Page 28

A lexander walked away. He had the opportunity to kiss me again, and he walked away, again. What’s worse? I understand why he did it. I’m not stupid, I can feel the tension between us, I know it’s more than the friendship we keep trying to force, hell, the lines are so blurred that I care more about him not kissing me, than my boyfriend fucking my best friend. How fucked up is that? Yet there is a part of me that yearns for him so deeply, that I’m not sure I can even describe it. I’m not familiar with the feeling, I’ve never had it before, so he walked away and I let him.

Since then things have been annoyingly normal. He’s been charming, friendly, flirty, and as helpful as he always is. Thanks to him, I’ve got top marks on my last two business assignments, and I’m even smashing my other classes too. It’s like Saturday night never even happened and I should be grateful, but instead I’m infuriated.

It’s Thursday now, and I’m sitting outside one of the cafes on campus, doing some work and pretending I’m not still thinking about the way his hand felt around my neck. Alexander is meeting me here ready for tutoring, which is why when someone who is not him takes a seat, I’m startled slightly.

“Hey, you’re Bree, right? You’re in my English class,” the guy starts, and I note his vaguely familiar face with a smile, not having any clue of his name.

“Yes,” I drag out slowly. “Can I help you?”

“I’m Steven,” he smiles, not put off by my curt tone, and I shift a little uncomfortably. I’m not exactly used to guys openly hitting on me, well aside from Alexander that is. “I was hoping I could ask you…”

His question is cut off when Alexander appears out of nowhere, towering over him. “Move, you’re in my seat,” he demands in that no-bullshit tone of his, and I squirm for an entirely different reason now.

Steven looks up at him with a furrowed brow, but keeps his smile in place. “There are other seats, bro,” he laughs, but Alexander is not amused.

“I’m not your fucking bro and that’s my seat, now move,” he grits, and I spy Nova and Archer slowly approaching with matching smirks, as if Alexander just abandoned them to come over here.

“Do you own it?” Steven tosses back, straightening his shoulders, as if that will somehow make him more intimidating than the hockey god hoarding over him.

“With my net worth I could own this whole fucking campus, and your pathetic little life, now fuck off, she’s taken,” Alexander spits back, and I will for the feminism in me to roar to life at his words, but instead it rolls on it’s back and purrs like a damn cat ready to be stroked.

She’s taken.

He throws down the gauntlet, claiming me publicly, and I don’t know whether to be outraged or excited. The flutter in my stomach definitely screams the latter, but there is something else there too, something I’ve never felt before.

Steven looks at me, and I offer him an apologetic smile, but when I don’t say anything in defense he rises to his feet and storms away, allowing Alexander to drop into the vacant chair.

“That was rude,” I greet him with a knowing smirk, and he scoffs with a roll of his eyes.

“He got up and walked away didn’t he,” he shrugs like it’s no big deal, and my smirk only widens. “Don’t look at me like that, Trouble,” he warns, like he knows exactly what I’m thinking, just as Archer and Nova move to take the other two seats at the table, and I narrow my eyes at him.

“No, you don’t start with me today, Alexander, I am in my luteal phase and I will ruin your entire day,” I warn him, and the asshole finally smirks, as his two best friends laugh.

“Well that’s physically impossible, unless you're back with Pastor Prick Face,” he muses, leaning back in his chair and letting his eyes drag over me the same way they always do.

I’m wearing another of the outfits he picked out, and the keen approval in his stare is something I could become addicted to.

“I’m not kidding, I’ll be mean to you,” I tell him, willing my heart to stop hammering in my chest in the presence of the stupid asshole, but it doesn’t.

“You’re always mean to me,” he declares with a flick of his hand.

“Then meaner,” I warn, and that insufferable, perfect smile turns completely wicked.

“Good, it makes my dick hard as fuck.”

My blush is instant, darting to his two best friends, who are still smiling like idiots. “Alexander, you can’t say stuff like that,” I exclaim, fighting against my embarrassment, and he pulls a confused face.

“Why not?”

“Because people can hear you,” I state, nodding firmly to his teammates, who after playing truth or dare with them, I’m not sure they have any damn secrets.

“So only talk dirty to you in private? Got it,” Alexander snaps back with a smile, and I sigh at how ridiculous he is. “Do you want to have dinner with me this weekend?” he adds, blindsiding me completely, and I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out.

Now we have eaten together multiple times, but he’s never specifically asked me out to dinner, and the offer renders me speechless.

“Come on, Bree, put him out of his misery, he made us rehearse this conversation with him multiple times,” Archer chimes in, and Alexander glares at him.

“If it helps, I played you and you said yes,” Nova very unhelpfully adds, looking annoyed to be dragged into their chaos, but still smiling all the same.

I flick my stare between the two of them before focusing back on Alexander. “We have dinner together all the time.” I state the obvious, gauging his response, and his smirk returns.

“No, we have shared meals together. What I’m asking right now is if I can take you out on a date,” he states firmly. “And my Mum’s birthday lunch doesn’t count,” he quickly adds, and my heart is hammering in my chest.

He’s asking me out on a date.

Alexander Reign wants to go on a date with me, and I no longer have a reason to say no.

Fuck. I’m in too deep.

“Yes, Alexander, I will go on a date with you,” I breathe, and I swear his entire body relaxes at my answer.

“Fucking finally,” Archer cheers, reaching out to throw his arms around both our necks. “Watching you two edge each other is not the kind of porn I like.”

Nova snorts. “Based on who you’re currently fucking, I can’t say we’re surprised by that,” he laughs, but Archer remains serious.

“Hey, I’m not fucking him.”

“We know, Gray, bottom energy remember,” Alexander cuts in, winking at me, like he didn’t just implode my whole world.

