Inked Armor

by Helena Hunting

  I grabbed him by his receding hairline; the comb-over gave me perfect leverage. I jerked his head up. “Do you understand?”

  His eyes bulged and his mouth moved, but no sound came out. Eventually he nodded. I let go of his hair, trapping him in the chair as I leaned over him, holding the USB stick in front of me. “Do you know what’s on this?”

  “Miss Page—” he rasped.

  “Yes or no.”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. So you’re aware of how fucked you are if this happens to get out.”

  “You can’t prove—”

  “It wasn’t a question, and it wasn’t rhetorical, fuckhead—so shut up and listen. This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to recommend that Tenley be paired with a different adviser, one who specializes in deviant behaviors. I know there’s more than one female professor in the department who’s willing to take on a new student; I’ve already checked into it. You will not recommend her to another male adviser, or I will come back here and beat the living fuck out of you. If Tenley tells me that you so much as looked at her, I will come back and beat the fuck out of you. And if you touch her again, so help me God, I will rip your dick off and feed it to you.

  “Now, I’m not sure what your problem is with Tenley’s thesis, but I think you will find, if you take a closer look, that she has been nothing but thorough and eloquent. Her connections to Merton, Routledge, and Thoreau are cohesive and provide an in-depth exploration of cultural norms and deviations, primarily based on, but not limited to, Strain Theory, Functional Structuralism, and Conflict Theory. I could go into greater detail, but I don’t think I need to, since you won’t be her adviser anymore.”

  Professor Assface looked at me as if I had two heads, his mouth opening and closing like an idiot.

  “You look surprised. I can run circles around you, you dumb fuck. Just because I don’t choose to fit in with the general masses doesn’t mean I have a subpar intellect.”

  When I grabbed a pen off his desk, he jumped and squeaked. I assumed he thought I was going to stab him with it, which I wanted to do. I jotted down the names of the professors I’d researched while Tenley was away, in case something like this happened. “This should help get you started. Someone other than you will call Tenley when a new adviser has been appointed.”

  “What about the video?” he asked.

  “What about it?”

  “What are you going to do with it?”

  “That’s a very good question, now, isn’t it? If the board got wind of your behavior, you’d lose your tenure, wouldn’t you? Not to mention your wife.” I tapped the ashtray with the wedding band tossed carelessly inside. “Unless she’s down with you fucking your students?”

  His expression told me she had no clue as to what he was doing.

  I smiled maliciously. “Just thought I’d ask. I suppose it would be in your best interest to get your ass in gear and start making phone calls, then. You might also want to consider keeping your dick in your pants. You’d be amazed at how quickly rumors spread—especially when they’re vetted through YouTube.”

  I rose, towering over him in all his pathetic, sniveling assholeness. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very distraught girlfriend to attend to because of you.”

  I let myself out and texted Tenley as soon as I made it to the end of the hall. She wasn’t waiting in the lounge as I thought she might be, which meant she was sufficiently upset to follow my directions and wait for me in the lobby. I punched the button for the elevator, wanting to get to her as soon as I could.

  I wasn’t worried about Calder’s calling security. He had too much to lose. Even after he followed through with my demands, I was going to encourage Tenley to bring that recording to the attention of his superiors. That dick needed to lose his job.

  The doors of the elevator slid open and a familiar-looking blonde stepped out. I’d seen her coming out of Dr. Douche’s office before. She clearly hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the building. As she recovered from the shock, her eyes moved over my face and she smiled in a way that was meant to be sexy. It came off as insecure, which was exactly what Calder was looking for.

  I moved aside to let her pass. She glanced over her shoulder as I stepped into the elevator. I put my hand out to stop the door from closing.

  “I recognize you,” I said. “Calder’s your adviser?”

  She seemed confused by the question. “Um, no, my prof, but hopefully next year . . . How—”

  “People know you’re fucking him.”

  Her horror was the last thing I saw before the doors closed.

