by Maree Green
Then a knock sounded on the door. “Wyatt?” I said, curiosity seeping into my tone.
Wyatt hummed. “It’s okay, baby. It’s just Eli.”
Eli? Why was Eli here? I felt the bed dip, then heard the click of the door opening. “Wyatt?” I said again. Voices murmured, sending a thrill of excitement through my body.
“Just stand there,” I heard Wyatt mumble.
The bed dipped again, and Wyatt’s lips were on my jaw. I felt him hover over me. “It’s okay, baby. Just let me take care of you.”
Wyatt’s mouth came over mine, his tongue softly running over the seam of my lips, asking for permission. Hesitantly, I opened. His tongue slid in, sensual and erotic as it stroked against mine.
I was hyper aware of Eli’s presence in the room, but Wyatt’s tongue was slowly distracting me. His hands ran down the length of my sides, exploring, roaming over my breasts, pinching my nipples as he moved his kisses down the column of my throat.
“Tell her what you’re thinking, Eli,” Wyatt murmured against my breast. “Tell her how she looks.”
I listened, my lips parting with a breath as I waited for him to speak.
Eli’s voice shook when he spoke. “Jesus, Jess. You’re the hottest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I’ve ever been so hard.” There was a slight strain in his voice, almost like he was in pain or something. It made me want to ease it.
“See? I told you, baby,” Wyatt whispered against my ear. “You look fucking unbelievable.”
I swallowed hard before I heard Eli groan. “I can’t just stand here and watch, Wyatt. This is torture. I want to touch.”
Wyatt pressed his chest against mine, his hips resting between my legs. I tried to push up into him, rock against the hardness of his erection, but he wouldn’t let me. Instead, he slid his hand between us, his fingers finding the slick wetness as he rubbed my juices up over my clit.
“Oh God, Wyatt, please! I need to come,” I cried.
Eli groaned. “Fuck.”
Wyatt wasn’t going to let me come yet, though. His fingers danced around my needy area, sometimes sliding into me, sometimes fleetingly moving over my clit, but never enough to take me over the edge.
I was in a state of insanity. I just wanted my release. Wyatt was panting in my ear, his excitement increasing mine, making it worse. “Eli’s touching himself, baby. He’s got his cock in his hand. He’s going to make himself come just from watching you pant.”
The image of Eli moving his hand up and down his cock instantly came into my mind, and the heat pooling between my legs intensified. “Oh, God!”
Wyatt moved from between my legs. I could feel him climbing to one side of me, his mouth and hands roaming over my stomach and breasts. Then he was kissing me again. I groaned. I wanted him touching me again. Down there. It was all I could think about.
“What do you need, baby?” he said, his voice low and sexy.
“I need to come. Please . . . I can’t do this . . . please—” He nipped at the tips of my breasts, lightly running his teeth over them. “Oh!”
“I’m sure Eli could make you feel better, baby. Do you want him to touch you? Do you want him to give you your release?”
The sudden thought of Eli touching me almost brought me undone. Hell yes, I wanted him to touch me! “Yes! Please!”
Eli made a choking kind of sound before Wyatt’s mouth came crashing down on mine, so hard I thought he might actually draw blood, but I didn’t care. I was frantic for it. His hand squeezed my breast, his thumb working the nipple in fast, desperate circles.
Warm hands moved over my spread knees, making my body instantly relax, yet tense at the same time, and strangely, Wyatt disappeared. Like seriously, he vanished. I knew I couldn’t see with the blindfold on, but I just knew he was gone. I probably should’ve been concerned about this, but, as Eli’s hands slowly moved up the insides of my thighs, I didn’t actually care. It was my dream and Eli’s fingers felt like heaven. My clit ached for them to touch me.
Reaching the top of my thighs, he paused, his thumbs resting right where the edges of my panties would sit, my entire body throbbing.
“Do you want my fingers or tongue, Jess?” Eli murmured in his deep, rich voice. “Which would make you feel better?”
Oh my God. I couldn’t even think straight. What the hell did I want? My chest rose as I sucked in a deep breath. “Both.”
