You Promised Me Page 4
“Thanks Drew. I am okay, honestly. Just super tired and hungry. I am crazy nervy for tomorrow too,” I reply tentatively, and with a final look at me, he returns to his seat. His friendly eyes, still watching me closely.
“Are you okay?” Dom asks almost as soon as Drew’s gaze drops from me, his interest returning to the food in front of him. Dom’s eyes are far from friendly, as I look into them, they are full of unabashed interest. His look, lingering.
I nod my head in answer, offering a small smile as I break our stare. He settles next to me, his chair inching insurmountably closer, before he too falls back into the conversation flowing around our table, starting his own entree.
The food looks amazing, not that I will expect anything less. The whole place is next level impressive, so the food and drinks will match, but honestly every plate offered tastes like ash. I insist upon myself to be involved in the easy conversation at our table and I will myself not to look at Hunter. I do a pretty impressive job, making it through the evening to coffee, despite my nerves and anxiousness.
The carefree chatter on our table is interrupted when Connor and Hunter suddenly appear.
“How are we doing folks? We are just doing the rounds, super fast tonight! I just really wanted to quickly introduce ourselves. I am Connor, and this is Hunter. Welcome to St. Joseph’s, we hope you have had a good night, no doubt one or both of us will hopefully catch up with you individually over the next few days. It’s great to see you all settling in,” Connor is a natural, people person, it is so evident in his words and how he stands, his confidence wraps around him like a wooly jumper. I focus absolutely everything I have on him. I will myself, not, to look at Hunter.
I succeed at my little game of ignoring Hunter, until Dom makes a move. Whether calculated or not, Dom takes the opportunity to place his arm over the back of my seat. To anyone else it will be a relaxed, innocent gesture but my body locks down in surprise, while my eyes flash to Hunter whose pretty eyes betray his aggravation, he avoids my gaze though, instead locking on Dom’s arm over the back of my chair. A quick look at Dom and I note a little smirk runs over his face.
“Ahh, there you are!” Connor says with a laugh on his face, unintentionally breaking the strange battle between the three of us, “I am glad you found your seat after I rescued your bag.”
“Um yeah, I’m a terrible klutz, thanks again, I appreciate you grabbing it. I seem to be dropping and breaking everything at the moment,” I reply back, good-naturedly, my words flying out of my mouth, trying to calm the rising tension that quickly descends over our table. Drew, Caleb, Hartley, and the unknowns ping pong their eyes over the four of us.
“You are breaking everything aren't you,” Hunter snarls back and silences the table completely. I drop my eyes in shock, instantly a heated flush starts from the bottom of my feet and rushes through my body. Hartley turns to look at me, but I refuse to look at her too.
My face continues to redden as I feel nearly everyone turn to look at me, no doubt trying to figure this out. Dom takes the rising tension even higher, placing his hand suddenly on my shoulder, “Come on, you have had a big day, I am walking you up to your suite,” he offers, ignoring everything happening around us, either ignorantly or not, standing beside me quickly and grabbing my bag. “Goodnight gents, ladies thank you for a pleasant evening. I will see you in a bit Drew, otherwise till tomorrow!” Dom takes command of the situation when he grabs my hand, pulling me away from our stunned table. I throw a half-assed wave over my shoulder and swear I hear a growl sounding from behind us.
It’s a strange feeling being dragged, rescued from the table by Dom. I am beyond thankful for his presence but at the same time I am a bit put out by his ballsy assumption. He doesn’t stop or even speak to me until we are back at the lifts in the main foyer, which is a good distance from the dinner in the ballroom. Still silent and a little domineering, he walks me towards the mirrored lifts, pushing the button for the lift before taking a stand behind me while we wait. I feel his presence at my back and strangely it fills me with comfort, a sense of protection almost. Dom shamelessly watches my every reaction to him with a burning intensity, that I feel and see in our reflection on the mirrored doors.
