We Were Together

CHAPTER 20

THEN

NICKY – Age 21

We make it back from the city in record time. I dropped the boys off just after 1 a.m.—a feat that took longer than I would’ve liked due to Rico chewing me out one last time.

Contrary to his objections, everything ended up playing out fine. Turns out my prospective partner has a daughter J’s age, so when I explained to him there was an issue at home that required my immediate attention, and let him think it pertained to her, he was all too willing to grant me leave. I conducted the remainder of the meeting from car on the way back, and we sealed the deal before even re-entering Queen City.

Now, here I sit on the street that runs parallel to the side of the house where Daph’s bedroom is located. While Daphne’s parents are rich, they don’t hold a fraction of the wealth my parents do. Their house is massive, but the property it sits on is less than two acres and is easily accessible from the street. A simple wrought iron fence runs the perimeter with nothing more than standard motion detection cameras monitoring the surrounding area.

Using the laptop I keep in the car, I hack the system with embarrassing ease, quickly killing the feed. I exit the car, crossing the street and hopping the fence before making my way up the lawn toward the back corner where Daph’s bedroom sits on the first floor.

Approaching the window I know to be hers, I’m met with a soft glow illuminating the room within. The curtains are sheer, granting me only a partially obstructed view of her sleeping form. She lies unmoving atop the down comforter of her queen size bed, clothed in nothing more than a pair of dark underwear and what looks to be a crop top.

I’m making a mental note to add blackout curtains to my next shopping list when she shifts, turning onto her other side. From this angle, I can clearly see she’s awake. My knuckles rap against the glass before I’ve even made a conscious decision to do so. She jumps, scrambling across her bed and almost tumbling to the floor before she realizes it’s me.

Daph’s eyes briefly widen, her surprise evident before she’s able to school her features. However, once she does, she glares at me, face hardening as she climbs to her feet and stalks toward the large window. Flipping the lock, she swings the oversized pane outward, narrowly missing me in the process.

“What?” she snaps, her curt tone sending a flare of irritation swelling within me.

I don’t respond. I’m too distracted as my eyes are dragged down her form while she stands openly exposed in the night air. I’m no stranger to Daph’s body. I’ve been tortured by the sight of her in a bikini every summer since she grew curves. And yet, seeing her here, in the solitude of her personal space where she’s most vulnerable, an irrational sense of jealousy takes root within me at the possibility of anyone else catching a glimpse of her like this.

I step up and over the threshold, forcing her further into the seclusion of her bedroom while making my way inside. She yelps, gripping hold of my biceps to ensure she doesn’t lose her footing in the process.

“You are not coming in here!” Daph hisses.

I drag the pane closed behind me, turning to engage the lock. “Always got something to say,” I mutter, slipping free from the confines of my coat before tossing the soft dark red leather over the back of her cream-colored accent chair at the corner of her room. Unbuttoning my cuffs, I begin to roll each of my sleeves up, exposing the ink of my interlocking crowns tattoo.

Slowly, I spin to find her still bitching about something. Her wild red curls bounce about her head as she gestures animatedly.

“For the record?” My words give her rant pause. “You’re prettier when you keep that smartass mouth shut.” I lunge for her, snatching her up and carrying her over to the bed where I drop down to position her bent over my lap.

“Nicky!” she gasps, her struggling accomplishing little, other than wiggling her pert little ass in my face. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Teaching you a fucking lesson once and for all.” My hand raises up, hovering momentarily before I swing forward to make contact with her right ass cheek. The sound of the slap that rings out is more beautiful than the most elaborate of symphonies. A flash of red blooms across her skin, the sight unleashing something primal within me.

Fisting the back of her underwear, I pull up, exposing the round globes of her ass as the fabric is drawn in to mirror that of a thong. With my target now on full display, I unleash a series of sharp consecutive slaps to her bratty little behind as a slew of incoherent nonsense expels from my throat. None of it makes any sense, not until the last word… Mine.

