The Irresistible Bundle (120 page)

WET DREAMS

~ DIEGO ~

In this game of cat and mouse, I have to play dirty to stay on level with Desirae. She isn't afraid to pull out the big guns or throw a sucker punch on occasion to keep me off-balanced. The only way I ever feel ahead of our battle of wits and sensual war involves playing on her level. Its heaven and hell but so worth it.

"Where you going" Griffin's curious tone makes me feel slightly guilty although I'm not really doing anything wrong.

"Checking in on the girls real quick" I go for nonchalance but fail miserably. Griffin sees right through me and I can't even get mad when he calls me out on it.

"Dude if you were just
checking in
" he uses air quotes to emphasize the phrase, "Then a simple phone call would do. You just want to set your eyes on Freckles and get a cheap thrill while you're at it."

Yep; can't even try to deny it. "I won't be long." Griffin roars with laughter but doesn't try to stop me. Hell he won't even try and talk some sense into me. He enjoys watching the Battle of Desirae and Diego. Shit, I love engaging her... Just hope I survive the night.

~

I park a little ways away from the apartment complex in hopes that none of the girls nor Jaxon notices my car. I want to get in and out with as little drama as possible. Fortunately they live in a complex that doesn't require security to check you in and out. Plus I'm a constant presence and most of campus security is on a first-name basis with me.

My heart speeds up as I ascend the stairs. I enjoy bantering with the girls and spending time with my sister but I have one goal tonight and it involves my mouth and Desirae's unique flavor. It's after midnight; I know for a fact the girls have a major exam tomorrow in one of their rare joint classes. It's the perfect cover for being able to sneak in and out without being noticed. Either the girls will be studying or passed out from mental exhaustion.

I use the key Carina gave me. I still don't quite understand her reasoning in providing one to the guys too but it's their place and all four of them agreed upon it. Jaxon has no business being able to waltz into the place like he lives here too but apparently he's earned the right. The door opens quietly and just as I suspected, the lights are off. I lock the door behind me tiptoeing towards the bedrooms on the first floor. Andrea and Sati are upstairs which makes things a whole lot easier. There's still a possibility of getting caught but Carina is as good of an excuse, as long as she's not the one who catches me entering or escaping from Desirae's room.

The silent apartment creeps me out a bit. There's always someone up and about, making noise. Midnight is early for them on any given night. They're more night owls but I can't waste time wondering what's happened. Carina's door is closed and as much as I want to peek in on my sister I know she's had the guys over alternating spending the night with her on occasion. How she manages to balance two men in her life and make it all work is still beyond me but more power to her.

Desirae's room is directly across from Carina's. Tonight is probably one of the rare times that I wish it wasn't. Generally I love the fact that they're so close to each other. I ignore the hammering of my heart against my ribcage as I try Desirae's door. My sweaty palms don't help matters but I muddle through my covert mission.

Her room is dark but I can see her laying face-down on her bed. Somehow I manage to lock the door and slip off my shoes before I realize that I'm standing right by her bedside. My eyes devour her soft curves and flowing hair. She's an artist's dream.

The sound of her slow steady breaths calms me. I can watch her for hours on end. But the risk of her finding out and trying to castrate me isn't as appealing so I keep my stalking tendencies to a minimum. Tonight is about proving another point to her. Soon enough she'll realize that she can never escape me. I'm under her skin the way she's under mine. I want us to be at a stalemate with this battle. Maybe then we can both surrender and finally give into what's been building for so long now.

My hands itch to remove her panties but I know it'll alert her. I don't want her fully awake for this; I want her in-between consciousness and a dreamlike state. She can't fight me or try to seduce me when she's not fully engaged. Against better judgment I take a moment to smell her hair and skin. The scent of honeysuckle seeps through my pores. Shit, now I want to look and smell for hours on end.

I place feather light kisses on the inside of her thigh loving the taste of her skin. The desire to take my time and taste every inch of her body bursts forth but I quickly squash it. I use my pinkie to pull her panty aside, hoping to make as little contact as possible. The urge to drive my dick deep into her is almost overpowering but I will it away. This is about her but in a selfish way. Desirae wants me but she only wants to fuck. I've seen it in her eyes and the playful jabs she constantly makes. She'd let me between her thighs but it wouldn't be anything more than that; a quick fuck, hollow, yet satisfying. I won't give her that. If she wants my dick buried inside her, then I need for her to open her ribcage and allow our hearts to meld too.

