Page 8 of Rivals

“Riley!” Emma calls, snapping her fingers in front of my face. I jump and glance at them, finding them both watching me with mischief in their eyes.

“What?”

Emma nods toward where the lifeguard was and I glance back. He’s watching me this time; his hand lifted in a small wave and a smirk on his lips. “Oh shit,” I mutter under my breath and start walking away. Emma and Sam follow, both of them laughing and joking about how I zoned out watching him like a creep. I don’t bother denying it, because what else would I say? I was thinking about Reign. Yeah, no.

“I think we should try and sneak out tonight. The boys do it all the time and it’s never an issue.” I hear one of our team members saying as we get closer to them. All heads swivel in my direction once we’re within ear shot. Every year this is a topic of discussion and usually I play it safe, keeping my team here. I don’t know what happened today, but I’m suddenly feeling reckless. I want to step out of my comfort zone.

I nod my head. “After bed check, the path through the woods in the back leads to the main beach.

Riley

Beach parties are not what they are all cracked up to be. This is why I never felt the urge to go. There is a collection of kids from the public high school and a few groups of the kids from All Saints Academy. Drinks are circling and someone is attempting to play music. I had my sandals on at first but that quickly became terrible and now I feel like I’m dodging glass bottles, cigarette and joint butts, and not stepping where someone puked after a few too many shots. The bonfire is going and puts off some light, but not enough to show me where it’s safe to step. No one wants it that big because, well, cops.

I stick closely to Sam and Emma and the kids from our school, but that doesn’t interfere with the intense gaze that’s been following me around all night. I don’t have to see Reign to know he’s watching me. I can only imagine what sort of punishment he is planning or sick challenge now that I fell on him, practically tackling him to the ground. Heat builds up my neck and settles at the base like a vise. I’m uncomfortable and really wishing I had made the decision not to come. Maybe if I avoid Reign for the rest of the summer, he will forget about it by the time school starts.

“I might head back,” I tell Emma and her smile immediately drops. Her eyes search out Reign and then she scowls, probably making the same assessment I had.

“Fuck him, Girl. This is our senior year. The last time we’ll be here at camp together. Let Reign be pissy, you don’t owe him anything. It was an accident.”

Her words make sense and I want to scream how right she is, but I can’t shake the feeling that there is a timer counting down above me, and I don’t know what happens after the buzzer. I open my mouth, ready to tell her I don’t feel good when—

“Cops!” Someone yells and bodies scramble. I can see red and blue lights flashing in the distance. Everyone takes off toward the lot to get in their cars, but I run toward the woods. If I can just get deep enough, they won’t find me and eventually I’ll get back to camp. I know this area by heart, after spending so many summers here. As I run, I’m suddenly thankful I didn’t drink much. I had two fruity cocktails that Emma made when we first arrived and that was it. The weight of Reign’s hostility had weighed on my good time.

My legs and arms pump while I dodge around trees and branches. I can hear car doors and what sound like people running behind me, but I keep going. Pushing through the pain in my calves and keeping my breathing even. My heart beats wildly in my chest, feeling like I’m being chased. I quickly dodge to the right and find a grove of shrubs. I slide down and run around to squat behind them. The minute I’m flat on the ground, another body slams into mine. I almost scream. My eyes widen when they land on a pair of icy blue ones. His lips quirk up. My heart hammers painfully as more footsteps approach. A flashlight swings around the area and suddenly it makes sense. My eyes shoot daggers at Reign. This is his payback. His lips open, and my body reacts. I jump on him, pinning him to the ground, my hand slapped over his mouth.

I mouth at him to shut up, and I keep my eyes on the officer as he starts to walk away, back toward where we came from. I don’t trust Reign though. My knees dig into his sides, my body settling on his. A groan escapes his lips, around my fingers. My eyes snap to him.

Reign’s gaze is unfocused, his tanned skin tinges red along his cheek bones, and he’s watching me intently. It’s then I become fully aware of everywhere my body is pressed against his. My softer curves cradled against his rock-hard abdomen; my thighs spread over his hips. His hands are gripping my sides, almost painfully, but he isn’t pushing me away or off of him. If I lifted my hand, my lips would touch his. I make an even bigger mistake when I inhale and the smell of his cologne, mixed with the woodsy smell around us, assaults my senses. I feel heat spread down my chest and to my core, where I’m pressed against Reign. My stomach swoops when he shifts and I can feel his hard length against his jeans. Oh fuck.