My hand delivers the final blow before coming to rest against the warmth of her now-punished backside. The heat seeps into my palm as the sting of her reddened skin beckons to be caressed. And though every rational part of my brain screams to leave now that my point’s been made, I look down to find my hand rubbing slow soothing circles across her flawless skin.

It’s then I notice two things. One—I’ve still got the back of her panties in a damn death grip, and two—Daphne’s gone uncannily quiet.

A slow sense of dread starts to creep up at the realization of what I’ve done, when all of a sudden Daph shifts in my lap—the movement accompanied by a low whimper. My heart begins to splinter as I worry I’ve hurt her, but then my mind clears just long enough for me to recognize the movements she’s making are not so much shifting, but a wiggle of her thighs.

Daph lays across me, knees pressed together, as her legs clench and shimmy against one another. My breathing stalls as she continues to move against me, seeking some form of friction to satisfy the ache.

My grip on her panties instinctively tightens, accidentally drawing them up even further. The action has her tumbling forward, arching her ass further into the air and bringing her pussy into my field of vision just as the most sinful moan I’ve ever bore witness to escapes her throat.

I freeze at the glorious sight of her pretty pink center. The dark fabric of her underwear is pulled tight in between her folds, making her appear swollen for me. Even in this low light, it’s evident she’s fucking soaked.

Mine. MINE!The voice in my head screams.

Daph gasps, calling my attention to my harder-than-granite cock currently poking her in her stomach, and fuck, there’s no denying how she’s affecting me. I panic at the realization of just how much of my true self I’ve allowed her to see.

Gripping her by the waist, I stand her upright before escaping to the corner of the room. She stumbles briefly, fidgeting with her panties as she shimmies to pull them back into place. Once situated, she brushes back the hair from her face, allowing the full weight of her stare to befall me. Her gaze slices through my mask, peeling back my walls, and peering directly into the depths of my soul.

The air wooshes from my lungs, causing me to grow increasingly lightheaded. Daph’s head tilts to the side, her scrutinizing brows pinching together. I think she says my name, though little can be heard over the rush of blood pumping in my ears.

No. There’s no way this is happening. The fear of spiraling in front of another human amplifies my symptoms, causing the attack to escalate. I thrust my hand out to the side in search of support when I come in to contact with the chair where I’d previously discarded my jacket. Shifting to the front, I drop down into the seat where I reluctantly allow my head to drop into my hands. I struggle to beat back the throes of full-blown hyperventilation, yet my breaths continue to come quicker.

You touched Daphne. DAPHNE. You fucking idiot. What were you thinking?! And you spanked her? She thinks you’re a fucking freak, now. She’s gonna tell your sister. Fuck. She’s never gonna come within a hundred yards of you ever again. You’re never gonna see her ever again.

“Nicky?” A small hand grips my shoulder.

“I’m fine!” I attempt to shrug her off while burying my face deeper in my palms. As though the longer I refuse to look upon her, the less likely she’ll be to tell me to get the fuck out of her life and never come back. Tugging at the roots of my hair, I’m willing myself to inhale long deep breaths, when I’m suddenly shoved backward.

My back becomes flush with the chair as Daph’s slender frame straddles my lap. Wrapping her arms around me, she pulls me into her chest, where she attempts to soothe me.

“Shhh. Come on, Nick. Count it down for me.”

My head snaps to her attention, my eyes wide with disbelief as she references the strategy my mom taught me all those years ago. “How?” is all I can manage.

She smiles, tenderly brushing the hair from my forehead. “I pay attention, Nick. Trust me, when it comes to you, there’s not much I don’t notice. Now, let’s go. Three things you can see. Two things you can touch. One thing you can taste.”

I continue to stare at her in utter amazement, my hands unconsciously rising to frame her face. Stroking her cheek, our eyes remain locked on one another as we take a collective breath.

“Three things I can see,” I begin. “Your wild curls. An endless sea of red.” Her body freezes at my declaration, a reaction that would typically have me scrambling in retreat, but some unspeakable force has my hands slipping back, allowing my fingers to intertwine in her soft tendrils. “I’ve spent hours fantasizing about what they’d look like fanned out across my pillows.”

