by Naomi Martin
“I’ll walk with you.”
I close my locker and give him a small smile as we turn and walk down the hallway together. As Evan falls into step beside me, he talks to me about this and that, nothing too deep. But it’s nice to get to a little bit about him. As we walk though, watching as the mass of students parting to make way for us makes me feel self-conscious. I know it’s only because I’m walking with Evan but I’m not used to people being deferential to me.
When we arrive at my classroom, I turn and give him a smile.
“Well here I am safe and sound,” I say. “Thanks for the escort.”
“Anytime,” he replies.
I tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear and feel my face flush as I smile. I turn and walk into the classroom feeling like a giggling idiot. I’ve never had this kind of reaction to a boy before and I don’t know why I’m having it now. But then, the only boys who’ve shown an interest in me in the past have all been burnouts. I’ve never had one of the most popular and best looking boys in school show an interest in me before. And I have to admit, getting positive attention from him – and others in the school by extension – feels kind of nice. It’s shallow and petty but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the attention.
I set my bag down under my work station in the newsroom. Jenna found out I liked writing and convinced me to switch one of my electives so that I’m now working for the school newspaper. I’ve never done it before but so far, I’m enjoying it so much that it’s got me thinking differently. I never considered college before I came to live with Daisy but she’s put that bug inside of me and now Jenna is helping me think about possibly majoring in journalism.
“Well, you certainly are the talk of the hallways,” Jenna grins as she puts her things down on her work station.
“How is that?”
She arches her eyebrow. “You and Evan have been spotted canoodling, as they say.”
I roll my eyes and laugh. “Oh please. We were talking.”
“As he walked you to class,” she grins. “In high school terms, you two are practically married.”
“Oh give me a break,” I laugh and want to change the subject. “What story are you working on?”
She purses her lips and her expression grows serious. “I’m going to pitch a story about the drug problem on campus.”
“A little heavy, isn’t it?”
“I don’t want to write puff pieces. I want to write important things,” she replies. “Drugs are a real epidemic around here.”
“You’ll have to forgive Jenna,” Blaze said as he steps between us and leans against my desk, his back to her. “She thinks if anybody’s having fun around here, they must be on drugs.”
“That reminds me,” Jenna pipes up from behind him. “Who took your last drug test for you? If word got out to college recruiters –”
Blaze spins around so fast, it startles me. He glares at Jenna who doesn’t flinch and stands up to him, her expression every bit as hard as his. He’s got almost a foot and a hundred pounds on her but she shows absolutely no fear. It’s impressive.
“You write anything about me and you’ll fucking regret it, Jenna,” he sneers. “You understand me?”
“You don’t tell me what to write, Blaze,” she hisses right back. “And if you ever try to intimidate me from writing a story again, I’ll go straight to Principal Murphy.”
I see his jaw clenching as he stares at her but he turns around muttering under his breath – all I catch is the word “bitch” in his quiet screed. Apparently he’s got enough common sense to not antagonize Jenna any further. He stays where he is, standing between us with his back to her.
“Anyway,” he says to me, rolling his eyes. “I wanted to invite you to a party.”
“A party?” I ask. “You’re inviting me to a party?”
He gives me a grin that’s disarming. “I think we got off on the wrong foot a few weeks back,” he says. “I was hoping we could – fix that.”
I laugh. “Fix that, huh?”
“Yeah, why not?” he smiles. “I really don’t want you walking around thinking I hate you or anything – because I don’t.”
“You don’t?”
He shakes his head. “Not at all,” he says. “Come to the party.”
A small grin touches my lips. “O – okay. Sure.”
“Great.”
Blaze hands me his phone and tells me to put my number in for him. I put it in and hand his phone back to him. He smiles and leaves the newsroom without another word. Jenna is standing at her workstation, a look of absolute disbelief on her face.
“Don’t start,” I tell her.
