CONNOR COBALT
A lot has changed since I was nineteen. And then again, things are always
the same. I have the girl, but not entirely. If it were that easyโthat boringโ
I wouldnโt still be here. Add Scott Van Wright into our lives, a threat on some serious level, and keeping Rose is going to be problematic.
But Iโm going to put up one hell of a fucking fight.
He even rescheduled the โmagicalโ party with the psychic, citing some bullshit about time, but really he wants to increase the production value of the entire reality showโI just havenโt figured out what heโs going to do in order to achieve that.
I rinse shampoo out of my wavy brown hair, the water blanketing me in warmth. Iโve never lived with another girl. Never shared a space with
someone else, not even at my boarding school.
Whatโs mine has always been mine.
Expensive perfumed soaps line the shower ledge. I share the bathroom with Rose. I share the bedroom. Weโve been at each otherโs throats for so many years that becoming a team isnโt exactly set in the future for us.
Weโre still, very much, rivals in bed.
I crank the heat, the steam gathering and beading my chest with water. I lower my hand, picturing Rose as Iโve never seen her. Undressed. Bare.
Wanting. She wonโt let me in that far.
Not yet.
I place my hands on her bent knees, spreading her open quick and hard.
She chokes on a gasp, a pleasured scream locked tight in her chest.
โPleaseโฆโ she cries.
In the shower, I stroke my cock that tenses with each rhythmic movement, hardening at the flashes of my fantasy. Her body bucking. The fullness of her breasts and hips underneath my strength. She attacks me with the same intensity, but I push her roughly back on the mattress. And her face lights with fire.
I dominate her and give her everything I know sheโll adore.
Thatโs the thing about being fucking smartโI understand her better than she understands herself.
My muscles pull tight, and I rub up and down my shaft, an involuntary sound escaping my mouth. I rest a hand on the tiled wall, quickening my movements.ย Fuck yes.
And just as Iโm about to come, the bathroom door flies open.
I see her feminine shape through the misted glass, and she can see my form just as easily. A grin overtakes my features, and I watch her turn
towards the shower with her hands on her hips. I can practically feel her hot, unbridled anger steaming off her body.
Come to me.
She storms over to the shower and flings open the glass door. I donโt stop.
She stands there, eyes ablaze at the mere idea of me coming inย ourย shower. But she stays quiet, not lowering her gaze to catch a glimpse of my erection or opening her mouth to chastise me. She has frozen in silent curiosity, and I gladly take advantage of it.
I watch her, skimming the nape of her neck that peeks from her black silk robe. Her chest rises and falls in deep, physical attraction. But sheโs too unsure of herself to do something about it. So she stays rooted to the
bathroom rug, not even willing to look at my hand that moves with skilled efficiency. She doesnโt want to give me that satisfaction or that win.
I grip my cock tighter, a low groan in my throat. She inhales sharply.
I only grin more. Even though sheโs confident, brazen and haughty, sheโs none of these things when it comes toย this.ย Sex. Fucking. Affection.
I may be patient, but Iโm no longer going easy on her anymore, not with Scott Van Wright in contention. Before I moved in with Rose, I would have placated her. I would have stopped masturbating as soon as she opened the door.
Now, Iโm not going to be so nice.
My eyes descend to the curve of her hips, visible with the silk that hugs her waist. I roam her body with my intense gaze, and her legs shift, her
knees bending.
I affect her as much as she does me.
I rub faster, and then my body shudders as I release.
She stiffly steps back from the shower before I can meet her eyes, and she plugs in her curling iron at the sink.
I control my breathing, keeping my weight supported with my left hand on the wall. And I let my thoughts realign from hormonal places to more logical ones. I have been with Rose for an entire year, and Iโve been jacking off for most of it.
Waiting for herโthatโs not the hard part. Knowing whatโs best for her but watching her deny it out of stubbornnessโthat is.
I open the shower door. She caps her toothpaste and places it meticulously back in the organized cabinet. Her body is tense and lit up, and sheโll most likely please herself later to alleviate the pulsing between her legs.
She glances at me once, and her eyes immediately flit away. โWe have towels, Richard.โ She points a manicured nail to the rack. โTerrycloth. Soft. Inviting. You might want to try one out.โ
The corners of my lips rise. โItโs just a cock, Rose,โ I say. โYouโd enjoy it inside of you.โ
She rolls her eyes dramatically, but her neck flushes.
I understand that sheโs afraid to lose her power. Weโre equals on many accounts, but when it comes to sex, I am like a god to her mortal standing. And itโs driving her crazy. Not that sheโs ever been completely sane.
I casually walk towards her. โSo youโve learned politics, philosophy, French, business and fashion at Princeton, but clearly you were a little slow in your dormitory studies. Penn would have served you better.โ
She glares. โWhy? Because your college was filled with juvenile horndogs?โ
I ease behind her, and she stares at me questioningly through the mirror.
