s not like I don’t like her.”
“You just don’t like her like that,” I said, nodding sadly. “I get it. We can’t force ourselves to like people if the spark isn’t there.”
“Sounds like you’ve tried, Del.”
I nibbled on my bottom lip, fighting off a small smile. “I mean, I did sleep with you.”
The laugh that burst from him caught way more attention than I wanted. “Oh, shit. Shots fired.” He downed the rest of his drink and shook his head. “So, it’s really him, huh?”
I knew who he meant. “Do you wish it’d been you?” I also knew that wasn’t what he was implying.
His sigh was lighthearted. “Nah. If I wasn’t such an asshole maybe I would have tried winning you over, but we both know it wouldn’t have worked because I’m a man whore and that guard dog of yours has always been territorial.”
“I love him, Ren.”
“Yeah. I know you do.”
“What are you going to tell Tiffany?” It wasn’t fair to make her think there was a chance if he knew there wasn’t.
A shoulder lifted. “Nothing. She’ll figure it out. It’s better than outright saying I’m not interested and hurting her feelings.”
“Is it?”
He hesitated. “We’ll be doing our own thing soon enough anyway. We only hung out at school for the most part, you know?”
That had me raising my brows. “Does that mean you have no intention of sticking around or keeping in touch with your friends?”
The exasperated look on his face made me smile faintly, but it grew when he drew me into him in a tight hug. “Don’t be stupid. You know I’m always going to bug you. Plus, I can’t see myself leaving the city. Can’t say the same about you, though.”
“Me?”
Tiffany joined us again, a new drink in her hand identical to the last one. “What are we talking about other than the likelihood of Lawrence’s penis falling off from disease in the near future?”
I gave him a pointed look as if to say see, moron? “Ren is implying that I won’t stick around the city now that school is over with.”
Her brows arched. “Will you?” My shoulders dropped at her question. “What is there for you here, Della? I mean, it’s not like I don’t want you to stay. But even I’m going to be coming and going. I’ll be performing across the country with a ballet company based out of California. Judith set it up for me.”
“What? That’s amazing!” I rounded the table to hug her, smiling when I drew back. “How am I just now hearing about this?”
“I wasn’t sure if…” When her words faded, the smile dropped from my face and was replaced quickly by a frown.
“Tiffany, I’m so happy for you. You know I’m not doing that sort of dance anymore. I won’t be. And after what Ripley said at our last appointment…” My shrug was casual, a period to the sentence. “It doesn’t matter about me. What matters is that you’re doing something amazing. I’m sure Judith and your family are proud.”
To my surprise, her cheeks pinkened. “I guess. They want to host a going away party next month. That’s when I leave. You guys should both come. It’ll make it less awkward when my parents are trying to brag about me like they know anything about my life outside of dance.”
I hugged her again. “Seriously, that’s amazing. I’ll be there. Have you told them about contemporary dance yet or considered doing something with that?”
She snorted like that was unbelievable, pulling back to sip her drink. “Not all of us get to decide what’s best for us and still be loved by people.”
My brows pinched. “Tiff—”
“Seriously, Della, it’s not a big deal. I love ballet too. This opportunity will be huge for me, so I’m excited. And have you considered what you’ll do now? You don’t have to be in the city to paint and sell your art.”
“Why do you guys think I’m going to ditch the only place I’ve ever known?”
It was Ren who said, “Why wouldn’t you? She’s right. This place has become a hellhole for you, and if what you told us about Sam and her dad is true, then it’ll only get worse. You don’t need to be around to see that.”
I went to argue but couldn’t find the words. Were they right? I didn’t want to see the downfall of another trial, even if a new one showed my father wasn’t all that bad compared to the people who pinned it on him. Had he been involved in the crime he was charged for? Yes. It wasn’t only him though, and he didn’t deserve to be killed so he wouldn’t name anyone else.
I stared down at my hands. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” I admitted in a whisper. I never thought about what it’d be like to leave because I never thought it’d be possible. My family and friends were here. Theo. His business.
Swallowing, I sighed and looked up as Sam and Gina were approaching. Chills crept down my spine as I held off from frowning. After what Kat told me, I didn’t want to be anywhere near Sam, and Gina was no better. She was the yes woman, doing anything Kat and Sam told her to without thinking.
I thought I heard Ren curse under his breath and get in front of me like he was going to use himself for a shield if it came to that.
“What do you want?” Tiffany asked Sam.
Sam ignored her and kept her cold eyes directly on me. We were never close. We hung out because she was friends with Kat, but I had no reason to believe she hadn’t liked me until the day I’d gone to Kat’s house all those weeks ago. Why would she when I did nothing to her? “Have you seen Kat?”
