Cruel Crush, page 14
part #1 of Hidden Falls High Series
“Summer, I’m sure you know Dante. He mentioned you during our meeting and said you were influential in helping our acting school get chosen as the recipient of a grant from the local School of Professional Arts Council.”
“What?” I asked. I looked over at Dante, who smiled back at me.
“Summer told me about your school, and it just seemed like the kind of school that fits the new grant. Our foundation was looking to reward a school like yours that was so dedicated to the local community, yet successful in its turnout of professional actors,” Dante said.
“Oh,” I said. “River…”
River walked out of the kitchen, his blazer off, and his white shirt sleeves rolled up over his muscular arms. He was dead sexy when he wore less. “Hi, Aunt Sookie,” he said, addressing my aunt as his which brought a smile to her face. “I was just cleaning up in the kitchen. Summer invited me to help her make dinner for you tonight.”
“Oh?” Aunt Sookie asked.
River came up to stand by me while his eyes turned to Dante.
The two male alphas stared at each other, like two bucks ready to crash antlers.
“What a wonderful surprise,” Aunt Sookie said, giving me a hard look. “You’re making dinner, and I brought Dante over for dinner.”
River’s eyes narrowed slightly as he glared at Dante, while Dante’s eyes gleamed with amusement.
“River wanted to tell you something on behalf of the Student Body,” I said. “I suggested he tell you over dinner…speaking of which, I need to go finish preparing it.” I rushed into the kitchen to pull out an extra plate for Dante and scooped part of the servings in the three plates I had plated for Aunt Sookie, River, and I unto his plate.
Aunt Sookie quickly joined me in the kitchen and said, “You seem to have two guys fighting over you in the living room, if looks could kill.”
“Really?” I asked. “They’re just friends to me right now,” I said.
“Oh, I forget, you’re still crushing over Nat,” Aunt Sookie said.
I turned to her and said, “I can’t help it. You can’t get over a crush for years just like that.”
“Even when he had sent you a clear message he doesn’t feel the same way?” Aunt Sookie asked. “Maybe it’s time you let go of the crush and just take things one day at a time. You’re still young. You have so many life experiences ahead of you. You don’t have to make a serious decision yet.”
“I’m not,” I said. “I know I’m still young. There’s a whole life ahead of me, and well, for now, my head’s focused on grades.”
Aunt Sookie smiled. “Wished I was that focused when I was your age.”
“You were a hottie at my age,” I said. “All the boys were all over you then. So distracting.”
“And you’re not?” Aunt Sookie asked. “What are those two out there?”
I grinned. “Okay, let’s put a stop to their staring contest.” I picked up two plates, and Aunt Sookie picked up the other two.
“Dinner is served,” I said, carrying the two plates to the breakfast table overlooking the ocean. The Pad was right on the beach and had the best view among all the beach cottages.
Aunt Sookie followed, placing the plates of Buttered Scallop Fettucine with roasted garlic vegetables down.
“Oh, I forgot the bread in the oven,” I said. “River, can you help me get it?”
River kept his eyes on Dante, but he said, “Sure, Summer. I’ll be right there.”
“Hurry or the bread will burn,” I called out.
Dante broke off his gaze at River and walked into the kitchen, grabbed the oven mitts on the counter and opened the oven. He took out the tray of garlic bread and laid it on top of a towel on the kitchen island. “Hmm, sounds delicious,” he said.
River walked into the kitchen, ready to grab the oven when he realized Dante had beat him to it. Dante was already using tongs to place the bread on each plate.
“Need me to help with anything?” River asked coming over to me.
“Maybe you can get the drinks from the fridge?” I said.
“Sure,” River said, walking over to the fridge as Aunt Sookie and Dante sat down at the table. I went back to the kitchen to see River getting ice from the refrigerator, placing a few cubes into each glass.
He had a frown on his face before I surprised him by slipping my arms around his waist from behind. “Thank you for making dinner with me,” I whispered. “Your bread smells wonderful, and the fettucine is perfect.”
River turned around and kissed me, “But not as good as you taste, Summer,” he said. “I still couldn’t get enough of eating you in the car and then here in your bedroom. Fuck, I can eat you up all day.”
“Not right now,” I said. “Let’s get the drinks over to the table now, then you can give my aunt the news.”
I helped River carry the tray of drinks over to the table, sat down next to Dante, while River sat down on my other side.
With Dante so close to me at our small breakfast table, his thighs nearly touching mine, I couldn’t ignore the heat that was circulating between us. And River. He reached under the table to put his hand on my thigh, rubbing it gently, his fingers on my bare skin. I could barely breathe normally with his fingers inching their way under the hem of my shorts.