“Did you not hear me when I told you he and his buddies are into some shady, dangerous shit?” she gasps. “You go to that party, you’re just asking for trouble.”
“How do you know, Jenna?”
“Because I know them,” she replies, her tone exasperated. “Blaze doesn’t do anything out of the goodness of his heart. He wants something from you.”
I frown and bite back the angry reply on my lips. She doesn’t know what it’s like to not have friends. She doesn’t know what it feels like to have people only talk to you to tear you down. I could explain it to her, but because she’s never experienced it, she can’t relate, therefore, she can’t understand. It’s not her fault, we just came from two very different worlds.
“Maybe. But maybe not. Either way, maybe it’ll be a good way for me to meet some other people,” I reply with a gentle smile. “It might be nice to be able to flit between social circles.”
Jenna gives me a sheepish smile and can’t quite meet my eyes. It’s as if she finally understands that she’s got advantages I don’t and decides to stop pushing me. There’s a tense moment of silence between us but then she looks up and smiles.
“So, tell me about what you’re working on,” she says.
Chapter Four
Five minutes after I walk in, I realize why I hate high school house parties as much as I do. The music is obnoxiously loud, the shrieking, giggling girls and testosterone-laden boys smashing beer cans on their heads are even more obnoxious. It’s things like this that make me think being a social outcast and a loner might not be the worst thing ever.
“Hey, you made it.”
I turn to find Evan standing behind me, a wide smile on his face and a cup of beer in his hand.
“I thought I might take a look at the popular kids in their natural habitat,” I grin.
He takes a drink and steps closer to me, his eyes riveted to mine. A pleasant shiver runs down my body, sending goosebumps marching across my skin.
“So, we’re just a zoo exhibit to you, huh?” he asks.
“Pretty much.”
He nods. “Well, let’s get you some refreshment so you can enjoy the show.”
I accompany him to the kitchen where he pours me a cup of beer from the keg. I take it with a smile and tap my cup against his and we both take a drink, our gazes still locked.
“So who’s house is this?” I ask.
“It’s mine,” Blaze announces. “Well – it belongs to my parents anyway.”
He leans against the counter next to me and gives me a gracious smile. His minion Alec is in his usual spot behind him like his bodyguard. Evan steps closer behind me and I feel his hand on my hip almost protectively. I turn my head and see a strange expression on his face I can’t interpret. But he covers is quickly with a smile.
“Glad you made it,” Blaze says.
“Yeah, me too,” I say.
There’s a weird glint in Blaze’s eye that sends a different kind of chill running through me and it makes me feel kind of uncomfortable. As Blaze continues to stare at me, Jenna’s voice echoes through my head, telling me he wants something from me. When she said it, I thought she meant he wanted me for sex. But given the way he’s looking at me, it makes me think that although she’s right, it’s not for sex. It’s for so
mething else entirely and it intensifies the feeling of discomfort coursing through me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No reason. Just glad you came,” he says and looks pointedly at Evan. “Now go show this little lady a good time, why don’t you?”
I laugh, though I’m still gripped by apprehension. Something about Blaze just seems off and I don’t know what it is. But Evan takes me by the hand and leads me through the house, chatting away and introducing me to other people. Most of them seem really nice and I feel like I’m actually making some friends here.
It’s a new experience for me since my friends at my last school were friends out of necessity. Being the outcasts and misfits in the school, we sort of naturally gravitated to one another and banded together in our shared ostracization from the “normal” people in the school – normal being defined by how rich their parents were, of course.
But here it’s different. Here people are paying attention to me and not just to run me down or make me feel like shit. And I have to say it’s – nice. My hand still in his, Evan leads me outside and we stroll around the pool, talking about everything and nothing. I’m aware of how close our bodies are, feel the heat wafting off him, and catch subtle hints of his cologne. It sounds ridiculous to say, but he smells incredible.
The moon, fat and bright, hangs in the sky overhead and a cool breeze carrying a slight hint of the ocean upon it blows past us. Evan turns to me, a mischievous smile upon his lips.
