Cruel Page 5

  As she helped her roommates clean the mess the guests had left behind, her mind was anywhere but in the house, particularly as Leah and Amy bickered amongst themselves.

  It seemed to Elyse that they hadn’t stopped arguing since she’d made her way out of her bedroom that morning after a very fitful night’s sleep. When she’d finally managed to clear her bedroom of two half-naked couples, she had lain awake, thinking about the bizarre encounters with Marcus Preston.

  Twice in one day, she mused, recollecting how close she’d been to him in the bathroom. When she closed her eyes, she could still get a whiff of his cologne in her nostrils and admittedly, she liked the spicy tones of his pheromones mixed with the Calvin Klein. She hadn’t been that near him since they were in grade school and she certainly couldn’t remember a time when she’d touched him.

  It made for a difficult night’s sleep and it was almost dawn by the time she’d closed her eyes, her dreams just as odd as they had been during her nap.

  “…invited him anyway?” Leah was grumbling.

  “Not me,” Amy insisted. “He came with Steve McGowan, that ball player.”

  “He’s a ball player too,” Leah muttered. “Hot as hell, but mean as the devil.”

  Elyse zoned back in, realizing then that they were talking about Marcus.

  “Are you talking about the fight?” she asked. Her roommates turned to look at her in surprise, almost as if they’d forgotten she was there.

  “Yeah,” Leah conceded. “You didn’t know that asshole, did you?”

  “Actually, I do,” Elyse admitted. “I went to school with him.”

  “Was he always a prick?”

  “He was sucker punched,” Elyse said and she almost choked after the words left her lips.

  Holy hell, am I defending Marcus Preston?

  “He must have done something to deserve it,” Amy said confidently. “I know Cody and he’s pretty mild mannered.”

  “Six people say he sucker punched Marcus,” Elyse doubled down, again stunning herself. “Clearly he’s not that mild mannered.”

  Her roommates eyed her with narrowed lids.

  “Is this an ex of yours or something?” Leah asked suspiciously.

  “NO!” Elyse barked, her face flushing to a deep, beet red. “No way. In fact, he’s kind of a dick. But he was still sucker punched.”

  “Because he did something to deserve it,” Amy insisted firmly.

  “Sounds like you’re the one banging Cody,” Elyse countered and Amy scowled.

  “I am not!” she cried defensively. Both Elyse and Leah caught the whine in her tone and laughed, exchanging a knowing look.

  A knock on the door distracted the trio from continuing their conversation.

  “Ah. The walks of shame begin,” Leah chortled, making her way through the kitchen toward the entranceway. “Everyone is coming looking for their panties.”

  “Whatever doesn’t get claimed is going on the corkboard in the Desmond Hall common room,” Amy giggled. Elyse had to laugh, even if it was mortifying. The indignities that college students inflicted upon one another was nothing short of torturous.

  “Oh!” Elyse heard Leah’s surprised voice from the front hall. “We were just talking about you.”

  Instinctively, her back tensed and like some sixth sense had been activated, Elyse found herself moving toward the voices, knowing who it was before she got there.

  “I think I dropped my wallet in the scuffle last night,” Marcus muttered, sounding slightly sheepish. “Any chance someone found it?”

  “No,” Elyse interjected, stepping forward and giving Leah a look that her roommate ignored. “But we haven’t really been upstairs yet.”

  “You dropped your wallet at a house party in California,” Leah snorted. “The chances of you getting it back are—”

  “Let’s go check upstairs,” Elyse interjected, waving him through the foyer. “Come on. It might have fallen in the bathroom.”

  Marcus moved smoothly past Leah and out of the corner of her eye, Elyse saw her roommate checking out his ass. An odd feeling of jealousy passed through her but she dismissed it.

  “Hey,” Marcus muttered, following behind her.

  “Hey,” she replied without turning. “Your face looks better today.”

  He snorted.

  “Yeah, about that,” he sighed. “Thanks.”

