Page 107 of The Darkest Note

I’m already too far gone to stop this. I slipped off the edge of the cliff long ago. Now, I can only fall, waiting for the inevitable, painful crash to the bottom.

Only it’s not painful. The fingers that land on me leave prickles of pleasure everywhere they touch. His caress is hot and patient as he palms my inner thighs.

My heart is hammering against my ribs. I push my legs further apart. I’ve never slept with anyone before. Never went past second base. But if Dutch stops touching me, I think I might die.

“Dutch,” I moan.

His eyes suddenly burst open and he looks down at my face as if searching for something. When he doesn’t find it, the beast that never strays too far rises from the depths, right before my eyes. His icy expression returns and he pulls his hands back just as they were about to…

“Damn.” He curses. “I’ve had enough of you in my head.” He backs away from me, his shoulders tense. “I’ve had enough of you in my school. I’ve had enough of you at Redwood, Brahms.”

I quickly close my legs, ashamed at the need that’s burning in me even now, beneath his fiery disdain. Beating out those flames with a quick stomp, I jump off the dresser and glare at him.

“Bastard.” I adjust the straps of my dress and stalk across the room. Humiliated tears are burning in my eyes and I don’t want him to see.

“Stop.”

I don’t want to, but my legs freeze on command.

Dutch stomps in front of me. His eyes are still dark with desire and one look at his pants tells me fighting is the last thing he wants to do right now.

I don’t know if I’m glad he stopped us or if I should have barreled on and got it out of the way. I only know he drives me crazy and I want him out of my head just as much as he wants me out of his.

Dutch whips a check from his back pocket. It’s got a crazy number of zeroes on it and my eyes bug.

“What the hell is this?”

“It’s yours,” he says darkly. “Not only that. I talked to a friend of my dad’s. Once you leave Redwood, you can enroll at a new school.”

“Is this what I think it is?” I scoff. “Are you trying to pay me off, right now?”

Dutch scowls at a point just above my head. “I know your situation, Cadey. I talked to your sister—”

I grit my teeth. “You talked to my sister?”

A dangerous feeling builds in the middle of my chest—warning me that I’m on the verge of committing murder.

“You need this money. I know you do. Your pride isn’t worth proving a point to me.” He lets out a breath, his chiseled jaw clenching and unclenching.

“I hate you.”

His eyes burn. “Is that why you were whimpering my name three seconds ago?”

A crazed laugh pours past my lips as it all starts to kick into place. “So that was the plan, right? Lure me up here to take my dress off for you? Have some fun with me before you pay me off?”

He turns around and gives me his back. “Everyone has a price. People like youalwayshave a price.”

His words set off my anger.

“Because I’mpoor, you think I’m desperate enough to let you screw me and then accept your money?” I arch both eyebrows. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Cadey.”

“Don’t freaking call meCadey!”

“I don’t know what kind of fantasy you’ve built in your head about me, but I’m not some freaking Prince Charming.”

“No, you’re the villain.”