Dirty Dark Prey: A Dark College Bully Romance (Elite Royal University Duet Book 2)

by L. J. Woods

  They’re convinced they’ll get me off and it’s looking like it. But proving my innocence is as painful as the repressed memories this all brings up.

  Did I watch Doctor Drake Donovan die? Yes.

  Did he deserve it? Does anyone deserve the death penalty?

  At first, I wasn’t sure, the guilt and romantic memories blurring my reality. Drake meant something to me, at one point. But of course, he did, because that’s how he manipulated me. And now I know exactly how Isaac felt when he found out Marion was using him.

  “You ready for dinner?” Anna peeks her head into my room, the only one beside Dom I’ve given that privilege. Isaac hired Anna back a week after I returned to the mansion and having her around has been the bit of bliss I need to get through it all.

  “It’s your favourite." She wipes her hands on her plaid shirt. "Fancy grilled cheese.”

  I tell her the same thing I’ve told her a million times before. “I’m not hungry.”

  She sighs, coming in and closing the door as I pull off my headphones. “You have to feed yourself. Nourish yourself." She pounds her fingers at her chest like a yoga teacher. "You’re not getting sick on my watch.”

  Anna’s made sure to drop in bits of food here and there and it’s been hard not to binge — which I’ve done a few times but she hasn’t given me flack for it.

  She closes my laptop sitting in front of me. “Chip chip, bip bip," she mocks her accent. "Let’s go. Your brother’s home.” Make that she hasn't given me flack until now, but that's not what catches my attention.

  “He is?” He’s never home these days. While I’m happy he’s finding a life here in Eden, I kind of miss it being only us. No one understands what it’s like growing up under Cassandra except him. “Fine.” I make a big show out of slogging out of bed but Anna waits, patient as always.

  She ties her shoulder-length dark strands in a bun. “You’re going down there like that?”

  I look down at my giant t-shirt and boyshorts. Since I haven't left my room, I haven't dyed my hair in weeks. I can’t try to pretend like I’m the same girl that walked in here before. “Why?" I blink. "Is royalty down there?”

  Anna smiles, holding out her hand. “You look stunning.” I roll my eyes as I take her hand and she leads me downstairs.

  Dom’s laugh fills the home as we make it closer to the dining room near the backyard garden and pool. The glass wall opens onto the gray concrete patio, the room extending onto it. And when the boys come into view, Dom looks even healthier than the last time I saw him. Hockey gives him muscles I didn’t even know he had, and that smile on his face gives him a major glow. No highlight necessary.

  Isaac’s eyes dart to me before anyone else's. Then a smile spreads across his face. “I like what you did with your hair.”

  My hand comes to my strands like I’m remembering I have a head of brown locks. “You mean nothing?”

  “That’s exactly what I mean.” He stands from the head of the table, gesturing for me to take a seat. And that’s when I notice who else is at the table. His lawyer.

  There’s also a cake, a sparkler poked into it. “What are we celebrating?” I ask.

  Isaac’s grin grows, those flutters bursting through my chest. He unbuttons the front of his gray and black embroidered blazer, but he keeps the buttons above his pecs open. His muscles shine under the potlights, those flutters flowing between my legs. This is exactly why I lock myself in my room.

  No alcohol for two months has the cravings for booze fading, but the ones for him never go away.

  “Looks like you’re off the hook for Dick Donovan," he says.

  Alexander, his lawyer, clears his throat. “The judge is leaning to throw out the case. And thanks to your cooperation, we have enough evidence for him to do so. That and a promotion waiting for him in New York City. Consider yourself a free woman, Lexi.”

  A free woman.

  "Hell yeah!" Dominic cheers in his seat, sending a thunderous clap through the room. Anna joins him in cheering and Isaac’s wide smile confirms it all.

  Then it hits me all at once.

  There's an end to this. At least this part of my life, and without the trial looming over my head, I can finally get back to my goals. A grin starts to spread across my face.

  He did save me.