Approaching Rose Calloway is like nearing a sleeping tiger. Every single time thereโs a chance sheโll bite me. โNo,โ I whisper, pulling the collar of
her robe to expose more of her neck. โBecause I was there.โ I press my lips lightly to her nape.
And her whole body trembles. Just as my hands fall to the slip of her robe, she spins towards me and places her hands on my chest. Normally Iโd back up, but I stand my ground. Right here. Not moving to her demands.
I raise my palms and then clasp my hands behind my back, showing that I wonโt touch her anymore. But if she wants to curl her hair, sheโs going to have to do it with meโnakedโbehind her.
โBack up,โ she says.
โIf I really thought you wanted me to, I would.โ
โI do.โ But curiosity glimmers in her yellow-green eyes, and she peers down at my cock for the first time.
She remains stoic, almost unreadable, but the corner of her lip betrays her, rising in a fraction of a smile. When she meets my gaze again, I tilt my head, grinning in satisfaction, the kind that only incites her.
She holds up a warning finger at me. โDonโt you dare sayย do you like what you see?ย I will break up with you right here if you utter those fucking stupid words.โ
I laugh into a wider grin and say, โI donโt have to ask you, Rose. I already know you do.โ
She pushes me lightly in the chest and tries not to share my smile. โWhy am I with you? Youโre so conceited, arrogantโโ
โNarcissistic,โ I add, โattractive, lovable, brilliant.โ
โThat wasnโt an invitation for you to compliment yourself.โ โNo? My bad, I thought we were listing my best qualities.โ Her eyes fall again.
โYes, my cock is most definitely one of them.โ
Rose crosses her arms, which shifts her robe, exposing the top of her breast. My body heats at the sight of her smooth skin, her nipple very close to peeking from the black fabric.
โPut your cock away,โ she tells me.
โYouโre not with me because Iโm a doormat,โ I remind her. โIf you want to walk all over a man, you should have chosen Lewis Jacobson.โ
She gags. โGod, donโt even. He stared at every girlโs ass when he jogged onto court.โ He was a point guard for Princetonโthe type of guy who would love to be controlled by Rose.
โJust remember that Iโm not going to bend to your will.โ โBut youโre waiting for me to bend to yours?โ she snaps.
โAnd now weโre at our five hundredth standstill.โ I run a hand through my wet hair, pushing the strands back, and her chest rises again at the motion. โTwo cooks in the kitchen.โ
โTwo dominants, no submissive,โ she adds.
I shake my head and try to tone down my grin that is really, really riling her to a bad point. She looks like sheโs going to slap me. โNo,โ I say.
She gapes. โWhat do you meanย no?ย My metaphor matched yours!โ
She doesnโt realize it yet, but sheโs nowhere near dominant in bed. Itโs a reason why sheโs slamming on the brakes. Sheโs so in control of her everyday life that she expects the same once she straddles a man. But if she truly wanted that, sheโd be attracted to a much different guy than me and sheโd already have lost her virginity, riding the fuck out of him.
โI think we both know thereโs only one dominant here.โ Her eyes flare. โTake it back, Richard.โ
I want to make her feel as confident and strong inside the bedroom as
she is outside. Itโs a goal that Scott Van Wright wonโt steal from me, even if he tries.
โTake back the truth?โ I frown. โThatโd make me a liar. And I know how much you hate liars, hun.โ My hands are still behind my back, but I step towards her.
She grips the sink counter behind her and reaches over to grab a towel.
She shoves it at my chest.
I havenโt lost yet.
I wrap the cloth around my waist. It hangs low so she has view of my defined muscles. I make time for the gym with Loren and his half-brother, but Iโve always been in good shape. I grew up wanting to reach the peak of physical and mental perfection. Itโs an unattainable goal. But one I set. One I seek.
People hope to touch the sky. I dream of kissing it.
Rose spins back towards the sink. She uses the iron to curl loose waves in her straight hair. Most men would be scared of herโgripping a hot weapon. My cock begins to throb as I watch her through the mirror.
She breathes heavily, trying not to pay attention to me, but itโs a little difficult. Iโm six-foot-four. Iโm twice her size. Sheโs small, feminine in comparison to my body that could cloak her easily.
She swallows and says, โDo you think Lily and Loren are having more sex than usual?โ
Anytime Lily and Loโs sex life arises, it closes the door to discuss ours. Itโs a ploy, a simple distraction, but Rose is also truly invested in her sisterโs recovery. She cares. I do as well, but Rose will always be my number one priority.
