Crushed (11 page)

There was no way I was going to
get a good grade on this midterm unless I actually read the
passages. I grabbed my hoodie, slipped it on and made my way to the
brunette's dorm. I knocked on the door and waited, and waited, and
waited. There was no answer and I couldn't hear anyone on the other
side of the door. The dorms were quiet because it was midterm time
and most people were studying. The library, maybe she was there. I
grumbled to myself about loaning my shite out to girls all the way
there.

I walked inside and shivered, it
was getting damn cold outside. I scoured the first, second and
third floors and saw no signs of her. I would try another girl in
the class and see if she would let me borrow her book, or even
co-study. I could definitely use a study partner of the female
kind. My mind was all out of whack. I pushed the button for the
elevator and looked around as I waited. The elevator dinged and I
stepped forward and crashed into someone. It was my damn fault for
not looking. I grabbed the book that had fallen at my feet, it was
the book I needed! I smiled at the book and stood up straight and
my smile fell. It was her. Claire. Bloody spectacular. I held the
book out to her and waited for her to take it. I felt my jaw
clench. I was not going to speak to her.

"Thanks. You should watch where
you're walking." She offered me a little smile but I ignored
it.

"Yeah. I'll work on that." I
grumbled as I stepped into the elevator and moved to the back
corner. She watched me long enough that the doors closed before she
stepped out. She pushed the button for the main floor and then for
the third floor.

"Are you done studying already?"
Small talk, really? My eyes fell to her legs which were just
covered in sheer black tights. She must have been cold walking
across campus with no pants on. My eyes kept roaming up to the
short little gray wool skirt.

I forced my eyes on her face and
shrugged. "I'm just that bloody good."

She studied my expression for a
moment, and then shrugged herself. "Must be a relief."

"It is." The elevator door opened
and I moved forward, careful not to touch her on my way out of the
very confined space. My damn dick was aching just from smelling
her. I had to get far away from her so I would no longer be tempted
grab her and slam her against the wall and take her right
there.

I glanced over my shoulder as the
doors were closing and I wish I hadn't. She looked sad or
disappointed that I was walking away from her. It took all I had
not to turn around. But nothing had changed between us. As much as
I might want her she didn't want what I offered her. She'd give me
her love but it had conditions. I had to be someone I wasn't. I
didn't need improving. If I was being honest with myself she didn't
need improving either. We just weren't good together. If only my
stupid dick would get in line with my head.

I sat on a bench just outside the
library in the cold, the darkness of the evening lit by a few
street lamps dispersed six feet apart or so, and put my head in my
hands. Think, Neil, think. Focus. I inhaled deeply and then let it
out slowly. I stood up, shoving my hands in my pockets and my feet
were just about to take me back to my dorm when I spotted that
dense fella heading my way. He was on the phone with someone and I
pulled my phone out and pretended to be on it as well. There was
something fishy about this guy. Or maybe I was just bitter that he
was with the girl I wanted. Either way I walked casually in his
direction and once I got closer I bent down and pretended to tie my
shoelace. He was speaking in a different language. Unlucky for him
it was Greek.

"...I am working on it as quickly
as I can. ...Do not worry, you will get what you want. ...Okay.
Talk later." He hung up as he passed by and stuffed his phone in
his front pocket. I wondered if he'd noticed me or not. I had
purposely bent down in the dark patch. Maybe it was a call about a
class project. I sighed softly and started walking again. I still
didn't have any dirt on the douche, but I was certain there was
dirt to find. Eventually I'd find it.

Chapter 17

Claire

I grabbed my test booklet and
walked to the front of the class. I smiled as I put the paper in
the tray sitting on the professor's desk. My last midterm! As I
left the building I felt the stress of intense studying leave my
body. I grinned as I walked, pencils in my hand. I didn't have to
think about anything, I completed midterms week and that was
something to celebrate.

I was contemplating a party or a
pizza night with Merit when I saw Will leaning against the front
wall of my dorm, he had a backpack slung over his gray hooded
shoulder and a gorgeous smile on his face.

"I've been waiting for you. Are you
done with your midterms?"

I held my hands up to celebrate the
joyous words. "Yes! I'm done with my midterms! Woo hoo!" I stopped
in front of him and took in the rest of his appearance, starting
with his long loose workout pants and ending with his the
flickering yellow aura that screamed energy. "Going for a
run?"

He laughed softly, the sound
sending pings of electricity between my thighs. "No." He pushed
himself off the wall and came around behind me. When his chest
brushed my shoulder I had to fight back a groan. It was going to be
torture being around him and not being able to kiss him. Life was
so not fair. But I'd known that for as long as I could
remember.

He tied a black silk scarf around
my eyes and whispered into my ear. "I have a surprise for you." I
felt the goosebumps break out on my arms. I wondered what the
surprise could be. Maybe he was going to bring me to the lake for a
romantic stroll, that would be very relaxing. Or maybe he had read
my earlier thoughts and wanted to watch a movie and binge on pizza.
I was wondering how many pizzas he could eat by himself when his
strong hands guided me forward. I could tell we went into my dorm
and I assumed he was leading me to my room since he knew where that
was.

Once we stopped moving I reached
for the blindfold but he grabbed my hands and tsked me. "You'll
ruin the surprise. Where is your key?" His hands slowly moved down
my arms. My nipples puckered as his thumbs grazed the sides of my
breasts. He was slowly frisking me, his large warm hands were
starting fires throughout my body.

"M-my back pocket." I bit my lower
lip as I felt his hands move from my hips around to my ass. He gave
it a soft squeeze that made me clench my thighs together before
grabbing the key. I heard the door unlock and then he was leading
me again into the room.