  And with tears coming to my eyes, my feet are already in front of Isaac’s when my arms fly around him. Like a safety belt, his arms wrap tight around me as his warmth adds to this giddy feeling.

  Relief. Calmness.

  Solace.

  And … it’s too much.

  He saved me but he's the reason I'm here.

  The reason I went through hell.

  My senses come back to me and I back off but he doesn’t let go. So I push harder until I get that warm, comfort off me. Like I’m rejecting the world’s best teddy bear.

  Deep down, this teddy bear has knives hidden within and I won't let him shred me to pieces again.

  "Get off me."

  His brows knit, the room growing silent around us. Dom’s claps slow.

  Looking around the room, they all have their eyes on me. Like I’m the one who broke up this celebration. Like I belong to him or something.

  Swallowing hard on the dryness in my throat, I nod towards Isaac. “Thank you.” But that only reminds me of all the other times I’ve thanked him before. With his hands on my ass, or a paddle, or a belt. With his cock buried deep inside me.

  Shaking off those thoughts, I turn to Alexander, my brother and Anna. “Thank you all. You guys have been nothing but supportive.” It’s like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like I know there has to be something to stop this trial in its path. But so I don’t implode in front of everyone, I look at the spread on the table. “Let’s eat.”

  Dom’s chattier than I’ve ever seen him throughout our little celebratory dinner, Anna sitting next to him.

  I’ve had a sprinkle the entire time I’ve sat here. Isaac must notice because he gives me those eyes, boring into my skull like he’s telling me to eat something. But he doesn’t get a say in what I do anymore. Not after what I did for him. I hate that my mind keeps drifting to whatever the fuck we had before. I keep telling myself it was nothing. Two students working out their angst on each other from being in a very confined situation.

  I can’t focus on that now. I need to plan my next move.

  I need to be ahead this time. Not behind.

  Dom’s voice warbles in and out as he babbles about what he’s doing after the championships. After helping Christian with his recovery, it sounds like he has a plan.

  “Physiotherapy.” He smiles towards me. “I know mom might not want this path for me, and I won’t get that money from dad’s accountant but it’s what I wanna do.”

  “You’re good at it,” Isaac encourages. “Perez looks better than before.”

  I turn to Dom. “Have you heard from mom?” He glances at Isaac before he leans back in his seat. I narrow my eyes, glancing between them. Then I drop my fork. “What? What is it?”

  Dom shrugs. “She only texted to ask if I’m still making the championships.”

  My nose twists. “That’s it? Not where she went, not why she upped and left us?” My mind goes back to that night I pulled up to Jake’s. My hand tightens around my fork. “Did you tip her off? Is that why she left?”

  “Lex …” Dom reaches his hand out for me but I’m on the outside again. “If she wanted to be here for us, she would.”

  Then my eyes shoot daggers into Isaac’s. “I want my PleasureChat back.”

  “No.” Isaac's response is quick then he closes his eyes. “I mean, why?”

  “You can’t control everything and everyone around you. That account is mine. I built that.” I stab my fork into the chunk of cake still untouched on my plate. “Give. It. Back.”

  His jaw ticks. “Tell. Me. Why.”

  “Because I want to make money you selfish prick. You want me to rely on you forever? So you c
an use it to control me?”

  “This shit again?” Isaac throws his napkin on his plate. “You trying to be Miss Independent?”

  “Uh, I’ll walk you out, Alexander.” Anna rises from her seat. “Dom can you—”

  “Yep!” Dom pushes from the table, hopping out of his seat. They’re all out of the dining room in a blur.

  “Why won’t you give it back?” I press. “Because you think I’m a whore?”

  “That’s not it.” His jaw tenses but he stays in his seat.

  “Because you think I’m selling my body?”

  “Lex …” He says my name like he's trying to remain calm but fuck that.

  “Or are you jealous that you don’t get to see it anymore? Because that’s your fault. If you were honest with me from the beginning, we wouldn’t be having a celebratory party for me getting off of a murder trial.” My fists bang against the table, whatever angst I’ve been holding inside coming all out.