Dragging my thumb just below the curve of lower lid, I pull her in closer, pressing her forehead to mine. “Those emerald eyes. They hypnotize me, making me forget my fucking name.”

Leaning back ever so slightly, I drag the tip of my index finger down the length of her nose. “This nose. The way it scrunches up at me right before you’re about to unleash some smartass remark.”

I relax back into the chair, allowing my hands to slowly descend her sides, tracing the length of her curves. “Two things I can touch… This fucking body.” I don’t know what possesses me as I slightly lift my hips, allowing her to feel the erection fighting to be freed from the confines of my zipper. She arches in response, eyes slipping closed as her head drops back on a silent gasp. “Yeah, you know exactly what you’ve been doing to me this last year, don’t you? What did you think, Daph? You turned eighteen and suddenly thought I’d have no reservations about fucking you?”

Her head snaps up. “Nicky, no. I—”

My hand shoots forward, encircling her neck and pulling her toward me. “This throat…” I squeeze, flexing my fingers as my hold tightens against her pulse points. Daph’s eyes flutter, the top of her teeth nipping her bottom lip as her hips bear down into me. “The number of times I’ve thought about cutting off your oxygen supply as I simultaneously fucked you stupid cannot be psychologically healthy by any standard. The truth is, Daph, you’re right.”

Her eyes widen in response.

I know I should stop. Quit while I’m ahead. Yet I know if I walk out right now, I’ll find myself back in this same situation before the month’s up. I need to bleed her from my system, and the only way to do that is to scratch the itch.

One night.

That’s all I need.

One night to command her body. To fulfill the fantasies that have been dancing around in my head for longer than I’d like to admit. After all, it’s the mystery that’s got me all fucked up. It’s not like I’m actually obsessed with her.

“I do want to fuck you, Daph. And I’m pretty sure you want to fuck me, too. Would I be correct in that assumption?”

Daph swallows, the tendons in her neck flexing against my hold, before offering up a slight nod.

“Words,” I command.

“Yes.” She offers up a sultry rasp.

“Then as long as we can agree to the terms, there’s no reason we can’t explore this little fascination we have with one another.”

“Terms?”

“One night.” I continue holding her by the throat as my free hand caresses her side. “One night where anything goes. But when the sun comes up, I’m gone. And we will never speak a word of this to anyone. Ever. After tonight, it will be as though this never happened. Do you understand me?”

Daphne takes longer than I thought she would in considering my proposal. As we approach the minute mark, I start to worry she may be about to turn me down. A knot forms deep in my stomach, twisting into a ball of unease, and I’m suddenly aware of how badly I want her to say yes. Just when I feel the suspense may actually kill me, Daphne speaks.

“I agree to your terms.”

I may be still clutching her throat, but it’s my lungs that suddenly flood with oxygen as though someone just loosened their grip. Sitting up, I bring my lips within millimeters of hers. “One thing I can taste,” I whisper into the almost nonexistent space between us. Then, I slam my mouth against hers.

Holy. Fucking. Shit.

My entire body sparks to life as my tongue caresses hers. And when she bites down on my lip, I know I’m a fucking dumbass. If I had an ounce of sense in my idiot head, I’d leave right now. Because the thought that I could possibly cram a year’s worth of fantasies with this girl into the next few hours—that we could open that door and then just shut it when done—is fucking laughable now that I’ve tasted her.

Everything about her is so much more potent than I anticipated. The scent of strawberries—a scent I’ve associated with her since we were kids—doesn’t just linger in her hair, it’s infused with her skin. I lick up the column of her throat, my tastebuds screaming in desperation for more. Could she possibly taste this good everywhere? My dick twitches in response.

Daphne doesn’t miss the motion, oscillating her hips while continuing to bear down onto me. I glance down at her plum-colored panties, and even with how dark they are, I’m still able to make out the wetness soaking through the cotton. The heat of her pussy seeps through my jeans, and I have to swallow down how I’m practically salivating.

I lean back, eyes fixated to where she’s grinding against me. “You think you’re ready for me, demon?” My thumb presses against the damp fabric covering her clit, and she quivers under my touch.

