King of Corium: Dark Enemies to Lovers Bully Romance (Corium University Book 1)

by J. L. Beck

  QUINTON

  I don’t remember the last time I was this irritated. Every little sound from Anja makes me want to grab a fork and jab it into my ear. Then there’s her not-so-subtle glances and touches. I swear if she touches the sleeve of my tux one more time, I’ll be tempted to rip off each one of her long, red-painted nails.

  At this point, her screams would be more pleasant than the stupid giggly sounds she makes every time my mother says something. I’m so fucking irritable, I don’t even like myself right now. I can’t even enjoy Scarlet being here. Not when we are in public, and I have to treat her like shit, and definitely not when Aspen and fucking Matteo are sitting across the table from me.

  Even worse, Matteo’s father, Michael, is here as well, and the dark gleam in his eyes and the way he’s watching Aspen make me uneasy.

  Why the hell is she here and with Matteo, of all people? Is this all a game to her? I doubt it. She would rather run through fire than be stuck anywhere with him, let alone voluntarily come as his date. I recall my father’s reaction, and suddenly, it becomes clear that he knew she was coming. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one who invited her.

  The question is, why?

  I’m vaguely aware of the music being lowered and someone announcing that dinner will be served momentarily. A few minutes later, servers arrive at our table, setting large platters with an array of food in the center of the table. My eyes catch on Lucas approaching our table with his brother, Nic, and his wife, Celia. I know enough about the Diavolo family that it’s better to have them as your ally than an enemy. My father, of course, pushes out of his chair and greets them, giving Nic and Lucas a handshake. My mother gives Celia a little wave and smile, which she politely returns.

  “I hope everyone is enjoying the festivities?” Lucas asks, his eyes gliding over the table. I notice the way his gaze hones in on Aspen, and my skin crawls. I hate the way everyone is looking at her, but what the hell am I to do? The dress she’s wearing alone puts an X on her back.

  “Yes, everything is great. Thank you for inviting us. I hope Quinton isn’t causing too much trouble,” my mother jokes, but no one laughs, least of all me.

  “Of course not. Quinton is a star student.” Lucas and my father let out a chuckle, almost like there’s a hidden meaning behind their words.

  Nic and Celia take a seat at the table next to us, and Lucas and my father exchange words that I can’t hear. I drag my attention back to the table. As soon as my father returns to his seat, the servers start asking everyone what they would like, then proceed to pile food onto the plates.

  Aspen stares wide-eyed, inspecting the food carefully as if she is trying to figure out if it’s poisoned or not. Only when she sees everyone around her start to dig in does she pick up her fork and start eating herself.

  I watch as she cuts into the steak, spearing a generous piece and bringing it to her lips. Once the large chunk of meat is inside her mouth, she closes her eyes and starts chewing with a low moan that has my cock twitching in my pants.

  She catches herself a moment too late, and her eyes fly open. Luckily, I seem to be the only one who noticed. She clears her throat and continues eating. Her restraint doesn’t last long because a moment later, she is shoveling potatoes and carrots into her mouth like she hasn’t eaten in years. This time, everyone at the table takes notice.

  “Jesus, slow down, pig.” Matteo laughs, and I’m one second away from throwing the steak knife at him. In my mind, I see it landing in his right eye, blood running down his face, soiling the crisp white tablecloth. I can hear his scream and see myself smiling like a sadist.

  “Are you not going to eat, Quinton?” My mom’s voice drags me from my bloody fantasy.

  “I’m not hungry,” I reply, leaning back in my chair. “Some people at this table spoiled my appetite.” I’m talking about Matteo, but I’m sure everyone else here assumes I’m talking about Aspen. I look at Matteo to drive home my statement, but he doesn’t seem to notice, or maybe he just doesn’t care.

  I stare at Aspen, admiring her beauty. Her long blond hair is falling off her shoulders in soft curls. She’s wearing a red dress, revealing much more than it should. Her makeup is fresh and not overly done. She is beautiful, and I kind of hate it because now that I see it, I don’t think I’ll be able to unsee it.

