by Dani René
I can’t keep fighting this.
Our banter is filled with sexual tension. She may be younger than me, but she most certainly is not immature when it comes to this thing between us. “Meet me in my classroom this afternoon.”
“And if I don’t?” Her brow arches, and I slowly trail my gaze over her face, dropping it to her chest where I can see the red bra cupping her perfect tits.
I release her, stepping back before I bite out, “Then we’re done.”
“I don’t accept that.” Arabella folds her arms across her chest, the tight white shirt of her uniform molding to her tits, which doesn’t help the fact that my cock is slowly waking.
“Are you trying to tell me you want Ahren and not me?” I throw out my challenge, causing her cheeks to darken with a blush that has my palm tingling. “Or is it that you want us both?” Her mouth falls open, plump shimmering lips forming an O that has my zipper tightening.
I read about her little fling not long after her father died. I scanned every piece of evidence I could, learning about her being caught between the two sons of a politician, her father’s competition. But that’s not what got her caught—it was the fucking video one of the guys posted on his social media that had her face plastered across the news. But I have a feeling that’s not the whole story. I will get it out of her, one way or another.
They were all high, tripping on drugs that should’ve put her in the hospital. When I saw the state of her, I knew she believed her father was dead. And that brought her here, to hide from the press, to finish her schooling. She was put back a year, forced to repeat and finally complete her senior year.
However, she’s the daughter of Davenport, which is the reason she’s captured my attention. When I received a folder delivered anonymously, the truth had been in black and white. I already knew who she was, but with concrete evidence of her daddy dearest, I must make my choice—kill her or fuck her.
“I’m sure he told you what I said,” she sasses me. She knows she has surprised me with her fire, but what she doesn’t know is that I’m going to talk to Ahren. I want her. I can’t share her. When he and I first spoke about it, I was convinced it wouldn’t bother me. But it does. Far too much.
“Is that your final answer, little deviant?” My brow arches in question, the words lingering between us before she pulls out a strawberry lollipop she slowly unwraps before taking the ball-shaped sucker and popping it between her plump lips. “I know why you’re here,” I tell her, and for a split-second, I see the fear in her eyes. She knows what I’m talking about, but she shrugs it off. “And I will not allow you to fall into that dark rabbit hole again.”
Arabella pulls the sticky candy from her mouth before asking, “Oh? And what do you think you know about me, Mr. Donati?” Her eyes say one thing, and her mouth says another. Those stormy grays shimmer with concern, with remorse, but those lips taunt me as if she’s enjoying this immensely.
I step closer to her, ensuring there’s no longer space between us. This is dangerous, being so close with the door open, but it only makes my dick harder. The thought of being seen, getting caught, and as her pupils dilate, I can see it turns her on as much as it does me.
I reach for her chin. Gripping it between my thumb and forefinger, I tip her head back, ensuring her pretty, steel gaze is locked on mine. “I think you want to stay back in my class after school. I want that too. Perhaps you should.” I tip my head to the side and lean in farther. Not too close, but close enough so that only she hears my next words. “You’ll shut the door behind you and come to my desk,” I whisper, lowering my voice further. “And when you reach the wooden edge, you’ll bend over it, sliding that tiny fucking skirt up and over your hips until your probably nonexistent panties are visible.”
“What if—”
“Which means you’ll be on display for me. I’ll see your pretty pussy,” I murmur in her face. Leaning in, I capture the lobe of her ear, biting down hard until I elicit the whimper I’ve been craving. Then I allow my lips to feather over her ear, and the scent of her perfume invades my senses. “And if you don’t come to my class, the offer is off the table.”
I turn and walk out of the room, leaving her alone to mull over my words. As much as I know I shouldn’t be doing this, I can’t stop myself from the ache that drives itself through my chest each time she walks into my class and every time she flits those heated orbs over me.
