Page 84 of Wicked Devotions

Keeping to the outskirts of the party gives me the opportunity to people watch. I recognize a few people from being around campus, but most of the faces are entirely new. Emerson told me that Saylor and Lou wouldn’t be here tonight which sucks. I really enjoy the friendship I’m building with them.

The sounds of hoots and cat calls from the opposite side of the clearing grabs my attention. I stand up and look around, trying to find one of the guys. When my eyes land on Declan and he makes eye contact over the shoulder of the guys he’s talking to, I point in the direction I’m planning to go. He nods, which I take as a good sign and start walking along the worn path.

There are only a few lit tiki torches on this side of the party, but I see a circle formed and what looks to be two people fighting. I shoulder my way into the circle and gasp as I watch Cy take a hit to the stomach from a guy with at least six inches of height on him.

My first instinct is to run into the middle of the ring and stop the fight, but a hand around my wrist stops me. I glare over my shoulder at whoever has the audacity to grab me like that when my eyes meet Emerson’s gaze.

“He’s fine. He needs to get this out of his system.”

“He’s bleeding.”

“I’ve seen him in much worse shape.” He steps to my back as his arm snakes around my waist, palm splayed over my belly. “If you go out there to stop them, he’ll just end up getting hurt worse.”

“Why is he doing this?” I watch as Cy takes another hit, the gleam in his eyes is absolutely unhinged.

“He was born into violence. It’s what he knows best.”

I don’t understand. He’s the gentlest man I’ve ever met. The only thing more beautiful than his art is his soul. Then, like a switch that’s flipped, he goes from taking hit after hit to throwing punishing punches.

Blood flies from his opponent's mouth as his head snaps to the side. My breath catches as I feel Emerson’s erection press into my back. I can’t tell if he’s turned on by my proximity or if it’s watchingCy. As much as I don’t want to admit it, there is a beauty to his brutality.

I shift my stance, pressing my back firmly to Emerson’s front. The whispered groan in my ear feeds my ego in a way I’m sure isn’t healthy, but I want more. So much more.

He presses his lips to my ear. “If you keep rubbing on me like this, I’m going to drag you off into the woods and make you beg for my cock.” His other hand grips my hip as he grinds against me. “But I won’t let you cum, not until everyone is gone and I can draw out every single gasp and scream until you’re so hoarse you’ll be sipping honeyed tea for a week to recover.”

As if my arousal is a beacon for Cy, he locks eyes with me. Heat flares in his eyes as he takes in the way Emerson is draped over me. It’s not jealousy, it’s desire. Even in my inexperienced world, I know that.

Unfortunately, the distraction of seeing Emerson and me together gives his opponent the opportunity he needs, and he hits Cy so hard he falls back. Emerson drops his arms and steps in front of me, concern radiating off him until the two of them start wrestling around on the ground. Eventually Cy gets the upper hand again, but Ican’t keep watching, so I head back toward the fire.

Another brief flash of light from the woods grabs my attention, so I veer off to see where it’s coming from. As I reach the edge of the forest, I see it again, but this time it’s farther back in the trees. It’s coming from the direction of the jeep, so I’m not worried about getting lost.

As I walk quietly through the woods, I come upon a small building, really barely larger than a closet. I don’t remember seeing it before, but the light flashes from inside. The hair rises on my arms, but I shake off the discomfort and reach for the handle of the door.

As soon as I pull it open, I realize it’s an old outhouse. I’m just about to close the door as there’s no one in there when I feel two hands push me inside. I yelp in surprise just as the door closes behind me.

I’m plunged into darkness. When I turn to open the door, it’s lodged closed. I bang against it once, twice. My heart speeds up, blood roaring in my ears as I realize I’m trapped.

The dank air stifles me as I fall back in time to when I was a little girl and my dad had just found me eating cookies he had forbidden me from having.I still remember the vise-like grip of his cold hands as he dragged me kicking and screaming into his office and tossed me into the closet. I pushed and screamed and kicked at the door, panic drowning me as he quoted the bible and told me I’d be damned to hell for my sins.

I don’t realize it, but I’m banging on the door, screaming, when it suddenly opens in front of me, and I fall into Emerson’s arms. His wild eyes look me over for injuries in the seconds before I launch myself into his arms. My legs lock around his waist just as my arms do around his neck.

He puts his hands under my butt and lifts me higher, whispering comforting words over and over in my ears. I barely notice Cy and Declan telling everyone the party is over and to leave. Emerson walks into the sanctuary and sets me on top of the altar I always find myself drawn to.

“What happened? Are you hurt?” His hands run over my body in the way a doctor would touch a patient. “What were you doing in there?”

“Someone pushed me in there.”

“Did you see who?” Declan asks as he comes storming in.

“No. I just saw a flash of light in the trees and went toinvestigate.”

“That was dumb,” Declan says before I can finish.

“Dec.” Emerson’s voice is sharp as a knife's edge as he swings his gaze over his shoulder.

Declan lifts his hands in surrender, but I don’t miss the way his jaw tenses.

“I had actually seen the light earlier tonight, it’s what I was looking at when I stepped in the hole. I just wanted to figure out who or what it was coming from.”

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