Secrets and Desire (Erotic Romance Bundle)

by Dalia Daudelin

  I had a boyfriend in high school. One boyfriend. I was 16, and he was a hitter. He would always tell me, every day, how I was so ugly that I was lucky to have him. And you know what? I was. He was right, because no one else has wanted to come near me since then.

  So, imagine everyone's lack of surprise when, after being asked by my friend Lauren to go to a party, I say no. No, I have laundry and homework to do, and I am really just not feeling great, but thank you for asking and next time I promise!

  I guess I lie a lot too.

  Tonight, though, Lauren insists. "You have to come!" she texts. "If you don't I'll never talk to you again!"

  I roll my eyes. But then I bite my lip. What if she's being serious? How would I know? It's impossible to know the gravity of this situation when it's being experienced through text and I can't lose my best friend or else I'll end up a crazy cat lady who spends all day on Tumblr and 4chan and...

  "Fine! Where do I need to be?" I will hold this against her for a long time, I assure myself while I wait for her to text me back.

  "Just get to my room ASAP, like before 6."

  It's 5:30. Great. Now I have to rush too! I run around my room like a chicken with my head cut off, trying to make sense of this predicament as I change into something more flattering (at least as flattering as something can be on my body). A red top and a long, flowing black skirt later, I glance at the mirror. My hair is a mess. Brushing it and tying it up, I can feel my obsessive frustration with my looks building up, and so I save the time I would be spending melting down and use it to get out of my room and down to Lauren's.

  Marie is in her room with her, her hair in a tight bun, and she's wearing a short red dress that shows off her thin, amazing legs. Lauren allows her hair to stay down. She's dressed in jeans and a tank top that shows off her obscenely large breasts. But I suppose, she could wear a burlap sack and it would show off her obscenely large breasts.

  "I'm glad you decided to come!" Marie says, in a short of fake-happy tone. She throws her arms around me and hugs me. I know she's never enjoyed being around me, which is par for the course.

  "So," Lauren starts. "The party is at the local club. It should be great, lots of hot frat guys." She grins at me as if this is meant to make me excited. I am not excited. She waits, ever patient, for me to grin, but before long she just moves on. She puts on makup, and ushers me along as we head towards the club.

  It's loud and obnoxious in here, as expected. The music is so loud that I can barely here Lauren say she'll grab us drinks. I follow Marie to a table, neither of us talking to each other at all. She eyes the room, in a manner that reminds me of a lion surveying for prey. As soon as Lauren sits down with 3 drinks, Marie leaps up and pounces on a wildebeest. Or a man. Whichever.

  "See anyone interesting?" My best friend asks me, and I shake my head with a sarcastic look on my face. She laughs. "Let me know if you do, I'll introduce you."

  She tries her hardest to support me, turning down a few offers to dance. But before long it gets to be too much, and I urge her to go and have fun. I sit, alone, drinking a Bloody Mary and watching everyone around me. Dancing, gyrating their bodies like they're possessed.

  I feel a presence behind me, and I turn to try and figure out what it is. Standing behind me with a sheepish smile on his face, is some guy who looks vaguely familiar to me. And then I realize he's in my Calculus class.

  "Hey, sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. I just say you sitting alone, and thought you might like someone to chat with."

  I am suspicious of his motives. Maybe Marie had sent him over to mock me, or Lauren had for pity. Either way, I wasn't buying it. "No, I'm fine. You can go." He almost looks genuinely hurt by my blowing him off. His puppy dog eyes pull me in, and I immediately feel bad for being so flippant. I'm about to apologize, but he starts in first.

  "I mean... I can go if you want. But I've seen you in Calculus and you're always so quiet, and you seem kind of sad. I thought you could use a friend."

  I sigh and shrug, which makes him immediately perk up as he sits in the chair next to me. "My name is Nathan!" We make small talk, discussing Calculus, and then my friends, and he talks about how he doesn't really have a ton a friends either. Which is complete bull- he talks to everyone in our class. For a few moments, we're silent while I watch Lauren laugh and flirt with some guy whose head is the same size as his neck. Gross.

