Chapter 2

Two

MARISSA

Red Night has arrived.

While waiting for James to pick me up, I pace holes in my carpet and triple-check my purse for essentials: wallet, breath mints, wet wipes, mirror, lipstick, the results of my sexually transmitted diseases test, and birth control pills in case we end up staying the night. No phone because they aren’t allowed.

Hiking up my minidress over my boobs, I inspect my image in the floor-length mirror in the bathroom I share with Elle, my other roomie. Ruched on one side, the black leather accentuates every curve, hugging me tightly in all the right places. Paired with thigh-high boots, I think I look the part of an appropriate Red Night kitten. Or I will, once I put on my lacy cat mask, which allows my green eyes to shine. Rubbing my legs together, it feels weird to go commando and without a bra, but those won’t be necessary. Before leaving the room, I spray on some vanilla perfume and finish the look with deep red lipstick. My dark brown hair is sleek, parted straight down the middle.

“Damn, girl. Where are you off to?” Kinsley, my third roommate, eyes me from our denim blue sofa as I teeter out to the kitchen, grabbing a water for my parched tongue. The bottle shakes in my hand as I sip it.

“Oh, um. To a party with James.” Kinsley’s nosy, but we aren’t supposed to talk about the event, so I’m hoping that will be enough for her without me having to confess the truth.

“Sex club party, huh? Make sure he wraps it up. Have fun!”

James

I’m here.

Me

Coming!

I hurry downstairs, trying not to trip, and fall into the passenger seat of James’s classic black Mustang. His blazer pooches out as he turns to give me a small kiss on the cheek, the vintage band tee underneath giving him the carefree look he always has. With his blonde hair spiked to perfection and his scent like the ocean, he won’t have any trouble getting Jackson Riley to notice him. Taking my shaky hand in his, he presses a kiss to each of my knuckles as I settle in my seat, noticing a black mask looped around the gearshift.

“You ready for this? If you want to back out…” His eyebrows raise like he anticipates a positive response.

“No, I want to do this. Yes, I almost threw up three times, but I’m ready now.” My hand squeezes his reassuringly. For me mainly, but also for him. “Don’t worry. I have mints.” I stick out my tongue and wiggle it back and forth so he can see the white candy.

A chuckle cuts over his lips as he smiles. “I love you, Marissa.” Gazing softly at me, his hazel eyes scan my body with appreciation before he faces the road and backs out of the parking lot.

I guess we’re doing this.

Pulling up to Theta Rho Zeta’s compound, a guard greets us at a stone gate station. The butterflies in my stomach flutter wildly as I take in the metal tips of the large wrought-iron fences. I hadn’t realized how intimidating the place would be, but from the outside, it looks like a fortress. After showing our invitations and licenses, the menacing security gate swings open, luring us to move forward.

A straight, cobbled lane leads us on a darkened path, lit on either side with red glowing lanterns, giving me an even more ominous feeling. Just beyond the tree line, guest cottages, tennis courts, and stables are occasionally visible by the dying light of the dusky sky.

Reaching the end of the drive, the Gothic Tudor looms in front of us. Several chimney spires peak above the shingled roofs, their shadows crawling over the driveway gripping the car like talons. James steers around a three-tiered sparkling fountain to a group of valet drivers, all dressed in red coats. Hopping out, he tosses his keys to one of the young men. With my thighs pressed together, I squeeze myself from the safety of the car.

There’s no turning back now. And I don’t think I can run in these heels.

The covered entry of the house boasts several red brick archways. Underneath the largest, a butler sticks his tuxedoed chest out next to a team of security staff in yellow T-shirts. A few people queue near the front door, awaiting entry. Numerous leaded glass windows sit high above us, each glowing with what appears to be red candlelight. Shadows of people flicker within them...with several already in the throes of lovemaking.

To lessen my anxiety, I repeat my mantra in my head: if I can’t handle this, I’ll just stand back and watch my boyfriend take it up the ass. Of course, I’ll be supportive (“Go, James! You take that dick!”) but will simply disappear to a dark corner of the room and wait until it’s all over.

As we line up, a waiter approaches us with a much-needed tray of champagne. Reaching for a glass, I down the bubbles, then return the crystal stem while we shuffle toward the security team. Unfortunately, it makes the fizz in my belly effervesce with ferocity. One man gruffly demands to see our papers and IDs again. Digging through my small bag, I hand them over. After a scrutinizing scan of my driver’s license, he taps furiously on a computer tablet.