But this is me being generous. This is me trying to meet her halfway.

I allow myself a few stolen moments just looking at her beautiful folds and soft curls. It's really the first time I get an up-close and personal view of her beautiful pussy. As much as I want to memorize her I waste no time. My tongue traces her folds reverently worshipping her priceless treasure. Desirae slightly shifts but doesn't close her legs. Her ass arches just a bit encouraging me to continue. She hums softly saying my name. I instantly freeze. Fuck, is she that light of a sleeper? Seconds, minutes pass as I listen to the steady rhythm of her breathing. Nothing's changed yet she murmured my name in her sleep. My chest swells with that knowledge. She may refuse to admit what she's feeling but I see it in the way her eyes light up when she sees me or the way she sighs when I embrace her.

My impatient tongue continues exploring; licking her delectable center while lapping up her juices. Desirae's hips squirm trying to find the source of pleasure in order to get closer.

"Are you going to finish this time or cockblock me again?" Her muffled voice surprises me. I pull back regretfully covering up her heated core. My hands tremble wanting to slip into her depths but my time is up. I don't reply waiting for her to turn over now that I'm busted. It takes all of my focus to quell my raging lust. I'm so fucking hard I can barely think.

Her breathing slows. Her legs remain splayed open but she doesn't make any move to encourage or rebuff me. It's hard to believe she's only semi-conscious. She's too close to waking and I don't want her fully coherent. A conscious, horny Desirae is dangerous. I know for a fact she has a drawer full of self-pleasuring implements that she can use to help bring her down. It just sucks that I can't be that option for her, at least not now.

It takes an eternity for her to stop squirming in bed. If the door wasn't locked I'd be worried about someone walking in finding me crouched at the foot of her bed. The rush of adrenaline helps me focus on my escape rather than the smell of her arousal and what I can do for her. I need to get out, now. I crawl to the door and gather my shoes, not bothering to put them on. A stealth getaway is necessary at this point. Desirae's adrift between sleep and consciousness and I want to be long gone by the time she begins to question why her panties are soaking wet.

Somehow I manage to unlock the door and get out without further disturbing her sleep. My heart wants to calm down but my brain screams that it isn't safe yet. I take a moment to look at Carina's door thankful that it's still closed. The apartment is dark and quiet just like when I'd entered a little while ago. I creep into the living room entirely focused on the front door. I don't really know what I accomplished tonight. If Desirae recalls anything she'll think it was all a wet dream. I'm tempted to throw innuendos around gauging her reaction but I don't know if that will end well for me. She's liable to blow up at my ballsy intrusion or she might call me a pussy for sneaking in during the dead of night and stealing a taste.

Something hard hits me in the shoulder causing me to stumble forward. I may've been lost in my thoughts but I know the layout of this apartment like the back of my hand. I look around trying to figure out what I ran into when my hand encounters a sneaker.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Carina hisses. Fuck she threw a shoe at me! Really?

"Um" I softly mutter. Fuck I so do not want Desirae to come out of that room but what the hell can I say to my sister?
Hey sis, I just snuck in to taste your best friend's pussy. Don't want to do it during the day or while she's awake because I'm afraid I'll cave in and have sex with her.

"You aren't an exception to the rule Diego" she begins scolding me. I furrow my brows trying to comprehend what set of rules I just broke. "No guys are permitted to stay the night. Even Marco and Valentino don't stay for long."

My mouth flops open and closed trying to communicate something. Fuck. Shit. Damn. And everything else in between. Carina thinks Desirae snuck me in tonight. Wait, she's not even upset or surprised about it.

"I... She..." I stammer. Oh damn this about to get worse before it gets better. I yank Carina down to the ground with me. She has the decency to muffle her surprise so as not to wake anyone else up. I take a deep breath knowing she's going to be fucking pissed. "She doesn't know I snuck in."

Carina takes a few moments to try and process what I've just said. If it wasn't so dark I'd be able to read her face and anticipate her thought process. Damn getting busted sucks. I feel like a fucking teenager getting caught sneaking out of his girlfriend's window in the middle of the night.

"So you just stayed in her room and watched her like some creepy stalker" Carina softly balks. She slaps my arm for good measure too. Fuck the women in my life are physical.

"Something like that" I warily reply. I don't want to elaborate but if she makes any kind of comment to Desirae or vice-versa then this whole thing might just implode, explode, or both.

