Psycho Ex Boyfriend (Standalone New Adult Romance) (The Alpha Brotherhood Book 2) (15 page)

Sabrina

Age 20

Spring is here. It makes me feel a little better. I have to see Brent every Thursday and it’s so awkward that I’d probably drop the class if I still had the option. He hates me, absolutely despises me. He already has a new girlfriend, too.

I still don’t know what happened that night. I got drunk, sure, but I never overindulge. Or so I thought. But I didn’t even want to cheat on Brent, I loved him. Still kind of do. We were fighting a lot and he kept accusing me of doing these crazy things I thought I could never do. I guess I was wrong.

And everybody knows about it. We were the perfect couple and now I’m the dirty skank that cheated on the perfect guy. I don’t remember any of it, but I woke up in bed with him. I’ll never forget the look on Brent’s face. I still can’t figure out why I did it. I mean, how could I do that? I am
never
drinking again, not a drop.

A lot of people cheat on each other in college and everyone talks about it. I can’t believe my name is being whispered when girls gossip about scandalous rumors. It’s not even technically a rumor, people saw me with that guy. The girl that Brent was dating before me even took a picture. Leave it to a jealous ex to provide pictures that will never go away.

All of my friends were
our
friends and obviously they took his side. I can’t really blame them. My social schedule is officially cleared. My dating life is over, too. Nobody would ever get in a relationship with me now, not that I’m even close to ready for one. And now I get hit on by the scummiest guys who think I’ll sleep with anybody. The Resident Assistant of my dorm even asked me if I needed to talk before she gave me a strip of condoms last week! I am not going
anywhere
until my reputation recovers, as unlikely as that is. At least I’ll have more time to study.

I’m in my usual Thursday afternoon slump when I step onto the grass. I have two hours to kill until I need to get to the art class that I only took because of Brent’s encouragement. I don’t even need this class and even though inner turmoil is supposed to make you more creative, I am not feeling it. I’d rather hide under a rock. No, that won’t work, because everyone will assume I’m whoring around if I don’t show up. Maybe I should consider studying abroad next fall. I’ve always wanted to, and no one will know anything about that infamous night at that stupid party.

The sun comes out, warming my face. If only this weather was going to stick around. I was supposed to go to Costa Rica with everybody, including Brent, for spring break, but those plans are obviously cancelled. So it’s a week at home in chilly weather with my family, which won’t be that bad. I hardly ever see my parents anymore and it will be nice to hang out with my sister. At least she doesn’t think I’m a slut.

I pass a group of giggling girls and try to convince myself that they aren’t laughing at me. With a sigh, I summon a little determination to use this time to work on a project and look up at the art building.

Adam.

A little piece of my heart breaks again when I see how much he’s changed. The rest of it beats faster, pumping adrenaline through my system as I start running toward him. I stop when we’re a few feet apart and I still can’t believe what I’m seeing.

“Hello, beautiful,” he says, grinning at me.

Heat crawls across my face and my racing heart skips a beat. “What are you… how did you even…”

There are a thousand questions that I want to ask, but not a single one of them stands out from the crowd and seems worth saying. “You got taller,” Of course I blurt out the most trivial thing to say. But he did get taller. A lot taller.

Adam laughs, running his hand through that golden hair that’s gotten a shade or two darker. “Late teens growth spurt. I’m the tallest one of us now.”

My lips curl into the biggest smile and without consciously making the decision, I fling myself at him, tossing my arms around his neck. Adam catches me with a groan, lifting me into the air and spinning me around as I squeal.

He doesn’t put me down and my legs wrap around his waist like they have so many times before. His body feels different, though. His chest and shoulders are broader, the apple in his throat more apparent. The flesh of his abdomen between my thighs is definitely harder and absolutely unyielding as I squeeze my legs together.

But his face has changed the most. His brow bone is thicker, shading his dark brown eyes. There are faint lines on his forehead and his chin seems longer, too. Any baby fat he used to carry is nowhere to be seen, leaving his cheekbones sharply chiseled and the tendons on his jawline clearly visible.

If Adam is taking a mental inventory of me as well, he isn’t showing it. His eyes meet mine every time my traveling gaze returns to his face. I sniffle, my lips quivering as a tear runs down my cheek. He swallows and tries to smile, but he’s as overwhelmed as I am.

Our lips meet and sparks fly. I could give a shit who’s watching us. If they’re going to talk, I may as well give them something to talk about. His tongue slides over mine with a ragged breath, stealing mine from my lungs as we pull ourselves closer to each other.

