25. Linc

25

LINC

I stand in the shower, letting the water fall over my head as I place one hand on the tile in front of me, thinking about last night.

She infuriates me.

Seeing her lying on the bed in a see-through robe and sexy bra and panties, knowing she dressed that way for me, setting her trap, knowing I’d be her willing captive once again.

Fuck her and all her bullshit.

And still, today I have to play nice because I have to ask her for a favor.

My mother’s call early this morning was ill-timed. It would have been a hell of a lot better if she’d called me last night before I came back home from an on-campus study session which consisted of four nerds from my business calculus class. It was boring as fuck, but they know their shit, and I have a final coming up.

After what I did to Penelope last night, there’s no way in hell she’s going to agree to what I have to ask her.

The door to the bathroom pushes open, and I groan. Why the fuck didn’t I lock the door? I guess there’s no way in hell I thought she’d be joining me in the shower today.

But that’s exactly what she does. I turn in time to see her lift her shirt over her head. She must have changed out of the robe and bra after I left because she’s only wearing the panties now.

“P, I’m not in the fucking mood.”

Her cold eyes meet mine as she lowers her panties and kicks them to the side, opening the glass shower door. Her naked body momentarily distracts me. I was so fucking hard after teasing her last night that even jerking off before climbing into bed led to no satisfaction.

I know the only true way to feel any relief will be to sink inside her, but I can’t let that happen. I see the fury in her eyes. She’s back for revenge, and the result won’t be pretty.

I turn away from her and back toward the spray of the shower.

I push the water through my hair. “Didn’t you get enough pain last night, P?”

I hear her bitter laugh coming from behind me as she closes us in the shower. “That? Come on, Linc. I came so fucking hard after you left, I should be thanking you.” I turn around to face her as she shrugs her small shoulders. “Guess you’re going to have to up your game.”

I search her face, looking for the trace of the lie. There’s no fucking way she enjoyed that. What the hell are we doing to each other?

Her hand moves to my chest and then she drags her nails over the hard ridges of my abs, her eyes locked on mine when I hiss in pain, but I feel my dick start to stir to life. She drops down to her knees, her eyes looking up at me, the water spray from the shower mostly hitting my back, but some still reaches her. It soaks her face, sliding down over her tits, my cock coming alive as her hands grip my ass, pulling me to her. “Penelope. Stop.”

Don’t fall for this shit, Linc. After last night, she’s probably going to bite it off.

I want her mouth on me so fucking bad.

Her full, red lips lift into a cold smirk. “What’s wrong? You think I’ll do the same thing you did to me last night? Tease the everloving fuck out of you and then not let you come. That’s highly unoriginal and boring. Give me more credit than that.” She licks her lips and looks at my hardened dick. “I just like your cock.”

She’s most definitely fucking with me and still fuming from last night. I see the fire burning under the surface, and there’s no way I’m getting burned. “Get the fuck out. Let me shower in peace, and then I have to talk to you.”

Her hand wraps around my dick, and I fight the urge to thrust forward. “I don’t think you really want to talk, and there’s no denying the effect I have on you. Your cock is rock hard.”

“My mom called this morning. She wants us to go to the lake house.” I watch her entire body still before she releases me and then rises, her eyes meeting mine. “She wants us to go there on the anniversary.”

She’s no longer in control, her body stiff and the veins in her neck pulled tight. “No.”

“She needs this, P. It’s the first one.” I lean in, unable to not fuck with her. “Real boner killer, right?”

“Why would she want to go there?”

I turn away from her now, grabbing the body wash and lathering it up, washing my torso, my heart squeezing painfully in my chest before turning back around and looking into her deep dark blue eyes. “Because it’s where he fucking died. She wants to honor him.”

I never talk about his death, and neither does she. The little gasp that comes out of her mouth when I say it only deepens the ache. She shakes her head slowly from side to side. “I won’t go.”

“Jesus, Penelope. You’ve always been totally fucking selfish, but for once, think about someone else. My mother begged me this morning. She was crying. She knew we wouldn’t want to, but she thinks it will help her. So, we need to go.”

She just keeps shaking her fucking head. “No.”

“After everything she’s done for you? You’re going.”

Her hand rests between her naked breasts over her heart as if she’s struggling to breathe. “I can’t. I love Nora, but I can’t go.” She pushes past me and moves under the spray of the showerhead, trying to wash everything away.

Fuck this. I’m not lying about the phone call with my mother. I haven’t heard her break down like that in a while. She was pleading with me. She told me her therapist thinks it would be a good idea to return there and face her demons or some shit. None of us have been back there since it happened.

I move behind her, pressing my body against her, molding perfectly to her curves. “Come on, P. Imagine all the damage we can do to each other there.” My lips drag over her bare shoulder. “Fuck, we can recreate prom night.”

“You’re a miserable prick.” She turns around to face me, her hands over her tits now as if she has any modesty. “That was the last time you were there, huh, Linc? Prom? When you fucked me,” her eyes flicker with fury, “your brother’s girlfriend.”

I know what she’s driving at as the rage burns inside me. “It was. Return to the scene of the crime with me. Maybe this time we can fuck in his old room, the place where he never fucked you.”

She gulps, the pain visible on her face. “That’s right. You haven’t been back since the day after prom. That was the last time you were there because you weren’t fucking there when he died.”

“Don’t push me, Penelope.”

She lifts her chin in defiance. “Fuck you, Linc. At least I was there. You weren’t. Because you couldn’t handle what we did to him either.”

My hands grip her shoulders as I fight the rage I feel, hating her more than ever. “You’re going to the fucking lake house.”

“You’re not my boss. And no, I’m not.”

“You owe my family.”

She doesn’t, but I know she believes she does. Her shoulders sag, and I want to comfort her. I despise that fucking need deep inside me.

Why does the hate have to be layered and complicated? All I want is to straight-up despise this woman and be done with her.

“I hate you.”

I lean in, my nose almost touching hers. “The feeling is mutual.”

I release her and rinse off before climbing out of the shower, wanting to hit something or run to the lake.

Because she’s right.

I wasn’t fucking there.