by J. S. Cooper
Nancy was a stupid girl with no common sense. I was angry at her. I'd met foolish women before, but she had absolutely no common sense and no protective instincts. The fact that she’d been cozied up with Hunter in the hallway told me that. I had no idea what his game was, but I had a feeling that I knew what was going on. My only decision was whether I was going to let Nancy go down that road.
My number-one rule was to never let a woman affect me in any way. If I thought they were getting too close, I backed away. I wasn't looking for any hassle. I'd never had to worry about getting too close to them. It had never happened. I didn't think it was possible. I'd never been in love.
I also never let a woman get close enough to affect my own decisions. My life would only become complicated if I let a woman in. I didn’t even want to let Nancy in. I didn’t want to care that she was on a path to hell. A path that had been set in motion by me. A path that was to be the ultimate revenge. I didn’t want to feel like this—with this half regret and doubt.
I just needed to fuck her. I needed her to relent to me completely. Once I had her, she’d be out of my system and then I wouldn’t care what happened to her. She was nothing to me, and I wasn’t going to let her big brown eyes make me think anything else.
Chapter Four
Nancy
"I'm here to talk to you." I practiced knocking on his door and walking into his room. "Jaxon, I'm here to talk to you." I stared at myself in the mirror with a stern face. "Don't touch me. I don't want to sleep with you." I stared at my reflection and sighed. Even I wasn't fooling myself. I wasn't sure why I was so attracted to Jaxon, even knowing that he was a shady liar. "I'm here to talk," I started again and frowned. "Tell me the truth." I glared into the mirror.
"Who are you talking to?" Amber walked into my room, with Shannon following close behind her.
“Good morning to you both as well.” I turned around and gave them both a quick smile.
“So, do tell about your hottie of a teacher.” Amber jumped on the bed and grinned at me. “Spill all the details.”
“Amber.” Shannon made a face and rolled her eyes.
“Don’t even pretend like you weren’t just agreeing that he’s hot as fuck.” Amber raised an eyebrow at her. “Shit, he could fuck me and—”
“Amber.” I put my hand up and stopped her. “Really?”
“Really.” She laughed and lay back. “So have you fucked him yet?”
“Of course not!” I exclaimed in an appalled tone. There was no need for her to know just how close we’d come.
“Waste.” She shook her head. “If he were my teacher, my clothes would have fallen off within five minutes and I would have slipped and fallen on top of his dick.”
“Well, that’s a pity he’s not your teacher then,” I snapped, starting to get annoyed at Amber’s comments. “How is your teacher?”
“Keenan’s a chump.” She made a face.
“Oh?”
“He says I’m too aggressive.” She sat up. “I told him he was lucky that I was willing to suck his cock when he didn’t manscape.”
“Manscape?”
“His balls are hairy. He needs to shave and make it clean and smooth. I’m not down for the fuzz. I want smooth. I bet Jaxon is hung and smooth.” She sighed and then winked at me.
“I wouldn’t know.” I shrugged.
“Let me know when you find out. I’m thinking he’s about eight inches. Hmm hmm, good.” She wriggled in my bed, and I looked at Shannon, who was standing there, looking embarrassed as hell.
“So how’s it going with, Hunter?” I asked Shannon softly, and she blushed.
“Fine.” She bit her lower lip and looked away from me.
“You can tell me. It’s fine.” I gave her a reassuring smile. Now that I knew Hunter remembered and wanted me, I wasn’t as worried that he was with Shannon.
“Oh. Well, we haven’t done anything. He said he wants to work on my self-confidence first. He said if I don’t have confidence, I can never be a seductress.”
“Oh, sure. That makes sense.” I smiled to myself. I was confident that Hunter was just telling her that because he didn’t want to cheat on me.
I felt my stomach turning slightly as I realized that I’d already cheated on him. But it wasn’t like we were committed. He’d pretended like he didn’t even know me. I froze for a second as I realized that I might still have gone ahead with Jaxon even if Hunter had known me. There was something about Jaxon that was hard to resist. I wasn’t sure what that said about me and my feelings for Hunter.
