SNOB: A Dark College Enemies to Lovers Romance

Chapter 7

I hate her.

I want to pull that head of fiery hair.

I want to smack those freckles off her face.

I want those thick lips around my cock so I can choke her and see those stupid bloodstone eyes pop.

My eyes land on her throat as she gulps. If this desk wasn’t between us, my hand would be flying to that neck.

“Help, Sun House got infested with vermin.” Hannah’s voice sails above the background music. “Golden.” Jill Scott. “Really, Beau? You took her back here?”

Beau. My eyes would move to him if they weren’t locked on Ember’s but I’m not taking my eyes off her. Ever. Her body is as stiff as my morning wood and that makes a smirk tickle the corner of my lips. She’s afraid. Good. I need her out of here. Today. By any means necessary.

“Welcome back, McKingsley.” Beau says, speaking for her, like she doesn’t have a mouth of her own and I know she does. I’ve been thinking about what to do with it all day.

“Hello everyone.” Charlotte stops when she sees what must look like an old western showdown. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, McKinsley, is everything okay?” Beau echoes. As much as I want to take that pen and jab it in his eyes, I won’t give him or her the satisfaction.

Dominate with your mind. Your hands will get you in trouble.

“Old Fashioned,” I say, my eyes still pinned to her. Ember’s eyes fall to my lips as if she’s trying to make sense of my words.

“Malcolm, if you’d like a drink, you’ll need to ask a server in the lounge,” Charlotte reminds us. “Please, take a seat.”

My white sneakers don’t budge. “I want her to do it.”

“Her?” Charlotte spins around to Ember as if she’s forgotten who she is.

“That’s not my job,” Ember says, the purr of her voice making me want to wrap my tie around her neck and silence her forever.

“Now it is,” I say. “Charlotte, I’d like her to make me an Old Fashioned. I won’t ask again.” Charlotte knows better than to decline a request from a McKinsley.

Charlotte sighs. “Yes, we are a team and we try to make our members as comfortable as possible, especially Malcolm and his father.”

Ember’s face scrunches. “He’s a student,” she protests. “I’m not?—”

“Since it’s your first day, I suggest you watch your tone.” Charlotte cuts Ember off, her tone hardening as Ember’s cheeks redden. “As an employee of Sun House we appreciate versatility. One Old Fashioned, tout suite.”

Ember drops our staring competition, her head whipping to Charlotte. “But I don’t?—”

“Do what he says, or don’t come back.”

Ember glances at Beau, and I can feel the heat of his gaze. But fuck him, I’m not here for that weirdo. “Alright,” Ember sighs, her eyes back on mine as Charlotte ushers us into the lounge. Moving past her, I knock over everything I can off the table with my index finger, one by one. Pens. Papers. Books.

“Real mature,” Beau says.

“Fuck you, Beau,” Hannah retorts. “And those macarons. You could’ve killed me.”

“Seems like those macarons fucked you instead,” he laughs. Hannah’s an idiot. There’s no way I’d take something from that guy. The real question is why the fuck is he protecting Ember?

Walking by Beau, I move closer and he flinches. “Go home, Beau. This isn’t about you.”

“Leave her alone,” he says. “Her being here isn’t about you either.”

I beg to fucking differ. “That’s my only warning.”

Hannah and her posse follow me to the stone coffee table surrounded by two velvet sofas near the back of the room. Settling in, my eyes stay on Ember as she moves to the large wooden bar, Beau following.

Ember stares at the bottles lining the shelves, dim lights shining on that freckled face.

“Hurry up.” I call, her shoulders going to her ears. “I’m impatient.”

Hannah talks about some fashion show, but her words drown out by the blood rushing to my ears as Beau leans into Ember, whispering. She nods, grabbing a bottle of bourbon and a small bottle of bitters.

“Make it a double,” I call and I don’t miss the way she rolls her eyes. Watching her every move only makes my skin hotter, my muscles tighter. And when she walks over in that getup with that tray, it’s extra hard to keep my composure.

A wrong move here will spread through The Hill and get back to my father and well… I can’t have that. Not right now. I’m right where I need to be, ready to get back on the team. Ready to follow my path. There’s just one last surprise to address.

Bang!

Ember slams the black serving tray on the stone, liquid spilling over the whiskey glass. “We appreciate your patience here at Sun House,” she says, not even trying to hide her fake tone.

“That won’t do,” I say, pushing the tray back towards her with my middle finger. “Make it again.”