  Turning back to Nathan, I find him staring at me. When he realizes I've caught him, he grins sheepishly. "Sorry! I've just... I've never seen such a beautiful girl look so sad all the time."

  I roll my eyes. Either he's blind or trolling me, and I'm not having it. "I need to go home," I say, standing up.

  "Hey- wait! Let me walk you home at least. It's not safe to be out alone with all these drunk douchebags running around looking for a conquest."

  I shrug and head to the door. I know he's following me. He seems like a nice guy, so I'm not too worried about it. I just can't deal with being in that fucking club anymore. He's right, too. The whole way back to the dorms is littered with drunk douchebags, most of whom leave me alone. One, however, has beer goggles on, and starts grabbing at me and shouting.

  "Pretty girl, why don't you come back to my dorm?"

  "No, get lost." I don't have the patience for this shit.

  "Come on, don't be frigid. Come back with me." He's slurring and getting angry, grabbing my wrist and holding it so tight that it hurts. Like a flash, Nathan punches the drunk square in the mouth. He falls to the ground. "What the fuck, dude!"

  "Don't touch women like that, you piece of shit." He puts his arm behind my back, ushering me into the building and away from the crazies. I'm visibly shaken. We reach my room, and he helps me unlock the door and makes sure I get in okay. "Will you be okay?"

  I nod. For a brief moment, I look up into his eyes again. They are so sad. Exactly like a puppy's. He really is a handsome guy. "Do you wanna come in? I could make us some tea." That perks him up.

  He sits down at my desk while I get the tea ready. His eyes wander around the room. I keep it clean, but my desk is a different story. My homework is all over the place, and I have my computer open to a forum I go on.

  "So," he starts. "Why did you get so upset when I called you beautiful?"

  My shoulders slump, but I compose myself and take his tea to him. If I throw it at him, I'll probably ruin my computer. Tough call. I choose saving my computer over scalding him.

  "Because I'm not."

  "Yes you are."

  I glare at him. "Get out if you're just going to make fun of me."

  "I'm not making fun of you!" He looks absolutely incredulous. It's nice to be complimented, but I can't help feeling this a trick somehow.

  "What do you want from me?"

  A sigh, and a glance into my eyes that melts my heart just a little bit. "I've just wanted to get to know you all semester. You're, so far, the only normal person I've met at this college. You're not vapid, or annoying, or a drunk. And it breaks my heart," he stands up and takes my hands into his, staring deep into my eyes with a passion that takes my breath away. "It absolutely breaks my heart that you can't see how beautiful you are." He leans in. Slowly. I feel as if I'm being pulled by a magnet, my eyes closing, my lips parting.

  The kiss we have is the stuff of romance novels. It's pure, and beautiful, and it makes my toes curl. My heart pounds. His hand finds the small of my back and pulls me closer, the kiss only growing in intensity. I can't breathe. I know I'm shaking. I feel his tongue dance on my lower lip, and I allow him to invade my mouth. Our tongues meet and dance while his hand goes lower down my back. Breaking the embrace, he sweeps some of my hair behind my ear and smiles.

  "I find you absolutely breathtaking. Even if you can't see it." He kisses me softly.

  "I don't believe you..." I say, my voice breaking as I try to catch my breath and make since of this strange turn my life has taken. This isn't at all what I expected from my night. This isn't what I expected fr
om my life. I thought, maybe I'd one day meet a socially inept man to 'sweep me off my feet' and we'll marry out of convenience. I never thought I'd have such a romantic experience. I never thought I'd allow myself to melt into the arms of a man I've just met. And yet, here I am. And here Nathan is. I close my eyes, swooning a bit. Nathan holds me close and safe while I listen to his heart beat. Slightly faster than normal. Maybe he really does have feelings for me.

  He takes me back to the bed, laying me down while he kisses me. "If you want... and I understand if you're not interested, but I would love to prove to you how beautiful I think you are. Just touching you sets my skin on fire." He pauses, thinking, searching for the right words. "Every inch of me yearns to be closer to you, and to know every inch of you."