I peeked around Ren’s body some more to get a better view of her deadpanned expression. “No. Why?” Looking around the room like she’d be there, I shook my head slowly before seeing Gina standing off to the side biting nails that al
ready looked rugged and torn. “What’s wrong with her?” I already knew the answer. She was acting like Kat was when I met her here, the sickly tone to her skin and eyes being a dead giveaway.
Gina was the one who was snorting the coke and not caring who was around to see it when I’d hung out with them. It made my stomach hurt.
“Don’t worry about her,” Sam snapped at me, stepping closer. “I know for a fact Kat was seen here with you yesterday. Where did she go after?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Stepping around Ren, I crossed my arms over my chest. Ren stayed close by my side and Tiffany even came closer. “I left before she did, Sam. I told her to get help. Just like I’ll tell you and Gina. You all—”
“I don’t care. I need to know where Kat is. If you don’t know then I’m out of here.” She grabbed Gina’s arm and yanked her away, shoving past a few girls huddled in their path while Gina protested.
Ren and Tiffany looked at me. It was Tiffany who asked, “You saw Kat yesterday? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Us,” Ren corrected skeptically. The disapproval was thick in his tone and I didn’t appreciate it. “You said Kat told you shit about Sam and her family, but I thought you meant over the phone. You two used to talk for hours that way when we were younger.”
What was I going to tell them? I wasn’t about to admit what I’d kept in my purse, or how I’d gone home crying until I fell asleep because I was upset over how bad Kat had been. It didn’t matter that I walked away freely, willingly, or that I handed her the drugs without much of a fight. It still hurt.
“We got into a fight. Sort of. I don’t know where she went afterwards. The bartender that was working isn’t here today, and I doubt he would even know.” I could try calling her, but if she wasn’t picking up for Sam and Gina, the girls that were closer to her than me, then I doubted she’d answer my call.
“I’m sure she’s okay.” Ren pulled me into him, squeezing my arm. “She’s almost as scary as Lauren. Determined, too. I’d be more willing to fight her though. Like Sam.”
“Yeah, what was that?” Tiffany snorted, setting her drink down. “No offense, but you’re not really built to fight.”
Ren did take offense to that. “For the right people, I would.”
She didn’t reply. Or blink. I knew how she took it the second her face drained of any expression. He hurt her feelings. Again. “Ren is protective of all his friends if he needs to be,” I tried telling her.
“Friends,” she murmured, downing her drink in one long gulp. “I think I’m going to head home. My mother is bringing a few new trainers by to help get me ready for the tour.”
“Tiff, wait. We can go together.”
She waved me off. “I’ll get a cab. Don’t worry about it. You and Ren have fun and try not to think about Ribbons or any other professor. You don’t need to anymore. While you’re at it, screw Kat and those other bitches. Trust me, girl. They’re not worth your time.”
I frowned when she weaved through people without looking back. When she disappeared out the front door, I smacked Ren until he whined and rubbed his arm while looking back at me. “Really?”
“What the hell did I do?”
“You upset her!”
“You’re the one who emphasized the friend thing, not me.” He dropped into a seat again and sighed. “She’ll be fine. She’s hard-headed.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t worry.”
“Only you,” he mused. “I know you’re not supposed to think about school, but I’m curious, and this has nothing to do with Ribbons. What ever happened to that project you said Ambrose had offered you? You never brought it up again after you mentioned it a while ago. It was about that class that starts this summer, right?”
That class. The one where she wanted me to model naked in front of a bunch of strangers I didn’t know, who probably knew me through newspapers and TV reports casted from the trial since they decided to televise the event. I hadn’t told anybody but Tiffany about it because I was worried about what they’d say. Not even Theo knew more than the basics.
“I met with her a couple days ago, but she wants to speak with me again soon.” She needed a final response, but I couldn’t make up my mind.
“Are you still taking the class?”
My throat was dry. “Yes.” I paused. “I think so? To be honest, a lot has changed. I’d be stupid not to.” But was I ready to take a robe off in front of everybody and let them draw every flaw on my body?
Ren reached over and grabbed my hand, giving me a comforting smile. “You should do it, Della. What do you have to lose?”
I didn’t want to think about that.
Hadn’t I lost enough?
Chapter Twenty-One
Theo
Smooth lips peppered kisses down my bare chest as small hands pulled the comforter down. Eyes cracking open as those bow-shaped lips wrapped around my bare cock had me groaning loudly, my hand finding the back of her head.
