Amazed (Tempted Book 3) (2 page)

Frat boys were literally the stupidest people I had ever met. They get drunk and then slobber all over you like your some piece of meat. They made my stomach turn.

“Grace, I’ve always had a thing for you,” Landon James, the campus super jerk, slurred in my ear.

He even was enough of a gentlemen to burp in my face afterwards.
Classy.

“How charming. Please excuse me,” I said, shaking myself free from his grip.

“Bitch!” he shouted after me.

Pushing my way through the room of gyrating bodies, I finally reached the back door of the frat house. It wasn’t as crowded and the air felt good. I saw an empty chair, so I walked over to sit down.

I had no clue why I choose to fill my time with meaningless college parties because I always found myself miserable when I was at one. Everyone always saw me as the mindless party girl because that’s what I wanted them to see. I hid the real me because I wanted to be popular. I thought all that mattered was having the right friends and the right clothes but I was starting to learn that being popular wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I was losing me and I liked me. I was just afraid no one else would.

Especially him.

“Grace, I saw you walk out. Are you okay? You looked pissed,” I heard a fimilar voice ask.

Following the voice, I found Ethan standing beside me.

He was the reason I wanted to be popular. All I wanted was for Ethan Charles to notice me but it started to dawn on me that he wasn’t, he never had. And maybe that was why I was so nervous around him. I was afraid to find out what he would think about the real Grace.

“Yeah, that creep was pushing himself on me but I’m fine,” I told him, running my hands through my hair.

“Who pushed themselves on you? Are you okay?” he growled out, balling up his fist.

Now, that was as side I have never seen of him but I kind of liked it. So sexy and possessive. But with my luck it was less possessive and more protective big brother.

“It was Landon but I’m fine,” I said, trying to calm him down but I didn’t mind him fighting my battles for me. Not when he looked like that doing it.

“Landon’s a creep,” he said, propping his foot and back against the house.

A familiar awkwardness filled the air. Why couldn’t I get my words out around him? I mean all I had to do was agree with him because Landon was a creep.

“Yep,” I said, nodding again.

I was giving a whole new meaning to the nod. It should have been renamed the Grace.

“What’s going on Grace?” He asked, letting out an aggravated sigh.

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you acting so weird around me?”

“I don’t know,” I lied.

“I call bullshit, Grace.”

I wanted to scream I want you but I couldn’t find it in me to tell him the truth.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied again, keeping my eyes focused straight ahead.

“Look at me,” he demanded, “I know what you want. I want it too.”

Listening to him, I turned my head slowly until my eyes landed on the face I had admired for years. And without any warning he pulled me up from the chair and slammed his perfectly shaped lips onto mine.

Our tongues danced around each other perfectly in sync and kissing Ethan was everything I had dreamt it was be.

And so much more.

I could taste the alcohol that he had consumed prior to our mind-blowing make out session. But the kiss didn’t taste bitter, it tasted sweet.

The kiss deepened with intensity and just as I started to lose my breath he pulled away. His lips were gone from mine but my lips were still tingling with electricity.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he breathed out as he looked at me with eyes full of want.

“Yes,” I said, trying to steady my breathing, “Where are we going?”

“My room,” he said before taking my hand and leading me back into the raging party.

“You live here?” I asked, gesturing to the frat house.

“Yeah,” he said, pulling me in front of him and helping me up the wooden staircase.

“Since when?”

“Yesterday,” he answered, opening the white door that lead to his bedroom.

“Why are you giving me one word answers?”

“Because I’m tired of fighting it. I don’t wanna talk with our mouths, Grace. I wanna talk with our bodies,” he said, slamming the door behind him.

It would figure that when he wanted to have sex with me I would have diarrhea of the mouth. Sorry to be graphic.

I had no idea that Ethan was so assertive but I had to admit it was a major turn on.

Biting his lip, he walked toward me and flipped around so I was facing the royal blue painted wall. Feeling him unzip my black dress, I shivered with excitement.

The dress pooled at my feet leaving me standing in my black thong and matching bra. Hearing him suck in a breath, I turned around to face him.

I wasn’t sure if it was the right time to tell him that I was a virgin, that all of the stories he had heard was false, and that I had been waiting on him. Waiting to feel his body on mine. I decided against it because I had finally got him to touch me, I didn’t want to freak him out.

“You’re flawless,” he said, pulling his Henley over his head, “On the bed now.”

Getting excited, I fell back on the bed and watched as he removed his pants and boxer briefs. His erection sprung up as if on cue. I moved my hands to push my panties down.

“Don’t, that’s my job,” he demanded, walking over to his nightstand and opening the drawer.

Peeking over my shoulder, I watched as he slid a condom onto his length. After he was done, he walked over and climbed on top of me. He ferociously kissed me from my neck all the way to my inner tights. He didn’t leave a spot untouched. I wasn’t complaining.

His hands gripped my underwear and he forcefully ripped them in half. His fingers wandered until they were massaging my clit.

“Now I can really feel how much you want this, Grace. How many nights have you pleasured yourself fantasizing that it was me instead?”