It’s probably best that she doesn’t obey me this afternoon. She should steer clear of me, run in the opposite direction, but something tells me Arabella is not thinking clearly, just like me. By the time I reach my classroom, I find the students already seated, waiting. I’m frazzled. No woman, or girl, has ever had my mind so fucked before, and I’m not sure how to handle it.
However, instead of thinking about her anymore, I flip open the textbook and get into the lesson I planned for today.
She won’t come to the class.
She won’t come to the class.
This is my mantra as I teach. And even though I continue silently replaying it in my mind, I know for a fact it’s a lie.
I glance at the time. It’s almost three, and I have to admit to myself, I’m nervous. A shadow at the threshold of my class has me whipping my head to the side, but I see Principal Dawson standing there.
“Good afternoon, Elian,” he says in a serious tone. “I wanted to chat with you about the new student, Arabella Davenport.” He steps deeper into the room, and my chest tightens at the mention of her name.
“Yes, of course. How can I help you?”
“I just wanted to get your feedback on how you think she’s doing. I saw Arabella with your brother this morning.”
For a moment, I’m stumped that Dawson would question me, but then again, I don’t know if he’s just being a good principal, or if there’s more to it. He is the only person who knows we’re brothers. I’ve kept my personal life private. Perhaps he’s truly concerned about our new student. “Yes, they’ve become friends over the past few days. I’m not sure why her aunt would be concerned.”
“Arabella has been in trouble before as you read in her file, she’s … somewhat of a loose cannon. I just wanted to make sure that she wasn’t doing anything that could land her in the sheriff’s office. She’s eighteen now, so that would be a serious offense on her part.”
I push to my feet, needing to defend her. As much as she taunts me, I am almost certain she’s not doing anything stupid to get herself in trouble with the law. “I can talk to her,” I tell him. “I actually have a meeting with her this afternoon.” Lie. It’s all lies. A meeting with her is nothing more than a way to see if our attraction is more than a game.
“Thank you,” he says. “That would be good. Even if you were to say, take her under your wing. Keep an eye on her. She’s a good girl. Her aunt is convinced she has potential. She just needs the right guidance.”
“I would be happy to help,” I tell him earnestly as the door creaks, and I see the pretty girl in question on the threshold of her doom. A smile tilts my lips as I take in her wide eyes that flit between the principal and me. “Come in, Arabella,” I call to her, waiting for her reaction.
For a second, she seems tentative, but swallows it back and strolls inside with confidence in every stride. She stops at my desk, her eyes on mine.
“Hello, sir. Hello, Mr. Dawson,” she greets us both, the wobble in her voice the only evidence that she’s unsure of what my plan for her is. I told her to come in here, bend over my desk, and pull her skirt up, but with Dawson here, she seems far too wary.
“I will let you both get to your meeting. Arabella, as always, it’s lovely to see you.” Dawson shakes my hand before he disappears, and I’m left with my pretty sunshine.
“You can close the door,” I tell her, gesturing with my chin toward it. Arabella stares at me for a moment before she turns and strides over to the exit. With a soft click, we’re alone. The silence is deafening as we stand at a safe distance.
> Arabella turns to me, her eyes tracking me like a huntress stalking her prey. When she reaches my gaze, she smiles. “I thought you and Ahren were into threesomes or some shit,” she tells me. The girl has fire, and I’m determined to get burned.
“When you’re here, alone with me, you will obey me,” I respond, ignoring her comment. “Are you ready to play this game?”
“Illicit games with Mr. Donati,” she muses, tapping her index finger on her plump, glossy lips. “Let me think about it.”
“There’s nothing to think about. The moment you accepted my offer was when you walked through that door,” I say. “And you know for a fact you want this.”
Amusement dances in her eyes. “I can’t deny that I’m attracted to you,” she acquiesces. “But then, do you really want me? Or am I just a distraction from your boring teacher life?”
“Why don’t you pull that skirt up and show me what you want me to take and then we’ll find out?” I tip my chin toward my desk with a grin creasing my usually serious expression.
