Ugly Girl: Aston Creek High (Book 1)

by Sheridan Anne

  Damian speaks up from his chair. “We got the whole thing recorded.”

  I turn to gape at him. “Bullshit. We do?”

  “Damn straight, we do,” he mutters, pulling out his phone. “You didn’t recognize the voice of the guy that yelled ‘fight?’”

  “No, was I meant to?”

  “Tyler Samuels.”

  “Movie-maker guy?” I ask, wide-eyed.

  “The one and only. You didn’t think he’d miss out on that action.”

  A grin lifts the corner of my mouth as I look back to the cop. “Your guy is fucked.”

  He scowls at me and clenches his jaw but this time I’m not sure if it’s aimed at me or because he knows we’re right and he’s got a dirty cop on his hands.

  Damian pulls out his phone and calls Tyler, putting it on loudspeaker for us all to hear. The phone rings three times before Tyler’s panicked tones comes through the line. “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t mean to. It’s just, you guys were fighting and the word just sort of slipped out. I swear, I’ll delete the footage just please don’t hurt me.”

  Damian laughs. “You got the whole fight?”

  “Umm…yeah,” he says hesitantly.

  “Even that dirty cop?”

  Tyler seems to liven up. “Yeah, can you believe that? Is Skylah alright? He fucked her up pretty good.”

  The cop before me cringes, realizing they really are fucked. Damian’s gaze flicks to mine. “She’ll be fine. Bring the footage down to the police station and be sure to make a copy,” he says, his eyes zoning in on the cop suspiciously. “We don’t want our only copy to mysteriously go missing.”

  “Yeah, alright. I’ll be there in twenty.”

  Damian ends the call and grins proudly, looking at the cop with the cheesiest ‘I told you so’ smirk. “I think it’s about time you release Slade.”

  “Footage first and then we’ll talk.”

  “Fair call.”

  I go and plonk down beside Damian and I’m not surprised when a chick cop comes out with a first aid kit a few minutes later. After all, they wouldn’t want it to sound so much worse by not offering the assaulted minor any medical assistance. She cleans up my hand and even cringes with how bad it is, but luckily, I’m able to narrowly escape stitches.

  Tyler shows up exactly when he said he would and comes tearing through the door with a USB stick already in his outstretched hand. He practically throws the footage at Damian in his desperation to please him. The second the footage is out of his hand; he scrams back out the doors as though someone lit a match under his ass.

  Damian strides toward the cop and hesitantly hands it over before demanding he check the footage in front of us. The cop rolls his eyes and reluctantly turns the computer screen on an angle so we can all see.

  Footage of the fight instantly shows up on the screen. It’s shaky at first from where Tyler was running towards us. We hear the moment he calls out for a fight and then hear his running commentary about Slade and Damian being fucking legends the whole way through.

  Damian grins proudly at Tyler’s ego-boosting comments and I hear Slade’s amused chuckles coming from the back of the station.

  The fight goes on and I once again find myself getting lost in Slade, watching the way he moves and being awed by his strength and sheer dominance. The cops shortly arrive and start pulling me off Roman’s back. It’s only seconds until they go after Slade and I’m seen pushing in front of him. We have our confrontation and every word is heard perfectly clear and then the moment we’ve been waiting for.

  The cop pushes me and I go down hard. I cringe as I watch it over. Tyler got a great angle that made it look so much worse than it felt and even managed to capture the grunt that came out of the cop’s mouth as he pushed me with everything he had.

  “Shit,” the officer at the computer says, glancing up at one of his co-workers. “Go and release Cruz. We’ve got bigger issues here.” He looks down at me. “Have we got a deal? Slade is released and you keep this out of the media.”

  “Sounds good to me, but I can’t guarantee that I won’t be pressing charges. Once my aunt gets a look at this, she’s going to be pissed.”

  “You do what you have to do,” he says with a nod.