  “Yeah, I don’t know how long Aspen and I are going to stay. I know they’re doing the auction after this, but I think we might just go back to the dorms and chill.”

  My molars grind together, and I reach for the knife without thinking. It takes all my willpower not to respond to that statement. Why the hell did Matteo and her come together?

  “I didn’t know you two were a thing. I’m so happy for you,” Anja chirps in a sarcastic tone that belongs in a soap opera.

  “Oh.” Aspen clears her throat, her eyes darting around the table self-consciously. “We aren’t together.”

  The anger in my veins becomes a low simmer at the sound of her voice. For whatever reason, Aspen is a healing balm to my rage. She is the control when I’m spiraling, and she doesn’t even have the slightest fucking clue.

  “Don’t be like that, Aspen. You know it’s deeper than that.” Matteo grins, and my rage is back to boiling again.

  Using the napkin, she wipes her mouth, and when I see Matteo’s arms move like he is touching Aspen under the table, I almost lose it.

  She jerks away, confirming what I saw, but she doesn’t need a knight to save her. Not that I’m a knight. Lifting her arm, she elbows him in the side, but he doesn’t move his hand.

  My already boiling anger reaches new heights, and I’m half a second away from lunging across this table, tackling Matteo to the ground, and driving my fist into his smug face until he is nothing more than a bloody mess.

  She is mine to touch, mine to torment, only mine.

  “Excuse me,” Aspen grits through her clenched teeth and shoves to her feet. “I need to use the ladies’ room,” she announces before turning around and walking away from the table.

  From behind, her dress is even more revealing. Her entire back is bare, making it obvious that she is not wearing a bra.

  As I watch Aspen disappear from the room, my head spins. Everything is so out of control. My father being here is fucking everything up.

  I had just found a fix for my pain, a small calm to the raging storm, and now he’s taken that away from me. Once again, I feel lost, unhinged, and this time, I’m not sure if I can ever get back to sanity again.

  “Are you okay, Quinton?” My father’s voice booms in my ears, and I sit up a little straighter. Either I can sit here and deal with what’s happening in front of me, swallowing it down and forcing myself to digest it later, or I can do something about it right now.

  Looking over at my father is like looking at myself in the future. “I’m fine. I just need to use the restroom.”

  It’s a lie. All of it. That’s all I’ve been doing is lying. Lying to myself, lying to my parents. I’m far from okay, but in my life, there is not room for anything else. It’s either be okay or pretend to be okay, which is where Aspen comes in.

  30

  ASPEN

  I can’t take this anymore. I feel like I’m suffocating, a rope wrapped around my throat, tightening with each breath I take.

  Making my way through the crowd, I ignore the hateful expressions and hope that no one is going to attack me while I’m in the bathroom. It’s a risk I’m willing to take. I know being anywhere by myself up here is not wise, but right now, I’ll do anything for a few moments of alone time.

  The bathroom is empty when I walk inside, and I’ve never been more glad about anything in my life. I catch my reflection in the mirror, and I’m not surprised by how pale I look even with the makeup. I’m exhausted, and all I want to do is go back to my dorm and spend the night like I had planned.

  Tearing my eyes away from the girl I barely recognize anymore, I step into one of the bathroom stalls. I hear a sound behi
nd me, but before I can turn around, someone grabs me. With a shriek, I spin around and start fighting immediately, but my wrists are captured with ease, and I’m pinned to the bathroom stall.

  “Why the fuck are you here with him?” Quinton growls, inches away from my face. His hot minty breath fans over my cheek, and I sigh in relief.

  “Do you think I want to be here? With him, of all people? I hate him. I asked you to get him off my back. I wanted to stay in my room and read, and I definitely didn’t want to wear this dress.”

  “Then why the fuck did you?”

  “Because your father made me! He sent me this dress and told me not to disappoint him and come to this ball. He even arranged a date for me.”

  I can tell Quinton believes me, his anger simmering down a tiny bit, but the murderous gleam in his eyes remains. He seems unhinged, his arm shaking like he is trying not to punch the wall. He looks like he is barely holding on but trying to regain control. Then it dawns on me… control. That’s what he is craving, what he needs from me.