  Isaac pushes from his seat. “You want me to be honest?”

  So I push from mine, not giving him the upper hand. Not one bit. “That must be fucking hard for you isn’t it? ‘Cause I wanted you to be honest, when I needed you to be honest—”

  “God, shut up!” Something hits my head, cutting off my words and I blink, a dinner roll bouncing to the floor.

  “Did you just throw food at me?” So I reach for a glob of mashed potatoes.

  It lands in his hair, drooping into his forehead. While I’m happy to see it drizzle onto his designer shirt, I need more.

  He takes a step forward and I throw another, more mashed potato on his cheek. With a smirk on my face, I reach for him before he grabs my wrist.

  The plate clunks underneath me as my back hits the table.

  “You done?” His lips are an inch from mine and I get that pull. That craving. It's almost impossible not to close the distance. Pulling my gaze from his lips to my eyes, those stupid fucking flutters go wild. With a shaky breath, I try to stifle them. “I guess I am now because you want me to be.”

  “Why do you want your PleasureChat?”

  “You know why. I want my independence. I need to make money without you." When I try to fight against his hold, he presses me closer to the table with his rigid body. Something hard grows against me, flutters turning into a burn. "Why don’t you want me to have it? Because you think I’m a slut?”

  He closes his eyes for a second before they pierce into mine. “Because I want you here. I want you, and Lexi that scares me but I don't want anything to come between that. So if you want your PleasureChat, I’ll give it to you, but know I want you, alright?” He leans back, letting me go and that coldness washes over me again.

  My breath stops, my body frozen against the table and it takes way too much effort to push my body up. He taps at his phone while I stand there, digesting his words. Too afraid to speak. I wanted that honesty, but I don’t think I can handle it.

  “I sent it.” He flicks his phone and it clatters on the table like he betrayed something inside him. “It’s not about you selling that body, Lexi. I know whenever I wanted it, it was mine before and it kills me that I don’t have it now. There. Now, stop being such a fucking brat.”

  The room goes silent.

  My heart pounds.

  He takes a step forward.

  Then I run.

  I don’t stop until my back hits my bedroom door. Just like the first time.

  I want you.

  I know my heart wants Isaac Johnson. But I’m stupid if I let him have it.

  Thirty

  Isaac

  BeachBum89: My balls are so heavy I missed you so much

  420HighGuy: Remind me how you suck a good dick

  BelowTheBelt1001: Are your feet still pretty baby?

  1Dik4UNow: Spread them.

  Lexi’s PleasureChat makes me sick.

  In the last two months, I haven’t craved a drink this bad.

  It’s not because these guys are here to see her half-naked. I know they’ll never make her feel the way I did. But I don't know if I’ll ever get that feeling again.

  Lexi didn’t change into one of her designs and her viewership is lower than usual. She seems as stiff as she was when I held her against the table, sparks flying between us but she dodged them. She dodged us.

  I haven’t signed into this account since our private chat months ago. It still feels all too familiar sitting on the other side of this screen when Lexi’s only two rooms over.

  Things are different. xShe knows I want her. There's no coming back from that.

  When I invite her to a private chat, she stops whatever’s she’s saying to her audience. Then she ignores it before she continues. So I send another. And another.

  And she ignores every single one.

  Slamming on my laptop, I rise from my seat.

  Pacing the room for a few minutes doesn't get that conversation out of my head.

  So fuck it. I'm not giving up.

  It's only when I'm at her door that I realize what I'm about to do. Storm her boundaries again.

  Hesitating, I'm slow to turn the knob and it's unlocked when I do. So I take that as an invitation to swing the door open.

  It slams against the wall with a thud as loud as my heart. “I didn’t say we were through with that conversation.”

  She throws a pillow at me. “Get the fuck out!”

  Slamming the door behind me, I stalk over to her, that black latex lingerie making it harder to stay away. “We’re talking about this.”

  “Because you want to?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  "Fuck off!" Rising off the bed she lunges at me like a raging monkey but I catch her warm body in my arms.

