“I don’t want anything to do with you. If I never saw you again, it would be too soon. Damn it, Tom, you mean nothing to me.” She hugs herself, as he laughs.
“I call bullshit. You don’t just stop loving someone, Moonbeam. You still want me, you just don’t want to admit it. Stop lying to yourself.
“I don’t love you. It got destroyed the night I saw you for who you truly are. A snake in the grass.”
He grabs her wrist, and I see red. I grab his arm, right as a fist connects with the side of his face, and he crumples to the floor.
“Vanilla, with me,” Thallon barks, and she’s trembling as she makes her way over to him. My blood is boiling like molten lava in my veins.
“She did nothing wrong,” Aer says, as he comes up in front of Thallon.
“This has nothing to do with you. Stay out of it,” he growls, before he drags her outside.
They don’t come back in, not together anyway. Occasionally, Thallon will go over to the bar to grab a bottle of whiskey or a couple of beers, before he goes back outside. By the time the countdown starts up, I’ve had enough.
“I’m finding them. I swear to God, if he’s touched her…”
“Let’s go.” Aer claps me on the shoulder and we head out. They’re not outside, but as the countdown gets to three, I spot them by the atrium stairs.
Star stands on the first step, as he waits below her. The countdown ends, and he captures her mouth with his. Her hands hold onto his wrists, as he holds her face. Fireworks explode in the sky, and I throw the bottle at the wall as I storm outside. Aer follows me, but we don’t speak. I don’t know what the fuck we just witnessed, but that sure looked intimate to me.
“Don't overreact. Arthur said himself that he’ll be giving her to you as soon as he gets back. You have nothing to worry about, he probably staged the whole thing. Knowing that you’d go looking for her sooner or later.”
I take the joint from his hand and inhale as he watches, looking shell shocked. It’s been a few years since I allowed myself to do this, but I need something to take the edge off.
“I’m really starting to hate this place. I won’t do a third run. I’m sick of it. Maybe I should shut it down once I’m running things.” I’m thinking out loud, and it makes Aer laugh.
“Please, do, Sir will lose his shit. Even if you don’t shut it down, you could change things up a bit. Open it to more people, and not have it run by us fuckers. Have a real faculty involved, someone who actually cares what goes down, and, a real laugh for you, a zero bullying policy.” He laughs hard, as he bends over, clutching at his stomach.
It’s not that the notion is funny, but having something like that here, now. It would never work, that’s why he’s on the verge of choking on his own laughter.
“You are too stoned to be having this conversation.” I chuckle under my breath.
“Hang on, are you being serious? You’d really do that? Get rid of the Academy and turn it into any other college?” He settles down, as he rubs a hand across his face, before he snatches the joint back.
“Why not? I think we could do it.”
“We? When has there ever been a we? There’s only you, Mett, that’s the way you like it.” He gets to his feet, as he smokes it down to the roach.
“Why not? You know this place as well as I do. I think you could help me make this something better than what it is. Maybe I don’t want to do things on my own anymore, Aer, it’s not fun. Being isolated from your own making, it’s Star’s doing I’m sure.” I huff and it just makes him laugh again. Okay, this is getting annoying now.
“Yeah, she really makes you want to be better. I don’t know if we’re capable of that, but the fact that she has us considering it? Damn. What is it with that girl?” He lies back on the dirt, as I sit on the stairs, both of us looking at the fireworks exploding across the sky.
“I have no idea, but if we could bottle her up and sell it, we’d make a killing,” we grin at each other and I have this strange feeling inside. A sense of camaraderie that feels so alien, but at the same time, it’s a nice fucking feeling.
37
Worth The Risk
Luna
“You sure you’re okay?” Thallon strokes across my cheekbones, and I lean into him.
“I’m fine. Emmet would have stopped him. He was ready too. Thank you though, for doing that. Even though you’re not supposed to.” He captures my full attention with his stare, before he grips my thighs and lifts me against him. My legs go around his waist, as he carries me up the stairs.
“I shouldn’t have left you alone. I didn’t realize Tom would do something so pathetic. I should have hit him harder,” I bury my head into the crook of his neck as he opens my door.
“He crumpled like a piece of paper. I think you hit him hard enough.” I laugh, before running my tongue up the column of his neck. He moans deep in his throat. I love that sound.
I know I don’t have a lot of experience with this type of thing, but it doesn't feel casual between us.
“Arthur rang me earlier, he’s releasing you as soon as he gets back. It’s funny. Now that it’s happening, I don’t want it to.” He tightens his grip, as I pull back to look in his eyes.
“Me too. I want to be with them, but I don’t want to lose you.” Is that too much? Have I gone across the casual line? Will he pull back, and tell me back off?
“Maybe you can convince them to let me take Tom’s place.” He laughs, but I’m not sure he’s entirely joking.
I seize his mouth, pulling his lip into my mouth, before sucking and biting. I use my tongue to soothe the sting, and he moans harder. He puts me on the counter, before brushing my dress up.
“I want to taste every inch of you, Koala girl. How does that sound?”
“Yes, please.” My voice comes out breathy and needy, but he doesn’t seem to mind.
He growls as he takes in my bare skin, and I don’t doubt my eyes are twinkling as he runs his fingers across the length of my inner thighs, before hovering over my sweet spot. They slide between my folds, before he drops down. He hooks my ankles behind his head, and spreads my legs wider.
His mouth is hot against me, as he sucks on my clit. My fingers dig into the edge of the counter top, and he pushes two fingers inside me. He twirls and thrusts. Hitting my sweet spot, he works me over with his mouth and fingers. Stars explode behind my eyes, reminiscent of the fireworks outside.
He doesn’t stop until my third orgasm shatters me, leaving me a panting mess. I can barely stay sitting upright, as he scoops me into his arms and carries me into the bedroom.
He slowly peels my dress off me, leaving me utterly bared to him. A bra was a no go with this dress, and I can tell by the way he hums that he approves.
I sit in front of him, as he stands between my legs. My fingers tremble with need as I undo his shirt buttons. He pulls his tie off, before throwing it on the floor. I climb onto my knees, so I’m high enough to brush his shirt from his shoulders. He kisses me slowly, our mouths do not disconnect for a single moment as I drag my hands down his chest. They tangle in the hair that leads down his stomach, and disappears into his pants.