“I’m ok, Ollie. I know exactly what I’m doing and what I want. And I want you. I want you to fuck me, I want your cock everywhere. In my mouth, in my pussy, in my ass,” I say the last thing looking straight into his dark green eyes.
“Valeria, darling, it’s fine. I thought we discussed this. You’re off the hook about that wager. Ok, Reid dumped you but Kaya doesn’t want me. Not yet at least. And I kind of doubt she ever will. But that’s beyond the point. I was drunk when I pushed you into that wager. I should’ve respected that you want to do that with the man you’ll marry one day. With your true love.”
What the fuck is wrong with him? I’m offering him what he’s been begging for for years on a silver platter. “But Ollie, don’t you understand? I love you. You’re my true love and you’ve always been.” Mentioning love was definitely a mistake. I should’ve known.
“Darling, you know I’ll always love you too. But you also know how I feel about romantic love. And it wouldn’t be fair to take something that important from you under false pretenses.”
“Really?” I snap. “And since when you care about what’s fair? The Oliver I know, the guy I grew up with, wouldn’t let anything stop him from taking what he really wants.”
His gaze hardens. “Then maybe you should conclude that I don’t really want what you’ve just offered. Maybe the fact that I let you off the hook before should’ve tipped you off. Come on sis, you know I find stupidity extremely off putting. And I know you’re a very intelligent woman.”
He can bet I am. I know why he’s refusing me. It’s her. Again. Kaya. “So what is it that you want? Who is it? Is it Kaya? If that’s the case you better join the fucking line, sweetheart. I know of at least three guys she’s fucking and I’m sure there’s more.” I almost betray myself by mentioning Chase and giving away the fact that I wrote that blackmail note. No one ever saw me standing outside at Murphy’s Law. I’d gone out in search of Reid and promptly retreated when I saw him with Oliver, walking toward where Chase and Kaya were making out.
Oliver shrugs. “It doesn’t matter who she’s fucking or how many people. The heart wants what the heart wants. But I suspect that I might’ve been too much of an ass to her and her friends. It might be beyond repair. Regardless, I’ve realized that maybe I take too much after my father. My mother has always told me that I needed to be more respectful of others. Kaya made me realize that and maybe it isn’t too late to change.”
Kaya, Kaya, always fucking Kaya! I hate her so fucking much! Almost more than I hated Oliver’s ex, the one I almost managed to get rid of by getting all his Yale frat brothers to say that they fucked her and by posting it all over social media. Oliver doesn’t know how grateful he should be that the slut is now in a mental institution and that thanks to me, he even saved the money for either an abortion or child support if she’d had his bastard. And I did it all for him, because I protect the people I love from any threat. And Kaya is a fucking threat. But she’ll be sorry when I’m done with her. I look at my stepbrother leaving my room and I can’t help but taste the bitterness of defeat. I’m defeated and horny as fuck. I had been hoping to finally seal the deal with Reid tonight, seeing that he wasn’t getting shit-faced as usual. “Fuck!” I yell in frustration. I’ve never even gotten a kiss on the lips from Reid Hudson. He was always ice cold or black-out drunk. But hopefully I’ll be able to patch things up with him. Both because I like him and because I need to get closer to Kaya in order to destroy her. The first step is definitely making her a fully fledged sister. I feel better now that I have a plan, but I still feel horny, so I grab my phone and text my habitual booty call.
Valeria: hey care to get naked?
Booty Call: OMW!
19.
In Your Arms
Kaya
“IS IT WEIRD GOING LINGERIE shopping with my boyfriend to buy something I hope to wear for my first time with my other boyfriend?” I ask Bryce, turning to look at him in the underwear boutique we decided to check out.
It’s been two weeks since the last pledge party and our kiss and Reid has been in London with Dustin for business and he’s due back tomorrow. He’s been calling and texting every day and despite having my hands full with classes, studying for the impending finals, the initiation into the Zetas and my other three boys, I’ve been missing him like crazy. I’ve been really missing him for three years because since we talked and kissed, Reid has gone back to the sweet, thoughtful boy I once knew.