  Elyse froze in place, the word sounding foreign coming out of his mouth. Slowly, she turned and looked at him from the top landing, her mouth parting slightly.

  “What?”

  He met her gaze, his eyes flashing with some annoyance.

  “I said thanks,” he repeated, joining her at the top of the stairs. “For helping me get cleaned up.”

  “I-wow. Yeah, okay,” she replied, taken aback. The last thing she had expected was a thank you from this guy. A frown overtook his slightly embarrassed expression.

  “Never mind,” he snapped. “The bathroom’s that way, right?”

  She nodded, still stunned by his gratitude, and followed dazedly after him.

  “I don’t see it,” he sighed, but Elyse was barely looking. She couldn’t stop staring at his face. It was true that Marcus had always been attractive but knowing what an ass he was had always kept her from fully appreciating his fine features. Suddenly, however, he had some humility and a rush of heat flowed in waves through her as she bit on her lower lip.

  “You know,” she mumbled. “You were in my room too.”

  She wasn’t even sure where the bold words had come from but like he was moving underwater, he turned, his shoulders straightening to tower over her. For the first time, she wasn’t intimidated by his size but aroused in an almost angry way.

  She could tell by the way he was looking at her that the thought was on his mind too.

  Can I sleep with my bully? Does that make me weak – or powerful?

  Cocking his head to the side, he studied her closely, looking for definitive clues on her face as to her intentions.

  “I was, wasn’t I?” he replied quietly and she nodded.

  “We should check there, just in case.” Her voice sounded raspy, unnatural. But if Marcus noticed, he didn’t say anything.

  He followed her into the hallway toward her bedroom. Once he was inside, she closed the door but before she could turn, she felt his arms snake around her from behind, one hand sliding along the front of her belly, the other encircling her neck. His face buried into the thick of her hair, inhaling her deeply.

  “You really grew up,” he murmured, his breath hot in her ear.

  “Did I?” She hated how breathy that came out.

  He made a sound that was a cross between a groan and a sigh, his full lips finding the silky skin of her neck. Goosebumps flooded her body, her nipples growing hard on impact. His fingers trailed lower along the front of her body, sliding seamlessly beneath the velour of her trackpants.

  Instantly, she felt a gush of moisture between her thighs, the sensation of his hardness at her buttocks inspiring a thousand images to unveil at once into her head.

  She turned her head relishing the gentle but firm squeeze of his fingers massaging her throat. For a moment, their eyes locked and Elyse couldn’t deny that she wanted Marcus, in spite of their tumultuous and combative past.

  His breath tickled her lips, moments before their mouths met, his kiss crushing against her as their frames fell tightly together. Suddenly, his fingers weren’t behaving so innocently between her legs, the pressure of his fingers intensifying to press against her already throbbing clit.

  A low moan escaped Elyse’s lips, the full hardness of his shaft outlying his length and any reservations she might have had went flying out the window as he danced her back, only to push her forward onto the bed.

  Without wasting a second, Marcus ripped away her pants, exposing her ass fully, “Fucking beautiful,” he muttered as his palms rubbed over the globes of her cheeks. Then he leaned forward, sliding his tongue from her clit to her
core, spreading her apart to taste her center which was already soaked for him.

  “Oh, my…god…” she whimpered, feeling the thrust of his tongue into her core. His fingers explored the cleft between her legs and she buried her face into the unmade bed, stifling her groans of pleasure as he stroked and licked at her, heightening her sense of pleasure until she could take no more.

  “Oh, god, Marcus…” she begged him. “Please!”

  His tongue trailed fully along the line of her crack, his body pressing against her again as his mouth found its way back to her ear.

  “Say it again,” he ordered. “Beg me to fuck you.”

  “Please,” she implored him, beyond caring what she would think after this was over. She had never been so desperate for a guy in her life. “Please, fuck me.”

