Chapter 2

2

Holly

I groaned and flopped back on my bed, staring up at my ceiling when I heard Derrick's voice downstairs, talking to my mom. I told him I wasn't in the mood to see him today. He would want sex after being apart for so long, but after fighting with him last night because he chose his stupid friends he saw all the time over me, I had no urge to see him today.

And I really didn't feel like fucking him. Maybe I might've if it was any good, but the sex was always boring. Always plain. And it never lasted long. I could count on one hand—exactly three fingers—how many times Derrick had managed to get me off out of the numerous times we'd had sex.

Groaning, I slipped out of bed and walked downstairs. Mom's yoga bag was slung over her shoulder, and she brightened when she saw me. "Oh, there she is! I thought you went back to sleep, hun," she teased.

I shrugged, forcing a smile to my lips for her so she wouldn't see how annoyed I was. "Not today. You on your way to yoga?"

She nodded. "You'll have the house to yourself today, hun. Your father is working late again, and after my yoga class, I have a book club meeting, and then I have a meeting with the HOA." She rolled her eyes, and I snickered. I knew how much she hated the HOA. Dad promised her when he retired, he'd buy her a house out in the country where no one could tell her what to do with her land. "Then, I've got to grocery shop. If I'm not back by dinner, order yourself something," she instructed. She kissed my cheek. "Love you. Have fun."

She flounced out the door, shutting it quietly behind her. I looked at Derrick, narrowing my eyes at him. "Why are you here?" I demanded as soon as I heard my mom's car start up, which meant she wouldn't be able to hear anything I said to Derrick.

He stepped toward me and gripped my waist, tugging me forward to close the remaining distance between us. I pressed my palms to his chest, glaring at him. "Baby, come on. Don't be like this."

"Like what ?" I snapped. "I just got home, Derrick, and you chose your stupid friends over me. Now you want to spend time with me? Showing up unannounced? You know I hate it when you show up unannounced."

He rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Holly?" he demanded, releasing me and stepping back. He shoved his fingers through his white-blonde hair, and it flopped right back into his face. "Are you seriously picking a fight with me? Why do you have to be so fucking difficult?"

I wanted to slap him. He couldn't be fucking serious right now. "I'm being difficult ?" I sneered at him. "Are you fucking—" My words were cut off when his phone suddenly lit up on the small table next to us, a call from one of my old cheer friends on his screen. I clenched my jaw, noticing how quickly he lurched over to try to darken the screen, but it was too late. I'd already fucking seen it, and last I had checked, he and Madelyn couldn't stand each other.

"Why the fuck is she calling you?" I barked, taking a step toward him, my fists balled in anger.

"Holly, I can explain?—"

That. That right there was a sure sign he had something to hide. Who the fuck immediately dove into "I can explain"?

"Are you two fucking each other behind my back?!" I shouted. I couldn't believe this shit. Just yesterday, she'd messaged me on social media and fucking told me she couldn't wait to catch up and hear all about everything I was doing in college.

"Holly—"

"Are you fucking her?!" I yelled, so angry that I was practically seeing red.

Clenching his jaw, he finally nodded. I marched over to the front door. It took every bit of my restraint to yank it open instead of grabbing the closest thing to me—a lamp—and launching it at his fucking head. "Get out !" I screamed, pointing my finger out the door to the driveway where his ugly ass Camaro was sitting.

He narrowed his eyes at me, not moving. "You've been gone for months, Holly. I don't ever see you, and you won't even bother having phone sex. The fuck am I supposed to do?!" he yelled.

"Don't pin your cheating on me! I decided to get a college education, and to do that, I had to move the fuck away. You could've come with me, but you decided to stay here and go to the local technical college. You told me that we would be fine! Were you even with the guys last night, or were you sticking your tiny little dick inside of her?"

"Holly—"

"Answer the fucking question!" I yelled, stomping my foot just to release some of the anger swelling inside of me.

"God, you're so fucking difficult !" he yelled back at me. He stormed up to me, but I didn't budge. I didn't even flinch. "All I've ever wanted you for was your pussy anyway?—"

I slapped him so hard, my palm stung, the skin immediately becoming red. His head whipped to the side before he worked his jaw around. With a snarl, he gripped my wrist and shoved me out the door. I landed on my ass on the porch, my eyes wide. Before I could move out of the way, Derrick grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking on the strands to try to pull me to my feet. I screeched, my hands reaching up to claw at his wrists, digging my nails in hard enough to draw blood.

And then, my hot as fuck neighbor popped up like smoke, wrapping his hand around Derrick's wrist right beneath where I was clawing at his skin. Derrick blanched, grunting in pain.

"Release her right the fuck now , " Jenson growled, "or I will break every bone in your fucking wrist and make you."

Derrick quickly released me, and Jenson released him. Snarling, Derrick stormed down the porch, and a moment later, he peeled out of my driveway, laying rubber on the asphalt as he pulled off, spinning tires. Rain came pouring down from the sky a moment later, like it was mocking me for my shit morning.

