The Hunted (8 page)

Gannon: Sorry about that. I was rude to leave you.

Me: It’s fine.

Which is a complete lie because everything that just went down gave me bad vibes.

Gannon: No, it’s not. I’ll make it up to you tonight.

Me: I don’t do drugs.

And before my brain catches up to my fingers, I send another gut wrenching and horrifying text.

Me: I’m not ready to have sex tonight.

My phone flies into my purse on the bench of the booth, and I bury my face in the palms of my hands and begin dying slowly from stupidity. Good thing I have Ivy on speed dial since Gannon will most likely ditch me here at the pizza joint and join his friends after my texts.

The poor cheese of the pizza is nearly mutilated by the time Gannon graces me with his appearance again. He doesn’t take a seat but runs his hand through his long blond hair. The pained look on his face is clear as day and crushes my heart at the same time.

“You know what, it’s okay, Gannon, I’ll catch a cab. Go on with your friends.” I do my best to slide from the booth, keeping all my emotions at bay and sprinting from the restaurant. He catches my wrist, pulling me back into him.

“I’d never make you do anything you don’t want to, Bay.” His breath tickles my skin, causing goose bumps to race all over my body. “I shouldn’t have left the restaurant. I’m sorry.”

“What were you doing?” I whisper, avoiding eye contact.

“Buying pot and Adderall to sell.” He tugs me in closer. “Like I said, I shouldn’t have left, but these don’t come along often, and I have a lot of…”

“A lot of what, Gannon?”

“Customers.”

“You’re a dealer.”

“Yeah, but not many of my close friends know. I’ll never bring you into it and should’ve brushed him off. I’m sorry.”

And in typical Basil fashion, I fucking freeze because he’s being completely honest with me.

“Do you not trust me?” he asks.

“I… I… I… do.”

“I can take you home right now, Bay.”

“It’s fine, Gannon, just go to that party. I can have Ivy come pick me up.”

I twist from his grip and turn for the door. I won’t call Ivy and admit this all to her. I’ll spend my forty dollars I have allotted for groceries to get a goddamn cab. The night air is refreshing and fills my lungs with a bit of hope and strength.

“I don’t want to go to the party. I want to spend the night with you. Shit, I knew about this party last week.”

I don’t turn to look at him and continue to stare down at the black pavement and the different yellow lines painted on it.

“Bay, talk to me.”

Something in me snaps. “I don’t do this.”

“Do what?”

My hands fly up into the air. “This, date and go out and meet new people. It’s not how I’m wired. You need someone like Ivy.”

As soon as the words leave my mouth the picture is crystal clear. I’m not his type. We may be attracted to each other, but not right for each other.

He glides his hands through his hair, causing some of his golden hair to stand straight up this time.

“Then what in the fuck are we doing here?”

“I just wanted…” I trail off, not being able to say what I really want.

“You just wanted what?” His large hands grip onto my hips and pull me into him. When my body slams into his hard chest, I’m hypnotized by everything Gannon from his feel to his smell even after realizing this will never work out.

“I wanted you again like the other day.” I bury my face in his t-shirt so he can’t see the blush attacking my skin.

“That’s all you had to say, Bay.”

My face is peeled from its safe hiding place, and I’m forced to look up at Gannon.

“You’re not dumb, Bay, you’re unique and different that’s why I’m so damn attracted to you.” He pushes into me, and I don’t miss the large bulge pressing into me.

My mind instantly goes back to sex and the bags of whatever he just bought and the worry must be clear and evident on my face.

“Don’t worry, Bay.” His thumb circles my jawline. “You’ll say when you want to stop. You just have to speak up.”

Nervously, I nod my head up and down. His lips get closer and are on mine placing a very quick and gentle kiss. The presence of his lips reassures me and washes away all bits of my anxiety. Ivy’s always harassed me about getting medication for my anxiety and nerves and holy hell I think I just found it.

And even though this is all wrong, it feels sinfully delicious.

T
he sound
of clothes ripping fills Gannon’s small bedroom.

“Sorry,” I say and try to mask my giggles.

“Damn, hulking out on me, Bay? I like it. A lot.”

The back of my legs hit the side of his mattress, and I know it’s safe to collapse down on his bed. He follows me, covering my entire body and pushing into me letting me know he’s extremely excited. This is the third time we’ve been at his place and with each visit, our interactions become sweatier and more demanding.

He’s held good on his promise and doesn’t push for anything more than I can give. Van’s given me nothing in the weeks that have gone by and now Gannon is my drug and as sick as it may be, I picture and feel Van’s tongue every single time.

