Page 40 of Sweetest Hate

"Does it matter?" I leaned against the counter. "I know you don't like him. I don't even like him," I said, unsure how much I'd meant the words. "This is just—"

"Fucking?" he offered. When I didn't reply, he tilted his beer at me. "Nothing new there?"

Was he fucking serious? "Did you just slut shame me? You, of all people," I whispered, pissed he had the nerve to call me out for something he regularly did.

Instead of answering, he turned and walked away. He yanked on the hand of the girl who he'd been sitting next to, and she smiled as he pulled her to her feet. As he dragged her to what I assumed was the other bathroom, my jaw ticced. Once the door closed behind them, I glanced where Arsen had been sitting. He was still there. Now both he and Piper watched me. I was over it. All of it.

Crossing my fingers, I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked my weather map, surprised it loaded so quickly. It appeared the worst of the storm had passed while I'd been in the bathroom with Arsen. Holding up my phone, I flashed my screen at Arsen, who squinted before digging in his pocket pulling out his phone. After tapping around the screen, he stood and gave me a slight nod. Without waiting for anyone else, I climbed the stairs and walked across the kitchen to the wall of windows, stopping short. "Oh fuck."

Branches littered the ground, and brief glimpses of the carnage left in the storm's wake were provided by the broken moonlight behind the dense dark clouds. The chairs surrounding the fire pit were lying around on the backs, and the land was so flooded it appeared as one wet surface rippling from the remaining wind. "Fuck," I repeated.

"That bad?" The deep voice came from behind me before Arsen stepped next to me. He blew out a long breath. "That'll be fun to deal with tomorrow."

"Can't you just hire someone?" I suggested. It wasn't like they didn't have the money.

Arsen glanced down at me. "I didn't say it would be fun for us. But our windshields… I guess we'll find out who was lucky and who wasn't in the morning."

Shit. I had driven here, and with my luck, mine would probably be completely shattered.

"I'm so tired." I sighed. Between Arsen wrecking my body, Quinn's cold attitude and confusing words, and the damage we'd face in the morning, I just wanted to sleep.

"Head upstairs." He dug in his pocket and then passed me the key to his room. "I have to get everyone out of the basement. They've trashed it enough. And then I'll be up."

Bossy much? I glared at the presumptuous asshole. "Who said I'm going to your room?"

He gave me a slow blink. "Be naked."

My pulse picked up at the dark burn in his eyes. I didn't respond. I didn't need to. There was nowhere else for me to go anyway with Quinn giving me the cold shoulder.

I headed for the stairs and down the hall, ignoring Quinn's open door altogether, and let myself into Arsen's room. I may not have had much choice with the sleeping arrangements, but I could at least defy him in one way. Leaving his sweatpants and t-shirt on, I pulled back the blanket and slid between the thick fabric and silky sheets. The scent of his body soap lingered on my skin, an addictive smell I inhaled over and over as I waited.

Twenty minutes passed, and though I was tired, I couldn't sleep. Not knowing Arsen would be crawling into the same bed soon. So, I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling. When the door creaked open, I tensed. The sound of the lock engaging was followed by the rustling of his clothes coming off. He lifted the cover and grunted. "That isn't naked."

Before I could even pop off a smart comment, he reached down, gripped my ankles, and turned me toward him. I didn't stop him when he snatched the sweats and rolled them down my legs. My dick wasn't hard, but it didn't stop Arsen from staring and running a finger down my shaft. My cock twitched, and so did his lips. For his part, Arsen's dick was beginning to thicken but not fully hard.

"Take off the shirt. I want you bare against me. It looks like our week will be cut short, so tonight, I'm going to stay buried inside you."

The restless way my legs shifted as his touch ran over my sac and down my thighs made him smirk. My cock grew hard with his teasing touches until he crawled over me, straddling my legs. "What do you think?" He ground his bare dick against mine.

"Shut up, Arsen." I shifted, scooting down, and he watched me as I wiggled my way beneath him, taking his mostly hard dick in my mouth. As I sucked, he hardened and began fucking my mouth.

And when he came, he whispered my name over and over, almost like a prayer. Oddly enough, he didn't sound like he hated me. And when he buried himself inside me from behind again with my ass in the air, I swore I heard him whisper, "I could stay buried inside of your ass forever."

I didn't answer. Besides, we didn't have forever. We didn't even have the rest of the week. We'd be leaving sooner than anticipated, and I wasn't sure if he still planned on spending two weeks at Quinn's house. So, I made the most of the one night we had left, coming until I was completely drained and could barely move. I didn't even argue when he pressed flush against my back with a heavy arm draped over my waist as he fell asleep.

Fourteen

Arsen

We spentpart of the morning clearing the driveway and surveying the damage to everything following the storm. It looked like a hurricane or tornado had come through. According to the weather people, it had spawned a microburst, leaving extensive damage behind in a relatively short period of time.

As far as our vehicles were concerned, we'd been lucky. Other than a few cars and trucks that had nothing more than tiny starburst cracks and minor dents, the trees had shielded them from the brunt of the damage. Some of the trees closer to shore hadn't fared as well, with stripped bark in some places while others were missing entire thick branches. Leaves and a forest of pine needles from towering pines littered the top of the lake, floating in a debris field that likely hovered over more dangerous objects beneath the surface. Some of the rain had seeped into the previously saturated ground. Still, the lake had risen enough that the original shoreline had disappeared by several feet. The house itself hadn't been spared. One of the rocking chairs had been picked up by the wind and busted a window, while the awning had fallen victim to one of the smaller trees that hadn't survived the powerful gusts of wind. The chaotic scene left everyone heading for their cars when the driveway was passable, hurrying home to deal with the aftermath to their vehicles.

After spending the majority of the day assessing the damage, I was beyond tired. As soon as I'd finished thoroughly checking over the boat, taking pictures of everything for the insurance adjuster, and even a video call with my dad to show him everything in real-time, I finally loaded my bag into my car, cursing the minor dings on the hood. My windshield had been spared, so I couldn't complain too much. I was the last to leave the lake house, and of course, my stepbrother was one of the first to vacate. Kellan had offered to stay and help, but Quinn had been pressuring him to bail. Having Quinn around whining the whole time was only going to slow down the process, so I'd sent them on their way.

I pulled my car out onto the country road that led to the highway, indecision warring and wrestling in my thoughts. When I'd first arrived at the cabin, I'd decided I wouldn't be going to my dad's, for the two weeks in the original plan, but my time with Kellan had been cut short, and I wasn't sure I was ready for things to end between us yet. I was leaving for North Carolina soon and we'd part ways. Maybe I should stick to the new plan and arrive early for my new job. That was probably the smart decision.

I groaned in frustration as I approached the fork in the road, each heading in opposite directions—one toward Kellan, the other that would take me north. Just as I reached the point I needed to make a decision, I cursed and continued left, pointing my car in the direction of Holloway and my little mouse.

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