Page 13 of Tell Me You Like It

With my phone in hand, I wander back to the living room. It’s the size of my grandmother’s entire apartment, and it’s obviously where they hang out because everything in this room is more relaxed, and modern. There’s a couch, ahuge television mounted on the wall, several armchairs, and a pool table.

I wander into the empty room and help myself to a beer that’s inside the fancy mini fridge. Cracking the can open, I take a sip and walk around the perimeter of the room, looking at the art that’s hanging on the walls. The pieces in here are dark, interesting–strange shapes bisecting each other, faces and images emerging from the riot of muted colors. Whoever chose these has a really good eye for art.

I’m taking a photo of the signature on one of the paintings to see how much it would fetch at auction, when the door opens, and someone walks into the room. Bringing my phone down, I blink, and see someone walking toward me. A tall, muscular figure gradually comes into focus, and I recognize him instantly. Of course, I do. I’m now his pet, apparently.

As Roman approaches, I pull the necklace off and hold it out. “Here. You can find someone else to be your fuck toy. I’m not interested.”

I don’t know why I’m being so outspoken—I’m not usually like this. Maybe it’s the alcohol. Or maybe it’s the fact that Roman and his boys are running their secret society like a meat market.

With a smirk on his face, he steps forward, ignoring the necklace in my hand. We're close now, just a couple feet apart, and we’re in relative privacy. There are people just a couple of rooms away, but they’re all tipsy on champagne and focused on the ceremony. Thank God, because if Roman had an audience, then I know he’d fuck with me, just to make a point. But because we’re alone, I’m hoping he’ll listen to reason.

“Don’t fuck with me,” he says, taking yet another step forward. I’m regretting my decision to wander into thisroom because now I have nowhere to run. There are a set of French doors on the other side of the room, leading outside, but they’re miles away.

He has me trapped. “Give me your phone.”

Um. Shit. He must have seen me steal it from the closet. I swallow, but I don’t hand my phone over.

He leans in, and I swear to God, my body is a treacherous whore. I can smell him, that musky, soapy, beachy scent that makes something in my stomach flip. Goddamn. His lips are hovering three inches from mine, and the look in his eyes is deadly serious.

The tip of his finger traces a path down my throat, to my shoulder, and the flimsy strap holding my dress up. I have a bra underneath, but it’s strapless, and barely holds my large breasts up. He moves in a fraction closer, and my breath catches. Is he going to kiss me? Do I want that? I blink. No. Of course, I don’t. But I can’t find my voice to tell him to fuck off, for some reason.

“Hand it over. I won’t say it again.” There’s a threat in his tone, and honestly, I don’t even want to have this interaction, let alone argue with him. If it’ll get him to fuck off sooner, then I’ll tell him. Whatever.

I unlock my phone and then hand it to him with a sigh. Again, I don’t usually just hand my phone over to anyone, but I’ll do anything to get this conversation over with. He opens up my contacts, and enters his information, then texts himself, so he has my information, too.

Great. Perfect.

I remind myself to block him as soon as I get back to my room.

He hands my phone back. “When I call, Little Rabbit, answer.”

The audacity of this guy. Seriously. I’ve never wanted to punch a person in their perfectly sculpted face so badly.

Instead of speaking, I just nod. I have no intention of answering when he calls, but I’m not telling him that. He can figure it out, and by then, I’ll be long gone. And out of sight, out of mind, right? Well, anyway, that’s my plan. Get out of here, then stay invisible. It worked all through high school–mostly–so I’m cautiously optimistic it’ll work at ExU, too.

But instead of backing off, he steps in even closer. The heat of his body wraps around me, and I swallow. Damn, he even smells like a rich kid. Clean and masculine, somehow. I don’t know how someone can smell masculine, but it’s happening. He’s doing it. And those eyes. They’re a clear, crystal blue, and they hold a determination and purpose that makes my pulse race. It’s unnerving because right now, that determination is directed squarely at me.

“Don’t pretend you’re disinterested.” His mouth hovers above mine. If I move, even just a little, our lips will touch. “I know there’s a whore behind that good girl facade.”

I know he said it for shock value, but his words manage to land too close to the truth. My body is a fucking traitor when it comes to Roman Rush, and it makes me feel like an idiot.

I lift my chin defiantly. “That’s where you’re wrong. What you see is what you get with me.”

His lips curve into a cruel half-smile. “Is that right?”

In seconds, I’m pressed against the wall roughly, with Roman’s hand under my dress, his fingers skimming my center through the thin fabric of my panties. His other hand is pressed against the wall above my head, his large body surrounding me, trapping me.

With one finger, he strokes my pussylips through my panties. “Your panties are soaking wet,” he says appreciatively, his lips skimming the rim of my ear. “Is this where you want my cock?” he asks, dragging the wordcockover that deep baritone.

Goodamn. With him like this—surrounding me, touching me, saying dirty things in my ear—I feel a frenzy of excitement building inside me, and I’m powerless to stop it. I’m already trembling, my clit pulsing with need.

I swallow. “I just want to be left alone.”

He laughs, but it’s that humorless laugh from before when we were in the other room. When he singled me out in front of everyone. “That’s not how this works. You’ve been chosen. Now, whether you like it or not, you’re mine.”

I swallow again and say nothing. That phrase makes me want to crawl out of my skin, but I’m not arguing with this guy. Not on his turf. Not with his hand up my dress, stroking me.

This guy has me in a chokehold, and he knows it.

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