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That was my first kiss. He claimed my mouth like I’m no better than an object he’s writing his name on. The problem is—I’m not a puppet who will dance when he jerks my strings. I’m not soft—my childhood has seen to that. I will not bend to him. And I will certainly not break.
Look at me, I want to yell. And if she still didn’t, I’d go up and wrap my hands around her pretty throat until she had no choice.
But her squirming is only igniting a new sensation inside me. One that’s been dormant for too long. Don’t get me wrong—I’ve fucked around. But this is different… this is electricity.
“Where do you want to go?” “Back to school.” I motion toward the doors we just exited. “You’re a shit liar, baby. We’re missing out on the last twenty minutes of the day, not skipping the whole thing. Don’t blow it.” His gaze turns contemplative. “Or do. After all, it’ll just make things more… interesting.”
“One day I’m going to fuck you on this counter.” His voice is low.
“Well,” I say softly, “I’m sorry to disappoint—” His laugh kills the words on my lips. When he faces me, I get a better look at his chest. It’s all muscle, which is so unfair. His abdomen flexes, and he eyes me with renewed interest. “Disappoint?” he echoes. “I think I’ve been waiting my whole life to ravage your mouth like that. How am I supposed to let you go now?” Well… that’s not good.
“Spit it out, why don’t you.” He groans. “Don’t punch me for this shit, okay? But what’s your issue?” “With Margo?” He throws up his hands. “You’re on a first-name basis with her? That’s fucked up, man. You won’t even tell us why you hate her so much.” Irrational possessiveness overtakes me. The fact that he wants to know about Margo? Bad. He shouldn’t even be looking at her, much less saying her name. Wait. He didn’t say her name. But he implied it.
“You and Liam haven’t fought in a while,” Eli comments. “Yeah, well.” “This about Margo?” My shoulders stiffen. I’m too tired to fight—Coach ensured that—but it doesn’t mean I’d just roll over and let him say her name. Jesus. “Okay, okay.” Eli holds up his hands. “I see why you punched Liam.”
“He’s my boyfriend,” Amelie calls after me. “You need to leave him alone.” I dig my heels in, stopping my friend, and face her. “He treats you like garbage. Maybe you should dump him.” “Maybe it’s more complicated than that.” Her eyes flash. I shrug. “I’m not in charge of him, Amelie. And you’re not in charge of me.” The laugh that bursts out of her is cold. “No? Try me, Wolfe. We’ll see how far you get.” The threat rolls right off my shoulders. Who am I? A month ago, I would’ve absolutely backed off… but if Caleb isn’t, then I’m not. If my head was screwed on straight, I’d be shoving Caleb
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I love hockey. But I’d give anything to be next to Margo, experiencing the game for the first time.
She doesn’t stop me or pepper me with questions. Her gaze is heavy-lidded, and she glances at me questioningly when I pull to the curb. It’s a will I see you later? look. Yes, baby. You absolutely will.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I grab his wrist, stopping his hand from moving farther south. “I would, actually.” His gaze crashes into mine. “Currently? None.”
“Quiet, baby. It’s just you, okay?” I press my lips together.
“What was that for?” I yank my arm out of her manicured hands. “What are you doing?” She glares daggers at me. “Me? I’m just standing with Theo and your boyfriend goes nuts.” This is what you wanted, I remind myself. “Maybe you should’ve dragged him out here to ask him why he’s so bothered—” “Oh, drop the act, Margo.” She looks away. “We all know that he only sees you.”
“What the fuck, Margo?” I stare at him. “What the fuck? Like I’m supposed to just sit on the sidelines and watch you date my ex-friend? Talk about hypocrisy! Let me live my life if you won’t make room in yours for me.” “You can’t live with Theo.” He paces in front of me. His hands rake through his hair, tugging at the strands. “I can’t do this. I can’t—” “Oh, fuck you, Caleb.” Can’t do it. He’s getting on my ever-loving last nerve. I kick at the ground, gravel scattering ahead of me. “Can’t do what?” He stalks toward me. “How did you crawl under my skin so easily?”
“I’ll swear to God, Margo, I have the urge to kill whoever touches you. I don’t give a flying fuck if they’re a friend, because all that matters is how I can possess you. My touch. My words. You’re mine.”
And Caleb? Theo? They’ve all been acting like nothing is wrong. Theo sends an occasional wink my way, and Caleb snarls at him under his breath. He’s worse than a feral dog.
