I CHASE AFTER HER, Malcolm and Ezra right behind me, both of them shouting, “Get her!”
Fuck, could they be any more obvious? We don’t need to call attention to ourselves. Don’t need to startle her either.
Too late for that. She’s broken out into a full-on run, her dark hair streaming behind her, that annoyingly childish yet sexy white ribbon at the back of her head bouncing with her every step. Her skirt flares, offering us a glimpse of slender bare thighs and I pick up speed.
I’m going to catch her first. Fuck these guys.
Ezra gives me a run for my money, keeping the same pace as me while Malcolm gives up, falling into a spasm of constant coughing. Too much weed does that to a person.
And Malcolm really loves his weed.
Determination filling me, I pump my arms and legs, pulling past Ezra, ignoring his “hey!” as I take the lead over him once again. I’m drawing closer to Wren, her steps slowing as her head turns left, then right.
Trying to figure out where to go next.
Don’t worry, little bird, I’ve almost got you figured out.
I’m within reaching distance when she darts to her left, dodging me at the last second.
“Birdy!” I yell her hated nickname at her, and she glances over her shoulder, her frightened gaze meeting mine.
It’s wrong that I feel joy at seeing the fear in her eyes, isn’t it? Yet a small part of me does. Knowing she’s scared gives me a sense of power, a heady rush straight to my head.
And my groin.
Looking back at me is where she made her mistake. It slows her step, throws her off when she realizes just how close I am. Her hesitation gives me the advantage, and I grab hold of her, sliding my arms around her waist from behind and yanking her off her feet.
She howls, her curled fists coming back and nearly connecting with my balls, smacking me in the thigh instead. “Put me down!”
“Sshh,” I whisper near her ear, tightening my hold on her as she thrashes about. She’s so damn angry, I can feel the vibration just beneath her skin. “Calm the fuck down.”
“Let me go!” She pushes against my hold and I shift my right arm upwards, readjusting my grip. Her tits press against my forearm, lush and full, and I wonder what she looks like naked.
She stomps her foot on top of mine, making me curse. Of course she chooses today to wear the damn Doc Martens.
Those things should be labeled as weapons.
I loosen my grip and she makes her move, trying to lunge out of my arms. I slip my hand beneath her uniform jacket, cupping her right tit.
Wren goes completely still, her breathing ragged, her chest rising and falling. I don’t let go of her.
It’s like I can’t.
“Wh-what do you want from me?” Her voice trembles. Her entire body is shaking.
And it’s all my fault.
“What do you think?” My tone is dark. Suggestive. From the way I’m touching her, she can figure it out.
Though that’s not what I want.
Not right now.
“Crew!”
I glance over my shoulder to find Ezra approaching, his brows lowered in question. I shake my head once, glaring at him, and he takes the hint, turning on his heel and heading back toward where Malcolm stands. Far enough away from us that they can’t hear.
But they can watch.
“Let me go, Crew. Please,” Wren pleads, her voice full of agony. I see it written all over her pretty face as it nearly crumples with pain.
Fear.
“Afraid I’m gonna have to keep tabs on you, Birdy, after what you just saw.”
“I won’t say anything,” is her immediate response.
“Better not. We can’t afford to get in trouble this late in the game. It’s zero tolerance here, baby.” I give her breast a gentle squeeze and a whimper escapes her. “Even with Lancasters. They find out I’m smoking a blunt on campus, I’m out.”
Wren remains quiet, her body convulsing with shivers.
“There’s a lot of power in your hands right now.” I dip my head closer to her ear, my lips practically brushing her flesh. “You could ruin me.”
She shakes her head, her silky hair brushing my face. “I-I won’t ruin you. Or your friends. I didn’t even really see what you were doing.”
“Liar.” I drop my other arm so it bands across her hips, directly across the front of her skirt. It would take nothing for me to slip my fingers beneath it and touch her. “You saw us.”
“You were smoking—something.”