  She flays when I grab onto her, squealing and wiggling until I throw her on the bed.

  Climbing on top of her, I know what language Lexi speaks. It’s the same language I do.

  Complete carnage.

  “I told you what I wanted." Pinning her arms to each side of her head, I'm not letting her run this time. "So tell me, Miss Independent, what do you want?”

  She stares into my eyes, glimmering like diamonds. “You know what I want.”

  I lean closer. “What’s that, baby?”

  “I’m not your baby.”

  “Then what are you?” I inch closer, that sweet smell coming off her, that intoxicating scent taking over. “If not mine? 'Cause I’m yours, Lexi. I don’t know when that dynamic shifted but we can’t come back from this. From what we went through. And hell, I don’t want to. So we’re not done. We’re not done until—”

  Her teeth sink into my lip and that's when I close the distance. The fire inside me quells, with her soft lips on mine and when her legs wrap around my back, it ignites again.

  The latex is easy to rip before I bury myself in her neck, sinking my teeth into it so she makes those sounds I’ve missed so much. “We’re better together,” I growl into her neck. “I’ll make you see that.”

  “You can’t make me do anything,” she murmurs, my cock pressed hard against her heat. The way her legs tighten around me tells me different.

  “I can make you mine.” When I push myself inside her, I don’t care that her laptop’s still open. I hope those assholes get a clear view of my ass.

  "Isaac," she moans. Her back arches against the mattress, her head falling back in that sexy way but I want her close. My hand comes around her neck, her pulse racing against my thumb as I pull her lips back on mine and give her my all.

  And when she moans, “Thank you.” It’s all I need to supercharge my thrusts.

  Her walls close in around my shaft throbbing inside her and she grinds her centre against me in the most perfect way. “I missed you.” The words come out of my mouth like I’m on drugs and hell, I guess I am.

  “Fuck you,” she spits back.

  “I am,” I drill into her harder. “I know you missed me too, Lexi. Who’s lying now?”

  Reaching under the bed, I fumble around for tha
t box. Flicking the lid off, I find what I need. Pushing that vibrator between us makes her moans louder. “Oh god, fuck me."

  And I do. Harder and harder until her nails slash my back. Until her heel digs into my ass.

  When I flip her around to ride me, we lock eyes again, her teeth sinking into her lip as I keep my arm above her ass. Holding her against me, we move and writhe against each other.

  My abs tighten, my skin feeling like it's both on hot coals and the peak of a chilly mountain. It's easy for those words to rise in me again. “Lexi, I—”

  SLAP!

  Her hand comes to my face. “I want to be teammates,” she pants, riding me harder.

  SLAP!

  “Equals,” she demands, her hand slapping against my face again.

  Why does that rile me up more?

  “If I’m a King …” Picking her up under her ass, my cock deep inside her, I slam her back against the wall as she cries out. Her legs tighten around me while I use the wall for leverage, every inch of her under my control. “That makes you my Queen.”

  She lets out a loud moan, her head hitting the wall as I reach my peak. Now we're both shaking, my knees buckling under me.

  The world becomes a warm, fuzzy cave as I try to keep her body pinned, but I'm so exhausted it’s easy for both of us to collapse to the floor.

  Lexi falls on my chest, both our bodies heaving. Like we've run a thousand miles or did a million situps. Like we’ve been hiding this for months.

  “Get out," she says between her breaths.

  But after what we just did, I'm not sure if I heard that right.

  She pushes on my chest. Climbing off, she reaches for a nearby t-shirt like my jizz isn’t fucking running down her leg.

  “You fucking serious, Goldie?” My eyes narrow.

  Then she turns to me, folding her arms. “As serious as murder. Get out. Now.”

  “No?"

  “If you want anything to do with me ever again, you’ll push your fucking ego aside and get the fuck out.”

  Pulling up my slacks, she’s lucky I’m in—whatever this is with her because I do what she says. I don’t know what this means. I don’t know if we’re coming back from this.