There are smudges of blood on the white door, at my chest level. Scratches, too. I point at it. “What the hell happened?” He watches me like I’m crazy. “You did that.” I shake my head and sink down onto the bed. It’s either sit voluntarily or collapse—and then my visit would be cut short. “That’s wrong,” I whisper.
“One more thing.” Caleb whistles, clear and sharp. It takes me a moment longer to spot Theo and Liam, who detach themselves from a group and come down to the ground. “Yo.” Liam grins at us. “You two a thing now?” “Yes,” Caleb clips out. I stare at him, leaning away. “What?” “I don’t really care to hear your protests right now. And that means one thing.” He points at Theo. “You. Don’t you fucking touch her.” Theo salutes Caleb. “Yes, sir.”
Bonner shrugs. His gaze sweeps up and down my body. “I don’t think we’ve met. Matt Bonner.” “Margo Wolfe,” Caleb drawls. “And don’t fucking look at her like that.”
He smirks. “You’re admitting to an us, then?” I shift. “Seems inevitable.” “We are.” He grabs my hand and brings it to his mouth. He kisses my knuckles, then sets it back on my lap. But he doesn’t let go. Butterflies erupt in my belly. It’s easy to let Caleb hold my hand and pretend we’re two nice people who happen to be dating. We are the furthest thing from nice. “Relax,” he murmurs. “This is very public. And you just dumped your girlfriend. Loudly.” He raises one shoulder, his eyes on the game. “You told me to.”
His lips move down, off my neck. He draws one of my nipples into his mouth, teeth grazing it. Stars burst in front of my eyelids. I wind my fingers through his hair, holding him to me as every muscle tenses. The pain feels good. He could do this to me for an eternity, and I don’t think I’d ever get sick of his touch. He was made for me. Pain and pleasure. Isn’t that always how he does it?
I gasp into his mouth, and he only pauses for a fraction of a second. Surely, he felt that. The deep pressure, a ripping away of innocence. “You’ve always been mine,” he says against my lips. “This just fucking confirms it.”
He touches my cheek, and his finger swipes under my eye. “You’re beautiful.” I slip off the counter. My muscles quake. “I need a minute,” I say in a low voice. He inclines his head, and I slink away to the bathroom. It takes longer than I would expect to put my pieces back together. My resolve goes here, my dignity goes there. Inch by inch, I rebuild who I was. Who knew sex would destroy me?
I stare at the kitchen island. “I’m going to fuck you on that counter,” he had promised. “You’re going to enjoy it, even knowing what happened here. Because all you’ll be able to think about is my dick in your pussy, spreading you wide. Hitting every. Fucking. Nerve.” Horror washes through me. He spoke the truth. I forgot. I let myself fall into his madness, and now… “Caleb,” I choke out, grabbing his sweatshirt and hugging it to my chest. “How—” “How could I?” His eyes are dark. Glittering. He leans down until we’re face to face. “It’s like you don’t know me at all.” Tears build up and spill
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“Let’s go.” He puts his hand between my shoulder blades and guides me out. “You got what you wanted,” I say once we’re in the car. There’s a chill in the air, and my nipples pebble. I want to dive out of the car and walk home rather than let him see. “Yeah, well, it’s not all sunshine and fucking roses up here.” He taps his temple.
I go to my window in time to watch Caleb’s car pull back out into traffic, slipping away like he was never there. The haunted feeling I got when I walked into his house is still surrounding me, thicker than smog. He wanted to banish a few ghosts. I guess that includes me.
We walk out, and I grind to a halt when I register who’s waiting for us. Caleb. “Skipping class, baby?” He pouts. “Without me?” Riley edges around us, shooting me an apologetic look. “Talk to you later.” Leaving me alone with the devil. “I had somewhere to be.” I dig my pass out of my pocket. “It’s fine anyway.”
“Are you still getting picked on?” “Are you asking because you’re concerned?” I scoff. “Yes, I’m still getting picked on. It’s every day.” He slides his hand through my hair. “I’ve decided that the only person who can be cruel to you is me.” “Lovely.” How can he be so callous and turn me on at the same time? My body reacts to him like a tightly wound wire. One touch and I come alive.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he murmurs. “Wear something sexy under your clothes.” “What’s tonight?” I follow him up the stairs. “Caleb.” He winks. “You don’t want to tell me where you went? Two can play that game, love.”
“You also kept my torn panties. You like to keep trophies of your conquests?” He chuckles. “No. But I do like help remembering your scent when I’m jacking off at night. And no offense, Wolfe, but bras don’t really do the trick in that department.” I gape at him, my face getting hot. “You’re not—” “Serious?” He smirks. “Deadly.”
