Red (Siren Publishing Menage Amour)

by Eden French

  But, that was weeks ago.

  Since then, nothing else had happened. The incident had proved to be isolated. The university viewed it as a freak one-time occurrence. Precautions were lifted and students now traveled freely through the woods that connected much of the student housing to the main campus again.

  Kevin’s demise had not halted campus life. It was business as usual for Perrault, and as Celeste bustled about her bedroom, getting ready for the night’s festivities, the death of Kevin Andrews was a distant memory in her mind. After all, tonight was the Greek Ball, the most prestigious event Perrault University and the Greek Association jointly held.

  Celeste blinked at her reflection. She hadn’t had much time to be out in the woods lately anyway. A sadness hovered over her when she thought of it. Celeste loved being outdoors, but the past few weeks had her completely consumed with Calen, in more ways than one, spending more time than needed taking pictures of the team, and in the bedroom, as well. There was also that pesky guilt to deal with. It crept up every now and again when she remembered how she had come under Zev’s watchful eye.

  Celeste’s heart skipped a beat at the memory. She closed her eyes and forced his image out of her brain. Zev wasn’t the one. It was Calen. Calen was the man who she’d die an infinite amount of times for. The more time she spent with Calen, the more she realized she could not get enough of him, either physically or emotionally. Her need for the man was insatiable. She pushed Zev’s memory back and her stomach tightened at the thought of Calen. She wondered what he would think of how she looked tonight as she stood in front of the mirror and admired the emerald green formal dress that clung to her every curve.

  She examined her face in the reflection. Her peach-colored skin was in stark contrast to her dark features. She pulled her long locks up into a twist, placing a large white Asiatic lily in the side.

  She walked over and sat at her vanity to touch up her makeup. Heather had insisted that for a formal event of this caliber, false eyelashes were a must. Initially, they had felt awkward and heavy. Now, Celeste saw how they accentuated her almond-shaped eyes, making her appear like a glamorous starlet. Heather had been right. She couldn’t believe she’d never tried them before. Celeste blinked her eyes slowly, admiring the movement. She noticed the tinged of yellow around her eyes.

  When did that started to happen?

  Celeste hadn’t noticed the color change until recently, not until she and Calen begun their tryst. And, then there was Zev. She leaned in closer to her reflection. The yellow ring seemed darker. She had noticed it in Zev’s eyes, too. Even from his concealed spot near the parking lot, she had made out the thick yellow band. Again, she shuddered. She had come against the fence, Calen releasing into her, Zev reaching his pleasure at the sight of them.

  She exhaled slowly as she felt herself become wet between her legs. Celeste squeezed her thighs together tight.

  Stop it! Don’t go there. Not now. Calen will be here soon.

  Celeste wrestled with the guilt at how she had been so aroused by Zev. She felt her pussy tighten as she remembered his face, mouth slightly open, as he reached his climax. It had been days since it happened, but the memory was fresh. Celeste ran her tongue against her top teeth and secretly hoped it would happen again.

  “Get it together, Celeste,” she muttered to her reflection.

  Celeste grabbed a tube of nude lipstick and rubbed it across her lips. They were swollen with arousal. They weren’t alone. She felt the lips between her legs begin to throb in delicious torture. She shifted in her chair. After applying a shimmering layer of gloss, she placed the two tubes in her clutch. A knock on the door momentarily distracted her.

  “Celeste?” Heather said before opening the door to peek in. Celeste turned around in her chair to look at Heather. “Calen’s here—oh, wow, Celeste. You look stunning. Calen’s not gonna be able to keep his hands off you, not that he already can’t. But, this time, I’m not sure you two are gonna make it out the door.”

  “It’s not too much, is it?” Celeste asked though she wasn’t sure she even cared if it was. She looked amazing, and she knew it.

  “Um, of course it’s too much, but it’s absolutely fabulous,” Heather replied, her eyes lit up with excitement for her friend. “You will definitely be turning everyone’s head tonight. Boy, I bet Zev Reynolds will be cursing himself he didn’t make his move sooner when he sees you tonight.”

