"Explain. Now!" Hannah yells as soon as she slams my bedroom door shut. Esme and Mason are downstairs, and as soon as we get the chance to slip away after dinner, Hannah practically shoves me up the stairs. “There’s nothing to explain,” I sigh, sitting down on my bed, but immediately getting up again when Humphrey starts scratching at the door. “Nothing to explain?!” Hannah exclaims, throwing her arms up. “The hottest teacher in school is in your house! And he talked to me! Like a normal human being!” “Shh!” I scold, but I can't help laughing as Hannah flops back onto the bed with an exaggerated sigh. “It’s nothing. Mason’s friends with him, much to my dismay,” I say, shaking my head. "But... How did he leave his laptop here? When was he here?" she asks, sitting up straight again. “He stayed here last weekend,” I admit, glancing at Jace’s book sitting on my desk. “WHAT?!” Hannah shrieks, making me jump. “He slept here?” Her eyes immediately dart to the ceiling. “Did he sleep...
"His mom asked me to stay for dinner. And she already knew my name, which was weird. But apparently, he's super close to his mom. Like, really close," I explain as I glance down at my phone when another message comes in."Great, so Connor's a mommy's boy? That's kind of disappointing," Hannah replies.-Mr. Grumpy: What gave it away?I grin, but Hannah's wide eyes lock onto me. "Can I read them?" she asks."No," I say quickly."What? You have nothing to hide, right? It’s just about your book, and you hate him," she teases, lying on her chest. "Or is it more?" She arches an eyebrow while petting Humphrey, who immediately demands attention with his paws."It’s not more," I insist, "but... you’re probably right that no one should see these texts."Hannah gasps dramatically. "Nora! You absolute slut!" she says, laughing so hard she almost chokes. I can't help but laugh with her—it feels good to talk about this with someone."But doesn’t he, like... sleep around? I heard he’s got quite the
"And that is the end of class. Good luck with your homework, and I will see you next week!" Grace Walker announces, her voice unusually cheerful. She’s practically glowing. Like she got laid. Hannah and I are still groggy from the morning. Mason had to drag us out of bed, and let’s just say, he wasn’t gentle about it. We were barely conscious halfway to university, so we cranked the music up, much to Mason’s annoyance. "I can’t stand her. There’s something about her that’s just... off," Charlotte whispers as we leave class. "You mean, like how she’s fucking Gretchen’s dad?" Hannah adds, whispering back. "Stop it, guys. She was almost Lina’s stepmom," I say, just as Lina slaps my arm. "She was not! They only had sex," Lina protests loudly. "Would she have taken your dad’s last name?" I wonder aloud, earning another elbow to the ribs from Lina. We laugh, heading out of class and straight into Connor’s group of friends. "Hey, darling," Connor greets me with a grin, wrapping an arm
I run upstairs, grabbing a few bikinis for the girls and snatching towels from the rack. Move. Faster. Racing downstairs, I throw everything at Hannah, who catches it and stuffs everything into bags. "Are we in a hurry?" Connor asks, pulling out his car key to help. "Yes! I want to get there as fast as we can. Could you please start the car? Hannah and I will be right behind you. Please?" I beg. Connor takes one look at my face and nods. "Come on! The lady has spoken!" he yells, grabbing Ryker’s arm and heading out with him. Lina and Charlotte follow, practically bouncing out of the house. "Is he really on his way?!" Hannah yells, tossing snacks and drinks into a bag, constantly glancing out the window. I know there is a reason why I hate the man. Why I can’t stand him. Control freak. I pull out my phone and quickly send a text as I leave the house. -Norali: The house is empty. I jump into the back of Connor’s car, slamming the door just as another message comes in. -Mr. Gru