“He’s cute. I see why you like him,” Shannon spoke softly, and I could see a faint red blush on her face.
“Do you like him?” I leaned forward to more clearly look at her face.
“I don’t know him.” She looked away from me in a telling manner.
I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to tell her that I didn’t mind, but I wasn’t sure where that was coming from. Of course I minded. Hunter was supposed to be mine. I didn’t want anyone else taking him away from me.
Amber spoke up. “Maybe you two can swap teachers. And then I can swap with Shannon. Shit, if I could have Jaxon in my bed, I’d be dropping it like it’s hot.”
“What?” I looked at her, barely able to hide my annoyance.
She jumped up off of the bed and started dancing and bending over to the ground. I watched as she moved her butt up and down and then looked at Shannon.
“Amber thinks she’s a rap video queen.” Shannon gave me a half-smile, and I laughed.
We both watched Amber dancing to the rap song in her head, and I wondered if she wasn’t a bit crazy.
“Guys like it when you drop it like it’s hot.” Amber jumped back up and slapped her ass. “Show’s them what you’re working with.”
“I see.” I gave her a weak smile.
“Don’t you believe me?” Amber looked down at me ass and laughed. “I guess you’ve got a flat ass, so you wouldn’t know.”
“I don’t have a flat ass.” I frowned.
“Well, you’re not accentuating anything else.” She gave me a superior look. “A guy likes to know that you can back that ass up good.”
“Another rap song.” Shannon rolled her eyes.
“Oh.” I grinned. “I guess I need to listen to more rap.”
Amber’s eyes lit up. “We should all go to a club.”
“Why don’t you work on that?” I sighed. “I’ve got something to do.”
All of a sudden, nerves hit me again. I was worried and anxious to go and talk to Jaxon. I wanted to know the truth, but I was scared. I was scared that he wasn’t going to tell me the truth, and I was scared that he was going to tell me. All of a sudden, I wished that I were back home, playing with Harry and talking to Meg and Katie about the wedding.
“Are you kicking us out?” Amber looked annoyed, and I smiled to myself.
I was pretty sure that Amber had thought she was the alpha dog among us girls. And maybe she could boss Shannon around and do what she wanted, but I wasn’t as silent as I looked. And I sure wasn’t a pushover. Not anymore.
“Sorry, girls. Don’t mean to be rude, but we’ll catch up later.”
“Come on, Shannon. Let’s go where we’re wanted.” Amber tossed her hair and headed towards the door. “We’ll see you later, Nancy.”
“See you girls.” I smiled at Shannon as she left the room and grinned at myself in the mirror as soon as they’d exited my room. Score one for me.
I was finally being authoritative and sticking up for myself. I only hoped that I wouldn’t crumble as soon as I came into contact with Jaxon.
***
I quickly walked out of my room and hurried to Jaxon’s room before I could think about what I was doing. I didn’t want to give myself any opportunity to back down or freak out over my confrontation. I didn’t even bother to knock on his door before I entered, though that was based on principle. He never knocked on my door, so why should I knock on his?
/> "I want to talk to you." I pulled my cardigan across my chest and folded my arms as I walked into his room.
"Talk." He looked at me, unblinking, his face blank.
This wasn't what I'd expected. He wasn't giving me ‘I want to fuck you’ eyes or trying to touch me. He wasn’t asking me why I had just barged into his room without knocking,
"I came back to your room last night," I started, but he didn't say anything. "I saw you and your dad talking." His eyes flashed briefly, but still he didn't say anything. "I heard you as well." I paused and rounded my shoulders. "And I want to know what the fuck is going on?" My voice rose as I grew angry at his lack of response.
His lips twitched then.
I frowned at him."This is no laughing matter."
"What the fuck is going on?" He smirked as he finally spoke and repeated my words.
