Chapter 48 The Surprise Attack
The Surprise Attack
Harper
Morning comes way too quickly. Last night, I crawled under my sheets and fell asleep right away. When I wake up, the guys are mostly awake. I roll out of bed and take a quick shower before dressing.
It’s a game day at Sherman High School, so that means wearing school colors, a shortened schedule, and a pep rally in the afternoon. This is all business as usual, but this year, I don’t think the guys will let me get away with the extra-large school t-shirt I usually wear.
Our school colors are blue and silver, so I find a blue crop top and some low-slung jeans to wear.
I part my hair down the middle and weave two braids with blue ties on the ends.
I keep my makeup light and walk downstairs in plenty of time to make my lunch and eat a little breakfast. I start the coffee maker and get out what I need.
“Sleep well?” Mom’s voice startles me as she steps into the kitchen. She’s worked every morning this week, so I thought I was alone again. I glance at the schedule and see it’s her day off.
Remembering all that happened last night makes my cheeks flush with heat. “Yeah.”
I’m in the middle of making two sandwiches and already have two bags of chips in my lunchbox.
Mom lifts one of the bags and narrows her eyes. “Eating for two?”
“No, definitely not.” I shrug. “Caden likes it when I bring him a sandwich, and it’s not that hard to make an extra.”
Mom grabs a coffee cup and pours some of the coffee I made into it. She sips while studying me with a puzzled expression.
I sigh and put the sandwiches in my lunchbox. Finally I can’t take her silent judgment anymore. “What?”
“I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on with you.
” She sits at the island and puts her cup in front of her.
“First you say there aren’t any boys you’re interested in this year, and the next day someone is taking you and dropping you off at school.
You need new clothes, which bravo for your new style.
Loving it. Then I meet four guys who buy us dinner, make sure you’re safe alone, and buy you a ring for your birthday.
Then you stay out late on a school night.
I’m just trying to decide whether or not I like these changes. ”
I take a drink of my coffee. Not all these changes are my choice, but I can at least address part of it without things blowing up in my face.
“I always worried about attracting the wrong attention in previous years, so I always dressed not to be seen.” I shrug and take a sip. “This year, I wanted to start it out right and decided I don’t need to worry about getting attention.”
Because I already have the attention I was previously hiding from.
“I take it that drew some wanted attention from your four football players.” Mom arches her eyebrow at me suggestively.
Wanted? Not really. Not at first, but the more they push, the more I can’t help wanting them. I still worry once they get what they want from me, they’ll decide they want someone else. But they seem to be stuck with me for a year unless I find a way to renegotiate the terms of my enslavement.
“Harper?”
I lift my gaze to her, realizing I was lost in my head and didn’t answer her.
A knock sounds at the back door. Fuck. Eli.
I take a breath and open the door. “Good morning.”
Eli reaches for me, but I back away and glance at my mom. His hand drops to his side and a perfect smile forms on his handsome face. His hands go into his pockets. He has his football jersey on.
“Good morning, Ms. Davi—Jennifer. I hope you slept well.”
Mom’s face goes from surprise to suspicious. “Are you the reason Harper was out late on a weeknight?”
He doesn’t miss a beat. “Sorry about that. I was finishing up an assignment for our AP statistics class, and Harper mentioned she was home alone. Since she’s awesome at stats, I asked her to come to my house and help me. We lost track of time.”
Yeah, Mom’s not buying that. She smiles like she does when someone wants something she doesn’t want to give them. Right now, she’s not an Eli fan, which may eventually work in my favor.
“You don’t mind that Harper makes Caden lunch?” She takes a sip of her coffee as she eyes him over the rim.
“She makes him a sandwich. I give her an apple.” Eli glances at me with a sweet smile. “We’re all okay with Harper giving us whatever attention she wants.”
“Hmm.” Mom gives me a look before she nods at Eli. “Football player too. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for a girlfriend, does it?”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” I stuff my lunchbox in my backpack and toss it on my shoulder.
“Not yet anyway. Harper’s a hard nut to crack.” Eli wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me into his side. His warmth seeps into me, and I resist the urge to melt into him.
“We really have to get going. I’ll see you tonight, Mom?”
It’s supposed to be her day off. She sets her coffee mug down and shrugs. “Hopefully. The hospital has been short-staffed lately. I’ll text you if I have to go in.”