  Damian and I take our seats and after the longest five-minute wait, Slade comes strutting out with a mischievous grin on his face. He walks right to me and sweeps me up out of my seat. “That was so fucking sexy,” he tells me.

  I push out of his arms and he laughs before tossing his arm over my shoulder and leading me out the door with Damian on his other side. We start making our way over to Slade’s Dodge RAM and Damian hands over the keys, but as we start climbing in, Damian hangs back.

  Slade looks over at him with furrowed brows. “You coming, man?”

  Damian grins wide with a knowing sparkle hitting his eyes and lighting them up with mischief. “Nah,” he says. “I think I might go and see what Rachel is up to. She’s all yours.”

  Well, shit.

  Chapter 22

  Slade pulls his driver’s door closed and I glance across at him. “Damian’s not really going to see Rachel, is he?” I ask as Slade starts the engine and I feel it rumble beneath my seat.

  “Nope, he was trying to be discreet,” he explains as he pulls away from the curb and starts heading toward my place. “He wants to give us time alone.”

  “To do what?”

  “Figure shit out.”

  “There’s nothing to figure out,” I tell him.

  “Oh, there’s plenty to figure out.”

  I glance across at him. “Like what?”

  “Like why you love it so much when I kiss you.”

  My cheeks flame and I feel like a child again. I don’t think I’ve blushed since I was twelve years old yet here I am, beet fucking red with a guy staring at me, proud as punch. “For the record,” I say, needing to bring his ego back down to earth. “I don’t love it, I just like it a bit, and it has nothing to do with how I feel about you because you drive me insane. You just happen to know what you’re doing with your tongue and I’m taking full advantage of a good situation.”

  “You’ve got a lot to learn, Virago,” he tells me. “Rule number one, if you’re going to lie about something, at least put a little effort into it. Makes it more believable.”

  “Dare I ask about rule number two?”

  He glances across at me and the smile he gives me nearly blows me the fuck away. “You’re not ready for rule number two.”

  I roll my eyes. Why is this guy growing on me so much? How is it possible to go from wanting and desperately needing to hate him to feeling something so pure and good? He’s still the Slade I met on that very first day, still lethal, sinfully wicked, and unpredictably wild, but I no longer want to fear those traits. They once made my heart race with adrenaline but now they make it race with something else.

  I get lost in my thoughts and look up just in time to see my home zoom by. “Where are you going? You just went past my place.”

  “I’m taking you to my place.”

  Bad fucking idea.

  “No. Flat out no. That’s a terrible idea. Are you insane?”

  “What’s the matter?” he teases. “Scared?”

  He meets my eyes and the one word I thought I’d never say comes shooting out of my mouth. “Hell freaking yes, I am.”

  “Don’t worry, Virago,” he says, reaching across and taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger. His eyes bore into mine and for a moment I wonder just how good his driving skills are but as he opens his mouth, the world falls away. “You never have to be scared again.”

  His hand drops away and just when I think he’s about to focus back on the road, he pulls into a driveway at the end of my street. “Where the hell are we?”

  “My place.”

  My eyes bug out of my head as I wonder how the hell I missed that. “No shit. All this time I’ve been living right up the street from you? The same fucking street?”

&
nbsp; He grins as he cuts the engine and swings his door open wide. “Yeah, you’re pretty damn oblivious to everything around you,” he laughs. “It’s not like I’ve been hiding it. My truck is always in the drive and I come past every single day.”

  “To be fair,” I tell him. “I never really drive down this way.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  He climbs down from the truck and I open my door and jump down, praying I don’t fall. It’s been a shit afternoon and my hand and leg aren’t exactly feeling magical. Slade meets me around the front of his truck and he leads me toward his home.

  Nerves begin to plague me, wondering what the hell is going to happen in here. If he comes at me with that strong body, wide shoulders, and devilish smirk, I don’t think I’ll have the strength to tell him no.

