by L. J. Woods
“Mmm,” he growls, whipping me around, a woosh on my cheeks, skirts rising to my waist. Damien's hard rod is against my ass as he pulls on the chains, "And now I’m about to be in you.”
It’s like groundhog day the next couple of weeks.
Errands with Isaac. Lunch with Damien, though we don’t do much eating unless you count that thing he does between my legs. We've hooked up all over campus at this point. Janitor's closets. Empty classrooms. International student dorms and even the pool.
I've been so caught up with the Kings that I've hardly spent any time with my sister. Willow thinks I’m helping the guys with some of their schoolwork and I haven't told her much about Damien. Not that I have to.
The rumours have already made their way around after Damien's stunts. I yelled at Damien for being a pig about the way he sends his gifts. He’s toned it down, only surprising me with his twisted toys once we're together. Paddle. Ropes. Handcuffs. He likes to be in charge and it's no different when we're alone, but I don't submit without a fight. That's not too different from how we are when our clothes are on. Fighting for power.
Being with Damien should feel weird, and not just because of his adventurous take on sex. But it doesn’t. Something about Damien seems so right that when I’m around him, I forget all the warning signs. All the red flags.
His mischievous games aside, Damien helps to keep my mind off the darkness in my world. That includes Allie and Nate. They try to contact me at least once a day but while Nate’s given up, Allie keeps pressing on.
I haven’t seen much of Christian which is best after knowing what I know. I have questions for him but as long as I’m around Damien, I doubt he'll answer.
It's Thursday, I'm leaving the girls bathroom when Damien strides towards me. “It’s French Day in the cafeteria and I’m a sucker for crepes." He reaches out, his hand as cold as usual when he takes mine. "Join me.”
He puts an arm around me and some of the girls whisper and sneer as he leads me down the hall. Looking over my shoulder, his grip tightens.
“Wait,” I say. “You want to actually eat here?”
“I do.” He nods, keeping that stoic Damien King look on his face until we’re in the cafeteria.
Everyone assumes Damien and are hooking up but neither of us confirms it. For all this talk about me being his, he hasn't been one for public displays of affection. Not that I've pressed.
“Hey, we should talk about this,” I protest as he leads me around tables of students, all eyes on us. I lower my voice, “We haven’t talked about what we are. And—"
“We’re Damien King and Jo Rowland.” Isaac and Beth are at the table when we get there. “And we’re having crepes together.”
Twenty-Three
The cafeteria goes silent the minute my ass hits the seat next to Damien.
I can feel eyes watching our every move. No one’s saying anything. They just stare.
As I’m trying to settle in my seat, one of the doors burst open, Lea and Georgina walking in followed by a gaggle of Trust Fund Trolls. She spots me and storms right to the table.
Slamming her hands in front of me. I can feel Damien’s cold hand on my thigh. He rests his other elbow on the table, smirking at Lea. “Well, good afternoon ladies.”
“What is she doing here?” Lea whips her head to me, sporting a plaid headband.
“Oh get over it Lea,” Isaac says, waving her to her seat. “Relax and hang out.”
“How am I supposed to eat with vermin at the table?" Her nose twists. "This isn’t The Grove.”
I’m about to fire back when Damien’s hand moves up my kilt and into my panties. My eyes spring open as he moves his fingers in circles and nothing comes out of my mouth except a soft sigh.
“What?” Lea's hands move to her hips as she looks around my face. “Are you high? Do you have nothing to say?”
Damien moves his fingers quicker, my eyes landing on the bulbs in the ceiling. I should tell him to stop and move his hand but I don’t. It feels too good. I try to push my words out but all that escapes my lips is, “N-Nothing.”
She slams on the table. "You can't sit with us, Medusa!”
Damien puts more pressure on my soaking pearl and it's harder to say what I want. He knows how to move those digits just right, how to get me to squirm in my seat.
I try anyway, his movements making it damn-near impossible. “It’s…” His pace quickens and I’m gripping to the edge of my seat. I reach for that bulge but he stops me, applying more pressure to my throbbing clit. Lea makes a face and I try to keep my eyes open. When I look at Damien, he gives me that sexy smirk, as if he knows where his fingers are taking me. And fuck, I roll right over the edge, screaming my own name, “Jo!”
