Chapter Thirteen
Audrey
S hoving open the door to my suite, I stagger inside and collapse onto the couch.
“Anyone here?” I call out as I cross my arms over my face. A sigh falls from my lips when no one answers, and I know I’ll need to start sending out texts to everyone. This is always the worst part of the day, and now that we’ve finished up our first full week of classes, I’m almost afraid no one will respond.
As of this morning, it was just me, Diana, and Celeste left from our suite. Daphne never returned from the tour, and the next day, Madison was gone. We lost Violet on Wednesday, leaving just the three of us in this massive suite.
Every day, I’m afraid Diana or Brenden won’t answer my texts, either or both of them gone without me knowing. I hate it.
Me
Daily check-in.
Celeste
Still here. Grabbing dinner now.
Diana
All good.
Are you having dinner with Brenden tonight?
Me
Nope. Too tired. Already crashed on the couch.
Can’t move.
Might sleep here.
Diana
Drama queen.
Me
Damn straight.
As soon as I can convince my body to move I’m going to bed.
Celeste
Is Brenden still okay to take us into town tomorrow?
Me
Yup.
He seems kind of excited about it.
Diana
That’s because he’s OBSESSED with you and would do anything you asked him to.
Me
It’s not like that. We’re friends.
Celeste
Yeah. Friends.
Wish my friends looked at me like that.
Diana
For real.
Me
Shut up.
Neither of you know what you’re talking about.
I’m going to bed. See you in the am.
Shaking my head, I toss my phone to the floor, not wanting to think about their words.
There’s no way that Brenden thinks of me like that, right? He said he wanted to be friends. He never said anything about wanting more than that.
If he was interested in more than friendship, he would’ve told me, right?
Am I interested in more than friendship with him?
Obviously, he’s hot—there’s no denying that. He’s amazing to me, but I’d stop short of calling him a nice or good guy. There’s just something a little off about him that makes me not want to classify him as such. He’s my psycho puppy dog.
That thought has me pausing.
I already think of him as mine, but is it more than just friendship?
Fuck, I don’t even know.
My mind is such a fucking mess.
This academy has me on edge, always worrying about if I’ll be sent to have my soul judged while trying to recover my memories. I haven’t been able to remember much more since remembering Wren. I do remember my mom and some childhood memories, but it’s like anything after college just doesn’t want to come to me. Definitely no more memories about my death. It’s frustrating as hell.
My phone goes off, alerting me to a message, and I groan. I don’t want to talk to anyone. I just want to sleep. Maybe I’ll just sleep right here on the couch. It’s pretty damn comfortable.
Letting my eyes fall shut, I decide to do just that. For once, I start to drift off to sleep easily—at least until my phone starts going crazy.
“Damn it!” Rolling onto my side, I grab my phone and lift it up to find Brenden is calling.
“‘lo?”
Brenden lets out a sigh of relief, though his words still sound panicked. “You didn’t answer my text, and I was worried. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“Hey. Hey. Take a deep breath, Brenden. You’re never a bother. I’m just exhausted and was falling asleep on the couch. I figured it was the girls, and we’d already checked in. If I’d have known it was you, I would’ve responded so you wouldn’t worry.”
“I just hadn’t heard from you since your last class, and I know how Professor Gregory can be.” It’s clear that Brenden is still freaking out even though he’s talking to me. “I’m afraid one day you just won’t answer.”
Sighing, I sit up on the couch. “Trust me, I understand. I feel the same way. Why don’t you come over? You can stay the night, and then we’ll all be together in the morning so we can head into town.”
“Really? Are you sure? I don’t want to be a pest.”
“Yeah, I’m sure,” I say with a laugh. “Hopefully seeing me will help settle you, and I can get some much needed sleep.”
“Okay. Sure. I’ll be right over.” He hangs up the phone and not two seconds later, there’s a knock on the door.
Shaking my head, I push up to my feet and let him inside. “I’ll never get used to your vampire speed.”
“Sure you will,” he says as he steps inside. He reaches up to cup my face in his hand, and my mind wanders back to the girls’ words from earlier. Maybe he is interested in being more than friends. I’m definitely not adverse to the idea. “I’m glad you’re still here.”
“I’m glad we’re both still here.” Instead of leaning into his touch, I wrap my arms around him and hug him like my life depends on it. My eyes fall shut as I lay my head on his chest, feeling more than hearing the sigh of relief that leaves him. “The dorm beds aren’t super big, but you can sleep in one of the extras if you want.”
He hums, not seeming to be happy with this option, and I have to fight back a smile. “Or I guess we can push the beds together in one of the rooms and share.”
“That. That’s what I want to do.” He pulls back to glance down at me. “I mean, if that’s what you want to do.”
Nodding slowly, I smile. “Yeah, I think that’s what I want to do. Let me just shoot the girls a message so they know what’s going on.”
Me
Brenden is staying over. He kind of freaked out when he couldn’t get a hold of me.
