Sticks and Stones (Shadow Valley U, #1)

by S. Massery

“Stop lying,” Stone says. “Your legs are lookin’ quite thin these days.” I stop walking and stick my foot out to trip Stone, but he’s just as good on the linoleum floor as he is on ice. He stops a mere inch from my shoe and smirks at me. “Nice try.” “Will you two fucking stop for three seconds? I swear, you’re like toddlers.” I reach for my books, but Evan holds them up above his head so I can’t grab them. I exhale, blowing my brown hair out of my face, and cross my arms. “He started it.” Evan laughs. “See? Toddlers.”

Evan slowly lowers my books and pushes them back into my hands. “You’ve got dark circles under your eyes, you’re falling asleep in Chemistry, and your jeans are looser than normal.” Embarrassment floods me, and if it were anyone else, I’d fool them into thinking I was fine, but Evan knows me too well. “Wren, what’s going on?”

Evan grits his teeth and starts walking backward into the lunchroom. “Well, put some makeup on those bags, girl. Or else she might lock you in your room and not let you leave.” My room.

“Where are my things?” She comes over and whacks my leg. I look up at her, taking in her furious expression. The poor foster kid doesn’t like her stuff messed with, evidently. “Are you intentionally being a bag of dicks, or does it come naturally?”

“Stone!” Evan puts himself between us. His hand on my chest is the only thing stopping me from taking Archer’s head off. “What’s going on?” “He made her cry.” “No, I fucking didn’t,” Archer snaps. “I was comforting her.” I glare at him. “You can comfort her from a distance, asshole. You don’t need to molest her to do it.” “You’re a real piece of work, Foster—” “Enough,” Even snaps. “Archer, go. Please.”

I realize two things at once. If she continues like this, she’s going to pass out. And…Evan is going to murder me either way. So I grab her face and yank her forward, slamming my lips to hers. I’ve kissed girls before. But tell me why my breathing stops as soon as our mouths are on each other? Tell me why my heart fucking skips?

I should not be attracted to her. I should not be attracted to her. I should not—

I don’t let her get that far. I slide my hand around the back of her neck and draw her forward, crushing her lips to mine. It spirals into a mad frenzy. She’s grabbing at my clothes, my hair. I bite her lip and taste blood in my mouth, and she whimpers. Not in a way reminiscent of her nightmares, but of pleasure.

“That’s it,” I whisper against her lips. We’ve stopped kissing and are just pressed together, open-mouthed and chasing pleasure. “Fuck,” she groans. I bite her lower lip, tugging until she kisses me again. Harder. I’ve never been this turned on just by touching someone. Her hand is still on me, rubbing through my shorts. But that takes a backseat when she suddenly arches her back. Her muscles tighten around my fingers. Her orgasm face is something I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

My head is caught by someone’s hand before it hits, and I hear my sob loud and clear. “Look at me.” I can’t breathe. I can’t do anything but shake. I gasp and gasp until two hands cup my cheeks, stroking the skin underneath my eyes. “Look at my eyes, baby.”

“Look at me,” I order. She’s trembling. Her mouth opens and closes, but it’s just sheer panic behind her eyes. I cup her face with both hands, catching her tears on the pads of my thumbs. “Focus on my eyes, baby.” Baby. I ignore that and hope she does, too.

“I don’t want to go back to sleep,” she whispers. “Can you help me with that?” I open my eyes. She’s right there, her sometimes-green, sometimes-brown eyes so damn alluring, I have no doubt I could fall right into them if given the chance. If you haven’t already. “Are you propositioning me, baby?” She bites her lip to hide her smile and slowly nods. Oh, fuck. I’m a goner—and judging by the glimmer in her gaze, we both know it.

“Does it turn you on knowing the power you have over me, Sticks? I can’t fucking resist you.”

I place a finger on my clit and gasp with pleasure. “Absolutely not,” he bites out, sitting up quickly and snapping my arms above my head. His blue eyes are hooded with pleasure, and I have never seen a hotter look. He’s turned on, and there’s a fire brewing in my lower stomach at the anticipation of him inside me. “This cunt is mine.”

The dirty talk pulls me over the edge. I throw my head back and chase the high. Stone drags his finger out of me and slams his palm over my mouth. His whisper brushes against my ear. “Shh, baby. Evan will kill me if he knows what I’m doing to you in here.”