  Celeste’s breath caught in her throat at the mention of Zev.

  “Why would you say that?” Celeste hissed.

  Heather furrowed her brow. “I don’t know. I guess I was just trying to be funny.”

  “Well, it’s not.” Celeste whispered-yelled at her friend. “Things between Zev and Calen have been tense. The last thing Calen needs is to be worried about what Zev is thinking about me tonight.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it, it was just a—never mind. You better get out there,” Heather whispered back, narrowing her eyes at Celeste. She looked down the hall to where Calen waited in the living room. Looking back at Celeste, she continued. “There is one amazingly hot guy out there who would probably do anything to get his paws all over you.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Celeste smiled as Heather took her leave.

  * * * *

  Calen was speechless as Celeste entered the room. He had no words to describe the vision that stood before him. Heavenly. Goddess. Ethereal.

  It was Celeste who spoke first.

  “You look amazing,” she said as she entered the room.

  Calen was outfitted in a classic black tux reminiscent of the 1950s, the tailored jacket unbuttoned to reveal a set of sleek black suspenders. A clean bow tie was knotted around his neck. Calen froze in his spot as Celeste approached him.

  “My, my, aren’t you quite the expert,” she said as she fingered his tie, leaning in for a kiss. Calen brought his hand up to his neck and tucked his finger around his collar pulling it just enough to allow himself to swallow.

  “You are stunning,” he said in a whisper when he finally recovered his voice. “I’ve a mind to say screw the formal and keep you to myself.”

  A hearty laugh escaped Celeste’s lips. Calen loved how she was able to put all of herself into the sound. She pulled back before their lips met.

  “Nice try, Red,” Celeste teased. “But, I’m not letting you off the hook that easily. You promised me a magical night, and dammit, I plan on collecting on that promise, especially since you look good enough to eat. Besides, aren’t you the SAE president? Isn’t it mandatory for you to attend?”

  Calen flashed a smile. “Well, God forbid I break my promise.”

  He wrapped his arm around Celeste’s waist and led her to the door. She happily followed him, a smile permanently affixed on her face momentarily hiding the smoldering embers of a fire that burned.

  * * * *

  They entered the Historic Greek Event Center at exactly nine o’clock. The party was well underway. Calen escorted Celeste on his arm into the main ballroom and awaited announcement. As they moved up in the queue, Calen’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t believe Celeste was his. He brought his hand up and played with a slip of hair that brushed against her neck, his fingers left a trail of goose bumps in their path. Celeste’s cheeks flushed.

  “Behave now,” Celeste warned under her breath. “We haven’t even entered yet.”

  Calen leaned in and whispered in her ear. “I love how you say the word entered.”

  The line reached the entrance, and the doorman cleared his throat. Calen handed the usher his invitation, and the two approached the doorway, arm in arm.

  “Sigma Alpha Epsilon President, Mr. Calen Reddington accompanied by Ms. Celeste Wolfe.”

  Calen took a deep breath after the usher read his name and walked into the room. All eyes were on the two as they made their way further into the ballroom. Celeste looked out over the sea of eyes watching her every move. She knew what they were thinking.
She could smell their collective lust as it rose from their bodies and dissipated into the air.

  Calen held her arm tightly in his, Celeste’s free hand crossing over her body and resting on his hand. She scanned the room. There was only one set of eyes she wanted to meet. Sensing a pull to the west corner, she turned her head. There stood Zev with his date, Genevieve Sinclair, President of Delta Phi Beta. Celeste glanced over at Calen who looked in the same direction. She saw the pull at the edges of his mouth as he let the smug smile reach his lips.

  This can’t be good.

  Her eyes flicked back and sought out Zev immediately. She had felt Zev’s presence before she had even stepped into the building. Now, their eyes locked and held as she and Calen walked into the room. Celeste noted the pretty redhead on Zev’s arm and a twinge of jealousy ran through her veins. She quickly pushed it away. After all, he was not hers. She tightened her grip on Calen’s arm.