“Marissa Matlock?” he asks, as if he doesn’t believe the card is real. Slipping his phone out of his pocket, his brow furrows as they meet my face. Glancing behind me at the crowd of newcomers, I realize I’m the first person he’s spoken to during his inspections. People’s eyes bore holes into my back at us holding up the line and sweat beads form along my hairline.

“Yep, that’s me,” I say with a little lift of my lips, hoping he’ll just quickly accept it and we can all move on.

Turning his head to speak into his phone, he mumbles something like, “Candies on the brink, sir.” His deep brown eyes scan my outfit carefully before he mutters, “Uh, black.” He ends the call and points to the next security officer in line as if I’ve wasted his time. That was weird, but I’m not about to ask any questions. All I want is to fade in with the crowd.

The next neon yellow shirted man pats me down roughly, groping my curves with his large palms, causing my breath to get caught in my chest. Snagging my bag, he snaps it open and shuffles through its contents. With two fingers, he pulls out my birth control pill pack and holds it up to the light. Tilting his head, he stares at it for a moment.

Shuffling my feet, I try to make a joke. “Just don’t want to get knocked up at an orgy,” I say with a wincing smile.

Without another look, he drops it back inside and thrusts my bag into my hand, nodding at the open front door. I guess I inadvertently agreed to be manhandled by even presenting myself here.

Pausing on the stoop, I wait for my boyfriend to make it past the groper. The security guard feels up James’s crotch carefully while looking anywhere but his face. After the fondling, James rolls his blue eyes at me, as if to say, “Get a load of this guy,” then places my hand on his bent arm before leading us through the front door. Using him as a shield, I press myself closer to his side.

The entryway of the manor is smaller than I would have imagined from viewing the place on the outside, but it’s formidable. Dark wooden wainscotting reaches above my height of 5’8” while wide-columned arches open to various rooms around the entire first level of the house. Veined marble tiles the floor, and a golden chandelier hangs steadily above us, highlighting an L-shaped staircase tucked into the left of the entrance. Paned glass doors fill the back of the foyer, which leads out to an awaiting pool lit with red lights, making it look like lava.

Couples, throuples, and groups of students are in the water making out. In the hot tub, one woman sucks off several men who stand in a circle. Laughter and bass bumps trickle through the open doors, tickling my ears. Outside, most people are stark naked or in skimpy bathing suits, and my breathing accelerates just imagining being one of them, so exposed and blithe. Swallowing back some nerves, I try to prep myself to be one of them soon. Maybe I need more alcohol.

“Ready?” James escorts me to our right, a busy reception area. The room is crowded with people loudly talking or flirting, the hums of their voices overshadowing almost all my worried thoughts. Everyone wears such vastly different outfits. Some women are in lingerie with masks, most don skimpy dresses like me, and others got into full costume or leather bondage outfits. Men are casually dressed for a college party, in business suits, or full-out tuxedos. One man is completely bare. His average-sized chub hangs between his legs as he cozies up to a couple of ladies near the fireplace standing against the far wall. I try not to look at it.

“Do you recognize anyone?” I ask James, and the blonde of his locks catches a glimmer of firelight as he shakes his head. His eyes must be as dazed as mine as we take in the scene. With the masks on, it’s near impossible to know who’s who. Most guests wear them, except for those in the pool area. Feeling very out of place and hoping he decides to leave, I clutch James’s corded bicep and scoot even closer.

“Should we get a drink first?” he asks. I’m disappointed that we can’t just go, but the relaxing effects of some liquid courage sound perfect now that we’re here. The champagne wasn’t enough.

An intimidating presence approaches us from behind, and a deep voice cuts into the tense air. “Glad you could make it. The real party’s in my room. Follow me.”

James and I turn as one to face Xavier Cardell, who slowly walks backward with a smirk plastered on his handsome face. A long finger beckons before he spins on his expensive Italian leather shoes, heading back to the entry. The broadness of his back muscles is outlined in a perfectly tailored black dress shirt and gray pants, no tie or mask. My pussy pulses at the sight of him.

James claps his hand over mine and follows up the stairs as I try not to stumble. I can’t exactly make out his eyes through his bandit-style mask, but the excitement buzzing through him is the same as when he sneaks into my bed after popping Molly. This is the kind of event James Stevenson lives for. My body shakes for an entirely different reason.

