Own (Need #3)

by K. I. Lynn

  I don’t want that for either of them.

  Nodding at Brayden, I give him what I hope is a friendly smile.

  He nods back at me, says goodbye to everyone else in the room, and heads out.

  Deciding to play nice, I turn to say goodbye to Jenna’s parents.

  “You two should try to limit your time with that young man,” Jenna’s father says.

  My lips part.

  “Daddy! How could you say something like that?” Jenna cries out, outraged on my behalf, I’m sure.

  “Honey, he’s just trying to watch out for the two of you,” her mom tells her softly.

  Through clenched teeth, I grit out, “It was a single fight, and with all due respect, although I appreciate the favor you did for me, I would also appreciate it if you didn’t insult him in front of me.”

  Everyone falls silent.

  I bid both of Jenna’s parents a safe trip back home and head into our small room.

  “Daddy, you’re being unfair and you know it.”

  “I get that that’s her stepbrother and that they love each other like siblings, but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong about him. Keep your distance, Jenna.”

  I want to slam the door shut in a fit of anger but somehow refrain.

  Stepbrother.

  Love each other like siblings.

  Keep your distance, Jenna.

  Groaning under my breath, I push the box on my bed to the side and collapse on it, my face in my hands.

  I hear Jenna angrily telling her dad to let it go and then saying goodbye to both her parents.

  First day at college. It’s supposed to be an exciting time for everyone.

  For me, this is what I get. And all because the stupid world has to always attack Brayden in some way.

  Always has to stand between us, too.

  Then again, if this is as bad as it gets, I suppose I can’t complain too much. Right?

  Then I remember that Jennifer is in this school as well, along with a ton of other people from our high school, and I realize that this is probably only the beginning.

  Knowing Jenn, things are probably going to get much worse at some point.

  Meet me by the oval after class.

  My leg bounces with impatience. I’m frustrated. More anxious than I’ve been in a few weeks now.

  I see Kira almost every night, sleep with her in my arms.

  But it doesn’t ease what I feel. I think some part of me, back in the far corners of my mind, had foolishly hoped that things would be easier once we came to college together.

  They aren’t. There is a large number of people from our school here. They know us.

  And I’m more convinced than ever that Jennifer managed to start rumors among them. No one has said anything. The actual rumors haven’t reached my ears, or that of anyone we know, but the questioning looks are always there.

  I can’t hang out with Kira without it seeming like there’s someone analyzing our behavior toward each other.

  I wouldn’t care so much if I didn’t see how it’s affecting my Kitty.

  Worse than that, it’s starting to affect Ryan, too. I don’t know if it’s because he’s frustrated at the whole situation, or because he’s worried about how he’ll deal with the backlash of everyone finding out.

  I make a mental note to have a serious talk with him about it. I need to know where my best friend stands as I move forward.

  Fuck. This would all be so much easier if it only had to do with me and Kira. If our families weren’t in danger of also being punished for what we feel for each other.

  I think a part of me needs Ryan to tell me he doesn’t care what people would say. Kira still might, but as long as Ryan doesn’t, then that’s one last thing we need to worry about.

  Kira’s response finally comes through. I need to rush back and get ready for tonight.

  One of the fraternities is throwing a party tonight and we were all invited.

  I, for one, would rather not go. What I need is to be at home with my girl. A selfish thought, I know, which is why I haven’t voiced it. I had my college experiences, went to my fair share of parties. Who am I to take that from her?

  Just for 5 minutes baby. I need to see you.

  Her response is almost instantaneous. Ok. I’ll be there <3

  The anxiousness literally melts from me. That heart means everything. Most guys wouldn’t pay attention to shit like that. I, however, know what it means.

  Kira hasn’t confessed that she still loves me. I tell her I love her all the time, but she doesn’t say it back.

  That doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed her softening toward me. The walls around her heart coming down.

