Page 19

Nineteen

Hailey

My buzzed brain still hadn’t grasped what had just happened. Colt was here. Colt was here , and he looked like he was about to — and more than willing to — rip that piece of shit to shreds, even if said piece of shit had wisely bolted.

Towering over me, my fake boyfriend was vibrating with rage. Fuck me, he’d never looked sexier. Veins popped out on his forearms as his hands kept clenching and unclenching, his impossibly broad shoulders rose and fell with heavy breaths under his oversized shirt, and … oh my God, he was wearing his cap backward. Was he trying to kill me?

I ogled him shamelessly, soaking up the glorious display of porn that was tailor-made for me.

He grabbed my wrist, his calloused hands rough against my skin, and pulled me to my feet and back into the house. After the relative silence of the yard, where not much could be heard except for the muffled music coming from the house, it was like walking straight into a humid wall of noise.

Although my senses should have been assaulted by all the stimuli — booming bass, shouted conversations and the stench of cheap beer and sweat — they were consumed by the massive man dragging me through the house.

Luckily, when we passed Ella in the kitchen, he stopped long enough for me to let her know we were leaving. Her response was, and I quote, “Let him Slytherin your Hufflepuff,” but Colt pulled me away before I could even think of a retort. We left the house and weaved our way through the lines of cars until we reached his truck.

“Colt, where—”

“Anywhere else. Before I go back in there and shove that motherfucker’s stupid loafer up his ass.”

I chuckled even though I knew he was dead serious.

He glanced over his shoulder, the sheer rage still burning like an icy fire in those blue depths.

“Something funny about some random piece of shit thinking he could just touch what’s mine?”

I swallowed hard, his eyes locked on the movement of my throat. His big hand shot out and closed around my neck, his fingers applying light pressure as he pushed me up against his truck. A haze of pleasure clouded my mind, and an incredible feeling of euphoria and arousal filled me. I looked up at him through hooded eyes, breathing shallowly as a rush of heat swept through my body, making my pussy throb.

A look of unmistakable delight crossed his face.

“Look at you, baby girl. So pretty and all flushed with your new necklace. Shall we find out how much you like it?”

Colt released my neck, and I whimpered in protest. He yanked open the passenger door, wrapped his giant hands around my waist, and lifted me onto the seat. I looked at him wide-eyed. This wasn’t the Colt I knew. This was the flash of darkness I’d seen in his eyes all those years ago, and I was determined to lure it out.

His rough, thick fingers slipped under the hem of my skirt, eliciting a gasp from me, then traced along the edges of my thong with feathery-light touches.

When he withdrew, I shot him a look underneath furrowed brows. I wanted his touch, craved it — where the hell did he think he was going?

“Pull up your skirt and lose the thong. Show me what’s mine.”

For a split second, I froze. I had no idea where that part of him had been hiding for so long, all I knew was I was absolutely feral for him.

Hastily, with slightly trembling fingers, I followed his command. With his hands braced on the roof of the truck, he stared down at me. The balmy night air hit my damp center as I peeled off my panties.

At any moment, someone could walk by and find us in this compromising position. I was exposed, with only Colt standing between potential prying eyes and me, and it was exhilarating.

He held out his hand until I dropped the soaked piece of lace into his palm. He brought the wet fabric to his nose, closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, then groaned.

If I hadn’t already been dripping, that would have done it. My pussy clenched, and I clawed at the seat beneath me, already desperate for him.

“Spread your legs for me. Show me that pretty cunt.”

I obeyed, exposing myself, and waited for him to do something, anything. His calloused fingers gliding through my arousal had me arching into his touch, but he pulled his hand back.

“So fucking wet,” he growled, then sucked his fingers into is mouth. “And so goddamn delicious.”

It was so difficult not to squirm with desire. My core throbbed and demanded friction, but Colt had other plans, and after what seemed like an eternity of eye-fucking, he said, “I want to see you come. Play with your pussy for me. Show me how badly you want to feel my hand around your throat again.”

He wanted me to get myself off? “Here?”

“Here.” The corner of his mouth twitched.

“What if someone walks by?”

“That’d be very unfortunate for them. So you better hurry up and shove your pretty little fingers up that greedy cunt.”

My heartbeat pounded in my ears as his words fed the flames deep in my core and transformed them into a wildfire. My whole body was ablaze, and Colt was the fuel that fed the fire consuming me from the inside out. Jesus Christ, where did that filthy mouth of his come from?