  16

  TENLEY

  Hayden burst out of the elevators and into the main lobby. “Let’s get out of here.”

  He grabbed my hand, pulled me up out of the chair, and headed for the door. I practically had to run to keep up with him. His jaw was clenched, eyes blazing. When we reached the car, he helped me in and went around to his side without a word. He slipped the key in the ignition and turned the engine over.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Mostly, yes.”

  “He put his hands on you.”

  “I told him I knew he was having sex with a student, and he threatened to have me ejected from the program. He also said if I brought the information forward, he would make it impossible for me to secure another adviser. So I played the video from my phone. He tried to take it from me.”

  Hayden took several deep breaths, his hands flexing and releasing on the steering wheel as he stared out the windshield. I couldn’t get a gauge on anything but his anger, and my own emotions were pretty frayed.

  “What happened after that?”

  “I opened the door. You were there.”

  Finally he looked over at me. “That’s everything?”

  “He grabbed my arm to get the phone, but he didn’t have a very good grip so he ended up just getting my sleeve instead.”

  “You’ll have a different adviser by the beginning of the new semester.”

  “What? How is that possible? It takes months to arrange something like that.”

  “Calder will figure it out; otherwise, he believes the video will go to the board.”

  “It should go to the board regardless.” If Calder had done this to me and that other girl, he’d probably done it before and would do it again.

  “Yeah—but first I want that fucker to find you a new adviser. Then you can knock his house of cards down.”

  Hayden pulled out his phone and made a call. “Hey, Lisa.” His tone was clipped. “What time is my first appointment? . . . And the next one? . . . Can you reschedule the one for noon and leave the block empty? I’m going to be late. . . . Uh-huh. . . . No. . . . Yeah.” He hung up.

  “You didn’t have to reschedule your first client. I’m okay.”

  “I’m not.”

  “He didn’t hurt me.”

  “He could have. If I hadn’t been there, he might have tried to.” Hayden reached out and touched my cheek. His fingers trembled, as he fought to stay in control of his emotions.

  “But you were there, so it’s okay,” I said, hoping to soothe him.

  “I’m taking you home.”

  “You don’t need to do that. Do you want to stop somewhere first? We could get a bite to eat.”

  “I’m not particularly hungry.”

  “It might make you feel better.”

  “There’s only one thing that’s going to make me feel better.” His dark gaze raked over me. “And while I’m perfectly content to fuck you in the backseat, I’d much prefer to do it in the comfort of my bed, because I don’t think I have it in me to be very gentle.”

  “I see,” I said calmly, even though I was anything but. “We should probably go home, then.”

  “That would be best.” Hayden shifted the car into gear, his eyes moving to the road.

  We were finally done with the sex hiatus.

  Hayden could have broken the sound barrier on the way home.
The tires squealed as we pulled into the underground parking garage and he slid neatly into his spot. I was out of the car and beelining for the elevator before he had the key out of the ignition. I had every intention of capitalizing on his primal desire.

  “Someone’s eager.” Hayden’s chest brushed against my back when he pushed the button for the elevator.

  It dinged a few seconds later and the doors opened. Impatient, I catapulted inside. Hayden followed at a leisurely pace, enjoying my anticipation. Heedless of how desperate I came across, I pushed the button for the second floor and punched CLOSE DOORS until they finally responded.

  Hayden leaned against the opposite wall, his fingers curled around the rail. His grip seemed to be the only thing that kept him from taking me to the floor.

  “I shouldn’t have waited this long.” His tongue ring peeking out to slide over his bottom lip and click against the viper bite.

  I must have looked as worked up as I felt because his mouth turned up in a cocky grin and he pushed away from the rail. He stalked across the small space in two long strides and stopped in front of me, close but not touching.

  With lazy fingers he undid the buttons on my coat, parting the sides to reveal my dress. It no longer conformed to my curves, having been stretched out in my altercation with Professor Calder.

