Best of 2017

“Fuck off with that shit.” Garrett scoffed. “This is what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave this house. Elise is going to stay here. I’ve given her, and only her, permission to survey my lands. If you try to cut her funding, I’ll write a lengthy letter to my old friend Dean Bascomb about you and the way you treat your female students.”

The color drained from Dr. Stallings’ face, and he dropped his proffered hand. “You know Dean Bascomb?”

“I studied under him for six years. He directed my master’s thesis. I attended his youngest daughter’s wedding a few years ago. Trust me when I say that he’ll take my word very seriously.”

Dr. Stallings cut his gaze to me. “Come with me. It’s not safe here.”

Garrett made an irritated “pfft” noise. “It’s plenty safe. I’ve already offered her full use of my house and lands for her survey. And I’ll be accompanying her on her travels. So there is no need whatsoever for any of your teaching methods.” The acid in his tone could have melted lead.

I gaped at Garrett as he pulled lies out of the air faster than I could take a breath.

“Elise?” Dr. Stallings, beaten but still clinging to me like a sad puppy, gave me a pitiful stare.

“I’ll be back in a few months.” I wanted to feel bad about the verbal stomping he’d just taken, but I didn’t. Instead, I had to fight my smile.

“If her funding goes away, I’ll pay Dr. Bascomb a visit. Don’t test me, asshole.” Garrett motioned toward the front door. “You know the way out.”

“Elise—”

“Did I fucking stutter?” Garrett’s harsh bark made me jump. Dr. Stallings too. He moved to the door and swung it wide before stepping out into the cold.

He turned and caught my eye. “You have my number if you need m—”

Garrett slammed the door in his face. “What a twat.”

I turned to him. “I could have handled him.”

“Yeah?” He gripped my shoulders and pushed me back against the door. “I saw your way of handling him.”

I glared up into his fierce eyes. “Don’t you dare judge me.” I shrugged, but he pushed harder, keeping me in place. “Get off.”

“You should thank me for tossing his worthless ass.” His gaze flicked to my lips, and my breath caught in my throat.

I laced my words with venom. “I’m not going to thank you for meddling in my life. I need the funding to get this done. I would have had Dr. Stallings out of here in no time. Everything was under control.”

“Under control?” He slid his palms down my arms, a sinister glint in his eye. “You let him touch you. Kiss you?” His voice vibrated with rage.

I wasn’t afraid. “Fuck off. You don’t have any say in how I live my life! You want me out of here, remember? You better back off before you ruin me, remember?” I tried to shove him away.

He didn’t move, every muscle in his body tensed into a wall of anger. “Stop.”

“Or what? Are you going to give me another sullen stare?” I wasn’t sure why I wanted to unleash the beast I suspected lived inside him, but there was no stopping me. “Maybe ignore me some more? Maybe—”

He gripped my hair and yanked my head back. Garrett’s kiss blasted away every moment of Dr. Stallings’ unwanted touches. His kiss was rough, possessive. Everything in me delighted in his dominance. But fighting back was in my nature. I captured his bottom lip and bit down until warm blood trickled from the wound. Instead of backing away, he growled and pressed his mouth tight to mine. His tongue brought the taste of copper, and he turned my head to the side, giving him all the access he wanted. My breath was gone, and the anger leached away, leaving white hot desire in its place.

He grabbed my ass and squeezed until I whimpered. The sound seemed to feed him. He gripped me harder, his tongue warring with mine as he pressed me into the unforgiving door. When I felt his thick cock against my stomach, my knees threatened to buckle. I dug my nails into his sides as he took everything he wanted, his body owning mine as he kissed me with more passion than I’d ever experienced.

Not content with feeling my ass through my shorts, he ran his hand under the fabric, beneath my panties, and kneaded me. His palm covered one cheek, and he squeezed hard enough to leave bruises. He finally came up for air, my lips throbbing from his rough treatment. When he fastened his teeth to my neck, I bucked. He pressed his fingers down the slope of my ass and rubbed my entrance from the back. I tried to curl away from his touch, but I was trapped.

