Insatiable (The Edge of Darkness, #1)

by Leigh Rivers

She points at the paperwork, teeth bared. “You weren’t trained like this. You had no reason to break into his house and hold him at gunpoint, and you certainly had no reason to beat him until he was nearly unrecognisable. This could have easily been an attempted murder case. What if one of my colleagues got the report instead of me?” I shrug.

That pisses her off enough to grit out, “Why. Did. You. Do. It?” I lean back in the chair, resting my ankle on my knee. “I had my reasons.” She raises a perfectly plucked brow. “Care to explain them?” “Nope.” I’m unhinged – that’s the only explanation. “It’s none of your business.” She snarls, leaning forward. “Careful, Kade. I can easily hand over your file and have you locked up for the rest of your life. They’ll stick you in a facility like your father.”

“However, you are going away for a while, and as much as you’ll be doing work for me in America, I’ll miss you dearly.” She walks around the desk; pulls herself onto it in front of me. “Archie will be home in an hour. Will we wait for him to join us, or will I show you our new pet now?” My eye twitches. “New pet?” I don’t like the sound of that. “Meaning?”

Bernadette grins, kicking off her heels and settling her feet right between my legs. Her dress rides up her thighs, showing me that she’s bare beneath. No underwear. No boundaries. No fucking shame. I fight a grimace and look away.

“You’ll like her.” She hops off the desk. “Follow me.” On the third floor, she chuckles and turns to me. “Remember when we had Rachel join us? Well, she’s even prettier. And more adventurous.” I might just shoot myself in the head right now. The gun is burning into my back, begging to be used. But if I kill her or myself, my ent...

If I refuse to do certain work, Luciella gets threatened. If I refuse to fuck someone, then Dad doesn’t see my mother for weeks. No one in my family knows the reasons behind their bad luck. I’m apparen...

One day, I’ll get away from her; I’ll escape this life.

When she opens the door to reveal a blonde fingering herself on a four-poster bed, moaning and writhing on the velvet sheets, Bernadette tells me to unzip her dress, and I pray this will be a quick night. But then she pushes the needle into my neck and any chance of that goes out the fucking window.

Three tents are pitched. One for me and my friends. One for Luciella and hers. And far away from the group of eighteen-year-olds – bar Base and Dez being twenty – are Mum and Ewan. She is here. Not that I’d ever have the balls to talk to her nicely.

I train my eyes on a certain dark-haired specimen while my friend talks about his weekend in Moscow. Stacey laughs at something Tylar said. She’s not even funny. “Fuck being in a relationship,” Base says as he looks at people kissing. “It’s hard to find loyalty.” I snort, looking away when her eyes find mine. “You have the biggest choice out of us all since you fuck both men and women.”

He passes me the joint, blowing out smoke. “There’s a difference. I’m sexually attracted to both, but emotionally and romantically, I could only ever date a woman. Does that make sense?” “It does.” Base took ages to come out and say he was bisexual, worried we’d view him differently, but we all got drunk and celebrated instead.

“It doesn’t mean I have a bigger choice. Like, no offence, mate, but I wouldn’t go near you. You’re too tall and I reckon you’d be dominant. I’d fuck Dez though, but don...

“What about you?” Base eventually asks. I frown, opening another beer. “Me?” He nods. “I’ve never seen you with anyone. Me and Dez spoke about it a few times. We reckon you’re a virgin.” He winces. “That sounded bad. I don’t mean it that way. You just don’t spare anyone a glance.” I go silent, wondering if I should stand up and walk away before I punch him or admit that I’ve never been attracted to anyone, or had the urge to kiss or fuck or anything like they do. I’ve never had a one-night stand like they all have. I used to be embarrassed about it, but I guess I don’t really give a fuck anymore.

It’s not like I’m completely devoid of sexual arousal – my hand does a good-enough job without emotions or the feeling of someone else doing it. No – one person is on my mind. She’s my sister’s best friend and she hates me.

I’ve figured out a lot about her by watching what she does. She’s not very sociable, doesn’t talk that much. She’s a fantastic dancer. I may have walked in on her stretching at the studio once, and the image of her bending over has imprinted on my mind. She has a few tattoos. Nothing drastic. She suits them.

When they all decide to play a game of dares, I huff and contemplate going to the tent to sleep. I lean my elbows on my knees. “I’m not playing dares when my fucking sister is here.” Dez speaks next. “Right. Why don’t we have a rule that you need to go into one of the tents to complete the dare in two minutes? That way it’s more private.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but I last a lot longer than two minutes,” Base says, smirking as he drinks his beer. “But I can make an exception if it’s a certain blonde.” “Shut up, Sebastian,” Luciella retorts.