  That's about the point I started to have a complete meltdown. What do I do? Oh god what if he thinks my boobs look weird. Oh god what if I'm different down there. Oh god what if he's still trolling me. Oh god. Oh g- he's kissing me again. It's nice. Calming, even. He's warm, and makes me feel safe.

  He pulls his head up and looks at me questioningly, and I nod in what I hope is consent for whatever he has planned. He lips on mine, his hand tickling up and down my arm. Slowly, he caresses my jaw line, pressing his body against mine. His hands move to my breasts, which feels nice. Better than I expected. We never stop kissing as he kneads and massages my breasts gently over my shirt.

  Helping me to sit up, he pulls my shirt up over my head, his lips fluttering like butterflies on my neck as he unsnaps my bra and pulls it off. My boobs hang loose, the cool air of my room causing my nipples to stand up. His hands find and pinch them, which makes me gasp. "Did that hurt?" He asks.

  "No... I liked it." I smile, and he laughs a bit before going back to kissing my neck. He adds a few soft bites in there as well. His fingers wander over every bit of my breasts, chest, back and stomach, my skin electrified by his touch. I moan, softly, not wanting to be obnoxious.

  He starts to kiss down my neck, to my collar bone, down my cleavage, stopping at my right nipple. There's a moment where nothing happens, then suddenly his cold, slippery tongue on my nipple makes me jump a bit. He laughs as he continues to lick and suck at my brown nub, giving me pleasure I've never imagined. His hand wanders down, pulling up my skirt as he kneads my thigh. He inches up, higher and higher, until he reaches my panty line. I shiver in anticipation.

  Over my panties, he massages my mound. My moans get louder while he switches his mouth to my other breast, rubbing me just hard enough to stimulate me. My panties are getting soaked, and I realize that I need him to touch me more. On my clitoris.

  "Please," I beg, my fingers running through his hair as he pleasures my nipple. "Give me more."

  Not needing to be told twice, he slips his hand under the hem of my panties and finds my slippery slit. He runs his finger up and down it, circling around my clit and driving me wild. As his finger slips into my hole, I coo and lay back to enjoy the ride, completely surrendering myself to him.

  His thick finger explores my inner depths, working me up to a huge climax. I gyrate my pelvis to get more from this finger fucking. When I cum, it hits me like a ton of bricks and takes me by surprise. I'm certain that anyone in the dorm could have heard my screams of ecstasy, barely muffled by Nathan's smiling mouth. As I come down from the clouds, I find him chuckling and kissing me. I smile and laugh with him. I guess I feel comfortable with him now.

  He's rubbing his bulge through his pants. I help him unbutton and unzip them, and watch as he pulls them down. He has a hot body. My eyebrows fly up and I gasp a bit as I realize his penis is easily 7 inches. He repositions himself below me, rubbing my clit with his thumb as I squirm under his touch. He positions the head of his cock at my folds and slowly, gently enters me.

  I'm a virgin. Did I mention that? The pain is unbearable for a few seconds as I adjust to his size and to the loss of my cherry. He kisses me while he waits for me to be ready for more, sweetly and softly reassuring me. Calling me beautiful, and perfect. As my body goes limp, he pushes his cock deeper in me, making me gasp not from pain but from absolute pleasure as he bottoms out on my cervix. He pulls almost completely out, before thrusting back into me, over and over and over again. I wrap my legs around him, pushing him deeper into my tunnel and bringing myself closer to my second orgasm. The room is filled with the sound of our panting and my moaning, getting louder and louder. We both stiffen, as we climax at the same time, his cum spilling into my womb and helping me to have 3 orgasms in a row. He collapses next to me, planting and smiling from ear to ear. Turning to him, I kiss his cheek, and he holds me in his arms as we fall asleep. The last thing I hear before I lose consciousness is "I love you".

  I wake up the next morning, and Nathan is still there next to me. I wasn't dreaming. This gorgeous boy really did call me beautiful, and really did have sex with me. I check under the sheets.

  Yep, and he's really 7 inches.

  His eyes flutter open, and we smile at each other for a few moments. He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear before pulling me down for a kiss.