“That’s not what I meant, prick. I meant we are more than that, I am in love with him and I don’t give a fuck who knows it,” he declares, and I can’t help but smile.

“Yeah, buddy, we know, we keep hearing you guys declaring that love at least once a fucking day,” Nova replies, clapping his back as he stands. “Speaking of, Maddie is about to finish class, so if you’ll excuse me,” he drawls, tipping his head in the direction of her classes and moving to walk away.

“And you want to finish her off?” Archer shouts at his back, drawing the attention of two other tables, and Nova gives him the middle finger as he leaves. “Any chance you two can skip your tutoring session so I can fuck my boyfriend nice and loud?” he adds in question, looking between us.

“Like that ever stops you,” Alexander grumbles, and I hide my smile, because he’s right, even I’ve heard Archer and Daemon fuck more than I care to admit.

“Yes, but the illusion of privacy is nice sometimes,” Archer replies with a shrug, as if I didn’t meet him for the second time bent over a sofa.

“Where is Daemon anyway?” I ask, wondering why he isn’t with them, since the two of them are usually joined at the hip.

“He had to pick up a piece of art from class, I’m not allowed there anymore since his professor caught us fucking in the classroom,” he replies, looking anything but sorry, and I roll my eyes.

“It’s fine, Alexander and I can just go to my place instead,” I offer, and Alexander whips his head towards me, as Archer beams triumphantly.

“Perfect, then enjoy your night, lovebirds,” he winks, pushing to his feet, just as Daemon appears across the quad.

Alexander and I both watch them leave, before he turns his focus back to me. “Shall we?” he asks, and I nod, packing away my stuff as he grabs my bag, and uses a gentle touch on my elbow to guide me off campus toward my apartment.

When we arrive, the security guard greets him with a respectful nod as he opens the door for us, and Alexander remains firm at my side all the way up to my front door, where we find a pitiful bunch of flowers waiting. I don’t have to read the card to know who they are from, but I don’t miss the grind of Alexander’s jaw, as I reach down and pick them up.

“Secret admirer?” he asks, knowing full well who they are from, as I unlock the door and push inside, and I don’t wait for him to enter before I head straight to the kitchen and throw them in the trash.

Ben has sent me a gift every day this week in an attempt to apologize, and every single one has been put in the trash. I didn’t mention it to Alexander because I didn’t see the point, but now I guess we can’t avoid it.

“Just Ben, trying to apologize again,” I reply, grabbing us both a drink from the fridge, before leading him to my room.

“I can think of a hundred thousand reasons why you shouldn’t listen,” he snaps, and I smile, as I lead the devious playboy into my room without pause.

Alexander surveys it keenly, letting his eyes trail across every surface, as if memorizing every detail, and I drop at my desk with a huff. “And only one of them matters. He betrayed me, there is no coming back from that,” I tell him honestly, and I can see how much my answer settles him, because his playful smile returns, as he makes his way to my bed and dives on top of it.

“I always knew I’d make it to your bed, Trouble,” he winks, switching the conversation to lighter topics, but seeing him laying across my bed looking like the devil himself sent to tempt me, is something I could have never prepared for.

I think about what he said to me the week we met, how faith is fickle, and I understand his words now more than ever. My entire life I have lived for other people, never truly choosing anything for myself. I was good, complacent, and always did as I was told. I was the perfect daughter, the perfect girlfriend, I did everything right. So why do bad things keep happening to me? I’ve always followed the rules, followed God, I went to church, said my prayers, wore my damn purity ring, and what did I get?

My mom died, my grandma died, my boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend. So what’s the fucking point of being good? Especially when the thought of being bad is just so damn tempting.

My purity ring still sits firmly on my middle finger, but Alexander was right, a ring is just a ring, it means nothing. What does mean something, is the way my heart races everytime the playboy goalie looks at me. How he knows more about me in a couple of months than a boyfriend who knew me for nearly my whole life. How I feel more seen and connected when I am with him than I ever have with anyone else.

Before I came here I thought I knew what my life would look like. I would keep going to church to please my family, smile at family dinners with Ben on my arm, and never truly know what it was like to be happy. Now don’t get me wrong, the pain of losing my mom and grandma are still with me every day, but now I have something I never thought I would. Hope.

It’s why I don’t feel any regret, as I take a deep breath and reply, “Alexander, I need you to teach me something.”

He looks at me with a confused smirk. “That’s kind of the whole reason I’m here, love,” he laughs, flicking through one of the books from his bag, and my legs shake, as I rise to my feet and bend down to retrieve the box from under my desk, carrying it over to the bed.

“No, I need you to teach me something else,” I stammer, placing the box on the end of the bed, opening it slightly, and when Alexander leans forward to inspect what’s inside, his eyes snap straight back to mine.

“What exactly am I teaching you?” he grits, watching me carefully, and I fight against the hot flush burning through me, praying he won’t make me say it. His eyes flick between me and the box, the silence between us so fucking loud that I’m sure he can hear my heart beating, as he adds, “You want me to teach you to have an orgasm?” he adds in question, as if needing the confirmation of what I’m asking for, and I nod slowly, not taking my eyes off him. “Fuck,” he curses out beneath his breath, the word sending a jolt down my spine, as he jumps off the bed and crowds into me. “Are you sure?” he asks, and when I nod, he cuts me off. “Words, Aubree, I need to hear the words,” he demands, his breath hot against my lips.

“Yes, Alexander, I’m sure,” I whisper, desperate for him to kiss me, but still not ready for what another kiss between us would mean.

His eyes flick down to my mouth, but I know he sees the unspoken words in my stare, so instead of leaning in, he reaches up and brushes his thumb across my lips, as he purrs, “Then get on the bed.”

A veiled command that slinks down my spine and has my knees almost buckling as I move.

Forgive me father for I must sin.