After tailing a stoic Xavier through several turns, we reach a set of carved double doors at the end of a long hallway. I don’t think my heart can beat any harder, but following such an impervious form gives me peace inside, and I silently dread him walking away from us.

“Here we are.” Xavier throws open both at once, seemingly for dramatic effect.

A large bedroom greets us on the other side, the entire room bathed in red candlelight. To the left is a seating area in front of a stone fireplace. An oversized desk and tall bookcases sit to the right. In the far corner, an open door reveals a bathroom. The center is filled with a massive four-poster canopied bed, where red velvet curtains have been tied back to reveal the oversize mattress.

His room is grand in its furnishings, but it’s the activity within that makes me blush. On the sofa are the two blonde women I had seen with Xavier the day he gave James the invitation. The woman on the floor is kneeling to eat the other’s cunt as the blonde slumped on the couch throws her head back with a wailing cry. A muscular man in a leather rabbit mask and nothing else swats the kneeling girl with a black riding crop hard enough that she screams into her friend’s pussy. It takes my breath away as if I’m the one being spanked.

Two men occupy a cushy armchair, one riding the other’s cock while the man sitting (Wait, is that Jackson Riley?) scrunches his face in ecstasy, staring up at his partner with lust hazing his eyes. From my periphery, I see my boyfriend notice Jackson at the same time as I. James’s hand slyly moves from mine down to his crotch, readjusting himself.

Couples are fucking against the walls, on the bed, on the floor, in the window seat, three women pleasure each other on the desk, and large men walk about stroking themselves, looking for the next hole to stick their dicks into. Each table holds a bowl of colorful condoms displayed like candy. The grunts, moans, and screams instantly make me damp between my legs, and the air is filled with the smell of latex and cum.

Xavier’s inky black hair catches the candlelight as he turns to look at us with his piercing blue eyes. Well, he looks at James. Other than the day on the lawn, I don’t think he has ever looked at me. I’m not someone a person like him would notice.

“Have fun,” he says with a sly grin, then ambles off, taking a position in a wingback armchair near the dancing embers of the fire. As soon as he sits, a beautiful redheaded woman dressed in leopard print lingerie slinks closer and kneels between his long legs. Placing her cheek on his open thigh, she must say something to him, because I see her mouth moving. Briefly, he lowers his head toward her for a moment, then darts his gaze away as if she doesn’t exist.

James shirks off his mask and jacket, tossing both onto an empty chair next to the door. Most people here are naked and maskless. Some of the bared faces seem familiar from parties around campus, but I don’t really know anyone. Sliding off my own mask, I thread my fingers through James’s as he guides us to the red velvet bed.

Placing his mouth close to my temple, his minty breath tickles my neck as he whispers, “Remember, just like we normally do. Except for this time, we have an audience.”

It’s difficult to swallow due to the dryness in my throat, but with some straining, I do, nodding before edging closer to the center of the room. Standing near the footboard, James’s arm wraps around my waist. His lips greet mine roughly, his jaw forceful, like maybe he’s not desperate for me, but just as nervous as I am. Unlatching his mouth, he then sucks down my neck to my chest. Feeling him working his way down my sternum before easing his tongue into my deep cleavage, a tiny moan escapes my lips. Even I can’t hear it due to all the erotic sounds resonating within the room.

James’s fingers find my zipper and slide it down my back. The sticky leather has to be peeled off my skin, it’s so tight. Carefully, I teeter on one heel, trying to loosen my boots while James helps me undress.

Intense pressure fills my chest at the thought of being fully exposed to this room of strangers. I keep telling myself no one else is paying attention, except that I can feel someone behind me boring holes into the back of my head. Attempting to crane my neck to see, I can’t twist far enough before James tugs on my chin with his finger, pulling my focus back to him with a kiss. Hiding my naked breasts in his bare, hardened chest, I try to relax in his hold.

My fingers find their way through his thick blonde hair near the base of his skull. After I help him tug off his jeans and underwear, I drop to my knees. His cock is already firm and ready to go, probably from seeing Jackson fucking that other guy. The two of them have finished with each other while James and I are just getting started.

With James’s dick in one hand, I swirl my tongue around the tip, tasting his salty pre-cum on my tongue. Placing a hand on either side of my head, he pins me back to the bed. From this angle, he plunges in fully. I have practiced deep-throating several times, but I’m not an expert. Tears fill my eyes and drool runs down the sides of my mouth around his thickness as he hits the back of my throat.

