“You rode me slow, as you said you would, clawed at my chest when you learned I liked it, and ground into me at a torturous pace.” He unveils his late-night fantasy. “I leaned against my headboard, and suddenly your nipples were in reach, and you were all about it, Beauty. You pressed the taut little pebbles into my mouth ... and so I bit.”

I suck my stomach in as a heavy need grows throughout my body, clenching my core to seek some relief and the corner of his mouth tips up.

He sees it, knows what’s happening inside me, but he keeps talking.

“When I bit down, you went wild, picked up speed, and begged me for my cum.” He hides his face in my neck again, sucking on the skin there and my hands fly up, latching onto his biceps. “My cock was in my hands, my cum in my own palm, but you earned every drop, and I can’t fuckin’ wait to give it to you for real.”

He lets me go, slips right by, and disappears into the cafeteria.

I’m stuck standing in the hall, ridiculously turned on and there’s nothing I can do about it, so I suck it up, and follow.

I probably look like I was just thoroughly fucked, red and wanton, but I don’t care.

Especially not when Cap hears my footsteps behind his and pauses. He flashes a devastating grin as he reaches for my hand.

He knew what he was doing.

With a light chuckle, I slide my palm into his and just like that, he stands a little taller.

All eyes are on us the remainder of the day.

Sure he’s had me on his lap and his hands around me dozens of times since he deemed me as his Bray Girl, making me untouchable to others, male and female alike, but today it’s different.

The few days that follow even more so.

Captain’s touch has gone from controlled to possessive, his hands constantly roam my body, and his lips are never far from my skin.

People notice the shift and I’m more than here for it.

They might see a difference in their beloved Brayshaw, but I can feel it.

His eyes linger longer than his touch, and he does all he can to make sure they’re forever on me.

He likes me close, which tells me we are so close.

So, after school on Friday, when I spot Amber pulling her little shiny silver car beside Captain’s as he, Maddoc and Raven stand at his hood, waiting for me and Royce, I’m annoyed.

She climbs from the driver seat, and props her ass near the headlight as she plays with her hair, smiling up at Captain as he blandly stares at her.

This chick, I swear.

She’s gorgeous, but she needs to back up.

“Awe shit, I know that face.” Royce chuckles.

“She’s something else.”

“Girls a power chasing, hoochie mama with your man in her sights, VicVee.” He grins.

My eyes narrow on the scene and I slip my arms through both the straps of my backpack, securing it on better.

Maddoc and Captain are both looking at Amber as Royce and I grow closer, but Raven spots us coming from the front seat.

Her eyes follow our steps.

“Pop the back for me?” I ask Royce.

He laughs and runs ahead.

Captain

The soft click of my trunk opening has both mine and Maddoc’s heads snapping that way.

Royce comes into view first, a wide grin in place, but then Victoria whips past him, her arm at her side as she makes her way around the silver Audi.

Amber follows my line of sight, spotting Vee coming from the other side.

What—

Suddenly she lifts a bat, bringing it down across the windshield in one hard, full swing.

“Oh my god!” Amber jumps back, her hands in the air.

The glass shatters but doesn’t fall in, so Victoria hops up on the hood and stomps through it, kicking it in completely until the glass covers the inside of the car.

And I just fucking stand there staring.

She jumps down, both feet planting at once, one of them an inch from Amber’s.

Without looking, Victoria bends her elbow, tosses the bat up, and catches the barrel. She casually drapes it over the back of her neck, her free hand coming up to grip the stem.

She cocks her head but says not a damn word.

And she doesn’t have to, because there it fucking was.

My girl’s public claim.

Amber gets the message, her eyes falling to the ground as she rushes through the crowd that’s gathered a few feet back and disappears who the hell knows where.

‘Bout damn time, Beauty.

Maybe it makes me a pussy, but I can’t pretend I wasn’t waiting for it.

I push off the car, moving toward her and reach over her shoulders for the bat.

She lets me take it with ease, slips past me and into the open door Maddoc holds for her with a smirk.

Royce laughs, knocking his shoulder with mine as I go to put the bat in the back where it belongs, and before I close it, Raven spins in her seat, smiling at her sister. “That’s what I thought.”

The girls laugh as I climb inside, and then we head home.

Later that night, after dinner when everyone is settled in, Maddoc and Raven in their own room, Royce on his computer in his, me and Zoey knock on Victoria’s door.

It opens on its own, having not been fully closed, and her head pops up, eyes widening at the sight.

She sets her textbook aside, lowering her pencil with it. Her gaze moves from mine to Zoey’s.

“Hey, ZoZo,” she eases.

“I got new jammies, wanna see?!” She smiles, tugs free of my hand and runs inside.

I’m stuck in the doorway, watching as Zoey climbs on Victoria’s bed with her, and pulls at the bottom of her shirt. “It’s got rainbows and this.” She points to rain clouds. “You like ‘em?”

Victoria giggles. “I do and guess what?” she lowers her voice as if she has a secret and like a child eager to learn, I find myself leaning closer. “I have some jammies kind of like those.”

Zoey gasps. “You do?!”

She nods with a small smile. “Wanna see?” she mimics Zoey’s question.

Zoey laughs, rubbing her hands together in excitement and I can’t help the chuckles that escape.

Victoria’s eyes slide to mine as she climbs from her bed and pulls a pair of cotton pants from her drawer, somewhat similar to the ones Zoey has on.

She shows them to her and Zoey laughs, counting the little rainbows as she falls back on Victoria’s pillows.

Pressure fills my chest, but for the first time, there is no added worry behind it.

Vee’s eyes find mine. “Everything okay?”

I nod, leaning against the frame and her focus falls to my bare chest, but quickly comes right back.

She drops onto her mattress, her hands anxiously gliding along her thighs as she studies me.

An ache forms in the pit of my stomach as I watch her and the curious look that takes over her face as she tracks the pensive expression on mine.

I can’t deny what I’ve been trying to say when the clarity of the matter burns so bright, and she sees it.

“Cap...”

“She wanted to say goodnight,” I tell her, “But I don’t think I’m ready for bed yet.”

She waits.

I walk inside, lift Zoey from the mattress and move back into the hall, pausing to turn to her.

With slow steps, she meets me where I stand, follows me into the media room, and when I drop onto the couch with Zoey on my lap, she lowers to my side.