We’re going to use one of the extra rooms and push the beds together. So don’t worry when I’m not in the room.
Diana
Are you still going to deny that he’s into you?
Me
No. I think you might be right.
Celeste
Finally!
Now go get laid.
Me
That’s not what this is about!
Celeste
Sure it’s not.
Diana
If it’s not, it should be.
I want the details later.
Instead of arguing with them, I shake my head and lead Brenden into the room that shares a bathroom with mine and Diana’s room. When I go to push the beds together, Brenden shakes his head and does it himself.
“I’m just going to change into my pajamas. Feel free to use the bathroom or whatever.” I point to the door like an idiot before heading that way myself and into my room.
Why does realizing that Brenden might want more from me than friendship suddenly turn me into an awkward potato? This is ridiculous. Nothing has really changed between the two of us but suddenly, I’ve forgotten how to act around him. It’s insane.
I change quickly before stepping into the bathroom to wash my face and use the toilet before returning to the other room, freezing immediately in my tracks.
Brenden has stripped down to a pair of boxer briefs, leaving his beautiful, tattooed skin bare. He’s all lean muscle with not an ounce of fat on his body—something that’s much easier for supernaturals than humans.
Licking my lips, my eyes roam over all the naked skin, not sure what to focus on—how hot he looks or the various tattoos that cover his skin. I want to trace them with my fingers—with my tongue.
Shaking my head, I reel my thoughts back in and force my eyes away from his body. Lifting them to his face, I find him smirking.
“See something you like?” he asks, his smirk only growing as I blush.
“Whatever. You know you’re hot.” Ducking my head, I climb onto the bed and dive under the covers.
Brenden chuckles, the bed shifting as he joins me. “Are you hiding from me, firecracker?”
“No,” I grumble from under the covers before his words really register with me. Sitting up, I allow the covers to fall away from me as I turn to him with a frown. “Firecracker?”
He chuckles again, moving closer until our faces are mere inches apart. My breath stutters as my eyes fall to his lips before jerking up to meet his once more.
“Yes, firecracker. I’ve never met anyone who encompasses a name more with their personality. Plus, there’s the fact that you’re a fire witch.”
“Hah. That’s yet to be proven. I haven’t been able to use my fire magic yet. For all we know, I’ll never be able to, and I’ll be sent for judgment.” Dropping my eyes, I chew on the inside of my cheek. I’m not sure how much longer they’ll let me stay if I can’t figure out how to access my magic. It’s something I’ve been stressing about every day that I fail to call it forth.
Brenden cups my face, forcing me to meet his eyes once more. “You will figure it out. You will not be sent for judgment.“ His voice is fierce and determined, matching the look in his eyes.
I suck in a breath at the intensity of his belief in me. How does this man that I’ve only known for a week believe in me more passionately than I do in myself?
Hesitating only for a moment, I lean in to brush my lips against his. When he remains motionless beneath me, I jerk from his hold, ready to launch myself from the bed and away from him. Clearly, I’d misread the situation completely.
Brenden grabs my arm before I can move off the bed, pulling me back to him so hard that my body collides with his. “You can’t just kiss me and run, firecracker. Especially not when I was too shocked to kiss you back.”
His lips descend on mine as he pushes me onto my back, his body heavy against me. My hands sink into his dark hair, a groan spilling from me at the feel of his hard length settling between my legs. He uses the opportunity to deepen the kiss as his hips roll, grinding against my core.
Kissing Brenden is unlike anything I’ve experienced before—even without all my memories, I know this. My entire body feels as if it’s being electrified in the best kind of way. Every part of me feels like it’s buzzing with pleasure, from nothing more than a kiss.
Holy shit.
We break apart, both breathing hard as we stare at one another, neither of us speaking.
Out in the suite, I hear a door open and close, breaking the two of us from our staring contest. Brenden sighs as he rolls onto his back beside me.
“That was unexpected,” I say with a laugh, rolling onto my side to face him.
Brenden grins as he turns to face me. “But amazing,” He looks unsure of himself for a moment. “It was amazing for you too, wasn’t it?”
“Definitely,” I assure him, reaching up to cup his cheek. “No one has ever made me feel like you just did.”
“It’s the same for me.” He grins. “Think we should do it again? See if it was a one-off?”
I throw my head back as I laugh. Just moments ago, we were hot and heavy, and now Brenden has me in stitches. This is what I love about him. He can be serious when he needs to be, but he’s always making me laugh.
Letting the laughter fall away, I take a deep breath as I lean closer to him until my lips are hovering over his. “I definitely don’t think it was a one-off, and I would love nothing more than to do it again.”
Brenden closes the distance, our lips meeting as my eyes fall shut. He traces my bottom lip with his tongue, and my mouth falls open to allow him entry. The feeling of his tongue gliding against mine has a moan spilling from my lips as he deepens the kiss.
Brenden hums into the kiss as he pushes me onto my back, moving to hover over me. My arms loop around his neck, pulling him down until he’s lying on top of me. The weight of his body is exactly what I need, my body alight as we continue to kiss. His hands skim along my sides, sending shivers down my spine—but it’s not enough. I want more.