  The elevator chimed, signaling our arrival on the second floor. Hayden motioned for me to exit. His palm settled on my low back, guiding me down the hall. As soon as we were inside his condo, I found myself pressed against the wall. Hayden’s mouth covered mine and he pushed my coat over my shoulders.

  “You have no idea what I’m going to do to you.”

  It was a warning and a plea. We needed each other on the most basic level. It was that simple.

  “Are you healed enough?” One hand slipped between my legs. “Please tell me this is okay.”

  “It’s been long enough.” I rocked against his palm, testing out the friction.

  “Thank fuck.”

  Not interested in preliminaries, he pulled my dress up to my hips and broke the kiss to get it over my head. It joined my coat on the floor. His breath left him in a rush as he exposed the pale blue bra covered in a tiny-cupcake print. Hayden’s calm composure broke as he traced the hot-pink lace edge with fingers that shook.

  “How much more of this cupcake stuff do you have?”

  “Let’s just say my shopping trip with the girls was theme oriented.” I pulled down the zipper on his coat.

  “That’s very good to hear.”

  He kissed me again, slow and deep, walking me backward down the hall to his bedroom. Light filtered through the half-open curtains, leaving nothing in shadow. When we reached the bed, I lifted myself onto the edge. Hayden didn’t waste any time as he rid me of my tights, tossing them on the floor. I returned the favor by tugging his shirt over his head.

  “I fucking love these.” Hayden cupped my breasts and skimmed lower to sweep over the satin and lace at my hips.

  As he claimed my mouth again, his palms smoothed around my back and found the clasp of my bra, freeing it. It joined the rest of our clothes on the floor. Hayden’s thumbs brushed over my nipples, gently at first and then pinching roughly. My gasp broke the kiss.

  “Sorry. I’m sorry,” he murmured.

  He sank to his knees and I parted my legs. Warm hands drifted up the outside of my thighs as he placed a penitent kiss on the offended nipple. The tenderness was a stark contrast to the heat and need in him. He sucked and nibbled his way across to the other breast. Desire sparked fire in my veins. I was consumed by the craving to feel him on me, in me, shattering me and making me whole at that same time.

  When he released my nipple, I moved back, making room for him on the bed. Every tattoo, every line of ink wrapped around defined muscles, was visible as he came after me, looking savagely dangerous.

  He latched on to my ankle, preventing me from going any farther. With a lascivious smile he kissed his way up my calf, his ascent torturously slow. When he reached his destination, his mouth closed over the pale satin. The hot, wet press of his tongue against the fabric was a promise of what was to come. I lifted my hips and he hooked his fingers into my panties, dragging them down. His hair tickled my hip as he dropped a kiss on the cupcake tattoo.

  “Ah, fuuuuck,” Hayden breathed. “That is so sexy.”

  His lips parted, transfixed as his knuckle dragged over the curved barbell. The piercing slid along with the movement. I made a throaty sound.

  “Tell me how it feels, kitten. Is it good? Was it worth it?” he asked in that liquid sex voice I missed so much.

  I was so tightly wound, already on the brink of coming even though he’d barely touched me. He circled my entrance with a finger and pressed down on my clit. I whimpered, unable to form words. He took pity on me, watching my face as he slid two fingers inside and curled them up. There was no slow buildup, nothing gradual about the way he manipulated my body. His tongue flicked out and I closed my legs at the devastating sensitivity caused by the piercing and the gathering orgasm.

  Hayden’s free hand descended on my inner thigh, spreading me wider while he held the other one down with his forearm. Then his tongue flattened against my clit and he licked up; steel hitting steel. The dual sensation made me buck against his mouth. Heat coiled where Hayden’s tongue and fingers moved until I fell apart, crying out his name.

  He looked up at me from under dark lashes. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous when you come.”

  On weakened arms I sat up, and Hayden rose with me. I kissed his flushed, wet lips, tasting myself, then pushed on his chest. He moved back, giving me room to climb into his lap. I took my time exploring the lines of his ink, starting with my fingers, following with my mouth.