"Yes... I dare you girls to experiment with each other," Ryker says, his voice softening as he corners us against the wall. "What? Dream on, Ryker," Lina replies, splashing him with water. "Come on! Just a kiss!" Ryker pleads, clasping his hands together. "No. It’s freezing. Let us out, Ryker," Lina laughs. "I’m not letting you leave until two girls kiss!" Ryker shouts, widening his stance in a playful challenge. "Fine," I hear myself say. Everyone turns to me, shocked. "I’ll kiss someone. Who’s volunteering?" I ask, tightening my hold on Charlotte. "Yeah, okay, I’ll kiss you," Charlotte responds from beneath me. "YES!" Ryker yells, the sound echoing off the cave walls. Lina bites her lip as she watches, and I see Connor staring at us intently. I half-climb off Charlotte and turn to face her. She smirks at me and cups my cheek with one hand. Her other arm wraps tighter around my waist as I loop my arms around her neck. "Oh my god, this is really happening," Hannah whispers, a
Somewhere in the distance, I hear the slam of a door. I groan, turning over onto my stomach. "Li!" Mason whispers. His voice is faint, like it’s coming from my dreams. "She’s asleep, dude. Let her be," someone else replies. "She’s cute when she sleeps," Ramon says. I recognize his voice right before the sound of a slap on the back of his head. "Who’s got the tequila?" Mason asks, louder this time. He sounds drunk. "It’s in my car. Here," another voice responds, followed by the sound of keys jingling. I feel a hand gently touch my arm. "I’ll take her to bed. Don’t finish the bottle," Jace’s voice murmurs close to my ear. "Bro, she’s still in her wet bikini," Ramon says, making me groan again. I feel myself being turned over and lifted, towel and all. My arms instinctively wrap around someone’s shoulders, my head resting there. "Come on, little bean," Jace whispers softly. Another door slams, and the arms holding me tighten. "Mason!" someone hisses. "Be quiet!" I nuzzle into t
"I think I’m going to throw up," Mason groans for the fourth time this morning. I slow the car, eyeing him carefully. "I don't know how Jace is at work right now. He left at 6 a.m. for some important meeting, looking fresh as a daisy—and he drank more than me," Mason mumbles, leaning his head against the window to cool down. I press the gas again. We are ridiculously late. I heard Jace at 6 this morning too. Heard him in the shower. That’s when I finally turned on my phone and saw about 12 missed calls and a bunch of angry texts from him. The last one came just after I crawled into bed, and the bastard had continued the kink conversation like nothing has happened. -Mr. Grumpy: I have a new one for our list. -Mr. Grumpy: Put food kink on there. "You just can’t handle your alcohol, brother," I tell Mason, trying not to think about Jace’s texts. "Me? You should’ve seen the guys last night. Ramon tried to go up to your room, and Jace tackled him to the floor, put him in a chokehold
"Hey, Nora," someone suddenly says beside me. I turn and find Mitch standing close. "Can I sit here?" he asks, gesturing to Hannah's empty chair next to me. "Uh... sure," I reply, forcing a nervous smile. Mitch settles in, shifting his chair closer to mine. "Did you get my rose?" His eyes drift down my body. "I did, yeah. Thanks." I think about the rose I tossed in the parking lot days earlier. Mitch smiles, his eyes warm. "Do you need any help with Math? I can help you. I'm pretty good at it," he offers. Normally, I would just say no to a guy. He doesn’t attract attention like Connor or Jace, but he’s decent-looking. He’s quiet and mostly keeps to himself. Still, his weekly letters give me the creeps—sometimes they include details like what I had for lunch or what outfit I wore the previous week. There's something creepy about it. "Norali!" I jolt and snap my head forward, meeting Jace's eyes. I notice from the corner of my eyes that Mitch’s hand moves from his table onto mine
Miraculously, Mason slows down immediately. The three of us let out deep sighs of relief. Adrenaline still courses through me, making my heart race. “Go left here,” Jace directs Mason, who obeys. I can feel the slight shift in the car as Mason finds a perfectly straight road. Mason's happiness at the straight road is palpable. The gas is pressed again, but this time, it’s smoother. He raises the volume of the music and starts bopping along to the beat, headbanging slightly. As the car settles into a steady pace, my body relaxes, and Jace seems to notice. But I get the sense that he’s aware of the lingering adrenaline. His grip on me loosens, but instead of letting go, his hand lands on the side of my bare leg, caging it between his leg and mine. It’s hidden from Mason’s view, but his touch is fully on my skin. My white dress has ridden up, barely covering my hips. “I didn’t think you’d want to slow down,” I say, trying to make conversation with the man behind me. “It scared you. O