“A-All the time,” I shuddered because feeling him touch me sent waves of pleasure run through my body.

“I’m gonna make all your dirty fantasies come true and I’m gonna do it all night,” He said, ramming one finger inside of me, “I want you calling my name over and over again. And don’t worry I’ll give you plenty of reason to do it.

“You’re so tight,” he growled.

Bedroom Ethan was way different that how I imagined he would be. He was completely in control.

“Turn over on to your stomach and raise that perfect ass up in the air,” he commanded.

Making sure not to waste any time, I did exactly what he said. Arching my back, I felt his pulsing erection slide into me.

“Ahh, Ethan. That feels so good,” I purred out, digging my nails into the black blanket that covered his bed.

It was painful but the pain felt so good. Better than anything I had experienced.

His skin against mine was hot enough to burn the whole frat house down. The high tempo song in the background was drowned out by the rustling of the sheets under us and our deepening moans.

Having sex with him was like achieving a lifelong dream. He was my Jake Ryan. He was my Noah Calhoun. He was a sweet and sexy gentlemen but in bed there was nothing sweet or gentlemanly about him. And I could live with that.

“How rough do you want it?” he asked, his voice full of lust.

That was a good question and the answer to it was a no brainer.

“I want to feel every inch of you. Give me all you got,” I told him, clenching my eyes shut and biting my lip.

“Don’t worry, Babe. You won’t be able to walk tomorrow when I get through with you,” he said, thrusting into me with all of his might.

He called me babe. I knew he was talking dirty to me but honestly all I could focus on was him using a pet name for me. Only I would find that romantic in a moment like that.

“Ethan, I’m just about there. Keep going! Harder,” I told him, digging my elbows and feet into the mattress.

Indescribable pleasure coursed through my body. Panting for breath, I collapsed on the bed.

“Are you tired, Babe?”

“Yeah,” I said, sleepily.

“Sleep. I’m going to shower and then I’ll wake you,” he said, removing himself from me and covering me up with a throw blanket.

“Wake me up for what?” I murmured, smiling like a love drunk idiot.

“Round two,” he said, kissing my hair before walking into his bathroom and starting the shower.

As worn down as my body was I was ready for him. I knew I would never get my fill of Ethan Charles,

Ever.

Licking the small drops of my breakfast tea off of my lips, I looked around the campus coffee shop. Last night couldn’t have went any more perfect but when I woke up it was all shot to hell. Ethan barely spoke to me and worst of all he let Landon drive me home. Yeah, the same Landon who bugged me all night.

Earlier I went to my first class of the day and I thought maybe Ethan would be less weirded out by sleeping with me by then. He wasn’t.

He sat at the very front of the class with some bimbo cheerleader. I should have known better than to think that even after having sex he would want me. He was the quarterback and they always end up with the cheerleaders. I had to face the fact that I was now a one night stand.

Maybe I was overreacting because I had known Ethan my whole life and never found him to be that type of guy. If he just didn’t feel the raw, exhilarating connection I did he should just man up and tell me, not run for the hills.

Checking my watch, I noticed I had ten minutes to make it to the whole opposite side of the campus. Gathering my things, I pushed my chair out and started for the glass door.

“Hey, you went upstairs with Ethan last night, right?” Molly Hartley, preppy as shit cheerleader, sneered.

“Yeah, why? You here to slut shame me?”

“I just wanted to let you know that he asked me out this morning,” she said, turning her nose up.

I hated pompous people, they made my stomach turn.

“Have fun,” I told her, trying my with all of my strength not to let her know that what she said broke me.

How could he have sex with me and then turn around and ask someone else out? What was going on with him? Maybe I didn’t know him after all.

“Oh, I plan to,” she said, smirking as her eyes twinkled with lust.

I didn’t trust my voice to utter another word without cracking, so I ran for the door. Pushing it open, I sprinted across the quad until I saw a vacant bench. Taking a seat, I locked my eyes shut and commanded the tears trying to fight their way out to stay in.

“I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to cry,” I said, rocking back and forth.

I could feel the passerby’s looking at me as if I had lost my mind but I didn’t care. Maybe I had.

The tears won and they erupted from my heavy eyes. Hopping up from the bench, I started toward the parking lot. I had more classes but there was no way I would be able to focus on anything else but Ethan. And besides, if I could keep my mind off of him he was in all of my classes. Every single one.

Hearing an obnoxious laugh, I made the mistake of turning around. Ethan was chatting up a group of girls. Since when was he the campus man whore? What did I miss?

Spinning around, I started walking toward the parking lot again only stopping because I heard him call my name.

“Grace!”

Slowly turning, I frantically wiped my eyes. Taking a few deep breaths, I prepared myself to talk to him.

“Yeah?” I asked, putting on my pageant girl smile.

“You left this at the house,” he said, pulling my bracelet from his pocket.

Looking down at my wrist, I saw that it was empty. I hadn’t even missed it but in my defense I had a lot going on.

“Must have fallen off. Thank you,” I told him, reaching for it and securing it on my wrist.

“No problem,” he said, turning to walk away, “Oh and grace?”

I felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe just maybe he was going to apologize and declare his undying love for me.

