Chapter 85 Chapter Eighty-five

Chapter 85 Chapter Eighty-five
Gray

Twelve noon on Thursday meant football practice, but I was genuinely not feeling it today. I grabbed the water bottle beside me on the bench and tore off the cap before dumping a good quantity of it over my head.

“Where is he?!” A feminine voice roared. The voice of the one person who'd managed to disrupt my entire life in the most positive way.

She sounded so furious and determined and so fucking alive it made my chest tighten.

Every other guy in the room suddenly found something very interesting to do. Smart move.

It only took a few seconds before she was standing right in front of me.

Bella. She was wearing these tight skinny jeans that hugged her hips and thighs like they were painted on. My hands itched with jealousy. I wanted to be the one wrapped around her like that. I wanted my fingers digging into that soft flesh, not some stupid denim.

I slowly lifted my head, letting my eyes drag up her body until they locked onto hers. They were burning. Full of pure fire and fury.

God, she was beautiful when she was mad.

“You look really good today, Red,” I said quietly. It wasn’t a line, and it wasn’t teasing. It was the raw truth. Even angry, even hurt, she was the most breathtaking thing I’d ever seen.

Bella’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t soften. If anything, her eyes blazed brighter.

“Don’t you dare,” she hissed, stepping closer. “Don’t you dare sit there and compliment me after what you did.”

I breathed her warm flowery scent in, then I leaned back slightly on the bench, watching her. 

Water dripped from my hair down my neck, but I made no attempt to dry my hair off.

“What exactly did I do?” I asked coolly.

“You know what you did,” she snapped. “You threatened the entire campus. You put out a warning that any guy who even looks at me the wrong way will get ‘skewered.’ Do you have any idea how insane that sounds? How terrified everyone is of you now?”

I cocked my head to the side. “They got the message, didn't they?”

I knew I'd struck a nerve, and Bella fucking moved like an assassin.

Bella climbed onto my lap, her slender hands wrapping around my throat with surprising strength. 

“Undo it,” she hissed through clenched teeth, squeezing harder.

The pressure on my throat only made my cock throb harder against her. Fuck, she had no idea what she did to me when she got like this, all rage and defiance.

“No,” I growled, refusing to look away from those burning eyes. 

Her grip tightened. She was serious. Good. I wanted her angry. I wanted her to feel every single emotion I’d been drowning in since she sent that message.

“Give us privacy,” I barked to the room without breaking eye contact with her.

The gym cleared out in seconds. The second we were alone, I snapped. I flipped her so fast she gasped. Her back hit the bench with a thud, and I was on top of her instantly, pinning her beneath me. 

I caught both her wrists in one hand and slammed them above her head, my body weight pressing her down.

Fuck. This girl was setting my whole body on fire without even lifting a hand.

“You seem to always like me underneath you,” she spat, even as her body trembled beneath mine. “Always doing what you say. Your little slut. Your perfect bedroom sex doll.” Her voice cracked with anger.

“Ever wondered what I think? Do you ever think about the possible consequences of your actions before you act them out?” Even in her fury, I could hear the tremor in her voice. I could see the desperate need in her eyes, the same need that was burning me alive.

I brushed a lock of her red hair away from her flushed face, letting the silky strands slip through my fingers. 

Her hair had always felt like home. The first time I saw her, something about her face and her hair had reminded me of my mother. 

I’d hated her for it back then. Hated how she made me feel things I’d buried deep. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

“I’ve never seen you as a slut, Bella,” I said, my voice rough, almost broken. “You’re my other half. The only fucking thing that makes sense in this godforsaken world. I can’t bear the thought of the world taking you from me. When I see you… I can finally breathe. I can think without the pain. I can love myself. Everything I’ve ever done, every threat, every fight, every dark thing, has been to make sure nothing and no one takes you away from me.”

She let out a brittle, broken laugh that twisted something deep in my chest.

“Our family already did that for us.”

“I don’t care,” I growled. 

“Well, you should,” she shot back, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Your funding is on the line, and I refuse to be the reason your father disowns you.”

“That should be my choice to make.”

“Gray…” Her voice wavered. “I only wanted to tell you there’s really nothing left to protect anymore. We’re over.”

The word “over” tore down the last shred of patience in me. I lowered my head and kissed her neck, dragging my lips and teeth along her pulse point. 

She let out a shaky breath, her body betraying her words as she arched into me.

“No,” I whispered against her skin, sucking hard enough to leave a fresh mark. “We’re not over. We’ll never be over.”

I rocked my hips forward, grinding my hard cock against her through our clothes. She whimpered, her thighs tightening around me even as she tried to push at my chest.

“Stop fighting me, Red,” I murmured, teasing her collarbone with my tongue and teeth. “Stop fighting us.”

Her hands fisted in my sweatshirt, torn between pulling me closer and pushing me away. I could feel how wet she was, how her body was begging for me even while her mind resisted.

“I hate what you do to me,” she gasped, but her hips rolled against mine, seeking friction.

I smiled darkly against her throat. “Good. Because I love what you do to me.”

I shoved her top up roughly, exposing her breasts, and took one nipple into my mouth, sucking hard as I ground against her. 

Bella cried out sharply, her fingers tangling desperately in my hair as she pulled me closer. My name fell from her lips like a broken prayer, over and over.

“Gray… Gray….. Fuck.”

The sound of it nearly undid me. I slapped my hand over her mouth quickly, muffling her loud moans. 

Bella was a screamer, always had been, and right now we were in the middle of the fucking campus football gym. 

The last thing we needed was an audience. I forced myself to pull back, even though every cell in my body screamed in protest. I moved off her, breathing hard, my cock throbbing painfully against my pants.

Bella’s face twisted with confusion and frustration. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes glassy with unsated need.

“Gray, what’s happening?” she demanded accusingly. “Why did you stop?”

I dragged a hand through my hair, trying to get myself under control. 

“What’s happening is that I’m not going to fuck you in the middle of the campus football gym. I’ll meet you at home… and then I’ll give you everything you want.”

Her full lips parted, ready to argue, but the words never came.

The doors to the gym were suddenly kicked open with brutal force, the sound rattling through the entire space like a gunshot.

Three NYPD officers stormed in, their guns holstered but hands ready, accompanied by Coach Elvis, who looked pale and grim.

I already knew they’d come sooner or later. It had only been a matter of time.

The professor’s death, the photos, the rumors, everything had finally caught up. 

Bella had already gotten her top fixed, but her eyes were wide with panic as she looked between me and the cops.

“Grayson Owens,” one of the officers called out in an authoritative voice. “We need you to come with us. You’re wanted for questioning in connection with the death of Professor Kelvin.”

It was time.