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  right? You kissed me."

  I poked him in the arm. "You're supposed to be a gentleman and say that you kissed me first."

  Bryce studied me and then said softly, "You're right. I kissed you first."

  "I know. That's what I've been saying this whole time." I flashed him a blinding smile.

  Then I remembered my mom's call and the smile vanished.

  Bryce lifted his head, cupped my cheek and kissed me softly. It was the softest kiss I'd ever gotten. I think my heart stopped and then it slammed back into me. And it didn't take long before I straddled him. My towel was shoved off as Bryce lifted up, his mouth still fused with mine. I worked hungrily at his pants. When I managed to get the zipper down, Bryce lifted me up and kicked his pants down with his feet and legs.

  When he would've rolled me over, I pushed down on his shoulders and tightened my thighs.

  Bryce fell back and I slowly nipped at his mouth, his bottom lip, his chin. I slid my mouth down his neck and lingered over his chest.

  He groaned, but held still for me. I needed to ravage him.

  I inched backwards until my mouth lingered at his trim waist.

  I swooped down and I grinned when I heard his sudden intake of breath. His legs convulsed and his back arched slightly.

  He swore and I pressed on. Later, when I heard his gasp, I finished it off and licked my way back to his mouth.

  Bryce groaned and flipped me over. With a condom already in hand, he sheathed himself and slammed inside.

  This time, I was the one who collapsed against the pillow, wrapped my legs around him, and hung on.

  It was hot, savage, and I melted as I curled onto my side.

  Bryce padded barefoot into the bathroom. After a quick shower, he dressed, and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

  "Where are you going?" I asked, the bedcovers wrapped around my naked body.

  "I'm going to run home and get some clothes. I'll be back."

  "Take one of my keys. You can let yourself back in then."

  He pressed another kiss to my forehead and lips before he grabbed one of the sets and darted down the stairs.

  I got up, showered, and dressed in a jogging suit. I wasn't planning on jogging, but it looked cute and it was comfortable. Plus, I'd gotten a little drunk from the beer. Sex with Bryce had helped, but it always helped no matter the circumstances.

  Bryce had already placed all the empty bottles in the case, so I took it downstairs and placed it beside the other. The pizza was still left, untouched, on the stove. I wrapped it up and put it away in the fridge as leftovers.

  And then I took a deep breath and took my cell phone onto the patio that extended off of my parents' bedroom. As I curled on one of the patio loungers, I dialed my father's phone number.

  "Hello?" he asked, slightly confused. My father always seemed to be confused.

  "Hey, dad," I said quietly and wished I had grabbed a blanket.

  "Oh, sweetie. How are you?" He even sounded cheerful.

  "Mom called. She left a message."

  "Oh. I'm so sorry, sweetie." He didn't sound it. He still sounded cheerful.

  "What happened?"

  "You don't need to bother with those details. What's important is that your mother and I are making the best choice for all parties."

  "Where's Mom?"

  "I think she may be in Paris, but who knows with your mother. She could be in Japan, for all I know."

  "Are you coming home?"

  There was a slight pause before he said, unapologetically, "Oh dear. I'm sorry. I can't bring myself to come home. The memories, you know, sweetie."

  Again. I didn't know. I hadn't even known there were problems.

  "I haven't heard from you in three months and the first I hear anything—it's a voice message saying that you're getting a divorce?"

  "Oh honey. That's not fair. You could've called too, you know. Communication is a two-way street."

  "In marriages," I said, surprisingly unemotional. "Not when it comes to parents and their children. I haven't seen you guys for five months."

  "We've been over this before. Your mother and I wished to spend time in Italy. Your mother wanted to reconnect with her family roots—"

  I couldn't believe—I stared at the phone. I could still hear my father, but I slowly, ever so slowly, closed my phone.

  My father's voice was no longer and I was left without even a dial tone.

  I took a deep breath before I stood and moved back inside. I wrapped a blanket around me and moved back into my father's study. I slid one of the bookcases aside and revealed his hidden liquor cabinet. Inside was champagne, crystal, wine, whiskey, bourbon. Anything and everything. There were even a few imported beer bottles.