I lick my lips and sit up. He shakes his head at me, lowering his gaze. “I’m all for finding out how talented that bratty mouth is, but I’m not waiting another second before claiming you.” The wrapper of the condom is trapped between his white teeth when he rips it open.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Wren.” He pulls back and pauses our moving bodies. “This is…”

“I’ll want every single fucking part of you.”

“Sleep,” Stone whispers from somewhere close by. I inhale the scent of his pillow and submit to the warmth of his blankets when he drapes them over my bare skin. “I’m here, and I’m not leaving, Sticks.”

I was awake for a long damn time after the mind-bending sex with Wren last night. One minute I was scared she was going to be permanently traumatized by her past, and the next she was writhing in pleasure on my cock. And she felt better than I could’ve ever imagined.

“Evander! Do something.” “Sorry, sis.” He grins. “But it’s for your own good.” I’m shocked and unsure of how I feel about Evan and Stone no longer having their little disagreement over me. “Are you guys seriously tag-teaming me now?” Stone’s grip on me tightens when we reach the top of the stairs. “No one will be tag-teaming when it comes to you.” I roll my eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that, Stone! Gross. He’s my brother.”

“Welcome to your new room.” He drops me down onto the bed and flicks his chin at my purple pillow. It’s closest to the wall, right next to his. “That’s your side.” I hear the lock of the bedroom door and stay quiet. He comes over and flops down beside me. “And this side is mine.” Great.

She glances at her watch, then back at me. “You’re not getting my discount.” “Wouldn’t have wanted it.” “And you have to tip me.” I lean toward her. “If you want my tip, baby, all you’ve got to do is ask.” Her lips part.

“Good girl,” I murmur. She gets wetter. “My girl likes praise?” I lick her slowly, from her slit to the top of her mound. “You taste so good, baby. I’m never going to need another meal again as long as you keep your cunt wet for me.”

Did I stop to even put on a freaking condom? Nope. Let’s hope she doesn’t kill me for that.

“Do me a favor, Sticks.” Her eyebrow rises. I drag my finger through the cum on her skin. “Leave my mark on you.” “You’re awful.” “And you’re mine.” I shrug. “Fair’s fair.”

“Why are you calling me from an unknown number, Brad?” Her brow is pinched. I shoot to my feet, but she waves me off. “No. I don’t care that you’re sorry. Don’t call me again.” She hits end and tosses her phone onto the bench beside her. We stare at each other for a beat. “Don’t even think about it,” she warns. I raise my hands in surrender. “I wasn’t thinking anything.” I definitely wasn’t thinking that fucking Brad just got moved to the top of my shit list.

“Everything about you is my business, baby.”

“I asked her…” I grip the sink harder. “To go to the hockey game with me tomorrow.” Stone’s hand stops moving, and he steps away, putting space between us. “What?” “I… I asked if she wanted to watch the game with me tomorrow. In the stands.” His swallow is loud enough for me to hear. “You’re coming to my game?” “I figured you guys would play better if you didn’t have to worry about me being alone at home.” “Fuck, Wren.” My panties fly down my legs, and Stone’s hand splays out on my back. My ribs ache from the sink cutting into the bone, but the bite of pain only lasts a second when he fills me. “That’s too much for me to handle.”

“You feel so good, and knowing you did something so I could play better is a fucking turn-on,” he murmurs against my skin before biting onto my earlobe.

I snatch her phone. She makes a noise of protest, but she doesn’t stop me from using her face to unlock it and then going straight to her recent calls. A half dozen unknown number calls from today and yesterday. Only one, the first, was answered. And she said it was her ex. “Brad?” I force out. She just shrugs. I shake my head at her, then shoot off a text to Archer.

“What?” I raise my hands in surrender. “I don’t need to be babysat.” I scoff. “Archer is an excellent babysitter. E and I have some business to attend to.”

But here’s the thing: guys like Brad whatever-his-last-name-is deserve to rot in Hell. How the fuck could he see someone like Wren Davis and think she’s not worthy of all the love in the world? How could he look at anyone else when he had her? Much less fuck someone else.