I got straight to the point. "Did you target me on the train or did you know who I was before the train?"
"Target you for what?" He tilted his head to the side.
"You tell me." I pushed my fingers into his chest.
"Couldn't resist huh?" He took a step towards me.
"Resist what?" I swallowed hard as he took another step.
"Touching me." He grabbed my fingers and pulled me towards him. "You want me."
"I want to know what's going on." My breath caught as I felt his body next to mine, warm and hard.
I should have known he would try and use our chemistry to distract me from why I was here. His body was playing games with me and my brain was quickly forgetting to be angry and afraid.
"What's it worth to you?"
I blinked up at him. "What's what worth?"
"The truth."
"The truth?"
"About why you're here." His face darkened as his hands fell to my ass and pushed me into him.
"Of course I want to know the truth." I stared into his eyes, unflinching.
"How badly?" He shifted and I felt his bulge pressing into my stomach hard.
I refused to take the bait. "I want to know."
"If I tell you, you have to do something for me."
I bit my lower lip. "What?"
"You have to spend the day and night with me and do what I want."
"I'm not going to have sex with you."
"I never force anyone to have sex with me."
"Then what?"
"You'll see."
"I don't know." I shook my head. Could I really trust him?
"I'm not going to hurt you." His fingers ran down my arms. "Think of it as a part of your training."
"What training?" I frowned.
"How to please me."
"How to please you?" I looked up at him in surprise, and I could tell from the look on his face that he hadn't meant to say that.
"How to please a man," he corrected himself with a frown.
"How to please Hunter?" I smiled slowly, wanting to see his reaction.
"No." His eyes flashed and his fingers tightened on my arms.
"No what?"
"Hunter is not the one for you." He shook his head angrily. “Why are women always so dumb?”
“Are you calling me dumb?”
“You’re not the first woman who has been young and dumb, and I’m pretty sure you won’t be the last either.”
“I’m not dumb.”
“You’re not very smart either.”
“Stop changing the subject. This isn’t about me and Hunter.”
“Do you think Hunter would like to know you’ve been kissing me?” He grinned. “And touching me? And allowing me to touch you? What do you think he’d think about the lap dance you gave me?”
“I’m sure he’d laugh,” I spoke slowly and licked my lips. “I’m sure he’d have been able to make me come.”
“Bitch.” Jaxon’s eyes narrowed as he stared at me.
“Really?” It was my turn to tilt my head. “I thought bitches were allowed to come as well, or is that not allowed here?”
“You’re feistier than first appearances led me to believe.” He shook his head as he stared at me. “You’ve more fire than I thought.”
“You shouldn’t play with fire.” I smiled. “You might get burned.”
“Small fires shouldn’t play with big fires.” He leaned towards me and whispered against my lips, “A big fire can consume a small fire in seconds.” His lips pressed gently against mine. “Before you know where you are, there’s nothing left of the small fire.”
“Maybe a small fire is ready to take that risk,” I whispered back, allowing my tongue to lightly run across his lower lip. “No matter the size of the fire, you get too close, you’re going to get burned.”
“Are you saying you’re going to burn me, Nancy?”
“Are you saying you’re going to consume me, Jaxon?”
“I’ve already consumed you, Nancy. You just haven’t realized it yet.”
“What game are you playing?”
“Do we have a deal?” He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the couch.
“Yes.” I nodded, not caring what I was agreeing to. I needed to know the truth.
“You’re not being targeted per se.” His eyes stared at me with no emotions. “My father is after your dad.”
“Brandon?” I frowned.
“Yes, my father is after Brandon Hastings.” He nodded.
“Why?”
“Why else?” He shrugged. “Revenge.”
“And he’s using me to get it?”
“No, he’s using me.”
“How?”
“He’s using me to use you.”
“Why would you tell me this?”
“I don’t want to use you.” He shrugged. “Whatever I get from you has to be given of your own volition.”
