I smile as I hear the insertion of her crude language in the sentence. "Do your parents know you curse like a sailor? I can't imagine that would be acceptable behavior for an upper-class rich girl."
She chuckles a little. "I've dropped the f-bomb on my mother a few times. At first it slipped and again I got slapped, but then I started doing it just to piss her off. Totally worth the red handprint imprinted on my cheek every time."
She makes it sound insignificant every time it's mentioned, but it makes me cringe, hitting a nerve that I try not to irritate. "It's really a good thing that you no longer live with her, because if you did I wouldn't be able to contain myself around her. It's not okay for someone to put their hands on you, Piper, male or female."
"Yeah.... I know. I just don't fit in with them, with this. I never really have, but never had any other options either."
There is a longing in her voice that physically causes me pain. This pain is something I've never endured before. It weakens me when other pain makes me stronger. "You do now."
She stops dancing and looks up at me. There is a need in her eyes that I recognize, because I have it too. It's a need to connect myself with her in the only absolute way there is. She looks as though she's afraid to ask, but does anyway. "Why don't we go find that closet now…"
"That sounds like the best idea you've had all night."
"I'll go first. I need to stop by the ladies room. Meet me there in five minutes. Don't keep me waiting too long, sexy." She turns and walks away, her heels tapping against the marble floor.
I place my hands in my pockets and move further to the side, away from all the people. When she's by my side I don't notice them, but when she's gone I feel like I'm being squeezed into a tiny room with a hundred other people. It makes me sweat and I feel like I'm choking on my own air. I don't like being around this many money-hungry people. I feel like I'm breaking out in hives. The higher percentage of all people with this much fucking money usually are of equal caliber to people like my father or others that do horrible things, such as rape, abuse, stealing, or murder, all in a fight for power.
"She may have showed up with you, but I guarantee she'll end up leaving with me. It's always been that way. It'll never change. Everyone knows we'll end up together. When I'm to the point of settling down I'll come back for her, but until then she'll give in to me when I need her. You should just realize that now and make things easier on yourself."
It's suddenly very easy to breathe. I turn around to look at the prick standing behind me. His position is mirroring mine, standing with his hands in his suit pants. His is different though. It's a power stance. He wants to prove what he has, but from where I stand he doesn't have a mother-fucking thing, at least not the one that's the most important. I stare at him, feeling him out. I could snap his limbs from his body before he had a chance to realize he was even being attacked. Money doesn't buy you everything. It doesn't give you the one thing you need to survive in this world: instinct.
"Is that so? You seem pretty damn sure of yourself."
"In the most absolute way there is. I guarantee I was with her right before you were. It wouldn't take much to have her again. That's just the way it is. I've put years into it. You don't squander that in a month."
My jaw locks and my eyes become focused. He has just made himself my prey, my enemy. There is one thing that will get a man killed: mess with another man's woman. My fists clench inside my pockets. "Want to put a wager on that?"
"I'll make it better. Let me at her first. If she's into it, which I know she will be, back the fuck off and disappear. You're only getting in my way. If she sends me away, I'll even watch while you take her for yourself. If you follow through with me in the room, I'll bow out like a man and leave her be. What do you say? Are you a betting man, Haddox?"
My need to totally remove him from the picture is taking the lead to my sensible thoughts. No man wants to feel threatened when it comes to his girl. If I do this he's totally gone. I walk forward and stop, our shoulders touching as we face opposite directions. "I'll play your childish little game, but you want to know the difference in you and me? You may have put in the time, but you don't know how to treat a woman. I've spent the last month cleaning up your fucking mess. You don't need to destroy a woman emotionally to keep her. A good woman, one that's worth keeping forever, wants a man that's fucking real, a man that is proud to claim her as his instead of using her for her pussy and social status. I may be raw, but I'm as fucking real as they come. Keep up your fake shit and see where you end up. Good luck."
