Until You (Fall Away #1.5)(46)
Author: Penelope Douglas

I glided my fingers up her sides and then down over her beautiful br**sts. Her skin was silky and firm, like rain.

Perfect.

I didn’t even have time to reach for my nightstand drawer before she pushed me down on the bed and straddled me.

“Tate, a condom,” I gasped out.

Holy shit.

My whole body shook with the contact, her wet heat rubbing against me and the blood pumping through my cock.

“Pants,” she whispered, and when she leaned over to grab a condom, I knew what she meant.

After about three seconds, the rubber was on, and I thrust up and inside of her.

We stilled for a minute, both shuddering and catching our breath as we soaked in the feeling.

God, Tate. So tight.

Her lips crashed down on mine, and I dove into her mouth, moving my tongue against hers as we gasped and came back for more.

“Jared,” she whispered between kisses. “Something’s wrong with me. I always want more of you.”

Her h*ps started moving back and forth, up and down my cock, making a sweet tightness race down my arms and legs.

Her heavenly skin felt like cream, and I grabbed her ass in my hands, jerking her down on me as the room filled with wet heat and sweat.

God… she loved me. I still couldn’t believe it, but she did.

“What do you want, Tate?” I breathed against her lips, desperate and f**king lost in my need for her skin, her smell, her fire…

“I want you.” She closed her eyes, and dropped her head back as her body rocked into mine. “Every morning and every night.”

Her head came back down, and her fingers fisted in my hair. “I want to feel you all day, Jared.”

Yeah, it was going to be a long f**king year.

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I whipped us around, so that she laid on the bottom, and I f**ked the love of my life hard enough, so that she would feel me.

All. Damn. Day.

“Ahhh,” she moaned, her desperate eyes meeting mine.

“I love you, Tatum Brandt.” I put my hand over her mouth, and pushed inside of her harder. “Now, come.”

I f**king hated rushing. But I knew my mom was already up, and our talking and moaning would draw attention. Even with the music.

“Jesus Christ, baby, you feel good.” I dropped my mouth to her breast and sucked her nipple into my mouth.

I knew my back was drenched with sweat already, and I smiled when I tasted her salty skin. She felt this as much as I did.

Her thighs tensed around me, her nails dug into my back, and I felt her pulsate from the inside as she held her breath.

She was coming, and I looked up to see her eyes flutter closed. After a few moments she let out a little whimper and exhaled against my hand.

I always knew when Tate came. She had a thing about holding her breath.

I leaned up on one hand and grasped her thigh with the other, moving my h*ps between her legs faster and faster. More and more. Harder and harder.

My eyes closed, the pressure inside of me at its breaking point.

Fuck.

I looked down into her blissful face, and dived into her a few more times before letting it all go.

Cool fire spread through my veins, and all of the air left my body as I collapsed on top of her, breathing like a marathon runner.

“Jared, I need a clean shir—oh.”

My head snapped up, seeing Jax, and Tate squealed, pulling my body down to cover hers.

“What the fuck?” I was nak*d as hell, and Jax just stood there, wide-eyed with his lips formed in a circle. “Get the hell out!” I yelled.

After a pause, he broke out in a grin and snorted. “Hey, you must be Tate. I’m Jaxon.” And the f**ker held out his hand for her to shake.

Thankfully, Tate was shielded by me, but I wasn’t covered. The dickhead had left the door open, too.

Tate peeked out and offered her hand bashfully. “Um…hi, Jaxon. Nice to meet you.”

They shook, and the stupid prick stood there smiling.

“Get the f**k out,” I barked again, my eyes burning with murder.

“Jared, why are you yelling?” My mother poked her head in, and Tate shrunk up into a ball underneath me again.

Oh, what the fuck?

“Jared!” My mother’s shocked gasp, when she noticed the extra arms and legs, caused me to clench my teeth.

Jax descended into a fit of laughter, and his face was turning red.

“Everyone, get out!” I shouted, and Jax cleared out, still smiling and obviously trying to hold back more laughter.

My mother, her face pinched up in anger and looking like she wanted to say something, grabbed the knob of the door and slammed it shut.

“Oh, my God!” Tate cried into my chest. “That did not just happen.”

“Yeah, I’m afraid it did. But who cares?” I shook it off. I was pissed, because Tate was embarrassed, but my mom and Jax were no threat.

She looked up at me, her sexy hair falling over her eyes. “Your mom will talk to my dad.”

“My mom is scared of your dad. We all kind of are. She won’t say anything.” I kissed her forehead.

“I’m so misbehaved.” She sat up, covering herself, looking a little sick. “I just couldn’t help it. Or…I didn’t want to, maybe. I woke up, and I wanted you so badly. I didn’t think.”