“What are you doing with all those bras and panties, Bryce?” I ask noticing that he’s got an armful of stuff, lots of lace and silk.
He answers with a knowing smirk. “Well fuck, sweet stuff. I’ll help you pick something sexy for Reid but you can’t blame me for shopping for stuff I’d like to see you in when we’re alone.”
I love this side of Bryce, he’s always laughing and having fun with me and just being with him makes me happy. “Will you model them for me?” he asks.
“I’ll model anything you want, babe.” He smiles, asking me if I have any plans for winter break.
“Not really. I was going to spend a weekend with Mom and Dustin, we were planning to go to Star Cove and sail if the weather is good. I called Nic too. I haven’t seen her since Labor Day and I want to tell her about us. You know, everything. I know I can trust her to keep my secret. I really miss her. I know that you guys aren’t just my boyfriends, you’re also my friends but I don’t feel like I’ve made any real friends here at Bridgeport. The Zetas are mostly nice but I don’t know most of them well enough. Even Valeria has been avoiding me lately. I think somehow she blames me for her breakup with Reid.”
Bryce shakes his dark blond head. “She can’t blame you. They just went out a couple of times. I don’t think drunken hookups constitute a relationship. Plus Reid can’t even remember the actual hookups.”
I wince thinking about it. “Yeah, I’m glad he stopped drinking that much. Since the beginning of the summer I’ve seen him drunk more times than not.”
Bryce agrees. “You’re right. I think he was drinking to numb his feelings. Chase dealt with staying away from you by being an ass to you and most of the rest of the world, while Reid was better at staying away as long as he had enough booze to make him forget. Either way, not ideal. You guys belong together, it’s a shame that your parents can’t see that.”
I hug myself to Bryce as we pay and leave the store. “We all belong together. Don’t forget that I love you and Parker just as much as I love the twins. If that makes me greedy or slutty, I don’t care.”
“No Kaya, loving us all doesn’t make you greedy, nor slutty. It just makes you perfect. Perfect for us.”
I remember that this conversation started with him asking me for my plans for winter break, so I ask him if there was a particular reason why he wanted to know.
“My parents finally settled their divorce. And one of the terms they agreed on was that our house in Aspen that had been the biggest bone of contention between them, should go to me. So I was wondering if you wanted to go together for a weekend. Just the two of us. Maybe then the others could join but I want you all to myself for a couple of days. What do you say?”
He looks worried and tense about my answer. “I would love to spend a few days just with you, Bryce. Why do you look so worried?”
He shrugs, quickening his pace and when we get to his Jeep, interrupting our conversation just long enough to get in the car and drive off toward campus. “I don’t know, I guess I wanted to make sure that things are all right between us? You know, after you realized that Parker and I had known that Reid was your mystery guy for a couple of months?”
I sigh. “I’m completely fine. You kept a secret so as not to betray Reid’s confidence like I kept a secret when Chase asked me to. If anything you and Parker had more to forgive.”
Bryce disagrees. “No, we didn’t. We were being total idiots with that friends with benefits bullshit. We were so worried about not making you our rebound that we—”
“You’ve never done anything but treat me nicely and make me feel safe, loved and protected, Bryce. I’m not mad that you kept Reid’s secret. I wish I’d known sooner but it wasn’t on you to tell me. You were just being a good friend.”
Bryce keeps his green eyes fixed on the road ahead of him, but I see how nervous he is by the way he’s gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles are turning white. “Not betraying Reid’s confidence wasn’t the only reason why I didn’t tell. I’m way less noble than you make me out to be, Kaya. I was afraid to tell you because I knew how important that first kiss was for you. I was afraid that if you’d known, you’d have chosen. That you’d have chosen Reid over the rest of us.”