“I’m ready for you, Nick,” she pants, reaching for my belt. “I’ve been ready for you for a long, long time.”

I pull back. Gripping the front hem of her crop top, I flip it up over her head before twisting it at her back, securing her arms behind her. “Did Daddy say you could touch his belt?”

Daph’s eyes flare with desire, and I smile in relief.

I was hesitant to toss that out there. Some girls get weirded out by that shit, thinking you’re about to unleash a full dom/sub dynamic upon them. That’s not what’s happening here. There’s a million kinks in the world, some with entire lifestyles centered around them. As long as it’s taking place between two consenting adults, I cast zero judgment. However, not every guy who likes to be called Daddy, is trying to reenact a “50 Shades” scene. I simply like dirty talk. And a girl that can play into that shit? Cast her filter aside and lose herself with me in the moment? Nothing but a good time as far as I’m concerned.

“I’m in charge. Do you understand?”

Daph’s eyes darken seductively as she pushes her tits up and out. “I don’t know, sir. What if I forget? Is Daddy gonna remind me how to be a good little girl?”

I’m. So. Fucked.

“If you forget,” I swallow, slowly releasing my hold on the fabric of her tangled shirt, “I will punish you.”

“Yeah?” She smiles coyly, slipping her arms free and allowing her shirt to tumble to the floor. “What if I wanna be punished?”

“Is that what you want, baby?” She shivers at my use of the term. “You want me to find a reason to spank that ass ‘til it’s black and blue? ‘Cause you’ve given me no shortage of reasons lately.”

“Well, then, sounds like a lesson is overdue.” Her hands skate over her torso before cupping her heavy breasts, and I have to temper back the annoyance I feel as I’m reminded of how those particular assets were forced upon her.

Don’t get me wrong, she’s stunning. Perfect in every imaginable way. Better than anything my mind could ever conjure up. I want to trace every inch of her goddess-like form with my tongue, and yet, I still can’t help but be the slightest bit saddened that I didn’t get to worship her body before her bitch of a mother decided to alter it.

We could get them taken out if she wants. I don’t give a fuck if she has big boobs. The handful she was working with before would be more than enough for me.

One night, Nick.The voice inside my head reminds me. What Daphne Burke does with her tits moving forward is of no business to me, as this will be the only time I see them.

“Stand up,” I command, my voice thick with desire.

Daph instantly obeys, standing before me in nothing more than her soaked cotton panties.

“Take off your underwear and get on the bed. All fours.”

She turns, facing away from me as she bends forward. Dragging her panties to the floor, she exposes the pink of her pussy to me from between her thighs.

I lean forward, resting my forearms atop my thighs as my gaze follows Daphne’s retreating form. She mounts the bed, glancing seductively over her shoulder before dropping forward onto her hands.

I stand, palming the bulge in my jeans as I approach her from behind. “Lean forward. Press your chest to the mattress.”

She complies. Ass up, her knees widen ever so slightly as she opens herself to me. Fuck, she really is perfect.

I continue my advance, unbuckling my belt and undoing the zipper of my jeans to grant my dick some room. My knees bump the side of the bed, and I reach out, allowing my fingers to dip along her slit. They glide effortlessly, teasing along the path between her clit and her entrance, as her sweet moans fill the space.

“I thought I was getting punished,” she mewls, pushing her ass back toward me.

“Don’t worry, demon.” I chuckle. “It’s coming.”

Plunging two fingers inside her slick heat, I choke at the feeling of how tight she’s gripping me. Shit, I’m gonna have to give her some attention first or she’s never gonna be able to take me.

I continue to pump in and out of her as the sound of her wetness coating my fingers establishes a steady rhythm in the silence. I stare down, mesmerized at the sight of how I slip in and out of her as her chest melts further into the mattress in front of me.

Reaching around, I locate her clit with my other hand, drawing small tight circles over her sensitive bundle of nerves. Her moans grow louder as her hips begin to rock in tandem with my hand. The walls of her pussy begin to tighten, and I know she’s close.

“You like that, baby? Did I find the sweet spot?”

