Page 54 of Lilies in Autumn

“Yes?” I question, unsure of where he’s going with this.

“I’m not going to lie and say that I’m happy you won’t acknowledge that we’re together until Monday, especially since you and your little crew draw attention everywhere you go.” He pauses. I shake my head, about to interrupt when he slices me a look. “No, don’t try to deny it. If there’s anything I’ve learned about your stubborn ass this past month, it’s that you don’t understand how fucking gorgeous you are. I’m not going to argue with you about it, but you are a fucking wet dream, and I have to hold myself back from breaking skulls and letting all these little bitch boys know that you’re mine every time you leave your damn room.”

“That’s a little dramatic,” I mumble under my breath.

“No, it’s not. You don’t see it, but I fucking do. I see the Snapchats on Campus Hotties; you, the pit bull, and Serena have been pictured multiple fucking times. Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” Grey’s referring to a Snapchat channel some losers set up for Marymount where guys send in pictures of women to be featured as their “Hottie of the Day” or in their stories. How it hasn’t been shut down yet is anyone’s guess.

“It’s not my fault we ended up on there,” I argue.

“Ava, baby, I’m not saying it is, but I wouldn’t worry as much if these assholes knew and understood that you’re off-limits and fucking mine.” He takes a deep breath before continuing. “I’m going to be there tonight, and I’m not letting you out of my sight. I’ll stay back and won’t come up to you unless I need to.”

“Grey,” I sigh. “Nothing is going to happen.”

“And I hope you’re right, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to leave it to chance and not look after you.”

“You’re being very paternal right now.”

“Vixen, there’s nothing paternal about how I feel.” Grey’s hand lowers, dropping to the curve of my hip. “If you haven’t figured it out after last night, I’m all in.” His voice drops as he pulls me closer.

I swallow, my body warming at the mention of last night. “Well, you’ve been a cockblock for the last twelve hours, so I wasn’t sure what was going on there.”

His answering chuckle is low and ominous as if to tell me I just fucked myself over. “Are you feeling neglected, vixen? You were a virgin twelve hours ago, don’t forget.” As he speaks, he shifts my body so that I’m straddling him. Taking advantage of our new position, I wrap my legs around him, crossing my ankles to bring our bodies flush against each other.

“You kept pushing me away last night.”

“You’re going to be sore today. If it hasn’t hit you yet, it will. I don’t want to push you over your limits.”

I scoff at that. “I’ll worry about what I can and cannot handle, Greyson.” I shift against him to emphasize what I want. Just like last night when I asked for his cock, I feel uncharacteristically bold and in charge. Grey’s eyes darken as I rub against him and they narrow into slits.

“You little fucking tease,” he grinds out before pressing his lips against my throat, kissing lightly over my pulse. “I told you, you’re going to be sore. You’re riding out a wave of adrenaline right now, but as soon as you get back to your little dorm, your pussy is going to be aching from my dick and my piercings. Besides…” Grey pauses, nuzzling the underside of my jaw. “I’m not fucking you again until we go public with our relationship.”

I pull back, not bothering to hide the scowl on my face. “So, you’re going to hold out on me until I capitulate and give in to your demands? That’s like blackmail.”

“I’m not the one being dramatic and refusing to acknowledge each other in public. That’s on you, vixen.”

“You said you understood why I wanted to wait until Monday.” I feel like we’re talking in circles, going around and around, revisiting the same conversation in the hopes of arriving at a different conclusion. The definition of crazy doesn’t even begin to cut it.

Grey nips my jaw before soothing it with a kiss. “I understand, Ava. But just because I understand where you’re coming from and will go along with it, does not mean I agree.”

—

By the time I make it back to my dorm, I’m thinking of every possible way of tormenting Grey tonight at the party. I know he won’t go back on his word, but I am delighting in how much he’ll suffer.

I think of every part of my body he’s paid close attention to, every place he’s left his mark, and I know that I need to highlight each area so that he’s salivating from afar. Is it petty that I want him to froth at the mouth as soon as he sees me because he denied me an orgasm this morning? Yes. Do I care? No.

Rifling through my closet, I don’t bother being quiet for CeCe’s sake, even though she’s still sleeping at well after ten in the morning. She sleeps like the dead, and judging by the drool pooling on her sheets, it seems like she’ll be out cold for a while. Pulling out the more conservative outfit I’m wearing for dinner with my family, I set it on my bed to steam later. The white button-down dress is reminiscent of a men’s dress shirt and is both flattering and comfortable; however, it wrinkles easily and needs to be steamed within an inch of its life to make it through dinner intact. Pairing it with chocolate suede thigh-high boots gives the masculine shirt a feminine edge, and I can’t wait to send a picture to Grey.

Though I love the outfit, and truly cannot wait to wear the boots that cost a disgusting amount of money, there is no way that I’m wearing it to the party tonight. No exaggeration, if any sort of fluid got on the boots, I would throw myself against a wall in commiseration.

Sifting through the hangers, I stop on a white corset. Though parts of the lining are see-through, the bone-in corset doesn’t reveal more than a tank top. Originally, I planned to wear a halter dress, but fingering the corset, I can’t help but imagine the look on Grey’s face when he realizes I’m in little more than lingerie. This, paired with tight jeans and heels, will undoubtedly test his resistance. It’s freaking perfect.

“Can you think a little quieter? I can hear your scheming from over here, bitch.” CeCe’s voice startles me, and I whip around.

“You were drooling all over your sheets ten minutes ago. How the hell did I wake you up?”

“You think out loud, you freak. You were talking to a corset for five minutes. Either I’m hallucinating or you are losing your shit and talking to inanimate objects at an ungodly hour.”

I hold up my phone, showing her the time. “It’s ten thirty, C. Don’t be a brat. Get your ass up and let’s go to Serena’s for breakfast.”

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