  Calen turned his head at the small squeeze and saw Celeste caught in a stare down with Zev. His jaw clenched. He pulled Celeste to him and whispered in her ear.

  “I should’ve taken you when I had you all to myself. Unfortunately, now we’re stuck here for a couple hours. If I had it my way, I would have fucked you from all sides. You would have come five times by now.”

  Celeste was immediately distracted. Her eyes widened at his words. She quickly glanced at Calen, her cheeks flooding red, her bosom swelling in her dress. Calen leaned in and kissed the soft part of her neck just behind her ear. He brushed his nose against the flesh there and whispered. “I suppose we’ll just have to find a quiet place to ourselves at some point this evening. I cannot imagine not having you in my mouth soon. That is if you’re up for it.”

  “Oh my, Mr. Reddington, you are quite the naughty boy tonight,” Celeste whispered back.

  “I can’t help it, Ms. Wolfe, you bring out the animal in me.”

  “Be careful what you wish for,” Celeste growled at him in a hushed tone. He wanted to tease, did he?

  She casually pressed her body against him, intentionally brushing one of her breasts against his arm, and brought her mouth to his ear. “Nothing would give me more pleasure than having your face between my legs, grabbing your hair in my fists, as I come in your mouth.”

  Calen coughed and cursed his growing erection.

  “Okay, okay, I surrender. You win. My balls are fucking past blue right now.”

  “Sounds like I’ll have to take care of that later.”

  Calen sucked in his breath. Celeste placed an intimate kiss on his earlobe before she pulled away and followed him into the crowd.

  Celeste followed Calen’s lead throughout the night. He never left her side and she was thankful for it. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t trust herself, not while Zev was around. Though Zev kept a healthy space between them. Another thing Celeste was thankful for.

  As the night came to an end, Celeste excused herself to the restroom. She made her way through the long corridors to where she thought the restrooms would be. As she approached the end of the hall, she heard two voices muffled behind a closed door. She placed her ear against the wooden barrier.

  “I said don’t touch me!” a female voice cried.

  “I’ll do what I want, and you’ll like it,” a male voice replied. “You know you’ve wanted this since we met, Kylie. Come here.”

  “No, Chris. Stop! You’re drunk.”

  Celeste heard a scuffle behind the door. She reached for the handle to open it but found the door locked. She heard a cry from the female.

  “Stop! No! Get off of me, Chris, please. Please.”

  She felt a pang of rage rise. Something inside her fed power to her physical being. Kicking off her shoes, she took a step back. With a strong kick, she thrashed the door open and was horrified by the scene before her.

  The girl was turned around over a desk. The man held her down with one hand on her back while he stuck his fingers inside her with the other. The girl struggled to be free from underneath his grip, but he was twice her size.

  “What the fuck is this?” The calm in her own voice made Celeste nervous. It was too calm, like the moment before a massive storm unleashes and destroys everything in its path.

  “Get the hell out of here!” the man scoffed. He straightened up but did not take his hands off the girl. “This has nothing to do with you.”

  Celeste looked at the woman’s face. Tears were streaming from her eyes.

  “Please help me.” The words squeaked out.

  “Get the fuck off her before I rip your throat out,” Celeste growled, the rage in her voice growing exponentially. Celeste could feel something shift inside her, an anger she was barely able to contain. It startled her. How had she never known this part of her existed? Her breath grew ragged and chopped. She was disoriented, dizzy. She leaned against the doorway.

  The man must have sensed the change, as well, because he immediately stepped away from the girl. “Fucking bitch,” he muttered, pushing past Celeste and rushing out of the room.

  Celeste focused. When her head cleared and she was able to stand on her own, she walked into the room and approached the girl.

  “What’s your name?” she asked, her voice soft. The contrast in tone from just a moment before was shocking.

  The girl sniffed and pulled her dress down.