I walk away, my insides twisting in knots. I'm depending on her not to fuck me over, because he's surfacing inside, rattling the cage for freedom. Slowly but surely my world is darkening, the beast ready to protect what's his, what's mine. The bad thing is, he does what is needed to get the job done. The fucking rules go out the window.
I shove my underwear into my clutch and open the bathroom door, walking into the hallway. The main ballroom is the one being used, but there are some dressing rooms down the hall and past the kitchen that remain unlocked for catering staff. It usually doesn't get used during the party, because all hands are on deck. One thing you can always bank on with the rich and famous: they're fucking needy, not able to do a damn thing for themselves. In this situation I'm grateful, because I'm about to have him all to myself.
I lean my back against the wall of the dim hallway, waiting for him to come. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you."
Why me? Did he really not hear what I said earlier? What part of- I've moved on- is confusing to him? "What do you want, Cole? I'm a little busy."
He smiles, looking from side to side as he closes in on me, placing his arms on the wall next to me, entrapping me. "You don't look busy. I could change that," he says in a deepened voice, pressing his lips to my neck.
Without thought I shove him backward. "What the hell is your problem, Cole? I'm here with someone, my boyfriend. Monogamy may be stupid to you, but it's actually refreshing. Maybe you should try it. Go back to the party, Cole."
"Come on, baby. You know I love you. Don't try to deny me. You know it's me you want. Let me in." He closes back in and grabs my ass. It's now that I smell the whiskey on his breath. He's drunk.
I shove him again, but he doesn't budge. He's never done this to me before. He presses his erection into me. My palm connects with his cheek as I slap him. The sound echoes through the small hallway. He halts and looks at me. "You're going to throw this away for someone you barely know? What the fuck, Piper? Does this not mean anything to you?"
My blood is now boiling. All the things I ever wanted to say to him come flooding to the front of my mind. Every ounce of the hurt that I've ever felt from him is coming back, reminding me of how it feels. "Throw what away? Sitting around thinking of you on a near constant basis while you take a new girl to your bed every night at your frat house? Or perhaps when I finally start to get a little peace as I come to terms with the fact that we will never be anything again and then you come waltzing back into my life just to get in my pants? Is that what I'm throwing away? Am I throwing away the times I sit and cry as soon as you fuck me and then leave as if I'm nothing to you? Am I throwing away good dick? Am I throwing away the possibility of being a trophy wife so I can end up just like my mother? Why don't you tell me, Cole? Am I getting close yet? If that's what I'm throwing away, then yes, I am, and I should have thrown it away a long time ago."
Tears are rolling down my face, but I'm not finished. I need to get this out. This has been a long time coming. "Don't ever fucking tell me you love me again. You have no idea what love is. You throw around the word to get what you want. I bet I'm not the only one you use it on. That thought sickens me, because I really loved you. I would have done anything you asked of me in hopes you would realize that we were supposed to be together. I prayed for years that I would be good enough for you. I kept thinking God just wasn't answering my prayer, but I realized something when I met H
addox. I realized God did answer my prayer. The answer was just different than I thought it was. I am good enough for you; too good. You're the one that isn't good enough for me. When you love someone you give them your all, not your dick. When you love someone you try to avoid hurting them, not hurt them repeatedly. I'm done giving my all to someone that gives me nothing in return. I feel sorry for you, Cole. I may not have known Haddox but a month, but I'll tell you one fucking thing and you can take this to the bank. He's more of a fucking man than you'll ever be. Instead of taking me to bed and leaving when I gave him the opportunity, he stayed. He freed me from you, because I fell in love with him."
I point my clutch at him. "The difference in first love and true love is that true love isn't one sided, and you can always recognize the difference. He may not say it, but he shows it, and that speaks louder than the words from his mouth. I won't tell you this again so you better listen. As long as he has me, don’t ever fucking try to touch me again. I don't want to be tainted by you."