“Wet. Fuck.” He pressed his finger inside me, and I gasped as he bit down on my throat almost hard enough to break the skin.

“Garrett.” My voice was a breathy squeal as he pulsed his finger in and out of me. His beard tickled my skin as his teeth sent a ring of fire spiraling down to my pussy where it tightened like a lasso.

He ground his erection against me, and I could barely believe this was really happening. Releasing my hair, he yanked my top up and fastened his lips around one of my hard nipples through the fabric of my bra.

“Oh my God.” I ran my hands through his hair and arched my back as he sucked and continued to plunge his finger inside me.

“I need to taste you.”

My mind screamed in agreement. “Garret, please.”

He groaned and dropped to his knees, then ripped my shorts and panties down to my calves. He stared at my pussy and licked his lips. “Beg me.”

“Please.”

He leaned closer and inhaled. “Fuck. Beg more. Tell me what you want.”

I was losing my mind, every logic center shutting down and every pleasure center lighting up like a Christmas tree. I didn’t know him, not really; he didn’t know me. None of that mattered. This was lust, pure and undiluted.

His breath ghosted across my hot skin. “Beg me.” His raspy voice set off a tidal wave of need inside me.

“Lick me. Make me come. Please.” My breathy plea sent him over the edge, because he pressed his mouth to my clit and moaned as his tongue sank between my folds.

I jerked as he dug his thumbs into my thighs and spread them just enough so he could wrap his mouth around my pussy.

My head bumped against the door as I jolted. The sting was quickly smothered by the pleasure Garrett’s tongue pulled from my sensitive clit. Relentless. Any finesses he may have had was gone, and in its place was a ravenous man. He kept my thighs pinned against the door as his mouth ravaged my pussy.

The wet noises should have embarrassed me. Instead, I gasped at the ferocity of his tongue and whimpered when he sucked my tight nub. I tried to grind against his mouth, but he growled and pressed his thumbs into me even harder. He took every ounce of control, working me with his tongue as I moaned and shook.

Spreading one palm against my thigh, he slid his other hand up my leg. He sank two fingers inside me, the intrusion so sudden I cried out. Instead of pulling out and easing in, he twisted his fingers around and pushed deeper.

My hips tensed as he began working his fingers against the one spot that promised an unforgettable orgasm.

I gripped his hair, the strands sifting between my fingers as I held on. When he bit down on my clit, I exploded. My breath rushed out of me on a moan as my pussy tightened and waves of delicious release broke against me. I shook as the euphoria dragged me down like a fierce undertow. I rode the release, and he licked more and more pleasure from me as I remained pinned against the door. He kept kissing and sucking as the waves began to quiet, my body finally giving up its hold on his fingers.

He nipped at my clit, and I clutched his hair.

Soft laughter rolled from him as he stood. “You like that, Red?” He met my eyes and licked his wet lips.

My knees wobbled, and I wasn’t sure if I would have been standing if it weren’t for the door at my back. “I, uh…” I was incapable of molding any thoughts into words. Nothing coherent, anyway.

His satisfaction slowly drained away as he glanced at my neck, at the marks that surely reddened my skin. “Shit.” He b

ent over and yanked my shorts and panties back into place. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m okay.” I squeaked as he scooped me into his arms and headed for the stairs. “I can walk.”

“I know.” He didn’t look at me. His heat was gone, a stony façade blocking every flicker of embers.

“What is it?” I clung to him as he hurried up the stairs.

“Nothing.” He pushed through the door to my room and sat me on the bed.

“Garrett, you didn’t hurt me.” I ran my fingers along the bite mark on my neck. “It’s okay.”

“No, it isn’t.” He shook his head. “I’m supposed to keep you safe. That”—He glanced to the mark— “isn’t keeping you safe.”

“I’m safe.” I canted my head, trying to figure out what was going on inside him. “Better than safe. That was … intense.”