"What the hell does that mean?" Oh she is not letting this go. I try to move toward the door but she throws herself at me. Rarely does Carina act like the annoying sibling but tonight might count as one of those.

"I might've looked and touched without her fully realizing it."

Carina pulls back. Its dark but even I can tell she's narrowing her eyes at me. Fuck better cover my junk. Carina and Desirae are fiercely loyal to each other. This might be one of the rare times that she wouldn't actually side with me. I have my reasons for approaching things with Desirae the way I do but I don't really want to share them with her.

"Don't ever take anything she isn't willing to give you freely" Carina's voice quivers. Air freezes in my lungs. Her comment scalds and pierces me. I'd never force myself on anyone but how can I explain this to her?

"Firecracker's offering a little too much of herself" I softly reply. "I need more than she's willing to give me. I refuse to just be another one of her fuck buddies muñeca."

"And how is this helping?" She motions to the closed bedroom door. My shoulders slump in defeat. I've always been known as the one to count on; the one who makes all the right decisions and knows the best path to take. With Desirae I'm so fucking lost that I don't know which way is up or down.

"I'm trying to meet her halfway" I quietly admit. Carina leans toward me patiently waiting me out. We've always been able to talk to each other about anything. "She's so fucking deep under my skin... I don't know what to do. I want to be the gentleman but I also can't help feeling like a caveman whenever she's around."

Carina cups my face instantly putting a halt to my ramblings. "It's late. Go home. Rest and pray she doesn't come looking to kill you." I smile wanly before kissing her cheek. Carina centers me. She's always been my rock with her unconditional love.

"Love you muñeca." Carina ushers me out without another word.

PIPER

~ DESIRAE ~

You think you're prepared for the worst. Thinking that since you'd been through hell and back that nothing else can faze you. I've seen too much; experienced ugliness and depravity. Why was I acting like this was the first time I'd seen something like this? I'd numbed myself to the world. Seeing Carina rolled into the ambulance shouldn't be a trigger. I purposely did things that make me uncomfortable to desensitize myself. I never want to be vulnerable again. No one will ever hold power over me.

But seeing the girl I've grown so close to lying on a stretcher completely motionless... Its done things; bad things, to my chest and mind. Flashbacks compete with violent chest spasms as campus security ushers us away. Garbled voices gossip disappearing back into the building while my feet stumble along the sidewalk.

The metallic scent of blood wafts in the wind. My stomach clenches with the intimate familiarity of violence and death. I can't lose another friend. It's why I distanced myself in high school. I didn't give a shit what everyone thought of me. I'd only had one friend. She was my best friend, my confidant, my sanity. All it had taken was having one fucking friend...

My eyes focus on my surroundings. The memories push against their confinement threatening to escape. I spent years locking them away; burying them so deep that it'd be almost impossible to resurface. Somehow I'd gotten out of the car and into the medical wing of the estate. I don't want to be here. The estate is my sanctuary, my haven. If she dies here... Bile churns ready to spew forth but I fight it. I can't overreact. I can't lose my shit here, in front of everyone.

"Have a seat" Nicholas' quiet voice echoes in the vacant hallway. Jaxon ushers the others to have a seat. "I'll let you know when you can enter."

Hedonism
is fucking impressive. From the moment you drive up to the wrought iron gates, coast over the cobbled driveway while gawking at the hedonistic statues littering the immaculate property you can't help but be awestruck. If that isn't enough the palatial estate takes your breath away from the outside in.
Hedonism
is a masterpiece of sensuality and luxury. Every sense remains alert not wanting to miss anything. My eyes constantly devour details of the building, the designs, and the decorations. It doesn't matter how many times I come to visit, my heart always flutters and my stomach always tightened with anticipation. The estate is a lover, an old friend.

I've seen the medical wing before. Nicholas spared no expense within
Hedonism
including top-of-the-line medical equipment, qualified staff, and hidden luxuries within these walls. The wing lacks sensuality but it isn't necessary here. Members come for lab work, physicals, and outpatient procedures not for a quick romp using the stirrups as a prop.

Bright red hair...

Landscape of freckles...

Rail thin...

No... Stop...

Memories slither to the surface with my defenses down. I'm so focused on the antiseptic scents permeating the hallway and the sterility of the white walls that I've neglected to keep the barriers up. This hallway reminds me too much of a hospital. I volunteered in hospitals for months trying to desensitize myself for this very reason. I should've been immune. I've train myself. I hate fucking triggers. They devastate. They destroy. They obliterate progress.