I heard a thud and then him moving
around my room. I was tempted to take off the blindfold or at least
peek but I wanted him to be able to trust me. Trust was important
in relationships. Trust was the reason I had to break things off
with Neil. Dammit, he was invading my thoughts again.

Will took my pencils from my hands
and I heard them tumble over the surface of my desk. He replaced
them with something soft, definitely small, and clothing. "Go
change into that and then come back out." He turned me around and
removed my blindfold. I smiled and did as I was told.

After freshening up a bit I slipped
into the black string bikini he'd put into my hands. I wasn't sure
if he thought we were going swimming or if this was just a ruse to
get me to be as close to naked as possible. I opened the door to my
bedroom and gasped. The room was transformed. There were candles
everywhere, a soft pink silk sheet over my bedspread, and the room
smelled light of lavender. The best eye candy in the room was Will
himself who had removed his shirt, his abdomen cut into six little
sections and so smooth it begged to be licked. His muscles were
huge, well defined and I felt my mouth water. He was the definition
of strong. I squeezed my thighs together again.

"This is...wow."

He motioned to the bed, "Please,
come lay down. I want to help you destress." He waggled his
eyebrows. I would've thought he was trying to seduce me save for
the grin on his lips. I complied, making my way over to the bed. I
started to sit and lay back but he stopped me, his finger circling
in the air. "On your stomach, please."

"Okay..." I paused for a second and
then turned, laying belly down on the silk sheet. I rested my head
on my hands and waited. A tiny tingle of something played on my
brain and I glanced back to him, checking his aura. It was oddly
blank. I squeezed my eyes shut and looked again. Nope, still
nothing. That never happened. God, I must be more tired than I
thought. I put my head down and moments later I felt his strong
hands on my shoulders, squeezing the tension away. He must have had
oil on his hands because they were slick and the smell of lavender
was very strong.

I moaned as his hands worked their
way down my back. "That feels so goo..Ah!..." I called out as he
hit a super tense spot on my lower back. He paused and then rubbed
it, trying to work out the tension.

He whispered again, his breath on
the back of my neck sent sexual shivers between my legs. "Feeling
better yet, Claire?"

"Yes!" I whispered back, the stress
of finals was gone but the sexual stress was just starting to build
between us. His hands continued to rub my back, slow and steady and
soon, despite the sexual tension in the air, what with the relaxing
lavender scent, the warm hands soothing my back and the soft
lighting, I fell asleep.

While I was napping I dreamt of
being on a warm beach, I'd never been to one, my toes in the sand.
The sun had warmed the sand, making it hot. It felt good to have my
toes buried in deep and as soon as I thought it was too hot to take
a wave would come and wash over my feet. I watched the waves a few
times and then a strong arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me
back against an equally strong torso. I closed my eyes, his face
was blacked out due to the bright sun directly behind him. He
nibbled my ear, kissed down my neck while his hands held me to him
and stroked my hair. Then he whispered to me, "Time to wake up,
Claire-bear. Time to wake up, love..." It was Neil's voice and I
woke up with a start. My head kicked up so suddenly that I knocked
into Will's chin, which hurt really bad, let me tell you. It was
like someone had hit me on the back of my head with a large
rock.

He cursed and rubbed his chin
slowly. "I'm not sure who that was worse for me, or
you."

I rolled over and put my hand on
the back of my head, wincing. "Me...I was surprised -and- your chin
is much sharper than my head. Comparatively." I closed my eyes
against the dull ache for a moment before looking at him, his hand
still on his chin but he was smiling at me. I couldn't help but
smile back. "Why are you smiling at me?"

"You're just... so beautiful,
Claire. So pure. A person just gets the feeling that you've never
done a single terrible thing in your whole life."
With the exception of thinking of another guy
while you were giving me a wonderful back massage,
maybe
. I winced again, trying to push my
thoughts down. Now was not the time to be thinking about that
nameless man again.

I held out my arms, hoping he would
close the distance between us. He did, without hesitation. I hugged
him and he rubbed his nose against my neck. "No one is perfect,
Will. Neither am I." He chuckled against my shoulder and then
kissed it softly.

"Don't let our parents hear you say
that. They are perfect." He said the last bit loudly for emphasis,
in case they were listening. He looked down at me, looking over my
entire face, feature by feature. "I think you got more than half of
the perfect your father gave to you."

My heart was melting, I wasn't sure
I believed what he was saying but I sure as heck wanted to! I
wrapped my arms around his neck pulled him down to my lips. Almost.
I turned my head at the last second, remembering what would happen
if I let anyone aside from the devil kiss me. "Let me destress you
now..." I pushed on his shoulders until he was on his back. I got
to my knees quickly, he would enjoy this for sure. I'd heard the
other girls talking for years about how much guys loved doing this
one thing. I reached for his pants but he put his hands over
mine.

"Claire, please... you don't have
to do that." I looked at him. My gut felt like it had been kicked
in. He was rejecting me. Just a few minutes ago he told me I was
perfect and now he disagreed with my actions? I tried not to let
the emotions show on my face and either I did a good job or he
wasn't paying attention because he smiled and pulled me back up so
I was laying on his chest. I put my cheek there and just
rested.

The rest of the night was pretty
uneventful. We ordered delivery, watched movies and fell asleep.
The whole time all I could think was that it was much more fun with
Neil. And how I wished he were sitting next to me instead. It
wasn't fair to Will and it wasn't fair to me. I had to talk to him,
and I vowed to do just that...tomorrow.