  “That’s a good girl,” he conceded, the throbbing head of his massive shaft probing at her opening. Elyse gasped, her breath stolen completely as she tensed to take him inside her. A low cry filled the room, her nails curling into the sheets as he eased himself deeper into her core. His strong hands gripped at her naked hips, his jabs becoming more forceful and deeper with each thrust.

  “Like this?” he rasped. “Is this how you want it, princess?”

  She couldn’t find her voice to respond, her back arching to accept every inch of his cock. His hand splayed out to slap her ass and the sting sent spirals of electricity throughout her body.

  Harder he drove himself, his own breaths becoming faster. The walls of her pussy seized his hardness, squeezing him until he, too, groaned deeply, adding another slap to her buttocks. It was with that smack that her orgasm exploded against him, one shuddering spasm after another as she screamed out with pleasure, begging him not to stop.

  Marcus obliged, his thrusts full and merciless until Elyse was a whimpering mess beneath him.

  “I’m going to come,” he growled at her. She could tell he had been holding back, enjoying the clenching of her passage as she flew apart during her earth-shattering orgasm.

  “Yes,” she gasped. She could feel his body shudder above her, his hands tightening bruisingly around her hips until he finally groaned, falling forward on top of her to pin her onto the bed.

  For a long moment, she relished the feeling of his strong frame on top of her, their sweat intermingling.

  She didn’t want to move, to think about what she’d just done with the guy who had been her archenemy for as long as she could remember.

  What the hell got into me? She wondered abruptly. But even as she thought it, she could still feel the aftermath of her climax and regretted nothing.

  As if hearing her innermost thoughts, Marcus rolled off her with a sigh and she heard the snap of rubber as he removed the condom she hadn’t even realized he’d put on. Shame flooded her at the impulsiveness of her actions.

  With pink cheeks, she turned to face him, her eyes focussing on the spot between his eyes as if she worried he might read her mind.

  “Well,” she muttered, struggling to sit up. She pulled her t-shirt lower to cover her nudity but it was an exercise in futility, the shirt too small to hide her red ass.

  “Well,” he agreed, a half-smile playing on his lips. “That was…interesting.”

  “Yeah,” she replied in an almost brusque tone as she scoured the floor for her pants. She found them, tangled with her underwear near the foot of the bed and scrambled to dress.

  “I don’t think your wallet is here,” she blurted out, unsure of what else to say. Suddenly, she wanted him to go, to leave and forget that they’d ever allowed themselves to succumb to this one-time event.

  She wondered why she was lying to herself. She was going to relive this orgasm for years to come. Possibly forever. She couldn’t imagine anyone else being able to wring a climax that powerful from her body.

  “Yeah, I don’t see it,” he conceded, also rising to locate his own clothing. She peered at him through the stray strands of hair that had found their way free of her ponytail.

  “Did you really lose your wallet?” she asked, realizing that maybe he’d come there for this very reason.

  He paused, his brow furrowing.

  “Why else do you think I came?” he demanded, hurt coloring his voice. Then instantly he grinned at his own pun. “I mean came here, not ‘came’ came.”

  All of a sudden, her heart starting pounding furiously and suddenly, Elyse was having difficulty breathing. She gasped for air as Marcus came to her side, his brow furrowing.

  “What’s wrong? Are you having an anxiety attack?” he worried, his voice losing the amused lilt it had had before. She shook her head, willing herself to be calm but the more she struggled to stop it, the more she wheezed.

  “Seriously, what’s wrong with you?” he asked, a combination of helplessness and concern on his face.

  “J-just go,” she rasped. “I-I’m f-fine. Just leave me alone.”

  The words were difficult to say but somehow she managed to get them out.

  All good humor disappeared from Marcus’ face and a dark cloud overtook his features instantly.

  “You really do think you’re too good for me,” he scoffed, zipping up his jeans. She blinked uncomprehendingly at him, her head growing light. His words didn’t seem to make any sense, but little did in that moment.

  She flicked her fingers at him in a dismissive gesture, hoping to get him to leave before she really embarrassed herself.