Blue-green eyes...

Crooked smile....

Petite...

No more please.

But Pandora's Box has been opened. My body tenses ready for the onslaught of memories. Each scene slashes through my frail armor. Carina might not be the only one in need of medical attention by the end of this night.

~

"Who is he?" She hadn't told me, yet, but I knew Piper had met someone. It couldn't be any of the jackasses at our school. She was too good for them. She was too good for me too but I wouldn't tell her to stop being my friend. She tolerated my secrets while being an open book. I'd never find another friend like her. Piper accepted that being my friend meant being shunned by the girls in school. God I love her.

"What" she asked all flustered. Her freckles disappeared beneath the flush of red on her cheeks and neck. We tolerated our freckles; not loving or hating them. On plenty of days we competed to see who had more freckles on certain body parts. Piper won the face and neck category while I won hands-down the upper back and legs category.

I narrowed my eyes not liking her evasiveness. We never hid anything from each other. We were the rebel outcasts but it didn't matter because we were together. Secrets were dirty bastards. I was only a sophomore in high school and I knew that lesson all too well. I bore too many of them and they weighed heavily on me. Secrets had a way of surfacing at the worst possible time. I hated keeping secrets from my best friend. One day she'd learn how awful I really was and then she'd be gone. Like everyone else in my life.

"You've met someone" it wasn't a question but a statement. Piper couldn't lie for shit which was great for me. I didn't need to waste time trying to read her body language. I didn't have to focus on the tone of her voice and decode the message within her words. Piper said what she meant and meant what she said. She wasn't a liar or manipulator. I was a pro at recognizing those at a drop of a hat.

"I'm not ready to talk about it yet" she nibbled her lip while looking everywhere but at me. Her words hurt for some reason. Tendrils of jealousy snaked their way up my spine. She'd met someone and wasn't willing to talk to me about it. Did she really think I'd make fun of her? Or was she afraid that I'd try to steal him from her? There were too many girls at school that pulled that kind of shit making it ugly to watch unfold. Piper finally looked at me instantly looking contrite. "There's nothing to tell... yet... But I promise the second there is you'll be the first to know."

My chest hollowed with her words. Piper filled the void left by the rotten bastards in my life. She was my sanity in the world of chaos. Now she was no better than me with her secrets...

~

"Valentino and Marco are here" Andrea calls out snapping me out of the memory. I curl my hands into fists savoring the feeling of my nails digging into skin. I'm not a cutter but pretty damn close. The dungeon allows me to indulge in any level of pain while not going overboard. It's why I can't allow myself to even contemplate cutting. My pain tolerance, hell even my alcohol tolerance is off the charts. It's better to never start what I know I couldn't stop.

Jaxon briskly leads the way. I don't want to be here but I can't leave. I'm trapped in a nightmare. The longer I'm here the worse it'll get. That sliver of a memory was just a taste, a nibble. I fight like hell trying to suppress the rest of the memory. Remembering Piper is easy. She was so happy, carefree, and innocent. She'd been safe until I'd come into her life.

~

I know I wasn't being fair. Okay I was being a fucking hypocrite but this was different. This wasn't Piper. Whoever this asshole was he was changing her. I'd seen it time and time again. Why did girls allow guys to change them? Why did they find it so easy to abandon their friends, betray their confidence? No guy was worth losing a true friend.

I was torn. I wanted to slap some sense into my best friend but at the same time I missed her and just needed her warm smile and friendly hug. I didn't willingly let anyone touch me; not anymore. But Piper was an exception. She helped me remember that not everyone in this world were monsters. She reminded me that love still existed. Her absence left me cold, bitter, and angry. I'd been that girl before I met Piper. I didn't like her; no one did. Piper was the light in my dark world.

She looked stunning tonight in her pink and beige corkscrew mesh hi-low dress. It was the same dress she'd worn to Homecoming. Envy raced through my veins as I watched Piper slink into a tiny sports car. My stomach tightened at the familiar car. I couldn't look at a BMW Z4 Roadster without wanting to puke.
He
owned several luxury cars with the Z4 being one of his favorites. Thankfully it wasn't
him
in the driver's seat. Some college-aged guy smiled at her before driving away.