“I dare Luciella to kiss me,” Base says, and I drop my head at his desperation. “Let’s go, princess. I hope you’re ready for two minutes in heaven.” “What happens if I say no?” she asks, crossing her arms. “I can’t kiss him!” My sister looks at me. “Tell them I can’t!” I shrug. “Do what you want.” She levels me with a deadly look of betrayal before her nostrils flare.

She gets to her feet and follows Base into the tent. He zips it up, and someone starts the timer.

To pass time, I sit on my phone, scrolling through social media. I click on a certain profile. I want to follow her, but she’d probably block me. I click on her tagged photos, angling my screen so no one can see. Hanging upside down on an aerial hoop, Stacey wears a...

Base gives us the thumbs up, and Luciella looks like she wants to kill someone. Dez and Tylar are dared next, then three others. The dares get a little more intimate, and the ti...

“Kade,” Tylar says, grinning. My soul leaves my body with the look she gives me. “I dare you to make out with Stacey.” I nearly drop my phone. “What?” Luciella sounds disgusted. “Are you joking right now?” “You just kissed Base,” Tylar says with a wave of her hand. She tilts her head at Stacey. “Go on then.” “I’m going to bed,” my sister says with a grimace.

Breathing heavily through my nose, I glance at Stacey getting to her feet. Oh shit. This is happening. Nope. I can’t fucking kiss her. I know I’m turning the brightest shade of red, hands shaking. I watch the girl I’ve obsessed over since I was fifteen strut towards the tent with no care in the world, her hips swaying, hair falling down her back – frozen until Base taps me. It’s only a kiss. I’m fucking old enough to handle a kiss.

I’ll know what to do. I’m not going to make a cunt of myself by messing up. She’s probably kissed loads of people, and this is nothing. I think I’m going to pass out.

I follow, thankful for the music playing – it drowns out the thoughts going wild in my head. Stacey goes in first, and I zip the tent up again once I’m inside. Without hesitation, Stacey sits, facing me. “We can pretend if you want. I know you’d rather be doing this wi...

The view I have is delightful as her dress rides up her thighs, but before I can pitch in my shorts, I drop down to my haunches, mirroring her. “If you’re scared, you can admit it.” I don’t know how I manage to say that without throwing up. “Do you want to pretend?” She clears her throat, fidgeting h...

“Is it a full kiss?” “Tylar said ‘make out with Stacey’.” I want to move the strand of hair from her face, but I fist my hands instead. “Don’t laugh,” she says, chewing on her lip, “but I haven’t done this before.” I inwardly sigh in relief, inching my body forward until our knees touch. “Neither have I.” Stacey’s gaze widens, but I continue before she can talk. “Just close your eyes.” “Don’t lie to make me feel better. We all know about your reputation.”

I narrow my eyes. “Meaning?” She raises a shoulder. “You know what I mean.” Then she shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter.” “Any reputation I have like that is a lie,” I say, turning the setting of the torch to a soft glow. “A lot of people talk shit about me to get themselves seen or to get a story. I’m in the same boat as you here. Okay?”

“Close your eyes and stop being nervous,” I say as my entire body fights a tremble. Her eyelids close, dark lashes, thick and long, settling under her eyes on the soft skin. “Don’t laugh if I do it wrong.”

For a second, I look at her, as if I haven’t a million times already, allowing myself to study each freckle close up, her perfect cheekbones, the way her dark hair curls around her face and cascades around her. She licks her lips, and my eyes are drawn to the act. They’re naturally plump, a deep shade of pink, and she always bites the bottom one.

My breaths are heavy through my nostrils as I lean forward, closing my own eyes. Heart racing to a dangerous rate, my nose glides against the side of hers ...

There’s a pain building in my chest. Panic slams into me, and I ease back an inch, about to tell her we’ll just pretend to everyone. But Stacey pushes forward and presses her lips to mine, and the world stands still, time halting. “Broken” by Lovelytheband fades, and so do the giggles and chatter of the group nearby, until it’s just me and Stacey.

Her palms slide up my chest to rest on my shoulders, and I bristle from the touch, unsure how I feel about it. She notices the way I freeze mid-kiss and removes her hands. “Sorry if I…” I grab her before she can shy away, pull her back to me and reciprocate the kiss. It’s firm yet gentle, and as I go in for a second, more relaxed kiss, her tight grip returns on my shoulders. I’ve wanted to do this since I was fifteen but never had the balls to approach her.

We tilt our heads in sync, and the kiss deepens to a point that I suddenly need to part my lips and taste her tongue, to touch her with my hands, to discover how delicate her face feels under my palms, but I don’t want to scare her off. Instead, I kiss her bottom lip, then the top, sucking lightly each time. She bunches the material of my top into her fists.