“We were hoping to go to a party after the game tonight. What time should I have Harper home?”
Eli is still trying, but I can tell each time he puts on his charm offensive, Mom gets a little more defensive. I wasn’t lying when I said she would like Caden best. He may be a brute of a man, but he’s honest about who he is.
“Cameron and Nora Jacobs are your parents?” Mom narrows her eyes slightly on Eli.
“Yes.” Eli smiles like my mom knowing his parents will help his case.
“Harper knows when she needs to be home.” Mom gives me a look like this guy?
I shake my head with a small smile. Not just this guy.
“See you later.” I push Eli toward the door.
“Nice to see you again.” Eli tosses one more smile her way before he goes outside.
I don’t bother to look at my mom’s expression. She’s not impressed and she’ll definitely have something to say about him later. But what can I say? I don’t really have an option? Yeah, that will go over so fucking well.
I’m just lucky two guys didn’t show up in my bedroom again. That would have never flown this morning.
Eli holds open the car door for me and then goes around to the other side to let himself in. We’re halfway to school when I realize Eli hasn’t given me his punishment. Mom kind of surprised both of us.
Well, I’m definitely not going to mention it.
I also don’t want to bring up any of the firsts from last night.
I still don’t know why Luke didn’t tell them about the car.
Maybe he did later. The real question I don’t want answered is this: did what happened in my bedroom move the boundaries?
It was me touching and not them, but they were there. I swallow down my nervousness.
I glance at Eli, but he’s not looking my way.
He parks in the school parking lot, and I reach for the door, eager to escape being alone with him.
“Don’t think I’ve forgotten.” His voice stops me from opening the door.
I look over my shoulder, giving him my best innocent look. “Forgot what?”
He shakes his head and crooks his finger at me to come closer. I turn and settle back in my seat.
He reaches out and pulls on the braid closest to him. “I always loved tugging on girls’ pigtails.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
His fingers linger on the bruise on my neck from them. A rush of heat pulses through me at the slight ache. “Were we too rough with you last night?”
“No,” I say softly.
His hand goes to the back of my neck and he draws me close. My breath catches as he closes in. His lips capture mine, stirring those feelings throughout me. My eyes close as I sink into the kiss. Now they’ve conditioned me to want more.
I feel something cold against my neck and pull away. My fingers go to the leather strap he’s fastened on me. My forehead scrunches and I tip the visor down to look in the mirror.
“A collar?” It looks like a choker, but it most definitely is a collar.
“You need a reminder that you’re owned, kitten. You don’t own your body anymore. It’s ours.” His finger slips into the ring attached to it and tugs my face back to his. “The only one allowed to bite your lip is me.”
He takes my mouth in a brutal kiss. It’s rougher than any kiss he’s given me since that first kiss. He bites down on my lower lip and then licks over the stinging wound. My body must have its signals crossed because heat floods me at the pain.
“Remember who you belong to, kitten.”
When he releases me, I sit back a little dazed and a lot turned on as I touch my swollen lip. Eli’s eyes are dark when he gives me a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes before he turns to open his door.
I drop my hand. Maybe this will be a good reminder that these boys are not the guys they’re pretending to be to get into my pants faster. They have been kind and patient, coaxing me out of my shell, but when it comes down to it, these aren’t nice boys.
Eli opens my door and holds his hand out to me. I take it warily, but Pestilence seems to have taken the backseat again. Eli wraps his arm around my waist, tucking his fingers into the front of my jeans over my hip bone and drawing me in tight against his side.
Where are the boundaries now? Last night, they only got to kissing my breasts. But in my bedroom, we all played out a fantasy, and while hot, it had been a lot safer over video than being alone with my horsemen.
I didn’t consider the boundaries when we were getting off together.
As we approach the others, they’re all in their jerseys. A few cheerleaders stand in front of the three of them. The girls are in their uniforms too. Short skirts and tight sleeveless shirts, blue with silver piping. Their hair is pulled up into ponytails with blue and silver ribbons.
When the cheerleaders turn, I notice they each have a number on their cheeks, and they correspond with Luke, Jack, and Caden’s jersey numbers. A little pulse of jealousy ripples through me. Especially as they seem real comfortable touching the guys’ arms.