Her plump lips twist. “You haven’t even tried it.”

“I know what an Old Fashioned is and that ain’t it.” I can see the muscles in her neck tighten, but I’m only getting started. “Make. It. Again.”

She glances at Charlotte, watching her from the French doors leading to the patio. Ember lets out a breath of hot air, her cheeks puffing before she swivels on those… is she wearing heels?

My eyes stay on her ass as it sways back and forth beneath that blazer. And while her very presence makes her stand out in The Hill, no one here has curves like that. Her frame is impossible to ignore, but deadly, like a siren’s song.

She’s angrier when making my drink this time. I can tell by how she slams the bottles back in place and how she pours way more than a double into a glass. Her steps are more ferocious when she walks back to the table, Hannah cackling with her friends beside me.

“Here.” Another glass slams on our table.

“Again.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“You really want to know what you look like?” Her hands slam on the table, her face coming close enough to mine to smell the mint off her breath. Someone clears their throat from across the room and something tells me that”s meant for Ember from Charlotte.

There’s just one thing, Charlotte. This battle is mine.

Leaning in further, my lips hang an inch from hers. “Let me tell you what you’ll look like if you don’t make me another.” My voice lowers but it booms enough for her to hear. “A wet, blubbering mess. I’ll have your face drenched with spit, tears and my cum while you gasp for air, but I won’t give it to you.” Moving my lips away from hers, they graze her ears. “I won’t stop until you beg me to, but you can’t with the onslaught of me so deep in your throat I’ll ruin your vocal cords.”

“You’re fucking sick,” she whispers, her voice trembling.

“So are you, because something tells me you’ll like that,” I push. “Want to prove me wrong?”

“Ahem!”Charlotte clears her throat again.

Ember straightens up, gracing me with a fiery glare as something shifts in my pants.

Give in.

“Chop, chop,” Hannah teases before Ember moves back to the bar with her fists clenched.

She’s losing patience.

“Make it three,” I call. “In case you fuck it up again.”

She stops in her path and I wonder if she’ll throw in the towel right here before Beau beckons her to the bar. I’ll have to do something about him. Later.

Hannah asks me about one of my father’s events but I don’t answer. My eyes stay on Ember and this time, she’s a little more attentive as Beau directs her from the sidelines again. When she’s back, she places the tray of three drinks without a word. Then she starts to walk away.

“Ah, ah. Not so fast,” I call her back, crooking my finger. “I want you to watch.”

She looks over her shoulder. “I’m not making that again.”

“Let’s hope not, but I don’t think you have much choice, you see, I’m in charge here or haven’t you noticed?” She doesn’t move as I raise a hand, calling to Charlotte. “I’ll let your boss remind you.”

She stomps over to our table, a fire roaring through me when she grabs my hand, pulling it down. “You already took everything from me and now you want to take my job?”

“Touch me again, and I’ll remind you what taking away everything from you means.”

“Am I missing something?” Hannah leans over.

Neither of us responds as my hand wraps around the first glass. We’re back to our staring war as I swirl the contents around, ice cubes clinking. Ember watches as I pull the glass to my nose. The mix of whiskey and bitter orange takes over, releasing me from the intense smell of her.

Placing the glass on the stone, her shoulders fall, the tension in her face softening.

With the tip of my finger, I knock the glass over.

It splashes across the table and onto the wooden floor. Some lands on her face, her shoulders rising right back to her ears.

“Strike one,” I say as her lips curl. She glances at Charlotte still watching her. She’s trapped and I smirk as I grab the next one. “Strike Two?” I cock a brow, pulling the drink to my lips before taking a long sip. Bitter sweetness flows over my tongue before I nod, her face softening again.

Then I let it out.

The liquor spews from my mouth right onto her face, dripping onto that blazer I know she can’t afford. “It’s fucking disgusting.”

“You can’t treat me this way,” Ember says, her voice taught as liquid drips down her cheek onto her dewy lips. “You can’t treat anyone this way. Or are you too starved for Daddy’s attention to realize?”

That smirk stays on my face, realizing how much I rile her up. Reaching for the last glass, she swipes at it first. “What’s the matter?” I ask. “You rather make that again for me, Butterfly? You like doing what I say, don’t you? Like a good little slut?”

Hannah screams as cold splashes over me.

“You can take your orders and fucking shove it McKinsley.” Blinking through the drink pouring down my face, Ember’s eyes feel like hot lasers as my muscles tense. “You don’t own me or what I do. Ever. Got it?”

