Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53725 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 269(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
“We were kids,” I say, and I can barely hear my own words.
He steps closer. My defenses flare and I back up, hitting the wall with a thud. He presses his hands on either side of me. He’s close, so close, I can feel the heat of his body in every part of me. My nipples pucker and the sensation in my belly slides lower and lower. “We were always different,” he repeats.
My fingers curl into balls by my side, the urge to hit him, touch him—touch him some more—a feeling almost too much to control. And I have no idea what he’s trying to say to me or why he keeps driving home the point. I just need him to walk away so I can try and make myself do the same once and for all. It’s time to leave my childhood behind. It’s time to leave him behind. “If you’re trying to apologize—”
He curses and suddenly one of his hands scoops around me, splaying possessively across my lower back, and molding me close. The fingers of his other hand tangle into my hair, a rough, erotic pull to the way he holds me there.
“What are you doing?” I demand, intending to sound indignant, but I sound breathless and aroused even to my own ears.
He steps into me, his powerful legs framing my legs and I can feel the thick pulse of his erection against my belly. “This,” he says, “and properly this time.” His mouth closes down over mine, his tongue pressing past my teeth.
I resist, or I meant to resist. I try, but every hard inch of him is pressed to me and he smells so addictively earthy and male, and he’s so familiar and yet different in all the right ways. My fingers curl on his chest, and when his tongue slides against mine, I’m done for. I moan into his mouth and sink into him and the kiss. A low, rough growl escapes his mouth and then we’re all over each other, kissing and touching. His hands are everywhere I want them and have always wanted them. My hands are everywhere, too, all over his body, everywhere I’ve ever wanted to touch—and never dared—no holding back, thank you very much to the tequila.
We’re committed to going all the way with this, at least at the moment—ripping at each other’s clothes, uncaring about the consequences of our actions. Are there consequences? That is, until the door flies open. I’m instantly aware of my dress shoved down and my breast in Damion’s hand when moments before I wasn’t aware of anything but what I felt, which was pretty much everything. I yank the silk material up and over me, whirling around to find a pretty blonde who looks a bit like Sally gaping at us. Her eyes burn with anger and her cheeks flush red. “Are you serious, Damion?” She charges forward and shoves him. “You came with me. You are such an asshole.”
Tears sting my eyes and the embarrassment is real and biting. I dash past her and head for the door. “Alana!” Damion shouts, but I ignore him. “It’s not what you think!”
I continue forward, rushing down the stairs and pushing past and through a group of people blocking the way down.
“Alana!”
I don’t turn. I’m working through the bodies now, and when I exit the front door, I keep going. I run right and just keep running until I’m beside another house, leaning against the wall. I sink down the hard surface much like I did that day years back and bury my face in my hands. Never again. I will never let that man hurt me again. No, boy. He’s still such a boy. He will never touch me again.
I’m done with Damion West.
He can’t hurt me anymore.
My schoolgirl fantasy over the boy I swore I’d one day marry is over.
Chapter Five
Alana
Sally doesn’t know what happened with Damion.
She thinks I got sick on tequila and went back to our rooms, throwing up. It was a perfect explanation for why my eyes were puffy and I felt like crap the next day.
“You sure you’re up for study group?” she asks. “Because Ted is going to be here any minute to get us.”
Ted is a good friend, who is actually the quarterback of the football team, and too hot for me not to be hot for, per him, not me. We’re friends. We will probably always be friends. We just get each other. I have zero idea why we don’t connect sexually. Okay, I have every idea why. Because I don’t seem to connect with anyone on that level, except with Damion. And now Ted’s seeing Gilda, who is lovely and sweet, and just right for him.
“I need to be ready for this test,” I say. “I’m fine.”