“Fuck,” Daph pants, burying her face into the comforter. “Yes. Right there. Please. I’m right—”

I rip my hands away, stepping back just as she’s about to tip over the edge. She collapses to her side, crying out in frustration. Shoving the hair from her eyes, she looks up at me, the expression she bears one of tortured anguish.

“Still wanna be punished, demon?” I smirk.

“That’s not punishment,” she gasps. “That’s torture.” She rolls onto her back, legs widening as she reaches down to touch herself. I swat at her hand, and she growls in response.

“Tomato, to-mah-to.” I shrug. “Plus, the punishment has to fit the crime.”

“What could I have possibly done to warrant that?!”

“I seem to recall you entertaining some flirtatious advances from one of my dealers earlier in the week.”

Her face hardens, annoyance bleeding back into her features. “Fuck you. I seem to recall you pointing out a teeny bopper such as myself wasn’t worth his time. Bit of a hypocrite, aren’t we… sir?” She arches her brow.

“I had to say something to get him away from you. And I couldn’t very well tell him the truth, could I?”

“Which is?” Her expression morphs to a look of confusion.

Lifting my hand, I show her the wetness still coating my fingers before drawing them into my mouth. What was meant to be a taunt turns out to be a massive fucking mistake. Because she’s the most divine thing I’ve ever tasted, and the sheer thought of anyone else getting to experience her sweetness sends me sailing right off the cliffs of composure and descending straight into madness.

“What was the truth, Nicky?” she repeats, her question sparking me into action.

Gripping hold of her ankle, I drag her to the edge of the bed before forcing her legs wide.

“That if he didn’t get the fuck away from what’s mine, I was going to gut him where he stood.” I dive forward, my tongue colliding with her center, where I lick her from her entrance up to her clit. Her back bows off the bed, her fingers taking root in my hair as she pulls my face deeper into her.

This. This right here is how I want to die. With my face buried in the sweetest pussy I’ve ever been lucky enough to devour. How does she taste so goddamn delicious?

My arms encircle her thighs, locking her in place as I lap at her like a man starved. I swirl her clit while suctioning my mouth overtop, and judging by the way she bucks beneath me, she’ll be back on the precipice of her orgasm in no time.

However, I’m not convinced she’s learned her lesson yet.

I continue to lap at her, alternating between swift circles and slow strokes, until finally I start to feel the tremble building within her. I release her thighs, though ensure they remain slung over my shoulders.

Shoving my hands beneath her ass, I slide up, coming to rest on her lower back. With a forceful heave, I rock back, standing upright and taking her with me, never once removing my tongue from her perfect pussy.

She gasps as I spin, and just when I feel the tell-tale flutter of her impending climax, I pull back, dropping her into my arms where we come nose to nose while I force her legs around my waist.

“No!” she wails, dropping her face into the crook of my neck. “Please, let me come. I’ll do anything. Anything.”

“So eager.” I snicker. “What are you gonna be for me, demon? A good girl, or my filthy little slut?”

“Slide inside me, sir.” She leans back just a fraction, allowing her eyes to lock with mine. “And I’ll show you how those two things can be one and the same.”

Fuck.

Still holding her in my arms, I sit down onto the bed behind me with her coming to straddle my lap.

“Whose pussy is that?” I whisper, glancing down between us.

“Yours.” She pouts as her fingers work to undo the buttons of my shirt, her lips slightly parting as she slips the fabric from my shoulders.

“It better be.” I grip hold of her face, forcing her eyes to mine. “You know what happens if someone touches what’s mine?”

“Tell me,” she pants, rolling her hips repeatedly overtop my dick. “Tell me what you’d do if someone put hands on me. If they touched me here.” Daph’s hands cover mine, guiding one up to her breast, while the other travels to the swell of her ass. “Or here.”

I take over, squeezing her supple flesh until her thighs tremble against me.

“I’d kill them.” My words slip free in a quiet revelation as I continue to drink in the sight of my hands on her bare skin. “I’d cut their fucking hands off, slit their throat, and leave them to watch me fuck you as the life drained from their veins.”

