Page 76 of A Lesson in Deceit
“No one is kicking you out,” I said, tugging at his shirt playfully.
He caressed my face, his thumb hanging onto my bottom lip. “Oh, I know. I also know that River did not spring for a queen-sized bed when he and Asher went mattress hunting.”
“A full can fit us just fine,” River argued, attempting to throw his best friend in the room.
Grayson slapped his hands away. “I also think it’s better for Riley if we both aren’t there to cause her to overheat, in the good way and the bad way.”
River rolled his eyes but conceded. “Fine, you know where the blankets and shit are.”
Grayson blew him a kiss, then grabbed my face and kissed my lips. I leaned into it, wanting more of his mouth. “Good night,aking sinta.”
I’d spendthe entire rest of the weekend with River. Grayson had left early in the morning, leaving us with a simple text that he couldn’t stay till Monday and that he’d find a way to make it up to us. River had put me on the back of his bike and taken usto Lucina, which was a small town near where the school was located in San Francisco. It had pretty architecture and I could listen to River talk about art for hours.
I hadn’t realized he’d invited Marianne out as well. She’d pulled up in her mom’s car and was happy to see me, but she’d waited until River had gone to get me a snack before diving into her questions. My answers were honest, but the most exciting part was that in a short period of time I’d gained two additional sexual partners. I had no idea what that meant for me in the long run. The excited expression on her face told me she was happy I was satisfied in the present and that she should have bet money on Asher and I colliding in a way I’d never considered until last night.
I was sad that she was leaving Monday morning, but we had already marked on our calendars each time she would be back.
We’d all sat outside of a small grab and go food place while I video chatted my mom. Beau was more than happy to be in the screen the entire time. The only thing I could think of that would have made it even better was if we were all there together. Yes, even Asher, who we’d invited, but he claimed he was too busy to go to a town he’d been to loads of times.
Corrin kept trying to ask me questions during Asher’s Monday morning class, but now that the sex haze had lifted, I wanted to focus on what I’d originally come here for. I shushed her for the fourth time, and she practically hissed at me. I would tell her things, just not right now, not while the man who I’d seen naked and panting taught in front of us. He was so good at pretending like he hadn’t made me come on a bathroom sink or that he hadn’t shoved his cock in my mouth, causing tears to run down my face.
I grabbed my things when class was dismissed and Corrin pulled me to her when we were off the aisle steps and proceededto throw a million questions my way, but Asher had other plans. “Miss Monroe, a minute?”
Corrin let out the most obnoxious groan and stomped out. Asher walked around his desk when we were alone, closing the space between us. “You can’t go around telling your friends about what happened.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’m not doing that.Youare the one who knocked a drunk guy out at your house.Youare the one who ran after me and into your bathroom.”
He sucked his teeth, nodding. “A dire mistake on my part then.”
I scoffed. “Is that why you wanted me to stay back? So, you could scold me?”
“I’m not scolding you.”
I pulled my braids to one of my shoulders. “Tell yourself whatever you want. You can forget about that night and we can go back to this fun little repartee, where you constantly think I’m up to something and I don’t give a fuck what you think.”
He stepped toward me, taking up any space that had existed between us. “I do still think you’re up to something, little liar, but that doesn’t mean I’ll forget about that night. To be honest, if you just opened up your pretty mouth and told me I was right, that your glowing education isn’t the whole reason why you transferred, then I might be inclined to repeat all the things I did to you.”
“I don’t owe you any explanation. I’ll be completely fine writing it off as a lapse of judgement and have a story to tell when I’m much older. It will be fascinating and not—what is it you said about how my story telling goes—oh, right, mundane.”
His laugh echoed in the empty room. “Lapse of judgement? I don’t really think you even considered thinking about it. You just knew what your needy little pussy wanted and I gave it to you.”
I shoved him back. “And you are just the king of thought-provoking decisions. It didn’t take you long to join in on the fun with your brother.”
He put both his hands on the side of my head, bringing his face close to mine. Our breathing mingled and his glasses started to fog up. “You don’t know how badly I want to bend you over this desk and pound your pussy until you’re screaming. You and that fucking attitude.”
“You don’t know how badly I want you to stop treating me like I’ve got something to hide.”
His lips brushed mine. “Oh, little liar, but you do. You were very conflicted in your dreams the other night.”
My eyes widened. “You went into my head? Again?!”
He dropped his hands. “My brother made you a promise. Not me.”
“Did you see anything?” My voice was hesitant, and I was nervous that I had dreamed of a prior conversation or dreamed of a future plan.
“Was there something you didn’t want me to see?” Asher put his hands in his pockets, searching my face for some indication that I was about to be forthcoming with him.
“I…” I was cut off when my phone vibrated in my back pocket. I was grateful for the distraction.