  I grabbed the rum and walked to the media room. I turned on a television station that played music videos and tipped my head back for my first shot.

  I grimaced and then took another.

  It took forever, but slowly the world faded away.

  And then Bryce's arms were there and he had lifted me against his chest. I offered him the bottle of rum and he took a shot.

  He hissed from the burn and I tried to make fun of him, but it was work. Words didn't make sense in my mind or from my mouth. Something just didn't connect.

  When I felt my bedcovers, I came alive and pulled Bryce on top of me. He held back, which irritated me. I knew what I wanted and I wanted him. It didn't take long before I was on top of Bryce. I rubbed my body against his and nipped at his lips. It seemed to finally infuse him and he took charge, like he always did.

  This time I didn't want the same. I shook my head numbly and moved to my knees.

  Bryce groaned, but he stayed where he was.

  I glanced at him and turned around.

  It took a little bit, but all the sudden he was on top of me and he slid into me from behind. I felt him wrap an arm around my stomach as he plastered himself to my back. From the first thrust, I had to brace myself against the wall so I didn't bang my head against it.

  We'd never tried it this way before.

  It just felt different for me, but Bryce seemed to explode. I'd never heard the guttural groan that escaped him before as he collapsed onto my back. My own body shook. Bryce slid out, kept his arm around my stomach, and tugged me back down to the bed. He tucked me into his side and flung a leg over mine. He seemed to engulf me into him and his face rested just underneath my jaw.

  I remember wondering where the rum had gone when I faded off.

  Chapter 9

  When I woke, Bryce was still beside me. He nuzzled the back of my neck and ran a hand down the front of my body. It caressed and rubbed at all the right spots to spark tingles. When his hand slipped between my legs, I gasped but closed my eyes. The pleasure soothed some new aches that didn't quite make sense.

  A little later, Bryce tucked me underneath him, sheathed himself and slid inside. We didn't look at each other, but it was slow and sensual. I ran my hands over his shoulders and back. Bryce seemed to tremble.

  At the final thrust, I curled back on my side and Bryce moved behind me. He didn't wrap his arms around me, like he did sometimes. He rested on his back and a second later, I heard his even breathing. He had fallen asleep.

  I checked the clock and saw that it was a little after eight in the morning.

  When I made my way into the shower, I shook my head past the fuzz. Something had happened last night, but…

  I dropped the bar of soup when I remembered. I remembered everything.

  The soap remained on the floor as I stood frozen in place. I ran over every word, action, and each thrust of warmth that had spread throughout my body.

  Groaning softly, I finished in the shower and stepped out to dry off.

  Bryce was still asleep when I slipped into some clothes.

  I padded barefoot down to the kitchen and saw the near-empty bottle of rum.

  Grimacing, I capped it and replaced it in my father's hidden liquor cabinet. I moved the bookcase
back in place and left the study. It didn't look like it had even been touched in the first place.

  When I heard my shower running, I filled two glasses of water and returned to my bedroom.

  Bryce was still in the shower so I laid on my bed and snuggled into the bedcovers.

  A little later, he came back and stopped short.

  Our eyes met and he smiled a very satisfied smile.

  I laughed and then cringed from the rum's revolt in my stomach.

  Bryce chuckled and sat beside me. He ran a hand down my arm and murmured, "So, that was new."

  I laughed again, but stopped short from the nausea inside.

  "We could get to school in time for second period."

  Bryce swore and remarked, "Who needs Spanish, anyway?"

  "Only anyone who doesn't want to look like an illiterate idiot."

  He snorted, but dressed in some clothes.

  That's right. He'd gone home to pack a bag.

  "Did we…" I started, but stopped.

  He looked up and watched me intently. He sat back down and prompted, "Did we…?"

  "Did we venture into new lands last night?"

  A humorous smile spread across his face and Bryce nodded, "We did indeed."

  "Oh," I breathed out. "Things are a little blurry, but I just wanted…I wanted to remember it all."

  "Are you…," he asked slowly. "Are you having second thoughts?"

  "No." I leaned upwards and captured his lips in a thorough kiss. "No, I'm not."