Arabella strolls toward me, stopping inches away. “What are the rules of the game?” she whispers along my lips, which sends hot lava trickling through me.
I reach up with both hands, one grabbing her ponytail, the other her hip, and I tug her against me, forcing a gasp to tumble from that glossy mouth.
Wrong.
This is wrong.
But fuck it, she wants me. I’ll give her everything she desires.
16
Arabella
“This is a secret. While you’re my student, nobody can know about us,” he tells me.
“A dirty secret,” I test him, feeling every hard inch of him pressed against me. “Perhaps you should tell me more about what this entails,” I whisper as I feel him throb. I can feel the warmth of him on my front, his lips a hair’s breadth from mine. I want him to kiss me. I want to get lost in him.
He releases my hair when he tugs the tie and undoes the braid, allowing my golden locks to fall to the middle of my back. I may look the innocent angel, but I’m far from it. The polar opposite actually. There’s a slight hint of a smile that graces his full lips. The ache I had the moment I laid eyes on him is back.
He lifts his hand, slow and meticulous. “Such pretty golden hair,” he says. “Like the sun.”
“What if I’m not the sun? What if I’m the moon? I only shine in the darkness,” I challenge with a whispered plea for him to do more than just tangle a lock of hair around his finger.
“Before I read your file, I may have disagreed,” he says. “But I believe you do glow within the murkiness that surrounds you.” I’ve always felt more at ease in the dark. The bright lights have been blinding all my life. My father, a senator, and my mother, his secretary, were always watched. Bodyguards and media, along with the people who believed in my father. I grew up with the proverbial silver spoon, and I only spat it out the night it all came crashing down.
Stupidity took me to that party, and my choices ensured I was caught. But right now, I once again fight this raging war where one part of me is screaming for me to walk away from Elian Donati and never look back. But it’s the other part, that dark, sinister corner of my soul that eases itself out of its cage, tentatively wanting to play with him.
“Did you enjoy your date with Ahren?” he asks, his voice a low rasp which gently scrapes along my skin, causing goosebumps to rise in the wake of his words.
“He kissed me. He put his lips on mine, and I liked it.” The honesty doesn’t burn my throat like it usually would. But I see the jealousy burning in Elian’s eyes. Perhaps it’s anger at the fact that I kissed his brother before him, or maybe it’s envy that I enjoyed it.
I almost expect him to do something more, touch me where I ache and roughly plant his lips on mine, but he doesn’t. The controlled yet barely restrained man releases me and sits back in his chair before gifting me a smile. A grin so dark and sinister something cold races up and down my spine as he regards me.
“Then choose,” he finally speaks. “You decide here and now who you want, and it will happen.” His command is no-nonsense. My heart skitters in my chest, thumping against my ribs in a timely beat of nervous energy.
“Are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m joking, little deviant?” A dark brow arches, the corner of his mouth quirks. There is no longer a playful expression on his face. He’s being utterly fucking serious. Slowly, he pulls out his phone. I watch him tap the screen and then he sets the device on the desk. The speaker is on because I can hear the ringing.
“Brother,” Ahren’s voice comes across the line. “What’s up?”
“I have Ms. Davenport in my classroom right now,” Elian speaks. “She’s considering her choice. You or me.”
“What are you talking about?” Ahren’s clearly confused. I don’t think his brother has told him about the change of plans. And I have a feeling Ahren’s not happy about it. A smile graces Elian’s perfect lips, and I wonder how it would feel to kiss him.
Would he be rough and commanding? Or gentle and seductive like Ahren?
“I’m offering Arabella a choice.” Elian’s voice is chilly. “It’s up to her, you or me. And once she chooses, the other one steps back. Am I understood?”
“God, you can be a real dick sometimes,” Ahren grumbles, but the shock in his expression is obvious. “Yeah, whatever, man,” he tells his brother before he hangs up and we’re listening to a silent line.