He raised an eyebrow, the white scar running through it standing out, and I knew then I’d do anything he asked. The mere thought of his hand around my throat was enough to push me over the edge.

Without a second thought, I slipped a finger inside me. His heavy gaze was glued to the movement as I slowly slid the digit in and out.

“Now give me a taste.” My brain, hazy with lust and the thrill of possibly being caught with my legs spread, took a few seconds to put the command into action .

No sooner than I pulled my finger free of my slippery hole had Colt impatiently grabbed my wrist and licked it from knuckle to tip, with an obscene, gravelly moan on his lips. His hot tongue lapped up my arousal, making me tremble, and I struggled not to squeeze my legs in search of friction.

“Fucking hell,” he grunted. His face was of pure rapture, with a drop of sweat trickling down his temple, and his breaths were heavy. “Now two fingers. Stretch it out a little. It’ll make it easier later.” Later ? Did he mean …?

Unable to contemplate this and comply with his request at the same time, I pushed two fingers into myself, and although it burned slightly to stretch myself, I picked up the pace.

My eyes tried to flutter shut, but I forced them to stay open, determined not to miss any of this. The urge to come, to come for Colt as he watched me, was almost overwhelming. I moaned and let my fingers slide through my slippery folds, spreading my juices to my clit, circling it, then plunging back inside.

“Just like that. Let yourself go. Show me how pretty you are when you come for me.”

I concentrated on my clit, knowing that would make me come the fastest. Fuck, I hoped I wouldn’t leave a stain on his seat. The telltale tingling started, my hips bucked, and my toes curled. My legs tensed, closing imperceptibly, but nothing seemed to escape Colt’s notice.

His fingers dug into my thighs above my knees, forcing my legs apart again, before he stared down at me with the expression of a man starved. That didn’t seem to be enough for him, though, as he pushed my knees up to my chest, exposing me completely.

Colt’s hoarse groan and the vulnerable position he had pushed me into did the trick.

“Colt, I’m — oh my god, I’m coming!” With a small scream, I shot over the edge, spinning in free fall as the muscles in my stomach and legs spasmed.

Holy shit, that was intense.

I hadn’t recovered yet, the ringing in my ears still prominent, but Colt didn’t give a shit. He yanked my hand from between us to his lips and sucked and licked every last bit of my cream off.

“You did good, baby. I can’t believe I got to see that, you’re so fucking sexy. I love watching you.”

Greedily, my fingers reached for him, wanting to free the monster between his legs and taste him, make him feel good, but he caught my wrists and held them in a tight grip.

“Nuh-uh,” he tsked. “Soon. Let’s get home first. I have no idea what I’m going to do when those beautiful lips get near my cock again. But I do know that I intend to last longer than last time, and after your little show, that’s not going to happen. You’re going to have to wait. Buckle up.”

Colt pushed my legs inside, closed the door, and walked around the truck to the driver’s side. As he got in, it rocked under his weight. My man was massive. My man?

His spicy scent surrounded me, so I took a deep breath. He’d said we were going home, and he’d said it like it was a place we shared. My heart soared at this auspicious comment.

Before he pulled away, he raked his gaze over me once more in a fiery sweep, then placed his hand on my bare leg. He hadn’t given me back my panties, so his pinky was brushing dangerously close to my slit. I squirmed in my seat, and he chuckled darkly.

“Already? Damn. Don’t worry, we’ll be home soon.” He spent the rest of the ride launching an attack on my body with that one fingertip, without ever actually touching me where I wanted him to.

By the time we got to his house, I was a mess. The gentle brush of his finger across the sensitive skin of my inner thigh drove me to the brink of insanity, but this was nothing new when it came to Colt.

My infatuation with him had made me question my sanity more than once, driven me to do some pretty dodgy things, and seemed to know no bounds. Although I had long known what I felt for Colt was powerful and inexplicable, my feelings had intensified.

From a simple crush, something else had grown, something I couldn’t quite name. It had wrapped itself around me in a relentless grip, body and soul. Now I knew with unerring, unshakable certainty that Colt Michaels was my endgame.

We walked across the paved path in the front yard to the door, and most of the windows were dark, only a faint glow through the large living room window signaling a light was on somewhere in the house.

Butterflies erupted in my stomach, fluttering wildly as Colt intertwined our hands and led the way. Something felt different, there had been a shift, for both of us.