I sat amongst the bushes confused and betrayed. First off, Piper had lied to me about tonight. She said she wasn't feeling well and couldn't hang out. Instead she was heading off in her cute dress with some mysterious guy. And that was the other thing. I'd been patient. I'd given her plenty of opportunities to tell me who her secret boyfriend was. I totally get why she didn't want to announce it to the world. She was only 16 and he could get in trouble, especially if they were having sex.

I bit my lip frustrated with my mixed emotions. I had no right to be bitter and resentful about this. Piper was like every other girl out there. She'd find her Prince Charming and fall in love. He may or may not be the one who takes her virginity. Piper was a virgin when we met. She'd been one before she met this guy but I no longer knew. I wanted to protect her but I also felt slighted that she couldn't trust me enough with this secret. I always thought I'd get to live vicariously through her when she finally lost her innocence. It wouldn't be anything like the way I'd lost mine. I wanted to know what that felt like... Did it still hurt, just not as much? Would the guy be gentle and patient? Would there only be a little blood or would the bed sheet be soaked like mine was?

I stomped home resentful. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to talk to her. But I'd never know either way because it was the last night I'd ever see of a glimpse of Piper as the girl I knew, my best friend. As I cursed the world crawling into bed, Piper was living my hell... I just didn't know it yet.

~

Valentino has me in some sort of death grip, as if he can protect me from the world. I snort at the ridiculous notion but he doesn't notice. No one notices much of anything except for the mournful cries of Diego in the other room and the constant beeping of the machine. Valentino doesn't need to protect me from the world. It took me a few years but I finally learned how to fend for myself. No, if anything I need protecting from my memories and self-destructive patterns. Like I've said before, I'm not a cutter but pain is my vice. I'm a sadistic bitch with masochistic tendencies. I can as easily inflict pain and suffering as I can receive it. I stay away from drugs, bad memories there. No control. No recollections. Alcohol numbs the pain, dulls the memories, but not much more.

With each hour that passes as we wait for Carina to regain consciousness from the attack I build strong barricades in my mind knowing that the sight of her battered body is going to irrevocably fuck me up. I shouldn't go in there but I need to see that she's still alive. The last time I took my merry ol' time and didn't check, it no longer mattered....

~

This is bad. Real fucking bad and I don't know what to do. Something happened that night and it wasn't good. If I thought Piper was changing it paled in comparison to who she'd become after that night. We still walked together in school. We still hung out at each other's houses but she barely said complete sentences to me anymore. The dark circles under her eyes and that vacant stare scared the shit out of me. She no longer liked to be touched and her smiles vanished completely. I knew. I fucking knew but I was too chicken shit to ask. Piper stuck to the same story. She still hadn't recovered from not feeling well that night and it was carrying over to several days later. She wasn't suffering from some stomach bug. My sirens blared loudly and angrily.

I couldn't ignore it anymore. Piper wasn't me. I'd been violated in so many ways, so many times but I'd learned how to numb the pain. Piper was too sensitive, too empathetic. She felt the wind's joy and the dirt's pain. She cried with the brokenhearted and celebrated with the joyful.

The walk to her house felt like crossing the vast ocean doggy-paddle style, but I still made the trek. Every quick step couldn't get me there faster. I always trusted my gut. My instincts had protected me on more than one occasion. Had I listened to my gut the night before my birthday I would've never met Mr. Pearce. Too little too late now.

The driveway was empty but I knew she was home. My hand wrapped around the doorknob not at all bothering to knock or ring the bell to let her know I was there. We'd only been good friends for a few months but we were on a
mi casa es tu casa
basis. The moment I crossed the threshold I knew... The coppery scent of blood assaulted my nose causing my feet to sprint up the steps. Intuition, lucky guess, I don't fucking know. I ran straight to her room dreading what I'd find. The door had been unlocked but it didn't look like anyone had forced their way in. The smell of blood grew stronger as I shakily opened her door.

Piper is slumped in her chair. Her body rests on the bare desk that was once littered with books and sketches. There is red everywhere but that isn't what attracts my attention first. It's the dress clutched in her still fisted hand. The blood drains from my face as I recognize the dress; it's the same one she was wearing when she went out on that secret date. But it's not the same dress. At least it's not in the same condition it was in when she left that night. My stomach violently turns as my eyes register the details. The dress is shredded and there's a large blood stain at the back of her dress. Innocence lost. Like me.

Rage shoots through my veins. That asshole with the fancy car didn't understand the word no. I had every intention of making the bastard pay when I found him. And I would find him. I may be Father's whore but I was a good one. I knew the right contacts to get this job done.