The Love Trials

by J. S. Cooper

  “Oh.” I looked down, feeling confused and slightly disappointed.

  “I’m going to blindfold you and handcuff you.” His voice was rough. “And I’m going to let you see what anticipation feels like.”

  “What?” My voice rose, and I looked at him with wide eyes. “How?”

  “You’ll have to wait and see.”

  I swallowed hard as he spoke. His voice had become silky, and I felt like he was already seducing me.

  “But you’re not going to touch me?”

  “Not with my hands.” He grinned at me and leaned towards me. “Not unless you beg me,” he whispered in my ear before pulling back and staring into my eyes. His blue eyes mocked me as he stared at me with a smug smile. “Now, take off your clothes. Leave your underwear on though.” He brought a finger up to my cheek and ran it down to my trembling lips. “If you beg me, I’ll take those off as well.”

  “I’m not going to beg you to do anything.”

  “We’ll see.” He grinned. “What are you waiting for?”

  “I’m not going to take off my clothes.” I jumped off the bed and walked towards the door. “Are you crazy?”

  “Isn’t that why you came here, Nancy?” His voice cut through the room. “Or are you chickening out already?”

  “I don’t know you,” I whispered and stared at him as he threw his tie onto the ground. My brain was screaming at me. What the fuck was going on here?

  “Do you want to get to know me?” He started undoing his shirt.

  “Not particularly.” I shook my head.

  “I think you want me.” He took a step towards me.

  “You’re a creep.” I licked my lips as he continued walking towards me.

  “You were breathing heavily on the train.” His voice was soft. “I could see your lips trembling as you stood next to me. I could feel your body heat rising. I could feel your nipples against my back hardening.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I shook my head, but I couldn’t move.

  “When you fell against me.” He stopped in front of me. This time his shirt was all the way open. “When you fell against me, you held on to me tight. You held on to me longer than you had to.”

  “I was disoriented.”

  “You were horny.”

  “No, I wasn’t.” I shook my head.

  “That’s what we do here, Nancy.” He stared into my eyes as he whispered against my lips.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “We make you own up to the truth about your feelings.” He smiled as he gently licked my bottom lip.

  “I am being honest.”

  “No, you’re not.” He cocked his head and smiled at me gently. “I can see in your eyes that you’re attracted to me. I can tell from the way your nostrils are flaring that you’re a bit angry, a bit confused, and a bit turned on. I can tell from the flush on your face that I’m making you hot. I can tell from the fact that you’re still standing here that you’re intrigued. You want to know what’s going to happen next.”

  “No,” I whispered, still unable to move. My eyes widened as he pulled his shirt off and threw it on the floor. “What are you doing?”

  His chest had a sprinkling of dark hair, and he was as muscular and built as I’d thought.

  “I’m getting ready.” He grinned at me like a wolf before dinner.

  “Ready for what?”

  “Ready to take you to bed.”

  “You’re not taking me anywhere,” I gasped out.

  “No?” He moved towards me again, and I took a step back.

  “I don’t even know your name.”

  “That’s all you need?” His eyes sparkled and he laughed as my face turned red.

  “No, no. I’m just saying that I don’t know your name. Not that I would sleep with you if I knew your name.”

  “It’s Jaxon.”

  “Jaxon?” I repeated.

  “Yes.” He grinned and stepped forward again. “Are you ready now?”

  “No.” I took another step back and hit the wall again.

  He moved towards me and placed his hands against the wall on either side of me, pressing himself against me. I could feel my heart racing as my body once again welcomed his warmth.

  “Now?” he whispered.

  “No.” I pushed him away from me. “What are you doing?”

  “So you do have some fire in you then?” He stepped back, picked his shirt up off the floor, and buttoned it up.

  “Huh?” I looked at him in confusion. “What’s going on here?”

  “I wanted to test you.” His smile faded and he looked at me seriously. “We don’t allow women who can’t speak up for themselves to enter the academy.”