Eli’s breath shook, his hands tensing on my flesh. Knowing I affected him this way drove my need to a whole new level. I felt one of his hands move, brushing over my opening, and I automatically moaned, arching into his hand, sucking in a breath as his finger slid slowly inside me.
“Fuck.” Eli’s voice was almost strangled, his breathing coming harsher.
“More,” I panted. “I need more.”
I felt him slip another finger inside, then he slowly began to move them. It was a sweet, delicious feeling. I’d never experienced anything more mind-blowing in my life. But then I felt his breath on my clit, and the thought of his tongue on me nearly pushed me right over the edge.
I tensed, waiting, hoping, praying. Then it was there. Hot, soft, gentle, and slow. Just one slow, delicious lick. His fingers stilled, and he did it again. I moaned and he growled.
My sanity evaporated. I was so consumed with lust, I clenched around his fingers hard. As though sensing my need, he started moving his fingers faster, his tongue circling, lapping at me with the same reckless intensity.
It was too much. Too much sensation. Clenching down around Eli’s fingers, I felt his lips close around my clit as he sucked, then I came apart in the most spectacular way a woman had ever come apart. The waves crashed hard and furiously. But he didn’t stop. His lips pressed harder against me, his fingers continuing to move at the same frantic pace, drawing my orgasm out longer, bringing an even deeper intensity to the shivers that quaked my nerves. It was an ecstasy my body had never known, and I prayed it would never end.
But, as my body slowly drifted down from the clouds, growing more and more languid with every breath, Eli’s touch disappeared, and before I could ask him to stay, he was gone.
Awareness started creeping in, sensations I didn’t want to feel or hear, like my body, heavy and restricted by clothing again, and not so far from where I was, the faint sound of a tap dripping. But there was something else. A low, deep groaning. Breaths, harsh and heavy. And a soft, rhythmic kind of slapping. These sounds confused me. They brought me farther out of my happy place, toward one where my head ached and my stomach protested.
Rolling, I willed my hand to pat the space beside me, searching. Finding something that felt like it could be my cell, I pressed a button, twisting my body as I held it up, trying to work out what I was doing. I squinted, the soft glow swimming in my vision, taunting me with numbers I just could not interpret. I tried again, fumbling, frustrated, but my body just wouldn’t cooperate.
As darkness swam in my vision, I sighed and gave up, the image of Eli drifting onto the screen of my mind too much to resist.
Chapter 12
Eli
I woke to the sound of my cell phone ringing.
I had no idea what the actual time was, but my body wasn’t happy about being drawn out of the deep sleep I’d been reveling in.
Groaning, I rolled, reaching blindly for the nightstand, wondering what the hell the time was. Finding the infernal device, I lifted my head, squinting at the screen while I simultaneously answered the call.
“Yeah,” I growled as I eyed the clock. Jesus, it was barely six o’clock.
“I’m surprised you’re not up pumping iron or some shit, man,” Brad’s voice boomed through the speaker, making me cringe.
Blinking up at the ceiling, I sighed. He was right. I probably should’ve been up already. It wasn’t like I’d been up drinking all night. Unlike Brad . . . “Why the hell are you up already? What did you do last night?”
He chuckled. “I,” he said, a hint of pride in his voice, �
��went home with Sarah Birchoff.”
One side of my mouth crooked up. Sarah was one of the hottest chicks in our class, and so far, she’d almost been untouchable. “Fuck off.”
“But that’s not why I’m calling, man,” he said, his voice turning serious. “Sarah lives in the same apartments Jess does.”
I frowned. I had no idea why that would be of interest to me. Those apartments were practically filled with college students.
Brad cleared his throat. “I just thought, after your secret Noah business last night, that you’d want to know what I saw.”
Now I was really confused. Throwing the blankets back, I swung my legs to the floor and sat forward, rubbing the bridge of my nose, hoping to wake my brain faster. “Okay,” I said slowly.
“Don’t ask, but I decided to leave Sarah’s somewhere around five,” he said cautiously. “You know the drill. I slipped out the front door, trying to be quiet, looking around to make sure I didn’t run into anyone—”
“And?” I said, growing impatient.
