Chapter 22
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
EMERSON
“Who. Did. This?” Holden gritted out the words, the sound sexier than what should be allowed. His eyes held me hostage, and all the turmoil of the past week and night boiled over and finally broke free. Tears pooled in my eyes and my lip trembled. I tried to suck the emotion back in, but it was a lost cause.
Holden’s big hands captured my face and tilted it up. His thumbs brushed away my tears, softer than I expected him capable of.
“Wildcat,” he whispered.
That one word killed me. How I wished we could go back to the night we met, when he called me that without any of the animosity the word held now.
“No. Don’t call me that.” He let out a deep breath, his voice still low.
“Talk to me, Emerson. Tell me what happened.”
“Why do you care?” I fired back, hating how weak I felt in front of him. “You’ve ignored me most of the week. Go back to that.” I pushed him away. His touch was too much right now .
Instantly, his concern morphed into anger, and I felt vindicated. I didn’t want his gentle touch. Not when he’d been so dismissive all week. To feel it now hurt too much.
“You drive me fucking crazy!” Holden’s nostrils flared, and his hands twitched at his side.
“Good! You deserve it for the shit you’ve pulled.”
“Me?” His eyes widened, like he had no idea what I meant.
“Yes, you. I never know if I’m getting hot or cold Holden. One minute, you want me, and we’re playing sex chicken, and the next, you ignore me like I’m nothing. That what we shared wasn’t more than a hook-up. That I’m…” My words trailed off, the vulnerability overwhelming me.
“And you’re any better? One minute you’re taunting me with no panties, and the next, you’re fucking Cody!”
“I’m not fucking Cody! I haven’t fucked anyone since you. Not that it’s any of your business.”
His eyes darkened, and he stepped forward, pressing me against the counter. My breath hitched, and I gripped the marble behind me.
“Lies. Someone gave you this. If it wasn’t Cody, then who?” His thumb pressed against the hickey from Colter. It was barely visible now, just a slight discoloration at this point.
“Grow up, Holden. You don’t own me.”
He ignored me, his eyes focused on the mark. “Were you with him tonight? Did you spread your legs for him before or after he gave you this?”
“You’re a fucking asshole.”
“Answer the question, Emerson.”
“Make me.” It wasn’t the brightest remark, but Holden’s dominance made the brat in me come out to play. Deep down, I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, and I needed to direct my anger at someone.
He growled and his hands landed on my hips a second before he lifted me to the counter. My legs spread naturally for him, and he crowded into the space, caging me in with his arms. His head blocked the light, casting a glow around him, making Holden the only thing I saw, smelled, and felt. My breaths came rapidly at his nearness, eager to know what he’d do next.
“Give me a name, Emerson .”
“It’s none of your business, Holden .”
His hands moved to my thighs, pressing them further apart. I still wore my short dance shorts, and Holden used it to his advantage. His thumbs grazed over the exposed flesh, and I bit my lip to hold the moan back. I hated how responsive my body was to him.
“Last time I’m asking.”
I tilted my chin up, defiance I wished I’d had earlier spilling out. “Fuck. You.”
Holden growled, and it reverberated through my body like a siren call. He yanked me down, spun me around, and pressed my front into the counter. Dropping to his knees, he pulled my shorts off quicker than I ever managed and lifted my knee.
Cool air hit my exposed pussy, and I shuddered in relief. I needed his desire and touch to remind me who I was.
“This fucking ass,” he moaned, squeezing my cheek in his hand before rubbing his stubble against it. “I’ll show you how wrong you are, Wildcat.” He licked me from clit to taint, stealing my breath and resolve. “You’re fucking glistening. This better be all for me.”
I whimpered, loving his naughty words and needing his touch.
“You want more?” he taunted, lightly ghosting a finger over my labia.
“Yes. I need more. Please,” I begged.
He stood and stared at me in the mirror. Our pupils were blown, and I caught his erection pressing against his boxer briefs.
“Tell me who gave you the hickey, and I’ll make you forget their name, Wildcat.”
I whimpered, a fight waging inside me. Was it worth it to keep Colter’s name? Part of me felt guilty, but we hadn’t made any claims. Until then, I was free to be with whoever I wanted. At least, that was how I thought dating worked. I’d never done it before.
Pride wanted to keep it from Holden, to have something over him. But the desire raging inside me needed to forget what happened tonight, and Holden’s dick was the perfect way to do that. Taking a deep breath, I let go of the piece I held, promising myself I’d get another one. I just had to pray he wouldn’t stop what he’d started when I told him the truth.
“Colter,” I whispered.
I expected Holden to be angry, to call me names, or to accuse me of sleeping with his friend to get to him. Instead, his eyes heated more, and he smirked. Holden nuzzled my neck and then sucked on the skin… hard .