“What are you –”
He cuts me off by pulling me to him, our mouths crashing together. My moan is lost in his mouth as our tongues swirl around one another. He pulls me to him harder and I feel his hard cock pressed firmly against my belly. I feel a flutter in my chest and my head is swimming as Evan kisses me harder.
He pulls back and smiles at me, giving me a moment to catch my breath. His eyes bore into mine and I bite my bottom lip as Evan takes a couple of steps back, pulling me along with him.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“Somewhere more – private,” he grins salaciously. “Is that okay?”
Every instinct in my body is telling me to say no. I know I shouldn’t and that this is a bad idea. But my mind isn’t exactly communicating with my heart right now. I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out so I just nod my head. Evan’s smile grows wider, wolfish, and he leads me to the pool house that sits at the far end of the deck, well away from the house.
He closes the door behind us and leans back against it. The pool house is dim with thick pockets of shadow clinging to every corner. The only light comes from the moon filtering in through the skylights overhead.
“Take off your clothes,” he growls.
I arch an eyebrow at him. “Demanding, aren’t you?”
Evan steps forward, a sultry expression his face. My lips part as he presses his mouth to mine, our tongues dashing together. The heat is building inside of me and I feel myself growing wet. I raise my hands and allow Evan to slide my shirt over my head. He tosses it aside as I reach behind me and unclasp my bra, letting it fall to the floor at my feet.
I gasp when Evan’s mouth finds my breasts, his tongue flicking against my nipple. He kneads my breasts, licks and sucks on them, giving my nipple a sharp nip that makes me yelp in surprise. Evan kisses me again and slides his hand up my thigh, pushing up my skirt, and touches me through my panties. I moan as he rubs my swollen lips through the thin fabric.
Running my hands through his hair, I bite Evan’s neck and cry out when he slips his fingers beneath my panties and teases my clit with his fingertips. He slips two fingers inside of me and begins to thrust them in and out. I throw my head back, my moans growing louder as he drives his fingers deep into my wetness.
Reaching down, I unbutton his pants and push them down. I grip Evan’s cock, squeezing it hard at the base as I start to stroke him up and down, pulling a moan of pleasure from his lips. Evan picks me up and sets me down on the table behind me. He falls to his knees and leans forward, driving his tongue deep into me. He licks and laps at my lips, nipping at my swollen bud.
I throw my head back, moaning his name as he drives his fingers into me, lapping at my wetness at the same time. I grip his hair, pulling his face deeper into me as Evan fingers and licks me, the pressure inside of me building to a crescendo. And when the wave breaks, my body seizes up and I clamp my thighs down on his head. I cry out as I tremble, my entire body shaking wildly.
Evan gets to his feet, his mouth and lips glinting with my juices, and a smile on his face. I part my thighs as he steps forward and he leans down, pressing his mouth to mine, as the head of his cock slips between my velvety folds. I gasp as Evan rolls his hips, sliding his staff deeper into me.
He cups my ass and pulls me to the edge of the table and he starts to pump his hips, driving his rod into me hard and fast. I cling to him, my nails digging into his shoulders as he fucks me, our groans and moans mingling and filling the air around us.
Evan pulls me off the table and spins me around, bending me over the table. He holds me down as he pushes my skirt up around his waist. A moment later, his thick staff fills me up and he grips my hair, pulling my head back as he drives himself into me. The sharp crack of flesh meeting flesh rings in my ears a split second before I feel the sting of his hand on my ass. There’s a brief flash of pain that intensifies the pleasure I feel having his cock deep within me.
He pulls my hair harder as I push myself back against him, taking his staff deeper inside of me. My body is tensing and I feel the pressure building inside of me again. Evan’s cock swells inside of me and starts to pulse. The sensations rippling through my pussy spread throughout my entire body and I cry out as the most intense orgasm I’ve ever had comes crashing down over me.
