Page 24 of Wicked Ends (Hellions of Hade Harbor #4)

“It would be me, that’s what everyone would think,” I insisted. “It’s what I’d think about myself.”

Marcus shook his head. “Do you never cut yourself some fucking slack? What about what you want? Why doesn’t it matter? Talk badly about my favorite teacher one more fucking time, and I’ll put you across my knee, and make you scream.”

“You have to let me go,” I whispered.

A commotion outside the door was all the warning we had that someone was about to come in.

My eyes widened. Being caught like this—in tears, in the ladies’ room, with a student—was the last thing I needed.

Marcus caught my expression and pushed me back into the stall, crowding in behind me.

He slammed the door shut right before the bathroom door swung open and voices filled the room.

Marcus flicked the lock and turned to me. It wasn’t a big stall. We had a few feet to move, and there was no escaping his hands; he put them on my hips.

I bit my lip and strained my ears, terrified of being caught.

Marcus leaned in and spoke in my ear, his lips sending shivers cascading through me.

“You’re not going anywhere, Ari, I’m not going to let you.” Then he sucked my earlobe into his mouth and gently bit down.

Fuck, it felt so good, a gasp escaped me. It was covered by a burst of female laughter as the friends talked at the mirror.

His tongue worked up the outer edge of my ear, then dipped inside. I grabbed his waist to steady myself. My whole body hummed in pleasure.

His huge hands untucked my top from my skirt, and slid under the hem and I arched my back. He glided them up my belly and over my ribs and cupped my breasts through my bra.

His mouth was fastened on my neck, kissing and sucking, biting and sending me insane. It was official: Meeting this man was my undoing. I’d lost my mind.

And right now, at this very second, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

He pinched my nipples, and I gasped again, prompting him to clamp his hand over my mouth.

“Shh, birthday girl, unless you want them to know what we’re doing in here,” he said.

His hand stayed over my mouth as his other left my chest and traveled down to my knee. With a quick tug, he pulled the hem of my skirt up and bunched the material around my waist.

I protested faintly against his hand, but the sound was muffled. He pressed his forehead to mine, shushing me nearly soundlessly. His fingers delved under my panties and found me, hot and slick.

“Oh, beautiful, is all of this for me? You shouldn’t have.” His deep whisper was full of arrogance and knowing. Full of that fucking confidence he wore so effortlessly.

His fingers circled my clit. His touch was ruthless, building pleasure in my core with ease.

I clung to his shoulders as he gagged me with his hand, the other flicking my clit in a way that threatened to make me lose all control.

The women outside were still talking, the sounds of compacts clicking shut and hair being sprayed reminding me that we weren’t alone.

We were far from alone, and if he didn’t stop right now, I was going to come hard, the flimsy stall door my only shield.

I tapped his arm to warn him, my eyes wide and pleading, but he only smirked and worked his fingers faster.

My eyes rolled back, and my pussy clenched hard around his nimble fingers.

Waves of pleasure washed over me, my body contracting and releasing.

All the while, Marcus worked me through it, drawing out every single pulse and twitch, making the orgasm last and last until my knees weakened.

There was a slam. The door closing. We were alone. I opened my eyes to see him. His hand fell away from my mouth, and I drew in a ragged breath. He brought the hand that had made me come so effortlessly to his mouth and sank a finger inside, tasting me.

My breath felt short when he put the same hand to my lips and placed two fingers inside. I could taste myself on him.

“Don’t lie to me again, Ari. Or we’ll be right back here. You want me. Stop denying it.”

I swallowed hard and took a deep breath, but was stopped short before I could speak.

“Anna?” Sally called. She’d come back to the bathroom to look for me.

I panicked. “She’s going to know. You have to have a reason why you’re in here. You’re fixing something—I was just helping you! I have to think of an excuse.” I cast about for some reason in the muddle of my mind. He’d melted something in my brain, and I couldn’t scrape myself together.