“Pull over,” I say sharply and he does as he’s told, turning to face me once the car is safely parked. “Look at me, Bryce. I could never, ever choose one of you over the others. I know it’s crazy, it sounds crazy to my own ears but I’m in love with each of you. Each of you is a part of me. Look, I’d be lying if I said that I’m not excited about spending tomorrow night with Reid. But that doesn’t mean that I love you or Parker or Chase any less. Please Bryce, you have to believe me.” Bryce takes me into his arms and we spend a long time kissing by the side of the road, oblivious to all the cars that drive past us.
Kaya
MY PHONE PINGS WITH a text message: Reid just walked over from the Gamma house and he’s about to come to my penthouse apartment.
I check my reflection in the mirror one last time: I’m wearing very subtle makeup and my hair is down. A simple red and white floral dress completes the look. And, of course, I’m wearing my new underwear set underneath.
I have the fixings to make a risotto all prepared and some scented candles lit up to make my apartment look more romantic. I don’t know what will happen between me and Reid tonight. I’m hoping he’ll spend the night and that things will happen between us but even if we spent our time kissing and talking like we did at the last pledge party, I’d be fine. I’ve just missed him way too much and all that matters is spending time with him.
I fly to the door when I hear a soft knock and as soon as Reid is safely inside my living room, I’m enveloped in his arms in a hug that makes me melt against him.
He brushes his lips against mine as we walk through my living room and sink onto my couch. “Fuck, I missed you so damn much!” he murmurs against my lips. “I’m sorry I didn’t come here last night but Dad insisted I go to this business dinner with him straight from the airport. I have to admit that I’m a little worried about him, Kaya. Lately he’s working way too much. He’s looking tired and stressed out.”
I sigh, half because I’ve noticed that too every time I’ve seen Dustin lately and half because Reid drags his lips on the sensitive spot behind my ear, making me shiver in anticipation of having those soft lips all over me. “I noticed too. Family weekends used to be just that, he used to rarely do any work. He used to grill and hang out with us. Lately he’s just come out of his study long enough for a meal. I actually spoke to Mom about it. She said that Dustin is ramping up work because he’s planning to retire and leave you and Chase in charge as soon as you’re done with your education.”
Reid nods. “Yeah, that’s his plan. He’ll have us work closely with him next summer, the same way we did last summer and then he plans on dedicating all his time to Karen. Maybe travel more. He plans to stay as head of the company in name only and to just serve in a consultant capacity.”
“So is he retiring at the end of next summer?” I ask and Reid answers my question with a little mysterious smile. “What? Do you know something I don’t?” I ask playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. This thing, the fact that now I can touch him – at least in private – makes me so happy that I could burst.
But I wasn’t prepared for Reid’s next words. “Not quite. Both Chase and I have decided to attend specialization courses next year. I guess you could call them master degrees but they’re a little more in depth, so they’re a full time kind of deal.”
“Oh?” I ask wondering where they’ll go to school for them. And Reid must be reading my expression because his smile widens.
“Ok look, you can’t tell the others that I told you because it was supposed to be a surprise and they’ll kill me for ruining it. But Chase and I are attending our masters at Bridgeport and Bryce has been accepted into law school here and Parker just got his acceptance letter from Bridgeport Medical school yesterday.”
My eyes fill with tears and they’re definitely tears of joy. “Are you telling me that you guys will all still be on campus next year?”
Reid chuckles. “Baby don’t cry, please. Or the others will really kill me. First for ruining the surprise and then because after you and I talked at the last pledge party, the guys took some time to talk to me.”
Did they? “I’m a little afraid to ask you what they wanted to talk about.” I giggle already imagining that I must’ve been the topic of their conversation.
Reid’s eyes light up and soften as he pulls me tighter to him, lightly squeezing my waist in a sweet and yet possessive gesture. “To make a long story short, they told me that if I ever make you spill one single tear, I’m dead meat.”
I don’t know what to say, that’s sweet of them and in part quite funny. “Yeah, they tend to be a little overprotective,” I say fondly.
