21. Ivy
Chapter 21
Ivy
“You missed one hell of a trip.” Aiden smiles at me, giving me a curious stare as he rests his hands on the table between us.
“I know. My friends have been talking about it all day.”
“Mine, too.”
We’re sitting by the window in the English classroom. This is our first tutorial session.
Around us on the neighboring tables are several other tutors and students, including Isabelle.
This is also the first time I’ve seen Aiden since his encounter with Thorne.
Thorne hates that I’m meeting Aiden today but he agreed because it’s a tutorial session.
I should be more focused on the meeting. If only to be polite and respectful to Aiden, but I can’t think past my weekend with Thorne.
We stayed in bed the whole time. There was barely a minute when he wasn’t touching me in some way or buried deep inside me.
Thorne owned my body in every way, making me forget there was ever a time when I was a virgin.
Thorne had me in his bed right up until this morning when his alarm went off, signaling that it was time to leave the wild sexual bubble of recklessness and step back into the world.
The world where I’d missed ten calls from my mother, several from Isabelle, and an email I was supposed to respond to from Friday from Professor Grimfrost.
And just when I was leaving Thorne’s room he took me again up against his door, making us both late for class.
I’ve never met anybody like him.
Thorne is wild and reckless and so opposite to me. He lives by his own rules, and I swear he makes up his days as he goes along.
And oh God, Aiden is looking at me and I’ve completely zoned out.
Did he say something?
“Sorry, I was just thinking. Did you enjoy the trip?” I ask with the hope of saving the conversation and myself from looking like an airhead.
“It was great.”
“It’s a shame I had to work on my project.”
A slow smile spreads across his lips and his stare deepens with curiosity. “Yes, your project. Want to hear some advice?”
“Sure.”
“If I were you I wouldn’t allow Thorne Ivanov to rule my life and make me miss out on experiences of a lifetime.”
My breathing turns shallow and I take a quick breath to clear my head. I expected him to say something about Thorne but I didn’t think he’d be so blunt.
Then again, what he said was tame given that Thorne threatened to kill him just for touching me.
“Thorne doesn’t rule my life.” I try to make my voice sound light, so he doesn’t see through my lies.
“Really? Didn’t look that way the last time I saw you. He was in full-on touch-my-girl-and-die mode.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t apologize for him. Just be careful around that asshole. He’s unstable as fuck.”
I can’t argue with that, so I don’t. “I’m always careful.”
“I hope so. Anyway, I still have that wine, if you ever want to stop by my place and try it out.”
It sounds like an innocent offer but I know it’s not. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, but thanks for offering.”
He gives me a deep chuckle. “Not single anymore?”
His question is answered when the door opens and Thorne walks in.
On seeing him I sit up straighter and heat rushes over my skin like someone set me on fire.
My body instantly craves his touch as if he didn't own me hours ago. And I’m wet. I’m so wet I have to clench my thighs together.
Thorne walks right up to us and sits at the table opposite. “Don’t mind me. I had some time to kill.”
Aiden stares back at Thorne, his face hard and his hand balled into a fist on the table.
“Unbelievable,” he mutters under his breath. “Are you going to join us for every tutorial session?”
“Yes, I am.” Thorne harsh tone has everyone glancing our way.
I look at him and I don’t know if I should be angry that he’s clearly here to watch over me, or if I should be happy to see him sooner than tonight.
“So, let’s start with Wuthering Heights ,” Aiden’s voice cuts into my thoughts.
I look back at him, and he holds up his copy of the book. He sets it down but he’s looking at Thorne.
“Tell me what your thoughts are so far about the characters in this book.”
My thoughts…
Thorne is like Heathcliff. Brooding, arrogant, and hyper aware of himself.
I’m not exactly like Catherine in the book, but I’m just as conflicted. I don’t tell Aiden any of that, though. I give a standard literary answer Miss Bailey, my high school teacher, would be so proud of.
Surprisingly, Aiden and I get through the hour, even under Thorne’s scrutinizing stare. But the moment the hour is up Thorne walks over to our table.
“Come on, Bambi, let’s go.”
Aiden and I both look at him.
He’s getting on my nerves again, and I wish he would stop calling me Bambi in front of people. Or at all.
“We were just finishing up.” Aiden stands and glares at him.
“You’re done here. Come on, Ivy.” Thorne beckons for me to get up with the crook of his finger and I seethe.
He is the only person on this earth who can make me go from hot to frigid to infernal raging within nanoseconds.
I stand and pack my books away in my bookbag.
“Wow, don’t you trust your girl around me?”
“I trust her. It’s your ass I don’t trust.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. Seriously.”
“Do you treat all your girls like property?” Aiden squares his shoulders. “When last I checked, women weren’t property.”
Thorne walks around to him and steps into his personal space. Then he gets right up in his face, attracting the attention of the entire class.
Isabelle looks at me, her eyes wide. I’d caught her looking at me before but I ignored her, not wanting to encourage whatever thoughts she might have about the situation.