  “So this was all a test?” I frowned, suddenly feeling deflated.

  “Yes.” He nodded. “Or did you hope it was something else?” He paused and looked at me for a second. “Can I ask you something, Nancy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why did you apply to join the academy?”

  “It sounded interesting.” I shrugged.

  “Do you know what we do here?”

  “Of course.” I nodded even though I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure.

  “Do you find me attractive?”

  I bit my lip and stared at him for a few seconds before answering. “Yes,” I answered honestly. I knew that he could tell that I was and I didn’t want to lie—not after what he had said earlier.

  “Do you want to touch me?”

  “No.” I shook my head.

  “Do you want me to touch you?”

  I bit down on my lip and looked on the ground. My body had jumped at his words, but rationally, I didn’t know why.

  “Nancy, answer me.”

  “I don’t know.” I shrugged.

  “Because you feel conflicted and confused.” He nodded. “That’s what you’re feeling. You just met me. You don’t really like me, but your body wants me.”

  I stared at him in surprise. Was I that transparent?

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, changing the subject, and I was thankful for it.

  I was uncomfortable with his line of questioning. My body was madly attracted to him, yet I wasn’t here to meet someone like him. He seemed too dark, too much like a tortured soul. I could still remember the way he'd stared at me on the train. Why had he looked so curious and angry as he’d stared at me?

  “I’m fine.” I shook my head and walked towards the bed.

  “I thought you might like to see your two new friends and their teachers.”

  “Oh, they’ll be there?” I asked casually and turned around to face him again.

  “Yes, they’ll be there.”

  “I suppose I can grab a bite.” I looked down at the ground.

  This was my opportunity to speak to Hunter. Maybe he’d been playing coy before. Maybe this would give us the opportunity to talk. Maybe he’d admit to having gotten me accepted into the academy.

  “I’ll see you downstairs.” He nodded and then abruptly left the room.

  I watched as he walked out, and I stood there thinking. Something wasn’t right. I knew from previous experience that when something felt off, it usually was.

  I hurried to the bed, sat down on the mattress, and pulled out my phone. I had four missed calls. Two from my dad and two from Meg. I quickly called Meg back and prayed that she would answer the phone.

  “Nancy, where are you?” she whispered into the phone, and my heart stopped. Oh shit. What did they know?

  “Why?” I whispered back.

  Meg was my best friend. She was also best friends with Katie, who was my dad’s fiancée and Harry’s mom. I had met Meg while we had both been working at a private club. We’d been roommates, and we’d bonded over the secrets of the club. It was because of my time at the club that I’d found out that Brandon was really my father and that my grandparents had raised me as theirs.

  “I know you didn’t go to an orientation.” She soun
ded worried. “You would have told me about it. What’s going on?”

  The phone was silent while she waited for me to answer. “Do you remember I told you about a guy I liked?”

  “Do you mean Hunter?”

  “You remember his name?”

  “I remember the diary I read quite vividly. You should think about becoming a writer, you know.”

  “Oh yes.” I cringed as I remembered that Meg had read the diary I’d left for her to help her figure out the clues of the private club.

  “So you’re with him?”

  “Yes and no.” I sighed. “I came to this place to be with him, but I’m not sure if he likes me or if he’s playing hot and cold.”

  “Oh, Nancy.” She sounded surprised. “I don’t know what to say. I should tell Katie and Brandon, but I know what it’s like to fall in love with someone.” She sighed. “Promise me you’re going to take care of yourself and come home quickly.”

  “I promise. So, Meg.” I started feeling a bit embarrassed. “What do I do? Do I let him know I like him?”

  “Hmm. What has he said to you so far?”

  “Well, he—” I stopped talking as Jaxon walked into the room. “Hey, what are you doing? I thought I told you to knock before you came in here?”

  “Who are you on the phone with?” He walked over to me, frowning.

  “My friend.”

  “Your friend who?”

  “None of your business.”

