Chapter 32
CHAPTER
THIRTY-TWO
EMERSON
“I can’t believe you’re actually studying,” Cody mumbled. He slumped into his chair and pouted.
“If I don’t study now, I’ll never get this done. I work tonight, and there’s a game tomorrow. You should be applauding me.”
He slow-clapped, smirking at me. “Speaking of work.” He sat up, his face full of eagerness now. “You going to let me come watch yet?”
I shook my head and returned to my work. I only had a few more questions to finish. “Knew I’d regret telling you.”
“Nah, you love me, Peanut.”
“You’re tolerable.”
I smiled, lifting my eyes to his. Cody had been my rock all week. The attention had only grown from that first class, especially after Hope didn’t return to campus and word spread that she’d withdrawn.
Cody had walked me to class when Colter wasn’t free and kept people from bombarding me. The only benefit of the added attention was that there were so many people around me now in Astronomy it kept Icky Ricky away .
How sad was it that out of everything that happened last weekend, he was the least of my worries now?
Wolfette practice had improved the rest of the week, and I’d been given a different locker, thanks to Leigh. Our uniform for this week had arrived, and I’d already ensured it hadn’t been tampered with. Several of the girls had taken to wearing football jerseys during practice, much to Kimmy’s dismay. It had become an unofficial claiming, a way for the dancers to display who they were sleeping with that week. I hadn’t worn Holden’s again, but it didn’t mean the gossip mill hadn’t speculated on it.
Thankfully, Club Ember was immune to Hayward gossip, and no one had approached me there. Having a place where I wasn’t the center of attention was comforting.
“Would you look at the time! I need to go,” Cody said, shoving his stuff in his bag. “See you tomorrow, Peanut.” He stood and kissed my cheek. “Oh, hey, Colter. Didn’t see you there.”
I snorted. Cody was a lot of things, but an actor was not one of them. “Bye, Cody.”
Colter smiled, his eyes trailing over my body as he approached. “Hey, Mer.”
How did my name sound so indecent from his mouth? I leaned forward, my boobs spilling forward, and bit my lip. I hadn’t stayed with him last night, and I missed it. Not that we had sex every night, but it was comforting to have him next to me. But he’d had a big test today, and my dad had asked me to come home. It had seemed like the right choice, but looking at him now, I regretted missing out on his cuddles.
“How did your test go?”
“Good. I think I aced it.”
“You know, I might need some help with one of my subjects. Do you think you could spare some time to tutor me? ”
His grin widened. “I’m sure we could work something out.”
“Perfect. Are you free now?”
He glanced at his watch. “Would you look at that! I am!”
I giggled. “I think the book I need is at the back of this floor.”
His eyes heated, and he stood. “Lead the way, sweetheart.”
I quickly shoved all my belongings into my bag and lifted it over my shoulder. I’d learned my lesson by leaving it unattended. I wouldn’t do that again.
Colter followed me down the rows of books. I didn’t see anyone else on this floor; partly why I’d chosen it in the first place, so I could study in peace. The fact it worked for Colter’s fantasy was a bonus.
I dropped my bag in the last row and pretended to look at the books on the shelves. “Hmm, I can’t remember which book it was. Do you?” I asked.
Colter trapped my body against the books and braced his arms on the upper shelves. He leaned down and kissed my neck, and I shivered. “I missed you last night, Merbear.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Then show me.”
I tilted my hips back and nudged his front with my ass. He growled and steadied me with his hands. His hands roamed, cupping my breasts and squeezing. My head fell back on his shoulder, and I bit my lip to keep my moan quiet. His hand kept roaming and lifted the plaid skirt I’d worn today. Totally not on purpose. Not at all.
“You look so hot in this skirt. I would’ve failed my test if I’d seen you before class.” His hands trailed over my panties, his touch light and exploring, but I wanted— no, needed —more.
Whimpering, I shifted my hips so he hit me where I wanted. Reaching back, I gripped his hip and pulled him closer. His cock was hard as steel against my ass cheeks. Looking up at him, I drank in his darkened orbs as he breached my panties. The first touch of his finger was heaven, and I spread my legs further apart for him.
“You’re so wet, Mer. I could slide inside you right now, couldn’t I?”
I nodded, wanting that. “Please, Col.”
“You want that, sweetheart? Do you want me to fuck you here? Where anyone could stumble upon us?”
“ Yes ,” I begged. I rolled my hips into his hand; the sensation of him behind me and finger fucking me was everything. I didn’t care where we were or if we were caught. I just needed Colter inside me. Now.
Spinning, I unbuttoned his pants and pulled his cock free. I stroked him from root to tip before he protested. Colter slammed his mouth to mine, giving me his moan. He gripped my hips and lifted me up, leaning my ass on the edge of an empty shelf. I clung to him as we kissed, his hands working to roll on a condom and pull my panties to the side. Wrapping my legs around his waist, he lined his cock up and slid in.
