Tamed Read online

Chloe fidgeted a little and glanced at her shoes, which was a total mistake. I knew the shoe-staring was her thing when she was trying to keep something from me.

  “Don’t you dare look at your shoes, woman! Spill!”

  She sighed and looked up at me. “I don’t know his name or anything. He was just a guy who was sitting in the seat next to me this morning.”

  I raised my eyebrows at her. “And what does this mystery guy look like?”

  She glanced around, making sure that no one was near us. “He’s cute, I guess. His hair is so dark that it’s almost black, and he has these beautiful piercing eyes. Oh, and these really hot piercings in his lip and eyebrow. And he had some tattoos peeking out from the sleeves of his shirt, but I couldn’t tell what they were.”

  As she spoke, I felt my mouth dropping in slow motion. “You don’t like just any guy. You like a bad boy. Holy shit, I’m pretty sure hell just froze over. My little Chloe is crushing on a bad boy!”

  I pretended to faint, and she elbowed me.

  “Shut up. I don’t like him. I just find him kind of attractive. What is this—middle school?”

  I busted out laughing at her, unable to stop myself. “Touchy, aren’t we? Sorry, I’ll stop bothering you about the tattooed, pierced, and kind of attractive bad boy.”

  Underneath all my teasing, I secretly worried about this new development. Chloe had never once paid attention to any guy. That alone had allowed Logan to keep his sanity. If Chloe fell for someone else, I wasn’t sure what he would do. Logan was so in love with her that I truly worried he’d do something stupid.

  We started making our way across campus again, and we were nearly to the dorm.

  “So, I know it’s a Monday and all, but some girl in my English class invited me to a party across campus at one of the fraternity houses. Will you please come with me? I need my wingwoman!”

  “I really shouldn’t. I still have a couple of boxes to unpack, but I’m sure your roommate would be glad to go with you,” Chloe said.

  I stuck my lower lip out and pleaded with my eyes. “Please, Chloe? I saw Chad today, and I really need a night out. We won’t even have to stay late, I promise!”

  I really had seen Chad today, but it had been from several yards away. Still, even with that much distance, I would know him anywhere. Surprisingly, I hadn’t felt like crying when my eyes landed on him. Instead, I’d felt a hate so deep that I feared I would start breathing fire. My pain was gone now, but it had been replaced by something even more wicked—pure anger.

  She sighed and pulled me into a hug. “All right, Amber, I’ll go, but only because I have that super cute dress I’ve been dying to wear.”

  I squealed and started jumping up and down. “Yay! I love that dress. I told you so when I bought it for you! Plus, I have the cutest shoes to go with it!”

  I grabbed her arm and pulled her into the dorm and up to her room. As soon as we were inside, I started rummaging through boxes in my closet, and I pulled out a pair of killer red heels.

  She gave me a half-smile as I handed them to her. “Thanks. I’m going to head to my room and try to get the rest of my stuff unpacked before tonight. I’ll meet you back here around eight o’clock, okay?”

  “That works for me,” I said as I watched her leave.

  I felt like tonight was going to be the start of something great. I just hoped it wouldn’t turn out to be like the last time I’d had this feeling. That hadn’t ended well at all.

  This is amazing! I thought to myself as Chloe and I climbed the steps to the fraternity house.

  Drunk people were everywhere, all of them laughing and having the time of their lives. This was what I’d needed—freedom. Chloe and Logan had been great to me over the summer, but this was what I’d been longing for all along. I wanted to be around other people. I wanted to dance and drink and act like a stupid college freshman.

  We pushed through the doors and looked around. I smiled as I watched the massive group of people in front of me. My eyes skimmed over the live band playing Chevelle’s “The Red” and landed on a table full of alcohol.

  Bingo.

  I motioned for Chloe to follow as I walked over to the table. I grabbed two cups and filled them up with beer from a keg. I handed one cup to Chloe before taking a sip of mine. I looked around to see several guys standing around us, all of them staring at Chloe and me. I had to admit, we looked good. Chloe pulled off that dress like a pro, and I wasn’t doing too bad myself in a tight micro-mini and a bright yellow tank top.