  Fifteen minutes later, I’m rushing across campus, hellbent on making it to the oval in time. I catch sight of Craig on the way there. He waves me over. I shake my head and just wave hi, indicating that I’m in a hurry.

  Kira’s waiting for me by the Thompson statue, looking absolutely fuckable in a pair of tight, dark blue skinny jeans. Her back is facing me, that long auburn hair flowing down to the top of her ass.

  I come up behind her and roughly grab her ass before I can think better of it.

  She jumps almost a foot in the air, whirling around with rage burning in those beautiful eyes. When she sees it’s me, the rage morphs into panic. “Brayden,” she hisses, her eyes darting all over the place.

  I know. I know. That was absolutely careless on my part and I should be more careful. But . . . “I couldn’t help myself,” I mumble, eating up the sight of her in those jeans and her cute pink T-shirt.

  Her expression softens but I still see the fear of discovery in her eyes.

  And I fucking hate it.

  Next weekend, I’ll have a chance to drive back to my dad’s house, and I’m taking it. We might not be able to escape the public censure of being together after having been stepsiblings, but I need to at least get that legal title bullshit out the way.

  I’ll figure out what we’re going to do about everything else later.

  “I’m sorry,” I apologize in a low voice.

  She tries to smile at me. “It’s okay.”

  But we both know it’s not. “Come. I’ll walk you back so you can start getting ready for tonight.”

  We start walking side-by-side, the tension thick between us. Three girls turn to watch us pass by, and Kira tenses even more.

  “What is it?” I ask her.

  “They went to school with me.”

  Meaning: they know us.

  The looks on their faces say that they know of us.

  “Jennifer,” Kira growls under her breath bitterly.

  My vision has clouded over with red. My thoughts turn to the video I have saved in my cloud drive. The pictures I screenshot off it.

  “Maybe we’re imagining it,” Kira mumbles to herself, but her tone says that she doesn’t believe it.

  Neither do I. But I want to. Because if what I believe is true . . .

  Kira finishes my thought for me. “That little bitch actually found a way to get between us.”

  I’ll destroy Jennifer for that.

  “I hate this fucking hiding shit.” I’m grinding my teeth so hard my jaw is starting to ache.

  “We wouldn’t have to hide if . . .” Kira trails off but it’s too late.

  My heart’s already fucking breaking because of her unfinished thought.

  We wouldn’t have to hide if we weren’t together.

  Clenching my jaw harder, I hold back my remark. Five minutes later, we’re standing outside her dorm hall.

  I can’t go up with her. There’s no telling who’s watching us.

  Holy fuck. We’re literally being stalked by all of the nosey motherfuckers we went to school with.

  “I’ll drive us to the party tonight,” I say, preparing to leave. Without hugging her. Kissing her.

  “Come up with me really quick.”

  Surprised, I stare into her eyes. Is she serious? She’s willing to risk fannin
g the suspicions? “You sure?”

  She nods but I can tell she really isn’t. At the same time, I can tell she’s being earnest. She wants me to come up with her.

  I motion for her to lead and school my expression. The ride up is hell. She stands next to me like we’re nothing more than friends while people get on and off.

  Once we’re on her floor, she starts talking. “You’ll be able to give it to Ryan for me?”

  More deceit. Ignoring the bitterness that causes, I play along. “Yeah. I already told him I would.” We’re pretending for the sake of the girls in the hallway. The ones lounging by the open doorways.

  I don’t think we know any of them, but we have to be ridiculously careful regardless.

  Kira pulls out the key to her dorm and lets us in. “Jenna?” she calls. There’s no answer but she walks back toward the small bedroom and peeks in.

  I start walking to her, but I don’t get far. Kira spins around and rushes back in my direction. No more than ten feet away from the front door, she pushes me back against the wall.

  My book bag falls on the floor.

  Her’s follows.

  I can’t even take a proper breath before she’s on me, hands fisting my hair, hungry little tongue in my mouth.