He releases his hands from the wall, giving me space. I turn and walk away, leaving him standing alone like the asshole that he is. I have no idea where I'm going and I don't care. "You're just going to walk away? You tell me how you feel for the first time in years and won't talk it out? How the hell was I supposed to know?"
I never turn around as I answer his questions quickly. "I shouldn't have to explain what's obvious, and I'm only doing what you've done for years. You should recognize the gesture."
I turn at the end of the hall and continue to the end, stopping at the dead end that leads to the upper floor. My adrenaline is coursing through my body. My emotions are on high alert. I feel amazing. I've had that pent up inside for years. I was finally able to release some of it. My tears have dried, no longer needed. I swipe my fingers underneath my eyes, making sure they are free from smudged makeup.
As my breathing evens out, I open my clutch and remove my makeup palette. I open it and pat my face with powder, looking at myself in the small, round mirror. I smile as Haddox's reflection becomes visible in the mirror, walking up behind me. His expression is tense and his body is stiff. "Are you okay?"
"Are you?"
"I'm fine. I just got something out that has been brewing for years. No big deal."
"I need to ask you something."
I turn around and face him, leaning against the large window. "What is it?"
"Did you mean what you said?"
My brows dip. I have no idea what he's referring to. "What do you mean?"
He places his hands on the frame of the window, outside of my body. "Do you really love me? Did you mean what you said when you told him you were in love with me?"
Dammit! I didn't mean for him to hear that. If I say yes it could ruin everything, but if I lie then I become a liar; that I can't live with. "Were you eavesdropping on my conversation?"
"You're my girlfriend and you were expecting me. I would hardly compare overhearing to eavesdropping. That doesn't even matter. Answer my question," he commands. I can't read his expression. He's locking me out.
"Yes. I meant it, but that doesn't mean anything. I don't expect anything from you. There is no pressure to feel the same, okay?"
"What the fuck am I supposed to do with that information, Piper? Love wasn't part of the plan."
"It rarely is."
"It's something I'm incapable of giving you in return."
"I never asked you to. Haddox, it's fine. It wasn't even meant for you to hear."
"So you just expect me to forget it?"
"Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know. It's not a big deal."
"It's a huge deal. You shouldn't love a man like me."
"It's too late. You're the one I want."
"Prove it," he says as he holds up a black cloth napkin that the silverware is wrapped in at the tables.
I'm not sure what he means. "Okay..."
"Turn around."
I do as I'm told, facing the window again. He places the opaque, rolled up napkin over my eyes and ties it on the back of my head, blindfolding me. I can hear his belt being undone, then the zipper as he unzips his pants.
He starts inching my dress up my legs, inch by inch. My heart is racing from his touch. I can tell by his tone that he needs it rough like the night with the handcuffs. I'm not sure if I'm into it, but I've accepted this about him, and in that I've accepted to be a part of it. I need him to touch me right now just as much as he needs to touch me.
He reaches my waist with my skirt, baring my lower half completely except for my heels. I can tell by the draft alone. "Spread your legs."
I can barely breathe. My adrenaline is rushing through my body so fast that I can't think. I can only feel...and hear. I change my stance, widening it. He places one hand under the front fabric of my dress, cupping my breast, and rubbing my nipple with his thumb. My muscles start contracting below.
He reaches around my body with his other hand, pressing his middle finger over my pussy, and circling it in the wetness. He runs it up my folds and starts massaging my clit, fast and hard. He isn't playing. He wants me to come and quickly. I moan out, unable to stand it. He knows I love for him to play with my boobs during sex. It makes it feel so much better to feel the two sensitive areas being pleasured simultaneously.
I reach up, trying to find his head. I lean my head back against his chest and run my fingers through the back of his hair. "Say it."
"Say what?" My voice comes out breathy and broken. It's all I can muster.
"I don't want to hear you say it to someone else. I want to hear you say it to me...while you come."
The sensation is building quickly and my world slows down as my orgasm starts, consuming me. My eyes become heavy, trying to close, as I cry out from the pleasure consuming me. "I love you, Haddox."