“Ginny, I would really like the opportunity of getting to know you. I think we have an instant connection, can you feel it?” he says softly as he watches my reaction before he allows his finger to slowly trail up over my shoulder to the base of my neck. He flicks my hair out of the way and lets his fingers linger in the intimate space. I honestly feel this connection he speaks about, but it feels too raw, too sudden and I can only focus on all the bad things it stirs in me at the moment.
Thankfully, or regretfully, the lift dings and his fingers still. It’s probably a good thing that the mirrored lift doors slide open, our reflection disappearing because he confuses the heck out of me and I am sure, it is written all over my face.
“Yeah Dom, I think I would like that, too. I need a lot of time and some space, but getting to know you sounds good,” I offer back to him, my face and body still facing the open lift, so he can’t get a proper read on me. I step towards the empty lift turning to face him, “thank you for bringing me safely here,” I say as the doors start to close between us, a small smile on my face. Movement behind Dom has me looking over to the glass doors that lead from the foyer, to the outside walkway back to the ballroom, where a visibly angry Hunter lurks in the shadows.
This night can’t get any stranger.
The days after the welcome dinner, as the staff indicated, are a chaotic, organized mess of small intimate meets, while we also try to find our classes, adjust to the very demanding curriculum at St Joseph’s and get used to living away from home. The sheer amount of work they distribute in the first week alone has me clenching my teeth at the end of each lesson as I struggle to figure out how I will juggle all the expected assignments and homework tasks. My mind is abuzz and I feel like I am being pulled in every which way, even sometimes struggling to remember the names of people in my class. Either way, I am really enjoying the challenge and quickly force myself into a good structured routine.
Each morning through the week, I start the day at the gym at five am, meeting my PT to work through a cardio then weights session. The workout leaves me sweaty, energised, and focussed for the day. Even at home, I have always been active, participating in a myriad of sports, after school activities, committees. The physical challenge certainly helps me reign in the buzz in my head.
I usually go straight from the gym to breakfast and sit with everyone at our regular table. Dom, Drew and Caleb are always there by the time I sit down with my green tea and bowl of fruit, I share a lot of classes with them, so we study a lot in the study rooms that are allocated around St Joseph’s when we are not in class. The girls are on a different schedule to us due to our majors, but we always meet up for meals, which ends in a catch-up goss and a laugh.
Hartley has installed herself in the popular clique and spends her time fluttering around from group to group but she is always close by. She is still my BFF but she needs more than I can give her, my drive always competes with our time together, and it always wins.
St Joseph’s feels good. Surprisingly, I think I am starting to feel confident with the people around me. I have always been one of those people who doesn’t have a lot of friends. It is hard to find real people, people that get me, and who have me no matter what. So often people just want to friend me for my money and my connections, and I certainly don’t have the patience or smarts to handle teenage drama and angst. It is just not in my makeup. I am used to an older crowd because of my involvement at Bellafonte Corporation but I am slowly getting the hang of Saint’s life.
“I’m thinking we need a night of movies, popcorn and laughs, what about you Ginny, you in?” Hartley asks, throwing her arm around my shoulders on Friday night in the hallway of our suites. I have just finished three hours slogging through advanced calculus and my brain is mush.
“Umm, Dom has offered to host tonight. We are going to go up after dinner if that is good?”
“Yep. Let me change and call mum, I will meet you downstairs at dinner in about twenty,” I say as I finish opening the door, I hear her murmur behind me as the door closes.
One of my habits that Grandpa taught me is to unpack my books and laptop onto my desk as soon as I get home, pretty much before anything else, in preparation for a new day. We used to sit together when I got home from school, he would always be waiting at the door, together we would walk up and chat about my day while leading me through how to plan for the next. Such a little thing but even far away from him, it brings a smile to my face, makes me feel not so alone. I look at his photo again, that sits near my diary, before I hop up to get changed. A movie is just what I feel like after an afternoon of quadratic conversion.
