My aunt and her friend Francine owned a salon. They had since before I could remember.

  “Cut and highlight?” I arched a brow, wondering what “cut” actually meant. I knew I was panicking just a bit but I loved Cat’s hair. It was just long enough to grip, wrap around my wrist, and tug on when she was bent over before me and we were—

  “Just a trim,” Catherine interrupted my thoughts. “And a few lighter streaks throughout.”

  I didn’t miss the smirk on Cat’s lips like she read my thoughts from only moments ago.

  If my aunt had things her way, Catherine and I would have stayed all day, but the guys were getting antsy. They continued to call and text, telling me they were leaving in twenty with or without us.

  With an exchange of hugs, we climbed into my car and headed back to the frat house. Catherine seemed happier, relieved even, and the idea of her spending time with my aunt didn’t terrify me a bit. I actually loved the idea of her being around my family. It made everything between us feel so fucking real.

  It was real.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Catherine

  “That’s like the mansion of all tents.” I had to agree with Clayton as we stood looking at the monstrous display before us. “I mean come on, Red, we know you’re a big dude, but that could seriously fit ten people.”

  “Twelve,” Eli interjected and I snickered.

  “So it’s a party at Red’s place.” I wasn’t sure who yelled that out from behind us.

  “There’ll be a party but I only gave out one invitation.” He looked over at me and winked, making my cheeks heat.

  “Good, she’ll scare away the wild animals,” Clayton chuckled. “Ain’t no one gonna mess with us when they think we’ve got a wild hyena with us.”

  I shot him a horrified expression.

  “A hyena.” I crossed my arms over my chest and those around us stopped to watch. “I do not sound like a hyena.” I practically shouted the words, which was completely dumb. Those who hadn’t heard the initial part of the conversation were fully aware of it now. Those who weren’t looking had stopped what they were doing. Everyone was watching us.

  Forget horrified; I was mortified.

  Kill me now.

  “Okay fine.” Clayton also crossed his arms over his chest, squaring his shoulders. He didn’t scare me; he only triggered a fire inside me. “I take it back, you don’t sound like a hyena.”

  I lifted my chin higher as if to say “ha,” only it backfired.

  “It’s actually more like a tortured cat, which makes perfect sense. Cat,” he held out one hand, “and cat.”

  “You are a dickhead.” All movement had stopped around us. “Take it back.”

  “Seriously we need to record that shit, all ‘Yes, yes, oh yes! Ahhh!’” He spun around in a circle holding out his hands and gaining a few nods from a few of his brothers.

  Xavier even nodded, but Morgan elbowed him in the stomach so he’d been warned enough.

  “Clayton,” Eli said in warning but I shot him a glance assuring him it was okay. I got this.

  “What’s wrong, Clayton? Never heard a woman sound satisfied before?” I spoke loud enough for everyone around us to hear. “I’ve heard a few rumors around campus. Seems you have a little bit of a problem,” I said as I lifted my pinky and wiggled it, indicating his crotch. “Maybe you should get yours pierced too, it might help. You’re so used to the sounds of yawning during sex that when you hear anything other than that you feel inferior, and you should. My screams are the sounds of a woman’s enjoyment. Too bad that’s something you’ll never experience.”

  He stood there staring at me, his mouth hanging slightly open. He looked behind me, I assumed at Elijah. I also assumed that he knew better than to say anything more.

  “You’re a sassy little shit.”

  I shrugged. He shook his head and a few seconds later walked away. A few of his brothers started slapping him on his back, calling him things like “pinky dick” and “tiny.” I didn’t feel bad one bit; he started it.

  “Babe.” I spun around to find Eli only a few inches away and bumped against his chest. He wrapped me in his arms and closed the last few inches of distance. “You do realize you just told everyone who didn’t already know that my dick is pierced.”

  My eyes widened as realization hit. “Wait, there’s a video, remember?”