We should catch up, go get lunch and talk. Maybe even just coffee. I want to know where he goes to school, how his brothers are doing, listen to him talk about his latest financial conquest that surely must be doing well judging by the fine fabric of his suit beneath my fingertips. But all that can wait. I am the campus slut after all.

We get to my dorm room and he takes a moment to admire my decorations as I admire him. My bed might be tiny, but it will do. For a fleeting moment, I wonder where he’s been. Then he takes off his shirt and my eyes are finally allowed to feast on all the muscle it’s been hiding.

“I missed you,” he grunts, hastily pulling my shirt over my head. I’d say it back to him if he would keep his tongue out of my mouth.

His eyes widen at the sight of my breasts. They grew one more cup size after he left, and then another after I went on birth control my senior year. He asks about that as he slides his fingers up my thigh, tickling my clit before slipping inside me.

“I don’t even want to think about where you’ve been,” I retort, gasping as his fingers try to convince me to throw caution to the wind. “You are definitely wearing a condom.”

“Fair enough.”

Adam latches onto one of my nipples, his greedy hands kneading the softness of my flesh as mine explore the hardness of his. Oh, my God, these forearms. These shoulders. I wonder if the most interesting part of him has grown as well. I’ve never been with anyone bigger than he used to be and I don’t think I can handle any more.

We finish undressing each other quickly and tumble back onto the bed. His fingers fumble with the condom wrapper as my tongue teases his neck and my hand wraps around him. I take the foil packet from him, tossing it to the side before sinking down on his length. He’s not the only one that’s been around.

He gasps, standing up as I drop to my knees. This part of him is the same and achingly familiar. His hand wraps into my hair firmly and my eyes shoot up to lock with his, giving him a stern look even though I have his dick between my lips. This boy knows better than to mess up my hair.

With a laugh, he loosens his grip, his fingers tracing circles on the back of my neck as I pick up speed. I cup his balls lightly, gently skimming my fingernails up the seam as I flick my tongue rapidly on the sensitive spot on the underside of his head. His knees buckle slightly, tossing his head back and groaning as I work my magic.

Then his body tenses and his eyes open, staring down at me as he cocks his head to his side. My rhythm slows in confusion and I watch his lips curl into a hint of a sneer. I don’t think he appreciated the new tricks. His fingers tangle in my hair harshly, twisting into a hold that keeps my head steady as he pushes deeper into my mouth until my lips are tickling the curls at the base of him while I struggle not to gag.

He lingers there, his grasp keeping me trapped on his length. I curl my lips back to remind him that I have teeth, but he just gives me the most arrogant smile and pushes a little deeper. My heart thumps against my ribs and the flesh between my legs throbs and swells. He pulls back to the tip, holding me steady and nodding. My tongue obeys him as my mind curses his audacity.

I am definitely not the last woman to have done this for him. And he likes it a lot rougher than he used to let on. He shudders, pushing my head towards him. Jealousy flaring, I let him have his fun and fuck my mouth. I grab at him but he catches my wrist, his grip tightening as my fingers start to throb. But he only has two hands and my other one is free. I rest it on the cut of his hip bone, barely skimming the skin. This used to drive him crazy.

It still does. He groans out my name and withdraws, sinking to his knees in front of me and sliding his tongue between my tingling lips. Adam kisses me over and over, some of them sweet and gentle, most of them hungry and desperate. His grip in my hair barely loosens when I slide my fingers up his sinewy forearm and tickle the tendons on his wrist.

Our eyes meet and he lifts me up to the bed, my legs hanging over the side. His eyes close and he worships the flesh of my inner thigh with a million licks and kisses. My heart flutters, my hand reaching forward to caress his cheek before his face disappears into my heat.

My hips buck forward, waiting to see how his skills at this have improved. Instead I take a trip down memory lane. It’s exactly the same, which is still good. I catch a glint of Adam’s watering eyes before they close again and he latches on harder. I don’t think he’s done this for a while, the strokes of his tongue slowing as he dips a finger inside me and curls it forward. He’s not even playing with my nipples. Has he only ever done this to me? That can’t be possible. But our eyes meet again and his tell me that it’s true.

My head spins as butterflies swarm in my stomach. I call out his name as my body shudders, my hands linked with his as I come for him. It’s a powerful release, fueled by years of longing and wondering. I’m still panting when Adam maneuvers my body to lie correctly on the bed and sits up on his knees, respecting my request for safety. I’ll let him know that I can put a condom on with my mouth another time.