When we reached the door, he turned and studied me for a moment, a few stray strands of hair falling over his eyes.

“Hailey, I … Fuck, I should have asked this before. Are you still tipsy?”

My eyebrows rose. “Still? How — wait, how long exactly were you at the party?”

“A while.”

“Mm-hm.” I cocked my head and looked up at him. “And what, you watched me or something?”

Colt pushed his tongue into his cheek, then nodded slowly. “Like I said — I love watching you. No matter what you’re doing. I want to see everything .”

His unabashed honesty did something to me; it was like a rubber band stretched to its limit suddenly snapping.

“I’m not tipsy anymore, just so that’s out of the way.” I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with air, bracing myself for what I was about to say. My stomach was in knots, and I toyed with the hem of my skirt. “Colt, I don’t want to pretend anymore.”

His face hardened in an instant, the mask I’d seen him put on so many times and which had been increasingly more absent in my presence lately was back in place. He pulled his hand from mine, but I snatched it back.

“No, wait. Would you let me explain? I don’t want to pretend anymore because this is real for me,” I blurted before he could jump to any more wrong conclusions.

“What?” His tone couldn’t have been more perplexed, and his jaw went slack.

“Colt—” I sighed, rubbing the spot between my eyes and looked up at him, slightly flabbergasted. “You have to stop assuming the worst. Honestly, I want you to think about this for a second before you answer me. Why wouldn’t I want it to be real? Have I given you any indication to back up that assumption?”

He turned to face me again, his massive, broad body almost blocking the light filtering out of the house. Sometimes I forgot how much bigger he was than me, but in moments like this, it hit me with full force, and I was once again intrigued. The way my hand couldn’t even wrap around his forearm, the way I had to tilt my head back to look at his face. We were opposites in so many ways, yet deep in my heart, I was sure that we belonged together — we were inevitable.

He seemed to take me seriously, weighing his words before he even opened his mouth. Fiddling with the hem of my skirt, rubbing the fabric between my fingertips, I waited for what seemed like forever to hear his response. The shadows danced around us, obscuring his face once again.

“If I think about it rationally ,” he began slowly. “Then I can’t remember anything that might be an indicator.”

My heart pounded as my hand slid from his thick forearm down to his hand, and I intertwined our fingers again. He seemed to be reorganizing his thoughts so I gave him some time. I had learned a long time ago that you usually learn more by letting others do the talking.

His mouth opened and closed a few times, and he swallowed audibly.

“But that doesn’t mean it makes any sense in my head. You and I … You’re so far out of my league and … fucking hell, I don’t know how to say this …” Frustrated, he threw his hands up in the air, apparently to run through his hair but was stopped by his cap. With a scoff, he let them fall back to his sides. “Fuck it. Might as well just say it. It’s taken me years to accept myself for who I am, and I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that you — you — might want me.”

I wanted to scream or laugh hysterically. “I’ve wanted you since day one .”

He jerked back, momentarily illuminated by the dim light, and his face was almost comically contorted in shock.

“What the hell do you mean, since day one?”

“Exactly that. From day one, from the first minute we met. It was never fake to me, and actually, I only suggested that because …” A blush crept into my cheeks at my near confession.

“Because what ?” I refused to look him in the face, too embarrassed, too unwilling to reveal the extent of my obsession. His large hand, almost swallowing my own, squeezed gently, and he pulled me closer.

“Because I was hoping that it would turn into something real,” I said in a rush. I had never heard my voice sound so meek before. I was used to performing in front of hundreds, no, thousands of people and making myself heard over the roar of a crowd, but this one man choked me up.

“Wait a minute — let me get this straight, just so we’re on the same page. You’ve wanted me since the first day we met, and you jumped into this fake dating thing hoping we’d end up together for real?” His voice was hoarse.

My cheeks burned, but this time I lifted my chin and stared into his eyes with a hint of defiance. I couldn’t quite figure out how he felt about this revelation, and it caused an uncomfortable, squeezing pinch in my stomach, like everything inside me was twisting and tightening.

“Yup. That about sums it up.”

“Okay.” He let out a short laugh, a sound that was both incredulous and exuberant. Bursting into action, he turned me so my back was against his front and placed his arm across my stomach. Startled, I sucked in a breath and craned my neck to look at him over my shoulder.

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked, confused.