  He chuckled before leaning in and pressing his lips to mine. “I love that you’re vocal.”

  “I need a muzzle,” I mumble as I attempted to step back, only he stopped me.

  “Keep that shit up and I’ll make you scream now.” I narrow my eyes at his warning. “Only it won’t be from the usual way I inflict it.”

  “No?”

  He shook his head just as he looked toward the water on the other side of the trees.

  “Don’t you dare,” I said again, trying to back away.

  That playful smile of his that I adored covered his lips. He bent at the knees then suddenly I was over his shoulder.

  “Eli,” I screamed as I smacked at his back. He chuckled so hard his shoulder shook, vibrating against my stomach. “Elijah Ray,” I yelled even louder and he stumbled a bit. He hated his middle name.

  But there was something he hated me calling him more. “Red!”

  He stopped suddenly and lowered me to the ground. He didn’t mind everyone else calling him that, but he was Eli to me. It was more personal. Just like when we were intimate he whispered Blake to me, though I wasn’t sure he realized he was doing it.

  “Woman.” I laughed when he tried to sound vicious.

  “Please, you don’t scare me.” I pushed past him and began walking back to the enormous tent he brought. That saying about men going big to compensate for inadequacy was definitely not a factor for Eli. It was quite the opposite.

  “Come on, my gentle giant,” I hollered out over my shoulder. “We got work to finish.”

  Carefree, more than I’d ever been, was what it was like to be with Eli. It was the best feeling in the world. It was something I never wanted to lose.

  ***

  I reached out to take the third s’mores made for me. Marcus and I hovered by the fire. Morgan was just a few feet away on the phone; I assumed she was talking to her little brother. I’d heard a lot about him and thought it was amazing the love she showed not only him but the guys in the house too. Elijah had mentioned Turtle Man or Toby a few times since we’d been together.

  Altogether, it still seemed strange considering we had never really discussed a relationship, we sorta just fell into it. Like everything else with Eli, it felt natural.

  I turned around just enough to observe the guys behind us as they played some weird little game involving a bean bag. I thought it was called bags or something like that.

  “How are things going at home?”

  The question surprised me, as I turned back to face Marcus. He knew very little, but his concern was always there, ever since that night I called him to pick me up after my car wouldn’t start.

  “Wanna explain that red mark you had on your cheek couple weeks ago?”

  My stomach felt like it dropped and fell right out of my ass.

  I looked over my shoulder, ensuring no one was close and looked toward Morgan too.

  “No one heard,” he assured me. “I wouldn’t have brought it up had anyone been near.” I knew that to be true; Marcus had become a best friend. “I just know that story of the door hitting your face was false. So, here I am, tell me.”

  I looked ahead, focusing on the fire, the rise and slight fall of the flames, feeling my heart race. That familiar ache in my stomach that always seemed to hit whenever I thought of my home life. Lately things had gotten worse, but it was easier to just forget all about it. Maybe I was living in a dreamland, but pretending that part of life didn’t exist was how I was able to get through each day with my head held high.

  “Was it her?”

  Without hesitation I shook my head.

  “Him?”

  For a moment I remained silent, again watching the orange, yellow, and red flickers before me. The warmth of the fire felt good on my chilled skin. The popping of the wood and the shifting of the coals was easy to get lost in.

  I finally nodded and I heard what resembled a hiss seep from his lips.

  “I’ve been talking to Morgan about you moving in with us.”

  I quickly shifted my gaze toward him and shook my head. “No.”

  “You can’t keep living there. I know you’ve been saving to get your own place, but—”

  “I’ve got to do this, Marcus.” I could feel tears threatening to surface and I fought against them. “I’m not gonna let you and Morgan support me. I may only be able to put back a very small amount of each check, but I’ll get there. I’ve hidden about four hundred so far and…” He held up his hand and I stopped.