He’s a whirlwind of groping hands and frenzied kisses as he pushes inside me. Now this he has definitely been doing a lot of. He’s rough and greedy, driving into my flesh with grunts and groans and a few nips of his teeth. I love every moment, it’s probably the best sex I’ve ever had, every thrust of his perfect length overwhelming my senses. My arms hold on for the ride, my fingers softly grazing the skin of his shoulders.

He jerks away and winces, just like he used to, grabbing my wrists and pulling them over my head. Adam holds them there, the pressure of his weight on my arms nearly unbearable as each thrust goes deeper and deeper as the flimsy bed creaks and slams into the wall with a telltale series of thunks. My body reacts to his strangely, tensing at first until he kisses me fiercely. Then I relax and give into his strength and savagery, watching him enjoy every part of me as rough as he wants it. I screech and spasm when I see him come apart with ragged breaths as his hands hold onto mine until they’re numb.

He collapses on top of me, the meat of his body losing that stone-like hardness. His brow pinches together as he chokes out a strange noise and kisses me, not even allowing himself a moment to recover.

“I’ve missed you so fucking much.”

“I’ve missed you too, baby,” I murmur into his ear as he hides his face into my shoulder. I forgot about how he used to fall apart after he came.

“Not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of you, Bree. Not a fucking day.”

My hands are free to soothe him, each touch and caress driving him further into this madness. He chokes out what I think might have been a sob that rumbles through my body as his shivers in my arms.

“I still…” he trails off, wiping his nose as he draws back to stare into my eyes. I’ve never seen his so crazed. “I never stopped… I still…”

I still his lips with a touch of his fingers that makes his eyes roll back. “So do I.”

The relief on his face is astonishing and his weight falls on top of me. He rests his head between my breasts, moaning softly as I run my fingers through his silky hair.

Then my dorm mate walks in. Adam’s bare ass is in the air and he curses, hastily covering us up with a blanket.

“Shit! Sorry!” Natasha declares. “I didn’t realize that you… had company.”

Sabrina

Age 20

Natasha is not my biggest fan. You’d think she would be over it now because I know deep down she always had a thing for Brent and now he’s fair game. I’ve tried my best to connect with her, but honestly we don’t have much in common. She has a class right now, one that she must be skipping. I know this because we agreed on a schedule to have a little privacy with our boyfriends.

With a judgmental stare, she saunters into the room and takes a seat at her desk, which is about three feet away from us. I roll my eyes back at her and pull the covers over our heads.

Adam’s face is so damn adorable, his eyes wide and his cheeks flushed as he hide his head in my shoulder. He doesn’t talk at first, making these goofy awkward faces, his eyes darting toward the shuffling sounds of papers and mouse clicks next to us. We start giggling and he rolls to the side, his feet tangled up with mine because he’s too tall to fit in the bed.

Natasha clears her throat, like she wants us to leave. I’ll be damned if this bitch is going to ruin our long awaited post-coital cuddle session. The pink sheets create a rosy glow in the filtered sunlight as we exchange tiny kisses and nuzzle our noses.

“Do you want to get lunch?” he whispers.

I really do, but I have a class. It would be the first class I’ve skipped all semester. I can’t think of a better reason. The door slams and I peek out from under the covers to confirm that she’s gone.

“Okay, we can get lunch.”

He throws his arm up triumphantly, casting the covers away entirely. “Are you busy for the rest of the day?” Adam asks.

“Not really. I have midterms next week, but—”

“Let me guess, you need to spend at least forty hours a week studying?” he chuckles. I just shrug at him. “Some things never change.”

“No, I guess they don’t.”

He leans in to kiss me, softly at first. I’ve kissed quite a few guys so far, maybe even fallen in love in a couple, but no one, not a single one of them, makes me feel like this. I chalked it up to the excitement of first love and maybe it is. But my entire body tingles when Adam touches me, the world disappears when our lips meet, my stomach flutters and my heart melts every time he holds my hand.

We’re about to go at it again, but Natasha raps her bony ass knuckles on the door right as Adam’s stomach rumbles, so we get out of bed. I need to wear something nice to match his attire. I’m still in my bra when she barges in again without knocking, her jaw dropping open as she takes in the site of all six and a half feet of his magnificence in a well-tailored suit.

