Alex stayed with us through the end of Fall Fest. He declined to play most of the festival games, but we convinced him to take pictures at the pumpkin-themed photo booth.
“Do you realize these are the first photos we have of the two of us?” I waved the Polaroids in triumph. “If you don’t hang them in your living room, I’ll be offended.”
“I don’t know. You don’t match my decor,” he said in a bland tone.
I swatted him on the arm, earning myself a rare laugh. Stella nearly choked on her hot cocoa, she was so shocked.
It was the perfect afternoon: great food, great weather, great company. The only hiccup occurred when Alex nicked himself on something sharp at one of the booths. The cut was deep enough that blood welled and streaked down his finger.
“It’s fine,” he said. “It’s just a scratch.”
“You’re bleeding.” I planted my hands on my hips. “We have to clean and bandage it. Let’s go.” My tone brooked no opposition.
No way in hell was he walking around with blood dripping down his hand. What if it got infected?
Alex’s mouth quirked up. “Yes, ma’am.”
I huffed at his amusement—he was bleeding —and dragged him to the campus health center, where the bored-looking student assistant supplied us with a gauze pad and Band-Aid.
I rinsed the cut under running tap water in the bathroom and dabbed at it with the gauze. “Hold still.” I tossed the gauze in the trash and peeled open the Band-Aid. “You should’ve been more careful,” I grumbled. “You’re lucky you weren’t seriously hurt. What the hell were you thinking?”
I looked up and found Alex staring at me with a small smile.
“What?”
“You’re cute when you’re worried.”
I pressed my lips together, struggling to contain my smile. “Don’t try to act all sweet so you can get out of trouble.”
“Am I in trouble?” he drawled. He kicked the door shut with his foot and locked it with his free hand.
My pulse ratcheted up a notch. “Yes.”
“You think I’m acting sweet?”
I gave a tiny nod.
Alex hefted me up onto the sink. “We better remedy both those things, shouldn’t we?”
My teeth dug into my bottom lip as he shoved my dress up over my chest and grazed his teeth over my nipples through the thin lace of my bra.
“Alex, we’re in the student health center,” I squeaked, wanting him to both stop and keep going. Everyone was at Fall Fest so the center wasn’t busy, but the receptionist sat a few feet away outside the door and the flimsy walls were anything but soundproof.
“I’m aware.” He pulled my bra aside with his teeth and lavished attention on my breasts while his non-bandaged hand found the sweet spot between my legs. I was already soaked for him, my thighs slick with my juices as he drove me crazy with his mouth and fingers. His erection pressed against my leg, thick and hard as a steel pipe, but when I reached for it, he batted my hand away.
“I hope you’re not attached to your underwear,” he said.
My brows drew together. “Wha—” The sound of fabric tearing answered my incomplete question.
Alex’s mouth curled into a sly grin at my shocked expression. “Since we’ve established that you’re a screamer,” he said. “Open your mouth.”
My resistance collapsed.
I opened my mouth, and he shoved my underwear in, muffling my moan. I shivered when I tasted the slickness of my arousal.
I was throbbing now, so turned on I couldn’t see straight. There was something so freakin’ erotic about knowing someone could catch us any minute.
Alex returned his attention to my breasts while he slid one finger, then two, into my slippery folds. I gripped his hair, tugging so hard it must’ve hurt as he worked me into a frenzy, but if it did, he didn’t show it.
He lifted his head from my chest and watched me with smoldering eyes. “That’s it, Sunshine,” he murmured, his muscles taut as he finger fucked me harder. He was knuckles deep inside me now, the obscene sounds of him sliding in and out of my drenched core creating a dirty symphony that intensified my arousal. I rode his hand shamelessly, drool leaking from the corners of my mouth as I screamed around my makeshift gag. “Come for me like a little slut.”
I did. Hard, fast, and endlessly, flying high in an explosion of starry bliss.
When I finally came down, I saw that he had unbuttoned his pants and was fisting his cock. It didn’t take long before he erupted, spurting thick, hot jets all over my thighs.
“No,” he said when I reached to clean myself. He pulled my shredded panties out of my mouth and pocketed them, his movements crisp and precise. “I want you to walk around with my cum on you so you know exactly who you belong to.”
Heat blistered my cheeks. “Alex,” I hissed. “I can’t walk out there with no underwear and…and—”
“You can, and you will.” His fingers brushed my thighs, where the cum was already drying. “The faster you obey, the faster we can leave and go home, where you can shower. With help,” he added with a wicked smile.
“You’re crazy.” But I did as he asked, pulling my sweater dress down and fixing my hair. I couldn’t look the receptionist in the eye as we walked out. She probably knew what we’d done, because it didn’t take that long to bandage a wound.
The wind brushed against my bareness as we rejoined our friends and I jumped, earning myself a smirk from Alex and strange looks from everyone else.
“Are you okay?” Stella asked. “You look flushed.”
“Yes,” I squeaked. “Just, ah, a bit chilly.” While the others got distracted by the start of the pie-eating contest, I slapped Alex’s arm. “You’ll pay for this.”
“Looking forward to it.”
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stay mad at him, especially since part of me loved how dirty I felt walking around like this.
“I have a serious question,” I said as we watched two seniors destroy their pumpkin pies. “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”
“I imagine I’ll be eating turkey somewhere,” he said casually.
“Do you…want to come to my place for the weekend? Since your uncle doesn’t celebrate and all. Not that you have to,” I added quickly.
“Sunshine, I’ve spent every Thanksgiving with your family for the past eight years.”
“I know, but Josh isn’t here this year, and I didn’t want to assume. I mean, meeting the dad…”
Alex’s eyes gleamed with laughter. “I’ve already met your dad.”
“Right. But…” I faltered. “I guess it doesn’t matter. We can’t tell him we’re dating until we tell Josh, but would it be suspicious if we show up together? Parents have a weird lie-detecting radar. What if he—”
“Ava.” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “Do you want me to spend Thanksgiving with you?”
I nodded.
“Then that’s what I’m doing. Don’t overthink it.”
“Says the King of Overthinking,” I muttered, but I was smiling.
27
Ava
Every year, my family celebrated Thanksgiving with a Chinese twist. Instead of turkey and mashed potatoes, we ate roast duck, rice, dumplings, and fish cake soup. Food-wise, this year was the same, but without Josh, the dinner had been two hours of silence and awkwardness. Alex and my dad held a few brief conversations about football and work, and that was it. I think my dad was stressed about something at his office. He seemed more irritated than usual.
I also suspected my dad didn’t like Alex much. It was a surprise, considering he had a soft spot for smart, accomplished people, and Alex was as smart and accomplished as they came. I’d always chalked it up to the fact that Alex didn’t kiss ass as much as Chinese parents liked—he wasn’t one for flattering words. Plus, I was ninety percent sure my dad knew something was up with me and Alex, though he didn’t say anything.
“He knows,” I whispered when my dad excused himself to use the restroom. “I swear, he knows .”
“No, he doesn’t. Even if he does, he has no proof, and he won’t say anything to Josh,” Alex said. “Relax. It’s supposed to be your weekend off.”