Performing like we normally do together settles my nerves. It helps that no one is focused on us, too distracted by their own debased activities. Allowing the tension to leave my neck, I finally start enjoying what I’m doing.

It’s difficult to hear him, but some words filter down to me as James’s face scrunches with heavy lust. “That’s it, baby, take it.”

His cock pulsates between my lips, ready to blow. Before he does, he jerks out of my mouth and grasps me under my shoulders, then hoists me onto the bed. Splaying out for him, I lie back on the mattress. Near the headboard, two men are busy spit-roasting a woman. One man smacks her ass from behind with sharp snaps of his wrist, pulling her hair each time he thrusts forward. Her wails are muffled as the other stuffs his cock down her throat.

Kneeling on the floor, James’s hot breath hits my pussy lips, making my thighs erupt with goosebumps. I never have orgasms from oral. It’s hard enough from actual sex, but that doesn’t stop him from trying or me from enjoying it. Arching like a cat off the bed, tingles erupt down my legs as he takes his first lick up my slit.

As James gets more into the action, I bite my knuckle to keep from crying out, my head whipping to the side. When I turn, I spot Xavier standing beside the fireplace, taking a sip from a double of amber-colored liquid, staring intensely at my face. His Adam’s apple bobs slowly as he swallows, raising a finger at me with the hand that holds his glass. With a tiny lift of the corner of his mouth, he winks. His black shirt had been unbuttoned, exposing his insanely cut abs and a trail of dark hair leading below the waistline of his trousers.

My breaths coming out in short bursts, I try to look away and back at James, clutching his blonde locks and writhing my hips into his face. With a deep groan, he drives a few fingers into me while sucking on my clit. I squeeze my eyes shut as I attempt to maintain some sort of concentration on what my boyfriend is doing, until the curiosity is too much… Is Xavier still staring at me?

Yes, he is.

This time, however, I’m entranced by his heavy gaze, his eyelids half lowered as he scans my body. The sensation of his stare makes me feel the sexiest I have ever felt. His broad chest rises and falls in steady motions, the firm muscles twitching under some dark ink. As I hump James’s head and moan, I keep my eyes locked on Xavier’s, showing him how much pleasure my boyfriend is giving me. Xavier stands motionless against the wall, one leg crossed over the other, his glass held low in one hand as the other holds his waistband.

Ever-so subtly, Xavier opens his mouth, letting his tongue graze over his bottom lip. At that vision and the fantasy that Xavier’s tongue could be grazing over my own lips right now, I erupt all over James’s face with a scream.

“Fuck, babe. I did it! You came!” James peeks up at me from between my legs, like he’s so proud of himself. I’m reeling from the orgasm that a stranger just caused, as if using my boyfriend as a surrogate. When I sit, James leans in for a kiss, but I glance to see if Xavier is still watching us. He’s gone.

Sneaking over to a condom bowl nearby, James switches places with me, saying, “Fuck, I’m hard. Come ride my cock.”

Tearing into the package with his perfectly straight teeth, he lies back while I straddle him, helping by rolling the condom on. He knows I never have sex without one. Squatting up and down a few times, I wet his dick with my arousal before sliding myself on for the ride. Once I’m fully seated, I grind my core against his pubic bone.

With a gasp, I straighten up as a hard body paints itself onto my back. Large hands reach around me to tap open James’s thighs. James’s dimpled smile welcomes whoever’s behind me. Tossing my dark hair over my shoulder to get a look, I’m greeted with Xavier’s rock-hard naked body. Renewed nerves swirl in my belly when he slides on a condom, then dribbles lube straight from a bottle all over my boyfriend’s ass. James’s pelvis jerks up into me as Xavier shoves some fingers inside James. He moans loudly, his length twitching inside me, eyes squeezing shut as he tries to bite his bottom lip.

Xavier pulls me back into his warm body with his muscular arm tight around my waist. His strength is palpable as he holds me until my breathing escalates into little pants. Leaning into my ear, he says in a low, deep voice, “Mind if I join you?”

A scent of the deep woods, rugged and with a hint of whiskey, envelops my senses and my clit pulses. I can’t even get out a reply; my body is frozen with awe that Xavier Cardell would deem us with his expensive attention.