  “Can I speak to Noneofyourbusiness? I’d like to tell them they have an interesting name.” His eyes flashed at me as he raised an eyebrow at me.

  I could hear Meg laughing on the other side of the phone.

  “Is that him?” She hissed.

  “No,” I said loudly, feeling annoyed but trying to answer both of them at the same time.

  “Are you ready for dinner?” Jaxon looked me over, and I shivered at his long, intense gaze as his eyes wandered the length of my body.

  “I thought we were meeting downstairs?”

  “I changed my mind.” The corners of his lips turned up, but he wasn’t smiling.

  “I’m not ready.”

  “Well get off of the phone and get ready.”

  “I will.” I rolled my eyes at him. “Just leave the room and I’ll change.”

  “I don’t need to leave the room for you to change.”

  “Wow. He sounds like a bit of an ass,” Meg whispered. “Is that Hunter then? Are you sure you want him?”

  “No, I’d be crazy to want him,” I said loudly, and his eyes narrowed.

  “Are you talking about me?” He took another step towards me, and I looked up into his thoughtful, green eyes. “Are you telling your friends how attracted you are to me? How you want to rip my clothes off?”

  “You wish.”

  “I wouldn’t say I wish.” He chortled. “But I definitely wouldn’t say no.”

  “You seem so unprofessional.”

  “I didn’t know there was a professional side to a lovers’ academy.” He smirked, and I heard Meg gasp.

  “What did he just say, Nancy?” Her voice rose, and I knew that if she heard much more, she would no longer be encouraging me to stay.

  “Hey, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you soon.” I hung up the phone quickly and frowned at Jaxon. “Please don’t just walk into my room again. It’s very annoying.”

  “I own the building. I can do what I want.”

  “I have an expectation of privacy whether or not you own the building.”

  “Expectation of privacy? Did someone go to law school and not tell me?’

  “I’m starting college in the fall.”

  “Are you now?” He cocked his head and looked at me for a few seconds.

  I stared back at him and tried to ignore the fact that I was quite enjoying our back-and-forth. He made me feel alive inside, like I had a new vitality, a new way to express myself and my voice. I’d been so quiet and kept to myself the last couple of years. I’d never really wanted to make waves or speak out. I’d always been the quiet one, the docile one, but now? Now I was enjoying being the feisty one.

  “Let’s go eat.” I walked to the door and looked back at him. He was waiting for me to join him. I could see the surprise in his eyes and the rise of something akin to respect.

  “It’s been less than a day and you’re already getting a backbone.” He smiled to himself as we walked to the door. “That’s what I like to see.”

  ***

  “Nancy!” Amber jumped up and ran over to me as soon as Jaxon and I entered the large dining hall. “There you are.” She gave me a quick hug and whispered in my ear, “You lucky bitch. Your teacher is so hot.”

  “He’s okay.” I turned around and looked at Jaxon as he sat down and talked to a guy I hadn't seen before.

  I didn’t bother telling Amber that Jaxon wasn’t my teacher. There were about seven other girls in the room and everyone was talking excitedly. When Jaxon looked up as he was talking and caught me staring at him, our eyes connected for a few brief seconds before he looked away. I felt flustered and annoyed. Yet again, he’d given me an odd look. No smile, no recognition in his eyes. It was starting to get annoying.

  “Are you okay that Shannon’s with Hunter?” Amber asked me loudly and covered her mouth with a quick giggle. “Oops,” she said and smiled.

  I looked around the room and saw that Shannon and Hunter were at the end of the table, and both were just sitting there, looking bored. Something in my heart lit up when I saw their expressions. Hunter was just as upset as I was. He was mad that he was with Shannon and not with me. I was confident of that fact. Why else would he be looking so miserable?

  “Nancy?” Amber looked at me. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” I grinned back at her. “In fact, I’m more than fine.” I nodded and noted the surprised and disappointed look in her eyes. It was then that I realized that Amber was both friend and foe. “How are you liking your guy?”

