Chapter 45
Forty-Five
Daphne
Iwas dodging Adelina and hated myself for it.
She’d texted me numerous times, asking about the articles about Brooks and me.
It wasn’t only her who was curious. All the other Havens had texted. So had my mom, Elodie, and Vittoria. I didn’t want to talk to them either, so I decided ignoring everyone was the best route to take.
“Where are you headed?” Blair asked from her bed when I grabbed my bag.
I shoved my feet into my flats. “Library.”
She closed her book. “Want company?”
“Not trying to be rude—”
“I get it.” She waved her book in my direction. “Alone time is necessary sometimes.”
“Thank you,” I said around a sigh.
“What do you want me to tell Adelina when she comes looking for you?”
I scowled at her for bringing it up. “How about you tell her there are no articles about Brooks and me, and she just dreamed it all up?”
She snorted, opening her book again. “Good luck with that argument. Brainstorm in the library for something better than that.”
“That’s why I just told you to do it for me. She’ll believe you.”
“Just be upfront with her. She’ll understand.”
“She’ll be mad I hid it from her.”
“Tell her you were only playing by the Fawn rules. You’re not supposed to tell anyone about it. Blame everything on the Sons.”
My phone vibrated with another text from Adelina.
Adelina: Are you in your dorm?
“Gotta go!” I chirped before Adelina came to answer the question herself.
I dashed out of the room, trying to look discreet as I practically sprinted down the stairs.
Somnus Library belonged in a storybook. If the university ever opened its doors to the public, the library would easily rival some of the greatest in the world.
It was two stories of hand-carved shelves filled with books.
Pale moonlight streamed through the arched windows, casting a comforting glow across the space.
The top floor was nearly deserted, providing the perfect quiet spot. I settled at a back table and shut my eyes for a second of peace. I opened them and pulled out my MacBook. Brooks had left one in my room to replace the one that had been broken during my Initiation.
At least I didn’t have to send any of them a bill and hunt them down like a collections agency.
Unable to focus on homework, I googled Brooks Byron and Daphne.
Pages of articles flooded my screen. The top results were all dated within the past day.
Just great.
The articles claimed we’d partied together at the club. The owner proudly backed up that claim. Asshole even used the scandal as a marketing stunt, offering free admission in exchange for the story.
I rolled my eyes at the promo code. It was D&B4EVER.
An unnamed source alleged they had seen us at the gas station. That story was half true. Brooks had gone into one for my slushie, but I stayed in the car. The windows were too tinted for anyone to see me. Or so I’d thought.
There were more so-called sightings. Almost every one fabricated. Lies sold and made people money, so they didn’t care about the truth.
I skimmed an article about us together in Calira, and I clicked on it.
Someone had sold the story about him taking me away from the dance floor at the Tide Ball. At least they didn’t have photos as proof.
After reading enough articles, I switched to social media to read people’s comments. The public opinion was split. Some loved the taboo of our so-called relationship. Others labeled Brooks a traitor and claimed to have lost all respect for him.
The sudden thud of a book hitting the floor broke my concentration.
I quickly scooted my chair closer to the desk, forcing my eyes back to the computer screen.
Ignore it.
That was what normal people did when creepy shit like that happened.
A second later, another heavy thud echoed through the quiet room.
I shot a nervous glance toward the towering shelves. My heart kicked harder in my chest as I forced my focus to my computer again.
Get lost, ghost.
“What the—” I gasped as a book whacked me in the side of the head.
I slammed my MacBook closed with a loud snap.
An instant later, a thick hardcover thudded onto the table beside my head.
“Fine!” I hissed, shoving my chair back.
I marched straight toward the isolated aisle where it was apparently raining literature.
All the air left my lungs the moment I rounded the corner.
He caught my hip with his hand then hooked his arm around my waist before driving me into a back-row bookshelf hidden from the librarian’s desk.
A masked man towered over me, standing only inches away.
Dark eyes stared right back at me, the corners creasing with amusement.
My frantic pulse instantly smoothed when my eyes locked with Brooks’s.
“Daph,” he rasped out, dragging a hand up my bare thigh and gathering my skirt with it.
“We can’t do this here,” I whispered, weakly swatting at his wrist.