I am walking back from my study lost in the assignment I need to work on tomorrow, my tie is hanging undone, my white St Joseph’s shirt is unbuttoned, hanging open and I am tugging it out of my formal uniform skirt, when the doorbell sounds.
“Come on Hartley, I said I would meet you! It’s unlocked, you impatient wench! I am going to shower,” I speak clear enough so that she can hear me. The door pushes open as I finally wrestle myself out of my shirt leaving me in just my white push up bra, but it’s not Hartley standing there, it is Hunter.
His eyes drop down from my face instantly drinking in my half undressed state. He takes his time and isn't ashamed to do it, slowly. Stepping further into my room so that the door shuts behind him. The lack of noise is deafening, and my heart starts a loud thudding in my surprise and shock. He doesn’t move an inch, well except for his eyes, which keep dancing over me.
“Hunter? What the hell! What are you doing here?” I say loudly, to break the spell he is under, while reaching down to grab my shirt, holding it up to shield myself from his gaze.
“Gigi, you always answer the door like that? I really don’t want you to. Who knows who it could have been.” His voice is so low and husky. I don’t know this side of Hunter, but jeepers creepers, I want to, my body responds instantly.
“What do you want Hunter? You made it pretty clear the other day you weren’t going to speak with me, not going to be my friend, so I am a little confused as to why you are here now?” I growl back at him. I didn’t realise how angry I am after his rejection the other day, but the sleepless nights when I have done nothing but run our conversation on repeat has seen my hurt to blossom into growing anger.
“I never said I didn’t want you, Gigi. I just said I wouldn’t be your friend,” he says, his eyes stopping their caress of my body, instead zeroing in on my mouth.
“You know what Hunter, I can’t do this. I won’t. I want you to go. You were ridiculously clear, your words stingingly so when I arrived. Run off back to your little girlfriend, I have places to be,” I say and then I made the mistake of turning my back to him.
He is on me in an instant, pulling me back, tearing my shirt out of my hands, letting it fall to the floor. His hands are so gentle, but confident too, as they twist over my bare stomach, trailing their way up my body as he lowers his mouth so that it hovers over my shoulder. I feel his breath on my skin before he spins me so that I am facing him and his eyes, dark and huge, are demanding, giving away his intention before he even moves.
His body towers over mine, his presence is so enthralling that I can’t move, even if I try, but I’m not held in fear. Instead, my heart races in my own excitement and interest. His hands move determinedly, but excruciatingly slowly, like he is touching glass and doesn’t want to leave a mark. He trails them over my body, finally stopping his journey of discovery on my face, where he just holds me with beautiful fragility. His eyes are ablaze and I honestly am trapped, I can’t escape even if I want to. Just like the time behind the shed when we promised and swapped our blood, time stills again as he moves his face to mine, his lips getting closer and closer to mine. I feel him breathing before I feel him kissing me ever so softly, so sweetly, that I lean forward in response. And then suddenly, the world regains its spin, and I swear we hurtle into hyperdrive.
He pushes me against the wall before he kisses me again. This time it is pure possession and passion, his lips are searing hot and commanded my everything. His tongue wants in and I give it to him without hesitance. He holds me like I am crystal and then he shatters me into a thousand pieces with each touch, each lick, kiss, and noise he gives. His body moves impossibly closer, his huge hand drops to my leg and he hitches it up over his hip so that there is less space between us. Without thinking, I pretty much jump up and hook both my legs around his waist, binding my feet together behind him, drawing him nearer still.
He stops once he feels me settle into him, looking at me with those stunning azure blue eyes, his mouth open, his panting inhales the only noise in the room, before he dips his head slower and this time kisses me like there is no tomorrow.
I am lost in our kisses and touches and didn’t notice his hand dropping until I felt them around my neck, but he tricked me as he drops his mouth to my throat as well. He licked, sucked, and bit me without abandon and I know I will be wearing his mark, but still, I stretched my neck giving him better access. He finished with a little kiss at the base of my throat before pulling his head up, laying it softy to my forehead.
