Fallen Crest Alternative Version

  home. They let us go. Self defense.’

  I sagged in relief at my locker and quickly thumbed a response. ‘You okay? Want me to come home?’

  ‘Yes and yes.’

  I grinned and then groaned. ‘My dad drove me today. No car.’

  It wasn’t even a second later when he replied. ‘Coming to get you. Be out back in ten minutes.’

  I hurried to David’s office and covered my eyes as I went through the boy’s locker room. A few of them cursed at me. I heard Mark shout, “Sam. Fuck. More warning, why don’t you?” A few of the others laughed and then I rushed through my dad’s closed door and heaved in a breath on the other side. Then I gulped as I took the sight before me.

  David was behind his desk. Adam sat in one of the two chairs across from him. I gulped again. His dad sat in the other. All of them were surprised in silence for a moment. Then David cleared his throat and stood. “Sam? Can I help you with something?”

  “Uh…”

  Adam studied me and then understanding dawned. He threw himself back in the chair and crossed his arms. His chin went down and I felt his glower seep through the entire room.

  “Sam?”

  “Oh, right.” I turned back to my dad. “Can I get excused for the rest of the day?”

  “Why?” He cast a tight smile across his desk. “I’m sorry, Steven. There’s been a slight crisis that happened in my family. Sam?”

  I jerked my head back to him.

  His smile was forced. “I’m assuming this is what that’s about?”

  “Yes.” I swallowed a piece of bark. “They’re home. I wanted to make sure everything was okay.” I twisted my hands in front of me. “And I wanted to check on Analise. You know how crazy she can get.”

  Adam snorted.

  “Son!”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. She’s going to see her mom?” Then he pushed himself back up and turned around. “How are you going to get home? Your dad drove us, remember?”

  I felt David’s eyes on me. They were burning.

  I swallowed again. “I—uh—I have a ride coming.”

  Then my dad cleared his throat again. “Samantha, I feel you should stay in school. You have a few more hours.”

  “But—” Mason was probably already in the parking lot.

  “I’ll talk to you after school?” He indicated across his desk. “As you can see, I’m busy.”

  My mouth shut tight and my chin hardened. My shoulders rolled back, and I narrowed my eyes. “I’m going anyway, dad.”

  “Samantha!”

  “I’m sorry. But I’m going.”

  “Sam.” He took a calming breath. “Stay. We’ll discuss this after school. I would really really like to discuss this with you. Stay. Please.”

  “No.”

  “Samantha, you will stay or I will call your mother.” Authority rolled over him, and I glimpsed Coach Strattan.

  I snorted. He wasn’t my coach. “I’m going, David. My mom won’t care right now. We both know that.”

  “Sam!”

  I went through the door and left it open as I walked past the guys. No one made a snide comment this time. Everyone paused in their movements when my dad came to his doorway and hollered, “Samantha, there will be consequences for this action.”

  I snorted again and glanced back. “Like what? You’re going to have me grounded?” Then I shouldered my way through the door and went to the parking lot. Since it was nearing lunch time, a crowd gathered around his vehicle.

  As I had expected, Mason was there. He waited in his Escalade with closed eyes and a slight sneer on his face. The bruises on his face gave him a rougher exterior, but his angular cheekbones mixed with them. It added to his already dangerous appeal. My stomach fluttered as I saw his muscular build was outlined under the long-sleeve shirt he wore. It clung to him.

  I looked over and saw Lydia and Jessica. They were at Jeffrey’s car. Their mouths hung slightly open. Lydia’s hand clenched together when I got inside of the Escalade and Mason opened his eyes.

  He gave me a soft grin. His green eyes seemed brighter than normal. “Hey.”

  I shut the door and sat back. “Hey.”

  I felt him studying me. “What happened?”

  “Nothing.” I disobeyed my dad in front of a crowd. I took a deep breath. I had disrespected the only person I used to respect.

  “Really?”

  He didn’t believe me. I reached over for his hand. I squeezed it once. “Sorry, stupid family stuff. That’s all.”

  He chuckled as he reached over and kissed my forehead. Then he started the vehicle and pulled away from the gawkers. “Yeah, that always sucks.”

  I waited until we were a few blocks away before I asked, “So what happened?”

  He groaned. “Let’s get some food. I’ll tell you all about it then.”

  “Logan and Nate are okay?”

  He jerked his head in a nod. “They’re passed out at home.” He grimaced. “Nate’s parents were called. He’s pissed. They’re on their way here right now.”