“Ember!” Charlotte’s voice comes across the room but I’m already on my feet, pushing the entire coffee table over.

When I step forward, she steps back. Everyone else disappears. “Apologize,” I demand.

“Fuck you,” she spits.

“Ember!” Charlotte calls again but I don’t know where she is, all I see is her. “Apologize to Mister McKinsley.” She doesn’t, her chest heaving as she glares at me. “Now. Or you can say toodles to this job.”

She looks around the silent room. The Xx’s “Intro” is the only thing I hear besides the thuds of my heart. “I’m waiting,” I chide, my eyes dropping to those perky nipples hardening under her wet jumper. Moving my eyes back to hers, I stick my tongue out to catch the rest of the drink dropping off my face. Those eyes land on my tongue as I move it across my lips.

She mumbles, “I’m sorry.” It’s a quiet apology. And that’s not good enough.

“You’re what?” I bark, her shoulders rising again.

“I’m sorry,” she mocks.

“On your knees.”

“The fuck?”

“On. Your. Knees,” I repeat, enunciating each word so she and everyone else can hear me. “Now.”

“Fuck you,” she spits. “No.”

“Looks like our Valley Vermin doesn’t want this job, does she?” Hannah chimes in, likely relishing in Ember’s humiliation.

Ember moves to her knees, glancing around her. When she looks up at me, my cock jumps in my pants but I ignore it. “Apologize,” I say again. “Louder.”

“I said I’m sorry,” she mutters. I move closer, towering over her as she glowers back at me with those big bloodstone eyes.

“Sorry, who?”

Charlotte’s voice comes from beside me. “Malcolm, we don’t need all that do we?” She must’ve made her way over to temper the drama for the sake of the members.

“Stay out of it, Charlotte, or I’ll have a word with my father.”

Charlotte sighs, “Whatever you’re doing, make it quick.”

Good, that means Ember on her knees is all mine. “Now.” I take one more step closer to Ember until I can feel her breath against the outline of my cock. Her eyes fall to it. “Sorry, who?”

Her voice trembles as she glances around. With another gulp, she speaks, “I’m sorry, Ma?—”

“Unh, unh, Butterfly. Look at me when you say it.”

Her eyes flick up to me again, her mouth twisted before she takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Mac.” Another twitch in my pants comes with how she says my name, that hard-c with emphasis. “Are you?”

“I am.”

“Say it again.”

She grits her teeth. “I’m sorry, Mac.”

“I can’t hear you.” Before I know it my thumb is in her mouth, landing on her tongue. Her saliva on my skin makes it ten times warmer in this room. I hate her so much my skin feels like the depths of a volcano. It only intensifies when I pull her jaw open and stare into those eyes. “Speak up.”

Her words muffle when she speaks. “I’m sorry, Mac.”

“Do you want this job?” She looks around her again before I use my two free fingers to slap against her cheek. “I’m talking to you, Butterfly.” She tries to pull away but pushing down on her tongue, pulls her closer to me. “Do you want this job?”

“Yes.”

“Yes who?”

“Yes, Mac.”

Fuck. My cock gets harder hearing her respond to me with obedience. Then a harsh pain rips through my thumb. “What the fuck!”

She fucking bit me.

My hand whips to her hair, wrapping it around my fist. “You better fucking beg, Butterfly.” I pull her closer to me until her knees lift off the shiny wooden floor and my mouth is by her ear. “You better fucking beg that I don’t drag you out of here by your hair and bend you over the hood of my fucking car and spank you until your ass is a different colour for what you just did.” She gasps, another coming from behind me. Hannah’s. But I’m too far gone. “Beg.”

“Mac!” Someone calls but I don’t know who it is. I don’t care.

She yanks back and I yank harder. “Beg you fucking whore.”

“Mac,” Ember’s hands land around my wrist. It only fuels the fire within. “P-please…”

Pressing her face to my jeans, I know she can feel how hard I am and I hope she’s thinking about what I said I’d do. Her breath makes my cock jump against her face and the way she looks up at me means she’s noticed. “Plead you fucking Valley vermin.”

Charlotte’s loud shriek rings through my ear, “Enough!”

Fuck.

The room comes crashing back and as I look around me, everyone has their eyes on us.

Unravelling her hair from my fist, her knees touch the ground again. She heaves over, gasping for air as Charlotte looks down at Ember. “As for you, you”re fired.”