I catch myself on the last word, only to have any spark of panic extinguished when Daphne moans with desire. Arching her back, she leans into my touch, preening as though my words carried promises of love filled forevers rather than vows of violence and vengeance.

She reaches between us, her hand slipping inside my boxer briefs and tightening around my cock. A soft gasp escapes her as her hand closes around me, and she’s able to assess my size. Lifting my hips, I tug at the sides of my pants, lowering them to my knees so she’s able to gain a better look. Daph stares down at my now fully exposed dick, her lust ridden face bearing hints of shock.

“Talk to me, demon.”

“You’re not gonna fit.”

I chuckle, stroking her hair before guiding her chin up to look at me.

“It’s gonna fit, baby. A woman like you? You’re what fantasies are made of. You were made to take this cock.” I draw her in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips while positioning myself at her entrance. “You set the pace. One inch at a time.” It’s nothing short of a miracle I’m able to keep my voice so even because the anticipation of knowing Daphne Burke is seconds away from sliding down my dick has me losing my motherfucking mind.

We lock eyes, and with a shaky breath, Daph begins her descent. She sinks down onto me, inch by torturous inch, causing my fingers to dig into the flare of her hips. I’ve fucked more than my fair share of women, but this is the most incredible feeling I’ve ever experienced. In an act of sheer desperation, I find myself mentally alphabetizing the parts of my bike. A pathetic attempt to distract myself from coming within the first fifteen seconds of being inside her.

The softest of moans escapes her, and I breathe a silent curse at the realization of just how badly I’ve fucked up. Because that one little sound coupled with the feel of her warmth surrounding me scrambles my brain. I haven’t been high a day in my life, but one taste of her and I know what this is—addiction.

Daphne Burke is a drug, and with a single hit, she just rerouted every neural pathway in my brain so that all I will ever crave is her.

She gets about halfway down when she falters, her body shaking within my grasp.

“Nick.” Daph’s voice breaks, the small hitch causing my cock to twitch inside her. “Fuck, oh shit.” She moans again, and I plead with whatever higher power exists that I find the strength to hold my shit together.

“What is it, demon?” I manage to grit out as I draw harsh breaths in and out of my nose. With the way she feels I can only hope she doesn’t call me Daddy right now because I will instantly explode.

“I’m so full. I can’t—”

“I got you. Slide back up, it’ll be easier to work back down.” I offer the suggestion like it’s for her benefit, when really I’m just fucking desperate not to blow my load. However, the second she starts the lift, the feeling of her walls massaging my shaft has me gripping her thighs in protest.

“Shit,” I hiss.

“What’s the matter?”

“Daph, baby, there’s no way around this so Imma just be straight up. You ain’t a demon. You’re a witch… because your pussy is fucking magical. I’m trying to not embarrass myself right now.”

She laughs, the action sending a vibration rolling through us where we’re joined.

“Fuck, woman.” I lean my head forward into her tits, inhaling a breath.

“Hey,” she speaks, her hand cupping my face. I look to her, the sparkle in her beautiful green eyes as bright as ever. “Lay back.”

For once it’s me taking direction—something that would typically be a turnoff for me. Yet, the way her gaze darkens as I oblige her sends my pulse skyrocketing. There’s not much I wouldn’t do for Daph, and I shudder to think what she could reduce me to if she knew that to be true.

Once I’m lying comfortably on the bed, she resumes her place on top of me. Angling me just right, she sinks down once more. Only this time, she does so in a single fluid motion.

I bottom out inside her, filing her to the hilt, and my vision temporarily blacks out. Blinking several times, the room slowly starts to come back in focus, and I look up to find the goddess staring down at me with a seductive set of fuck meeyes.

“Tell me what to do,” she rasps, trailing her hands up over her breasts. “Control me.”

“Roll your hips.” I barely manage to force the words out, though Daph must hear me because she complies instantly. She repeats the move, over and over again while tugging at the peaks of her dusty rose nipples—the sight damn near hypnotizing. “Now lift for me, baby. Up and down. Oh my fucking—” My eyes roll back into my head when she begins bouncing on my cock.