We worked to move together, but with each thrust, the bookshelf shook, and the books wobbled. The angle was awkward, and I worried I’d fall. All of it made it hard to enjoy.
“Okay, this was hotter in my head,” he said. I giggled, but didn’t deny it. “Let’s try it a different way.”
He lowered me to the ground, and I shimmied my panties down before placing my hands against the wall. “How about this?”
“Yes,” he growled. Colter lifted my skirt and smoothed his hand over the globes. Spreading them apart, he lined his cock up and thrust in. My eyes rolled back at the intrusion. His piercing hit me perfectly, and I turned my head to moan into my shoulder. Colter picked up his pace and thrust into me quicker. The slap of our skin could be heard, along with our quiet grunts. If anyone stepped onto the floor, it would be obvious what we were doing, but neither of us cared.
“Oh, god. So good,” I moaned.
“I can never get enough of you, Mer. I’ve become addicted to being inside you.” He pumped his hips harder, and I lost all sense of reality. Tingles ran up my legs, and my orgasm built higher with each thrust. His balls hit my clit in tandem with the piercing inside, adding that extra pleasure only Colter could bring. My arms gave out, and I fell forward as I came.
“Yes, yes, yes,” I moaned.
Colter followed me, grunting out as he came and panting in my ear as he held me up.
“That was even better than I imagined.” He kissed me softly, holding my head in his hands. “Best reward ever.” His smile unarmed me, and I giggled.
He pulled out and tugged off the condom, tying it before he pulled up his jeans. I righted my clothes and smoothed down my hair. Sweat coated my neck, and my panties were ruined, but at least I was done for the day. I’d have to change before work, anyway.
Smiling, we gathered our things and ensured there wasn’t any evidence of what we’d done. As fun as it was, I didn’t want Colter to get in trouble and lose his work study.
Colter held my hand the whole way to my car. It hadn’t been discussed, but someone always walked me to my car. I didn’t hate it. It helped me not to panic about finding something.
“You done for the day?” I asked.
“I’m going to work for a few hours. I have a paper I need to review, too.”
“Life of the studious.” I smiled and turned in his arms. “I promise to stop by and kiss you before the game tomorrow. ”
“I can’t wait.” He smiled so wide my heart lifted out of my chest. It was official; Colter Donovan had just stolen it.
With a quick peck, I climbed into my car and waved once my seatbelt was on. Colter stood and watched. The smile I wore didn’t leave my face for the rest of the drive home.
I’d rinsed my body when I got home and changed into my outfit for work. I pulled leggings and a hoodie over it, covering the short shorts and tight top. After everything that happened, I hadn’t made it to the showcase auditions on Sunday. So far, I’d only danced in Ember. Tonight was electronic dance music, and we were to wear neon, so we showed up under the black light. I even had a hot pink wig I was going to wear. I said goodbye to Rose and my dad before heading to my car.
Holden’s room had been quiet, and I hadn’t seen Hope. Dad had converted a room downstairs into a temporary bedroom with a medical bed until she was out of the cast. She’d primarily kept to herself since I’d been back at the house. I didn’t know how to interact with this version of her, so now I avoided her for a different reason.
Club Ember’s parking lot was full when I pulled in. True to Hendrix’s word, he’d made changes, so it was safer. He’d placed a guard at the back door and entrance to the employee-only hallway and had changed out the light bulbs. He’d questioned me again about pressing charges, but I assured him I was fine. I filled out the report he wanted and pushed the rest of it out of my mind.
A new guard stood at the back door. He stopped me when I approached. “Badge?”
I pulled it out, and he looked it over before nodding, scanning in his own card, and letting me in. “Thanks.” He nodded and went back to surveying the parking lot .
The locker room was packed when I entered, and I wondered if I’d missed something. I spotted JoJo and went over to her.
“Hey, girl!”
“Hey. What’s going on?” I glanced around the room, indicating all the new people.
“Some bigwig in VIP and a popular local band in Ignite.”
“Ah. That explains it. Did Hendrix hire new guards, too?” I asked, pulling my outerwear off.
“Yep. There’s one new guy who is sexy as fuck.” She fanned herself. “I think he goes to Hayward. You might know him.”
“Doubtful. I only know a few people.”
“Well, I bet he’s hard to miss. The man is sex on a stick.”
I laughed at JoJo’s antics. I pulled out the pink wig and secured it to my head. It wasn’t my preference for dancing in, but it would be okay for one night. JoJo convinced me to put on neon eyelashes and hot pink lipstick. I looked ridiculous, but the effects would be cool under the black light.
“Five minutes,” Hendrix shouted into the room. Everyone hurried to lock up their stuff and finish any last-minute touch ups. JoJo and I walked out together, separating from the other girls as they headed toward VIP and Ignite. We took our spots in the crowd. The room went dark, and the crowd hushed. The platform rose from the floor with me on it, and I held onto the railing. Music blared, and lights flashed in tempo, offering a glimpse of the room but not staying long enough for anyone to make it out until it hit the right note and all the lights came on.
