Page 83 of Barristers & Bones

He ran his hand through his hair. “Your professors can go fuck themselves.”

My eyes narrowed and I folded my arms. “I’m going. Milo said he’d wait outside each class for me, and Klim let me know the campus police are on alert. It’s stupid to think I’ll stay here and hide. I can’t afford not to graduate, and staying hidden would just be letting that bastard win.”

Roman’s jaw clenched, but I didn’t back down. Law school was my ticket to gainful employment and financial freedom, and I craved the familiarity of it. It was also a variable I could control.

He scowled and pointed his finger. “You don’t leave Milo’s side except to sit in class. And if you need to pee, you do it with him standing outside the bathroom.”

I nodded and unfolded my arms. “Okay. I’m not stupid, and I don’t have a death wish. I just want to graduate.”

“Fuuck me. And I just want to push you back onto the bed, pull your skirt up, and spank you until you’re a drenched, crying mess again. Then shove my cock into your heat and stay there all day.”

“You have a very sadistic and vivid imagination.” My sore pussy clenched as if searching for his hard length, and my tender ass reminded me I was still recovering from one of Roman’s enthusiastic spankings.

“With you, my sadistic, filthy mind has no bounds.”

I stifled a moan and held up my hands as if warding him off. “I need some recovery time, and my bottom is already sore thanks to you.”

He grinned and grabbed my arms, pulling me into him. Then he slid his hands down and grabbed my ass cheeks, squeezing hard enough for me to hiss out a breath.

“I have a meeting this morning, or I’d already be balls’ deep inside you.”

“Then lucky me,” I deadpanned. He chuckled, kissed me again, and headed out the door. I had to change my panties before leaving for school.

Colleen, one of my classmates, heard what had happened in the parking garage and asked me about it after class. My elbow still felt tender, but I’d removed the wrap and used makeup to cover the bruise on my jaw. From her furtive looks, it hadn’t been very effective.

“Holy shit!” Colleen gasped. She’d just glimpsed the ring on my finger. “Did you getengagedover the weekend too? You’ve been busy!”

A few other students heard her exclaim and came over, Jared among them. “She didn’t just get engaged, she got fuckingmarried,” he snickered bitterly.

“What? Luna, I didn’t even know you were dating anyone,” Colleen exclaimed.

I stared at Jared coldly but answered her. “It was a little sudden, but I think my being attacked made him decide he couldn’t live without me.”

“More like his dick couldn’t live without you,” Jared muttered under his breath.

Someone sucked in a sharp breath, and I heard whispers around us. Before I could tell him to fuck right off, Colleen turned on him. “For once in your life, shut your trap and quit being such an asshole.”

“Excellent advice. And if you don’t, I’ll do it for you.” I heard a calm, deep voice say behind me. I turned and saw Roman standing next to Milo. “You must be Jared, the unpleasant rash Luna mentioned she couldn’t get rid of. Although I do have to thank you for being there the other day.”

Jared narrowed his eyes, then swallowed as Roman stared coldly back at him. Jared turned to me and shook his head. “Be careful, Luna.”

As he walked off, the silence sat awkwardly for a moment, and a hint of guilt slid through me. I hadn’t meant to hurt him, and he had saved me from Lionel. Shaking off the guilt, I introduced Colleen and a couple of other classmates to Roman. When they left a few minutes later, Milo took off as well.

Roman reached over to take my backpack and slid his other hand behind my neck, pulling me to him.

Having him here at the school felt almost surreal and a little jarring–like two distinctly separate parts of my world were colliding. His presence both soothed and agitated me.

He gave me a thorough kiss, then pulled back and brushed a strand of hair off my shoulder. “Hello, Sweetness. You ready to go?” He smirked as if knowing he’d thrown me off.

My eyebrow went up. “If you’re done pissing on my leg and marking your territory.” He barked out a laugh and leaned in to kiss me again. The man had very talented lips.

Roman drove me to the offices on Tuesday morning. As we walked past Brenna, she watched me without expression until she saw the collar on my neck and the ring on my finger. Then her eyes widened, and her face seemed to pale. I expected a snide remark or a jealous, hateful look, but she seemed anxious. I mentally shrugged. Maybe she didn’t know how I really got the fist-sized bruise on my jaw and thought Roman had given it to me.

As finals approached, we fell into a routine. Milo took me to class and became my shadow around campus when I was there, and then Roman took me with him to the offices on the other weekdays. In the evenings, we’d usually cook and eat dinner together, then find a new room or surface in Roman’s house to copulate on. He seemed to like his back patio the best, and he’d installed silk ties to one of the loungers.

Sometimes, we’d eat dinner with the Spades or have the partners over to the house. One evening when Roman had to work later than usual, I caught myself moping and realized with an unpleasant start that I liked having him here, and I missed him when he wasn’t around.

I studied myself in the full-length mirror that morning as I got ready for the day, finding a few new bruises and bite marks on my body. Roman came up behind me and ran his hand down my waist over the smudges there.

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