Gasping, my head fell back, giving him more room to work. I held his head to me, not wanting him to escape. My legs shook and my body trembled from the sensations he pulled. With each swipe of his tongue, he erased Ricky’s touch and replaced it with his.
When he was satisfied with his mark, he dropped back to the floor and dove into my wet cunt. I fell forward at the force; my body overcome with pleasure as his stubble burned me in the best way.
His tongue and fingers plundered me and sent me over my peak at record speed. When he stood, my cum covered his face, and he looked more smug than I’d ever seen him. Holden pressed his erection into me, and my eyes shuddered closed at the reminder of how big he was.
“Let’s see if Colter can outmatch that one,” he whispered, and my eyes flew open. Unbridled heat scorched me, his eyes molten blue orbs. His fingers grazed my stomach, and he lifted my hoodie, slowly revealing the tight shirt I wore underneath. His eyes ran over every inch of me as he ran his thumbs across my nipples.
“So many secrets, Wildcat.”
Shaking my head no, I answered his unasked question, shocking us both. “I was at work.” The thought of him thinking I was out doing other things didn’t sit right with me.
“You got a job?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Holden’s eyes searched mine, and I could see the questions flitting through his mind, but he kept them to himself.
“I need a shower,” I admitted when I spotted the shimmer on my arms. Holden’s stare burned with intensity, and I worried he’d walk away. I didn’t want him to, but the urge to wash the remnants of the night was stronger. We’d somehow entered into a truce without saying any of the words needed, and I wasn’t ready to go back to hating him.
He lifted my shirt off me, my body now completely naked before him. “After. I need you more.” He pressed his boxers down, his cock bouncing up once it was free. I wanted to argue, but with his cock pointing at me, it was hard to think. Holden opened a drawer and pulled out a condom, ripped it open, and rolled it on.
All I could do was stare as he gripped my hips and lifted me entirely onto the counter, turning me to face the mirror, and spreading my knees as he stepped behind me. He held me there, his hands roaming over me as I watched in the mirror. He lined himself up, and without words, he pushed in. The first press of him inside was intense. His cock stretched my walls as he continued to sink in. His fingers flexed against my hips, and his chin rested on my shoulder once he bottomed out.
We stared at each other, our eyes saying things we couldn’t. It probably should be weird to see myself this closely during sex. Every inch of me was on display: my stretch marks, my stomach rolls, and my thunder thighs. Then there were my nipples I worried were too big, and my breasts that were uneven. Staring at myself this closely triggered my self-consciousness, but Holden’s gaze made me feel anything but.
Reaching back, I wrapped my arm around his head and turned him to me. This time, we stared at one another without the shield of the mirror. His eyes bounced between mine, and his tongue peeked out, licking his lips. His aquamarine eyes were open, reminding me of the night we met that I was resistant to keeping my guard up, and my body relaxed completely into his.
Pulling his lips to mine, I took what I wanted, exploring his mouth with my tongue and drinking in everything he had to offer. Finally, Holden moved, taking me by surprise when he snapped his hips forward. Gasping, I broke our kiss and held on for dear life as he took over.
His thrusts were frantic, like he expected me to disappear if he didn’t fuck me fast enough. His cock hit me deep, my body building back to another orgasm with each thrust. I watched us in the mirror as his cock slid in and out of my wet folds. My body was flushed all over, with added red marks from his fingertips and kisses.
I looked good with his marks on me.
My fingers played with the hair at his nape, tickling my palms, and his eyes rolled back. I love that. When they sprung open, they landed on the marks on my wrist, and something different came over him.
“Hands on the mirror, Wildcat. Watch how good I look fucking you.” He pressed me forward, and I fell to the mirror, my hands making handprints on the glass as Holden moved quicker and harder than I thought possible. My knees teetered on the edge of the sink, almost slipping in with each thrust.
Our gasping breaths filled the bathroom, accompanied by our skin slapping against one another and the squeak of my hands as they shifted against the mirror. Arousal hung heavy in the air, and sweat clung to our bodies. Holden’s fingers dug into me and I knew I’d have new marks there tomorrow. It didn’t take long for my body to grow taut, and my orgasm neared as he unleashed himself.
“What do you do to me?” he whispered, his lips skimming over my shoulder.
“I… I…” I shook my head, unable to answer except for a whimper.
“I got you, Wildcat.” He spread my legs wider on the counter and my muscles protested at the stretch. But when he pressed in, hitting me deeper, I suddenly didn’t care.
“I love seeing you spread open for me. Watching your greedy pussy take my cock is the hottest thing. Then I see my marks on you, and I get harder, imagining my best friend’s eyes when he spots it.” He shuddered, his thrusts becoming more erratic, and I reached back to grip his ribs. His words turned me on, and I wondered what being with both of them would be like. His finger brushed over my clit, the bundle of nerves electrifying at his touch.