“Christ, Della.” Feeling the hot, wet heat of her mouth glide up and down my length, flattening her tongue on the underside of my thickness, had me awake in a flash. My free hand gripped the sheets beside me, still warm from her body. Cursing as she took me deeper, I tipped my head back and thrusted my hips up.
Her gag had me smoothing my fingers through her hair as she worked to the rhythm my hips were setting, one of her hands gripping the base of my cock and jerking me while her other fondled my balls.
“Fuck,” I rasped. Sentences were beyond me as she quickened the pace, her head bobbing up and down, making wet fuck-me noises, as the sunlight filtered through the blinds of my bedroom window. When I asked her to stay the night, I’d wanted to do every dirty thing my mind could conjure, but she’d fallen asleep watching some Disney movie with an old man in a floating balloon house, and fuck if I could wake her from looking so goddamn peaceful. Even the dog was curled up beside her on the couch until I carried her to bed.
The sounds her mouth was making against me was enough for me to fucking blow, but I didn’t want to. “Sweetheart, I’m going to come if you don’t stop.” Though the thought of her taking all of me in her mouth and swallowing was tempting, I liked filling her a different way. It was a primal need that only made me harder for her as she sucked on the head that I knew was leaking. “Get on top of me, Della.”
She didn’t listen. Instead, she did everything she could to get me to come instead. When her hands squeezed me tighter and her teeth lightly grazed me as she deep throated, I was fucking done for. Her free hand massaged my balls as my hand tangled in the strands of her hair and pulled her into me instead of away like I’d demanded.
I thickened in her mouth, arching up, and came. Fast. Hard. And fucking came some more.
The sweet blonde between my legs took it all, looking up at me through her lashes as she swallowed and slowly withdrew, some of my cum on the corner of her lips that she licked away with her tongue.
She gasped as I yanked her toward me until she straddled my hips. With a bruising kiss, I rocked her into me, my cock already hardening again from the semi that I had even after the best fucking blowjob I’d ever gotten. The tangy taste of me on her tongue should have been a turnoff, but all it made me want to do was worship her until she got the same treatment I did.
My fingers found her panties under the shirt she borrowed from me the night before and moved the material aside to find her already soaking wet. “Jesus fuck,” I groaned, drawing my finger through her arousal and toward the bundle of nerves. She wiggled on me, kissing my jaw, cheek, and trailing her lips to my ear where she sucked the lobe into her mouth as I pinched and tweaked and rubbed her clit until her breathing grew heavy.
When I dipped a finger inside her and hooked it, the strangled noise I was greeted with had me grinning against her neck as I suckled the skin above her pulse. The second finger entered and stretched her, causing her to grind down on me until she was panting. “That’s it, baby girl. Ride my hand just like that.”
>
Her hips lifted and dropped down as she circled her hips, and when I entered a third finger she tipped her head back and moaned my name.
“That feels so good, Theo,” she whispered, kissing me again. Her hands held my face to hers as she sucked my tongue and got my cock twitching against her. She kept riding my hand until my thumb put pressure on her clit again as I scissored my fingers inside her. I could feel her tightening around me, her legs locking on either side of me as she cried out and came, biting into my bottom lip so hard I could taste blood. It didn’t matter. Della Saint James could mark me however she wanted to show the world I was hers.
Using the wetness gathered on my fingers, I pulled out of her and slid my fingers to her backside, teasing the tight bud I hadn’t played with yet. “So many things I want to do to you,” I murmured, kissing her lips as I probed her hole. “So many things that I know you’d let me do to your tight little body.”
She shivered and froze as my wet fingertip entered her ass, her fingernails digging into my shoulders until my skin stung. “T-Theo. I…” It wasn’t a scared hesitation or warning. She closed her eyes as I kept my finger there, letting her slowly adjust to the intrusion.
“One day I’m going to fuck your ass.”
She swallowed, wiggling again until she gasped when it made my finger go deeper. “But not today?”
I kissed her slowly, letting my tongue tangle with hers as our breaths mixed and our teeth nipped, before drawing back. “Not today. I’ll get you used to me first. This morning I want to show you how much I love you.”
With that, I withdrew my finger and maneuvered us so I could slide down her panties and dispose of them across the room. The shirt came off next. When I positioned her on top of me, I kissed her neck, her jaw, until I grazed her lips with mine and said, “Take what you need from me, Della. Anything and everything.”
She exhaled softly before kissing me again, one of her hands guiding my cock to her entrance before she slowly slid onto me. We both breathed heavily as she took me inch by inch until she bottomed out. Her arms hugged me close to her for a moment before she lifted herself up and slid back down again. She repeated the motion again and again until she needed more, my cock living for how tight she was around me.