Cold and Broken (The Titans of Founder's Ridge Book 1)

by Nichole Greene

  “On it. How was school?”

  “Good. I think I’m finally getting used to the pace of academics here. Everything definitely moves quicker.”

  “That’s good. How about the other kids? Are they welcoming?”

  “Some are,” I shrug with my half truth. “Ivy is becoming a good friend.”

  “What about Connor?”

  “What about him?”

  “He mentioned something about giving you a hard time but changing his mind.” He tosses the veggies on a sheet pan.

  “Yeah, he’s a dick but he’s trying to be better. Honestly, anything these kids throw at me I can handle. Don’t forget what I dealt with in Chicago.”

  “I know you can handle yourself. I just want you to be careful and I’d feel better knowing you had support. Z isn’t here to have your back so I worry about you on your own.”

  “I’m fine, dad.” I reach over and hug him. “I promise.”

  “I like Connor. I hope he was telling me the truth today. I’d hate to have to kick his ass.”

  “I’d buy those tickets though.” I laugh. “You’ll get to know him better this week. Although, he hates his dad so you probably won’t see the decent side of him.”

  “Yeah, I’ve noticed that. Do you know why?”

  “He said it’s because his dad cheated on his mom and that’s why she took off with his sister for Ireland. I don’t know how great his mom can be though, when she didn’t even call him on his birthday last weekend.”

  With the mention of the word ‘mom’ we both go silent. I know we’re both thinking about my mom. I don’t think dad will ever forgive her for bailing on us. He had to retire from the Marines before he was ready to come home and take care of me full time. I know he wouldn’t change being there for me for anything but he’s also been lonely. I know it hasn’t been easy for him to raise me on his own, even with me being a generally good kid.

  “How’s work going?” I ask to bring us both out of our little funk.

  “It’s going well. I hired a group of guys for security here and I’m getting new security equipment delivered at the end of the week. Hopefully the full system will up and running by the end of next week. We don’t keep secrets from each other, right kiddo?”

  “No.”

  Except that I was almost sexually assaulted at my school but other than that no.

  “Okay, well, this job is a bit more dangerous than I originally thought. Victor and Connor are receiving death threats. As I’m currently running personal security for Victor on top of being their chief security officer, I have to put myself in dangerous situations. I’m armed and wear kevlar under my suit but there’s always the chance that something happens to me.”

  “Okay,” I lock my emotions up tight. “Why are you telling me all this?”

  “Just because you need to know. You live here on their property and you spend time with Connor. I want you to stay vigilant.”

  “Always, dad. I’ll be fine with everything you taught me.” I reach over and hug him tight. “Way to freak me out though. I’m going to need to insist on hourly text check ins from you while you’re in the city this week.”

  “Three times a day I can do, probably not hourly.” He laughs and I take in the deep crows feet that add to his handsome features, making his whole face smile.

  “Deal.”

  After we eat dinner we decide to watch a movie instead of the Monday night game. We rock, paper, scissors for who gets to pick. Dad wins and chooses The Three Amigos. He has a sick obsession with Chevy Chase movies. Partway though the movie a text alert chimes from my phone.

  Connor: Can’t stop thinking about our almost kiss

  Connor: You left me hanging

  Me: You’ll b fine

  Connor: Come 2 my room

  Me: Can’t. Watching a movie w my dad

  Connor: When it’s over

  Me: What r u doing? What’s ur game?

  Connor: No game

  Me: I don’t know if I believe u

  Connor: I get it.

  Connor: No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true. -Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlett Letter

  Connor: Consider my mask removed for you. For us.

  Connor: Come to my room b4 u go 2 bed

  Connor: 3rd door on the right

  An hour later I’m staring at Connor’s door. I lift my hand to knock and then drop it. I pace away, my stomach doing flips. I turn and walk back, my core tightening. I repeat this cycle at least four times before his door swings open.