Continuing his finger assault for a few moments, Xavier grips me firmly with his arm until his abs caress my butt as he shoves himself inside my boyfriend. James almost chokes on his tongue while yelling, “Fuck, man! Oh my god, that feels amazing!”

Xavier works behind me, each thrust of his hips hitting my ass with a tiny smack of our skin, sending sparks of electricity up my spine every time we collide. Tightening his bicep around my waist, he uses his other hand to grip my neck, long fingers spreading over my skin. His lips suck on one earlobe until I feel like I can’t breathe. With every wet kiss, I edge closer to him, my nipples peaking under the ownership of his embrace.

Moving down, he kisses the column of my neck and pauses just over my carotid pulse. He bites as I cry in pain before he eases it with a swirl of his tongue, taking my skin inside his mouth with more pressure. His touch is intimate, knowing. Like he’s marking and claiming my body. Despite James being inside me, Xavier is causing some chemical reaction my brain can’t seem to comprehend. Gripping my boyfriend tighter with my thighs, I try to ignore the war in my mind and focus on him instead.

“Yeah, man, fuck me into her,” James says in breathless huffs to Xavier. Xavier pushes harder, our skin sticking together each time. His hand holding my neck edges down to grasp my round bottom, lightly patting as if he’s prepping it for a smack or just experiencing the weight of it.

That locked clasp Xavier has on me loosens as he turns his head and shouts, “Jack… Alex…” Thick, inky black hair falls across his forehead as he nods toward the bed.

At their president’s command, Jackson Riley and the man he had been fucking earlier approach, scooting into positions on either side of James’s head. Each kneels next to him while stroking their hard cocks vigorously. Leaning over, Jackson feeds his dick into my boyfriend’s eager mouth. After a few licks and sucks, James twists his neck to take in the other man. Continuing his pattern, James suckles one, then the other, each man fondling himself when not occupying his mouth.

Xavier’s grunts vibrate through my bare collarbone as he works James, grasping my hips with his hands. Dampening the skin of my back, his sweat covers me as I lean into him, wanting to be nearer. His scent coats me more than my own. In a low voice, he speaks directly over my ear so that only I can hear. “You see your boyfriend there taking all this dick? He loves it. He loves sucking cock, taking it up the ass.” With a sharp pound, he rails into my boyfriend harder as James sobs around Jackson’s dick.

Popping Jackson out of his mouth, James’s brow furrows as he yells at me, “Oh, fuck, baby, I love cock in my ass. Fuck, I love cock.” Returning to his blowjobs, he seems to be in a heightened state of ecstasy, but when he opens his mouth to scream, Jackson thrusts himself deeper inside. Swirling the tip of his cock, James’s eyes crawl up the football player’s body until they gaze at each other.

Guiding me over James’s dick, Xavier whispers, “Pretty sure he’s not going to be bi after tonight.” Outrage leaves my mouth in the form of a sharp gasp, but before I can protest, he adds, “He can’t fuck you like you need to be fucked. He’s not even going to make you come.” With a resounding smack, Xavier spanks my ass and drives into James with a punch of his hips, as if emphasizing his point.

Jutting out my chin, I try to speak up for James. “He-he made me come tonight.” Taking a deep breath, I turn my head to see Xavier’s expression. My lips tingle at how close they are to his.

Xavier’s warm, honey-scented breath tickles my face as he chuckles. “Oh, he did? You sure about that?” His icy blue eyes fade into the dark as he narrows his lids. As if swaddled in a blanket, I feel both comfort and caught by his fierce expression. I should look away, but maybe I don’t want to escape.

“Fuck, man, fuck, you hit my spot… Oh, fuck!” James shoves his hips up into me, filling the condom with hot cum.

Before I can even understand what’s happening, Xavier yanks himself out of my boyfriend and rips off his own condom, throwing it like a snakeskin onto the floor. With a swift motion, he gathers me off James’s spent dick as I squeal, turning my body to face him. My legs naturally encircle his waist as his thick erection splits my wet pussy lips. Clutching his neck, I try to maintain some stability as he hurries across the room. Forced against the wall next to the bed, Xavier holds my legs wide open, bent over his rippled forearms. Capturing my eyes with his intense stare, he shoves his entire length inside of me.