  “Are you wearing any panties? I know you’re not wearing a fucking bra.” He grabs the strap of my dress and pulls it down, exposing my breasts to him.

  “I couldn’t wear a bra in this dress, and yes, I am wearing panties.”

  “Take them off,” he orders.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Very. Now take off your panties before I rip them to shreds.” Getting impatient, he starts pulling up my dress until it’s bundled around my hips. I pull off my panties, letting them slide down my legs so I can step out of them altogether.

  While Quinton watches me, he takes off his tux jacket and hangs it over the stall door before he starts undoing his pants.

  “Quinton, we can’t. People will know, and what if someone comes in?”

  “The door is locked, and I don’t give a shit who knows what we’re doing.”

  He frees his already hard cock and starts stroking it while I stand there with my dress bunched up around my stomach, my naked ass pressed against the stall.

  Without warning, he lets go of his dick and grabs me by the hips, lifting me and pushing me against the wall. “Wrap your legs around me and hold my shoulders.”

  I barely have time to follow his directions before he lines himself up with my entrance and impales me in one hard thrust. The air swishes out of my lungs, and a sting of pain follows as he gives me only a moment to adjust to his length before he starts fucking me. My nails dig into the fabric of his dress shirt, and I yearn for that connection, that chance to hurt him back.

  “Your pussy is mine. Mine to fuck. Mine to tease,” Quinton growls, nipping at my earlobe. Each thrust of his hips is punishing and straddles the line of pain, but there is a niggling of something more. Something warm moves through my core, and I’m growing wetter with each stroke.

  Holding me in place with his body, he easily finds my hardened nipple, pinching the nub between two fingers, and a delicious zing of pleasure makes its way through my body.

  “Pretend you don’t want me. In fact, pretend for both of us because now that I’ve had a taste of you, I don’t know if I can ever go back.”

  His touch becomes rougher, and my thoughts become hazy as he moves inside me, using me as an outlet for his rage. I let my head fall back against the wall, and Quinton swoops in, his mouth on the pulse at my throat in an instant. His woodsy scent surrounds me, filling my lungs with every breath I take.

  I never thought I would be the type to crave darkness, but something about him when he’s unhinged and owning me, knowing he holds all the power, excites me.

  What is wrong with me?

  “I should mark you. Put hickeys all over your neck so everyone knows that you’ve been claimed. What do you think?” His voice is smoke swirling around my head, seeping into my pores. I open my mouth to object, to ask him why he would do something like that, but before I can, his mouth is on my skin, and all that comes out is a moan.

  My chest heaves, and that low rolling boil of pleasure in my gut moves outward. Quinton’s mouth is vicious, and he alternates between biting me and soothing the bites with his tongue. That, combined with his deep thrusts, sends me careening toward my climax.

  “Shit. I can feel your muscles quivering. You’re going to come soon, aren’t you?” Quinton pulls away from my throat, his cheeks flush, his chest rising and falling as rapidly as my own.

  “Yes,” I whimper, gripping him a little harder.

  “Look at me. I want you to see who gave you that orgasm, who owns your body, and who controls every move you make.”

  The fire in my belly explodes, and a warmth works through my limbs as my eyes roll to the back of my head. I’ve made myself come many times before, but it’s never felt like this.

  My orgasm sparks Quinton’s, and he rests his head in the crook of my neck, fucking me harder and faster than he had been before, chasing his release. I let him use me, let him take what he needs too. When he finally comes, it’s inside me again, and I make a mental note to remind myself to keep taking the pill. I refuse to get pregnant, especially with his baby.

  After a moment, Quinton slowly eases out of me and places me back down on my feet. My legs are shaky, and I’m a little dizzy, but I place a hand against the door to steady myself.

  The post-orgasm haze has left my mind, and now I’m back to being focused on myself.

  “Clean yourself up. You look like a hooker right now.”

  “God, you’re an asshole.”

