Page 20 of Dark Thirst (The Scandalous Novellas)

I woke up this morning feeling both sore and refreshed. Michelle is in the bathroom taking another shower since the first one we took after our fun didn’t get her clean enough.

I lay in bed with a huge smile on my face, knowing I’ve made my little princess happy. Last night was incredible. Everything went perfectly to plan. It was exhilarating to hunt her down like a helpless little fox, but I also felt powerful knowing what my reward would be once I caught her.

I don’t want to leave and go back home today, but I know she has schoolwork to do, and I don’t want to keep her from her studies. Although, if she asked me to stay, I would say yes without a second thought. So, I’ll use the afternoon to edit our recording and upload it to my page.

Just as I’m about to get up and get dressed, Michelle walks out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel. Fuck me, this girl is so beautiful. With her wet brown hair hanging down past her shoulders and her cute little red glasses, she’s a perfect sight to see.

Her knees are red from last night’s adventure, and I almost feel sorry for a moment, but she loved it, and I enjoy seeing the marks I’ve left on her. It’s like a badge of honor and her reward for being such a good girl.

“Leaving me already?” She pouts with her full lips and places her hands on her hips.

“No, baby girl. I won’t leave until you tell me to.” My eyes roam her body in hopes the towel just falls right off and I can ravage her again.

She giggles, and as if she read my mind, she slowly loosens the towel and lets it fall to her feet.

“Good, because I don’t want you to leave yet. Not until you let me sit on your face.”

I lean back onto the bed and put my hands behind my head. “Come and sit on your throne, princess. You know you don’t need to ask. Plus, I prefer my breakfast in bed.” God, I love this woman, and I hope this morning never ends.

We check out of the motel by 11:00 a.m. and make our way to a diner for some breakfast. I brought the clothes she left at my apartment for her to wear today, since I figured her outfit from the night before wouldn’t be wearable anymore.

She looks hesitant as we enter the small local diner, and I understand why when I look around and notice the place is full of college-aged students. I guess she’s nervous about being spotted with me and having to explain who I am.

I place my hand on her lower back as we walk, and I lean down and whisper in her ear, “I’m just a friend, darling.

No need to worry.” She sighs and relaxes a bit as a server seats us in the place’s corner booth.

I take my seat facing the rest of the diner and watch as the other patrons eat, laugh, and talk to their friends.

Michelle is still nervous and sits up straight in the booth while eyeing the menu.

“Any suggestions?” I ask as I casually flip through the menu in front of me.

“It’s a diner, Sean. They offer the typical hangover cure food,” she murmurs, not making eye contact with me.

“What’s wrong?” I growl. “Worried one of your friends here will find out about us.” She finally looks up at me and narrows her eyes.

Ah, that got her attention. Good. I thought I had fucked that sassy attitude out of her last night, but I guess I was wrong. I lean over the table and take her hands into mine, looking into her big green eyes.

“As long as we’re together, you don’t have to worry about anything. Don’t be afraid of what you want.” She gives me a small smile and rubs her thumb across my fingers.

“Now, let’s get you fed before going back to campus.”

The server comes over to take our order, and we enjoy a nice breakfast filled with coffee, pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

My girl can eat and I love that. I can’t wait until she’s back home and I can cook for her every single day.

As we finish and get up to go pay at the counter, we pass by a table and someone calls out, “Michelle!”

I recognized one of them at the table from the party last night. Michelle freezes and looks over at them, faking a smile. “Hey, Travis!” She gives a small wave.

“Hey, where did you go last night? I saw you come in with your friend, but then you disappeared,” he says with a mouth full of pancakes.

“She got busy,” I growl as I walk up behind her, looking down at the group of jocks in front of me.

“I’ll see you in class next week,” she says with a cheerful voice to tone down my aggression towards them, and then heads towards the checkout counter.

She shoots me a look as I pay for our breakfast, and I shrug my shoulders.

I can’t help but feel protective of her.

I bet that asshole would've got her drunk and tried to fuck her if I hadn’t been there last night.

The ride back to campus is silent between us, only the sounds of the road and engine fill the void.

My hands grip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white.

I’m frustrated with the fact that she felt ashamed to be out in public with me and didn’t want to be seen by her friends.

Whatever, she’s mine, and there’s nothing that can keep her from me.

“Where should I drop you off?”

“The parking lot you watched me and Stephanie from is good,” she murmurs from the passenger seat while looking out the window.

I drive into the full parking lot and pull up to the curb right by the building her dorm room is in, shifting the car into park and looking over at her. She turns to grab her tattered dress from the back seat and I wrap my hand around her throat and bring my lips down onto hers.

I’m claiming what is mine, and I don’t care who sees us. My tongue parts her full lips and tastes her one last time before letting her go.

“Don’t forget we belong together,” I whisper against her lips as she slowly opens her eyes and looks deeply into mine.

“Let me know when you get home,” she says before turning to open the door and get out of the car. I watch as she disappears into the building. All my frustration melted away after I kissed her, and the only thing I feel is emptiness now that I’m not near her.

The drive home will be depressing, not knowing when I’ll see her next. I input my address into the GPS and start heading home. Not sure what I’m in the mood to listen to, I turn on a random gym playlist that I have and focus on the road.

Again, we didn’t discuss what we wanted out of this, even though I wanted to tell her she means more to me than I could ever explain.

I want to make her happy, but I don’t know if that is even possible given our actual family relationship.

She’s my step-cousin, and our family wouldn’t approve of us being together even if we aren’t blood related.