A feral scream leaves my throat as the fullness of him stretches me further than I thought I could go. Xavier is so much bigger than any cock I have experienced. He moves like a madman by rapidly fucking me into the wall, entrancing eyes breaking away from mine. Burrowing his face into my neck, he thrusts powerfully, exactly where I need it most. Perspiration forms on his sculpted back where my nails dig in, holding on for dear life as his body smashes like waves into mine. Each time he connects with me, fire erupts in every nerve. It’s violent and raw. Euphoria like I’ve never experienced, and I don’t want to let it go.

Guilt overtakes me at that thought as I glance at the bed where James is recovering from his orgasm. Jackson has taken over Xavier’s place. Sliding on top of my boyfriend, the two match their faces, gazing into each other’s eyes. As if giving over to their passions, they kiss, and James lets his hands caress Jackson’s back. The intimacy they exchange forces me to look away and close my eyes. It hurts even while I cling to the broad body in front of me.

“Open your fucking eyes,” Xavier growls at me, the deepness of his voice causing me to snap open my lids. A severe expression greets me as he says, “You deserve so much more.” As if he’s the first person to see me, his words make the warmth spread from between my legs to my heart, even heat my eyes with tears. Does he know who I am?

Scanning his body, the brawn of it overwhelms me as it moves with intensity. With every twitch of his muscles, the intricate patterns of his tattoos fold and bend into his skin, some running up his neck and down his sculpted chest, almost full sleeves adorning each corded arm. He’s beyond handsome... He’s like a god.

Xavier spies me looking at his body, and a smirk lifts the corners of his mouth. Dipping his head in a bob toward mine, he pauses to back away for a moment, looking at my lips as if reconsidering something. Then, he claims me with his mouth.

It’s not a kiss. Xavier plunges in like he’s trying to meld with my soul and part of me lets him. Sweet bourbon tingles my taste buds as he edges between my lips, sending his tongue on a mission to toy with mine. He kisses like it’s anything but a game, and my heart feels the seriousness of what his body is telling me.

As his firm jaw works against me, the stubble tickling my cheeks, my pussy pinches his thick cock. He pulls away from me with a glance at where our bodies are joined before circling my clit with his thumb.

“He can’t make you come, but you will come for me.” Studying my face as if it’s a quizzical problem he’s determined to solve, he places his forehead against mine. Our minds connect on some intimate level that I can’t understand while he’s filling me with blinding pleasure. His breath makes my hair flutter away from my face and we share that same air, huffing it into one another’s mouths. “You will always come for me… This pussy will be mine. I’ll own it. I’ll own you.”

I freeze with fear. Xavier’s not wearing a condom. He’s the first man to ever enter me without one. The thought that he will spray his cum inside me, along with how his cock stretches me and the warmth of his gravelly voice, make me come so hard I almost faint. My eyes lose focus as I black out. But it’s not just the one. A chain of orgasms rips through my body, each leading into the next for what feels like minutes.

Through the loud pulses of my blood in my ears, I hear him from somewhere far away, bringing me back to reality. Grounding me with his words. “That’s it…that’s my kitten. Come for me,” Xavier whispers, his mouth caressing my ear as I roll through pulsating waves of ecstasy.

He slows his pumps, scooping his hips at the end of his thrusts. My entire body turns to liquid and almost oozes down the wall when he picks up his pace with deep plunges. I understand what’s about to happen way too late.

“No, no, wait—” I force from my lips as I try to shake off the high.

He bites my neck, then sucks there just above my collarbone. The penetrating force of it feels like I’ve just been branded as his, knowing it will leave a mark tomorrow. Heat melts into my skin as he yells into it while spurting hot cum inside me. As if he just experienced some new religious experience, he holds his forehead bowed against my neck and says, “Mmm, kitten. There’ll be no waiting with you. Fuck, you’re mine now.”

Pinning me harder to the wall, he leans in to kiss me. This time, his approach is gentler, breaking apart with soft breaths in my open mouth. His taste is dizzying. Forgetting where I am or who I am, I give in for a moment, before dipping my chin to move away from him. I shouldn’t be doing this. And I shouldn’t have let him make me feel this way.

Wiggling in his hold, I force him to drop my legs, but my knees wobble when my feet hit the carpet. Xavier’s amused expression worsens my sudden irritation as I shove him away from me. “You’re mad I gave you the best orgasms of your life?” he asks.

I lower my voice with a huff, whispering harshly, “You should have worn a condom!” Our warm cum drizzles out of me and down both thighs. I hope James doesn’t see it.