  When two guys stopped in front of us, I looked up. I couldn’t hide my smile when I realized that one of the guys was the one who had been eye-fucking me in class earlier. “Pour Some Sugar on Me” started playing, and his companion smiled down at Chloe.

  “Hey, I’m Ben. This is Alex. Care to dance?”

  Alex. I liked that name. I also didn’t mind the way he was looking at me. He was attractive with light-blond hair and blue eyes. His nose was a bit too big, but it didn’t take away from his overall appeal. His body wasn’t built like Logan’s, but Alex was solid.

  I smiled at Alex before tossing my cup in the garbage and taking his hand. He led me out to the dance floor with Chloe and Ben following close behind. Once we found a spot in the crowd, Alex stopped and pulled my back up tight against him. I ground my hips against his pelvis, loving the feel of him behind me. He was the first man I’d allowed to touch me since that day with Chad. I hadn’t realized how much I missed being pressed up against a man until now. His fingers gripped my hips as we continued to move against each other. I lost myself in the music, enjoying both its sound and the way Alex’s body felt against mine.

  When the song ended, Alex grabbed my hand and pushed his way through the crowd. I followed him, checking out his ass as we went. It was nice to look at. When we reached the far corner of the room, he pulled me down on a couch beside him.

  I gasped in shock as he pulled me over to him and kissed me deeply. I almost slapped him, but something stopped me. The feel of his lips on mine were incredible. I felt nothing for him, except lust. I expected that to disappoint me, but it didn’t. Instead, it made me feel powerful. This man could do nothing to me that would cause me pain. I was the one in control this time even if he didn’t realize it.

  When he pulled away, he stared hungrily at me. “I’ve wanted to do that all day.”

  I pulled him closer, a faint smile on my lips. “Then, why did you stop?”

  He pushed me down onto the couch as our mouths collided again. I should’ve felt ashamed that I was letting him kiss me in public like this, but I didn’t. I was past caring about what people thought of me. I was tired of holding back from what I wanted. Tonight, I wanted to be in this man’s bed. Tomorrow, I would disappear, satisfied, before he woke up.

  He groaned into my mouth and thrust his hips against mine. “Do you want to go upstairs with me?”

  He was asking, not demanding, leaving the decision up to me. I nodded, and he kissed me once more before sitting up. He stood and helped me to my feet. I held his hand as he led me upstairs, away from the party. We passed several doors, all of them closed with a sock on the door handle. I assumed that was code for, Stay the fuck out. I’m getting laid.

  Alex led me to a room at the end of the hall. I stepped in first and looked around as he closed the door behind us. The room was small but still bigger than the dorm I slept in. A full-sized bed sat in the corner. A computer desk sat against the far wall, covered by a computer and several textbooks.

  I didn’t get a chance to look further because Alex picked me up and carried me to the bed. He dropped me, and I laughed as I lightly bounced across the bed.

  “I don’t even know your name,” he said as he pulled off his shirt, revealing a lean but muscular chest and stomach.

  “I’m Amber.” I pulled my tank top over my head and tossed it onto the floor. I stood and slipped my skirt and panties down my legs to the floor. I kicked them aside as I unclasped my bra and tossed it as
ide.

  Alex’s gaze traveled down my body as he pulled his boxers off. I glanced down at his hard dick as it jutted away from him. Yeah, this boy would entertain me for sure.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Alex said as he walked across the room.

  I fell back onto the bed, and he climbed on top of me.

  “Shut up, and fuck me,” I mumbled as he kissed a trail across my breasts.

  He chuckled. “I think we’re going to get along just fine, Amber.”

  “Mmhmm,” I mumbled as he ran his tongue across my nipple.

  He sucked it into his mouth as his fingers found my clit. I arched off the bed and grasped his arms. He grinned down at me before plunging two fingers inside me.

  “Damn, you’re tight,” he said as he finger-fucked me.