  She presses in to me, her body shaking with urgency.

  That’s all it takes. In the span of a single breath, I shoot hard, my cock swelling unbearably.

  I squeeze her ass and lift her off her feet. Turning, I place her down and pull my lips away from hers. She starts yanking on the button of my jeans and I almost rip hers wide open in my haste to get them down.

  She gets my jeans open enough to pull out my cock. The feel of her soft hand playing with the sensitive tip makes my hips jerk.

  I push her jeans and panties down to her hips. Spinning her around, I press her to the wall.

  She whimpers my name.

  I slide into her soaked pussy. It’s so wet I don’t even have to prime her.

  What feels like weeks of frustration snap free inside me. Using all my strength, I start fucking her, ramming my cock into her like I haven’t fucked her in months.

  Like I didn’t have her last night.

  Biting down on the urge to scream my goddamn head off, I fuck her like it’s the last time.

  One of my hands is braced against the wall by her head. Kira bites down on it to muffle her cries. I hiss at the sharp sting.

  I’m lost in her. The hunger to possess her grows more vicious with every moment I have to hide what she means to me. I’ve already gone mad for her.

  At the rate I’m going, it won’t be long before I become utterly psychotic in the name of the love I feel for her.

  Kira bites my hand harder, rocking those sexy hips back in circles against me, urging my clock deeper.

  Balls tight, I push into her with all my strength.

  The door opens behind us.

  “Holy shit!”

  Hissing, I jerk out of Kira’s wet, pulsating cunt, my heart hammering. Adrenaline pumping. I see a flash of blond hair whipping around, a thin body rushing back out the door before it closes.

  “Oh God,” Kira whimpers behind me, and there’s no missing the embarrassment in her tone. A second later, her phone starts vibrating inside her bag at our feet.

  Trembling, she lifts her jeans up and bends to get her phone.

  I force my stiff dick back into my jeans although it’s the last thing I want to do. What I really want is to force Kira up against the wall again and finish what we started.

  As I watch Kira’s eyes widen with panic, I realize that not doing so is the best idea. “What is it?”

  “She’s with someone!” she whispers frantically, her pupils enlarged with fear. Her fingers fly across the screen as I register what she just said.

  Whoever is with Jenna probably—hopefully—didn’t see it was me fucking Kira. But they most likely heard.

  And now they’re standing outside with Jenna, blocking the only escape route, so there’s no me leaving here without being seen by that person.

  Fuck.

  Fuck.

  “She’s going to head back to the lounge area with her friend for a few minutes.”

  Heading back to the elevators means walking past the lounge. Still a chance I might be seen, but fuck it. It’s better than being caught in here.

  Kira gets to her feet and I walk to her to give her a quick kiss. “Tonight,” I promise both her and me. “You’re staying with me. I want you in my bed.”

  Her small nod makes my chest clench.

  After buttoning my jeans and grabbing my backpack, I follow her to the door. She peeks out, checking the hallway, and then steps back so I can exit.

  Thank fucking God there’s no one out here at the moment.

  I rush back toward the lounge. Right before it, I spot the door to the stairs. I hadn’t seen it on my way in.

  Luck seems to be on my side again. I slam my way into the stairwell, anger and frustration a tight band around my neck.

  I won’t live like this for much longer.

  We won’t.

  Kira is finally starting to open up to me, to forgive me, and I’ll be damned if I let anything else get in the way of us much longer.

  I want to hate Brayden at this moment, but I can’t. Not anymore. Yes, he’s the reason I’m miserable instead of enjoying my first college party, but I also understand it isn’t truly his fault.

  I can’t be with him like Dana is with Ryan.

  Instead, I have to keep my distance while other girls keep trying to throw themselves at him. To his credit, he seems annoyed and disgusted by their inability to comprehend that he isn’t interested.

