8. Eight
8
EIGHT
MILA
I was drunk.
But this time, I felt safe, curled up in Archer's arms, listening to Kai talk about his drunken nights, and I leaned in, letting Archer kiss my neck, rubbing tantalizing circles on my inner thigh. He traced every curve of my neck with his teeth, leaving a trail of marks across my delicate skin. I moaned softly as he sucked on my flesh, running his tongue over the bite marks he’d left me with. My heart raced in my chest, my pulse pounding beneath his lips.
"You have no idea how much I want to fuck you," Archer whispered softly in my ear, his breath hot on my skin, and I felt every nerve ending in my body react. A heat burned through me at his words, a raw desire that spread across my whole body.
"So do it," I heard myself whisper back to him, but as soon as the words left my lips, I bit my lip, immediately regretting that I had just told him I wanted him.
"Not yet," he whispered back with a devilish grin. "Not here."
"Then when?"
"When you're ready, I will fuck you, Mila," he replied huskily. "And when I do, I will dominate you completely. You'll be screaming my name as I fuck you senseless, claiming every inch of your body as mine. And when I'm finished, your sweet pussy will be dripping with my cum."
His words shot a surge of heat through me, making me ache for him even more. And for the first time in my life, I couldn't wait to lose control and give myself to him entirely.
Lacey approached with a sweet smile that quickly turned sour as she frowned at Archer. "Time for you to let my friend go for a little bit so we can dance," she demanded, her voice laced with tension and barely controlled anger.
I felt Archer tense behind me, "I wouldn't want to keep you from your friend," he said with a fake grin. "I won't be far if you need me," he whispered before kissing my cheek.
Lacey's hand grasped mine with a steely grip, pulling me upright as I struggled to stand. The alcohol swirled in my head, making my limbs feel like jelly as we stumbled through the crowd toward the bonfire. Bodies gyrated and writhed around us in a frenzy of movement, the flames casting an eerie glow over their faces. I peered over her shoulders, looking for Archer. My eyes were drawn to his form, his broad shoulders squared, his whole body radiating dominance. His hand was in his pocket, leaning against the boulder, scanning the crowd, his eyes blazing in the darkness. I could barely catch my breath as I looked at him, knowing I wanted him.
"Stop gawking at him," Lacey snapped, breaking me from my trance.
"He's hot," I said as I brushed a tendril of hair from my face. "I can't help it."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't keep a smile from spreading across her face. "You're dick drunk."
"What?" I asked in confusion.
"Dick drunk. You're so into him. Oh, Mila. While I am ecstatic that you are finally getting to experience sex with a hot college boy, I am not sure if Archer King is the best one for you."
"Well, I haven't had sex with him."
"Yet," she interrupted .
"Yet," I confirmed. "What do you have against him giving me attention?"
"He's just a bad dude. I've heard about what he does to girls when he's done with them, and I don't want him to do that to you."
"What do you mean?"
"He degrades them. Uses them. Fucks them and then leaves them."
While I knew I should’ve been upset about being another notch on his bedpost, being around Archer made me feel alive. "I'm not going to let him do that to me," I said with a finality that made Lacey smile.
"I'm sure he's great in bed, but a girl like you deserves more than he will ever give you. He's the kind of guy that will make you happy for a moment, but then he will break your heart."
"I can take care of myself," I told her, but I could hear the uncertainty in my voice.
As she continued to lecture me, I looked around the crowd and couldn't help but notice that she was right. Archer had already left the fire, and I could see a few girls staring at him, too drunk to know any better than to throw sloppy drunk come-ons his way. I felt a pang of jealousy as I watched several of them flocking toward him, vying for his attention.
"Are you even listening to me?" Lacey demanded, slapping me on the arm.
"Sorry," I replied.
Lacey's eyes flared with anger, but her face softened as she looked over my shoulder. "He's not flirting with any of them. He's staring at you, Mila."