  “Kylie,” she said in a timid voice.

  “Kylie, do you want to press charges? I’ll be a witness for you,” Celeste said.

  Kylie’s eyes grew round. “No, no, please. I don’t want anyone to know. I…I’m…” Her voice cracked. She took a breath before she continued. “I’m so embarrassed. I’ve been drinking. Please don’t say anything. I just want to pretend it never happened.”

  Celeste eyed Kylie carefully. “Kylie, this is not your fault. He is the monster. He should be punished for what he’s done to you…and who knows how many other women.”

  “Please, no. I don’t want to say anything. Promise me, you won’t say a word, to anyone. I…I couldn’t handle it if anyone found out.”

  Celeste took a deep breath. “I won’t say anything, but I hope you’ll reconsider. He should not go unpunished.”

  Kylie nodded. “Thank you—for keeping this secret. And”—she paused—“for walking in when you did. It could have been so much worse.”

  Kylie wiped her face with her hands and, straightened her dress, headed out to the main ballroom. Celeste was left standing in the room alone with her anger and frustration.

  What the hell was wrong with the men on this campus? Were women expendable? A smorgasbord of potential playthings? Fuck that shit.

  It wasn’t right, and it wasn’t fair, by any means. Lately, the women of this campus were more like prey, and it seemed to be the campus norm. It was time someone paid for the male transgressions.

  But who?

  Celeste stewed thinking about what she saw when she entered the room. She felt something instinctual stir inside her, and she forgot about the restroom. She calmly turned around and headed back into the main area. As she went, she scanned the area for the man that had assaulted Kylie.

  She scented him out immediately and knew what she had to do when she saw him exit the front door. Celeste kept to the edges of the party out of Calen’s sight. She followed the offender silently, hoping no one watched her exit. Into the dark night, she observed from a distance as he staggered out toward the woods. Celeste continued to follow him until she entered the mouth of the forest, the man just a bit ahead of her. He seemed unaware he was being followed. Excitement pierced her heart as she became a huntress.

  Keep going. Just a few more yards until you’ll be completely out of earshot.

  Celeste followed and waited until the two of them were well concealed by trees before attempting to make gains on him. Her sense of smell came to life as she picked up on the scent of Chris’s cheap cologne and alcohol from his foul breath. She heard the beating of his heart, though she wasn’t sure how, a
s he huffed his way through the foliage. She saw him quite clearly, his body a vivid outline, even though it was a new moon. Celeste moved with an ease she didn’t quite understand.

  The drunk man stumbled over a tree root, and she picked up her pace. She stalked him, excitement growing within her. When she was close enough to grab him, unbeknownst to him, she called out.

  “So, where are you off to in such a hurry?” she asked playfully.

  Chris, startled, turned around suddenly. They were face to face, just inches apart. He recognized her immediately.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” he spat, his sour alcohol breath hitting Celeste full force. She fought not to gag.

  “Nothing, really. I just happened to notice you were leaving early without your date, and I wondered why that was?” Celeste outlined the edge of his shoulder with her finger.

  “Nothing happened”—he swayed to the right—“besides, it’s her word against mine. And if you knew what was good for you, you’d shut up and stay out of it.”

  “Oh, honey, you are making this fun,” Celeste replied, though she wasn’t sure where her new boldness had come from. Intellectually, she knew she should be scared, but deep down she wasn’t. In fact, she had never felt more in charge, like there was nothing this man could do to harm her.

  “Fuck you, you crazy bitch. I don’t care who your boyfriend is, you get the fuck out of my way or I’ll make you pay.”

  Celeste’s eyes narrowed. “Now, is that any way to treat a lady, Chris?”

  She grabbed him by the throat and held him up against a nearby tree. Chris’s eyes widened at her strength. Celeste had no idea how she was able to lift him and hold him up, but she let go of that minor detail as she continued to squeeze his neck. Fire coursed through her veins and lit her adrenaline like gasoline. She could feel the intense heat consume her last bit of conscience.