  He props an arm on the door frame and smirks at me. You’re going to wear a track in the carpet from all your pacing out here. I can’t focus on anything other than his incredible body on display in front of me. He’s wearing nothing but a low slung pair of gray sweatpants. His abs and chest muscles are perfectly defined, his shoulders and biceps toned with lean muscle that’s been earned not just from the gym. The sexiest thing, though, are the muscles along his hips pointing down, like an arrow promising pleasure.

  His hand snakes out and grips my wrist, pulling me into his room. He closes the door quietly behind me. He leaves a foot of space between us.

  “Last chance to leave untouched, Lilith.” His voice is husky.

  My body moves forward to him on instinct, every bone screaming this is right. I reach out with a shaky hand and graze my fingertips down his torso, satisfied by his reaction when his skin breaks out in goosebumps. I lick my lips as I look up and make eye contact with him for the first time since he pulled me into his room. His eyes track the movement of my tongue over my lips and I swear the air is so thick with desire I could drown.

  “Fuck,” he whispers as he slams his lips against mine. “If you believe nothing else I tell you, believe me when I say that I have never wanted anyone the way I want you, Lilith.” He says against my mouth, our lips tangled.

  I wrap my arms around his neck and he lifts me to wrap my legs around his hips. Our kiss deepens, his minty taste mixing with my own. I can’t stop myself from grinding my core over his dick. His hands pull me by the ass closer. If it weren’t for my sleep shorts and his sweat pants I have no doubt he’d be buried inside me by now. He carries me to his bed and lays me down before stretching out beside me.

  “I’m not going to fuck you until you trust me. Until you are as invested in this as I am but I am going to make you come harder than you ever have tonight. I’m going to watch you come apart on my hand. I’m going to feel you come apart on my tongue.” He runs his palm over my stomach and under my shirt while he stares into my eyes. “Is that okay, Lilith?”

  “Big talk.” I infuse my voice with a hefty dose of false bravado.

  He smiles at my challenge and kisses me again, chuckling at the hitch in my breath when he rolls my nipple between his fingers. He pushes my shirt up and lowers his mouth to my other nipple. My hips lift off the bed, seeking friction and he takes note, moving his hand down under the waistband of my shorts.

  “No panties? Naughty girl.” He moans when he slides a finger over my wet heat. His mouth comes back to mine and I feel him smile against me when my breath hitches again as he circles my clit softly. He keeps teasing me with slow, gently strokes until I feel like I’m going to explode.

  “Connor,” I whisper, “please.” I press against his hand until he slides a finger into me.

  “Oh, fuck. You are so wet for me.” He pumps in and out of me, adding a second finger. He’s right, I’m so embarrassingly wet that I can hear my desire for him as he finger fucks me into a leg shaking orgasm. He kisses me through the after shocks.

  “I need to taste you.” He slides down between my legs and tears my shorts off. I have the urge to close my legs together as he spreads my thighs open, embarrassed to be so wantonly on display for him. I close my eyes and feel my body start to blush.

  “Lilith, open your eyes and look at me.”

  “I
can’t.” I shake my head with my eyes tightly closed.

  “Why?”

  “I feel,” everything, too much, too exposed, too vulnerable, “I don’t know.”

  “Do you know how gorgeous you are? How perfect you look laying open for me on my bed? How fucking incredible your pussy looks, glistening with your desire for me? Do you feel how hard I am for you?” He places my hand over his cock. I open my eyes to watch his face as I dip my hand into his pants and wrap my fist around him. When I rub my thumb over the tip of his dick, rubbing his precum in his eyes go half lidded and he drops his face between my thighs.

  His tongue dances circles around my clit before he licks me and thrusts his tongue inside me. My toes curl and my hands delve into his hair, pulling him closer to me. I feel every breath, every groan he makes against me. When I feel the pressure starting to build he adds his fingers and curls them up inside me. Between his tongue on my clit and his fingers in my pussy I come so hard I see spots.

  When I melt into the mattress he crawls up my body and kisses me deeply. I can taste myself on his lips and surprisingly I like it. I reach my hand down to take care of him but he stops me.

