Page 34 of Submit

Will wraps his arms around me and even though he has his shirt back on, I don’t, and the contact is too much. I try to pull out of his arms.

“Come on, Lib. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean your hobby was silly foryou. I just meant that I probably shouldn’t have tried it. Johanna can tell you, it didn’t go well. I’m just not coordinated like you. But you’re great at this stuff. I would have been happy just watching you but you disappeared so fast.”

I certainly don’t want him going down this train of thought so I abruptly switch subjects. “Don’t worry about it. Thanks for trying it anyway. I’ll just have Johanna bring me back tomorrow around lunch, okay?” I can’t even bring myself to say the word “home”.

“Okay.”

Before I know what’s happening, he’s pulling me to him and crushing his mouth to mine squeezing my arms so tightly I fear he’s going to leave bruises. I briefly wonder if he can taste the mint flavor of Casper’s mouth and it makes me tense, as it probably should. I try to relax but my lips are unyielding to his as if they know that he is the intruder. An imposter to the mouth thatshouldbe seeking entrance to mine right now.

I really need to play this part well. Thinking about what I’ve learned today, it doesn’t matter what the future holds for Casper and I;Willand I are over, regardless. That thought is both freeing and terrifying and right now I’m at a major disadvantage if Will is truly as powerful as Casper makes him out to be.

This kiss feels possessive. Like he’s reminding me that I currently belong to him and making sure others know it as well and it unsettles me. There’s no way he can know about Casper. Will didn’t see him at the gym, and he certainly didn’t see us at the beach. These nerves have me on edge and I don’t like keeping secrets and constantly feeling guilty about my attraction to Casper, which is only growing.

I need to end things with Will.

The sooner the better.

I place a hand on Will’s shoulder and gently break the kiss. I’ve never been big on public displays of affection anyway - which he knows. There was a time when he cared about what I thought, what I hoped for, and what I wanted, but those days have long since passed.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I force a smile and wonder what in the hell has gotten in to him.

His eyes scan the surrounding area before nodding at me and heading to the car.

Maybe I’m just freaking out because Casper and I kissed and it was the hottest experience of my life - which is about to be in shambles - but it sure feels like Will is morphing into a monster right in front of me. Maybe he feels me pulling away and is just reacting, but if that’s the case, it’s too little, too late.

I watch as Will pulls the car out of the lot. The sand cloud hasn’t even settled yet when Jörn calls me from the hut, “Hey, Lib! Can you wrap up that kite for me?”

Feeling lighter already being out from under Will’s searching eyes, I flash Jörn a thumbs up. I completely forgot about my discarded kite when I saw Will’s expression. I go through the steps carefully to break it down and fold the kite like Casper taught me.I wonder where he went.

I trot up the small path to the hut and turn in to the gear room. The door closes behind me and I yelp, dropping the kite on the floor. I flinch as I turn around. My first thought is Will and my first reaction is fear.

I only have a moment to let out a sigh of relief before I see the fire in Casper’s expression. His last name may mean ice but right now he looks like he could burn this hut down around us with one word. “Cas?” I ask nervously, unsure of his next move.

He flips the lock on the gear room door and walks me backward into the wall of hanging kites, bracing his hands on either side of my head. His voice comes out as a whisper against my ear. “I don’t like him near you.” He trails his nose up my neck teasing me without actually pressing his lips to my skin.

“I don’t like it either,” I agree breathlessly, knowing I’m in way over my head here.

“This,” he gently bites my bottom lip, “now belongs to me, unless you tell me otherwise.” He pauses and looks at my face. “Are you telling me otherwise?”

Definitely not.

Something about Casper- other than his face and body, although they both scream pretty loudly - has called to me since I first met him.

I shake my head indicating that I’m not contradicting him.

“You are mine and I want to hear you say it.” It seems once we let the cat out of the bag, it has no intention of going back in.

“I’m yours.”

Holy fucking shit.

“I don’t want that fucker anywhere near what’s mine so we need to get you out of that house and that relationship as soon as possible.” He pulls back to look at me and his nostrils flare when his eyes reach my right arm. I know immediately that Will’s handprint must be visible. He held me in a vice grip and I knew he’d leave a bruise - no easy feat considering how dark my tan is. “Thatcock-sucking motherfucker,” Casper growls. “He’s gonna pay for this.”

I make him look back at me by dipping my face to where my arm was and catching his eyes, “Hey, he’s not worth it. The bruise will be gone in a day or two. I’m fine.”

Casper plants a hand at my hip rubbing the sensitive skin just above my bikini bottoms causing me to start rubbing myself against him shamelessly. The tide has definitely changed and after shedding light on our mutual attraction, I’m not sure how to act like he doesn’t consume me. It’s even worse now than it was when I woke up.

“In the future, the only marks on you will be from my mouth, and you’ll beg me to put them there,” he says through gritted teeth like he knows he shouldn’t, but the words tear through the barricade of his lips anyway.

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