“Here’s what’s going to happen.” I thumb through the cash that I brought and make a show of dropping the bills onto her chest. “You’re going to go anywhere but here. Upstate. Down south. West, even. You could be a happy homeless slut in the eternal sunshine. Who the fuck cares? But if I hear that you step back in Rose Hill, you’re done. I’ll kill you myself.” She shudders. I promised Margo I would kill anyone who hurt her. The biggest threat is her mother. “Leave tonight, Amber.”
“Distract him!” I grab the canvas. “I need to hide this!” He chuckles as I dash around, but he keeps Caleb engaged in conversation just inside the door long enough for me to put it away. Caleb walks into the dining room to me drying my brushes. “Hey, baby. Were you working on our project?” I grin. “Yep.” He makes a show of looking around the room. “Where is it?” “Hiding from your nosiness.” I brush my hair off my face and sigh. “What’s up?” “Didn’t you say you were ungrounded today?” “Did I say that?” He lifts one shoulder, smirking at me. “Not sure where else I could’ve heard it.”
“We can find complementary masks,” he says. “Something fit for a king and queen.” He can’t be serious. “We aren’t royalty,” I sputter. “This isn’t—” “You know as well as I do that hockey is king. And I’m the fucking king of hockey.”
His words from my first day of school come back to me. Margo Wolfe. Haven’t you heard? I’m king now. What does that make me? Queen—or joker?
There are still bite marks under my shirt, speckled along my breasts. There were a few that ventured too high up my neck that required concealer. He tugs the collar down, eyes heating. “You covered them up.” He wets his thumb in his mouth and rubs at my skin. His touch is delicious and dangerous, and I find myself enraptured by his expression. “There.” He releases me. “Now the world will know you’re mine. Don’t hide it.” We’d managed the day without him going all dark on me. And here we are…
“You’re the key to getting back at Caleb,” Ian muses. “I think he may even love you.” It’s hard to breathe. Swallow. Panic claws at me. Caleb Asher does not love me. “It’s a game to him,” I wheeze.
“Who did this to you, baby?” His tone promises violence, and my heart sings with the need for vengeance. No matter what I’ve done, I didn’t deserve this. I try to inch closer to him. My face in his neck, my arms locked around his shoulders. He walks carefully, mindful that every step jostles me. “Ian,” I whisper in his ear. His exhale is loud and sharp. “I’m going to kill him.” He presses a kiss to my temple. “He’ll pay for this, baby.”
“Sleep,” he says. If I close my eyes, I might see him. Caleb exhales and tucks me into his side. I cling to him and force my eyes shut. “I’ve got you,” he whispers into my hair. I relax. And eventually, I sleep.
Today, there are new bruises. My stomach looks terrible—worse than yesterday, even—and my neck… there’s no hiding the handprints. Caleb got the marker off my arm, but the bite is going to stay for a while. I showered this morning, moving slowly. I almost vomited at the thought of reaching up to wash my hair. But then Caleb came in, eyed me, and took over.
“Thank you,” I mumble. “For what?” “Chasing away my nightmares.” He leans forward and kisses my forehead. “Anytime. Sleep now, love.”
I smooth back her hair and smile as she exhales. “I’ll keep you safe,” I tell her. I don’t know if I’m telling the truth or not.
I kiss the top of her head. It’s sappy. I feel impossibly guilty, even as my abs tighten and my dick hardens in my pants. Margo and I aren’t destined for a happy ending, even if we both want to pretend otherwise. Our destiny is to crash and burn.
“I… I made this,” I whisper. “A version of it anyway.” “You did.” He lifts the bracelet. It’s been lengthened by chain. Altered. There’s no way it’ll fall off now, not unless the metal clasp breaks. “Do you remember when?” “I made two.” It is a memory. One I’ve dreamed about recently. Still, it seems to be coming at me from a long way off. We’re married until these fall off. He shows me his wrist. There’s the other one, also fortified with metal. Half gold and half blue. I remember—I remember making those. Presenting them.
“I remember.” His eyes are dark. “Do you?” God, I used to hate him. And now—I’m pretty sure I just fell in love with him. Again. I nod. There’s a lump in my throat I can’t swallow around. “You fixed them?” My voice trembles.
He meets my gaze. “I didn’t want them to fall off.” There goes my heart. “Let’s have fun, yeah?” I exhale. “And then sneak away early?” His eyes dance. “If you’re persuasive enough.” “Oh, I see how it is.”