I wear my shortest little black dress and highest heels, giving her a fake smile as we walk out the door, hand in hand. She can tell whoever she wants when we look this good.

“I know we’re a bit overdressed,” Adam says, “but I haven’t had an Italian beef sandwich for years.”

“Evanston leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to traditional Chicago cuisine. We’ll have to go into the city for a good one. I know a place on the North side.”

“I could call a car, but I’d rather take the L for old time’s sake.”

“The train?” I squeal.

“Some of my best memories take place on rickety plastic seats and grating rails.”

I bite my lip and grin at him. I feel exactly the same way.

Ignoring the curious looks of our fellow passengers, I thread my arm through his and he kisses the top of my head. We watch the city buildings get bigger and closer together through the graffiti scratched windows. The weather is beautiful and it will be the only good day for weeks, so I suggest we eat at one of the little tables outside. The owner pulled them out from storage, after all.

I never eat these anymore, they’re so greasy. “So,” I say, wiping the juice from my chin. “Where do you go to school?”

“I’m done.”

“Of course you’ve graduated by now. But where did you go?”

“I started off at Columbia, then spent a semester at Oxford and finished up at Yale last year.”

“Damn. Are you working on your master’s?”

“Nope. I’m apprenticing now.”

“Let me guess,” I say. He breathes out a sigh. “A mogul-in-training apprenticeship under an older brother.”

“It’s more like a two to five year evaluation process and torture session.”

“So what do you do?”

“I mogul,” he laughs.

“That’s not a verb.”

“It is for me.” Adam wipes his hands thoroughly before brushing his fingers against mine. “How do you like Northwestern?”

“I like it quite a bit. Well, I did until…” I catch myself. The last thing I want to do is explain how my longest relationship so far just crashed and burned because I’m apparently a black out drunk cheater. “Honestly, my social circle has felt a little confining lately.”

“I never stayed anywhere long enough to experience that problem.”

“I should be in school right now. I skipped class for the first time this semester for you.”

“An art class. I would never have asked you to miss anything important.”

“Art is very… Wait a second, how did you know it was an art class?”

“I, uh…” Adam’s spine straightens as he cringes. He let that one slip.

“Well?” All of those questions I wanted to ask when I first saw him come flooding back to me. “How did you even know that I went to Northwestern? And come to think of it, why the hell were you standing right in front of that building at the exact moment that I was heading into it?”

He doesn’t answer, popping the last few fries into his mouth.

“Adam?”

“I made some calls, alright? How the hell else would I have found you?”

“You made some calls?”

“Yeah, Sabrina. I couldn’t exactly call up your mom.”

“So you ‘
made
some
calls’
that gave you my class schedule?”

“You seemed happy enough to see me,” he says with an arrogant grin.

I roll my eyes and decide not to retort because I was happy to see that smug face. Happier than I’ve been in a long time. With a laugh and a shake of my head, I drop the subject. For now. “Um… are you moving back here?” I ask timidly.

“My life is in California.”

“California? I guess that explains the tan.”

“Speaking of which,” he begins, rising to his feet and gesturing for me to follow. “Your spring break is coming up, right?”

“Do I honestly need to confirm that for my stalker?”

Adam chuckles, searching for something to say. “I’m not your stalker.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“Stalkers stand outside your window, things like that. I could never be that close and not actually talk to you. Or touch you.” His hand is resting on my waist and pulls me closer. “Come spend the week with me.”

“Adam…”

This could go very wrong very quickly. A long dreamt of hookup is one thing. Vacationing together might leave me wanting a lot more. But maybe he will too. What if we still work together? Or worse, what if we don’t? Ah, fuck it. I’m young and probably not reckless enough. And curious as hell about who he is now.

“Okay,” I agree. “I’ll go.”

“Will you now?” he asks. “I thought I’d have to spend the weekend convincing you. In bed.”

I was afraid to ask him how long he was going to say. For all I know, he just wanted to end a business trip with a trip down memory lane. “When are you leaving?”

“Sunday morning, leaving you plenty of time to cram for Monday’s midterms.”

“I can’t miss school tomorrow.”

“I have to meet up with Jake the executioner anyway.”

So that’s why he’s really here. “Big brother Jake,” I laugh. “Do you still have that apartment complex?”

“I do. It’s only 92% occupied at the moment, so…”

“Tempting, but I don’t think so. Where are you staying?”