  My hips rolled, meeting his every thrust. Quicker than I’d thought possible, I felt my orgasm overtake me. I cried out as I rode the wave of ecstasy. Alex pulled away from me long enough to grab a condom from his drawer. He slid it on, and in one swift movement, he slammed into me. I gasped, my body trying to adjust to his sudden intrusion after over three months of no sex whatsoever.

  “Jesus,” he muttered as he pulled out and shoved into me again.

  It didn’t hurt as bad this time. I wrapped my legs around his waist, allowing him to go deeper. He kept up a steady stream of hard and fast thrusts. Soon, I felt myself building again. Just as he came, my second orgasm took over. I cried out as I dug my nails into his arms.

  When we both came back down, I opened my eyes to see him smiling at me.

  “That was everything I expected and more,” he said as he pulled out and stood. “I knew there was something about you the moment I laid eyes on you.”

  I gave him a weak smile as I sat up. “Do you want me to go now?”

  He paused for a moment. “Nah, you can stay the night.”

  I nodded, relieved that I wouldn’t have to walk home by myself. My thoughts flipped to Chloe, and I grabbed off of the nightstand where I’d placed it earlier. I sighed in relief when I saw her text, telling me that she was going back to the dorm. I knew Logan would pick her up and make sure she made it home safely.

  I lay back down in Alex’s bed and pulled the covers up to my chin. A few seconds later, I felt the bed move as Alex climbed in behind me. I was surprised when he wrapped his arm around me and pulled my back tight against his chest.

  “Night, Amber,” he mumbled. Within seconds, he was asleep.

  He was still asleep the next morning when I crept from his bed and got dressed. I gave him one last look and headed for the door. I wasn’t sure whether I should be happy or sad over the fact that I felt absolutely nothing for the man I’d had sex with hours before.

  I decided on being happy. This, whatever it was I’d shared with Alex, was much easier to walk away from.

  I looked up when Alex sat down next to me in class. I was surprised to see him in another one of my classes, but I was even more surprised that he’d decided to sit by me again after he’d gotten what he wanted.

  “Where did you disappear off to last night?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “I went back to my dorm this morning to get ready for class.”

  He nodded. “You should’ve let me know that you were leaving.”

  “I didn’t want to bug you. Besides, it wasn’t like I had to walk far. My dorm is close to the fraternity house.”

  He stared at me, his hesitation clear. “Listen, Amber—”

  I held up my hand. “You don’t have to give me the whole it-was-just-for-fun speech, Alex. I already know that.”

  He grinned. “I’m glad you do, but that wasn’t what I was going to say.”

  “Oh?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “We had a lot of fun last night, and you seem like you’re not the type of girl who gets clingy after sex. I wanted to know if you’d like to hook up again tonight?”

  “Again?” I asked, completely shocked. When I’d slept with him last night, I’d gone in knowing that it was a one-time thing, and I was totally okay with that.

  “Yeah, again. Maybe even more than once, if you’re up for it.”

  “You want me to be your fuck buddy?” I asked.

  He grinned. “I guess so. It sounds bad when you say it like that though.”

  “You want just sex. No relationship, no dates, nothing besides sex, right?”

  “Well, we could be friends if you want.”

  I stared at him, debating on what I should say. Part of me was offended by his offer, but the other part—the majority part—thought that this was a brilliant idea. I wanted sex, and Alex could give it to me, free of any emotions.

  “Would we be exclusive? Sexually, I mean,” I asked.

  He stared at me for a moment. “If you want to be, then sure. I’m okay with just fucking you for a while.”

  I grinned. At least the guy was honest. “All right, I’m cool with this if it’s just the two of us.” I felt like I should shake his hand to seal the deal, but I refrained.

  “I knew you’d be down for it.” He leaned forward and kissed me gently on the lips. “I’ll see you tonight then.”

  “I can’t tonight,” I lied. “I have plans.”

  I didn’t, not yet anyway, but I also didn’t want to spend two nights in a row with him. I didn’t want this to feel anything like a relationship.

  “Tomorrow night?” he asked hopefully.

  “Sure.”

