Fighting Heart: Fighting Heart Erotic Bad Boy Romance Series Book 1 (8 page)

“Hey, Paul, Greg. Meet Ashley. This girl is going places at this college, believe me.”

“Hi,” I said, wanting them to go away quickly so I could get this over with.

“Until this morning Ashley was due to pay a huge tuition fee bill. She had a nine grand debt hanging over her head, and Dean Mayhew was trying to force her off the course.”

“Really?” said the guy with the spare beer.

“Absolutely. But thanks to a little help from
A Friend
, Ashley is a free woman and the Dean can’t touch her. Now she’s totally free to join our merry band!”

I made a big smile, but now I felt embarrassed and super awkward. Even worse, Amanda walked in and joined us, seeming every bit the best-looking-brunette-waif-with-arty-hair this college had ever seen. When she looked at me, I saw bristling resentment in her eyes.

“Amanda, this is Ashley. The newest addition to our super-set.”

“I’ve seen you around,” was all she could muster. I’d seen her around too. And even though Brandon had really hurt my feelings by showing off that he had paid off my debt, I took a step closer to Brandon in Amanda’s presence. I was seething inside because the debt was my responsibility… and when it was paid, my burden had gone, where was my independence? I was so mixed up and tired, I couldn’t work out whether to be grateful or angry, so I hovered grimly between both.  Brandon took his pint and laughed with his friends, laying an arm on my shoulder. Amanda didn’t make any attempt to talk with me. The barrier between us was thick and cold, and I wanted it to stay there

“Brandon… I need to go,” I said, whispering to him.

“But you’ve finished classes, right?”

“Yeah… but still…”

He lifted the pint glass to his mouth and tipped it back.

“Then I’m coming with you, baby.” He grabbed up his jacket and said goodbye to his friends. I nodded a goodbye to all of them apart from Amanda. It wasn’t worth wasting the time.

I guess I should have known what was going to happen next. I wasn’t working until the evening and being alone with Brandon still felt so good, even when I had all these questions and some hurt inside. I put them to the back of my mind, and let him wrap his arm around me. I closed out the world, and the unpleasant swirl of emotions as I waited for the taxi with him.

“Why did you do that, Brandon? Why did you pay all that money for me?”

“Because.”

“Because what?”

“Because I want you to be happy and I want you to be free. Free to be mine.”

They were the last words we spoke before I surrendered myself into his arms. I revelled in his strength and dominance, and his masculine scent. His words echoed in my mind. I was free – but I was only
free to be his
. What did that mean?

His apartment was silent and empty. He took my hand and led me to the main room – living room - we had snuck past on Friday night. It was spacious with an array of sofas before a gigantic flat screen TV. There were side tables scattered around the sofa, but what immediately caught my eye was the deep white rug. It caught Brandon’s too. I still wanted to argue with him, or at least tell him that he didn’t own me – and that he never would. I wanted to tell him I was going to pay him off just as quick as I had intended to pay the Uni, but when I looked into his big shining eyes, I just knew this wasn’t the time. I stood in the middle of the room, on the rug. He read my mind and walked over towards me. Today I was wearing my long-sleeved T shirt, and a denim skirt. I knew the skirt looked good with my knee high leather boots. He looked at me and made his move, enfolding me with his arms, pressed himself to me and kissed me ravenously. His tongue swept over mine, and he picked me up in his arms and held me off the ground, seizing my ass with his hands so my skirt rode up and my legs simply had no choice but to encircle his hips. He was so strong and having my legs around him again felt so good. I kissed him back, sucking his tongue back into my mouth. He groaned in pleasure, then he let me down. His eyes were ravenous.

“I want you naked, Ashley.”

“I want you naked too.”

“I want you naked first,” he said. He was insistent and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as if he was drooling. I smiled at him, and I knew I had to surrender. It felt sexy, and yet somehow dangerous. A heady mix. I unzipped my skirt, and pulled my tights down exposing the silk underwear I guess I had worn just for such an occasion. I slid my boots off.

“And your top.”

“Really?” I teased.  He nodded. Brandon was on heat. I stripped my T shirt away, and cast it on the floor.