My mind is spinning knowing that if anyone were to find out about us, it would mean the end of whatever this is.

The only way I can think that we could live our lives without fear of being ostracized is to get away from Chicago.

We need to start fresh somewhere new, somewhere nobody knows us or our relationship.

Would she want to do that? Leave the city with me…

for me? She wanted to get an apartment in the city, so I don’t even know what she has planned for the future.

Her graduation is in a few weeks, and I don’t want to pressure her into anything at the moment.

Even if I want to be with her, I want her to make that decision on her own.

Just as I’m lost in my own thoughts, my phone rings, pausing the music on the speakers, and without even looking at who it is, I answer.

“Where the fuck are you?!” I hear a familiar voice vibrating through the car. Anna.

I shake my head clear and sit up straighter in my seat. “Anna? What do you want?”

“Where are you?” she demands.

“I’m out. Why are you calling?” I answer back, confused and pissed.

“I saw part of that recording you uploaded this week, I know who that girl is! Do you think I’m fucking stupid and wouldn’t notice?!” she shrills through the phone.

“What are you talking about?” I spit out. My heart is pounding in my chest and it feels like there’s a rock in my stomach.

“The girl, Sean! That’s your cousin, isn’t it?” The silence is deafening. “I knew I recognized her stupid glasses from the video you posted! You’re fucking sick, you know that! I’m at your apartment. Where are you?”

“I’m on my way home. I don’t know what you're talking about. She’s a girl I met online recently. Her name is Evie,” I lie, trying to keep my voice calm and even.

“Liar. You’re a fucking liar, and if you don’t get here soon, I’ll go to your dad and tell him everything,” she sneers, and hangs up before giving me a chance to respond.

Fucking bitch! I’m still over an hour away, but the roads are clear. I push harder on the gas pedal and the engine roars as I rush back home to confront her.

Making it back an hour later, I spot her blue car in the lot and pull in right beside her.

I look over and she has a grin on her face like she’s a spider that has me caught in her web.

My chest heaves deeply as I get out of the car, slam my door shut, and walk over to her just as she’s getting out of her car.

I immediately grab her shirt and pin her against the car.

I tower over her and bring my face close to hers.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I growl. Her eyes grow wide with fear. I’ve never been aggressive with her. Even when I found out she was cheating, I let her go. There was no point in fighting for her if she didn’t want to be with me in the first place.

“I-I want you back, Sean. And seeing you with her is sickening,” she grits out.

“I. Don’t. Want. You!” I scream in her face as she closes her eyes and recoils at my words.

“How many times do I have to say that?! Stay out of my life and my business. You do not know what you’re talking about!” I turn to walk away, but hear her footsteps behind me.

“I know who she is, and I have proof.” I stop dead in my tracks and turn around.

She’s waving her phone in my face with a picture of Michelle and me at the train station last weekend.

She snapped pictures of us kissing before Michelle got out of my car.

I fucking knew I felt like someone was watching us, but I dismissed my gut feeling.

Snatching the phone away from her, I try to delete the picture, but she wrestles the phone out of my hands.

Someone from my building is walking out to their car and spots us struggling.

They don’t say anything, but eye us warily, so I grab Anna by the arm and drag her into the building and into my apartment.

Once we’re inside, I try to calm myself down and gather my thoughts. My mind is racing, and the only thing I want is to keep Michelle safe and out of this. “What do you want, Anna? I thought when we ended things, you would be out of my life.”

“Well, if you remember correctly. I didn’t want to end things between us,” she says as she looks around my apartment. There’s nothing left of Michelle’s here, so there’s nothing for her to find.

“If you remember correctly, you were the one who cheated. Why would I stay with a cheater?” I calmly respond. My mind tells me to stay calm and collected or she’ll use that opportunity to twist things in her favor.

“Baby! I didn’t cheat! I was just making content with someone else. I didn’t have feelings for him, not like I have for you,” she whines, trying to wrap her arms around my shoulders, but I take a step back. The thought of her touching me makes me sick.

She groans and throws her head back. “What is wrong with you? You’ll never be happy with anyone else! No one knows you like I do, and I bet you don’t even make that much making content alone!”

“I do just fine on my own. My solo work is popular, and my following is growing. I don’t need or want you.

” My breathing quickens as she approaches again, but this time she puts her hands on my chest and bites her bottom lip.

She used to do this when she wanted to have sex with me, but I won’t touch her in that way ever again.

I need to get in control of this situation and make her leave, not wanting to do any harm to Michelle.

“What do I need to do to get you to erase that photo?” I say between clenched teeth. Her hands on my chest are like weights pressing down and suffocating me. I used to love her touching me, but now, I want nothing more than for her to be gone and to go shower.

“Mmm, you know what I want,” she whispers as she stands on her toes and pulls me in for a kiss. I don’t kiss her back and my lips are on fire, but pulling back would only make her angry, so I just stand still, like a statue.

“Get back together with me, or I’ll tell your dad everything,” she whispers against my lips. Her blue eyes are hollow, and I know if I don’t play into her game she’ll do exactly as she said.

“I’ll think about it. Until then, this stays between us. Or I’ll make you regret it. Deal?” I say back.

She smiles and says sweetly, “Ok, baby. I just know you’ll say yes. You always do.” Her hand travels down my chest and stomach and lands on my soft cock. Giving it a quick squeeze, she giggles, turns around, and leaves the apartment.

I’m stunned and the only sound in my ears is the rapid beating of my heart. My head feels like it’s underwater, and I want to be sick. I have no choice but to end things with Michelle in order to protect her.