Spreading my legs, his hips settle more firmly against me. His cock is hard against my center, and I can’t help rolling my hips at the contact. We both groan at the friction, Brenden pulling back as he pants.
“This isn’t why I’m here,” he’s quick to assure me. “I wasn’t expecting anything from you. We don’t have to do anything.”
Cupping his face once more, I smile. “I know. We’re not doing anything I don’t want to do. That doesn’t mean I think we’re in a place to have sex, but there are other things we can do that are almost as much fun.”
Now, it’s his turn to grin. “I like the way you think. We should probably set up some ground rules so we know the boundaries.”
Why is that so sexy?
“Bottoms stay on,” I decide, already reaching for the hem of my shirt. “But tops can go.”
“Let me,” he murmurs, leaning down to take my lips once more as he knocks away my hands. His fingers dance along my stomach as he slowly pushes the shirt up until it sits just beneath my tits.
When he doesn’t make any further movements to remove it, I groan. “Please, Brenden. Please,” I beg. “Touch me.”
He pulls back far enough for me to see his smirk. “You never need to beg me, firecracker. I’ll always give you what you need.”
“Then stop teasing me.”
He nods, sitting up as he helps me out of my shirt. He licks his lips as he takes me in, a hunger in his eyes that sets my blood on fire. “You’re gorgeous, Audrey. And these tits? Even better than I imagined.”
I open my mouth to respond—with what, I don’t know—but all that escapes is a moan as his lips close around my nipple. At the same time, he rolls his hips, his cock sliding against my center with the perfect amount of friction. I gasp, my head falling back as sensation rocks through my body. All that separates his cock from my cunt are a few pieces of thin material that I wish weren’t there.
I was the one who said our bottoms needed to stay on, but I’m already regretting my decision. What I wouldn’t give to feel that hard, hot, throbbing cock slipping between my wet folds.
Sinking my hands into his hair, I lose myself in the pleasure he’s pulling from my body with his mouth, fingers, and cock. The way he moves, it’s like he’s fucking me even though he’s not inside of me. If this feels this good, then what will it be like to have him actually inside of me?
I should be embarrassed by how quickly my orgasm rises, my nails digging into his head. “I’m so close, Brenden.”
“Me, too,” Brenden agrees as he pops off my nipple with an audible sound. “You make me feel like a teenager again.”
“Kiss me,” I murmur, pulling him back to me. He offers no resistance, kissing me as he continues with the same rhythm with his hips.
I lose myself in the kiss, lifting my hips to meet his as I get closer and closer.
“Fuck,” I scream, nails digging into his back as I come. My toes curl, heat spreading from my core through my body as I cling to him and try to remember how to breathe.
“You’re so fucking beautiful when you come,” he says, picking up his pace. “I’m so close. Look at what you do to me. Fuck. Audrey—“
He cuts off, grinding against me and drawing attention to just how wet my panties are now. A groan spills from his lips as he stills.
“Fuck, firecracker. That was...” Brenden trails off as he rolls off of me, pulling me to lie on his chest. I hook a leg over him, feeling a wet spot on his boxer briefs, and grin.
“I think the word you’re looking for is amazing.” I lean my head back to glance up at him. “Thank you.”
Brenden chuckles. “You don’t have to thank me for orgasms, Audrey. I’ll happily give you orgasms any time you want them.”
I laugh. “That’s not exactly what I meant, and you know it. Thank you for being you. For always being there for me. For worrying about me when you couldn’t reach me. For being my friend.”
“Is that all I am to you?” he asks hesitantly.
“No.” I sit up, needing to see him as I speak. “I don’t make out with my friends, and I certainly don’t get off with them. I don’t know what this means for us, but I like you—a lot. I want to do this again. It’s just hard to think of how this will work when either one of us could be sent to judgment at any time.”
Brenden cups my face as he sits up. “Hey, hey. Don’t think like that. Yes, it could happen, but something tells me you’re just as determined to make it through this training as I am. Do you really want to take a chance of throwing what we have away because of something that might happen?”
“When you say it like that...” I laugh. “How about we take it slow?”
“Slow I can do. But not too slow considering what we just did.”
I snort before falling into full-on laughter. This is exactly what I needed. Laughter and an orgasm—what more can a girl ask for before bed? Except maybe some clean panties. I look around, searching for my missing shirt. “Where the hell is my shirt?”
“Whatcha need that for?”
“I’m going to grab some clean panties and get redressed for bed. Something tells me that sleeping even half naked with you is asking for trouble.” Climbing off the bed, I find my shirt and pull it over my head before moving toward the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Behave.”
“When have you ever known me to misbehave?” he lobbies after me, and I just shake my head.
When I started the day, I wasn’t expecting this, but I can’t say I’m disappointed. Being with Brenden just feels right. I might not know what the future holds, but I know that I want him by my side.