She was right.
My eyes met his, and his were filled with a burning intensity. My pussy throbbed at the thought of him, craving his hands on me. I didn't want to seem like some desperate, love-sick virgin who was obsessed with him after some heavy petting and tonsil hockey, so I broke my gaze and moved farther into the group. Maddie, the blonde who was Kai's girl, had made her way into the mass of bodies, and beckoned me toward her.
I looked in Archer's direction and saw Kai and another man in a heated conversation, distracted from watching me. I threw myself into the music, dancing and having a good time. I let the alcohol loosen my inhibitions, and when Maddie offered me a white pill with a smiley face, I took it from her without question.
"Let loose, little virgin girl," she whispered, pulling me toward her. "It will be our little secret."
Everything became a blur as we danced. I was drunk and high as I swayed with her and Lacey, feeling free as a bird. I felt a hand on my hip, and I turned with a grin as a man with dark hair and blue eyes approached me, offering me a shot of tequila. I tossed my head back, swallowing the alcohol in one gulp as he moved behind me, pulling me to him.
"You look good enough to eat," he murmured in my ear as he grabbed my hips and ground his dick against my ass. His words sent a shiver through me, and I turned, wrapping my arms around his neck and moving my hips with his. I felt his hand run up my thigh, his fingers teasing the hem of my shirt. I yanked his shirt out of his jeans, raking my nails along his back as we danced. I usually wouldn't behave this way, but I was feeling sensual and free. And I had to admit that it felt good to feel wanted.
"Archer has good taste. I can't wait to take you from him," he whispered in my ear.
I pulled away from him. "What? Who are you?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
I felt Archer's presence before I saw him. He appeared in a blur of movement, forcefully pushing past me and delivering a brutal punch to the dark-haired stranger I had been dancing with just moments ago. The sound of bones cracking filled the air as two large men pulled Archer away, but he continued to struggle against their grip. Meanwhile, Kai and the other man who had been speaking with Archer earlier stood their ground, fiercely battling a group of goons who seemed determined to protect the dark-haired stranger at all costs. Chaos erupted around us as punches flew and bodies collided, leaving me frozen in shock.
"What are you going to do, King?" the stranger spat, his bloodied mouth making him look even more menacing. His jaw was swollen and bruised, his lip was split, and his right eye was swelling.
"I'll fucking kill you for touching her," Archer bellowed. "You made a mistake showing your face here."
"That's funny because it looks like you're outnumbered. The time of your reign is coming to an end."
Archer fought against the men, and when he broke free from them, he lunged for the stranger again. The crowd tried to disperse, pushing me farther toward the cliff's edge.
"Mila, let's go!" Lacey's scream pierced the chaos around us, her nails digging into my arm as she desperately tried to pull me away from the edge.
Maddie had been pushed back with me, and she clung onto my other arm, her eyes wide with terror as we were shoved and jostled by the frenzied crowd. I wasn’t sure how it happened, but one of the goons ended up in front of me and pulled out a gun. The sound of gunfire echoed through the air, and I felt hot blood splatter across my face as the body of the goon fell heavily onto me. I stumbled backward, my feet slipping off the edge. In a split second, we were all tumbling over the side of the cliff, falling and floating simultaneously. The last thing I saw was Maddie's terrified expression as she fell over the side with us.
The icy water enveloped us, stealing my breath and numbing my body. It felt like I was falling for hours before I hit the bottom, the dead goon pressing down on me at the floor of the quarry. I tried to fight against him, but it was no use. His body was too heavy, and I was too weak. My lungs ached for air, and I fought against the need to breathe in the water. When my body stopped moving, and the bubbling sound of my gasps for air stopped, I saw the blurry images of a white light. It was the light I had always been told I would see when I died. But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished into a sea of darkness .
And then there was nothing.
No pain, no movement, just endless emptiness as my consciousness slipped away from me.
Was this death?
Or something far worse?