“You think I’m just going to let you do things to me after you’ve told me I’m here for revenge?” I jumped off the bed. “You’re crazy.”
“You promised me that we had a deal.”
“I lied.” I stared at him for a few seconds, not moving. “Why does your dad want revenge on Brandon?”
“I thought you were going to leave.”
“If I were smart, I’d leave.”
“So you’re not smart?” His lips twitched.
“Maybe you’re not smart. Why would you tell me why I were here?”
“Because I know you’re not going to leave.” He shrugged. “You’re already too invested.”
“I came for Hunter,” I spat out, not wanting him to think that I was going to stay because of him. “And he knows me.”
“Yes, he knows you.” He nodded.
“I’ve never done this before.” I took a deep breath. I was confused and overwhelmed. I hadn’t expected Jaxon to be so up-front with me. I knew I should leave the academy and never come back, but I didn’t want to.
“Neither have I.”
“What do you mean?” I looked up at him in confusion.
“I’ve never seduced someone I like.”
“You like me?” I ignored the seduced part of his sentence. I didn’t want to think too closely about the lust running through my body.
“Don’t let it go to your head.” He frowned.
I grinned at him. “As if I would.”
“Your lips are like fire.” He jumped up, leaned forward, and kissed me.
“Because of my red lipstick?” I asked after kissing him back lightly. There was something so potent about kissing him.
“No.”
“Then why?”
“Because when I kiss you, you burn right through to my soul.”
My heart froze at his words. “What do you mean?”
“Your heat has my internal organs out of sorts.”
“Maybe you do have a heart after all.” I smiled at him gently. Maybe that was why he had told me. Maybe a part of him cared about me, even in this short amount of time.
“More like a hard-on.”
I shook my head. “You’re disgusting.”
&n
bsp; “And you love it.” He grinned and leaned forward to kiss me again.
“Tell me why your dad wants revenge against Brandon.”
“Your dad is a hypocrite and a cheat.”
“Why?”
“How much do you know about you dad?” His eyes glossed over. “I understand you just recently met him.”
“So you do know about my past?” I stepped back from him. “You did know me on the train.”
“I knew you on the train.” He nodded. “I knew you when you walked to the train station. I knew you when you received the letters.”
“You’re Mr. X?”
He nodded. “Disappointed?”
“I thought it was Hunter.”
“I know.”
“How?” I nibbled my lower lip and shivered. “This is really creepy. You’re really creepy. You’re a fucking stalker.”
“You love fucking, don’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You love to use the word fucking. Fucking this, fucking that.”
“You’ll never hear the words me fucking you though.” I smiled at him sweetly, and he pulled me towards him roughly. My breasts crushed against his chest and my breath caught. “What are you doing?” I gasped as his hands roughly squeezed my ass.
“I’m waiting.”
“For what?”
“For you to beg me,” he whispered in my ear, and then I felt his teeth nibbling on my earlobe. “I’ve told you before, Nancy, but I’m going to tell you again. I’m going to love watching you beg me to fuck you.”
Chapter Five
Jaxon
Nancy’s mouth dropped open as I massaged her firm ass. She squirmed against me, and I had to stop myself from pushing her onto the ground and undoing my zipper. Sex would be the undoing of Nancy, just as it was with all women. I’d lulled her into a false sense of security by letting her know some of the truth. It was bound to come out at some point. Now that I’d proactively told her the truth, she would have some sense of trust towards me.
She’d be stupid to trust me—especially after I’d told her that my father was after revenge. Any smart person would have fled and not looked back. However, Nancy—like most women—had a false sense of confidence. I never understood why women trusted so easily, even when blatantly confronted with the truth. I couldn’t name how many women I’d told that I wasn’t looking for a relationship. How many times I’d said, “I don’t love you.” How many times I’d never called. Yet they always came back for more. Always expected something to be different. I didn’t understand why women didn’t believe men when we told them that we were wolves.