I bit into the fettucine and said, “This is pretty good, River.” I looked at Aunt Sookie. “River said he’s never cooked before, but he helped me make dinner, cooking this and also making the bread. Can’t believe he made this the first time.”
“Really?” Aunt Sookie said, “It’s really good. You’re a natural,” she said.
“With a teacher like Summer,” Dante said, “any dish should be good.”
River nodded, “Summer is a great teacher. Patient, clear directions, and fun to be with, I wouldn’t mind signing up for any class she’d teach.”
“Well, that’s good,” Aunt Sookie said. “Summer teaches some of our acting classes at the Acting School. She’s one of our students’ favorite teachers.”
Dante looked over at me, “No surprise there.”
River smiled proudly at me, “That’s perfect. Summer can just stay at Hidden Falls Academy to teach your class rather than having to travel back to teach after school.”
“What?” Aunt Sookie asked. “Did I miss something?”
“You tell her, River,” I said, beaming at him.
“On behalf of Hidden Falls Academy,” River began. “I’d like you to know we have approved of your acting academy’s application to offer acting classes for elective credits at Hidden Falls Academy. This means students from our school can enroll in your acting classes for credit. Our school can subsidize the classes for the students as part of our school’s curriculum, which means you will have more students, more enrollments, more revenue.”
Aunt Sookie’s mouth dropped. “But I didn’t send in an application.”
“Summer did,” River said. “Um, during our Student Council meeting, she filled out an application for the school and submitted it.”
I almost blushed remembering how the meeting was held at River’s house that day he and Lincoln had the fight. I filled out the application after River had eaten me out and I agreed that his punishment for bullying me was to eat me out whenever I wanted. He was happy with that.
“What an amazing surprise, Summer,” Aunt Sookie said, looking from me to River. “You have some friends who really cared for you, don’t you? First the grant that Dante presented and now this from River.”
“Well…” I reached over to take Dante’s hand with my left and River’s hand with my right. “I’m grateful to have these two guys in my life.” I squeezed their hands, surprising them both.
Aunt Sookie looked over at Dante and River. “I bet,” she said. “And I think they’re both happy you’re part of their lives, too.”
“I’m honored to be a part of Summer’s close circle,” Dante said. “She’s pretty special.” He looked over at me, and I can feel his heated gaze on me.
“Summer is definitely special,” River said. “Everyone loves her, and if they tried to hate her at all, she’ll win them over, like she did with me.” He squeezed my hand and looked over at me, not afraid to show how he felt about me.
“Well,” Aunt Sookie said, “I’m glad Summer’s made such good friends at school.”
I let go of Dante’s hand and River’s and said, “Come on, let’s eat! I’m starved. It’s like I’ve been through a marathon race or something.” River’s hand was immediately on my thigh.
Then I felt another hand on my left thigh. Massaging me, caressing me. Dante’s large hands were rubbing my thighs up and down. And I was extremely turned on by it.
Oh my, was I turned on! I felt my cheeks flaming red. I choke and immediately reached for my iced water. “I ate a pepper,” I said. “A really spicy hot one!”
Dante’s face broke out in a knowing smile, while River reached for his ice water. He had a poker face, but his eyes had turned a darker deeper blue as though he was hot with desire.
After dinner ended, I walked River back to his car, sending him off.
When I turned around, I ran into something hard.
Dante Black was standing in front of me, and I had just rammed into his chest. “Ow!” I said, rubbing my forehead.
“Whoa, Summer, are you okay?” Dante steadied me around my shoulders with his hands. “Sorry to sneak up on you.”
“No, I should’ve watched where I was going,” I said. “Are you alright? I rammed into you pretty hard, and I’m no lightweight. I use my forehead for hitting volleyballs, you know.”
Dante laughed. “That explains the pain I’m feeling right now.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I tried to wipe him with my hands, as if that would help. “Um, maybe ice?”
“That would help,” Dante said, rubbing his chest.
I had hit him in the middle of the ribs, where it would definitely hurt. “I can take you to the emergency room.”
“I don’t think it’s that bad,” Dante said.
Without thinking, I reached over to his shirt and unbuttoned the area where I had hit him. It was red and turning a shade of purple. “You’re getting a bruise.” My hand was tracing his chest. His heart was at an erratic fast pace. “I’m so sorry, Dante. Do you have any conditions, like heart conditions, high blood pressure?”
I kept feeling his chest, trying to see if there was anything else to notice.
Dante didn’t answer me, so I looked up at him. He was a good head and a half taller than me, although I was pretty tall already. His eyes had darken, and he was looking at me like he wanted to eat me.
“Keep touching me like that, then you leave me no choice,” he said, his voice low and husky.
“Like this?” I traced his chest innocently.