“I just happened to look over at Jess’s apartment, and I saw Zac leaving.”
I was instantly on my feet. “Are you serious?”
“I am, man,” he said quietly. “And about five minutes after he left, Wyatt came out.”
My mind was racing. What the hell did that mean? Why was Zac at Jess’s? Nausea rolled through my stomach. “I need to get to Jess’s,” I said. “Now.”
Yanking my boxers off, I hurried to pull my jeans on, almost dropping my cell in the process.
“What’s going on, Eli? Is Jess in trouble?”
Tossing the cell onto my bed, I shucked my shirt and grabbed another from my closet, throwing it on haphazardly before scooping my cell back off the bed again. Pressing it to my ear, I stepped into my shoes and headed for the front door. “She better fucking not be, or someone’s going to pay. I’ll call you later. Thanks, man.”
I didn’t wait for him to answer before I ended the call, sliding into my truck and cranking the engine as quickly as I could.
My heart pounded as I raced toward Jess’s apartments. I’d never felt so sick in my life. That sleazy motherfucker! What the fuck did he think he was playing at, going to Jess’s in the middle of the fucking night? If he and Wyatt had drugged her—if either of them had touched her in any way without her knowledge—I was going to fucking lose it.
Coming to a screeching halt in one of the parking spaces, I jumped from the truck and started jogging to her door. Pounding my fist on the green painted surface, I shifted on my feet, nervous energy running rampant through my veins.
The silence that met my ears made my chest tighten. Banging on the door again, I ran my hands through my hair. “Jess!” I was seriously going to give her thirty seconds before I kicked the door in.
“Jess! Open the door!” I yelled. I didn’t give a fuck if I woke the entire complex at this point in time.
I thumped the door again, preparing myself to just barge through it. She had ten seconds. Tensing, I drew my shoulders in and took a step back, but just before I lurched forward, I heard a murmuring on the other side. I knocked, this time a little quieter. “Jess? Is that you? Open the door.”
The mumbling got closer. Then I heard the sound of the lock twisting. Too many seconds later, the door cracked open, and Jess’s disorientated face appeared over the threshold. Scanning her from head to toe, I tried to assess what kind of a condition she was in. Other than incredibly hungover, she looked all right.
“Jess,” I said, relief flowing through my system. “Are you okay?”
She was still frowning at me, obviously trying to work out what the hell I was doing on her doorstep. Slowly, her eyes grew wider, until she blinked up at me with surprise. “Eli?”
I watched her mouth pop open a little before a blush spread to her cheeks. I had no idea what that was about, but I couldn’t think about anything except for her well-being right now. “Can I come in?” I asked, aware that people were starting to stick their heads out their doors to see what was going on.
A slight panic flashed in her eyes, but she eventually nodded and took a step to the side to let me through. Once I was in her living room, she closed the door and made her way to the kitchen, pushing buttons on her coffee machine.
“Jess,” I said, knowing we didn’t have much time if she was drugged. “Why was Zac here last night?”
Her head whipped around so she was facing me, her gaze incredulous. “What are you talking about? Zac wasn’t here last night. It was just me and Wyatt.” Her expression instantly turned confused and she glanced around the apartment. “Well, Wyatt was here,” she said, biting her lip. “I wonder where he went?” she said, obviously talking to herself.
I stepped forward and lightly touched her fingers, my gaze connecting with hers. “Zac was here last night, Jess. Brad saw him leaving around five this morning.”
She pulled her hand away from me and frowned deeper. “Brad?”
I could tell she was struggling to get her thoughts together. I had to remind myself that it would all seem very confusing to her, but it only made me more concerned that she really had been drugged. “He hooked up with someone who lives here,” I said, impatient to get some answers. “He saw Zac leave your apartment when he was leaving hers. Then he saw Wyatt leave five minutes later.”
She shook her head before walking from the kitchen, but she only went as far as the living room before she stopped, turning her body in a dazed circle as she gazed around. After a while, she looked up at me with concern. “I don’t understand.”
Rubbing my hand over my mouth, I tried to think. I had no idea if I was allowed to tell her anything. Noah hadn’t gone into it with me any more than the need to watch Zac. I wanted to call him and ask what my next move should be, but I didn’t have time.