Teeth sink into the sensitive area around my nipple and then Gannon’s tongue swirls around the bud, and I instantly feel guilty for thinking about Van and recalling the size of his erection. But my guilt always morphs into a hungry greed that never gets satisfied. I plant my hands on the back of Gannon’s shoulder blades and let my nails sink into his flesh as a sinful sensation swirls around in me.

Gannon has used his fingers, tongue, and even a toy he bought me to make me orgasm and each time I’ve come undone underneath him, it just keeps getting sweeter and sweeter.

Using my palms I push up on his shoulders and try to roll us over. It takes me a few times, but I manage to get it done and am left straddling him as he’s sprawled out on the bed.

“This is a dangerous position, Bay.” He winks up at me.

I can’t help but moan and take a second to move back and forth over his clothed cock. My panties are thin and feel every part of him.

“I want to do something different tonight.”

He raises an eyebrow up.

“Not ready,” I say firmly. “But you’ve only … well, you know…”

“No. Actually, I don’t know.”

“Stop.” I slap his chest. “You’ve only came once when we’ve fooled around. Tonight I want to…”

“Here’s an idea.” He sits up and brushes the hair from my face. “Just show me.”

He kisses my forehead while rubbing his rough palms up and down my sides. I know he goes to college parties and flirts and fools around with other girls, but he makes me feel like a fucking queen when we’re together. All of his attention is on me, and he doesn’t let go until I’m fully satisfied. Well, only that one time.

I nod to him and then slip back off of his legs. Kneeling on the floor before him, I slowly unzip his shorts and expose him to the air. I don’t miss the sharp intake of breath from Gannon as his hand wraps into my curls and clutches tight to them. My tongue darts out over his already moistened tip as I take my first taste of him.

“Oh fuck, Bay, this is going to kill me.”

I giggle lightly against his head and then open my mouth wide to take him all in and begin working him over. His hips buck up, meeting my mouth glide for glide. I moan around his thick cock bobbing in my mouth.

My hair is taut in his hands and at the near point of hurting, but all of it combined together builds my body up for my own pending orgasm.

“I need you.”

In a flash, I’m flipped up onto the bed with my legs straddling his face and my bare front on top of his body. I feel his tongue begin licking and sucking at my sensitive flesh.

“Stop, I can’t focus on you.” I plant both of my hands on either side of his thighs, throwing my head back up and moaning. My hips move slightly, feeling his chin and nose touch my sensitive parts.

He attacks me taking all of my attention away from his cock. I fight to bend over and suck it but can’t focus on anything but the delight blossoming between my legs. I try to glide my hand up and down his cock.

“Ohhhh, Gannon, I’m going to lose it.”

His hand forces my head back down onto him and my screams are lost sucking on him. He continues to pull my hair and torture me with his magical mouth. Both of his hands reach down and tug my hair while his hips buck up into my mouth.

“Let go when I tell you to, Bay.”

We continue our rhythm for what seems like forever and right when I think my body can’t take anymore, he pulls me up by my hair and grips the base of his cock.

“No.”

I take him again and refuse to let him finish the job.

“I’m going to go…”

As he lets go, I join him with my own release and ride out my pleasure as I lap up every single ounce of him before I collapse onto the side of the bed.

“You didn’t say when.” I chuckle and slap his six-pack.

Gannon covers my body, settling his hips between my legs, and I gasp as our completely naked bodies finally line up. My hands run up and down his sweaty back and relish in the touch. It’s like his skin was designed just to taunt and entertain women around the world with its sexiness.

I once thought he was a fashion god, but I was completely mistaken–he’s a sex god sent down here to pleasure all types of females. I’ve learned he’s a player, and even though it bothers me at times, it’s times like this when all concerns disappear.

We’re only inches apart, and it would only take one thrust for him to enter me, but it’s something I’m not ready for. I’m not old fashioned or scared of the man. It’s just something on the inside of me wants to wait for the man who steals my heart and marries my soul, and sadly it’s not Gannon.

“That was amazing, Bay.” He bends down and places a light kiss on my lips. “I just hope one day you’ll let me have all of you.”

I grip his face in my hands. “Maybe one day, Gannon.”

“When is Ivy picking you up?”

I look over to the clock. “In about thirty minutes.”

“Good, we have some more time to play.”

His lips attack mine hard and fast as he subtly rocks into my hips, and I feel him grow hard again. He easily makes me lose all my thoughts and sense of time as his kisses trail down my neck and along my collarbone. His hands snake down between us as his fingers go back to work. My body arches up and bows into him as I fade away into everything Gannon.

“
D
amn
, you look happy.”

I plop down in Ivy’s car and smile back at her.

“Between your damn jobs and Gannon, I’m thrilled I finally made your schedule,” Ivy quips.

“Shut up.” I lean over and wrap her up in a hug. “I’ve missed you, Ivy.”

She squeezes me right back. “I’ve missed you something fierce, Bay.”