  Slade leads me through his front door and the first thing I notice is that it’s deathly quiet. It’s a Saturday night and I recall him telling me that he had little sisters. Surely, they should be here with his parents, right?

  Slade’s eyes remain on me as I glance around his home. It’s bigger than mine, but there’s no surprise there. His parents would have bought the place for a family where Shay and Ben bought their home for the two of them with the thought of a home gym in mind.

  “Your family?” I question nervously.

  “Mom and Dad are at a business dinner and the girls are sleeping over at a friend’s place.”

  Right, so we’re all alone. Just…great.

  I nod, glancing back over my shoulder at him. “So, your parents wouldn’t get you to watch them?”

  He shakes his head, grinning with an odd fondness shining through his eyes that I’ve never seen from him before and damn, it looks good on him. “Don’t get me wrong, I love those little brats but I haven’t exactly been the most reliable babysitter in the past.”

  Laughter bubbles out of me. “Why am I not surprised?”

  Slade’s soft chuckle echoes around his home but my mind goes blank as he steps into my back, threading his fingers through mine as they hang by my sides. “You defended me to that cop,” he says referring to the fight before the cop had pushed me.

  I turn and look up at him and he switches his hold on my hands. “You punched that same cop.”

  Slade pulls on my hands and it forces me closer into his chest, right where I like to be. “How could I not? He put his hands on you.”

  I meet his eyes and I struggle to get the words out past my emotions. “Apart from Blake, no one’s ever cared like that.”

  Slade releases one of my hands and slides his fingers around the back of my neck, slow and firm. His thumb reaches around to the bottom of my jaw and he pushes my chin up, both of us knowing that what’s about to happen is going to mean so much more than either of us are ready for.

  He brings our joined hands up and presses my palm against his chest before leaving it there and snaking his arm around my back.

  My heart races as the need to kiss him slams through me. His dark eyes stare down into mine and it’s so freaking intense that the need to look away takes over me, but I don’t dare. I don’t want to miss a second of this. “I want to make you feel again,” he whispers, his words wrapping right around me.

  I shake my head, feeling his thumb gently running up and down my throat. “You already have.”

  His lips come down on mine and my eyes close as our connection rocks through me. How could I have been denying this for so damn long? Damian was right, I may not be ready to make anything official, but Slade Cruz is mine.

  He deepens the kiss and I moan into him. How is this so good?

  Slade’s hands travel down my back until they’re at my ass and he’s lifting me effortlessly into his arms. My legs wrap around his waist as I hook my arms around his neck, holding on tight.

  He walks down the hall and into his bedroom, closing the door behind him then making his way to his bed. I can honestly say that this is a place I never thought I’d be in. Slade’s freaking bedroom, but here I am and I’m far too distracted to even bother looking around.

  I’m laid down on his bed and his big frame comes down on top of me. He keeps himself propped up on his elbow to avoid crushing me but the feel of him completely surrounding me is absolutely mind-blowing.

  His hand slips up my shirt, leaving a trail of goosebumps and shivers behind. It’s so damn intoxicating.

  I grab hold of his shirt and pull it up over his head. I’ve never seen his body, not like this at least, and damn it, his skin is so fucking warm. My hands roam over his strong back, feeling the tightness of his sculptured muscles. He’s simply beautiful.

  My shirt comes off, and at the rush of feeling his naked chest against my skin, I’m left needing more and my bra is quick to go.

  His rough, calloused hands roam over my body making me feel more alive than I’ve ever had the right to feel. Knowing there’s only one way this is going to end, I murmur against his lips. “You should know that I haven’t done this since…you know.”

  He looks down at me, worry brimming in his dark eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he questions. “Just say the word and I’ll stop.”

  Studying his gaze, I realize that no matter what, he’s going to take care of me and that stopping would be a tragedy. Whatever this is between us, it’s real and despite our fucked-up start, this has the potential to be something incredible. Do I love him? No. I’m not even close to that, but I feel like I could and I sure as hell want to find out how far this thing could go.