I gasp and Reign’s eyes darken even more, flashing with hunger and dark amusement. One of his hands moves to grip the back of my head, pulling, and my hands fly to his shoulders right as his lips crash with mine. I’m fucking kissing Reign Thorn. And of course, he’s perfect at that too. His lips move under mine, firm, with almost a desperate hunger. His teeth nip and bite my bottom lip and my lips part from the shock. He uses the opportunity to part my lips with his tongue, using it to caress mine. My body feels like it’s been dipped into an inferno. Heat spreads everywhere where my body is pushed against Reign’s. The groans he makes against my lips are ravenous, as if he can’t get enough of the way my mouth tastes. I know that’s what I’m thinking. How delicious Reign tastes, like a hint of whiskey mixed with mint from his toothpaste. My fingers grip his head, sliding into his hair. My body feels out of my control and my hips buck into his. Reign’s hands grip my waist, pushing and pulling my body along his, until I’m practically dry-humping him in the grass. My clit tingles in anticipation and I feel shockingly empty at my core, as if it knows something is missing. Something Reign could fill me up with.

I break away from his lips, breathing hard, forcing air into my lungs and willing the oxygen to go to my brain. I need to think clearly. Reign’s hands grasp the sides of my face, and he sits up, my body still straddling his waist. His icy eyes search mine, looking for regret maybe. I bite my lip, unsure what to say or how to move past this.

“I—”

“Don’t you fucking dare apologize.”

I glance away from his face, not wanting to see the hostility there to match his words. “Reign—”

“Shut up, Riley. I fucking mean it,” he growls and shivers run down my spine because he called me Riley. No Conrad or Con-man. Riley. I’m so messed up right now. I clamp my lips together.

Reign sighs and his hands drop to my waist. He lifts me up and we both get to our feet. My knees are caked with dirt from the forest floor and Reign takes his shirt off. The fabric is covered in pine needles and dirt. I can’t take my eyes off his torso though. For the billionth time today, I’m presented with his perfectly sculpted abdomen, my gaze trailing over every inch, to where his jeans rest on his hips, a little lower than his Adonis belt.

“Keep looking at me like that, babe, and I’ll take that as a sign it’s okay to push you to your knees right here and stick my cock in your mouth.”

My whole body jumps at his words and my gaze snaps to his. My brain doesn’t seem to function or care about the underlying threat though because the imagery he put in my head is too much. It’s kind of hot. I’ve never sucked anyone off before; it’s never been something that has come up when you’re dating life is zilch. Reign is watching me closely, and I recognize the evil way his lips are curving. It’s a fucking challege to him, probably to see how far I’d take this after out little make out session in the grass. I should go back, and leave now. That would be smart, safe. Except this is Reign, and deep in my shattered heart I’m still holding onto hope that someday he’ll miss our friendship like I do.

“Do you like how that sounds, Riley? Your cheeks are pink and your eyes are a little glossy.” He steps into me, his hand circling my waist, and he bends so his lips brush against my ear. “Are you picturing it? I bet you’d look beautiful on your knees for me. Fuck, I’m getting harder just thinking about it.”

“No,” I shake my head in denial, despite the low moan that escapes me from the dirty words he’s spilling in my ears. His hand wraps around my hair, and he tilts my head back and to the side, giving his lips access to my neck.

“Reign,” I try saying his name in a last ditch effort before this goes too far. Before either of us makes a mistake. It’s not like he can forget he hates me just because he’s kissing me, right?

Reign drags his lips along my neck, his mouth ravenous, sucking and biting my sensitive flesh. My knees feel weak, but my body is on fire.

“We should stop.” Only a small fraction of my brain wants to resist, the other wants to be at Reign’s mercy, and give him the best blow job of his life. So good he thinks about it anytime he sees me skating across the ice, knowing I’ll never be his. I just don’t trust him.

Reign pulls back. “Say please,” he demands, his tone cool and instantly I’m on alert. Before I can say anything he bites down on my neck, grunting when my hands trail over his body, and my fingers dip into the waistband of his jeans. He pulls back and our eyes clash. Whatever he sees in mine sends a triumphant flare through his.

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