His right hand grabbed the wrist of my hand that was on his chest, while his other hand reached behind my neck to grab it and pull me into him. His grip was hard and unrelenting.
His mouth was on mine before I could take a breath. Kissing me with such pent-up desire. Slow, fiery, and possessively. How long we were standing outside in the driveway kissing so passionately, I didn’t know. I didn’t care.
Finally, he stepped back from me, breaking contact with me and filling me with a void where he was holding me tightly against him, like an empty space.
I wanted to jump back into his arms. He reminded me so much of someone I loved and desired. Nat.
Dante’s eyes were flashing, and he blinked at me a few times as though he couldn’t believe what just happened between us. He reached a shaky hand through his hair and stumbled back towards his car, the black Rolls Royce that I saw parked at Aunt Sookie’s Acting Academy.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen,” he said.
“What? The kiss?” I asked.
“Not just the kiss…everything else.” He closed his eyes as if steeling himself. “I have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Then he took off in his Rolls, driving out of control at first before he steadied himself and headed away.
Chapter 8
Summer
Dante Black was a complete mystery to me. His kiss left me reeling. Did it affected him as much as it affected me?
I walked back into the Pad and saw Aunt Sookie loading the dishes into the dishwasher. “They’re both very interesting guys,” she said. “They’ll give Nat a good run. Cut from the same cloth.”
“But they’re not Nat,” I said.
“But Nat’s not here,” Aunt Sookie said. “And he won’t be here. He’s moved on. It’s time you move on, too. I know these guys are just friends, but in case they become more than friends, as I think either of them would like to be with you, Summer, take precautions.” She reached over to her purse and took out a round plastic container. “These are birth control pills. I know you say you’re not going to have sex, but take precautions just in case. I’ve learned my lesson a long time ago when I didn’t. And as your guardian, I want to make sure you know how to protect yourself, just in case.”
I nodded, taking the container.
“I know people have sex, and guys, especially around here have had sexual experience at a younger age. I know Nat said his Dad tried to set him up on his birthday with an escort, which I totally do not approve, but it’s there. I can’t change things in society about that, and things happen. I just have to trust you will use good judgment if and when you find yourself in any situation like that.”
I couldn’t believe Aunt Sookie knew about Nat’s surprise birthday ‘gift’ from his father. She must be pretty close to Nat for him to tell her that.
“Thank you for trusting me on this, Aunt Sookie,” I said.
“Not that I approve anything, Summer,” she said. “I just know things happen between people, especially with hormones and all. It’s dumb of adults to deny it or to think it doesn’t happen. I can just raise you the best I can to use good judgment. Especially when you have your heart set on getting a scholarship and going to the college and graduate schools of your choice.”
“True,” I said. “I’ll be careful.”
“Good,” Aunt Sookie said. She reached over and hugged me, kissing my forehead. “You’re growing up so fast, Summer. If I don’t tell you these things, as your favorite aunt…”
“My only aunt,” I said.
“Your only aunt,” Aunt Sookie said, “No one else would.”
Chapter 9
Dante
I shouldn’t have looked inside the silver Ferrari parked close to the Rolls Royce on my way into the Acting Studio. It looked curious parked there, unlike the other cars in the lot. Then I saw her, her head bobbing, up and down in the passenger seat before dipping down. Then her hands were up gripping the windows. Something was going on in there, and there was no mistake, it was Summer in that silver Ferrari.
So I moved close enough to check it out.
River Millions had his head down between her legs, and his tongue was all over her naked folds.
I couldn’t stop watching him eat her, licking her, sucking on her. And her face was in total ecstasy. As many women that I’ve had sex with, none of them turned me on just by their sheer expression of ecstasy when climaxing as Summer did.
I wanted to yank open the car door, pull out River Millions, and take his place between Summer’s legs to taste her sweet nectar, to eat her like the best most delicious food I’ve ever had.
Fuck it! I will have her. And I will enjoy all of it along the way.
Problem is…after that kiss which blew my mind, could I go through with all my plans for her?
I clenched my hands into a fist after getting out of the Rolls and shutting the door. Of course I will. I was the blackest of the Blacks after all. I have no heart. Even Summer Jones won’t change that.
Chapter 10
Summer
I was in shock. Dante Black was in the Art class I shared with him and River this morning. But River was not in class.
“Hey Summer,” Dante said, as the art teacher, Mrs. Morris, pointed to a seat next to me for him to sit.
“You’re actually in class,” I said. “Not going off to a meeting, like some CEO.”
“I am a CEO,” Dante said with a crooked smile. He looked around. “So, this is your favorite class?”
“One of them,” I said. “I have several.”
“Hmm, maybe I should be in more of them,” he said.
Something was a little different about him. He seemed cheerier, happier, less business-like. “Dante?” I asked.