I tremble, my breath coming out in whimpering gasps, and a moment later, Evan grunts as he pulls his cock out of me. He groans loudly and I feel his warm, thick seed spurting across my back and ass. I lay there a moment, my ass in the air as I catch my breath. But then Evan turns me around and pulls me to him, kissing me deeply.
I lean against him, relishing the feel of his arms around me. In that moment, everything feels great. Everything feels right. And I’ve never been happier in my entire life.
Chapter Five
“You didn’t call me all weekend,” Jenna grins. “Come on, give me the details.”
I laugh. “A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”
She arches her eyebrow at me. “Oh, so you kissed him, huh?”
I bite my bottom lip and look away, unable to meet her eyes. Jenna gasps and starts to giggle, a scandalized expression on her face.
“You total slut,” she laughs. “Who was it?”
“I’m not answering that.”
“Tell me,” she pinches my arm. “You have to tell me.”
A small squeak escapes me and I feel the heat flaring in my cheeks. I don’t know why I’m so embarrassed – I mean, it’s not the first time I had sex or anything. But this is the first time I’ve ever gotten the third degree about it. I’m not the kind of person who opens up and shares personal things like that. As Jenna looks at me, I see the realization dawning on her and a look of absolute horror stretches across her face.
“Oh God,” she gasps. “You slept with Blaze.”
“What? No,” I laugh.
“Was it Alec?”
“Oh my God, you’re a psycho,” I shriek. “Why would you even think that?”
“Blaze, because he invited you to the party,” she explains. “And Alec because he’s pretty hot.”
“No. I did not sleep with Blaze. Or Alec.”
She purses her lips. “It was Evan then.”
Jenna tries to control it but I can still hear the disapproving tone in her voice. I know she has issues with Evan, Blaze, and Alec. I don’t know what they are exactly but they apparently run deep.
“You really need to be
careful, Harlow,” she says. “They are bad guys and –”
“Evan’s not like them, Jenna,” I tell her. “He’s different.”
“He’s not,” she counters. “Sure he puts up a good front and knows how to say all the right things but he’s no different than them. I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Harlow.”
“My eyes are open, Jenna. I know what I’m doing.”
She looks at me for a long moment and then purses her lips. “I hope so.”
There’s an uncomfortable moment of silence between us as her words hang in the air. I turn to my computer and pull up the article I’m working on just to give myself something to do. Jenna reaches over and takes my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
“I care about you, Harlow. I’ve been around these guys long enough that I know what they’re like. What they’re really like,” she says. “And I don’t want to see you get taken advantage of.”
My smile is small and weak. I know she’s looking out for me but I think she’s wrong about this. Wrong about Evan.
* * * * *
“Hey.”
I give him a smile. “Hey yourself.”
Evan returns my smile and I step forward to give him a kiss but he steps back, putting a few feet of distance between us. I look at him, confused by the sudden cold front. A strange look crosses his face and he suddenly can’t meet my eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
Evan shakes his head. “Nothing,” he replies meekly. “But – can you come with me?”
“Where are we going?”
“Blaze wants to talk to you.”
“Blaze?”
He nods, still not looking at me. There’s a troubled look on his face that sends a dark flutter of concern through my heart. But I go with him, letting hi lead me through the crowded corridors of the school and out into the bright sunshine of the afternoon.
“Where are we going, Evan?”
He doesn’t answer my question and a feeling of unease begins to grow in my belly. Maybe it’s Jenna’s repeated warnings about how dangerous they are or something, but as we walk, I start to feel like something just isn’t right. But because I feel the way I feel about Evan and believe that he’d never do anything to hurt me, I follow. We walk around behind the gym and I see Blaze and Evan standing there huddled together, heads close together. Their eyes are glued to the phone in Blaze’s hand and there’s a devious grin on both of their faces. They look up as we approach and a feral grin crosses Blaze’s face, sending a cold chill running through my body.