He growls out and grabs my shoulder, pushing me forward. I place my hands on the window seal as he aligns his cock at my entrance and shoves himself inside, filling me. "Fuck yeah. Say it again," he commands as he holds my waist for leverage and pounds into me as hard as he can, over and over.
My eyes start to roll toward the back of my head and I can't speak. I can only feel the way his beautiful dick feels as it penetrates me hard and deep.
He grabs my long hair and I can feel him wrap it around his hand. He pulls hard as he slams into me. It hurts, but it feels so fucking good. "Oh damn. Do it again."
"You like that, beautiful. You like feeling the pleasure mixed with the pain?" He loosens the pull, creating slack, but never stops thrusting into me. He gets faster, harder, and deeper with no effort. He doesn't even sound like he's short of breath.
"Yes. I like it. Do it again."
"Then say it. You know what I want."
"I love you, Haddox. I love you so much that I can't stand the thought of being without you. I've fallen completely in love with you. It's irreversible. I never want anyone else to touch me this way."
He pulls on my hair as he shoves his cock so deep that his pelvis is flush with my ass. He grinds his hips hard, causing me to yell out from the overwhelming sensations. He’s so deep that it hurts, but it’s a beautiful pain. I can’t stop the vocals that are escaping me. I’m not controlling them.
"Fuck! That feels so damn good." He pushes into me further and I can feel the light pulsating of his dick as he releases his cum inside of me, spurt by spurt.
He bends forward and grabs my chin, turning my head to kiss him. "I'll be the only one that you say that to from here on out."
He pulls out of me and pulls my dress over my butt, letting it slide down my legs. I stand and turn, falling lightly against the wall, trying to catch my breath. "I guess you were right, bro. She's all yours. I'm out."
That familiar voice again. Was he in here this whole time? I pull off the blindfold and glance at Cole. His eyes burn into mine. They seem sad and apologetic, slightly red and glassy. I'm mortified. "For the record, I really did love you. I've never said it to anyone else. I just didn't know how you f
elt. Maybe I'm stupid or maybe I was in denial, but it was never my intention to use you. I thought a single college life was something we both wanted. I'm sorry."
He turns and disappears down the hall, leaving the two of us alone. I'm so embarrassed. Tears begin to fall. I have no idea how to feel right now. I'm sorry that Cole is too late, but that doesn't change anything. That isn't my fault. I'm torn because I was just thoroughly fucked by my boyfriend in front of my ex-boyfriend. That shit doesn't just happen.
A rush of anger surges through my body. I look over at Haddox. "What did he mean you were right? Did you know he was in here?"
Please say no. Please say no. I'm begging you. Say no.
"It was his idea, not mine, but I can't say that I regret it if it gets the point across."
"I see." I look to my left and there is an emergency exit. I can't speak and I sure as hell can't look at him right now. I'm too mad. I push the door open, not caring whether alarms go off or not.
"Piper! Where are you going?"
"Home."
I step outside. It's pouring rain, but I don't care. I start walking. At some point I'll hail a cab. Right now I just need to walk. I need to burn off some of this rage.
He catches up to me. "Don't you think we should go there together?"
"I'm not going to your house, Haddox. I'm going to mine."
He grabs my arm, halting me. I'm already drenched. My dress is clinging to my body, my hair is stuck to my face, and my nipples are showing through the fabric, but I don't even care. I cross my arms as he makes me look at him. "What do you mean? What are you saying? What's wrong? Talk to me."
Each time it crosses my mind, my eyes fill with a new set of tears. He looks slightly panicky, but he should, because I'm done. He just did the one thing that is a deal breaker, even when you're completely in love with the person before you.
"I'm done, Haddox. This is over. I can handle a lot of things, but what you just did is crossing the line."
"What the fuck did I do that is so wrong? Are you saying there is still a piece of you that wants him? It was his fucking idea to watch. Why the hell are you mad at me?"
Fight for You Page 29