Page 19 of Tainted Rose

I grit my teeth. “You don’t have to worry—please don’t. That’s what started this whole conversation in the first place. Remember?”

“So it was.” He dives his hands into the dishwater, soaping up a plate. “We’re here if you need us, Scarlett. Remember that.”

The conversation with my uncle sticks with me the whole way to school. They’re behind me. Max and Daphne are, too. I’ll figure out how to continue on here at Rosehaven, even if I left part of my heart in Xander’s bedroom last weekend.

Wandering to the locker room after speaking to Coach Lance, I decide to stop off and leave my gym bag for practice since I’m already here. My gym locker is almost as tricky to open as my regular locker, and I’m about to thwack my forehead against it in frustration when I sense someone behind me. I spin on my heel to find Xander, only a bench between us.

All the blood drains from my already pale face. “What do you want, Xander?” I glance around nervously. “This is the girls locker room.”

He shoots me one of his sexiest smiles, complete with his dimple. “No one else appears to be here, so what does it matter?”

My palms sweat. I can’t believe he followed me in here. “I thought I was clear in my message this morning. I don’t want to talk to you. I have nothing to say to you.”

His dark gaze travels over my face, then down my body, setting off little sparks of heat wherever it lands. It’s like he’s touching me, only not. An angry swarm of butterflies flit around in my stomach. “I’ve missed you.” He wets his lips as his eyes travel my body. “You’re really beautiful all the time but especially now.”

I press my lips together, letting my eyes fall shut for a moment. When I open them again, I cross my arms in front of me, faintly clearing my throat. “Is that so? And why now?”

“Your eyes, they glitter at me like sunlight hitting the bright blue of the Caribbean Sea. Your lips pursed like that”—he juts his chin at them—“tells me you’re mad, but it makes them so fucking kissable, it’s like a shot straight to my dick.”

My lips part involuntarily. It’s always been like this. He says dirty things to me, and I can’t seem to help myself. I respond. My body reacts. This is all kinds of bad. My eyes lower to his groin, where I can see evidence of what he’s referring to. His dress pants have a tent pitched in them and it’s increasing in size by the second.

I swallow hard. I don’t know what the right move is here, and I haven’t forgotten everything that happened over the weekend.

He steps over the bench, his body now disturbingly close to mine, forcing me to back up. I hit the locker behind me with a metallic thump. My heart stutters.

He tucks his finger under my chin, tilting my face up to his before he cups my cheek, skimming his thumb over my cheekbone. “So fucking soft,” he breathes. “So pale. So perfect. Reminds me of the bonfire when you let me come all over the creamy skin of your tits.” He dips his head down next to mine, murmuring next to my ear, “You’re so fucking perfect.”

I let out a ragged sigh. “Xander, don’t.” I wet my lips. “Please stop.” Goose bumps raise all over my skin.

His breath is hot on my neck and doing crazy things to my insides. His lips graze my jaw when he asks, “Why, Red?”

I push against his chest, anything to give myself room to breathe and think—to convince myself that having anything to do with Xander is so fucking stupid. “Because, asshole, that photo of you and Aria is everywhere. Even if Friday night had never happened, if you hadn’t set fire to what we had, I wouldn’t be jumping at the chance to be with you after you’ve slept with someone else.” I shift to the side, glaring at him defiantly. “Not my style.” My ragged breathing betrays how much my body disagrees with me.

He catches my arm in his hand, tugging me back to him. “It’s not what you think. I didn’t hook up with her.”

I shake my head at him, and my eyes bore into his. “Why should I blindly trust you?”

He makes a show of considering for a few seconds and sidesteps the issue altogether. “How about this? Tell me you don’t want me.” He glances down at my chest, and I know he can tell my nipples are puckered beneath my shirt.

I’m so distracted by his gaze on my breasts and the gush of desire moving through me that I don’t see what’s coming. His hand grasps the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair as he covers my mouth, lips slanting over mine. I gasp and his tongue plunges deep inside my mouth, stroking, licking, claiming again what he’d thrown away. Every move he makes is possessive. Like he still wants me. I grip the front of his blazer, and instead of pushing him away, I yank him against me.

I must be insane. And the worst part is, it’s only him who makes me this way.

His hand roughly palms my breast, and my traitorous nipple tightens further from the contact through my shirt, sending heat shooting down to my core. He continues his relentless assault on my mouth, and I’m mentally unable to stop him, unable to pull away. My body only wants him closer. Somewhere in the back of my head, I know this is so bad. Such a bad idea. I have to be out of my mind. Lust surges through me. Fuck, this is so, so wrong, but so good. I moan.

Xander’s cock against my stomach is hard and thick. His hand slips down to my leg, his rough palm coasting up my thigh under my skirt. He situates my leg around his hip, and my pelvis automatically tilts to align his hardness against me.

Oh my God, why did I choose this week not to do my laundry? I’d been left with a thong to wear today. Totally not my normal underwear and completely out of my comfort zone, especially while wearing a skirt. He’s going to discover what I’ve got on under there any second now.

His hand explores the skin of my leg until it drifts high enough to squeeze a handful of my ass. My breath hitches, and against my mouth, his lips curve into a smile. “Damn, Red. You’ve been holding out on me.” His hand massages the round globe before fingertips slide between my cheeks, following the scrap of lacy material all the way down to my—

“Oh, God.” I shudder. His middle finger skims over the tight pucker of my back entrance through the fabric of my thong. So dirty. He thrusts his dick against my pussy, taking my mouth with his again. I’m lost—in how I feel, in what he’s doing to me, in how my body is reacting to his so effortlessly. I whimper as he slides his hand lower, fingertips dipping under the panties to tease my core.

Xander traces his fingers around my soaked entrance, and growls, “So fucking wet for me, baby. I knew you still wanted me.” His lips graze over my jawline, nibbling down my neck as he slips a finger inside me. He pumps slowly, achingly slowly, and my head drops back, smacking into the locker. I think I’m going to go up in flames.

Oh God, what is he doing to me? How can I still want him like this? Why?

I pant, out of control as I rub my clit against his erection, knowing from the quivering in my legs that I’m about to come. He adds a second finger at the same time he licks up my neck, then sucks on my skin. The combination does something to me, and a tingling washes over me as my pussy rhythmically clamps down on his fingers. A strangled cry leaves my lips.

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