Hendrix had used black-light paint on posters to hang around the room and they lit up along with the dancers on the stages. Our rails were also coated in the paint, so they glowed around the room. The effect was incredible, and as the crowd took in everything, excitement built. The music and lights flashed simultaneously, and I moved to the music. This wasn’t my favorite type of music, but the crowd’s enthusiasm and environment pulled me in, and I lost myself to it.
The next few hours flew by, and I only had one more dance shift before it was time to go home. I grabbed water from the bar and drank it while walking to the back. A hand blocked my path, and I stumbled, spilling water down my chest.
“ID.”
“Seriously?” I shouted over the music. I gestured toward my outfit. “Clearly, I work here.”
“Sorry, Wildcat. No ID, no entrance.”
My body stilled. What. The. Hell.
“Holden!”
He stepped into the light, his smile smug as he eyed me. His aquamarine orbs took in the outfit I wore. “Never thought I had a thing for neon, but it looks good on you, Em.”
“What are you doing here?” I scowled.
“I work here.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Is there a problem?” Hendrix asked, stepping to my side.
“Yes. He won’t let me through.”
Hendrix frowned. “This is Mer. She works here.”
“Sorry, Boss. She didn’t have her ID.”
“None of the dancers have their IDs!” I threw my hands up and turned to Hendrix for support. His brow deepened, and I had the sneaky suspicion he wouldn’t back me up.
“That does create a security risk. I’ll have to think about that. Anyone could pretend to be a dancer and get back there.”
“Boss, I know you’re going overboard after what happened to me last week, but it’s not necessary. ”
“Yes, it is,” Holden growled. I rolled my eyes and ignored him. Hendrix caught the action and glanced between the two of us.
“Do you two know each other? I forgot you both went to Hayward.”
“That’s not the point. I need to get back there before my break is over, and there’s nowhere for me to keep an ID unless you want me to make a scene every time I need to pull it out.”
Hendrix’s face blanched. “Not necessary. I’ll figure something out. You can let her back, Holden.”
“Of course, Boss.”
“ Of course, Boss ,” I mocked as I passed by. Holden snickered, only making me more irritated. I couldn’t believe he worked here.
This had been my space, and now he was invading it, too!
How did he even know I worked here? I hadn’t told anyone other than Cody, and I knew he wouldn’t tell. Stomping down the hall, I pushed open the door and sat on the bench. Crossing my legs, I tapped my foot in irritation while pouting. The audacity of that man!
“Did you see him?” JoJo asked, hopping in front of me like an excited bunny.
“Who?”
“The hot new guard.”
“No. The only person I saw was the asshole who wouldn’t let me back here.”
“The one at the door to the hallway?”
“Yeah,” I grunted.
“That’s him. Isn’t he sexy?”
Groaning, I dropped my head into my hands and rubbed my temple. This could not be happening. Stupid, sexy man. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
“I’m missing something, aren’t I?”
I nodded, but didn’t lift my head .
“Ooh. There’s a story here. I like it. Is this your classic E2L? Opposites Attract? Love at first sight? What am I working with here?”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, lifting my head enough to peer at her.
“You and the Hottie.”
“I don’t know what any of those words mean. That’s Holden, my step-brother.”
“Oooo, girl. Even better. I love me some taboo.”
“You do realize you’re not making any sense, right? Are you having a stroke? Do you smell pancakes?”
“Pancakes? Yum. Now I want some pancakes.”
Chortling, I shook my head. JoJo was one of a kind.
“Step siblings are so in right now. I wish I had a step-brother.”
“No, you don’t. He’s so… grrr! He’s annoying. One second, he’s all in my face saying how he hates me, then he’s tempting me with his hot body, and then back to saying I’m a mistake, and then back to doing sweet things. Then, when I think we’re okay, going to be friends, he invades my job and takes away the last place I had to myself.”
“I feel like I should get some popcorn and watch this show. Girl, this is the shit I live for. He wants you .”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m dating his best friend, and we’ve hurt each other too much. I just want to be his friend, but I don’t think Holden knows how.”
“You’re kidding, right? A man that fine does not have female friends. He has girls he fucks and girls he dates. It’s impossible to only be that man’s friend. And the more, the merrier. Have you ever been DP’d? Hands down worth it. 10 out of 10 would recommend.”
“I need a glossary to understand half the things you say, JoJo.”
“Thank you. That’s the kindest thing,” she cooed, fluttering her eyelashes .
“It wasn’t?—”
“Five minutes,” someone shouted.
Cursing, I finished my water and stood. I hated that I’d spent most of my break arguing with or about Holden. I ignored him as we exited the employees-only section and went to my rail. I had one more set, and I wouldn’t let him steal it.