My voice is louder than I expect, gasping for air like I've been holding my breath the entire time. Lea raises both eyebrows, her head jerking back. Damien slides his fingers from my legs, wiping them on my thigh.
“Alright, we get it. Relax,” Isaac whines, swirling a piece of spinach in cheese. He has two fingers on his temple. “Some of us have a hangover."
“Ugh.” Lea slumps in her seat. “Whatever, freak.”
Damien unleashes my leg and I slap his thigh but he rests his jaw on his palm, a satisfied smirk on his face. He puts his fingers in his mouth, leaving them hanging off his lips and no one seems to know what just happened. I guess Damien King bringing me to an orgasm in the middle of the cafeteria is better than lashing out at Lea Huang again. She looks bothered by my limited answers, so whatever Damien's plan was, it worked.
“Georgey.” Lea turns to her friend, flipping her hair. “Study session at MOCHA? We can gawk at the help.”
I give her a cheeky smile. “I’m not working tonight, sorry.”
She sneers, “Well even better.”
“I’m feeling a party.” Damien puts an arm around me, his grip tight like I'm his property to claim. "Georgina, is the Rooftop Suite at The Palace free tonight?”
Georgina sits up like she popped a caffeine pill. She wiggles her phone in her hand. “I make a few calls and it can be.”
“You should have some friends over.” He turns to me, eyes wandering my eyes to my lips. “If you’re up for it.”
Well look at that, Damien King is inviting me to an elite party, in front of everyone, and all I can say is, “Okay.” God, what is he doing to me?
Georgina squeals, “Great! We haven’t had a rooftop shindig in so long!”
Damien smiles at Lea. “Enjoy your study session,” he says.
Lea and Damien glare at each other for what seems like forever before she lets out a sound like a pterodactyl. Her face is tomato red when she jumps up from her seat. “C’mon Georgina, this table just got stale.”
“Umm—” Georgina glances towards Lea then back to me and Damien. Squeezing her eyes shut, she turns to Lea. “I need to prep for the party.”
Lea looks like she got a lump of coal for Christmas before her lips tighten. She doesn’t say a word but her shoulders look stiff as hell when she storms away and out of the cafeteria.
Whispers and murmurs erupt around us but I can't make out a thing.
“So Jo.” Georgina looks at me, taking a pen and pad out of her Louis Vuitton tote. I’m surprised she knows my actual name and when I glance at Damien, he’s on his phone. “You can help me plan. Should we get champagne or rose?”
Willow texts me that she’s hanging with her friends after school.
I’d be jealous if I didn’t have Georgina’s party to attend.
The Rooftop Suite is not what I expect but I’m more surprised I’m still in awe of Eden. The hotel is five-star. A tall, glassy building with pink and blue lights at the front. The valet, doorman and ladies at the check-in all greet Damien like he’s an established businessman. Not one smile comes my way.
On the ride to the top floor, Damien's chuckling about Lea's face in the cafeteria, his hand in place on the small of my back. I’m wearing a dress swiped from Nancy’s clos
et. A little black number. Spaghetti straps, slit to the thigh with the tag tucked in at the top. It’s a little tight but I figured it’s a safe bet with my hair piled high. Shaved side on display.
"What if they saw?" I cringe. I don't remember being that subtle.
"Saw what?" He smirks, hand lowering, finger running along the outline of my ass. "Saw you come all over my fingers in front of Georgina’ss salad?"
There's a tingle in my legs at the memory and when I look at him, the feeling only intensifies. Damien still looks like he should be on the cover of GQ. Even dressed down in a grey fitted sweater, dark jeans and leather loafers. Despite his usual dishevelled demeanour, his expensive clothes help pull him together.
The elevator opens before I can respond, Damien leading me into a large room with high ceilings. It's decorated in cream, white and grey, an aquarium inside a tan wall. The bass from a deep-house song flows through the room, students scattered about. This place could house a large family, a hallway leading to what I assume are bedrooms. Plural.