We get lost in conversation, most of it coming from her as she tells me all about an internship she landed and about the new guy in her life. It’s only been a couple of months since she told me to go for Gannon, and she’s been through three men that I know of.

“Now tell me about this glow.”

“What glow?” I ask.

“The one shining from you and that endless smile of yours.”

“Ha. A bit dramatic, are we?”

“Seriously, Bay, you seem super happy.”

“I am.” I turn to get a good look at her before I drop the bombshell, and I make sure we’re stopped at a light. “I just gave my first blowjob.”

“What?” Her scream is deafening, and the look on her face is just as priceless. “To who?”

“Gannon’s cat.” I punch her shoulder. “No, dumbass, I gave Gannon a blowjob.”

“Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. My little girl is growing up.”

“Funny, Ivy.”

“Have you done it?” She raises both eyebrows before focusing back on the road.

“No.”

“Why not? He’s delicious and super into you. He only talks about you anymore.”

“I’m not ready and I know he fucks around. We have a good arrangement.”

“You mean you don’t love him? Yeah, yeah, you were always going on when we were little girls about how you were going to wait for the perfect man and on your wedding night.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah and you were always going on about doing every man in sight.”

“Some things never change, do they?” We both laugh for a moment. “I’m just living life, Ivy. It may be wrong the way I’m doing it, but it’s mine.”

Ivy lays on her horn and flips off a pedestrian crossing the road in front of the mall.

My face heats up and I tuck my face not wanting to make eye contact with the stranger after Ivy’s temper tantrum.

“Fucker, needs to learn how to use the crosswalk.”

“Oh, my God, Ivy, you’re so embarrassing.”

She rolls down her window and yells out it, “Old people fuck faster than you walk.”

The man gives her the bird that she mirrors right back and then whips into a parking spot.

She kills the engine, grabs her fire red purse, and hops from the car. “Let’s go, slut biscuit, we have some shopping to do and lots of catching up.”

We spend hours in the mall roaming from store to store. My cash pile has grown over the weeks, so I splurge in the art supply store buying more blank canvases and some of the latest, cutting edge paints. I even toss in some pastel watercolors that I haven’t used in years. My tiny apartment has become quite the little art museum with random paintings leaning up along the wall.

I hate to admit that my favorite subject covers most of the canvases, and I’d die if anyone ever saw them. Over fifteen paintings of Van line the room. Some are just an up close painting of his piercing eyes while another just displays his strong jawline, and some even just have the silhouette of him. My favorite is the one of just his scar on his jawline. It’s a zoomed in version of it.

“Earth to Bay.” A hand waves in front of my face. “Where did you go?”

“Sorry, just trying to remember if I turned off my iron at home.” I lie.

“Before or after you swallowed Gannon’s babies?”

I don’t fool around when I punch her in the shoulder this time to shut her up. I swear I feel everyone’s stare on me judging me and my baby swallowing abilities.

“Want to get dinner before I drop you off at home?” Ivy asks, rubbing her shoulder.

“No, I better pass.” I wave to her as I settle my bags in the backseat of her car. “I have to work tonight.”

“Which job?”

I’ve tried to keep my lies minimal to Ivy and Gannon in hopes it would help in keeping track of them.

“Inventory at the coffee shop tonight.”

“Fun, fun. Hey, let’s go on a double date sometime this week.”

Flashbacks of the horrid date I went on with Gannon rise up, and I shake my head no.

“We don’t go on dates.”

“You what?”

“We don’t go out. We just hang at his place when his roommate is gone.”

“So, you two just hole up and bump uglies until one of you passes out.”

“You’re so dumb, but yes.” I shrug.

“Why don’t you date and go out with him to parties?”

“I don’t want any of that. I’m happy the way it is.”

“Bay, I’m just going to say this now, but you’re going to break his heart. The man is head over heels for you.”

“Bullshit. He still goes to parties and entertains other women. You even told me that.”

“Are you that dumb?”

I tilt my head and clutch the door handle, wanting to escape her twenty-question blast.

“He’s falling for you and wants a normal relationship, but is giving you your comfort zone.”

“I don’t do normal. I’m focused on work and school.”

“You mean getting into school and for the record you’re using him, Bay.”

“Okay, mommy dear,” I say in a snotty voice and fling open the door. “But hey, thanks for the shopping. Love you, Ivy.”

I bounce from the car and wave before she can assault me with anymore of her wisdom. She’s wise enough to know that I just drew the line, and she lets me walk away. Her words hit me hard, causing my heart to constrict. I am using him and enjoying every single second of it. It’s so wrong and needs to stop.

While unlocking my door, I look over to Van’s front steps and realize he hasn’t been around the last couple days. He’s been at work but nowhere near the apartment.