I don’t like touch. It makes me feel uneasy, but my hand has a mind of its own as I feel the sharpness of her jawline, gliding my fingers up until they’re brushing into her thick hair. Stacey shivers in my hold, and I want her to do it again, to show that she can react to me. It’s addictive.

She drags my bottom lip between her teeth, sending blood to my cock. My thumb strokes the soft skin under her eye, and just as both of our lips part, and I feel the heat from our mouths and...

Neither of us stop. Stacey moves her hands to both sides of my face and kisses me harder, coming closer until my fingers curl at her nape. A tingling sensation shoots to my chest and triggers something animalistic in me. She whimpers as I possessively snake my arm around the small of her back and pull her to me....

She’s so warm and comfortable. No bad thoughts are running rampant in my mind, telling me to get away from her. Everything is calm. Everything is quiet. Everything is okay. The tip of my tongue darts against hers, and I groan accidentally, yanking her eve...

She tastes just as I expected. Sweet and fruity, with a hint of mint to cover the smoke she has now and again. Stacey Rhode...

I eliminate any space between us until she’s sitting on me, causing heat to build at the base of my spine. Harder than a rock, I try to keep her at a safe distance, so I don’t freak her out. Her fingers bury into my hair, tugging it as her tongue moves against mine. She’s devouring me, and I’m letting her. Hungrily, we swallow each sigh we drop, and I’m getting fucking harder. Especially when she brackets her hips at my waist. I can feel her smile agai...

From what I can see, her pupils are dilated, her cheeks flushed, and her chest is rising and falling uncontrollably. I want to kiss her again, but as she gets to her feet and hurries out without giving me any words, the bubble bursts, and the moment is gone.

My phone rings again, my sister’s name flashing up on the screen. Shit.

I untangle myself from two sets of arms and legs, naked and slick with sweat and God knows what else. Bernadette groans, but instead of waking and yelling at me to go back to sleep, she reaches for… whatever her name is and cuddles into her tits like they’re cushions. Messages fill my screen, from Luciella and my mum. I have fifteen missed calls.

Luciella: Where the fuck are you? We leave for the airport in an hour! Luciella: Base is here, and he said he hasn’t heard from you. If you don’t get home soon, I will leave without you! Luciella: Answer the phone, you dickhead! Mum: Your dad is happy you’re joining us; he hasn’t stopped smiling. This means a lot to him, sweetheart. I’m glad you’re putting aside everything that’s happened and coming to visit. I’ll see you soon. Not going to lie, the last one hurt.

Our last encounter ended with me flipping a table and storming out of the meeting area after him bringing up Stacey and our split.

Base: Get out of whoever’s bed you’re in and move your fucking ass before I track you down. I need to go pick up Stacey (high-five me if I get a kiss) but am I fuck going to America without you. I scowl at the message. I read it again and again and again. Why the hell is he picking her up? His bracketed text fucks me off more than I’d like to admit. Stacey won’t kiss him for picking her up. Perhaps he noticed how I go silent and stare at her whenever she’s around, and he’s trying to piss me off?

Me: I’m heading home now. I’ll get Stacey on the way. I fume at myself but don’t take the words back. She lives on the opposite side of town from Bernadette. But as I said, I’m an impulsive, controlling prick and I refuse to let him go anywhere near her if I can help it. It’s a lie, I’d said while her hand was wrapped around my cock, and that alone was the biggest fucking lie. I wish I could erase her from my life.

Even when I’m working in different countries, I’m checking her social media like a stalker, logging into the CCTV to watch her walk into the studio or around the manor, or asking Luciella about their weekend plans just to know what they’re getting up to. I even hacked my sister’s phone to read their messages once, and it was the biggest regret of my life. Two years of obsessing over a girl who drove me to insanity.

Once I take a piss, noticing the scratches on my cheek and the multiple bite marks on my neck and chest, I soak my face in cold water and debate shooting Bernadette while she’s asleep. Maybe I’ll suffocate her with a pillow and make it look like the other girl did it. Too risky. As much as I’d love to end her, I can’t. I have too much emotional baggage to risk it. Maybe I should take a leaf out of my dad’s book and not give a fuck about anyone.

Archie greets me halfway down the steps. “Morning,” he says, holding a coffee in one hand, a bowl filled with boiled eggs in the other. “She didn’t keep you up all night, did she?” I scoff out a laugh and ignore him. This man is deranged. A political leader who works with numerous charities for animals, schools and victims of all kinds of abuse, yet the sick fuck was perfectly fine with having a forced threesome with teenage me then abusing me after I passed out. He was fine with feeding me drugs and booze while I begged to leave the house.