As I stared into Jess’s worried eyes, I realized it didn’t matter. She deserved to know. Fuck the investigation. It was her body. “Jess,” I said, stepping forward. I wanted to take her hand again, but I knew I couldn’t. “Noah came to me the other day and asked me about Zac. He said he’d been seen making an exchange with a known drug dealer.” Her brow creased as she stared at me. Drawing in a deep breath, I continued. “It wasn’t known what kind of drug he may have bought, but Noah had a feeling it was GHB.”
Jess’s expression recoiled. “GHB?”
I nodded, watching her reactions carefully. “He was worried he might be intending to use it to drug a girl to take advantage of her, so he asked if I could keep my eyes open if I saw him.”
Her gaze moved to the kitchen, then the door, then the living room. Her mind was visibly scrambling for answers to the insane words I was feeding her. “Noah thinks Zac’s planning on raping someone?”
“Why don’t you remember him being here last night, Jess?” I asked quietly.
“I was—” she started, before her eyes widened. “I had too much to drink,” she finished, almost too softly for me to hear. “But I didn’t . . . ”
My throat closed in a little. “What do you mean?”
Panic shone in her eyes. “I had two drinks, Eli. Two. But I could barely stand or talk. I passed out as soon as I made it to the couch.”
I felt sick. “Do you . . . do you feel as though anything could’ve happened?” I asked, trying so hard not to clench my hands into fists.
She frowned before glancing down at herself. “I don’t think so,” she said, not sounding entirely certain, though. “I mean, I’m still wearing what I was wearing last night—and they’re jeans, so they’re not necessarily easy to get off and on.”
I looked over her outfit, having to agree with her. Relief flared.
“And,” she said, slipping her fingers into the waistband of her jeans, happiness brightening her face as she pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, “I always keep a twenty here for emergencies. It definitely wouldn’t still be there if I’d been undressed.”
Exhaling, I let my shoulders relax a little more. “Okay,” I
said, agreeing with her. “But that doesn’t mean you weren’t drugged, Jess. I think you should have a test.”
Surprise rounded her eyes. “You do?”
“Jess, if someone drugged you, we have to do something about it. We can’t let them get away with it.”
Her face paled. “We?”
“Yes, we. I’m not just going to walk away from this, Jess. This is serious. It’s illegal. And if it was Zac or Wyatt, then, with their chosen career, it’s even more serious.”
I watched the realization of what it all meant dawn on her. Slowly, she sank down onto the nearest armchair. “But why would Zac want to drug me, Eli? I’m dating his best friend.”
I didn’t want to say it, but she needed to see all of the possibilities to this. “What if Wyatt is in on it, Jess?”
Her mouth dropped open, the depths of her eyes showing me just how much her mind was racing. Something was going on in there. Something that made my words seem plausible. “Okay,” she said, her gaze meeting mine head-on. “I’ll take a drug test.”
Giving her one swift nod, I offered her my hand to take. For her sake, I wanted it all to be a horrid misunderstanding. But, deep down, I already knew what the result was going to be. And I wasn’t sure how she was going to handle it.
Chapter 13
Jess
Standing on the sidewalk, I watched Eli slowly drive away. It had been hard to convince him to leave me here. Harder than I could understand. He seemed to be taking the whole situation so personally, it confused me. I mean, I knew because of Noah and Kaeli we were friends by default, and that implied a certain level of natural concern, but he seemed to be taking it to the extreme. Under normal circumstances, it would’ve given me a giddy little boost, but after the dream I’d had the night before, it kind of freaked me out.
I sighed as I turned to face the school dorms. It wasn’t because I found the idea of doing something naughty with Eli weird. In fact, it was the exact opposite. Eli was like my idea of the perfect guy. I wasn’t a superficial person by any means—I rarely took a person’s appearance into consideration when deciding if I was attracted to them or not. When a guy looked like Eli, though—looked like the entire Murphy clan, really—it was not something you could simply overlook. It was a fact, and there wasn’t anything anyone could do to change that.