  Loving him would be a rollercoaster, but having a man like Slade Cruz loving me in return… Wow. I can’t even imagine how intense and amazing that would be. Every day would be like a wild rollercoaster that I’d never want to get off.

  My hand comes to the back of his neck and I pull him back down to me. “I don’t want to stop,” I whisper against his lips. “I’m ready.”

  His lips pull up into a smile against mine as he presses them down, kissing me the way that every woman dreams.

  I reach down between us, loving the feel of his tight abs as I pass. I push down the top of his sweatpants and his erection instantly springs free, heavy, long, and hard. He’s so thick that my fingers can hardly stretch right around him, but damn it, I’m no quitter.

  Challenge accepted.

  I begin working my hand up and down his length and he buries his face into my neck, groaning low in the back of his throat while ridding me of my pants. The second they’re kicked off my feet, my legs are wrapped around him and his fingers trail down until they’re rubbing circles over my clit.

  My thumb rubs over the tip of his erection just as he pushes two thick fingers inside of me and begins working my body. My head tips back and he instantly takes advantage of my sensitive skin.

  He kisses my neck, gently pinches my nipple and worships my pussy. Within minutes, I’m coming around his fingers, hard and fast, making my eyes roll to the back of my head, my nails dig into his back, and my toes curl in appreciation. But he’s not even close to being done yet.

  Slade adjusts himself and reaches over to his bedside table and comes back with a condom. I take it from his hands with an excited grin. “Let me.”

  He hands it over and I tear it open with my teeth while keeping my hand working up and down his length. I bring the condom down to his tip and watch him as I slide it down, torturously slow.

  His eyes close and satisfaction rocks through me. I love that I have the ability to make him feel this good. “Fuck, Virago, I’ve got to have you.”

  With the condom on and ready, I tilt my chin, brushing my lips over his. “Then what are you waiting for? I’m all yours.”

  His eyes turn to molten lava as he positions himself at my entrance. He slips his arm around my waist, holding me as he slowly pushes inside me. He stretches me wide and so damn full that he has no choice but to take it slow.

  We both groan as he seats himself fully inside me. “Fuck you’re tight.”

  I grin against his lips. This is going
to be fun. “If you’re not going to hurry up and move, then roll the hell over so I can take charge.”

  He pulls back and raises up onto his elbows again, looking down at me with fire in his eyes. “Are you sure you know what you’re asking for?” he teases, pulling so damn slowly out of me then pushing back in, making all of my insides scream for mercy.

  “Oh, God,” I moan, clenching down around him and making a wildly sexy smirk pull over his lips. “Please. Don’t make me wait any longer.”

  Slade drops back to me with his lips on my neck and his fingers lacing through mine. Squeezing my hand, he finally starts to move and I see stars.

  My body screams for him, so good and strong. He works me, kissing, touching, nipping, giving me every last thing I need. His fingers squeeze harder, grunts and groans are pulled from within him as I pant and call his name.

  My body is pushed to its limits and then finally, my world explodes and I detonate as he growls my name, coming with me as I clench down around him. He keeps himself moving, letting me ride out my orgasm until my body goes weak.

  Slade collapses down beside me, pulling me on top of him and encircling me with his arms. I curl into the warmth of his inviting chest, relaxing into him with a sigh. “Why the hell have I waited so long to do that with you?” he murmurs, taking hold of my ass as I struggle to catch my breath.

  I stare at the wall, unable to form any kind of sentence for a few drawn-out moments. “That was…I don’t even know what it was.”

  “Yeah,” he agrees with a soft laugh vibrating through his chest as he reaches around me and deals with the used condom. He tosses it across the room to a trash can and I have to grin at the basketball hoop he has attached to it.

  He pulls his blankets over me and runs his hand up and down my back as I listen to the steady beat of his heart. “Are you still denying that there’s something going on here?” he questions.

  I smile against him, burying my face into his chest. “I want to but I don’t think I can anymore.”