“There you go, Ms. Davenport,” Elian says. “Make your choice.” Cool, blue eyes hold me hostage. They’re so clear, it’s almost as if I can drown in them, just from his stare on me. He is beautiful. But I’m not going to submit to him like this.
“Ahren kissed me,” I tell him. “I can only decide once you kiss me too.” I fold my arms across my chest, jutting my hip out in an attempt to appear calm, but I’m nowhere near calm. My hands are trembling, but he can’t see that because I tuck them away. I focus on keeping my legs straight, praying my knees don’t give out.
Elian’s lips form a perfectly salacious grin before he pushes to his feet and takes a step toward me. “You like being between us. Don’t you?” he asks as he eats up the distance between us. He knows. The thought races through my mind, but I push it back. There’s no way he could’ve found out about what happened. My father’s team had those newspapers retract everything.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
He chuckles. His hands grip my hips, pulling me flush against him, and as much as I try to fight it, I can’t because my body reacts to his. My stomach tumbles, and my heart leaps into my throat. I finally drop my hands at my sides, but I keep them fisted, hoping that the trembles will dissipate.
“You and Ahren were—”
My words are cut off the moment his mouth crashes against mine. Heat sears me from the softness and warmth of his lips. His fingers dig into my sides, causing me to whimper in pained pleasure. Elian takes it as his cue to slip his tongue into my mouth. He tastes me. It’s commanding, his movements consume everything in my mind, and there’s no longer an outside world. All that exists is him and me. And this fucking moment.
His hands trail over my hips and down to my ass. He holds me closer, and I can feel the ridge of him against my stomach. The warmth, the pulse, every hard inch. A low growl vibrates through his chest when I bite down on his tongue, sucking it into my mouth as if it were another part of his body.
I don’t know how long we taunt each other, but by the time Elian breaks the kiss, I’m breathless. His eyes have darkened, the pupils black as night as he regards me closely.
“Are you going to make your choice now?” he challenges as if he already knows I’m going to choose him. He’s confident. I must admit, Ahren’s kiss was nothing compared to his brother’s, but I have to consider just how this will work even if I did choose Elian.
I came to school convinced I had time. And I’d be happy about it. But right now, I’m unsure. I like both brothers, but I
have a feeling I might be more attracted to Elian than Ahren.
My heart is already torn in two.
My phone chimes loudly in the empty room, causing me to jump away from Elian’s hands. When I pull out the device, I find his brother’s name flashing on the screen.
“Answer it,” he tells me, knowing who’s calling.
I swipe my finger across the screen and place the phone at my ear. “Hello.”
“Have you made your choice yet?” he asks, the deep gravel of his tone making me ache.
“No,” I answer honestly. I need time. I said that before, when I knew about them both wanting me, but now that I have to choose, I’m uncertain. My gaze cuts to Elian’s, the blue shimmering with need, and I know if Ahren were here, he’d be looking at me the same way.
The door clicks behind me, causing me to spin on my heel, and I find Ahren on the threshold of the classroom. His dark eyes finding me, he lowers his hand holding his phone.
“Then I guess I better be here for the decision,” he says, shutting himself inside and making his way toward the desk. He stops beside me, his arm snaking around my waist. “Did my brother tell you that he was testing you for this?”
“What?” I glance over at Elian who’s shaking his head slowly. He looks at his brother, anger dancing in those endless pools. “What is he talking about?” Even as I ask the question, I know what Ahren means. They both know about my past.
“I got your file when you joined my class. I read up on what happened, why you came to Black Mountain, and I know about your past,” Elian tells me. He doesn’t flinch when he speaks, and he doesn’t look away from me, the honesty in what he’s telling me shining in his stare. “I know about the night you were arrested. And I know about your… proclivities.”
“So, you and your brother decided to toy with me?” The surprise is clear in my voice. I can’t be overly angry; the story made the media frenzy follow me around as if I were a celebrity. But I have to own it. I’m not ashamed of that night, it was fun, but what I am remorseful for was the drugs that night of the break in. I never want to dive down that rabbit hole ever again.