“Lay on the sofa, baby. You look so good.”

I walked over to the leather sofa and laid down gently, shivering as the cool surface touched my skin. Brandon walked across to me, stripping his shirt and T shirt. He tossed them to the floor. I gazed up at his muscular physique and drank it in. His hand came down and stroked the soft hills of my breasts, then his fingers teased in between the cup and my skin. He pulled my breasts free over the cups.

He laid his hand on my hip, and surprised me as he jerked me over into a kneeling position.

“Are you wet baby?”

As he said it I only then noticed just how aroused I felt. “Yeah, I’m all wet for you.”

“Good girl.”

He grabbed at my panties and pulled them down over my ass. His hands seized my hips and turned me around, and his fingers slid over my skin, down over my ass, down all the way until I felt his fingers slide between my pussy lips. I winced. The touching ceased and I waited. In the next moment I felt the skin of his firm abdomen press against me. I bit my lip. His touch opened me up before the head of his manhood pressed into me. I bit my lip harder and hoped I was open enough for him. His hands seized my hips and now he pushed hard into me, thrusting deep, pushing me up against the back of the sofa. I groaned in shock and awe at the feeling of him opening me up and filling me so suddenly. There was heat and pleasure. There was also pain. The pain was killed as his shaft pulled back and slid out so gently, I sighed again. The second thrust came, hard and deep again. And the third, each time I gasped, because it felt like he might split me open. He drew back and now he started pushing faster and harder. The feeling of fullness, the shock of his pushing, it blocked out the whole world. I felt his body suddenly tense, and he seized me hard and pressed his whole body against me with severe force and shafted as deep into me as he could. His cock throbbed and his body became a solid weight as his seed burst into me. I just couldn’t help but cum in response, the sensations had been so extreme. I groaned and ground my body back against him and he laughed in triumph. This sex was oh so good. But now it was bad too. Brandon’s desire was just as intense as before, and yes, it felt wonderful to have him in me, but this time was different. There was less tenderness, less care. Something had changed, and I hoped it wasn’t nature of our relationship. But I guess I thought it was.

I was walking down the main corridor, the central artery of the college building which passed the Great Hall where the degrees and honours would be given out at the end of the year. It was Tuesday, the day after Brandon had used his wealth to clear my debt, the day after he publically proclaimed me to be part of his cool arty entourage. It was also the day the dynamic of our relationship had dramatically shifted– even down to our most intimate moments. The sex was still great, don’t get me wrong, but from out of nowhere there were traces of ownership, authority and even violence in the way he treated me. These traces could have seemed sexy and maybe they were… but there was something else going on there too and it made me feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t process it yet. I certainly couldn’t talk about it to Cody either. Not about
that part
anyway. We walked side by side, Cody and I, talking and friendly, but not yet back to the level of trust he had given me before. I understood that. I had to go easy on him for a little while or else a potentially great friend would be entitled to shun me altogether. As we passed the Dean’s office and his door opened and a male student emerged with a glum look on his face. The Dean stood in the door behind him and I caught his eye. I really didn’t want a conversation with him right then, but he called me over.

“Ashley! How are you feeling after yesterday’s turn of events? Relieved I assume?”

I walked over with Cody, not wanting the Dean to discuss my affairs in front of the bustling corridor full of my fellow students.

“Relieved is one word. At least I won’t get kicked out now,” I said.“Um, no. No, not on account of your finances. You have every chance of making the best of your time here now. Did you work out who your benefactor was?”

“I think so,” I said.

“There could only have been one or two people intimate enough with your affairs to want to part with such a huge sum…”

I stared at the Dean. He was being deliberately vague, but the way he chose his words was loaded with innuendo. Intimate... Affairs... He was insinuating some guy had paid off my debt for sex. What a complete bastard! I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

“I’m an honest person, Dean. Cody here knows all about my situation. I haven’t slept with him yet.”

“That’s not at all what I meant, Ashley, just…” said the Dean.

“Of course you didn’t, because comments like that coming from a senior academic here at Smiths would be highly
inappropriate,
maybe even career threatening, wouldn’t they?”

“Of course, but that wasn’t what I said or meant. I simply meant to share congratulations, Ashley. That’s all.”

