Page 51 of An Oath at Midnight

My breasts felt tight all of a sudden, my nipples hardening. Walk away. Get the hell out of here!

“Baby,” he said hungrily yet tenderly, voice full of grit. “Fuck me.”

A throb started between my thighs, the muscles deep inside contracting with a violent pulse of need at the rawness of his words. My response was so strong and unexpected, I had to bite back a moan of my own.

I retreated several steps, deeper into the shadowed room, because I still couldn’t make myself leave.

His breathing was choppy, broken, and as he continued to stroke, each breath turned into a desperate, gasping sound, low and pained, almost like a sob.

The sound had my heart clenching behind my ribs. Who was he imagining behind those tightly closed eyes? Who was he calling baby in that hungry voice? Did he wish she were here? Did he wish he was fucking her in that shower right now? This was so wrong, but jealously wrapped its boney fingers around my throat, the choke hold so tight I barely stopped myself from storming into the bathroom and demanding answers.

Bram hissed through gritted teeth, then with a growl, he came. And, oh god, the sounds he made lifted goose bumps all over my skin.

He slumped against the tiles, panting hard.

I backed up before he opened his eyes, running silently across the living room and out the door, closing it as quietly as I could, then rushed down the ladder so fast I almost slipped and fell but somehow managed to not land on my ass, and sprinted back to the house. I quickly hung up the jacket inside the door and raced back to my room, kicked off my shoes, and dove into bed, slamming my eyes closed.

I lay there, heart racing, mind spinning, waiting for him to come back, and I’d barely calmed myself down when I heard the door open and close, followed by his light tread on the stairs.

He tapped on the door. “Mags?”

I yawned, stretching as the door opened, giving my best impression of someone still sleepy when I was so freaking wide awake it wasn’t funny. “Hey.” I looked around, trying to appear confused. “Did you go somewhere?” I was not a good actor, but this was the performance of my life and I had to deliver, because he could never know I saw him. Never.

His hair was damp, and he’d tied it back again. His gaze moved over me, an odd look on his face. “We still had time, and you needed the sleep, so I took a shower.”

Images of what he’d done in that shower slammed into my mind. Christ, it was burned into the back of my eyes for all eternity. “Oh, right.” My mouth was dry, and I had to swallow several times. “I guess we should get going, then.”

“Yeah.” He frowned a little, still with that odd look on his face.

I shoved back the covers and grabbed my shoes. They were muddy and wet. I quickly shoved them on before he could see.

“You’ll need a jacket, it’s raining out,” he said, his voice going deeper, rougher.

I tucked my hair behind my ear, my very damp hair, then inwardly cringed. I couldn’t meet his stare that I felt burning into the top of my head as I did up my laces, then grabbed a jacket from my closet. “Ready.”

He didn’t say anything about the hair or the shoes, but he had to have noticed. How could he not? Why did I go looking for him? Why couldn’t I have just stayed in my damn bed?

And how the hell would I get through the rest of the night after what I saw?

I wasn’t sure I’d ever be the same again.

CHAPTER 13

Magnolia

The school loomed ahead. The main building and the dilapidated chapel behind it were old. Both were made from large slabs of gray stone and had this whole gothic vibe going on, and at night, shrouded in shadow, the campus looked seriously foreboding.

“I never thought I’d come back here,” I said as we got out of the car. There was a big sign on the side of the building announcing the upcoming prom, the theme was Starry Night. I snorted.

Bram walked around and stood beside me, slinging an arm around my shoulders. “Do you wish you’d gone to yours?”

“Not even a little bit.”

He scowled at the huge building. “This place is a fucking shithole.”

“That it is.” I gave him a nudge. “I know you, Talon, and Rook went to the village school, what about Payne?”

“Yeah, him too.”