  Oh God. I’m going to pass out, she thought, her hand flat against her breastbone. Please, please don’t faint in front of him.

  “Wow,” he snorted, spinning away when she turned her back on him. “You really are a stuck-up bitch.”

  He didn’t wait for a reply but one wasn’t coming anyway. As soon as he was out the door, she fell to her knees and crawled to her nightstand for the prescription bottle inside. She popped one and sank back, closing her eyes to wait for the effects of the sildenafil to kick in.

  Oh God, I really need to do something about my heart, she thought woefully but she wasn’t sure if she meant it figuratively or literally.

  Chapter 8

  “You’re in a shittier mood than usual,” Steve mocked, throwing an arm over Marcus’ shoulder as they walked. “Still can’t find your wallet?”

  The mere mention of his wallet brought up sexy as hell images of Ellie’s body splayed out before him, his hands squeezing her ass as he thrust deeply into her body from behind. Before he could banish the image, his cock stood up for roll call, waving frantically and shouting ‘pick me!’.

  Marcus scowled and shrugged Steve’s limb off his back.

  “Doesn’t matter,” he muttered. “I already went to the DMV and ordered a new ID.”

  He had also canceled his student credit cards but that wasn’t the point at all.

  “Still, it’s shitty. Come on. I’ll buy you a beer.”

  “I don’t want a beer,” Marcus growled. “I have studying to do.”

  “More the reason to have a beer,” he insisted. “The Crow is right here—”

  “I’m not going to the fucking Crow,” Marcus gritted out. Steve lost his smile and stood back, staring quizzically at his friend.

  “All right,” he mumbled. “You don’t need to be an asshole about it.”

  Marcus wanted to apologize but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words. He knew Steve was only trying to pick up his spirits, but he just didn’t want to do anything lately.

  No matter where he went, he felt like the walls were closing in. At home, his mother was on a downward spiral again. He had been forced to call on his aunt in San Diego to come and help for a few days while he tried to figure out what to do with her.

  She was getting worse every day and Marcus knew what was coming. Having Aunt Mindy there didn’t make life easier for anyone, but it did ensure that Lucy didn’t burn the house to the ground. Lucy and her sister never had gotten along, and Marcus could understand why. He couldn’t imagine having a sister that criticized everything
you did, and never missed an opportunity to point out how you’d screwed up your life. By having a child, for example. He rolled his eyes inwardly, hoping that his aunt could hold back her judgements and criticisms for a week or two.

  Then his thoughts turned back to how screwed up his own life seemed right now.

  At school, he couldn’t focus, not in class and not in the field. His profs and coach were losing their patience with him but there was nothing he could do about that, not when he was so preoccupied with other matters.

  Like Elyse Halston and the hot but crazy encounter they’d shared almost a week earlier.

  He’d left that day feeling out of sorts, like he’d done something wrong and she’d done nothing to tell him differently. He cursed himself for letting things get that far but in that moment, the way she’d looked at him…if he had to do it over again, he was sure he would do the very same thing.

  Does she regret it? Was it bad for her?

  He was sure she’d enjoyed their interlude. Fuck, he’d never felt a pussy squeeze his cock as hard and as long as hers had. But after… her reaction. Like he’d done something awful…

  She’s always been a haughty bitch, looking down her rich nose at everyone else, never willing to participate in anything with the commoners. Why would you think this would change anything?

  Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about her moans and cries, the feeling of her velvet softness until he was hard again and wishing that he could get just one more night with her.

  “I’m going to the Crow,” Steve told him, interrupting his reverie. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

  Steve took off, his pace quickening as he headed out toward the hangout that had quickly become their second home before she started working there.

  Now the Crow is ruined for you too.

  Why, then, did he have the sudden urge to bolt after Steve and see if she was there?

  He shook his head as if to knock some sense into it and headed toward the parking lot where he’d parked. He needed to get home and deal with his mother. Aunt Mindy would be upset if he left her alone too long.