My protest was a joke because even as the words left my lips, I was already peering over his shoulder to make sure no one could see us.
Brooks groaned as he tore the lace of my panties down the middle, slipping the ruined fabric into his jacket pocket.
My underwear was like a souvenir to the man.
He pressed the pad of his thumb against my bottom lip, leaning in closer. “You know the rules about being quiet in the library. Let’s play a game.”
“A game?” I whispered.
“You try to keep your moans down as I take your sweet pussy.” He thumbed the outline of my mouth before sliding it between my teeth.
I wrapped my lips around it and sucked hard, wishing I could do the same with his cock.
Something in his expression tightened. His jaw, maybe. The mask made it hard to tell.
He’d gone down on me so many times, but never once asked me to reciprocate.
The world’s most selfish man lost that trait in the bedroom. My pleasure always came first.
His mask, the lower jaw of a skull, covered only half his face. It should’ve made him look monstrous. It only made him hotter. Especially once those eyes locked on me, drawing me into his spell.
He watched me suck his thumb, his stare holding me in a trance.
“Do you think you can stay silent for me?” he murmured, pulling his thumb free to give my lower lip a sharp, parting tug.
“Mmhmm,” I lied against his skin.
Keeping quiet with him inside me was always a struggle.
I’d barely managed it in the Oval Office, so I prayed I could do the same here.
I rocked my hips forward against his thigh, a silent, desperate plea for him to make good on his word.
His breathing hitched, his voice pitching slightly higher. “Do you want me to fuck you right here, right now?”
“Please.” I rolled my hips against him again.
He slid his hand between my legs, finding my slick, aching heat. “I love it when you beg for it while you’re this soaked. Spread wide for me, Princess.”
I shifted my feet farther apart.
“Good girl.”
He crowded closer until his chest pinned me against the shelf, giving me nowhere to go as his fingers drove deep inside me.
The sudden, overwhelming fullness made it impossible to figure out how many digits he was using to stretch me. His thrusts were sharp and relentless, sending shock waves through my stomach.
His thumb played with my clit in circles, unraveling me even more.
As if knowing I’d fail, Brooks pinned his hand over my mouth, muffling my moans. I bit into his palm as my breathing grew frantic. My heart was ready to explode. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as the orgasm tore through me.
As my breathing settled, he freed his cock, bent his knees, and drove inside me in one motion. My back knocked against the shelf, rattling the books behind my head.
I’m stupid for not being worried about someone hearing us.
I brushed my fingers against his cheek, hooking the edge of his mask and pulling it down. His lips were already parted, his features strained with the same need burning through me. I kissed him before either of us could speak.
It was a desperate kiss, our lips and teeth clashing, as I matched the rhythm of his thrusts.
He swiveled his hips and whispered darkly, “This wet pussy was made for my cock.” Another swivel. “Only my fucking cock.”
His next thrust hit deep enough to steal whatever control I had. I broke our kiss and released a drawn-out moan.
I gripped his shoulders and buried my face into his collarbone before biting down on it. Hardly any time passed before I crashed over the edge again.
I sank my teeth into his shoulder and lowered my hand to drag my nails down the front of his shirt. He gasped sharply, breaking his rhythm for a moment before fucking me harder. Books fell from the shelves around us.
He stopped, his body locking tight, before he trembled.
I pulled away, staring at him in awe as he came undone. His brows drew together, lips parting as he gasped.
This time, his face went to my shoulder as he groaned against my skin so roughly that I swore my veins vibrated.
He rained kisses down my neck before slowly easing out of me. The silence of the library rushed back to me.
I gasped as his cum dripped down my leg, reached down, and coated my fingers with it before sucking them clean.
“Jesus,” Brooks groaned while adjusting the mask bunched around his neck. “That’s so fucking hot. You’re about to make me fuck you again, and this time, I might break this fucking bookshelf.”
I struggled to breathe. “I think you just checked a major fantasy off my list.”
He inched back to pull up his pants and smirked. “I look forward to checking off every one on that list.”
I smoothed a hand down my skirt, feeling droplets of his cum there, and kept my voice low. “I do think we need to start using condoms.”
I straightened my collar, trying to erase any evidence of what we’d just done, then returned to the table.
Brooks followed at an unhurried pace and dropped into the chair across from me like he hadn’t fucked me hard enough to give me a concussion with a bookshelf.