I walk to the car like a robot, hearing the front door slam shut behind me. Jace’s comment about the backseat only fitting two people wasn’t a joke. The doors are still open, and I see Esme and Hannah looking at me with wide, questioning eyes. Did they see what just happened? Mason is busy fiddling with the radio, completely oblivious. "I don't fit," I say, raising my eyebrows. Jace steps up beside me, dressed more casually than usual—just a t-shirt and jeans instead of his usual office attire. "The biggest seat is at the front. Honestly, you could just sit on my—" Jace starts to say, but I move before he can finish. I crawl onto Hannah’s lap, sticking my ass out a little more than necessary. My dress rides up dangerously high, and I feel like my underwear is on the verge of showing. I turn to face Hannah, straddling her legs. We’re nose to nose, and she gives me a look that says she knows exactly what I’m doing. Her eyes flicker to Jace and then back to me, widening slightly. Jac
"So... someone is coming over this morning," I say casually to Hannah as I switch on the coffee machine. She’s lounging on the couch and immediately pauses The Office. "You’re joking," she gasps. Of course, she immediately knows who I’m talking about. I turn around as I hear her get up from the couch. "What do you mean 'coming over'?" she asks, full of intrigue. I sigh, pressing the cappuccino button. "Well... he’s got a day planned with Mason," I reply, trying to figure out how to tell her that he wants us to join. Hannah’s face narrows in suspicion. "Okay... what are you not telling me?" Before I can answer, Mason walks down the stairs with Esme, who showed up early this morning and immediately went to him. I’ve been downstairs avoiding them. "But I thought it was just a day with Jace," Mason complains. "Come on," Esme chimes in, opening the door to the living room. "It’ll be fun!" "Good morning, Hannah," Mason greets, though his eyes are still on Esme. "I wanted a bro day,"
I’m not going to send him a nude, especially since his picture is foggy anyway. Instead, I open the camera and stand in front of the living room mirror. I made sure my phone is in front of my face. It's just my op half on the screen, with maybe my shirt pulled down just a tad to reveal more of my shoulders and collarbones. It's not particularly sexy or anything like that. I could’ve probably done a way better job. -Norali: Picture I hit send and wait for his response, heart pounding. -Mr. Grumpy: Yes, mirror kink added. -Mr. Grumpy: You're stunning. And the nerves come back again. Did he really just call me stunning? My cheeks flush, and I clear my throat, which suddenly feels tight. Does he really mean that? Jace isn’t the type to throw out compliments. How can he even call me stunning when my face isn’t in the picture? -Mr. Grumpy: Your turn. Pressing my lips together, I stand frozen in the living room for a few seconds. What else could be a kink? I glance around the room, t
My heart races as I stare at the messages from Jace, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. He’s online, probably noticing that I am too. Another text pops up. -Mr. Grumpy: Sugar Baby. My belly flutters. -Mr.Grumpy: I want you to tell me one thing. -Mr. Grumpy: If you answer, I won't punish you for ignoring my request in the supermarket. I told you to keep your phone on, you brat. I start typing, then delete it. Type again, delete. A flood of responses rush through my mind. My phone was on all night; I just didn’t have it with me. But I doubt he’d appreciate that answer right now. Also, “brat” sounds... kind of sexy, coming from him. Okay. -Norali: Shoot. -Mr. Grumpy: Tell me what happened last night. Was there someone with you? Aaah. So he is still wondering about last night. Interesting. Well, that is exactly the same for me. I want to know what happened with Charlene. But he isn't going to get my answer that easily. -Norali: What an inappropriate question to ask, Mr. Ad
