Bully(68)

“Say it,” Jared whispers into my ear.

I jerk my hips against him and gasp out, “I’m yours.” Shivers shoot through my center and trail through my belly and down my body. A wave of pleasure pours over my body like vibrations under my skin. I’ve never felt anything like this before.

And I want more of it.

As the sweet pulse between my legs throbbed, my eyes fluttered open. I looked to my left and right before I shot up in my bed. Sunlight shined through my bedroom window, and I realized I was all alone.

What the hell?!

I twisted around, sure that I’d find Jared there. But no. Nothing. No Jared. No moonlight. I had gone to sleep in my pajama shorts and black t-shirt. My blankets rested on my body. Jared had never been here.

But the orgasm had been real. I still felt my body shuddering on the inside with the arousal he, or rather the dream of him, caused. My muscles, weak from the tension, barely kept me sitting up in bed. I crashed back onto my pillow and let out an exasperated sigh. That had been amazing, but I couldn’t believe that had actually happened! I’d heard about guys having wet dreams but not girls.

Tate, you’re psychotic. Fantasizing about that jerk was sick. I took deep, long breathes to calm myself down. It was all because he’d been on my mind so much. Nothing more.

I hadn’t been properly kissed in months, not since the few dates I’d had in France. Jared had gotten under my skin last night, but no matter how turned on he got me I had to remember that he was off limits. Apologizing for treating me like dirt wasn’t enough. I didn’t trust him, and I never would.

Not without the whole story.

He also had too much control over my body, and that had to change.

Last night, after the non-kiss, Jared had driven me home without another word. He’d driven off after he’d dropped me off, and now I was exhausted from lying awake until two a.m. wondering about his last words to me.

You first. Did he mean that I couldn’t stay away from him?

Bold son of a bitch.

“Are you up, Tate?” My grandma poked her head through my doorway. I shuffled with the covers as she came into the room, and I grimaced internally, wondering if I’d made any suspicious noises out loud during my dream.

“Uh, yeah. Just woke up.” Sitting up, I plastered an innocent smile on my face.

“Good. You better get dressed. I have breakfast downstairs. You need to hurry if we’re going to make it to your meet on time.” She nodded her head and waved her hand in a get-out-of-bed motion as I tried to remember what she was talking about.

Meet?

“Come on. Up and at ‘em.” She clapped her hands before turning and leaving.

Glancing at the clock, I realized I’d forgotten to set the alarm last night. My meet! The whole reason I’d let Jared give me a ride in the first place. I should’ve been up a half hour ago!

Thankfully, Grandma was giving me a ride and would stay to watch before she drove back to her own house today. Tomorrow, I’d be on my own again.

Throwing off the covers, I sprinted to my closet and threw on my shorts, sports bra and tank top. I’d put on my team shirt when I got there, so I stuffed that in my duffle bag with my socks. Grabbing my shoes and a hair tie, I hopped down the stairs and filled a paper plate with some toast and sliced up fruit.

“Sit down and eat.” Grandma pointed to the chair.

“I’ll eat in the car. I hate being late.” I crammed a couple of snack bars and water bottles in my bag before heading to the door. “Come on,” I said, ignoring her stare.

The last thing I wanted to do this morning was sit across from my grandma and try to eat breakfast, knowing she’d walked into my bedroom minutes after I’d had an orgasm.

***

Even with as little sleep as I’d had, the opportunity to pound out some energy and frustration proved useful at the meet. My team took part in a competition in which we placed second, and I also competed in an individual race spanning a few miles through a nearby recreational area. The high walls of the quarry around us, and the dense population of trees made the trail space feel cramped. And that was how I liked it today. I couldn’t imagine that I was alone, so it was hard to let my mind wander off the race.

Coming in second again, I smiled as my grandma snapped picture after picture. I was glad she was here to see me race, probably for the last time in my high school career. Although, my dad missed it, and now I missed him even more. It’d been hard dealing with my mom not being around for the important events, but I really wanted my dad today.

After chilidogs at Mulgrew’s, she drove us home.

“I’m going to miss you. I told your dad I’d be back at Christmas, though.” Grandma packed up the last of her belongings and set everything by the front door.