  ‘He’s fine.” She shrugged, and her eyes fell back to Jaxon. “But he’s nothing like that hot piece of meat.” She slowly licked her lips. “Now that’s a man who could teach me how to fuck.”

  “Amber!” I scolded her, feeling irritated.

  “What?” She laughed. “It’s not like you want him. You’re going after teacher boy over there?” She nodded to Hunter. “Me? Well, I’m after a man. A man who can make me forget my own name.”

  “Uh huh.” I rolled my eyes.

  “You won’t mind if I make a play for him, will you?” She continued staring at him. “I wonder how big he is.”

  “Big?” I repeated, not thinking, and then froze. “Amber,” I said again, my face flushing.

  “Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it!” She laughed. “I like them big, but not too big. I can’t swallow too big, and the pounding you get from an oversized cock just isn't the same as one you get from a nice, medium-to-big cock. Though it can’t be too thin. Thin, no matter how long, is a deal breaker.” She looked back at me then and grinned. “Don’t you think?”

  “I’ve never thought about it before.” I made a face at her.

  She was putting images in my mind. Images of cocks. Images of Jaxon’s cock. I felt him looking at me then, and I looked back at him, unblinking. Now all I could think about was how big he was. What he looked like down there. I trembled as I realized that my thoughts were completely dirty. My mind had started wondering what it would feel like to taste him. I shook my shoulders and took a deep breath.

  “Get it together, Nancy. You’re here for Hunter,” I mumbled to myself.

  “What?” Amber leaned towards me and frowned. “What did you say?”

  “Nothing.” I smiled weakly back at her. “I’m just hungry and ready to eat.”

  “I bet you are.” She winked at me and walked back to the table. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Okay.” I watched her sit back down and just stood there for a few moments.

  I didn’t know
if I should sit down or if I should wait for Jaxon. I looked over at Hunter again to see if he was going to make eye contact with me and then felt a tap on my shoulder.

  “So you’ve made a new friend already?” Jaxon’s voice was deep and dry, and I reluctantly turned around to look at him. I was still slightly embarrassed that I’d been thinking about his cock.

  “Sorry, what?” I spoke, feeling flushed. Being so close to him again was making me feel disoriented. I watched as his eyes laughed at me, and he reached over and wiped something off my cheek.

  “I didn’t know you’d made a new friend so quickly.”

  “Oh, Amber? I met her and Shannon at the train station.”

  “Oh, so you were nice to someone at the train station?” His lips curled up, and I knew he was laughing at me.

  “You weren’t exactly a pleasure,” I retorted back at him, and this time, he laughed out loud.

  “Shall we eat?”

  “That’s why we’re here,” I snapped back and looked over at Hunter. From what I could tell, he still hadn’t looked at me. “Hi, Shannon?” I called out across the room.

  Both Shannon and Hunter looked up at me. Shannon gave me an awkward smile, and Hunter’s eyes surveyed me with a cursory glance. And then he smiled and nodded at me. I grinned back at him, and I was about to walk over and say something to him when Jaxon grabbed me around the waist.

  “Let’s sit down.” He pulled me towards the table.

  “Hey, don’t just grab me!” I pushed his hands off of me. “Also, I wanted to sit on the other side.”

  “There are no free chairs.”

  “I can pull one up.” I glared at him.

  “One?”

  “I only need one.” I smiled sweetly at him.

  “You’re a fool, Nancy.” He shook his head at me and pulled out a chair for me.

  “Whatever.” I glared at him and tried not to stare at his lips. I wondered what they would feel like against mine.

  I shivered as I remembered the feel of his muscular body against mine. He’d be a forceful lover, I was sure of that. He’d totally try and dominate me. I blushed at the thought and then chided myself. You want a gentle, sweet lover to be your first, Nancy. Not some brute, I mentally lectured myself.

  “What would you like to eat?” He leaned forward, and my breath caught as I stared into his deep, vivid green eyes.