"Yeah... apparently the clients did. These parties tend to get a bit wild." Mason’s phone lights up, and I lean over to see the chat with Jace.-Jace: Help me.-Jace: [picture]I stare at the picture, scanning it thoroughly. It’s his office, and sure enough, there are multiple women in lingerie—asses and breasts on full display—touching the men. "Ask him if he has a favorite stripper," I say to Mason. He smirks and immediately types.-Mason: Got a favorite girl?My heart pounds out of my chest. What office party has strippers present??-Jace: They're dirty and already sucked more cock tonight than I had drinks. Their speed is immaculate, though. They're in and out with the boys in minutes.Mason laughs out loud and continues the conversation.-Mason: You didn't answer the question. Is it the blonde one in red?He zooms in on a stripper in red, her back to the camera, her face turned just enough for her profile to show.-Jace: If you want a list of my top ten, I can make you one. Why a
Mason tosses the keys in the air, catches them effortlessly, and strolls over. "Let’s go, baby sis. Jace, thanks for your help. Li, also thank him, too," Mason says, using his teacher voice. Arabella watches us closely, and I can’t help but turn to Jace. "Jace... thank you SO much," I say with exaggerated enthusiasm as I throw my arms around his neck. Once again, he freezes, and I learn something new about him. He’s had sex—probably a lot of it—but physical contact, true intimacy? He seems to shy away from it. He seems to hate it. He's got no problem with using his hands and his dick, but a simple hug? Imagine the horror. And so, of course, I press my body against his, feeling my breasts flatten against his chest. With a slight shift, I position us so I’m facing Arabella. I give her a small, cruel smile as I slide my hand up to the back of Jace’s neck. He’s still frozen, his breath warm against my cheek. With my other hand, I grab his blazer, pulling him even closer. I turn my hea
The door beside me flings open. "What the fuck?!" I hear Jace shout. My hands are yanked from the steering wheel, and I see Jace bending over to remove the key from the ignition. He turns, gripping my chin. "Are you okay? I'll call an ambulance," he says, panic widening his eyes. "I'm fine," I manage to croak, closing my eyes against the wave of dizziness. "Bullshit. Open your eyes," he demands. I sigh and comply. "I'm fine. Just a little shaken." "Mason, call an ambulance," Jace orders, tossing his phone to him. "Jace, she’s fine. The airbags didn’t even deploy. She swerved right, hit the brakes—her head didn’t touch the wheel," Mason argues, glancing at me for confirmation. Jace's grip on my chin softens but his face remains inches from mine. His hand slides from my chin to my cheek. "Are you dizzy? Lightheaded? Nauseous? Do you have any pain?" Jace asks, looking down my body as if assessing the situation. "I'm really fine," I insist, though my head still spins a little. "Wh
Jace walks out with Arabella by his side, and she shoots me a scowl over her shoulder. I wink at her before turning back to pay. When we step outside, Jace and Arabella are still loading groceries into his flashy car. Multiple people around admire it. "It's a beauty," Mason says dreamily. "Why don't you just marry the damn car?" I huff, but Mason barely notices and heads straight for Jace’s car. I have zero interest in joining them—especially with Arabella clinging to Jace, eyeing him like he's prime steak. Instead, I push the trolley to our car and start loading up. "Apple girl," a voice calls from behind me. I turn to see the guy who saved me from a broken nose earlier. He’s leaning against a massive motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket and all. "Wow," I say, eyeing the beast behind him. He smiles and pats his motorcycle. "Thanks," he says. He gives me a casual look. "Was that your boyfriend?" he asks, motioning toward Mason. "My brother," I reply, closing the trunk. "No boy