“Look at me,” I interrupted, holding her face in my hands. “You’re not misbehaved. You’re a good girl. No one takes this from us, Tate.” My voice hardened and my eyes got sharp. I nudged her chin, so she’d meet my eyes. “We’re eighteen. We’re in my home. You’re in a safe place. Quit acting like we should be apologizing for being in love. I understand showing your dad respect under his roof, but what’s done is done. We’re not going backwards.” I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her warm neck.

“I know,” she sighed, wrapping her arms around my neck and hugging me close. “I love you, and…and I trust this.”

But I felt the doubt sitting in my gut anyway.

Was she sure? Too much drama lately, or too much trouble, but she was still afraid of being hurt.

I cleared my throat and shook it off, changing the subject.

“Go get ready for school.” I pulled back and looked at her. “I’ll be over in thirty to pick you up. And you may as well leave through the front door. They know you’re here now,” I added as I stood up.

The corner of her mouth turned up, and she laughed when I threw one of my clean T-shirts in her face.

“Wear that.” It was another Nine Inch Nails T-shirt. They were one of my favorite bands, so I had a few of them. “To replace the one you burned last year,” I added when she pinched her eyebrows at me.

“Cool.” She smiled and slipped on her underwear and the shirt. “I always liked wearing your clothes,” she whispered sexily and spun around once, modeling the outfit.

Annnnnd…I was f**king hard again.

“Dude, I take it all back,” Jax rushed to say when I entered the kitchen. “You should definitely get her name tattooed on your body. Hell, I’ll get her name tattooed on my body.” He started laughing again, the f**king prick.

“Jaxon, that behavior is not tolerated.” My mother walked in, briefcase in hand. “Don’t think you’re going to get away with it when you live here.”

“Yes, Mom.” He mocked, but honestly, he had a better relationship with my mother than I did.

“Jared. Be home after school. We’re talking.” She pointed her finger at me.

“Yes, Mom,” I mumbled, echoing Jax.

“Jax, honey.” My mother looked to my brother. “Are you done with my laptop?”

“Yeah, I put it back in the case. Thank you.” And he spooned in another mouthful of cereal as he leaned against the sink.

My mother walked over to me as soon as she’d swung her laptop case over her shoulder. I let her put her hand to my cheek, but I still couldn’t manage to maintain eye contact.

“I love you,” she whispered gently. “And be home after school.”

I nodded, and she walked out, the sound of her heels fading away down the hall.

Looking over to Jax, who stood there trying to keep his smile at bay, I was suddenly confused.

“You have a phone. What did you need the laptop for?” I asked, grabbing an apple off the counter and taking a bite.

He just shrugged and stuffed his mouth with more Captain Crunch.

“Are you sure you feel comfortable in that outfit?” I asked as we walked into school, hand in hand.

She didn’t look at me, but her smile reeked of sarcasm. “Is it my comfort you’re worried about or your own?”

She didn’t look even remotely trampy. On the contrary, she was a f**king magazine cover. But the flimsy black dress was short. Tate usually dressed like a tomboy, but it was like she was on a mission to f**k with my sex drive 24/7.

I was on overdrive.

“My concern has nothing to do with me.” I pulled her into my side and hooked an arm around her neck. “I only think of you.”

We strolled through the halls, barely noticed, finally, as the school had pretty much moved on to newer drama. Jax was a genius. I did a web-search after I got home last night, and I couldn’t find the video anywhere.

Everyone was moving on.

“Let’s go for a ride after school today,” I suggested. “Just get on the motorcycle and go.”

Looking up, she raised her eyebrows and grinned, but then her eyes shifted to the lockers at our side, and her bubble immediately popped.

Following her gaze, I saw two girls eyeing Tate and me and whispering. They were being very obvious.

One of the girls I didn’t know. The other one, I definitely knew.

Shit.

“Tate, just ignore them.”

“It’s easy for you, Jared.” Her voice was low and calm, but there was a bite to it. “You could’ve been filmed with ten p*rn stars, and you’d be the man. I’m the one that’s paying for that video. Not you.”

She was right. While I cringed every time I saw that thing, I wasn’t in her shoes.

And there was little I could do to protect her.

I wanted to get her out of here. Get on the bike right now, and get lost, but she wouldn’t go for that. Instead I just grabbed her hand. “Let’s get to class.”

We started walking through the throngs of people, but she hesitated.

Glancing down at her, I saw her take out her phone, which was buzzing. My eyes shot up when I heard several other phones ringing and vibrating.

Fear hollowed my stomach as déjà vu struck. Everyone was getting a message at the same time, just like Tate told me they did when the video exploded.

My own phone vibrated against my ass, and with a cringe, I reached in my pocket to grab it.

Madoc.

Glancing around, I noticed almost everyone had their noses in their devices as well.

Sliding to unlock the screen, I opened the message.

Really?!

With piss and fury burning my stomach, I watched a recording of Nate, blubbering last night in the hot tub. I was in the video, too, but I was blurred out, and I couldn’t hear what I was saying. All that was visible and audible was Nate Dietrich, pleading for his safety and apologizing.