  "Good," Bryce whispered and kissed me thoroughly. He stood again and asked, "So you're coming to school?"

  "What else am I going to do?" I sighed in acceptance.

  Something flickered in his eyes and Bryce admitted, "You're taking this pretty well."

  "Not counting the drunken fog of orgies last night?"

  "That makes sense, but I would've thought you'd be…angry, furious, something. I figured you'd want to get even or something."

  I shook my head and stood to change my clothes.

  Bryce watched me the entire time, but it wasn't from lust.

  "What?" I asked, irritated.

  "Nothing." He shrugged and grabbed the keys to his car. "Ready to go? I'll drive today."

  "How will I get home?"

  "I'll drive you or Corrigan will."

  Bryce pulled into the school's parking lot a few minutes later. Some other stragglers were just arriving. Still others had decided to skip after the first torturous period of school. So there were more than a few students who were leaving and entering school at the same time we did.

  Just as I left my locker, I locked gazes with Leisha as she passed by. I nodded in greeting and she gave me a fleeting smile. When I turned into my Spanish classroom, I saw Collette Chantal smiling seductively down at Bryce. She sat on the table just above him with her legs spread invitingly.

  He was paying attention to whatever Chet was saying. As she touched his knee and started to slide down to his lap, Bryce brushed her off.

  She looked insulted and about to protest, but Bryce ignored her.

  "Doesn't it piss you off?" Chad had come up behind me.

  "Does what piss me off?" I gripped my book and turned to face him. Cold.

  He nodded in Bryce's direction. "Come on. Everyone knows what you two do and yet he's always got a new girl hanging on him. It has to piss you off, make you just burn inside. Tell me I'm right." He grinned cockily and moved to stand too close.

  "Is this your card?"

  His smile vanished.

  "Because, really, it's been played by so many others. Try a new one, please, so I don't die from boredom."

  His eyes had a glint of malice, but I evaded him and dropped into the seat beside Bryce.

  I didn't have to look to know that Bryce was pissed. He would've seen Chad talking to me, but whatever. I had other things on my mind.

  For one, my ass hurt.

  Thankfully, the rest of the day passed without event. Chad sent a few glares our way and enjoyed licking his lips when his eyes met mine. He did it more when Bryce or Corrigan was around. And speaking of Corrigan, he must've been filled in by Bryce about my mental health state because he didn't pester me with questions. Then again, I didn't talk. They both knew that.

  I dealt with it on my own. Drunken orgies had been a very pleasurable coping mechanism.

  Lunch seemed to be declared wanton-free. I think maybe the guys had sent out a bulletin because no girl approached them or the table.

  I sat with Bryce on one side and Corrigan on the other. Chet and Holster sat across and they all chatted about the upcoming soccer game. The word had been leaked that Bryce was no longer on the team and everyone seemed to have sent questions through Chet and Holster to ask Bryce. Lunch eventually became a Q & A about Bryce's plans for soccer.

  After sixth period, I grabbed my purse just as Corrigan wrapped his arms around me from behind in a hug.

  He chuckled and picked me up as he squeezed me.

  "Oomph." I laughed and asked, "What's that for?"

  He shrugged and fell down on the locker beside me.

  We both knew what it was for.

  "Yerling's a dick," Corrigan said abruptly. He watched him as he passed by and sent the same leering stares.

  "Forget him. He's a loser."

  "A loser that needs another pounding." Corrigan frowned abruptly. "Seriously. He's going to be a problem."

  "You said the cops already knew about him. They were going to watch him, right?"

  "Right," Corrigan scoffed in disbelief. "They don't unless a complaint's been filed or he's harmed someone."

  Something in his voice had me frowning. I leaned closer and asked, "Has he harmed someone?"

  Corrigan glanced at me sharply, but abruptly straightened and asked, his eyes on my purse, "Are you leaving?"

  "I just like taking my purse to classes," I said dryly.

  He smirked and suggested, "Let's take off."

  "And go…?"

  He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his front pockets.

  "You want to go and hustle?"

  He gave me a sharp glance and retorted, "Already been to jail this week."

  "For me?" I murmured, huskily, and ran a finger up and down his