  No. He’s actually livid. More than once, some drunk frat boy has come up to me, misguided in his belief that I’m his ticket to getting laid.

  And more than once, I’ve seen my brother quietly reminding Brayden that homicide isn’t an option.

  Dana, bless her soul, has tried to keep me company, although I can tell all she wants is to be with my brother.

  I just walked away, supposedly to use the bathroom, giving her an excuse to be by his side again. I don’t want to be the thing that comes between them enjoying themselves together.

  Every room I try to go into is occupied. I hear moaning and grunting from behind more than one closed door. Always at these fucking parties, man. Shaking my head, I step away from the last door I tried.

  It’s pretty quiet on this side of the frat house. Well, except for the two people fucking each other’s brains out in that room.

  Whatever. I didn’t have to go anyway. I just needed an excuse to give Dana a break.

  Jenna and the other girls should be here any time now anyway so I might as well head back.

  I turn to walk in the direction I came from.

  My body jerks to a stop.

  Jennifer is standing before me, her phone raised to her chest and a smirk on her face. “Needed some privacy?”

  Images of my fist connecting with her face invade my mind and almost hijack my control centers.

  Nothing would make me happier than ruining her. Nothing.

  However, I can’t. It isn’t the smartest move.

  Lord help me, though, because if she doesn’t move out of my way soon, I’m going to forget about what’s smart and lay into her.

  “I don’t have time for you. Get out of my way.”

  She giggles at that and the gleam in her eye gives me pause.

  This bitch is up to something.

  “I needed a moment alone, too. Was feeling nostalgic.”

  I scowl at her, confused. Is she fucking crazy? What is she talking about?

  She moves closer to me and I tense. “Jennifer, you don’t want to get too close. Trust me.”

  “But Kira,” she says in a mocking tone. “Don’t you want to see what I’m reminiscing about?”

  My eyes dart to her phone and dread slithers up my spine. Whatever she’s up to, it’s going to cut me. The sadi
stic, gleeful look in her eyes is too blatant.

  “No. I don’t. Now move.” I shove her away, self-preservation warning me to get the hell out of dodge.

  Fuck it if it looks like I’m running. I don’t care.

  A sound I don’t want to recognize starts playing behind me and against my will, my body freezes in place.

  “You like how I’m sucking this dick, baby?” Jennifer’s voice plays from what’s obviously a recording on her phone.

  “Yeah, Jenn. Of course I do. Now less talking and suck it deeper.”

  My heart shatters in a way I hadn’t felt in a while.

  A way I remember too well.

  I know that raspy voice. He sounds intoxicated, but I know his voice with every fiber of my being.

  Jennifer walks around me, taking advantage of my frozen shock, and her phone is facing me now.

  My eyes focus on it before I can tell myself not to, and I see the video in all its detail.

  Jennifer is clearly the one holding the phone, pointing it her direction while she slobbers all over a dick.

  A dick I know even more intimately than this pitiful bitch does. I don’t need the camera pointed at his face to know it’s him.

  Jennifer looks younger in this video. It was probably taken years ago.

  It. Doesn’t. Fucking. Matter.

  Brayden fists her hair in the video and holds her still as he starts thrusting hard into her mouth. He barely makes a sound, but almost at the end he groans in a low voice, “That’s it. Right there. I’m coming.”

  The camera is shaking from Jennifer’s efforts to keep it steady but I still see clearly when he tenses and shoots his load into her throat.

  “God,” Jennifer groans in front of me, rolling her eyes back. “I come every damn time I watch this vid—”

  She doesn’t get to finish.

  The sound of my fist connecting with her face echoes loudly down the hall.

  I hear the screech first—a hellish sound of pure indignation.

  Then everyone’s rushing to the source of the sound.

  Immediately, I’m looking around for Kira, my eyes bouncing off faces. She went to the bathroom a little while ago and Dana rejoined us.

  People are gathering at the entrance to the hallway, where it leads to the rest of the house.