His eye roll is more of a dismissal. “I’ll take care of it.” I stomp like a toddler. “No.” “Wren.” His tone is borderline angry. My lip pops out. I’m crushed to his body next, and he tilts my chin to meet his face. “I know you’re used to being independent, but you’re going to have to get used to me taking care of you.” I say nothing and let him press his lips to mine. It soothes me for a second before he lets go of me and heads up the stairs. “Oh.” He glances over the banister, and I’m leery of his smile. “I put a tracker on your phone, so if you decide to try and pay me back for hitting your ex, and not show up to my game, I’ll be able to find you.” My mouth drops as I stare at the device in my hand. “You are unbe—” “Unbelievable,” he finishes for me. “I know. I’ll show you later how unbelievable I really am.”

Our team pulled off the win, six to three. I’ve been bestowed with a gold Burger King crown, courtesy of the guys for my hat trick. Evan scored one, and I have no idea who scored the other two.

“No girl of mine is going to wear another guy’s jersey,” I say quietly. I run my finger across her collarbone. “Well, the good news is—I’m not your girl.” I stop. She stares at me with wide eyes. I’m casting her in shadow like this, blocking out the pretty green and brown of her eyes. “You’re mine, Wren Davis. What more do I need to do to prove it? Fuck you in front of Evan? Get my name tattooed on your skin?” I cup her jaw, forcing her head up. “Or your name on me? Now that sounds tempting…” “Stone—” “Where do you want your name, Sticks?” I adjust myself. Jesus, talking about marking myself for her has me harder than ever. “On my dick? Across my chest? My knuckles, maybe?”

“When I fuck you in this dirty storage closet, Sticks, there’s exactly one name you’re going to be screaming.” “Archer’s?” she sasses. Smack.

Just because she’s mine, and I’m hers, doesn’t mean I don’t hate her for it.

She glowers at me. “And not letting me finish? Is that punishment?”

I steal a kiss from her lips as she moves past me. “Now you’re getting it.”

Catching feelings for my best friend’s sister wasn’t on my to-do list, and yet… I mean, I declared her mine. To her. In a storage closet.

I like her drunk and mouthy. I like her sober and mouthy, too.

Evan huffs. “Don’t be inappropriate? Are you fucking kidding?” “Watch it.” Stone’s tone is lazy, but we all know better. “You fucked her so hard I heard her screaming your name, and then I find out the door is open. That’s inappropriate.”

“Why are you being so nice and protective? You’re on your best behavior, and I—” “You what?” Stone tilts his head. “You don’t like it?” I have butterflies. Like, full-on rapidly flying butterflies. “No. I do.” In fact, it has me thinking dangerous things—like how I don’t want to live without him. “I just…don’t understand.” Stone laughs. His head falls, and I can’t read him like usual. “Sticks, what don’t you understand?” “Wh—” “Baby, I’m fucking obsessed with you.” His deep voice is hot. “I can’t sleep if you’re not beside me. I can’t eat if you’re at work and I’m not sitting there in a booth, watching your hips sway with your tray. Even during my practices and games, if I don’t know where you are at all times, I fuck up and nearly fall on the ice.” My throat constricts. Stone’s honesty sucks up all the oxygen in our shared bedroom. “Tell me you feel the same.”

His touches are gentle, like he’s trying to memorize every last curve, and his intense gaze stays glued to me with every last thrust. It’s hotter than when he’s touching me like he wants to hate me. He’s touching me like he loves me, and I feel it digging into my bones. I’ll forever be branded by him.

I’d give him my entire soul in this moment if he asked me for it, and knowing Stone, he will eventually.

“Wren?” His brow furrows. “Out of all the times we’ve fucked, I didn’t think this one would hurt.” I swallow roughly. “I’m not hurt.” “Okay…” The bed dips, and he brings me close. Our naked bodies are wrapped around one another. “Then why are you crying?” A shaky breath clamors from my lips. “I’m not used to someone taking care of me.”

“I would kill anyone if they tried touching you, Wren. You have nothing to be afraid of.”

“I hate him. Why can’t he just fucking let me go?” “He won’t touch you.” “You don’t know him!” I shout. I meet Stone’s angry brow and steely jaw. “You have no fucking idea what he is capable of.” “No, baby,” Stone growls. “You have no idea what I’m capable of. Especially when it comes to you.”

“Who’s his lawyer?” I ask. “Some shady fucker?” I lean farther in and scan the page. And then I spot it. Evan inhales sharply a split second later. “What the fuck is your dad’s name doing on these records?” Evan asks in a low voice. Great question. “Beats me.”