Chapter 28
CHAPTER
TWENTY-EIGHT
Mascen
“Do you really need to come into my dorm?” Rory hesitates outside her door. A few girls linger in the hall and I wave, earning a few giggles and flirtatious grins tossed my way. “You could’ve stayed in the car.”
“So you can hole up in here and not come out?” I guffaw. “I think not.”
She must really think I’m dumb if she thinks I’d let that happen. I don’t know why I’m so insistent on her coming, it shouldn’t matter, but when I heard that she was staying on campus for the holiday break it didn’t seem right for that to happen when I can do something about it.
Sure, my parents are crazy and eccentric, my little sister will probably give me hell, and my older sister will torture me when she’s around, but it’s family. It’s home. And I want Rory to have that. We have the extra room, so it’s not like her presence will be disrupting anything.
Rory inhales a deep sigh, finally unlocking the door.
“Oh, hey,” a brown-haired girl greets her. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you before I leave. Oh, who is this?” Her smirk tells me she knows exactly who I am, but she wants Rory to acknowledge it.
As I follow Rory inside, I recognize the girl from Harvey’s. I’ve seen them there together.
“Kenna, hey. Hi. Um. You know Mascen.”
“We haven’t met,” I interject.
The girl laughs. “Yes, but everyone on campus knows who you are.”
I lean against the kitchen counter, my eyes scanning the small pieces of décor, trying to figure out if any of the trinkets are Rory’s. Any insight I can get into the person she is today I’ll take.
“So, why are you here with Rory? In our dorm?”
Rory looks at me over her shoulder, her eyes desperate and begging for me not to tell the truth.
“Just picking up something of Cole’s he left here.”
Kenna grins like the cat that ate the canary and I know I’m in trouble. Rory’s shoulders droop and she visibly cringes.
“Cole only came here once and definitely didn’t leave anything behind, just like he apparently never took a trip down Rory’s love canal either.”
“Oh my God.” Rory covers her face with her hands.
I don’t have a response. Normally I would, but I’m too taken aback by the fact that apparently Cole and Rory never slept together.
“Interesting,” I finally say.
“So, why are you really here?”
“Kenna,” Rory pleads. “Drop it.”
Her friend grins, her hand braced on a suitcase. “I have questions and I want answers.”
“Rory and I grew up in the same area.” I can tell Kenna is the type of person to not let this go. “I told her I’d give her a ride home. Save gas.”
“But you weren’t going home?” She frames it as a question, eyeing Rory with suspicion.
“I … uh … changed my mind.”
Kenna sighs, her gaze swinging between the two of us. “I don’t believe either of you. But I have to go. You, missy,” she points at Rory like a mother scolding her unruly toddler, “will have explaining to do when we get back. But I have a flight to catch.”
Her smile softens and she hugs Rory, brushing past me to leave.
“Treat my girl, right,” she calls over her shoulder, closing the door behind her.
Silence entreats on the small living space and Rory keeps her back to me. After a minute she slowly turns. “You never slept with Cole, huh?”
She narrows her eyes. “Of course that’s the first thing you say, but no, I didn’t. Not that first night, not ever. But it’s not your business who I do and don’t sleep with.”
I’m on her in an instant, pushing her back against the wall. The breath leaves her in a gasp, her eyes wide with surprise and lips parted.
“We both know that’s not true.” I skim my nose along the smooth column of her throat. She smells like something floral with a hint of crisp apples and vanilla. It’s delicious and I can’t help but want a taste. My tongue threatens to take a lick, but I know if I do it’ll be even more difficult to get her to come with me. “Deny it all you want, but there’s a mutual attraction here.” She shakes her head. “When you lie so blatantly it makes me want to punish you.”
She writhes against me trying to break free of my hold but then a moan escapes her and she sinks further into me.
“It’s okay to hate me and want to fuck me.”
“I do hate you, but I don’t want to fuck you.”
I grin like a wolf about to devour a tasty morsel, and I know Rory would be oh-so-sweet. “I love it when you lie to me. Do it again, and again, and again, because Princess, all those lies are adding up into favors you’re going to owe me.”
“I owe you nothing.”
I chuckle, gliding my lips along her jaw. “Wrong, you owe me everything.”
“I still don’t understand why you insisted on me coming with you.”
Rory sits in the passenger side of the Rover, arms crossed over her chest, and dare I say pouting.
“I told you, no one should be alone on the holidays when there are people they can be with.”
“I don’t know your family anymore,” she argues, looking out the window at the blur of trees in the growing darkness.
I’m quiet for a moment, feeling uncomfortable. “You know me.”
I can feel her penetrating gaze, but for once she says nothing.
“We’re going to stop around nine and get a hotel.”
“What?” she scoffs. “I’m not sharing a hotel room with you.”
“Relax, Princess, I’ll get you your own room.”
She makes a noise that I can’t quite decide is in relief or general irritation.
At least twenty minutes pass in silence between us before she breaks it. “I hate your music.”
“Don’t diss my man Jason Aldean.” I purposely draw out my southern twang more than usual. I didn’t grow up in the deep south, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t pick up a slight drawl. “What do you want to listen to? Disney musicals? One Direction?”
“Don’t drag One Direction like that. Their music is good.”
I keep my eyes on the road despite my desperation to look at her. “I feel like I don’t even know you.”
It’s meant to be a joke, but she replies, “You don’t.”
I wince. It’s sad, but true. I don’t know her, but she doesn’t know me either. Sure, she thinks she does, but people tend to not dig beneath the surface.
