Page 24 of Pump Fake

“Thanks, Brie. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

I hated the position we were in. She was stuck in a small apartment with our drunk-off-her-ass mother, who also happened to be delusional. “I meant it when I said you can crash in our room anytime you need.” Mal wouldn’t care. She understood what was going on.

“I’m doing okay. And hey, I went out with Remi the other night.”

I grinned and bumped my hip into hers, eliciting a laugh. “Does she go to your school?”

“Nope. She’s nineteen, and I think she’s planning on going to yours.”

“You think?”

“We didn’t get into details.”

“Huh, have you thought about applying to Fall Lake University? It’s a good school.”

“Yeah, I’m coming around to it, especially now.” Ser winked. “I’ll apply this weekend.”

We chatted about mundane things the rest of the way until we were at the edge of the academy’s property. After another hug, I said goodbye to my sister then jogged back to the car. I had to hurry to make it to class at the boys’ academy, which was not far from where we were.

As I ran, a strange feeling crept up my spine, and the fine hairs on the back of my neck rose. I stopped to scan the trail behind me and the grassy, tree-lined area. Something moved not far to my right. Ice infused my veins at what looked like a tall figure in a thin sweatshirt with the hood up leaning against a tree about twenty feet from me. I couldn’t see his face, but malevolence pulsed from the dark space in the heavily shadowed cowl.

I shivered. My sister had walked through there alone to meet me. I didn’t like that thought one bit. The situation was creepy, and I wouldn’t wait around to find out what he wanted or whathe was doing. I quickened my pace, and when I glanced back, he was gone. Maybe I’d imagined it.

I would like to say the day flew by from there, but it didn’t. Preston—because it had to be him—let loose a mouse in the classroom. I had to deal with complete chaos and the capture and release of a terrified rodent. I managed to slam a bottle of water, aspirin, and an apple when I got back to the dorms before I passed out in a coma-like sleep, only to be woken by my phone pinging with texts.

Ares:I’m home. You coming over?

Ares:Brielle… you around?

I peeled one sandpaper eyelid open to read the texts, and my body heated at the thought of what waited for me. Then, I thumbed a response.Pick me up.I wanted him to hold me. And I had to face facts—I wasn’t capable of resisting him or the insane amount of pleasure he delivered. We barely talked about anything serious, and we both liked it that way. It was less… complicated.

But the sex—God, the sex was incredible. He did things to me I didn’t even think were possible. I’d never reached the heights he could coax my body to. I couldn’t resist him, and it seemed like he felt something similar. Or I was just easy.Who knew?I didn’t care. Not when he would pick me up, take me back to his place, and make me feel the most amazing things. It was a surefire way to eliminate the awful headache and achiness I’d barely managed to sleep off. I would still be sore, but it would be the good kind and for a different reason.

I must have dozed off again, and I woke to a loud knock on my door. I wiped the corners of my mouth, hoping I hadn’t drooled. A few blinks until my eyes stayed at half-mast, and I dragged myself from bed, shuffling to the door. I opened it without looking and leaned against the doorjamb.

Ares stood in the doorway, filling it with the most mouthwatering sight.Will I ever get tired of looking at him?He wore dark-gray joggers that did little to hide his muscular thighs. A navy T-shirt with our school logo stretched across impossibly broad shoulders, straining at his biceps. I wanted those arms around me, lifting me and pressing me against the wall before he buried himself deep inside me.

“Brie?”

I jerked my gaze back to his sinfully handsome—grinning—face. Well, if I hadn’t been drooling before, I sure as hell was now. “Let’s go.”

He chuckled before stepping aside so I could pass him. I half turned to go back in, but he held up my bag and purse. I nodded then shuffled toward the stairwell. The sound of my door closing echoed in the quiet hallway. It was a little after seven. I was surprised the floor was deserted but also glad. I hadn’t seen Mal since that morning, but she had a long day, and I didn’t expect to run into her.

We strolled along the sidewalk, and when he reached for my hand, I let him. A connection threaded between us, one that was impossible to ignore. But no matter how hard I’d tried to shove the memory away, I couldn’t stop thinking about the comment he’d made about “my kind” days ago, when I was putting down rules for us hooking up.

“What you said about me being an opportunist was hurtful,” I said, even though he’d already apologized that night.

“I know. It was wrong. I’m truly sorry for treating you that way. I won’t make the same mistake again.”

I nodded, eyes straight ahead, until he turned me to face him. His large hand cupped the side of my face, his thumb caressing my bottom lip. “I know who you are, and I’m truly sorry for letting my insecurities get the best of me.”

“You don’t need to keep apologizing.” It didn’t hurt, though. Sincerity bled through his eyes and the truth in his words. Remorse pulled his lips into a frown. I wanted to wipe it away. “Let’s put it behind us.”

His gaze bounced between my eyes, probably searching to make sure my words were true. Then he nodded, and just like that, the air seemed lighter between us. We continued walking, hand in hand, the silence comfortable between us until we arrived at his condo.

By that time, the brush of his thumb over the back of my hand, the heated glance I caught if I looked at him, had built a different kind of tension between us. I didn’t want to talk about anything. I just wanted him.

We rode the elevator up, and he pulled me close. Pressed against his large body, I splayed my palm over his tight abs. The attraction and desire pulsing between us was palpable, and I didn’t dare look him in the eye. If I did, I knew one of us would pounce. Elevator sex, where there was probably a camera, didn’t sound appealing.

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