  When the need became too much to bear, I freed that straining hardness from his boxers. Gripping him tightly, I stroked once and bent to lick the tip.

  “Fuck me,” he hissed. “You don’t need to do that.”

  He started to pull me up, but half a second later I engulfed the head, and the pull became a push. I took him in my mouth while he swore under his breath, muttering about porn. I popped off and licked up the shaft, spreading the wetness with my palm.

  “It’s been a while,” I said as I straddled his thighs. “I thought it might make it easier.”

  He was tense as I leaned in to kiss him. When he was sufficiently distracted, I wrapped my hand around him and rose up on my knees. The head of his cock slid over my clit and his stud made a muted clink against my barbell.

  “I just want—”

  He never finished the thought as I sank down, watching his eyes flutter shut and his lips part. I angled him in, taking in the studs that pierced the head one side at a time. Burying my face in his neck, I gritted my teeth against the searing burn that accompanied the invasion. It had been like this the last time, too. As though my body had forgotten how to handle him in the weeks of separation.

  Hayden’s breath came out in quick pants as he filled me. I couldn’t stop the high-pitched moan that fell from my lips when my ass came to rest on his thighs.

  “Are you okay?” He released his viselike grip on my hips.

  His palms flattened against my back and moved up, curling around my shoulders, holding me still.

  I waited until the hot burn subsided before I answered. “I’m better than okay.” I rocked slightly, testing him and myself, desperate to move yet not wanting him to let go of me.

  “Kitten.” His grip tightened in warning and he exhaled slow, heavy breaths.

  We sat there for a long while, bodies still. When he was ready, he pried his fingers from my shoulders and kissed where they had been. His palms came to rest on the swell of my ass. I lifted slowly, the fullness giving way to emptiness. When I felt the steel balls pass the most sensitive spot, I reversed the motion, taking him back inside.

  He took over then, setting a slow, even pace. The angle, the position, the way he kept me from moving at the speed I wanted— lip
s brushing, but not kissing—turned my body into a wasteland of need. I looked down to the place where we were joined to watch him slide out of me. The next downward stroke came fast and hard, my moan cut short by my ragged intake of breath.

  “It’s too good. You feel too fucking good.” He shook his head, then his body went rigid. “Shit. Sorry. I couldn’t help it.” When the tremors stopped, he kissed me in atonement. “Now that that’s out of the way . . .”

  He moved against me, igniting embers into flames. “You sure you don’t need some downtime?” I asked breathlessly.

  “Never with you.” He laid me on the bed, staying inside me. He kissed the valley between my breasts and sat back on his knees, wrapping my thighs around his waist. Then he pulled his hips back and eased forward, gauging my response. “Okay?”

  “Please.”

  He rose up, keeping his hold on my legs; the new angle drove him deeper. I reached behind me, searching for something to grab. The wooden slats of the headboard were the perfect anchor. I stretched my arms above me, gripping tightly. The rest of my body curved toward Hayden on his knees.

  He moved hesitantly at first, but it wasn’t enough for either of us. He was too needy, conflict raging as he battled for the control he didn’t have.

  I met his fiery gaze. “Take me.”

  “Fuck,” he growled, and yanked me away from the headboard.

  He unlocked my legs from his hips and pushed them toward my body. Leaning forward, he hooked my ankles over his shoulders, bearing down. My knees hit my chest and I gripped his forearms. The weight of his body sent another ripple of desire rushing through me. And then he started to move.

  “Is this what you were looking for?” He punctuated each word with a powerful thrust, his mouth beside my ear.

  I responded with a series of affirmative expletives. I was pinned beneath him as he pounded into me, unleashing sensations I had no idea my body was capable of producing. I couldn’t find leverage, unable to move. He was dominating the act entirely, making my body a slave to his.

  “God, I love fucking you,” he said through labored breaths, his hips slapping ceaselessly against my thighs.