He grabbed my chin, his thumb caressing my jaw for a moment, and turned it so I was looking forward and then up at the sky. With his lips were next to my ear, his hot breath brushed my bare shoulder, sending goose bumps down my arm. “Look up. What do you see?”

“No idea. What I usually see when I look up: the sky, the stars, the moon. What are you getting at?”

Colt snorted. “You’re impossible. Look up there, I mean really look. What do you see?”

My eyebrows drew together. Really look? What did he mean? I stared up at the glittering firmament, the dark canvas speckled with flecks of light and set off by the golden-yellow glow of the crescent moon.

“I see … stars shining in the darkness and decorating the sky … infinite, unexplored expanses, and I don’t fucking know, the secrets of the universe , I guess?” I was rambling. “I don’t know, the night sky always makes me feel like we’re all so much more insignificant than we think we are.”

“Mmm.” His husky voice vibrated against my neck, sending tiny shivers down my spine. “You know what I see up there? You .”

“What?” I tried to turn my head, but his hand stopped me again.

“You’re my starlight. I’ve felt like a starless sky for so long, just darkness, merely existing, like I was living in the shadows, and if I’m being completely honest, I didn’t really want to be illuminated back then either. I wasn’t ready for it. Then you showed up, and it was like the stars lit up one by one until it became a whole galaxy . The stars may not always be visible, but they are always there, blazing, even when the night is over. Just like you. You are my silent inspiration, my reason why. When life got to be too much, I used to go out at night and look up at the stars and get lost in their beauty, and by extension, you. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I would be where I am now.”

Whoa . I was speechless. Completely tongue-tied, unable to get out even a single word. That was probably the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. It was everything I had ever dreamed of and more. My pulse was pounding in my neck, thoughts were running wild in my head — it felt like I was floored. A light breeze ran through my hair, blowing a few loose strands into my face, tickling my skin and snapping me out of my stupor.

Although I could literally feel the expectant tension radiating from him, he gave me time to process his words. Considerate as ever, God, I wanted to eat him up .

Unwilling to hesitate any longer, I turned in the tight embrace of his arms.

I was still at a loss for words, but it didn’t matter — actions were better than words anyway. I pressed my whole body against him, running my palms up the sides of his neck — he was too tall for me to reach my hands around it when he was standing upright — and pulled him down to me.

Our lips met and heat exploded in my chest, electrifying every nerve ending. They brushed over each other in a sensual dance, full of emotion.

Slow and gentle was suddenly insufficient — I wanted him to be feral, out of control, completely unhinged for me. I wanted him to mirror even a fraction of my obsession. A hoarse groan ripped from his throat as I licked his bottom lip, then bit down hard.

He matched my energy, and one of his big hands gripped the back of my neck and the other palmed my ass, fondling it roughly as our tongues slid against each other.

Liquid heat pooled in my core, sending flames of pleasure licking through my body. As I pressed against him, my nails digging into his skin, his hard length jabbed into my belly.

Jesus Christ. As hot as I was for him, I was a goddamn virgin, and this monster was equal parts intimidating and arousing. I guess the nickname they’d given him in high school was kind of fitting after all.

Those thoughts faded into the background when he tightened his grip on my ass and lifted me effortlessly with one hand. With a startled squeak, I pulled back and met his gaze, for once, at eye level.

“Do you have any idea how hot this is?” I panted.

“Um … what?” His eyebrows furrowed, his breathing heavy, and he licked his lower lip where I’d bitten him.

“You just picked me up with one arm, and it wasn’t fucking hard for you at all. Do you know what that does to me? God, I love how big you are.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.” I grinned, running my nails over the back of his neck. His whole body shivered, and I felt the distinct rise of goose bumps under my fingertips. I loved that I had this effect on him, that I could bring this powerful man to his knees.

And there was that delicious darkness again, overtaking his face, plunging it into shadow — coming out to play. Come out, come out and play with me.

A slow, wicked smile played on his lips, his hands digging into my flesh. My pussy clenched desperately, feeling empty.

“What I am doing to you? I don’t think you realize what you’re doing to me . But that’s okay. I’ll be happy to show you, Princess.”

Colt lowered his mouth to my neck, licking and biting until he found the sensitive spot under my ear and sucked hard. With a loud moan, I threw my head back, and a low chuckle came from him as he let go of me.

“I think we’d better take this inside. Although … maybe not, you do like being watched, after all, don’t you?”