I rubbed my thighs together, positive the scent of what we’d done lingered in the air. I could still feel the evidence of him between my legs.
He planted his elbows on the table, leaning in close with an arrogant smile. “According to the guidelines, we should be using protection and getting you on birth control.”
Out of all the Fawn rules we’d broken, this suddenly felt like the one we probably shouldn’t fuck around with.
“Why aren’t we doing that then?” I asked.
He offered a careless shrug. “Imagine the headlines if I knocked you up.”
I was ready to smack that grin off his face. “Are you nuts?”
Where is my image-obsessed Brooks?
“I think you know the answer to that,” he replied.
I shot a nervous glance toward the stairs. “Getting me pregnant would completely ruin you.”
His grin faded, something unreadable passing over his features. “Why do you say that?”
I stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief, and tilted my MacBook so the screen faced him. “Have you seen the headlines about us?”
He didn’t even glance at the screen. “Yes, nearly all of them.”
“Has your father?”
“He has.”
“Who was the leak?”
“I already figured that out.”
“Who was it?”
“Stop worrying about problems I’m responsible for solving,” he said. His voice held absolute authority. “You’re my Fawn now. That means no one hurts you. If anyone tries, I’ll tear them apart, piece by fucking piece.”
“Such romantic words,” I grumbled, secretly loving his possessiveness.
He moved to the chair next to me.
I gasped when he grabbed the side of my chair and dragged me toward him, the legs scraping against the floor. He turned me to face him, parted my thighs, and shoved his hand between them.
“I like our cum mixed,” he drawled while fingering me.
I gripped the edge of the table and glanced toward the stairs, fighting back my moans. That was a constant thing with this man.
“You know what else I’d like?”
“What’s that?” I somehow managed to ask around my racing heart.
He shifted to get a better angle. “Fucking you on the Resolute Desk.”
I met his eyes in defiance while meeting his thrusts. “We both know that’s never happening again.”
“Not true. We’re going to the State Dinner this weekend,” he said in a perfectly calm tone.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re lying.”
He shook his head.
“Your father would never allow—”
He rested a finger against my lips, silencing me. “He thinks it’s best for us to control the narrative. Going public lets us control the story.” His fingers moved faster inside me. “It’s a good PR move.” He changed the angle, and my thighs tightened around his wrist. “It plays well for his image.”
“I have zero interest in protecting his image,” I panted between strained breaths.
“Too bad.” He fell silent, ramming his fingers inside me harder, mercilessly, taking me over the edge.
As I came down from my high, he stole a kiss, then stood.
“Be sure to smile for the cameras, Princess.” He turned on his heel and left.
An hour later, I dragged myself back to my dorm room.
Brooks had never returned. He’d probably slipped through some secret door no one else knew existed.
I skidded to a halt when I found Adelina waiting on my bed.
“Girl, you have some explaining to do.” She crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees. Her mouth curved into a smile, but I knew her well enough to see the questions in her eyes.
Blair jumped off her bed. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”
Once the door shut behind Blair, I slowly moved toward Adelina, hot tears blurring my vision. “I’m so sorry.” My voice cracked on that last word.
“For what?” she pressed.
“For hiding so much from you.”
“There’s that much?” She cracked a smile, causing some of my panic to dissolve. “I only counted the one where you were secretly whatevering with my brother.”
“I’m his Fawn,” I confessed as I sank down on my bed beside her.
Adelina’s back went rigid, her eyebrows shooting up. “That asshole. I explicitly told him you were off-limits.”
“You could’ve told him a million times, and it wouldn’t have mattered.”
“Our father—”
“Allowed it,” I interrupted, tracing a pattern on the blanket as I chewed my lower lip. “Out of revenge … I think.”
“I’m so telling my mom.” She scooted in closer and wrapped both hands around mine. “I’ll get you out of this. I promise.”
“I don’t think I want you to get me out of it,” I whispered, staring down at our joined hands.
“What? Why?”
“Because …” I turned my head away, losing her hold as I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my cheek against them.
She ran her hand through my hair. “Daphne, look at me.”
I slowly did.
“You can tell me anything. You know that.”
I took a shaky breath. “I think I’m falling in love with your brother.”