"You okay?" Jenson asked. Reaching down, he grabbed me beneath my arms and helped me up to my feet. My breath hitched in my throat when he gently grabbed my forearm. He clenched his jaw as he inspected my wrist. "Come on," he rumbled when I didn't answer. I wasn't sure if I could get my brain to cooperate. Because what the fuck had just happened?

Jenson shut my front door, and I wordlessly followed him down my porch and through the rain to his house. I was a little freaked out by Derrick's violence. I knew I'd slapped him first, but I had a feeling if Jenson hadn't stepped in, Derrick would have seriously hurt me. And over what—me catching him cheating and calling him out on being a dick? Seriously though, what else had he truly expected me to do when he claimed to only want my pussy?

"Th-thank you," I whispered as we entered his house. I was shaking now, my teeth chattering. Jenson wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me into his kitchen, the warmth of his arm barely registering. "D-Don't know wh-why I'm sh-shaking," I stuttered.

"Adrenaline," Jenson calmly told me. Gripping my hips, he lifted me onto his pristine, white kitchen counter. "Want to tell me what happened?" he asked as he rummaged in a cabinet before pulling out a Ziploc bag.

I winced and looked down at my lap. "He cheated on m-me," I muttered. My shaking was slowing, making the chattering of my teeth die down some. "With a friend of mine."

"Well, she's a bitch for spreading her legs for your boyfriend, and he's a fucking douchebag for cheating on a woman as gorgeous as you," he said as he dropped some ice cubes into the bag. My cheeks warmed a little at his words. Zipping it up, he released the air from it before turning to face me. He draped a kitchen towel over my wrist before placing the ice over it. Then, he wedged himself between my thighs. My breath hitched in my throat, my nipples pebbling. Warmth surged through my core, tingles erupting through my body.

"You're too fucking beautiful to be letting some dick treat you like you don't deserve to be worshipped," he rumbled, his eyes meeting mine.

I swallowed thickly, warmth pooling in my core. He planted his hands on either side of me on the counter, his eyes flickering to my lips. I licked them, unable to keep from teasing him. I was a brat—sue me.

His gaze darkened, and a deep rumble sounded from his chest.

"You don't have work today?" I whispered.

He shook his head. "As the owner," he said, flashing me a wicked grin when my mouth dropped open, "I don't allow my men to work on days it's supposed to rain. It's too dangerous, and we can't get anything done anyway." He smirked at me then—a cocky one. "Surprised?"

I nodded. "I thought you were just a construction worker," I mumbled.

He chuckled. "When I was in my early twenties, I was, but I quickly figured out that working for others wasn't my thing." He stepped in closer, his shaft pressing into my core. I moaned, my eyes fluttering shut. Fuck, he was thick and long and so, so hard. "I like being the one to call the shots."

Fuck. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck.

I knew without a doubt that he wasn't talking about work anymore.

"Will you let me call the shots, doll?" he murmured, his lips just barely brushing my jaw. I shivered, my eyelids fluttering.

Unable to speak, I just nodded my head. Lowering his head, he nipped at my throat. I whined low in my throat. "Good," he growled.

Then, his lips took mine in a hard, bruising kiss.

And holy shit...

That one fucking kiss ruined me for any other guy.

I eagerly kissed him back, and when I reached up with both hands to wrap my arms around his neck, the ice fell to the side. He pinned my injured wrist back down, slipping the ice back onto it. Groaning in desperation, I curled the fingers of my good hand into his hair, licking at the seam of his lips. He opened for me but then took over the kiss, licking into my mouth and sucking on my tongue.

I ground against him, desperately needing friction, too lost in a haze of need to care how desperate I looked. But he obviously didn't care because he gripped my hips and rocked me over him, grinding into me at the same rhythm. Encouraging me to take what I needed. What I wanted.

I whimpered and moaned into his mouth, beyond delirious as he quickly brought me to the edge. In mere minutes, I was tumbling over it, and when I was about to cry out his name, he stuck his tongue back in my mouth, shutting me up. I trembled, shaking, my orgasm washing over me and making me forget my own name.

I panted, my forehead dropping to his shoulder when he finally pulled back from me. My leggings were damp, but I couldn't bring myself to care. My panties were no doubt ruined, but it wouldn't be the first time they got ruined because of him. But fuck , nothing had prepared me for this man touching me. Kissing me. His thick length pressing into my hot core.

"Told you the next time you moaned my name, my cock would be between your thighs," he rumbled. Immediately, I flushed bright red. Then, he removed the ice from my wrist and tossed the plastic bag into the sink before gripping my ass and lifting me from the counter, holding me against him. I limply wrapped my arms and legs around him, sleepy and sated now.

"You up for a cuddle?" he asked.

I nodded, burrowing my face in the curve of his neck. Fuck yes I wanted cuddles from this man. "You move fast," I whispered. But I sure as hell didn't mind. Not with him. I couldn't even bring myself to care that the first moment we spent any time together, I'd used him to get myself off. That he'd encouraged me. Kissed me. Fucking devoured me.

He chuckled. "I know what I want, and I go for it, doll. Better get used to that."

I just smiled as he walked up the stairs to his room, my eyes already drooping closed.