“You like that, too. Don’t you, Wildcat?” he growled, nipping my ear. I whimpered, but nodded. Holden gave a deep chuckle, his hips picking up speed and snapping forward with force.
“Yes, yes, fuck. Holden!” I screamed, my orgasm slamming into me. Holden’s thrusts lost rhythm, and he squeezed me, his head falling back as he came.
“Fuck, Wildcat. Your pussy is squeezing me so tight. I can’t get it out of my head.”
I panted, my head spinning from the orgasm. I wanted to believe his words meant something, but I was too scared to want more than he offered. Holden had power over me; if I gave it to him, I might never recover. One Adler had already burned me; I couldn’t take two.
He kissed my collarbone before slowly pulling out. The loss of him sent my head into a tailspin, and reality swarmed me. We shouldn’t have done that. Now everything would be more complicated.
I moved to a sitting position on the counter and covered myself. I held my wrists in my hands, staring at the marks. The reminder of how he’d held me rushed back, and I closed my eyes.
“Wildcat,” Holden whispered, brushing a tear I hadn’t realized had fallen away. “Tell me.”
I shook my head. I couldn’t.
Using his knuckle, he lifted my chin. “Let me take care of you, then.”
I held his eyes, and nothing but sincerity poured out. I wanted his comfort. Nodding, I let him pull me off the counter and into his arms. He stepped into the shower and set my feet down, hot water falling over me.
Damn. I hadn’t noticed the shower running. How out of it was I? Holden picked up my loofah and squirted his body wash on it.
“I have my own,” I whispered.
“I know. I want you to smell like me. Just give me this one thing, Emerson.”
My insides heated, and I tried to tamp down the warmth that crept in at those words. With tender movements, Holden washed me. He took extra care with my wrists, kissing each mark. Delicately, he washed my hair and massaged my scalp, releasing the terror that had gripped me earlier.
With each brush of his fingers, he washed away the memory of Ricky and erased his touch from my mind, replacing it with his. It meant more to me than he’d ever know .
Holden turned off the water and smirked. “I’d towel you off, but apparently, I only need a washcloth.” He gestured down at his impressive dick hanging between his legs, lifting an eyebrow.
“Hmm, maybe a hand towel,” I said.
He laughed, a real one that filled my heart and gave me the air I needed. Smiling, I stepped into my room and grabbed two towels. He stayed in the door, his eyes tracking over my space. I handed one to him and moved to use mine, but he took it too and knelt to dry my legs.
The act wasn’t lost on me—the great Holden Adler on his knees, drying my legs. If only Hope could see him, that would steal her thunder.
The reminder of his sister, my arch-nemesis, sobered me, and I stopped his hands, taking it back. “Thank you.”
“Already going back to hating me?” he said.
“Still believe I bullied Hope?” I volleyed back. Holden’s jaw tensed, and his eyes were conflicted, but he said nothing. “That’s what I thought. Thank you for before, but I’m good.”
Holden stood, towering over me, and I swallowed. The ink on his ribs flashed before I could peek at it, adding to the allure he held. He was too damn gorgeous. Every muscle was sculpted and hard, not an inch of fat on his body. I wished I had the skill to replicate it, but I didn’t even think the world’s greatest artist could get Holden’s body right. Holden’s jaw twitched, and he flexed his fingers, letting out a big exhale.
“Was Hope the one who sent out the video?”
His question shocked me. I hadn’t expected him to come out and say it, much less know about the video. I opened my mouth but nothing came out, so I closed it and turned my back to him to dry my hair and willed my body to stop shaking. Holden’s hands landed on my shoulder, stilling my movements.
“I want to believe you, Wildcat. I do. But I need something if I’m going to accuse my sister of lying. ”
Against my better judgment, I answered. “Yes.” My voice was small, but I’d said it, and that was what counted.
“Fuck.” The word came out in a hiss, and I braced myself, preparing for his wrath. Instead, he wrapped me in his arms and finished drying me off. “What else do you need before you sleep?” he asked.
“I need to brush my hair, or it will be a mess.”
He moved and plucked a brush off my dresser. “This one?” he asked.
I nodded, and he pulled me to the bed and sat me on the edge. Then Holden Adler brushed my hair, shocking the hell out of me. I didn’t know how to take sweet Holden. Had it really been that simple? Tell him the truth, and he’d believe me?
When he finished, he dried himself off, running the towel through his hair, and then hung both on the back of my door. He held out his hand to me, and I took it.
“Let’s sleep. We’ll figure it out in the morning.”
With that, I let him pull back my covers and climb in behind me. His warm body cocooned me, and I fell asleep wrapped in his arms, praying that this time, when we woke up, it wouldn’t end in tears.