  Brainwashed

  A New Adult Romantic Horror Story

  Dalia Daudelin

  ONE

  There are secrets about the world, about the people in charge, that you don't know about. No one could possibly blame you for not knowing, since they do everything in their power to keep it hidden. Fire burns paper, and if given enough time memories can even be erased from the internet.

  But when your life goes to hell, when your gift is used to blackmail you, not knowing can get you killed. Or worse.

  On the border between Oregon and Washington, there is a small city surrounded on all sides by a forest. The city is young and new, an affluent area created for safety and security.

  Under the pressure of the mayor, and to keep up appearances, house prices have skyrocketed. Officials meet with banks and decide that loans are only to be given under the obligation that they be paid off in full within 2 years. As you can imagine, that keeps the poor folk out.

  Those who can afford to live in the city call the forest surrounding their metropolis Prison Forest. The name was made popular by an actress who was pulled into the forest and raped by an escaped prisoner. Since then, anyone who lives in the forest is assumed to be a criminal, and all escapees run to the solitude of the trees to hide.

  Between the forest and the city is a small trailer park, housing those who simply can't afford to live in the city but also can't afford to leave. There are people from many backgrounds living there: families, single parents, lonely elders, orphans. They mostly live quiet lives, drinking themselves to an early death and making room for the next poor bastard.

  These people are only allowed into the city for work or school. They're not lawless, or bad, but they are feared for their proximity to the forest. Their children are bullied and their parents are persecuted.

  Most of the food that comes into this trailer park is from the government. Old rice, old beans, and old bread. The lack of meat is made up by fishing in the river that runs down the middle of the trailer park and into the Pacific Ocean.

  Melanie Green has lived here since she was born. Her grandparents lost their house in a fire when her mother was very young, and this is where she met Mel's father. They worked hard, sometimes 60 or more hours a week, trying to afford a house somewhere away from the trailer park. They could never afford it, nor the permit to another, more affordable county. They lived out their lives here, and birthed 3 children here.

  Her eyes tracing over the beautiful boy sitting next to her, Mel watches as his emerald green eyes dart to keep track of a dragonfly that has caught his interest. His light brown hair is tousled and wild from a day of running through the trees, trying to hunt a deer. A slow smile creeps across his face, the same knowing smile that always makes Mel wonder what secrets he's holding, or if he can maybe hear her thoughts.

  His warm, smooth hand flutters lightly across the skin of her arm. Goosebumps
rise to the surface and she shivers.

  It is nearly dusk, and flying insects are skittering across the river. A few land on the cattails or on the rocks stocking out of the soft current of the river. An occasional coo from a mourning dove echos through the trees. A squirrel dashes about through the grass and digs in the dirt for seeds and nuts. These signs of life are almost a mockery of the silence beneath the water. The fish aren't biting.

  Mel's eyes fall, looking at the contrast of her dark skin against his skin like fresh snowfall.

  Today is the first day of summer break. The two love birds have been fishing for most of the afternoon, hoping to bring in enough food in one day to take tomorrow off. Both will enter their last year of school in a few short months before they'll have to try to find someplace that will hire scroungers like them.

  Mel lays back on the grass, watching the clouds pass over them through the tree leaves. Disappointment threatens her happiness, but she's strong from years of disappointment. The only thing that upsets her is the idea of her siblings not getting a full meal.

  The two remain silent like this, Mel's soul being eaten by the blackest depression, Jake with a slight smile. He stares into the dark water for what seems like an eternity.

  The night creeps ever closer. Though they've always lived near the forest, she still fears it in the dark. She's about to stand up and declare the whole thing a bust, but before she can Jake leaps up and laughs. He pulls at his fishing pole, stepping back and reeling in whatever caught his line.

  Mel pushes herself up and watches him bring in a huge fish. It's big enough to feed himself and his mother and brother, easily.

  “Mel, look! It's huge!” He spins to show his girlfriend the fish, his hair dancing playfully across his forehead. His dirty and oversized shirt blows against him in a sudden wind.

  She opens her mouth to congratulate him, but from the corner of her eye she notices her own fishing pole sliding towards the river!