  “Hidden?” He repeated my word, and I felt stupid for referring to it as such. It only opened up a whole other round of questions. “Why the hell are you hiding your money?”

  I looked away from him, trying to come up with a reason why I’d referred to it that way. “So I won’t spend it.” The words flew out of my mouth and I felt even more stupid.

  You hide it, dumbass. It would be easy for you to get it because you know where it’s at.

  “Are you actually telling me that they make you give them your check?”

  No, you are just apparently great at reading between the lines.

  Only I didn’t say that aloud, but then again, I didn’t have to. He already knew.

  I heard a shuffle of feet approaching from behind and straightened my back, taking in a calming breath.

  “What are talking about over here?” Eli asked as he sat behind me and slid in close. “Looks pretty serious.”

  Thinking fast, I held up my s’mores in front of me. “We’re discussing the best part of a s’mores. Marcus here believes it to be the chocolate and though chocolate is amazing, especially melted, I say it is the marshmallow.”

  With my eyes I pleaded to Marcus to just let it go and was thankful when he did.

  “Chocolate, creamy melted chocolate is what makes the s’mores. It’s that rich sweetness that pulls it all together.”

  I looked back at Eli as he stared at the yummy goodness in my hands. Suddenly he wrapped his hand around my wrist and moved our joined hands toward his mouth. I watched in awe as he wrapped his lips around the snack and took a bite, licking his lips as he pulled away. I looked over at Marcus and found he was just as amazed as I was.

  “I don’t know, babe,” Eli finally spoke, regaining my attention. “Our boy here may have a point.”

  Oh how cute, he called Marcus our boy.

  “I think it’s the chocolate too.”

  I agreed it was the chocolate, but my plan to redirect the conversation and eliminate Elijah’s earlier curiosity had worked. So I had let the both of them believe I loved the marshmallow most.

  Later when everyone moved toward the fire and we were all sitting around smiling and laughing, I was able to forget about that conversation with Marcus. I knew it would hit again later when things got silent, when the only thing I had was my mind telling me to do something about it. I’d again go through all my fears of both staying and going. I’d go through all the doubts I fought daily that one day I’d be my mother, forced to drop out of school and go to work to make ends meet, ending up a bitter person who blamed everyone but myself for the hardships in my life.

  If I could just get through the next few months I thought I could save enough for a deposit and first month’s rent. I could save every extra dollar. I could pull more shifts but say I joined a study group to explain the extra time away from home. I didn’t need anything big, just four walls and a door.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Wanna take a walk?” Chills covered my neck as Eli whispered near my ear. “I promise to keep you safe in the darkness.”

  Of that I had no doubt.

  I nodded as he stood, holding his hand out to me.

  “Where are you two going?” Marcus asked knowingly, but neither of us answered.

  Walking hand-in-hand we moved away from the water.

  Have you ever attempted to hold hands with a guy who has a good six inches of height on you? It’s odd. Eli released my hand and held out his hand, stepping in front of me. I chuckled when he crouched down and held his arms out to his sides.

  But I didn’t hesitate.

  I climbed onto his back willingly and wrapped my arms around his neck. I took the opportunity to press a kiss to his neck and of course he reached around and squeezed my ass appreciatively.

  “Pervert,” I said teasingly and he didn’t deny it at all.

  That familiar comfortability washed over me as he continued on his path, carrying me as if I weighed absolutely nothing.

  “You wanna tell me what you and Marcus were really talking about?”

  There went that easy-going feeling. I was glad he couldn’t see my face.

  “S’mores,” I said, almost singing the word. “It started out about pizza, and how he thinks I work too many hours, then it led to dessert, which led to s’mores.”

  Please believe me.

  Did I feel guilty for lying? So guilty, but he was better off not knowing. Elijah wasn’t the type of guy to let something like that go.

  “Where are you taking me anyway?”

  “Someplace private.” I liked the sound of that.

  “But we have a tent.”

