As soon as my door closes behind her, my alter ego emerges. “My room. My rules. I’m in control,” I state as a warning. “Any objections to this, you should leave now.”
“No. I understand.”
“If at any time you feel uncomfortable or don’t want something, simply say stop. I only warn that you be sure you want me to stop because once that word is used, our time together ends. I’m not into persuasion or force.” I give her another chance to run the hell out of here, but she only smiles and nods her acceptance of my terms. “Take everything off—slowly.”
I watch as she removes her sundress and then that scrap of material she calls a swimsuit. Her immediate and complete submission already has me hard as a rock. Once she is naked, I tell her to kneel before me, and she does again without hesitation. I release my dick from my shorts, and her eyes widen with anticipation. I rub the tip across her lips and tell her to open. She takes me to the back of her throat like a pro and works me with one of her hands. This is what I need. Tonight, I will not think about Harlow. Sasha is in for a night she will not soon forget. I rarely give it my all, but I don’t know how long it will be before I find someone else worthy—someone else who can handle what I’m about to unleash. I hope she is ready for a long night. She has willingly given me her submission, and for that, she will be rewarded with incredible pleasure. Tonight, my darkness will prevail, and my demons will play.
Harlow
I awake to Irelyn shaking me. I pull my phone off the nightstand and see that it is already almost nine.
“Get up, girl. It’s time to go register for classes.” She is already dressed. How is it that she went to bed after me and is up before me? I know firsthand that the two-hour time difference from California is tiring. Well, I had my shower last night, so I only need a few minutes to freshen up. I throw on my usual attire and brush my hair back into a ponytail. This is progress for me because I used to hide behind my hair—the whole purpose I let it grow to my waist.
Once we’re out the door, Irelyn stops at the bedroom door next to ours and knocks—Phoenix’s room.
“What are you doing?” I hiss.
“Sasha is not in her room. She never made it there, so I know she’s in here,” she says apologetically. “I have to let her know we’re leaving, in case she wants to tag along.” Irelyn is aware of the ambivalence I feel toward Phoenix. I know she hates that her whore of a cousin slept with him. It’s for the best, actually. I don’t want to see Sasha gloat, though, so I’ll just wait for her downstairs. The door swings open, and Sasha stands there with a lazy smile of satisfaction and bedhead. She is wearing one of Phoenix’s shirts. Being a glutton for punishment, I see him rise from the bed, covered only by a sheet, to see who is at the door.
“What do you girls want?” Sasha finally asks.
“We’re heading to the university. I wanted to know if you were staying or going?” Irelyn asks, frustrated.
“No. I think I’m up for another round with Phoenix. That sounds much more exciting if you know what I mean.” She looks back at him and then directly at me.
“Come on, Irelyn. I’m hungry,” I say to brush off her direct jab. I keep telling myself I don’t care, so why does the ache in my heart from last night seem to be magnified? She says something to Sasha that I can’t hear before following me. Asher is letting me take the Escalade. It is about an hour's drive to Tuscaloosa. Irelyn spends the first part of the drive trying to apologize for her slutty cousin and trying to assess how I’m feeling, but I wave her off. I don’t want to talk about it. It’s not her fault. I have no claim to Phoenix, so he can do what he wants. I’m not even supposed to like him. My heart tells me I do anyway, but fuck that traitor. It’s only because he was the first man to bypass the “fuck-off” vibes that I put out and spend time with me anyway. The attention just caused a lapse in judgment, that is all. I’m confusing appreciation with feelings.
Irelyn finally gives up and lets me have my way. She knows how stubborn I can be. We register for twelve credit hours and manage to get two of the four classes together. Score. We spend the rest of the day shopping and getting lunch. I even let Irelyn talk me into buying a dress. I don’t know if I’ll ever wear it, but it felt empowering to step out of my comfort zone for a moment—knowing that I have the strength to do so.
When we walk in, the guys are all sitting in the living room watching Family Guy. Surprisingly, Sasha is not sitting next to Phoenix, but instead, messing with her phone at the dining table. We’re told that there is lasagna in the oven and invited to have a seat and a beer. I note that Phoenix is not drinking. He looks at me, but I look away. Irelyn takes a seat among the guys after putting our bags away. I excuse myself to head back out and take a walk. I intended to stay close to the house, but the fresh air and deep thoughts take me farther away than anticipated. As the sun begins to set lower in the sky and the hues of orange transition to purple, I know I need to head back. I don’t want to be caught on this country road in the dark. I feel a few droplets of water hit my arms, so I walk faster. Within minutes, the sky opens up to a full downpour. Shit. There is no need to run now; I’m getting drenched anyway.
The roar of a motorcycle engine sounds in the distance as a single headlight blinds me. I put my hand over my forehead to get a better view, and I move closer to the side of the road to let it pass. It comes to a screeching halt next to me, and I nearly jump out of my skin. The rider flips the visor of the helmet, and I’m staring in the eyes of Phoenix.
“Get on,” he says.
“No, thank you,” I reply as I continue walking.
“Goddammit, Harlow. It’s pouring out here. Now is not the time to be stubborn.” He is agitated, but I don’t give a shit. I don’t want anything from him.
“I’m not getting on that death machine with you. I’d rather be wet than dead. Why don’t you go ask Sasha if she wants a ride?” Oh, that does it. He’s fuming now. I don’t slow my pace, but I can hear him cursing to himself behind me.
“Stop with the jealous bullshit and just get the hell on, will you?”
“Jealous? You wish, asshole. You and that tramp deserve each other.” I start running to get away from him, but I misjudge the added weight of my baggy jeans from the rain and fall face forward. My hands break my fall, but I’m more than a little humiliated. Phoenix is off the bike in an instant.
He kneels at my side. “Are you okay?”
“Just leave me alone, please.” I try to jerk away, but he pulls me into his embrace, and I can’t overpower him.
“Please, just stop. Let me get you home safely, and then you can go back to hating my guts. I’m not going to leave you here.” I know he isn’t lying. I’m learning that he is just as stubborn as I am. We’re two fools in the rain, refusing to give in to the other. Fuck it. As he said, I can go back to hating him once we get back to the house. I let him help me up.
“Fine. Let’s go,” I huff. He takes off his helmet and puts it on my head before I can protest. He straddles the bike and then holds it steady while I get on. I’m scared shitless as he takes off. I wrap my arms around his waist tightly and lean with him around each curve. I can feel the hardness of his abs underneath my fingers contract when he moves and the vibration of the seat between my legs. I can admit he handles the bike with expert precision, but that doesn’t mean I would want to be on one again anytime soon. When we arrive back at the house, I can’t wait to jump off. Asher is standing in the doorway with a scowl.