Marcus shook his head. “No, you don’t. Stop explaining yourself to people who don’t deserve it. Stop explaining yourself, period.” The door banged outside, Sally moving on in her search for me.

Marcus pinched my chin, keeping me in place. He hovered his hot mouth tight against my ear.

“Look what I discovered in the lost and found?” he said, and then the cell he’d bought me was sliding into my hand. “I did you the favor of unblocking me. You’re welcome.”

“I guess I can do the same tomorrow and then the next day if I have to,” I muttered.

“You could, or you can save your energy and mine for more exciting things. I’ll just return it to you, and I’ll start to do in it class, in front of everyone, if you make me.

Now, if I let you go out there right now and say your goodbyes to your friends, then you better get your ass outside in ten minutes, ready to leave. Got it?”

I swallowed my retort and nodded. There was no way I could let this spiral any further. I had to get a grip on it, but arguing with Marcus about it now wasn’t going to work.

“Go on, then.” He stepped away so I could go to the door.

I caught up with Sally in the hall.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t feel well. I think I have to get out of here, actually.”

“Oh, really? Bill is heading out, too. He could drop you off; he hasn’t been drinking.”

“Sure, um, tell him I’ll meet him in the parking lot. Happy birthday, and thanks for tonight,” I said, giving her quick a hug.

“Of course! I’m so glad you joined the school. Us young staff have to stick together. Let’s have a girls’ night soon, you, me, and Kenna.”

I gave her a smile and then my attention was snagged by the sight of Marcus sauntering down the bathroom hallway. He gave me a wink as he wandered over to his previous table and sat down.

“I’m going to go,” I told her quickly, relieved she hadn’t seemed to notice the wink.

“Yes, I’ll tell Bill to meet you in the parking lot,” Sally said and waved goodbye.

I took the chance of Marcus being distracted to slip behind the very end of the bar and through the back.

Was I just going to sit back and take this blackmail? Maybe the old Arianna, before I’d fled my hometown and put thousands of miles between me and the monster I’d grown up with. Maybe that person would have… but I wasn’t that person anymore.

I wouldn’t let myself be her again.

From the bathroom, I could see the side doors to the kitchens, and branching off them, the hallway that led to the bedroom where I’d slept with Marcus. A dark and tempting idea occurred to me.

If he wasn’t going to listen to reason, then maybe I needed some kind of leverage.

He deserved to feel threatened for once, and I literally had no other way to level the playing field between us.

With a quick look around, I ducked into the kitchen, checking to make sure no one was around, before heading down the hall to the padlocked room.

I quickly opened the lock and pushed the door open, then activated the flashlight on my phone.

I could remember that night as clearly as if it were seconds ago.

I knew that Marcus had shit in this room he didn’t want touched…

important stuff, unless he’d been bullshitting.

I rifled around in the bags that sat on the floor in front of the closet… nothing exciting. I moved on, my heart beating too fast and my mouth dry as a desert as I found a large athletic bag that was strangely heavy. I unzipped it.

Jackpot.

I tugged the zipper shut and grabbed the heavy shoulder strap, swinging it across my body. I’d seen a door back here. I had to hope I could open it. I hesitated a second on the threshold. Was this crossing a line?

Yeah, like him breaking into Kenna’s house and fucking me last night hadn’t been…

He’d crossed the line first; I was following his example.

He wanted to play games? Let’s see how he felt about playing when it was his money and future on the line.

He was so smug, so confident that there was nothing I could do to win the twisted little game he’d started between us… let’s see how he took this move.

With renewed determination, I sprinted down the hall and went for the door. It was a simple deadbolt. A stroke of luck, finally. I pulled it open and stepped out into the night.

The sweet smell of spring, the salt of the sea, and the tang of rubber filled the air. I drew in a long, steady breath and made my way to Bill’s idling car.

I got in, slamming the door quickly and glancing around the dark lot.

“Let’s go.”