Come the fuck on. She had to know exactly what we were smoking. “You’re going to have to forget what you saw.”
“O-okay.”
“You have to promise, Birdy.” My hand slides down, toying with the hem of her skirt.
Wren whimpers. “Please don’t hurt me.”
Oh Jesus. She thinks I want to hurt her? In the middle of campus at lunch? “I’m not going to do anything to you that you don’t want.” I let my lips tickle her earlobe, making her shiver. “I’m pretty persuasive when I want to be.”
“You’re disgusting,” she spits out.
“You’re telling me if I reach beneath your panties right now, you won’t be wet for me?” I don’t believe it. She might be scared of me, but she’s also aroused. I swear I can smell it on her. Sharp and fragrant.
Intoxicating.
A low, frustrated moan leaves her. “Stop saying things like that.”
“Why? Because it goes against everything you believe in? Or because you like it too damn much?” I streak my thumb across the front of her tit, wishing she didn’t have on such a heavy bra, so I could tell if that nipple was hard or not.
“Both,” she admits.
So softly, I almost didn’t hear her.
It’s my turn to be surprised. “Really, Birdy?”
She doesn’t respond. Her breathing is still rapid, and tremors wrack her body, but she doesn’t seem as scared as she was only a few minutes ago.
I decide to push my luck.
“I would never hurt you.” I nuzzle her hair, breathing deep the sweetly floral scent of her shampoo. Damn this girl smells good. “Unless you like it that way.”
She whimpers. I’m probably confusing the shit out of her. She truly is such an innocent.
It would be fun, toying with her.
“I don’t like you,” she bites out, sounding nothing like our usual sweet little Wren.
“Good.” I breathe into her ear, smiling when I feel her shiver. “I don’t like you either. Though I can’t deny I like the way you feel in my arms.”
“Is this how you operate then? You have to force girls to get what you want from them?”
A chuckle leaves me. She is a vicious little thing when she wants to be. Didn’t believe she had it in her. “I don’t have to force girls to do shit. Including you.”
“Let me go then. See if I’ll stick around,” she taunts.
“Nope.” I make a popping sound with the word, tightening my hold on her. “You’ll go running to Headmaster Matthews’ office and tell him everything. I can’t risk it.”
“I told you I wouldn’t tell. Come on, Crew. Please. Let me go.” I like the pleading. I’d enjoy some begging too, but not here.
“We need to make a deal, Birdy.”
“What do you mean?” She stiffens in my hold, wariness tingeing her voice.
“I don’t trust that you’re not going to tell on us. At the very least, you’ll go to Figueroa, and I don’t want to deal with his shit. Which means I’m going to have to trail you everywhere you go.”
An irritated sound leaves her. “That’s ridiculous. And impossible. Besides, I already promised.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“I won’t say anything!” she practically wails. “What would I gain by doing something like that?”
“Getting rid of me and my friends from school so you don’t have to deal with us ever again. Sounds perfect, right? Don’t bother denying it. I can feel your hatred for me emanating from your body.”
The bill rings, the sound faint since we’re so far from the building, and she jerks against my hold. “Let me go. We have class.”
“We can be late.”
“No.” She shakes her head, her soft hair brushing against my chin. “I’m never late. I don’t even skip.”
“Yes, actually, you do. We all witnessed you leaving Skov’s class early yesterday,” I remind her.
An irritated sound leaves her. “That was different. And all your fault, I might add.”
“I’m not responsible for your actions.” I caress her tit, my touch extra gentle, noting how she slowly melts against me. “Like I said, we need to strike a deal, little birdy.”
“I’m not striking anything with you. Let me go.” She stomps on my foot again, surprising me. A yelp escapes and she breaks free, running away from me, never once looking back.
I watch her go, ignoring the pain throbbing in my toes, focusing on the erection I’m sporting thanks to having Wren’s sexy little body rubbing against mine for the last five minutes.
Hearing her confess that she both hated and liked what I said shocked me.
That’s something I’m definitely going to explore further.