“Then thank you. I’ve got to get ready for class. See you later Dean.”

The Dean was flushed in the face and his eyes were wide and mortified. He closed the door as quickly as he could.

“Wow. You had the balls to put someone like him back in his box. These people are like small gods in this place. I could never do what you’ve just done,” said Cody.

“Yes you could, Cody. When someone’s an arsehole, it’s your moral duty to let them know.”

“That’s great. What you just said, I have to use that in my book,” said Cody, grinning.

“If you do, I want royalties.”

“Do you really think the Dean was insinuating…”

“Yes I do.”

Cody was quiet for a beat. I knew he was thinking. He changed his tone of voice to sound upbeat but it came it false.

“So, are you and Brandon… an item?” asked Cody hesitantly.

“This is because of what the Dean said.”

“Partly. But I do know Brandon is one of the super cool set and that he gets in the press a lot and that he has money behind him… and he’s had some early success in the literary field. I mean, I’ve read his stuff. I don’t really rate it if I’m honest. It’s all about shock without content. Maybe he read that Brett Easton Ellis guy and is trying to be a Brit version… it’s cheap. It’s not for me.”

“Thanks for the review on Brandon. I haven’t read his stuff, Cody. Not yet.  I’ve been so busy and we only just hooked up last week. He’s a good looking guy and he helped me get that job at Purdy’s…”

“So you hooked up with him... What, as a thank you?”

“Cody! You sound like the fucking Dean.”

“Look, I’m sorry. It’s none of my business,” he said.

“No…” I sighed. “Maybe not. But my head is in a mess right now and I really need to talk this through with somebody.” I looked at Cody, knowing this was awkward. I knew Cody wasn’t the right one to talk to, but I just didn’t need any more of this judgement. Penny wasn’t around and I needed to clear my head badly. “Let’s go and talk,” I said.

“Sure,” said Cody, looking all down in the mouth.

“But you’ve got to promise me one thing. You must not judge me and you have to stay impartial, okay? Please?”

I saw Cody struggle with that a second. “Sure,” he said.

Then we walked to the canteen, and my heart was racing, because I had a ton of seething confusion and concern rising up in me which I was finally about to let out.

After I’d told him everything, Cody sat and looked at me and scratched his head. He looked half like a pissed off teenager having a sulk, and half like he wanted to hug me. I waited to see which side won the war.

“You think it’s changed your relationship? The money I mean,” said Cody.

“I
know
it has. From the get-go he started treating me differently, parading me around at the Union in front of his friends. They don’t even like me. I’ve got nothing in common with them.  Then he told them about what he did in paying off the debt. That was so embarrassing.”

“Embarrassing! That was crass. I wouldn’t ever have done that,” he said.

“Yeah, so he made it look like he owns me. I hate that. I’ve always been independent. As in
always
,” I said.

“I know. I can see that.”

“Here’s the thing. I think it even changed how things were between us… intimately.” Now I blushed. I was in very strange territory.

“You really don’t have to tell me that stuff, Ashley.”

“I know. I know, I’m sorry…” Then I blurted it out. “But suddenly he’s controlling me in all these other little ways. I’m not sure I like it, Cody. I mean, I’m not even sure I want to think of this as a relationship right now. We’ve only been together twice… I just don’t know.”

“I can’t advise you on the, uh, intimate part, Ash, but if you feel bad, you shouldn’t do anything you don’t want to. You’re not obliged, so just refuse, say no, and don’t go home with him. Whatever. It’s your choice. He doesn’t own you Ashley. He never will. You didn’t ask him to pay them off, did you?”

I shook my head, relieved to hear his words reflecting my own thoughts. And at the same time I was getting angry with Brandon for taking me for granted.

“I need to pay him off, Cody.”

Cody nodded but said nothing. He was already lost in deep thought. Paying off Brandon was easier said than done. I still had to work every damn hour of the day and night to earn that money, and now in some respects it was even worse. I now had to get myself free from my debt to a man who seemed to be changing with each day. I wanted out as quickly as I could. Brandon was delicious, and tempting, but already I felt I needed to tear myself away from his gravitational pull.