  “No,” he says gently, “this was about you. I can wait.”

  “I don’t mind. It doesn’t seem fair for me to come twice and you to be left hanging.” I turn toward him so we’re face to face.

  “I want you to trust me first.” He cups my face. “Do you trust that I’m not playing games with you yet?”

  “I want to,” I bite my lip, “but I’m not there yet if I’m being completely honest.”

  “Then I’ll keep working to earn your trust.” He kisses my forehead and pulls me to his chest. “Think anyone would notice if you slept in here with me tonight?”

  “Yes.” I chuckle. “My dad would. Then he really would kill you.”

  “Worth it.” He leans in and sniffs my neck. “Why do you always smell so good. Like roses and strawberries.”

  “Rose hip shampoo and conditioner. Strawberry body wash.”

  “I’m going to buy a bottle of each and use them to jerk off.”

  “Jesus, Connor.” I shake my head. “You are so dirty.”

  “You’ll get used to it. The things I think are way dirtier than the things that slip through the filter.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” I kiss his shoulder and roll to get up but his arm locks around my waist and pulls me back.

  “Not yet.” He kisses my neck. “Five minutes.” After a quiet moment he asks, “mountains or beach?”

  “We’re doing more of these?”

  “Yep. Mountains or beach?”

  “Mountains I guess. I’ve never been to the beach. Well, except for the beach on Lake Michigan but that doesn’t count.”

  “You’ve never been to the beach?”

  “No, not a lot of beaches in the midwest.”

  “Pick a beach you’ve always wanted to go to and I’ll take you.”

  “I can’t name any beaches off the top of my head.”

  “Pick a country then.”

  “Greece.”

  “Done. We’ll go someday.” He says it like it’s that simple, pick a place and go.

  “Right. Best childhood memory?”

  “Oh, deep question. Easy though. Christmas morning when I was six. Claire was two and really into presents and Santa, she was tearing presents open even if they weren’t hers.” He smiles at the memory. “Mom and dad were still happy together. I got a new bike. Life was simple and good.”

  “That sounds nice.”

  “It was. Yours?”

  “Dad took me to one of those father daughter dances when I was in third grade. It was on a dinner cruise out on the lake. I had this pretty white dress and dad bought me a bow for my hair. Z’s mom curled my hair and let me wear some of her lip gloss. I felt beautiful and special. I always knew I was loved but feeling girly and pretty was different.”

  “You are beautiful, I’m sure you were then. You definitely are now. You’ll be one of the hot old ladies in the nursing home, too.”

  I huff a laugh. “Okay, time for me to go. Where did you throw my shorts?” I sit up and look around, the sincerity of his compliments sitting warm and heavy in my chest. I can feel my shield starting to crack and the urge to run and protect myself swells.

  He reaches down and hands the shorts to me, watching me dress warily. Part of me wants him to fight me while I run away, to challenge me to stay and see what could be. The other part of me, the sane part, dives down deep into self preservation and I slip out of his bedroom, closing the door quietly behind me.

  16

  Lilith

  “Alright. Tell me what’s going on with you,” Ivy says as she sits down beside me for lunch.

  “What do you mean?” I make a show of reading through the menu even though I almost always order the same thing.

  “Put the menu down. We both know you’re going to order a cobb salad with chicken and a side of waffle fries.” She snatches the menu out of my hand. “Why have you been so out of it today?”

  “I seriously don’t know what you mean.” I shoot her a smile that I hope placates her.

  “Did something happen with Connor?”

  I side eye her. “If it did, I wouldn’t talk about it here.”

  “I knew it!” Her eyes light up.

  “Knew what?” Levi asks as he and Griffin sit down with us.

  “Nothing. Ivy knows nothing. She’s basically John Snow,” I reply.

  “We’ll talk tonight. Still on for Riverdale right?”

  “Yes, come for dinner. I’ll have Delores make us both something.”

  “Us, too,” Levi pipes in. “Griff and I love Riverdale.”