  “Oh.” I frowned. “Where are they coming from?”

  “Brazil.” He grinned at me. There was a sparkle in his eyes and my stomach’s knot loosened. I was starting to think it’d never go away. He chuckled again and the sound of the smooth baritone slid over me. I shivered as it sounded delicious and groaned. I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to do something else, something, as I eyed him up and down, I wasn’t sure he could do yet. I licked my lips.

  He caught the movement and his eyes darkened in response. He asked in a husky tone, “Bio dad still gone?”

  I jerked my head in a nod and rasped out, “Can you—I mean—are you able?”

  “I don’t care right now.” His hand reached over and slid between my legs. “My dick’s straight up.”

  I closed my eyes when I felt his finger slid inside of my jeans. He rubbed back and forth over my stomach and I leaned back. I wanted to reach over and tease him as well, but he was driving. It was smart not to be dumb.

  We bypassed food and headed straight for the house. As soon as he parked, we hurried inside, but once the door shut behind us, he had me pinned to the wall. He pressed against me and groaned when he lifted my arms high.

  I gasped as he lowered his mouth to my neck. He started to nibble there and I groaned. One of my legs slid over his thigh and wrapped around him.

  He cursed under his breath and lifted my leg higher. He ground against me. “I could take you right now.”

  Everything spiraled inside of me. I fought my hands free and clung to him. Both of my legs wrapped around his waist and he held me up. I felt his zipper through my sweatpants and then he had two fingers inside. They pushed into me and I arched against him. They went deeper from the movement.

  Mason cursed against me again and then he slammed his mouth down on mine. He demanded his entry and I opened for him. My legs spread wider and it was a second later when I felt him thrust inside. My eyes went wide. There was no barrier between us and he thrust harder and harder.

  I gurgled out. He should stop. Condom. But as he kept going, everything blurred in me. I moved with him. I needed him, just him. No one else. His lips trailed down my throat and he nibbled on my neck. His hands stroked my breast, and he caressed my nipple. All the while he kept thrusting in me.

  Oh god. I felt it building.

  “Mason!” I rasped out as I clung to him.

  I couldn’t do anything else.

  And then I wanted to touch him. A hunger took over me and I pushed him away.

  “Wha—” His eyes were blind with lust and he reached back for me.

  I ripped my sweatshirt off before I reached for his. He tore it off for me and grabbed me again. I held him away and shook my head.

  “Sam,” he groaned.

  I bent down and licked his chest.

  His hand cradled the back of my head, and he heaved in deep breaths.

  My tongue swirled around him and tasted every inch o
f him. I explored each dip between his muscles and gently sucked where the bruises had blackened. Then I moved further down and slid to my knees.

  “Oh god.” He backed against the wall this time.

  My tongue touched the tip of his penis. His hand grasped my hair.

  “Sam, are you sure?” His voice was thick.

  I opened my mouth and took him in. I wanted to. I wanted to taste him. I nibbled along the length of him. My tongue swirled back and forth. Then I started to suck. I moved my head back and forth.

  His hips bucked as he pressed me harder to him.

  Suddenly, he pulled me away, and I was lifted and pinned against the wall again. He started to slide back in when I gasped in his ear, “Condom!”

  “Fuck.”

  He ripped himself away and hurried to the bathroom in my room. I heard a yell later and he came back down a second later. His chest was heaving. “Where the hell did that bucket go?”

  I grinned at him as I panted. “You told Garrett that wasn’t fatherly. Remember?”

  He groaned and raked both his hands through his hair. A litany of curses spilled from him.

  “I’m taking that you don’t have a condom on you?”

  He shook his head with a wolfish grin. “Doc told me I shouldn’t do a lot of physical exertion.”

  I snorted and fell back against the wall. My knees were starting to fold and I felt myself starting to slide down. Mason crossed the room in two steps and held me up. He tucked me to him as he pressed against me. He moved up and down and nibbled on my ear. “You ever done that before?”

  I grinned against his neck. My tongue swept against him and he pressed harder to me. “Not really.”

  “Not really?” I felt his smile against my cheek.

  “There were…” I frowned. “Attempts with Jeff. I hated it.”

  He pulled back and gave me a tender kiss. “You hate that with me too?”

  My breath was caught and held in my chest. I couldn’t admit what I had felt. Then I shook my head and kept my mouth shut. I felt my cheeks get red and buried my head into his chest. He laughed and swept my hair up to place a kiss on the back of my neck.

