Page 10 of Vengeful Queen
Hesitantly, she stares at the door hard and then, with a sigh, she lets me lead her inside.
A few pledges hang out in the living room between day and evening classes. Slumped across the abused couches lining the walls, they take a momentary interest in us and go back to their phones. But Bryan watches us the entire time until we disappear upstairs, heading for the attic. I have to be careful around him; he’s constantly kissing Kurt’s ass.
Charlotte watches as I lock the attic door. She keeps a distance from the huge bed in the middle of the room and sits down in the chair facing it. Her foot taps against the bare wooden floor as she stares out the window at a cloudy sky.
“I make you that nervous?” I ask.
She closes her eyes tight and inhales, gripping her hands into fists. “We rarely talk,” she replies. “I’d like to, but our conversations are always heavy.”
I walk over to the long dresser with bottles of liquor covering every space of the surface. And hand her a shot glass of whiskey mixed with a touch of seltzer. “Go ahead. Talk to me.”
She drinks it down in one gulp.
“Impressive. Want another?” I ask.
She shakes her head and rubs her throat. “Money is a Band-Aid covering up my problems,” she says thoughtfully. “Gamma tossed me out. And I don’t blame them.”
I cringe. “Because of the video.”
She smirks. “That’s old news. No, because Theta tried to poach me.”
I hold my breath. “Are you going Theta?” I sit on the edge of the bed and face her. Charlotte must not know, or maybe she doesn’t understand the alliance between Alpha and Theta. I might have to warn her.
She shrugs her shoulders. “When I was in Stonehaven, I ruled that school. But I’m not keeping it together here. I had followers back then just because of my last name. I felt safe in my old life, but I know now it’s gone forever.”
“I understand,” I tell her. “It’s that father shit haunting us again.”
She looks at me with a curious expression I can’t read. “I’m sorry for dumping on you,” she says, “and not asking how you are. How you really are.” Her gaze falls on my torso again, and I tug off my coat.
I laugh, pulling up my T-shirt to show her the raised scar under my ribs. “It gives me street cred. Not that I need it. I’m not surrounded by badasses here in college town.”
Charlotte puts her shot glass down on the floor and leans in closer to look. Her fingertips touch the scar tentatively and trace the raised white line. Her fingers stroke my skin, raising goose bumps on my exposed flesh. Slowly, she lifts her eyes to meet my gaze. Those wide blue eyes look at me in wonder. They call me crazy, but I’d do it again.
I grab her chin, and my lips collide into hers. Hungrily, I consume her mouth with sloppy deep kisses. Selfishly, I take what I can get, hoping she won’t run off. We break apart to breathe, and I stare into her eyes, weighing her reaction. Will she let me? Charlotte’s lips part as her eyes shut, and I take her mouth again. Slower this time, and I show off my talent. The connection shoots electricity through my body, shaking me up as I pull her out of the chair and into my arms.
My hold is tight and presses her softness against me as if we could melt together. Her muscles tense in my grip, but I’m not letting go. I’ve wanted Charlotte too long to back down. My lips trap hers as my hand grasps the back of her head, pushing my fingers into her long silky hair. A moan leaves her mouth as our lips part again.
Charlotte inhales when I let go, and her hands fist my shirt. “Maybe we shouldn’t...”
I cut her off, covering her lips with my mouth, and pull her down onto the bed. My hand grips her coat, and I start to tug it off her. Her body stiffens, but her mouth doesn’t move off mine. Her fisted hands lower with a release of acceptance.
“Why are you so nervous?” I ask coolly. I understand when her gaze searches the room. “There are no cameras in the attic. It’s forbidden. I swear it.”
Her heavy wool coat slides off the bed into a heap on the floor. But the tension is coiled up inside her body as she sits on the edge of the bed. I have to persuade her I’m not a jerk anymore.
“I protected you, remember?” I whisper.
She scoffs. “You’re so dramatic. Of course, you’re trying out for a musical.” She watches me closely. “You could’ve died. It’s not worth it.”
“Next time, I’ll try to avoid his blade.” My teasing falls flat. This isn’t the right moment to make jokes. “Charlotte, I’ll keep defending you. We understand what we’re both going through. I need you to talk to.” Girls like sensitive guys, but I’m not bullshitting her. The promise of sex isn’t choosing my words.
We lie down on our sides, staring into each other’s eyes. My finger traces the curve of her cheekbone then her chin and then her lips. I lean in to taste her with tiny kisses as I listen to her breath rise. My eyelids lower as I tug at her clothes, and then I notice something shift in her gaze. Confidence replaces timidness as Charlotte sizes me up. Her lips tilt into a smirk as she pushes her hands off.
“Condom?” She tilts a brow and glares at me.
My cock twitches. “I didn’t want to assume.”
She shakes her head and jumps off the bed. “You want to talk and bring me into a room with a huge bed.” She lifts her sweater over her head and tosses it onto the floor. “I’ve thought about it too, Jaxon,” she says. “We can talk after.”