I kept my steps light as I tiptoed down the stairs. It was still dark, but by now I knew my way well enough that I didn’t have to see much to get around the house. I figured that dawn would probably be coming within a couple of hours. A shiver ran down my spine as I looked around, to both sides of the staircase and through the rooms to the kitchen; I had always felt uneasy when I was the only one awake late at night, ever since childhood and all the way up until now, but I was never sure why. I thought back to my apartment, now empty aside from my few items, and how eerie it felt to be there alone at nighttime. It was worse here, though, with even more dark, empty space and the blanket of silence that I never had to deal with when living in a college town.
I made my way across the house and to the kitchen, keeping the sound of my steps as silent as possible. I had worn only Damien’s shirt for pajamas, and now the cotton hem brushed against my bare thighs that were now covered in goosebumps from the cold air. Why do men always keep their houses so cold? I thought.
The small light above the stove lit the kitchen, but only barely. I attempted to stay quiet as I took a plastic cup from the cabinet and filled it with water, taking a long swig then filling it up again. But as I turned to go back upstairs, a dark figure stood directly behind me.
I gasped, my cup falling to the floor and sending water splashing across the tile. “What the fuck?!”
Alex was silent.
“Alex, what are you doing?” With the slight curve of the counter by the sink, there was no way I could step around him without pushing him out of the way. I tried to hide my shaking voice with humor. “What are you, some freaky-ass vampire who likes to sneak around and live by the light of the moon?”
Finally, he spoke, and he wasn’t laughing. “Why are you here?” His voice was low and menacing.
“What do you mean? Damien picked me up last night and brought me here with you after the club.”
“That’s not what I meant. Why are you here? What do you want with us?” He seemed angry, and my hand shook slightly as I placed it on the counter to steady myself.
“As you know, I didn’t plan on coming here in the first place. I stuck around because I liked you two. Although, it’s really only Damien I like now,” I sneered. “You saw that last night.” I had hoped that last bit would hurt him like he had hurt me before, and it seemed to do the trick.
Alex’s eyes hardened, and he gave me a cold smile. “So you’re going to pretend this is just some happy little short-term relationship between you two? Yeah, right. You really think everything will be fine with you planning on moving? You may think he’s okay with it, but he’s not. You’re going to tear him to pieces when you leave. And I don’t fucking want you here anymore.”
I was speechless for a moment, my mind whirling. Did Damien really care that much for me? Despite the circumstances, my stomach flipped at the idea, but the feeling of excitement was quickly replaced with guilt. Would I really be hurting him that much when I left? I knew it wouldn’t be easy on me with how close we had gotten recently . . .
“Actually, you know what I think, Alex? I think Damien is a grown-ass man who is capable of making decisions for himself. I don’t know if you’re just trying to hurt me or protect him, but we both know what we’re getting into now. If you don’t want to be a part of it, fine. But grow the hell up and face your own problems before trying to interfere in someone else’s.”
I stared unflinchingly into his dark eyes, seeing something like sadness flash across them for the briefest of moments. But before I could process his look, it was replaced by a wild, almost feral, sort of energy. He stepped forward and placed his hands on both sides of the counter, trapping me between them. His face was dangerously close to mine.
“You want me to face my own problems?” His voice was mocking but held a threatening undertone as he leaned in and lowered his face to my neck, his hot breath against my skin giving me chills. “Well, you’re my problem now, and I’m going to deal with you my way.”
My heart pounded in my chest. What the hell did that mean? I stood still and tried to keep my breathing steady as his lips trailed up my neck. I was still pissed at him, at the bullshit lies that seemed to roll off his tongue so easily, but my body was betraying me. Some small part of me wanted him, even if I wouldn’t admit it aloud anymore. “I would think that if you hated me so much, if I’m such a problem, that you wouldn’t be this close to me,” I said, failing miserably at trying to keep a steady tone. I could barely get the words out.
Alex’s mouth reached my ear, and I let out a slight whimper as he twisted a hand through my hair and pulled down hard, forcing my face upward and exposing my neck to him. “You can pretend like you don’t want it,” he said, “but I know you do. Your body gives you away. I’ve seen you looking at me when you don’t think I’ll notice and the way your body reacts when I’m around you. Even now, I’d be willing to bet that you’re wet for me, and I haven’t even touched that pretty little cunt yet.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“That may be, but you love it just the same,” he snarled.
“I do not,” I snapped. I considered trying to slip between him and the counter, but he still had a grip on my hair, so I wouldn’t be able to anyway. I glared at him instead.
“So, you’re telling me that you don’t want me to fuck you right now?” He challenged. I clenched my legs together, all too aware of the throbbing that was beginning between my thighs. Damn him.
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you, so leave me the hell alone.” Even though his hand was still in my hair, I shoved him, hoping that he’d lose his balance and let go so I could run. He didn’t.
Instead, he tightened his hold, spun me around, and pushed me so that my hips were pressed against the kitchen island. I flailed against him, trying to push away, but to no avail. Standing behind me, he grabbed my waist and lifted me slightly, effortlessly, pushing me forward so that my hips now rested on top of the counter rather than next to it. I was still on my feet, but barely, my tiptoes now the only part of me touching the ground.
“What are you gonna do now, baby?” He asked, his voice dangerously soft. “Are you going to scream so your kind, sweetboyfriend will come running to your rescue and you can keep avoiding me?”
I turned my head to the side and glared at him out of the corner of my eye. The counter was cold and hard against my cheek. “Fuck you. It sounds like you’re just jealous.” I hated him for making me feel small. I hated him for making me want him anyway.
He chuckled. “I’m surprised. It seems that you always need someone to come rescue you. Poor, sweet Serena. Maybe one day you’ll see how fun it can be when you don’t run from your fear, but embrace it.”
Still bending me over the counter, one hand firm against my lower back, he pushed up my shirt—Damien’s shirt—to just above my ass, which was barely covered by my thin black panties, then began squeezing and massaging and grabbing. He pulled back, then slapped. Hard.
I winced, but managed to keep quiet, squirming on the countertop, desperate to get free, feeling the slight sting of pain from his spanking yet still wanting to beg him to keep touching me. But I couldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing I still wanted his touch after everything that he had put me through. He didn’t deserve it.
“Oh, not so fast,” Alex taunted. “We’re only just getting started.” He held me down, a firm pressure against my lower back. With his other hand, he trailed his fingers down the back of my thigh, using his nails to scratch lightly, before bringing them back up and sliding them right between my legs. My wetness was already beginning to soak through my panties. I winced at the feeling of my body betraying me as he chuckled, even though his touch left me dying for more. I stifled a moan.
He pulled my underwear down, letting it fall to my ankles and, without warning, shoved two fingers inside me. I cried out at the immediate feeling of him stretching me, but my poor grip on the floor and lack of stability gave me no power to move away from him. I reached up to the edge of the island just above my head and attempted to pull myself up and away from him, but he caught my left hand with the one he had been using to hold me down, and pulled it behind me, pinning it between his own hand and my lower back. His fingers worked inside of me, back and forth, and I lost myself in the feeling, ignoring the voice in my head telling me to stop. It felt so damn good with him stretching my pussy and the friction of the cold countertop rubbing against my clit. A low moan escaped me.