Chapter 52
The morning sun shines through the purple curtains, casting a violet shadow across the floor. I tug at the hem of my skirt, trying to decide if it’s too short for me.
“It’s not going to get any longer, no matter how much you pull on it,” Raven says. She watches me from her bed with a textbook propped open in her lap, her mouth twisted in amusement. “But your legs are banging.”
“Thanks.”
“Is that skirt for X? Better access and all that?”
I meet her gaze, and a flush spreads over my cheeks. “No, it’s for me. I’m feeling sexy today.”
When I look at myself in the mirror, I see the same face, but underneath I’m a completely different person. The woman who stares back at me has a sparkle in her eyes, a sensual smile, and her shoulders back with confidence. Xavier put those there.
“You know, you never confirmed if he’s as hung as people say.” When I shoot her a look, she shrugs. “You can’t blame Sherlock for gathering clues.”
My flush spreads, crawling down my neck. “I’m going to confirm, and then we’re never going to speak about it again. Yes, he’s huge.”
I feel the aftereffects of him fucking me every time I take a step. It reminds me of what happened between us, and then my pussy flutters, making everything worse. I’m going to have to take pain killers all day.
“I fucking knew it,” Raven says with a salacious grin. “I’m happy for you. Insanely jealous but happy.”
I duck my head. “Thanks. Are you sure this skirt isn’t too short?”
Raven waves a hand. “Nah, you look amazing.”
“I’ll see you in the library this afternoon?”
“Yeah,” she says. “As long as you don’t ditch me for your boyfriend.”
I’m of half a mind to tell her that Xavier and I aren’t together like that, but the truth doesn’t matter. June said that the best lies are steeped in truth, and I’m going to run with that.
“I won’t. See you in a bit.”
I grab my backpack and sling my purse over my shoulder before walking out of the door. As I make my way down the hallway and outside, I retrieve my cell phone. My eyes widen at the number of texts waiting for me. Seeing Xavier’s name on the screen has my heart beating faster.
Xavier: That skirt is too short.
Xavier: Take it off or I will.
Xavier: I mean it, little raptor.
Xavier: Answer me.
I look at the time on my phone and bite my lip. If I go back upstairs and change, then I’ll be late for class. Xavier is going to have to be pissed.
Xavier: Stop biting your lip. Unless you’re trying to get me to fuck myself. I don’t think the professor would appreciate that.
Delilah: How do you know what I’m wearing and what I’m doing? Stalker much?
Xavier: It’s not stalking when I own you.
Delilah: ??
Xavier: Your legs and that pussy between them are mine.
Delilah: What about the rest of me?
Xavier: Every. Single. Inch.
I hurriedly text him back as I walk through the doors of my first class. The way he talks to me makes me angry, but also turns me on. I don’t understand him or myself.
Delilah: I can’t change until after my second class. I don’t have the time.
Xavier: If you don’t change, I’ll punish you.
Delilah: You want me to suck your dick again? Maybe I’ll like it.
Xavier: If that’s the case, then you’ll love what comes next.
Delilah: Don’t you know what a joke is?
He doesn’t reply to my text, and I’m left wondering if his words are a promise or a threat.
I’m quick to dismiss all thoughts of Xavier as I take my seat and retrieve my laptop.
Luckily for me, my first class goes by quickly after taking notes for an hour straight. When I get up to leave, I find that the painkillers have done their job, and I haul ass to Professor Ames’s class.
Dread coats the inside of my stomach, making me queasy. I haven’t seen him in class since I became Xavier’s bride. I’m sure he was there for the Crow’s Covenant ceremony, but he was wearing a mask like everyone else, hiding his identity. Meanwhile, I was sitting there with Xavier’s cum on my back.
My face burns as I walk into the lecture hall. I settle in the chair at the very end of the room, putting as much distance between us as possible. After triple-checking that my phone is on silent, I wait for class to begin.
The second Professor Ames strides into the room, my embarrassment morphs into irritation. This man falsely accused me of cheating and forced me into signing a contract that gave Xavier the right to control me. Righteous indignation rises in me, and I grit my teeth while keeping my eyes on my computer screen.
Another student drops into the chair next to me. I ignore him, but he doesn’t do the same. His gaze slides over me, pausing on my legs before traveling back up to my breasts. When his eyes meet mine, he grins.