  “Yeah, well, you just came on this asshole’s cock, so I’m obviously not that bad.” He’s looking at me like he might come back for seconds.

  I turn, shaking my head, and walk out of the stall. It’s then that I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My curls are in disarray, my eyes are hazy, and my cheeks are flushed. We won’t even talk about my dress. As I take a step closer to the mirror, my gaze catches on my throat, where Quinton was teasing me with his tongue and teeth.

  Right there for the world to see are his love bites. The ten tiny red marks will fade over time, but definitely not by the end of the evening.

  “What the hell?” I whirl around when I see Quinton watching me in the mirror. Again, he is smirking.

  “You weren’t complaining as you creamed all over my cock.”

  Something inside me snaps. “Why would you do that? You know others are going to be able to see it, right?”

  He shrugs. “That’s the point. I want him to see it.”

  I grit my teeth and shove at his chest. “I’m not a trophy to be fought over. Marking me is only going to stir the pot and cause problems for me.”

  I don’t know why I didn’t stop him. Why I even let him fuck me in this bathroom stall, knowing everyone out in that ballroom knows what we were doing.

  “Marking you will show him you’re mine. It will show others you’re unavailable.”

  “It will show nothing besides me being mauled by an animal,” I murmur, adjusting my hair quickly to cover the bites as best as I can. I let Quinton leave the bathroom first, and I follow a few minutes later, my knees damn near knocking together with each step I take.

  As soon as I reach the table, all eyes are on me. I pretend I can’t feel their stares on my skin. Dropping down into my chair, I shield my face behind my hair and look anywhere but in Quinton’s direction. The servers take our plates from dinner and serve dessert next. My stomach is too twisted for me to eat anything else, so I pass on it.

  Matteo is staring at me, his angry glare hot on my skin. Does he know what we did? Do they all know? Of course, they do. Why wouldn’t they? Matteo leans into my side, and even as I try to lean away, he wraps an arm around my shoulder, tugging me into his side.

  Hot breath fans against my face. “Do you think I don’t know what you just did in there? That we all don’t know.” He pauses, and my fingers itch to grab a fork and stab him in the eye. “I mean, if your face doesn’t say it, your neck will, right?”

  I can feel my cheeks heating
with embarrassment. The asshole calls me out right in front of everyone at the table. I’m tempted to look over at Quinton just to see his reaction, but I let my hair continue to act as a curtain of protection.

  “Touch me again, and I swear I will stab you in the eye with a fork.”

  Matteo lets out a soft laugh. “Damn, you’re feisty. I like it. Can’t wait to see what you do in bed tonight.”

  “We are doing nothing!” I snarl and scoot away from him with my chair. My low whispering yell draws the attention of Quinton’s mom. I can see her concerned gaze on me out of the corner of my eye. How did such a kind, quiet woman end up with a man like Xander Rossi? Now that I think about it, I don’t want to know.

  Matteo thankfully takes the hint and leaves me alone as the night goes on. The main event of the evening is the auction. Xander gives a grand speech that I try my best not to roll my eyes at. Scarlet and Ella, and even Quinton, watch him with an awestruck look in their eyes.

  I hate to admit it, but I’m a little jealous. Jealous of the love they have for each other and jealous of the fact that they’re all together, well, minus Adela. Her disappearance is still a mystery to me.

  As the auction comes to an end, I’ve never been happier to escape a room. I’m the first person out of my chair and heading for the door. My exit isn’t as sneaky as I would like it to be since I excuse myself to go to the restroom, which they all know is a lie. I remind myself that all I have to do is make it back to my room, and I’ll be okay.

  As soon as I’m out of sight, I dart down the hallway and head back the way I came. Since most of the guests remain at the auction to socialize, I shouldn’t have to worry about running into anyone else. I only make it to a set of stairs when a hand lands on my shoulder.

  Whirling around, I see Matteo grinning down at me. “Were you going somewhere?”

  I’ve put myself in a bad situation here, and I’m not sure how I’m going to get out of it. Matteo is huge, twice my size and weight. I have no weapon and no way to protect myself.