“Yeah?” I said, feeling my heart beat rapidly.

“Your face looks puffy and red. You might need some medication for that. Must be the pollen,” he said, over his shoulder before walking away without even waiting on me to reply.

I stood there in disbelief as he made his way back to the group of girls that were doting on him.

“You broke my heart,” I whispered as soon as he was out of ear shot.

I felt used and dirty. The one thing I never wanted to be was someone’s one night stand but that’s what I was. I was now a stereotype.

Finally getting over the shock, I drug my feet until I reached my car. Getting in the passenger side, I searched for my sunglasses and put them on. Once they were in place I cranked the music as loud as it would go and sped out of the parking lot.

I contemplated stopping by the bakery to vent to Maddie or swing by Emma’s house to chat with her but I decided on going home and call Holland. She was the only one going through as much hell as I was. Emma and Maddie were madly in love with their dream men whereas Holland was in love with a total dumbass. I figured she would understand my situation better.

Turning in, I found a parking space and quickly gathered my things. Exiting from the car, I stormed through the busy lobby not wanting anyone to stop and ask me if I was okay. Because I wasn’t.

The elevator was closing but jumping to press the button I managed to catch it just in the neck of time. At least one thing was working in my favor. Leaning against the wall, I waited rather impatiently for the doors to open. The other occupants of the elevator were looking at me with fake concern.

Those old birds would have spread that I was crying in an elevator all over town by nightfall. Not giving them a chance to ask me what’s wrong I nearly dove out of the elevator as soon as the door opened.

Running to my door, I fished my keys from my bag and unlocked it.

Walking inside, I slammed the door shut. I grabbed my phone before throwing my stuff on the hardwood floor and crashing on the couch.

Dialing Holland’s number, I prayed that she’d answer.

“Hello?” her voice said into the phone after the third ring.

I noticed that she sounded lost. I knew without asking that it had something to do with that asshat of a boyfriend of hers.

“Holland, is something wrong? Did Trent do something?”

“Isn’t he always? I’m fine, it’s nothing I can’t handle. What’s up?”

“Where are you and how long do you have to talk?” I asked, kicking off my shoes.

“I’m drinking coffee on campus by myself. So, what’s up?”

“I slept with Ethan,” I blurted out.

“Grace! Was it super romantic?”

I could hear the happiness magically appear in her voice. She was thrilled for me but after she heard the full story I knew she wouldn’t be, she would feel sorry for me.

It was full of heat. It was raw. It was exhilarating. I didn’t know which word best described it.

“Romantic isn’t exactly the word I would use. It was earth shattering,” I said, choking on the sobs bubbling up in my throat.

“Earth shattering is good, right? Why do you sound like you’re crying?” she asked, concern seeping from her voice.

“Because I was stupid enough to think that he wanted something more with me. He’s been so weird this morning,” I told her, trying to stop my brain from reliving everything, “Holl, I was a one night stand.”

“He’s an idiot for not wanting more with you.”

I knew she was going to say that. That line was pulled straight from the best friend handbook. I realized that nothing anyone said was going to make me feel okay about what happened. Not even the girl I considered my sister.

“Speaking of idiots, where’s yours?” I asked, trying to get off the subject of Ethan Charles.

Waving my free hand in front of my eyes, I blinked away the few straggling tears. If I wasn’t worth treating like a human being than he wasn’t worth crying over.

Yeah right. That was the problem I knew he was worth it but I had to force myself to move on. I knew it was going to be extremely difficult but it was something I had to do.

“I’m not sure. He’s sort of not speaking to me at the moment,” she answered as low as she possibly could.

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t answer his phone call quick enough last night,” she said, her voice cracking with every word.

The way he treated her was twisted. Trent was so possessive. The way he constantly put her down and smothered her made me sick to my stomach. She deserved to be placed on a pedestal because she was an impeccable person, but instead she was treated like trash by trash.

That’s what Trent was, Trash. And that’s what he was always going to be.

“Are you serious? Holland, why do you do this to yourself?” I asked, trying to think of one good quality Trent possessed but all I could think of was he had nice hair.

That was it.

“I-Well, I don’t know, Gracie,” she said, sniffling, “I love him I guess.”

“Holland, do you see how wrong that it is? You love him you guess? You need to leave him,’ I told her, shaking my head in disbelief.

I knew she couldn’t see it but it was a habit. I was a very animated talker.

“I can’t do that,” she said, frantically.

“Why?” I asked, starting to get pissed.

“Because I just can’t. You don’t understand.”

“Well, help me understand.”

“I can’t,” she said, before hanging the phone up.

Our fight should have been my sign that something was seriously wrong with her. We never fought, like ever.

Sitting there in complete silence, I thought to myself that maybe I was wrong earlier maybe someone happy was who I needed to vent to after all.

Unlocking my phone, I sent a group text to Emma and Maddie to meet me for lunch.

Talking to them was sure to help me get a better understanding of what happened, right?

That’s what my heart was telling me but my gut didn’t feel the same.

My gut was telling me that no matter who I talked to or what they said I was still a one night stand.

My brain agreed.