  “No way!” Ivy squeaks. “You are not intruding on our girls night again.”

  “Sorry. We told Connor we’d keep an eye on Lilith,” Griffin shrugs.

  “I’m perfectly fine on my own at home. I don’t need babysitters.”

  “You look different, hood rat.” Levi squints his eyes at me. “You’re all glowy. Did you and Connor bang?”

  “No! Jesus. Even if we did it would be none of your business.”

  “Let Delores know we’re coming so she knows not to use dairy.” Griff changes the subject. When I look over at him gratefully the corner of his lips tilt up and he winks at me.

  “Connor said you need to check your phone.” Levi holds his screen up for me to see his texts from Connor.

  I roll my eyes and pull my phone from my bag.

  Connor: You ran off before I could say goodbye this morning.

  Me: Needed 2 get 2 school

  Connor: Sure

  Connor: It definitely had nothing 2 do w ur sweet pussy coming all over my hand and tongue last nite

  My face heats up and I notice Levi and Griffin both looking at their phones and smirking.

  Connor: Lev just sent me a picture of that beautiful face all flushed

  Me: Levi is a dick

  Connor: Ha, confirmed truth

  Me: Are u doing important business stuff?

  Connor: Signing a bunch of paperwork and getting my office in order

  Me: U have an office?

  He sends me a selfie of him sitting behind a mahogany desk in front of a window. He looks so fucking good in a dove gray suit with a baby blue tie and white oxford shirt. His hair is perfectly styled and he is doing his arrogant half smile and arched eyebrow look.

  Me: Fancy. Nice view.

  Connor: I’d rather have Griff and Lev’s view right now

  Me: Laying it on thick, Con

  Connor: I’ll give it 2 u thick

  Connor: I bet u r blushing again

  “If either of you sends Connor another picture of me right now I’ll kick your balls into your throats,” I blurt out as my face heats.

  “No need to be so aggressive, hood rat.” Lev turns his legs away from me. “I would love to know what he’s saying that has you all hot and bothered though.
”

  Connor: I’d pay 2 watch u kick Lev’s balls into his throat

  Connor: Actually I bet a lot of ppl would

  Me: Like all the girls he bangs and bails on?

  Connor: Yep

  Connor: How has the day been?

  Me: Fine

  Me: I’m going 2 class

  Connor: Ok, stay close 2 the guys

  Me: Ditching them asap

  I put my phone back in my bag and leave for class. It’s almost eery how everyone is leaving me alone today. I walk down the halls and people move for me, even if I’m just being followed by one of Lev’s teammates. Margaux has toned down her harassment, too. The most I get from her and her girls are dirty looks and whispered insults.

  Lev wraps his arm around my shoulder. “I’m with you for this class.”

  “Do you really think it’s necessary to have people with me all the time?” I snake my arm around his waist the same I way I would for Z. “That kid who grabbed me doesn’t even go here anymore.”

  “His friends still do. Owen is here now, too. Con doesn’t share much about business stuff with us but I know there’s some shady shit going down between their families’ companies. It seems like he’s overreacting and being a dick but he’s honestly just trying to keep you out of the line of fire.” He tugs my pony tail. “Also, don’t tell anyone but I actually really like Riverdale. I’m totally coming over for that.”

  “Telling me all your secrets now?” I joke.

  “Yeah, I’ll tell you one of Griff and Con’s too.” He rubs his hands together. “Connor slept with a stuffed turtle named Tilly until he was ten. Griff’s parents are huge Harry Potter fans and named him after Gryffindor House. Griffin Potter.” He watches my face closely. “Get it?”

  “Oh my god! I never made the connection!” Then I think about his red hair. “He looks like he could be a Weasley brother!”

  “Yeah, so every year for Christmas we get him Harry Potter themed gifts. He fucking hates it. It’s great.” Lev laughs.

  On impulse I pull out my phone to text Connor.

  Me: When can I meet Tilly?

  Connor: Ask Lev about his cousin.