  “Ten feet away from everyone else, and babe, we’ve already established the fact that you are loud.”

  “Evil ass,” I said with a smile. “But true. In my defense, though, that is all your fault.”

  He shrugged, completely owning that little fact.

  I took the chance to look around as he led us further into the darkness. I had never left Gainesville before, and it felt nice to get away.

  Eli came to a stop and I looked around, noticing that he had brought me to a secluded little area overseeing the water in the distance. We were hidden, but through the trees we could see the glistening of the moonlight over the water below.

  “This is so peaceful.” I stepped closer toward the opening and stopped when I felt him reach out to grip my hip from behind. The moment his chest pressed to my back I leaned toward him a little further as he continued to circle my waist.

  I could feel his lips against the side of my neck as he slouched behind me, triggering me to moan. It seemed to only fuel his hunger as he began to suck and gently bite. “I’ve been waiting to get you alone all night.”

  “Alone is good.” At this point I was practically panting.

  His left hand began to slide upward to cup my breast and lightly massage it. My knees gave just a little and he used his other arm to hold me in place.

  “Do you know how much I crave you?” He pinched my nipple, tugging lightly. “I think about you every minute, remembering every fucking kiss you give me. Sometimes if I close my eyes I swear I can feel your tongue tasting me. I can sometimes even smell your perfume.”

  He continued to kiss and tease as he carefully began to turn me in his arms. “I’m addicted to your smile, your laugh.” I looked up at him, suddenly feeling emotional.

  What did I do to deserve him?

  I almost felt like I was meant to find him, meant to experience what I felt every time he looked at me.

  I don’t know what came over me but the rush of emotions had me seeking him out. I just wanted to feel him, I needed to feel him. I rose up, wrapped my arms around his neck, and pulled him toward me. My lips found his because I needed him to stop saying all those sweet things. My heart couldn’t take it right then.

  Maybe it was a mixture of Marcus bringing up Carl hitting me and me lying to Elijah again, but I just needed the talking to stop. Otherwise I’d be a crying mess and then I’d be forced to explain. I couldn’t explain, not now.

  What I needed was to feel him, feel his hands on me, feel him moving inside me. I didn’t care that we were out in the open and that I might wake up everyone within a hundred-mile radius; I just needed him.

  Suddenly I was backed up and pressed against a tree just before Eli gripped the backs of my legs and lifted me, hooking my legs over his hips.

  My head fell backward, thumping against the trunk behind me just as he pushed his hard cock against me. “Oh my god,” fell from my lips as I pushed my own hips forward, searching out the friction it caused.

  “You keep calling me god and I’ll start believing I am.”

  “To me you are.” I lifted my head again and searched out his mouth.

  His tongue broke the barrier of my lips. I took everything he was willing to give and matched it.

  “If we don’t stop, things are going to get out of control real fast.”

  “I don’t care.” And I didn’t. I wanted him so badly I could feel my body shaking with anticipation.

  “I don’t have a condom.” His confession halts us for a moment. “I didn’t bring ‘em with me. They’re all back in the tent.”

  I leaned in and rested my forehead on his as he still held me up, pinned to the tree.

  “I’m clean,” I whispered. “I also get the Depo shot.”

  He leaned back and gave me a confused look, making me laugh.

  “It’s a birth control shot, so I never forget to take the pill.”

  He nodded as if he was registering my words. “So are you saying…” He stopped and I understood it was because he wanted to hear me repeat the words to be sure he’d heard me correctly.

  “I haven’t been with anyone but you since I was a junior in high school, I’m clean. I’m also protected, so if you—”

  His mouth took my own in an aggressive kiss that took my breath away. Like the flood gates were opened and Eli came rushing in, I suddenly felt consumed by him.

  He put my feet back on the ground, but only long enough to undo my jeans and lower them and my panties. With quick movements he unfastened his own and when they were shoved down mid-thigh, I was once again lifted and pressed to the tree.

 

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