Clearing my throat, I wiggle a bit in the seat, uncomfortable from the sudden tension between us. “Take my phone.” I nod at where it rests. “Make a playlist for us. My country … your … tween bops.”
She hesitates, her hand hovering over the sleek device. “Are you sure?”
“We have two more hours before we stop tonight. We might as well compromise on the music before we rip each other’s throats out, though if you want to rip clothes off I’m all for it.”
She groans. “Nice try, Bundy.”
I glance at her with an arched brow. “In to choking? Kinky, I like it.”
She rolls her eyes, finally picking up my phone. I rattle off my password before she can ask.
Drawing her legs up onto the car seat she leans her left elbow on the middle console which brings her closer to me. “Murder is illegal you know.”
“Huh?”
“Bundy. Choking.” She bites her bottom lip. I shouldn’t be staring at her, not while I’m driving, but I can’t help it.
Clearing my throat, I force my eyes back to the road. “A little choking in sex never hurt anyone. It heightens pleasure.”
“Have you ever been choked? Or are you always the one doing the choking?”
I decide to answer honestly, no point in lying. “Yes, I have been.”
A little gasp of surprise leaves her lips, making my honesty all the more worth it.
“Did you … like it?” Her voice becomes small, like a teeny tiny little mouse.
“Yes.”
“Hmm,” she hums.
“What?”
“You didn’t strike me as the submissive type.”
Her statement catches me off guard and I nearly choke on my own tongue. “I’m not.” My tone is definitive.
“Would you let me choke you if we had sex?”
Holy shit this girl keeps surprising me. “Depends, I guess.” I adjust my hold on the steering wheel for the sake of being able to do something with my hands when all I want to do is pull the car over and kiss her.
“On what?”
I give her a brief look before returning my eyes to the dark road ahead. “Are you choking me to give me pleasure … or to kill me?”
She busts out laughing, her eyes on the glowing phone screen as she adds song to the playlist. “I haven’t decided yet.”
She finishes the playlist and plugs my phone back in. The first song that comes on is a poppy tune that’s definitely not my taste. The lyrics keep saying something about making you glad you came and I don’t think they mean to a party.
“What’d you name it? The playlist?”
She smirks, bringing her feet back to the floor. “Princess and the Vampire Mash-Up.”
Laughter bursts out of me. “Catchy. I like it.”
I feel her smile rather than see it. “I do too.”
Pulling into a hotel lot after nine with a sack of greasy fast-food in hand we grab our bags from the backseat, walking toward the entrance.
“Two rooms,” Rory reminds me, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. She was too stubborn to let me carry it.
“I haven’t forgotten.”
The hotel is one of those basic ones you can find off almost any exit of the interstate. The lobby outdated but clean. It’ll do for the night. Tomorrow we’ll have another four hours to drive to get to my house.
“I can give you money for my room.” She grabs her bag, pulling it around to her front to dig in a pocket.
I roll my eyes. “Don’t insult me, Princess. I insisted on you coming, I’m paying.”
She crinkles her nose, her teeth digging slightly into her bottom lip. “I hate handouts, but since you did practically force me to come I guess I’ll make a concession this time.”
I snort. “I’m honored.”
Heading up to the check-in desk I speak with the receptionist. She’s young, probably twenty-four or so. Her flirtatious words and smiles don’t go unnoticed by Rory who crosses her arms over her chest and glares.
When the receptionist tells me what time she’ll be getting off I say, “That’s enough, give me the room keys.”
Her eyes widen in shock and her lips shut. She grabs the keycards, activates them, and passes me the envelope.
“Let’s go,” I say to Rory, ushering her toward the elevator with a hand hovering at her waist. I don’t dare touch her for the fear of her biting my hand off or another appendage I’m overly fond of.
I push the button for the second floor and the heavy sigh that leaves me has my body leaning against the side of the elevator.
“Tired?” Rory arches a brow at my form.
“Extremely.”
“Hmm.”
“What? I can’t be tired?”
The doors slide open and we step out. Deep red carpeted floor with gold wallpaper greets us.
“Hotels choose dark carpets to hide bodily fluids,” Rory informs me, she too taking note of the hideous décor. “Blood, urine, semen,” she rattles off.
“Semen?” I arch a brow.
“People like to have sex in public places. Hotel hallways are a prime choice.”
“Have a lot of public sex, Princess?” I joke, pausing outside my room when we reach the two side by side. She’s silent, not willing to answer me. My brow arches in surprise. “So, you have had a lot of public sex? Color me surprised? You didn’t peg me for an exhibitionist. You learn something new every day.”
She groans, hanging her head. “Don’t make this into something it’s not.”
I lean my body against the door, holding onto the envelope that holds both our keys. “I need more explanation, darlin’.”
“Give me my key.” She squares her jaw, holding her hand out.
“I hold all the cards here, literally. Why so much public sex?”
She rolls her eyes. “I couldn’t exactly do it at home.” She crosses her arms over her chest defensively. “When I wanted to have sex I had to get creative.”
“You’re only eighteen, how much sex have you been having?”
She tosses her head back. “Drop the overprotective older brother act and give me my room key.”
My teeth gnash together. “I’m definitely not your brother, Aurora.”
A little smirk crosses her lips and fuck it’s hot. I dish shit out to her, but man she knows how to use my own weapons against me. “You’re just jealous because all the sex I’ve had hasn’t been with you.” Effectively rendering me speechless, she grabs the envelope, takes her key, and shoves the other back at me. “Ta ta, Mascen.”