“Wherever you’ll stay with me. Though I must admit, I hope you pick something other than that quintessential dorm room with the cliché tiny bed and annoying roommate.”

“A four hour nap at a cheap roadside motel it is then,” I suggest.

Adam laughs, spinning me in front of him for a kiss. It lasts a lot longer than the old woman judging us would prefer. He pulls his phone from his pocket as I nibble the flesh on his neck, but then I’m distracted by the size of the screen and the lack of buttons.

“What is that?” I ask.

“The wave of the future,” he replies, letting me see it. “Courtesy of Shane. Expect something like it in 2007.”

I press my finger on an icon and watch the colors shift on the screen. “This is so cool.”

“Unfortunately, it’s all but useless without an Internet connection. We need to find some Wi-Fi to reserve a hotel room,” he says eagerly, looking at the windows of the businesses around us for a miracle.

“This isn’t California, Adam. We’ll just have to use it to make an actual phone call.”

He grumbles an obscenity under his breath. Spoiled brat.

********

There’s a man holding flowers and a sign with my name on it when I get off the plane, but it isn’t Adam. My stomach drops a little as my excitement fizzles.

“Mr. Goodson sends his regrets that he is unable to meet you in person. There was an urgent matter at his workplace.”

Can’t fault him for that. “Mr. Donovan, you mean.”

“No,” the driver replies, obviously confused. “You are Sabrina Wyatt, correct?”

“Yes, I am. But I came here to see a man named Adam.”

“May I please see your ID?”

I do my best to keep the frustrated sigh in my chest as I pull out my wallet and confirm my identity. As if I haven’t had to do that enough times today. Between that and the turbulence, I never want to fly again.

Once the driver is satisfied that I actually am who I am, he helps me retrieve my luggage and leads me to the car. The moment the warm California sun hits my face, traveling by air seems more than worth it. Palm trees line the streets just like they do in the movies.

I’m in complete shock when we arrive at Adam’s, or should I say Mr. Goodson’s, gated residence. Several bottles of sparkling water are chilling in an ornate silver plated champagne bucket next to an ostentatious display of flowers in the dining room. Next to those is a clothing box tied shut with a red ribbon that contains a tasteful turquoise bikini.

The price tag is still attached. I do a double take and my jaw drops when I confirm how many figures are behind the dollar sign. Geez, Adam! The fabric is amazing and I try it on just to see if it’s worth it. It does make my ass look fantastic, putting to shame the selection of bathing suits that I picked up during a JC Penny clearance sale last fall.

As much as I despise living off money from my parents, I rarely let guys buy my drinks or dinner when we go out, let alone fancy clothes. But it seems rude to refuse it and there’s no way I’ll be able to split the tabs with Adam on this trip. I’ll have to let him treat. Just this visit.

That shimmering water from his in ground pool is calling my name. It is spring break after all. I dive in feet first, holding my nose like a kid because this is probably the only time on this trip that I won’t worry about looking sexy.

A couple hours later, the sun starts to sink and tanning by the pool becomes impossible, so I decide to go inside and take a shower. Where the hell is he? I can’t help but be a little disappointed.

“Sabrina?” Adam’s voice startles me, making me drop the bottle of body wash. “I’m sorry I took so—” He stops midsentence as our eyes meet after I slide open the glass shower door.

“Hi!” I squeal.

He doesn’t say a word, his gaze falling to my dripping wet body. His fingers immediately undo his tie and start unbuttoning his shirt. The rest of his clothes fall off in the time it takes my heart to skip a few beats before it starts pounding in my chest.

Adam is in my arms immediately, throwing his head back to wet his hair and keep it out of his eyes. His mouth clamps onto mine with a groan and my fingers are drawn to the stressful lines on his forehead that he’s far too young to have.

I’m more than happy to help him unwind. He bites my bottom lip, reminding me of what I learned of his new ferocity from our few passionate nights together just a week before. I gasp, dropping my head back as he devours the flesh on my neck, his five o’clock shadow stubble dragging across the sensitive skin of my collarbone.

He pulls up to gaze into my eyes, a hint of a smile brightening his face. A shiver runs up my spine as he skims his fingers across my cheek, pressing his lips to my forehead.

“I can’t believe you’re really here,” he murmurs, shuddering as I caress the back of his neck.

“Did you think I’d bail on you?”

“Maybe. How was your flight?” he asks as he guides me against the tiled wall.

“It was alright.” My stomach flutters as his touch tickles the back of my knee.