“That will not be happening. I only fuck you raw.” My jaw drops as he says it, as if our rendezvous is to be a regular occurrence in his schedule. The only thing that quiets the anger and terror within me is that he had to have a clean bill of health for the party, right?

“I have a boyfriend. You know, James? You can’t be just…taking me like that when he’s right there.” Tossing my thumb toward the bed, I wait for him to look in that direction.

Xavier doesn’t even move his head. “He’s right where now?”

My chest grows tight when a quick glance shows James has moved from the bed. Where’s my boyfriend? Full-on panic threatens to rage inside me as I scan the room. I can’t breathe. Oh my god! Xavier’s bedroom is clearing out. What time is it?

Heaving Xavier’s almost immobile chest, I manage to sneak by. I search the room with desperation, unable to stand my body’s exposure. I need to find James, my clothes, and get the hell out of this place.

“Where are you going?” As if it’s a laundry day, Xavier’s ripped body flexes as he casually bends to pick up his clothing from the floor. The last few people hurriedly exit until he and I are alone.

Confusion fries my last nerve. Some part of me wants to stay here and feel what I just did again, but that would be wrong. I should go find my boyfriend.

Frantically, I search for my dress and boots but can’t find them. My purse is missing. James’s stuff is also gone. “I’m looking for my clothes,” I snap out.

With a little hop, Xavier tugs up his gray trousers, leaving his tattooed chest exposed, still covered with a sheen of sweat. Waltzing through a door near the bathroom that I can only assume to be a closet, he returns with my dress and boots lain across his arms. “These what you were looking for?”

Running over to him, I reach out to snag my items, but he turns slightly so I can’t. “Give them to me.” My hands find my hips, face growing hot as my patience wears thin.

Blue eyes leer at my body. “I’m not sure I want you to get dressed yet.” Raking his lower lip under his teeth, he hums with a sound of approval. My nipples harden again under his gaze, and my thoughts flick to just climbing him like a tree. “You look like you’re dying to clean up, though, so take these and use my bathroom…through there.”

He hands over my clothes and boots, pointing to the bathroom door. Snatching them from him, I scurry off as he chortles behind me.

After cleaning up, I take a moment to stare at my own reflection in the mirror. My mascara has smeared beneath my green eyes, my olive cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I think I just disobeyed what James and I had set as our rules. What did I just do?

And why did I love it so much? Why do I want it again?

I cautiously creep back to the room, not knowing what to expect. Xavier waits like a predator, lying on his side on the rumpled bed. With a wide grin, he pats the mattress in front of him, but I roll my eyes. “I have to find James. Did you see where he went?”

His intense stare makes me nervous, like every move I make is being studied under scrutiny… Twisting my fingers, I look around for my purse.

“Sure did. He left with Jackson earlier. Think they headed downstairs with the others.” If that’s true, then why am I sorry about what happened with Xavier? But maybe James is waiting for me and angry... I need to find him.

“Well, then I’ll just…” Slinking by the bed, I try to sneak past him before he can grab me, but I stop. “Have you seen my purse?”

Xavier reaches behind him and produces the little bag, holding it out to me. Approaching him like he’s a wild animal, I reach out, hoping it’s not a trick. As my fingers close around the metal clasp, he moves the clutch out of my hand and tugs on my arm, drawing me into his body as I gasp. Our noses almost bump.

Through gritted teeth, he speaks while his gaze captures mine. “I need you to understand something. I wasn’t fucking around, Marissa. You’re mine now. If you want to interrupt your little friend so he can take you home, that’s fine. For tonight. Understand, though, you have a week to end things…or I will.” Slapping the beaded evening bag in my open palm, he lets go of my arm, and I stumble back with my mouth wide open.

“End things? You mean, with my boyfriend, with James?” Is this man insane? He thinks he can fuck me in front of my boyfriend without a condom and demand I break up with him? My eyes narrow, mimicking the sternness he holds. “Who do you think you are?”

“The man who owns you now, kitten. So be a good girl and break things off before next Saturday.” Standing to his full, tall height, he gathers me into an inescapable embrace. Lifting my chin, he plants his lips to mine in another intoxicating kiss, my head swimming with a mixture of bewilderment, rage, and lust. When he gives me a little space, I break his hold. Turning on my heel to run, he spanks my ass hard and chuckles while I rub it with my palm.

“Night, kitten.”