  I felt the laughter rumble through his body as he held us both up. “Maybe we could do that again?”

  I nodded, my tongue against my cheek, and peeked back up at him.

  Mason was grinning down at me. He looked like the cat that found the cream.

  “Now?” I asked in a husky voice.

  “I’d carry you upstairs, but I’ve got this problem with my ribs.”

  I caught his hand in mine and led the way.

  There was something freeing in my laughter.

  *

  It was a few hours later when I collapsed on top of him. He ran his hands up my thighs and lifted my head to his. His lips found mine and lingered there. It was a long, exploratory kiss. Both of us were panting by the end of it, and he groaned when his lips left mine. His head collapsed on the pillow beneath him. A few curses slipped out.

  I grinned as I slid to the side but was quickly pulled back against him. Tight.

  “Are you okay?” My hand touched the largest bruise. I tried to skim it.

  He groaned. “Yeah. I’m good. Thank god we found those condoms in your nightstand.”

  I laughed at the memory. He had stashed them after the first night, in case he couldn’t make the long trek to the bathroom. I shivered from the feel when he slid back into me. It was like he’d come home. He belonged to me. I belonged to him. That thought had me shivering again.

  “You okay?” He pulled a blanket over us.

  I nodded. My throat was thick with emotion.

  My hand rested on his chest and he caught it. His fingers slid through mine and his eyes closed. When his breathing started to even out, I ventured, “Are you hurt?”

  “Yeah.” One of his eyes opened. “But I’ll heal. You okay?”

  “You keep asking me that.” I shifted and sat up. I drew my knees to my chest and rested my head on them. I turned to watch him. Then I sighed on the inside. He was beautiful. His eyes were bright. The green contrasted against his black hair that he had cut short to a crew cut. The rest of him was a golden tan, except for the bruises and the rash that ran up and down over his right side.

  His shoulder muscle shifted under his skin as he lifted his head. “What’s wrong?”

  I closed my eyes and felt him touch my lips. He skimmed them in a tender motion and then ran his hand down my arm and leg. He scooted closer to me.

  My hand went over his hair. It was so soft. “Tell me what happened at the police station. It’s been killing me. I should’ve been there.”

  His hand dropped from my leg. “I know.” He expelled a deep breath. His chest rose up and down from the motion. “But I’m glad you weren’t. Those guys were there. They didn’t even look sorry about what they’d done. I saw the clip. They edited that piece of crap.”

  “They did?”

  His mouth tightened and I felt him grow rigid beside me. My heart fluttered again as I felt his fury. He bit out, “They made it look like I went on a killing spree. That wasn’t how it was. They never showed the guy choking Logan or how they dragged me. They didn’t show the three guys stomping on Nate.”

  His chest rose up and down in a rapid motion. It was increasing with every word he spoke.

  I put my hand on it and willed it to slow down.

  He held my hand with his again. “The cops thought I had gone after them. We said different, as you can figure. Then they called in the rest of their football team.” He expelled another deep breath. “I guess a few of their guys were feeling guilty because they told the truth. They told ‘em what they’d done to us and that it was in self-defense for me, but the rest of their douchebags swore those others were lying.”

  “My dad said something about that. That their stories conflicted.”

  “Yeah.” His chest caught and held. He sounded in pain. “The longer we were all there, more of them started to change their story. I think the detectives figured out what was going on and laid into them. We couldn’t leave. Nate, Logan, and I were held in a back room the whole time. We could only leave if we needed to piss.”

  “Your dad was there the whole time?”

  He cursed again and grinned from the corner of his mouth at me. “His lawyers were there, but he wasn’t.”

  I frowned. “David said my mom and James were at a hotel next to the station.”

  “I believe that, but they weren’t there.” He lifted a hand to scratch a bruise on his chest. “I’m sure he was waiting.” He groaned again as he lifted himself up and scooted back against the headboard beside me. His arm draped over my shoulder, and he pulled me to his side. “My mom’s coming back.”

  My eyes closed and my forehead fell into my hands.

  He chuckled beside me. “It’ll be fine. Charges were dropped against me. I think my dad’s already told his lawyers to start a civil lawsuit against some of them.” He grinned crookedly at me. “Doesn’t hurt that my dad hates some of theirs. Business rivals, you know.”

  I shook my head and held onto his hand. “Just as long as you’re okay.” Then I remembered my day and a soft curse slipped from my lips.

  “What?”