  Just then, the professor walked in, effectively ending our conversation. I stared straight ahead for the rest of class, refusing to look at him. I should have felt embarrassment over agreeing to something like this, but I didn’t. I wasn’t sure what that said about the person I was becoming.

  I did know that I could never tell Chloe or Logan about my agreement with Alex. Neither of them would understand. I hated that I would have to keep a secret from them, but I couldn’t stand the thought of the judgment and disgust I would surely see in their eyes.

  When class ended, Alex handed me a piece of paper.

  “Call me tomorrow night before you come over,” he said before standing and walking away.

  I clutched the note in my hand as I threw my things into my bag and stood.

  Welcome to your new life, Amber, I thought as I headed for the door.

  Two Months Later—October

  Morgantown, West Virginia

  I’d spent the last two months loving every minute of college. I hated the actual classes, but everything else was amazing. I’d always felt held back by my parents when I was in high school. Now that I was a couple of hours away from them, I no longer had to live by their rules. Instead, I did what I wanted.

  I still spent most of my time with Chloe and Logan. Unfortunately, things had slowly—emphasize on slowly—progressed romantically between the two of them, and I had forced myself to take a step back from our threesome. They always tried to include me in things, but I felt like I was intruding on their lives.

  The guy Chloe had mentioned to me on the first day of class, Drake, had ended up not being an issue for Logan. After I’d dropped a few subtle hints about Drake to him, Logan had seemed to realize that he was about to lose Chloe without any fight at all. After more than four years of secretly loving her, he’d finally come clean. The two of them were well on their way to a permanent relationship.

  Drake would still hang out with us but only as a friend to Chloe. At least, that was what he’d claimed to be, according to her. I didn’t buy it. More than once, I’d caught him staring at her with lust-filled eyes. The guy wanted her even if she was with someone else. I just hoped she would have enough sense to turn down his advances if he tried anything with her.

  I’d ended my relationship with Alex after only a few weeks. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the guy because I did. I’d realized that he wasn’t an asshole like I’d expected. In fact, he was a truly nice guy. We’d become friends, but we’d barely hung out outside of his bedroom.

  The re
ason I’d ended it was because Chloe had asked too many questions. She’d noticed my absence and asked about where I was always sneaking off to. Finally, I’d lied and told her I was dating Alex. I’d told him as well. He hadn’t seemed to care that I claimed him, which had made me wary because I didn’t want a relationship. When Chloe had constantly tried to get me to bring Alex to places with us, I’d finally told her that we’d broken up. It was easier that way.

  Shortly after, I’d truly ended things with him. Sneaking around with him had just been too hard, and I’d grown bored with the sex. Alex wasn’t bad at it. He’d just seemed to like things one way only. He had instantly shot down any suggestion to change it up. That had ended up being a deal-breaker for me.

  Tonight, I was going to the bar where Drake’s band played—Gold’s Pub. I was excited for a night out with Chloe, Logan, and Rachel, who was Chloe’s roommate. I was wearing a sexy black dress, hoping to catch at least one guy’s attention. It had been too long since I had sex. Calling Alex crossed my mind, but I decided against it. We were finished, and I didn’t want to go back to him, no matter how desperate I was starting to feel.

  I left my hair down and applied my dark eyeliner and shadow with a heavy hand. After a few adjustments, I had the dark look I was going for. I gave myself one more glance in the mirror before heading up to Chloe’s room. We were all meeting there, including Drake. I couldn’t help but wonder how that car ride was going to go. Logan and Drake would act like asses when they were around each other. The last time we’d all gone somewhere together, Logan had ended up drunk and tried to beat the shit out of Drake, and that was before Logan had finally come clean to Chloe.

  I shook my head. If Chloe let it, that whole situation would become a disaster.

  I knocked on Chloe’s door once before walking into her dorm room. Logan and Chloe were sitting on her bed, talking to Rachel.

  “Hey!” I said cheerfully as I dropped down onto Rachel’s bed next to her. “Are we leaving soon?”

  “Just waiting on Drake,” Chloe said.

  We all chatted as we waited for Drake to show up.