Floor to ceiling glass walls show off Eden Gardens about thirty feet below us. I’m staring out the window when students run by, leaving wet footprints behind them. I follow the trail out to a large patio, and…is that a hot tub?
Before I can ask, Damien leads me in that direction. We take a spot in the corner of the ginormous balcony, a glass barrier stopping our fall. The lights from the downtown core sparkle from up high like Christmas lights from a distant tree. A large bush separates us from the rowdy crowd outside.
Damien eyes me from head to toe before leaning in. That fresh scent coming with him. His voice is a low rumble, “You look good enough to eat tonight, Jo.” His hand comes around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I can feel his breath on my ear when he speaks, “And that’s exactly what I’m doing the minute you’re out of this dress.”
A smirk is on my face when I turn to look at him. His eyes are bluer tonight, twinkling in the setting sun. They drop to my lips and it sends a jolt up my spine. The rest of the party grows into muffled background noise, the students around us a blur.
I’m at a lavish ERA party with Damien King and I’m his date. No games. No drug deals. Just the King and I. A finger grazes up my scar, Damien looking as lost in my eyes as I am in his. He inches closer and I freeze up.
Damien King is about to kiss me at Georgina Dupont's hotel party. Does that mean what I think it does? Could we really be an item?
“I’m so glad you made it!” Georgina's squeal breaks my gaze. She runs over to us with a flute of champagne, a bottle of whiskey in the next. Damien pulls back as she smiles between us, handing the bottle to me. Georgina took it up a notch tonight, wearing a long silk maxi with gems scattered throughout. “Damien tells me you’re more of a whiskey girl and as your hostess for the evening, I aim to please.”
“Thanks, Georgina.” I take the bottle, giving the space another look. “This is insane.”
A fire crackles from a table between patio sofas some feet away. On the other side, behind Damien, sits what looks like a full-on garden. Benches and small fountains included.
Georgina waves me off. “Oh please, this is nothing compared to what my eighteenth birthday will be like. Daddy’s already booked Eden Castle.”
“Isn’t that Lea’s birthday spot?” Isaac approaches us from the balcony doors, glass in hand.
Two girls in too-tight dresses are on either side of him. He’s in a purple velvet robe and I can’t tell if he came here like that or it was part of an outfit change.
“Well, things look like they’re changing around here.” Georgina holds out her hand. “Come. I’ll introduce you to everyone."
“Actually…” Isaac takes my free hand, shooing his girls away. “There’s something I need to talk to the two of you about.”
Damien nods, returning his hand to the small of my back. He leads me away from Georgina, Isaac on the other side.
“You look incredible Jo,” Isaac says, tipping his glass towards me. His plump lips form a seductive grin. “That dress really accentuates your assets.”
A low growl comes from Damien, Isaac raising his palms in the air. He holds his glass between his thumb and index. “Hey, I call it as I see it.” We round a corner and the balcony continues into a thin strip. Isaac gestures to an empty spot on a wooden bench in front of a golden Buddha head. They both stand in front of me as I get settled.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Five hundred dollars is what’s going on.” Isaac winks, reaching into his pocket. A small bag of coke comes out between two fingers. “You down?”
My shoulders drop. Heart and stomach sinking.
I’m happy to cash in, but I thought Damien was trying to say something tonight. I thought he wanted to show everyone that we are a thing. That I’m his…or whatever. But it looks like our relationship is strictly business.
“Or not?” Isaac tilts his head to the side before sitting down next to me. “You alright?” Damien leans against the fence, staring at me. I look down at my fingers instead. If I match his gaze I’ll only fall deeper into his spell. Isaac leans in. “Jo? Earth to Medusa.”
“What?” I’m snapped out of my disappointed thoughts.
“You down?” Isaac asks. “It’s another party in the Acres. Stefan Van der Woodsen put in a decent order for some top-grade Columbian. I need to know if my delivery girl is on call tonight.”
I shrug, all the excitement of tonight getting punched out of me. “Sure, alright.” At least I’ll get a load of cash out of it. I glance at Damien before I rise from my seat. I wiggle the bottle as an excuse. “I’m going to get a glass.”