Reid’s laugh reverberates through his chest as he places a soft kiss on my neck. “You can definitely say that. I recall the words used were more or less ‘make her cry, make her spill one single tear and I’ll wear your balls as a fucking necklace.”
“Chase?” I ask laughing at how unnecessarily gruesome they can get.
He shakes his head. “Nope. Surprisingly that was Bryce. Chase’s threat involved torture and an unmarked grave. If you had any doubt on who’s the evil twin between us, I guess that just answers it.”
I run my hand over Reid’s smooth jaw, I can still smell a subtle hint of aftershave together with his clean cotton scent. “They care, Reid. Don’t take them too seriously.”
Reid’s hands tighten on my waist. “Oh, no. I take them extremely seriously. They’re absolutely right. I know I’ve already apologized for being a complete asshole to you and for ignoring you, Kaya. I was just trying to protect you. I would do anything for you, baby. Even if that hurt me. And not being able to show you how much I love you for such a long time, hurt like a real bitch.”
I draw his face closer to me, looking into his ice blue eyes and getting lost in their mesmerizing depths for a moment. “But now we’re together. And I don’t want to be apart from you unless we really have to. Thank you for being so sweet and calling and texting me every day while you were in London.”
“Trust me, I would’ve got out of that trip if I could’ve. But it was important and Dad wanted me present. Lord Wellesley decided to sign the contract with us but he wanted us to do it at his house in the Cotswolds. It was gorgeous out there but all I could think about was you and how much I needed to be here, with you in my arms. Last night I was gonna drive straight here but by the time we were done with that last minute business meeting and I drove back to campus, it was late and I didn’t want to wake you.”
“You can wake me up anytime,” I whisper as he closes the distance between us again and this time his kiss isn’t brief and shallow, this time he gives me a lip bruising, knee weakening kiss that makes my heart race and liquid heat pool in my core. I let his mouth explore mine, opening up for him when he dips his tongue into my mouth, giving as good as I get as I slide my tongue against his, unable to hide a shudder with how good it feels.
We keep kissing, hot, hungry and desperate since aside from our voluntary years apart his business trip kept us from making up for lost time. But nothing could keep me away from Reid now. Never again, I think. My heart has belonged to him since I was old enough to want to give my heart to a boy and right now I’m yearning for my body to be his too, so I press into him on the couch. I try to increase the poi
nts of contact between us, my breasts smashing against his strong, ripped chest.
His hands skim down my shoulders while our kiss becomes something so hot and consuming that I think we’re breathing as one. I’ll never be able to breathe away from Reid again, I need him more than I need oxygen.
He breaks the kiss by nipping on my bottom lip, his huge hands continuing to travel down and eventually stopping at my chest. I gasp when his hands close around the round globes of my breasts, his thumbs skimming over my already hardened nipples. And my nipples aren’t the only thing that’s hard, Reid feels like a metal rod under my ass. I squirm a little creating some extra friction between my soaked panties and the rougher fabric of his jeans and one of Reid’s hands leaves my chest to descend to my butt, pressing me down harder on him with a deep growl.
"Kaya,” he pants, “I didn’t come here for this—”
I bite on his ear lobe and whisper “Really?”
He corrects his statement. “Fuck, ok. I came here for this too. Or hoping for some of this. But we don’t have to. If you aren’t ready, if you need me to earn your trust ...”
And through my lust induced haze, I do stop to think about it, for as short lived as that pause is. Do I trust Reid enough to give myself to him? My heart has belonged to him forever but like his first kiss branded me forever, am I prepared to let him have the rest of me? If he changed his mind, if he decided that I’m too big a risk, that would break my heart beyond repair. I know why Reid stayed away from me and I know that the situation hasn’t changed but I also believe him when he says that he loves me. We’ve both suffered enough and I don’t think that waiting now would make me more certain of never being hurt. That risk is always there but I believe Reid when he says that he’s done choosing what our parents think is right. He’s done with denying his heart and mine. So I don’t think that we should deny our bodies any longer.
Illicit (Perfect for them Book 2) Page 21