Corrupt(85)

I shook my head. “What am I going to do with you?” I asked.

She smirked. “I can’t wait to find out.”

I laughed quietly, taking her ass in my hands and leaving a trail of kisses down the side of her face to her lips.

“We need to go slow,” I told her.

“How slow?”

I pulled back, so she could see the seriousness in my eyes. “I won’t touch you until you’re eighteen.”

Her eyes rounded. “You can’t be serious! That’s more than a year away,” she pointed out. “And you’re touching me right now.”

I cocked my head, my fingers tightening around her ass. “You know what I mean.”

But she pulled me in, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against my lips. She looked as desperate as I felt.

“You’ve had sex with sixteen year old girls, Michael.”

“When I was sixteen,” I clarified. “And don’t compare yourself to them.” I took her face in my hands. “You’re different.”

Our lips met again and her f*cking hands and body got possessive, rolling into me, feeling me, gripping me. She held my hips, pressing me between her warm legs, and I lost my breath, knowing how goddamn good it would feel inside of her.

“Christ,” I breathed out, pulling my mouth away. “Stop it.”

There was no way I was going to be able to stay off her for a year. She was almost seventeen. Maybe that was good enough?

“You won’t be able to stop yourself,” she whispered against my jaw, looking up at me with thoughtful eyes. “This is what we were built for, Michael. You and me.”

She left soft, slow kisses along my jaw and down my neck, and I felt my arms break out in chills.

I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight and looking down into her eyes. “We’ve got to keep this quiet, okay?” I told her. “Just for now. I don’t want my family to know.”

She looked at me, puzzled. “Why?”

“You’re still at home, and they watch you like a hawk, Rika,” I explained. “My father hates me. I’m away at school, and he’ll use my absence as an advantage to work you over if he knew I wanted you.” And then I threaded my fingers into her hair, holding her nose to nose. “And I do f*cking want you.”

I played with her mouth, nibbling her lips.

“But he wants you for Trevor or some shit,” I continued. “If they don’t know about us, they won’t interfere. We need to wait until you graduate and you’re out from under them.”

She pulled away, looking pained as she pushed my hands down off her. “That’s a year and a half away,” she argued. “I’m not asking for a relationship, but I…” She paused, searching for words. “I don’t want to hide the way I feel, either.”

“I know.”

I hated it, too. If she were off at college with the freedom to come and go as she pleased and out from under the influence and pressure of my father and Trevor, it wouldn’t be an issue.

Sure, let them know. I wouldn’t give a shit what they had to say about it then.

But the day after tomorrow, I’d be a thousand miles away again, and with basketball season approaching, I wouldn’t be home until winter break and then not again until probably summer. It would put her under too much pressure, and I didn’t trust my father or Trevor. Especially Trevor.

“Believe it or not, it’s best,” I assured. “My father would put pressure on you, and I don’t want you dealing with it without me there.”

There was disappointment but also a little anger in her eyes. She needed to understand that I wasn’t trying to piss her off. Her age was an issue, and it made everything complicated.

And that also scared me, because I had no damn clue what she and I were.

All I knew was that we were the same. Did that mean I’d fall in love with her, marry her, be faithful, and live the same day over and over again in this f*cking suburb?

No. She and I were built for something different.

I would piss her off, I’d be difficult, and I’d be just as much of a nightmare to her as a dream, but after nearly seventeen years of this pull with her, I knew one thing.

I would always circle her.

It never stopped. Even when we were kids, if she moved, I wanted to move. If she left a room, I wanted to follow. My body was always aware of where she was.

And it was the same for her.

I dipped down, brushing the strap of her tank top off her shoulder and trailing kisses over her skin.

“And I want you to stop sleeping at my house when I’m not there, too,” I demanded. “I don’t want Trevor trying anything with you.”

I grabbed onto her lobe with my teeth, dragging it out, but I stopped when she didn’t respond. I felt her go cold, not making a move or a sound.

Releasing her ear, I brought my head up and looked down at her, seeing her flex her jaw with clear displeasure written across her face.

“Anything else?” she snipped. “I have to shut up and be quiet while you act like I don’t exist when I’m in the same room, because no one can know. Now you get to dictate when we have sex and now where I sleep?”

I straightened my spine, hardening my muscles. She had a point, but it was the way it had to be. I wanted my family ignorant so they wouldn’t f*ck with her, and there was no way I’d trust my brother not to try to crawl into her bed at night. No f*cking way.