Damien calls after me but I head for the balcony doors. Turning the corner I bump right into a head of long dark hair. "Shit sorry," I mumble, but when I focus in on what, or who's in front of me, I take it back.
"Watch it slut." Lea's eyes narrow, a rush of air escaping me.
A lump forms in my throat and I swallow hard, wondering if she heard what Isaac said. Lea Huang is the last person I want to know about my unconventional job with the Kings. But something tells me I've given her exactly what she needs to get me out of Eden.
“You think you’re Queen Bee?” She takes a step so there’s no space between us. Her frilly beige dress ruffles and the puffy sleeves make her look like a swan. “Think again. The quicker they rise, the harder they fall.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I look down at her head.
“Everyone has a weak spot and it's only a matter of time before I find it.” Lea straightens her posture. She flips her hair behind her, pursing her lips. “Now, where’s King?”
There’s relief spreading through my chest, my breath coming back to me. That one simple question quells the fear in my mind. If she doesn’t know where Damien is she didn’t hear us after all.
“Damien? Is that your weak spot Lea?” I give her a snarky smirk, one I’ve learned since coming to Eden. “Cause he seems very interested in my spots too. And he hits them real good.” I make sure to nudge her with my shoulder when I walk by.
Inside the suite, I pass the full-size kitchen with the bar, trays of snacks and hor d’oeuvres. I'm heading for the long hallway and I don't stop until I find an empty bedroom.
When I'm positive there's no one inside, I flop on the bed with a bounce on the mattress. It’s soft and cushiony and I’m much more comfortable in here than out there with people that will never respect me. Unscrewing the top of the whiskey bottle, I bring it to my mouth, pouring the liquid down my throat.
Damien King isn’t interested in me. Not for real. Sure he said he was but he’s used to saying things to get his way. Whatever favours they get from these deals are much bigger than me. Much bigger than whatever relationship I thought Damien and I had. While I should be more interested in what these favours are, right now, I’m too bummed out.
There’s a knock on the door and I like I summoned him back to existence, Damien’s voice comes through, “Jo?
”
“Go away,” I yell at the door. “I’ll be there when Isaac needs me.”
He doesn’t listen. I’m hardly through my words before he’s opening the door. He doesn’t close it when he comes in, but it's enough for us to have a bit of privacy.
“He doesn’t need you,” he says, sitting on the edge of the bed, the mattress making a dip under his weight.
“What do you mean?” I sit up, wiping my mouth.
He shrugs, “Don’t do the job today.”
“What?” I’m confused. “What about the money? The favour?”
“That can wait.” He takes the bottle from my hand and I watch as he brings it to his lips. He runs his tongue along the opening before taking a swig. It reminds me of how he uses that tongue on my body, a spark bursting in my core. Leaning back on his forearms, his eyes rake me from head to toe. “Tonight, let’s relax.”
I raise an eyebrow, taking the bottle back. “You mean, you want to hang out with your friends."
His eyes hit the ceiling. “Fuck, Medusa. Sometimes you come off daft for a girl this smart." Taking the bottle out of my hand he puts it on the hardwood underneath us. "I want to hang out with you. Don't make me spell it out.” Moving on top of me, he tugs at my straps. “Fuck my friends.” Leaning in, his lips brush mine. “And fuck that job.”
When his lips land on my neck, I’m like a Jo puree. Like clay in his hold, his cold hand gliding up and between my legs. “What are we doing, Damien?” I hate that my breath is already heavy, but he can't distract me this time.
“I’m about to make you scream my name.” His fingers move up to my underwear but I stop him. He growls a warning, “Jo…”
“Answer my question.” I find his gaze and he locks with mine for a moment before he pulls on the other strap.
Ignoring my question again, he starts a trail of kisses from my neck to my chest. His pecks send tingles from my core to my centre and the further he goes the easier it is to forget what I'm mad about. I'm lost in his touch, his teeth tugging on my panties, my fingers through his hair. He presses his tongue against my mound and I clench to his strands. Looking up at me, he smirks. “You sure you don’t want me to finish what I’ve started?”