We don’t speak, I can see what he is saying in his eyes. I am sure he saw my response and he smiled. His hands settled carefully around my throat in a very manly display of dominance that turned my inexperienced body on more than it should have. His gentle touch alluded to the vulnerable position he had got us into.
“Gigi, I won’t say this to you again. But no-one and I repeat no-one is to touch you. If I see anyone laying a finger on you, like fucking Dom or those dickhead Savage twins then I won’t be responsible for my actions. I know that you are so goddamn intelligent and I know that you are not short of hearing, so my words should not be that difficult to understand. I am deadly fucking serious Gigi. You are mine. Don’t be fooled into not believing that, again,” his hands gently squeeze my neck and he licks his tongue across my mouth again which sends us tumbling headfirst into even more fevered kisses, as I push up against him and the wall.
“You promised me, Gigi. You have been mine for a long time, you will always be mine. I just wonder if I am yours?” he whispers before those wicked lips of his kiss me again and again, until my head is spinning. And then he undoes my legs between one kiss and the next. I feel the change before I see it, he is closed off and angry again at me.
“Not one word to anyone here about this Verginius. I mean it,” his anger slaps out at me and leaves me reeling in confusion, but he is still close enough to me that I can see his conflicted emotions.
He leans down and kisses me confidently before turning away, walking straight out of my door, leaving me conflicted, confused, turned on, and unable to stand.
I shot off a quick text to our group chat and let them know that I will be another twenty minutes and then I have a shower to calm my nerves. I am so damn confused. I use the time in the shower to wash the scent of Hunter off of me and to also try to steel my backbone.
I am not a weak person, I am not blubbery or overtly emotional. I like to think I am a confident, smart, sassy person. If anything I am probably like an older person, I had my emotions locked down. But when it comes to Hunter all that goes out of the window and I have no idea why.
I throw my hair into a messy bun and after a quick inspection of my neck in the mirror, which sees me spending too much time remembering his mouth on me, I find only one hickey that will be hard to hide. Luckily, I find a sleeveless, turtle-neck gym top that will help me cover it up. I know it is a casual affair so I wear a matching pair of gym leggings, tying a sweater around my waist. With a last look at myself to make sure I look sort of composed, I grab my phone and
my card and go to join the movie night. Locking my frustrations in my suite for me to wonder about later.
I only missed the first quarter of the movie and quickly caught up on the horror. I settle on the floor with my back to the sofa and get ready for a series of jump scares that I hope will consume me as opposed to the events from earlier in the evening that are looping incessantly.
“Ginny, Ginny!” Caleb says slowly.
“Huh, sorry,” I reply looking for him in the dark.
“I am getting some drinks, do you want anything?” he asks softly, so as not to interrupt the movie that all our friends are engrossed in.
“I’ll come help,” I offer and jump up, I am so not into the B-Grade horror.
We sneak out of the room and I follow Caleb down to the kitchen. He doesn’t even make a move to grab the drinks but jump up to sit upon one of the kitchen counters, before he taps the spot next to him.
“What’s going on?” he asks when I am sitting next to him. The thing about Caleb is that he is a soft person, not weak but he speaks softly, he feels things on a different level and is wickedly insightful. I kind of know I can’t hide from him, but I need to.
“Just some personal stuff I have to work through Caleb,” I reply with a weak, watery smile, my voice soft so it didn’t reach the movie goers in the next room.
Without thought, he grabs me and pulls me to him and gives me a giant, friendly hug.
“I’m here if you need a chat. Did someone do something I need to know about?” he questions after squishing me in his warm embrace. Speaking to me while holding me still.
“I know you are here. It’s weird Caleb but I already know that I can count on you. Thanks. It means a lot,” I say softly.
We break apart and hop off of the counter finished with our little heart to heart, just as Dom walks in. His eyes immediately take notice at how close we are and he reacts faster than lightning. Stopping his feet and glaring at a distance, first at Caleb and then at me.