“Jesus, Daddy, you fill me so well.” She tosses her head back, planting her hands behind her on my thighs as her hips continue to grind against me in a manner I don’t think I’ve ever seen mastered before her. “And to think, all those times I was leaning over your kitchen island in my little pajama shorts with no panties when you’d come to breakfast. Did you know how wet I was for you each and every time? All you had to do was slide them to the side, but you were too much of a stubborn prick.”

Sex is ruined for me. Absolutely ruined. How am I supposed to get off with another person ever again after knowing Daph exists in the world and feels like this?

How am I supposed to go on knowing one day she’ll find someone else, and they’ll get to experience this with her?

A snarl tears from my throat as my brain rejects the thought. A wave of possessiveness surges through me, and I flip us, pinning her into the mattress where I begin to savagely pound into her.

Mine. Mine. Mine. My brain chants with each thrust as she screams beneath me, begging me not to stop.

“That’s it. Not a whole lot of room for that attitude when you’re filled with my cock, is there? Take every last inch like only my good little whore can do. Shit, you squeeze me so fucking tight.” Her headboard slaps against the wall, the vibrations sending the picture frames on her nightstands clattering to the floor. And just as she reaches the crest of her climax, I slam home, sending her soaring over the edge.

I roar as she clenches around me, emptying inside her before collapsing at her side. We lie next to one another, chests heaving as our adrenaline begins to fade.

“I’m on birth control,” she speaks, pulling me from my daze. “And I’m clean. I swear. I’ve never had sex without a condom before.”

Her comments throw me for a loop. Not because I thought otherwise, but because I wasn’t even thinking about either of those things at all. I’ve never fucked a girl without a condom. Ever. With the number of women looking to trap me, it’s not something I’ve ever been willing to fuck around with. And yet, the concern never even broached my mind when it came to Daph.

“Me too.” I nod. “I get tested every six months. And I’ve also never had sex without a condom.”

That information looks like it surprises her, though she doesn’t comment.

“So,” I clear my throat, “your parents don’t bother coming to check why their daughter’s screaming bloody murder at 3 a.m.?”

She snorts. “They’re not here. Mom made Dad take her to Napa for a long weekend.”

“You’re saying we are currently the only two people in this house?”

“That we are, Conners.” She props up onto her elbows, suspiciously eyeing my mischievous grin. “Why?”

I pop up from the bed, kicking off my jeans which are still tangled around one of my ankles before scooping Daph up and over my shoulder.

“Nicky!” she squeals, erupting into a fit of giggles. “What are you doing?!”

“I’m gonna fuck you on as many surfaces in this house as possible.” I throw open her bedroom door, slapping her ass while strolling out into the hallway. “And we’re gonna end in your parents’ bed. Because the next time your mother talks shit to you, you’re gonna smile knowing she rests her head where you got thoroughly fucked by the one human she hates more than anyone on the planet.”

Daph lets out a shriek of laughter as I carry her to the kitchen to begin our sexcapade.

I fuck her for hours as I make good on my promise, ending exactly where I said we would as I pin her against her parents’ headboard, taking her from behind. And when I carry her back to her bedroom before tucking her in and dressing to leave, her eyes are heavy with sleep.

“You can stay,” she murmurs sleepily, nuzzling her face into her pillow.

“No, I can’t.” I approach the bed, bending down to brush her hair from her face. “Just one night. Remember, demon?”

She nods, her face falling slightly. “It was a good night, Nick.”

“Yeah.” I offer her up a small smile. “It was. But now it’s over. This thing between us? It’s done. You got me?”

“I got you,” she whispers. “I know the deal.”

Turning over, she severs our connection, allowing me to take my leave. And though I should be relieved, I’m surprisingly unsettled.

I’m unsettled when she comes to pick J up the next day and honks instead of coming inside.

I’m unsettled when my sister remains none the wiser because for the first time in the history of their friendship, Daph withholds information.

And I’m unsettled two days later when I find myself scratching at her window in the middle of the night, like a dog begging to be let inside.