โTheyโre touching more than usual,โ I say. โBut I think itโs more for the cameraโs benefit.โ
โHeโs teasing her, and sheโs going to regressโฆafter all the progress sheโs made.โ
โYou have to trust him.โ
She cringes at the idea of putting faith in Loren Hale. They only tolerate each other for Lilyโs sake. Iโm in a difficult position because Iโve grown to like Lo as a real friend.
โI need a favor,โ she suddenly says.
โFavors,โ I muse with a smile. โItโll cost you.โ
โI knew being your girlfriend wouldnโt have many perks. I still owe you things.โ
โYou have plenty of perks,โ I tell her. โYou just choose not to delight in them.โ I edge close to her, setting a hand on the counter, my mouth near her
neck as I lean in low. She tenses as my hand dips to her thigh. โWhat favor do you need?โ I ask, slipping my palm beneath her robe.
โIโm going to burn you,โ she says, not as a threat. Fear spikes in her voice. She unplugs the curling iron quickly and sets it aside.
I bite her ear and whisper, โBreathe.โ
Sheย barelyย exhales. โI need you to give Lo the talk.โ
I hunch over, resting my chin on her shoulder for a second. My expression stays complacent, composedโthe face I carry with me throughout the day, the one Rose calls โfake.โ
โI think weโre past that talk, Rose.โ
She glowers, her entire body responding to the emotion. Her eyes
narrow, her stance closes, her shoulders pull back, forcing me to straighten up.
I almost get hard.
โDonโt patronize me,โ she says. โLoโs going to get my sister pregnant on accident. Heโs impulsive and careless. So you need to do what you do best and instill some common sense into him.โ
โI imagine that conversation blowing over as well as a hurricane.โ I twirl her by the waist so she leans against the counter, facing me. โSo itโs going to cost you.โ
She peruses my body with a sharp gaze. โIโm prepared to pay.โ My lips slowly rise. โAre you?โ
โYes.โ But her eyes speak differently, and my smile fades. Sheโs really, truly scared.
โYouโre safe with me, you know that, Rose?โ I ask her. โI wonโt ever hurt you.โ Iโve always treated her like sheโs an extension of myself.
The more hostile, torrid sideโthat is.
Itโs a reason Iโve become so possessive of her throughout the years, even when we werenโt together.
โI know,โ she says, relaxing her shoulders. โThen Iโll talk with Lo.โ
โWhat do I need to do for you?โ she asks, too stubborn to back down, even if the unknown frightens her.
โStop thinking for a minute.โ โWhatโโ
I kiss her, my large hand cupping her delicate face, my lips against her soft. Her breath rises to her throat, and her body curves to meet mine. She rouses, clutching my muscular arms with her free hands. The uncertainty still lingers on her lips, hesitating.
I break apart. โGet out of your head,โ I tell her, my hand lowering to her ass. I push her against me, her pelvis tucked neatly to mine. Her robe slips between her legs, revealing the bareness of her thighs.
A moan pushes through her lips. I pin her against the counter, only the towel separating my cock from her body, and she struggles to gain control with me. Her head dips back in arousal, and she desperately grips my arms, her fingers digging into my biceps. But she looks lost on what to do with her legs, one wanting to wrap around my waist, the other half off the ground with the force of my body.
I hold her left leg up to my side, stretching her, and she lets out a staggered breath. โWait, waitโฆโ she starts, her hands on my chest. Sheโs flushed and warm to the touch, but she plummets right back in her fucking head.
โRose,โ I chastise and drop her leg to the ground.
She rests her elbows on the counter, confusion lacing her eyes.
You liked that. Itโs okay to like that, Rose.ย My hand returns to her jaw, caressing her cheek as she processes what happenedโmy dominant
movements that trounced her into a puddle.ย Myย puddle.
I run my thumb on her bottom lip.
โJe suis passionnรฉ de toi,โ I say.ย I am passionate about you.
Her chest falls, understanding me well.
I slip my thumb into her mouth, and a sharp noise catches in her throat. She blushes at hearing herself. I leave my thumb there and press a soft kiss to her neck, and then I suck sensitive spots, trailing up her collar to her cheek.
She can throw me off at any second.
But surprisingly, she closes her lips over my thumb. She doesnโt suck it, doesnโt run her tongue against it. I donโt think she really knows what to do, but I adore her more for trying. I let her off the hook and quickly replace my hand with my lips, my tongue, trying to lose her with the moment.
Her movements are more assured now, her hands drifting to my hair, tugging, clenching, kneading. Her spine curves again, her body meeting mine once more.ย Thatโs it, Rose. I have you.
Youโre safe with me.
A full minute passes before that all disappears, before she retreats into her head again, before her kisses shorten, before her lips close and she pulls back altogether.
It was a brief, fleeting moment where I almost had her vulnerable and bare. But if I can put my thumb into her mouth without her biting it off, itโs only a matter of time until Iโm inside her completely.