“You look familiar,” he says. “Have we met?”
I shake my head.
“Maybe we should. I’m Victor.”
“I’m not interested,” I whisper, giving him a pointed stare.
“Too bad. You look like you’d be fun.”
I silently fume the entire lecture. By the time class ends, I’m more than ready to get the hell out of here. I shove my personal belongings into my backpack and head toward the door.
Victor falls into step beside me, his long legs easily keeping up with my fast pace. I glare up at him.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I was hoping you’d let me take you out on a date.”
“My boyfriend wouldn’t like that,” I say.
It’s not a lie exactly. Xavier may not be my boyfriend, but he definitely wouldn’t like me dating someone else. Even having this type of conversation with another man is enough to piss him off.
As if conjured by my thoughts, my phone pings, notifying me about a text from Xavier.
Xavier: Tell him to fuck off, or I will.
Delilah: Seriously, how do you know what’s happening?
Xavier: It doesn’t matter. Get rid of him.
Victor glances at my phone and shrugs. “I’m not worried about your boyfriend.”
“You should be.”
“Why? What’s the worst he’ll do? Fight me?”
I snort. “No.” More like kill you. “Listen, I’m not going to tell you again: I’m not interested.”
He exhales, a mixture of frustration and resignation. “Whatever. You know where to find me if you change your mind.”
“I won’t,” I mutter.
I make my way across campus to the library, eager to get away from stupid men and their presumptions about me. Another text notification lights up my phone, and I check it with a sigh.
Xavier: Is he gone?
Delilah: As my stalker, shouldn’t you know the answer to that?
Xavier: Don’t push me.
With a grin, I step inside the library. The atmosphere relieves me of my tension, and I relax a little. After a few minutes I locate Raven sitting at one of the many tables in the center of the large room, a coffee next to her notebook.
“Ready to study?” I ask.
“Meh.”
I almost laugh. “I don’t want to either, but it’s part of the college experience, right?”
“I’d rather shove a pinecone up my ass.”
We settle into our study session, flipping through textbooks and jotting down notes. It’s a comfortable silence, punctuated by the occasional whisper from nearby students and the shuffle of turning pages. I’m so absorbed in my task that the rest of the world falls away.
Until the energy in the air shifts.
It starts with a glance, then another, until it feels like the entire library is looking at me. My skin prickles with anxiety, and a knot forms in my stomach. I try to shake off the sensation of being watched, telling myself that I’m paranoid and imagining things.
Raven snaps up her head, her gaze scanning the area. “What the fuck is everyone staring at?”
I shrug.
“The fire alarm isn’t going off, but everyone looks like their asshole is burning.”
She scrunches her face in confusion, her brows knitting together. Her cell phone makes a buzzing sound, and she unlocks the screen, her eyes darting back and forth.
“Blimey!”
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Well, my dear Watson, it looks as though we have a case on our hands.”
I frown. “What?”
“Xavier just updated his relationship status.”
“Huh?”
“He made it official. You two are ‘in a relationship.’” She glances around the room before returning her attention back to me. “Apparently, everyone is freaking the fuck out. It’s the first time he’s ever done that, and I’ve known him since middle school.”
She shoves her phone in my face. The display is on the social media site, and she taps the profile picture. Sure enough, a status update is the first thing I see.
Xavier Donovan: Obsessed Delilah Scott.
Relationship: Taken.
Comment: Delilah is mine. Everyone else can fuck off.
“Bloody hell,” I mumble, my accent horrible compared to Raven’s.
She laughs and throws her arm around me, pulling me close. I want to disappear when she clears her throat.
“Listen up everyone, my roomie here has the magic pussy that snatched X. Pun intended. Now, be good boys and girls and mind your fucking business. Please and thank you.”
My cheeks burn, and I stare down at her phone, blinking in disbelief. The post has only been up for two minutes, but it already has hundreds of likes and shares. Raven drops her arm and turns to me.
“So, are you going to move in with him now?”
I shake my head. “No, I need my own space.”
“You’re always welcome in the den of poetic chaos.”
“Thank you. Do you think we can go back to studying?”
“Erm… I don’t think so, Watson.”
She angles her head, and I follow the unspoken direction to find Xavier standing a few feet away.