But now Thorne has made us the center of attention.
“Don’t push me, Sabioni. Don’t do it.” Thorne shakes his head. “I like this classroom. The windows over there and the cleanliness of the floor. The janitors do a remarkable job making the place look nice for us. Say one more word to me and I’ll ram your head through the window and cover the floor with your disgusting blood.”
Oh my God. My stomach flips at the gory image Thorne just painted for the class, and I pray Aiden shuts up.
Thankfully, he does.
When I grab my bag Thorne takes my arm and ushers me out of the room.
I just manage to glance back at Isabelle and mouth an apology to her before we disappear through the door.
Isabelle and I were supposed to go to the pastry shop during the break between classes. Now I don’t know where Thorne is taking me.
“What is the matter with you?” I try to shake my arm free from Thorne’s grasp when we get into the hallway but he tightens his grip on me.
“Nothing is wrong with me.”
“Are you serious? What are you even doing here? You do know you’ve threatened Aiden twice now. Where I come from that’s enough to get you arrested.”
He laughs. “I’ve been arrested many times. The cops have a nice room reserved for me. In any event, this is not L.A. We’re at Raventhorn, and I hate that guy.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “Aiden didn’t do anything.”
“I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”
“But he wasn’t looking at me in any kind of way.”
“Yes, he was. You don’t know him.”
“Why do you hate him so much?”
I’m met with silence and we continue walking with no destination in mind. At least not one that I know of. I almost think Thorne isn’t going to answer when he glances back at me.
“I grew up with him. For a long time he was taller and bigger than me.” Thorne’s voice sounds far away. “If Aiden wasn’t kicking the crap out of me and threatening to kill me in my sleep, he was teasing me about being an orphan. That motherfucker was fascinated with my sister and always talked about raping her if she were still alive. That last fight we had happened because I stopped him from forcing himself on our maid. That is why I don’t fucking want him anywhere near you.”
My eyes snap wide and my blood runs cold. “Oh my God. That’s awful.”
“The only reason that asshole is at Raventhorn is because he’s scheming with my uncle. They’re trying to stop me from getting into my family’s company, so I won’t get the position that’s rightfully mine.”
This is the first time he’s said anything against his uncle. I always thought he had a good relationship with him because he’s so close to Caspian, but this sounds terrible.
“Really?”
“Yes. You didn’t think it was weird for someone to transfer here from MIT in their third year?”
“It didn’t really cross my mind but yes, that is weird.”
“Not that Raventhorn isn’t good, but MIT is MIT. It’s the best for certain careers, and no one can replace that. That’s where I wanted to go.”
It feels like we’re continuing that conversation from the other week when I told him about Juilliard and Berklee.
“You got in, didn’t you?”
He glances at me again. “I did. At sixteen.”
And he didn’t get to go because he had to become a Knight. I stare back at him with new understanding, seeing more similarities between us than I knew existed.
“Try not to be alone with Aiden, okay? If I even suspect he’s touched you, he’s dead. You hear me?”
“Yes. I hear you.” He takes me around a corner and I remember I don’t know where we’re going. “Thorne, where are you taking me?”
“Janitor’s closet.”
I snap my gaze back to him but he keeps his gaze dead set ahead.
“Why are we going to the janitor's closet?”
“I need to fuck you.”
A rush of fire pulls at my insides. “I was at your place only a few hours ago.”
“Yeah, exactly. Hours. ”
“Thorne. We can’t do this now. Not here.”
“Remember, little deer. I own you. That means I get to fuck you whenever I want. Wherever I want.” A devilish look creeps into his eyes, stealing my resistance away.
I should argue some more. Or something. But the lure of desire has wrapped invisible ropes around my brain, holding it hostage.
God. I’m so messed up. He’s only doing this because he owns me.
If he didn’t, I would have fought him and raised the alarm of harassment.
But… would I?
Would I truly do that?
Shamefully, all I can think of is having him inside me again so soon.
And thinking about how good his cock feels makes my mouth water like a ravenous wild dog who’s just discovered a fresh carcass.
We reach the janitor's closet and hurry inside. It smells of pine and disinfectant. Thorne closes the door and places a heavy box in front of it, then he continues with me to the far corner where there are more boxes.
He takes off his jacket and tugs on my T-shirt. “Take this off. Take everything off. I want to see all of you.”
I set my bag down and my fingers tremble as I take my clothes off.
The moment I’m naked he picks me up and places me on the table that holds a box of cleaning supplies.
His mouth closes over my left breast and he sucks while he slides his fingers into my pussy.
“You’re fucking perfect, Ivy.” He kisses over the swell of my breasts while I moan from the pleasure he gives me.
The combination of his hot mouth and his fast fingers sends me over the edge.
“Tell me you want me,” he husks in my ear.
“I want you.” I moan back, appallingly meaning every word.
“You’re mine. Mine .”
He takes out his cock and drives into me, imprinting those words deep into my soul.
Mine .