The Boy and His Ribbon (The Ribbon Duet, #1)(66)

I winced as her teeth caught the tip, adding a thread of agony to an otherwise mind-numbing experience, but instead of stopping the impending snarling release, it magnified it.

“Cas—” I groaned as she grasped me tighter with one hand and dug fingernails into my ass with the other. She yanked me into her mouth as she sucked with noisy pulls.

I honestly had no control.

I couldn’t stop it even if I pulled away and ran as far from her as possible.

The release had already captured me, and as she sucked me hard, fast, and unrelenting, I came.

I jerked and bowed and blinked back stars as Cassie very generously gave me my sixteenth birthday present in the doorway of her tack room, in the very same barn where Della and I were found.

*

That first intimate moment set in motion regular meetings between Cassie and me.

Over the next year, she taught me that blowjobs could be used as a punishment as well as a reward, depending on if I’d pissed her off or pleased her.

Some weeks, we’d sneak to somewhere shadowy and private on a nightly basis. And some months, we’d return to just being friends as she entered a relationship with a new boy from school or some peacock masquerading as a cool almost-adult instead of a drop-out teenager working minimum wage at a local store.

We never went further than touching and kissing, and that was mainly because of me.

I supposed, with my unconventional childhood and learning everything by myself rather than having society or family teach what I should and shouldn’t do, meant I had a wariness that took time to accept new things.

I was still a loner, and some weeks, I struggled with humans even as nice as the Wilsons. The only person I never grew sick of was Della, and that was probably because she felt the same way as me.

That kid adored school.

She came home with constant assignments and excelled in every exam. She put her hand up for extra activities and even joined a few sport-teams.

However, when school holidays rolled around, she’d spend the first few days in bed unable to stand being around people, claiming she was exhausted and needed space.

I understood her exactly.

And having a likeminded friend let me accept that part of myself and not change…for anyone.

My reserved nature drove Cassie crazy, but I didn’t know how to stop it. Luckily, it didn’t prevent her from teaching me how to touch her…all of her…and my first experience fingering a woman had almost made me come as fast as my first blowjob had.

It was unlike anything I’d ever touched, and I become an avid learner.

It hadn’t taken long to switch Cassie’s response from indulgent smile and soft instruction to heavy breathing and scratching nails as I made her come just like she made me.

The first time I’d successfully made her unravel, my wrist and forearm held lacerations from where she’d scratched me mid-orgasm.

The next day, Della had asked what happened.

I’d blushed and blamed the barn cat who fed on the mice eating horse feed and burrowing into hay. She’d tutted and shook her head, telling me in her best parental voice to be more careful and to treat Blackie with more respect next time I tried to catch her.

Cassie had tried to laugh about it the next time we met, but that was one thing I never tolerated. She could laugh at Liam’s escapades and discuss her family, friends, and boyfriend drama with me, and I would forever listen politely.

But try to pry into my background, try to make me laugh at Della’s expense, or try to make fun of things I loved, and I shut down.

I didn’t permit her to even mention Della unless it was to regale me with stories of her quickly improving equestrian skills or ask questions that would benefit their relationship.

I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t let my guard down about Della or relax enough to give Cassie answers to the questions she constantly asked.

Questions about the place where I’d been sold.

Questions about my mother.

Questions about how I ran away with Della.

I either turned mute or changed the subject—not because I didn’t have answers but because something inside refused to give up that part of myself…to anyone.

A year after Della and I were caught sleeping in their barn, Cassie blew up at me for being quiet and elusive. I didn’t know why she called me elusive when I made sure to be friendly and polite to every single one of the Wilsons.

She’d tried to enlighten me, saying she didn’t know me at all even after a year of fooling around and seeing each other every day, that my refusal to talk about my past, that my preference to stay at home rather than head to the movies or gatherings, and the fact I didn’t give anything of myself was a drain and a bore, and frankly, she wanted someone more outgoing.

After our fight, she’d announced that we could only be friends as she was with some new Nathan or Ryan or Paul.

I didn’t mind either way.

I wasn’t jealous of her with other boys.

I wasn’t annoyed that I was passed over for what she called better alternatives. In fact, I rather liked being ignored because it meant I returned to a simpler lifestyle where my only desire was looking after Della and making sure she was as happy as I could make her.





CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE





REN



2007



ANOTHER WINTER CAME.