Ninety Six

He was gripping the sheets with one hand now, his knuckles turning white as his other hand worked furiously. His hips thrust upward, meeting the tight, slick grip of his palm. Every motion of his body was precise, deliberate, and she couldn't help but match the rhythm with her breathing.

She heard the crackle of thunder somewhere, and when it started pouring, with the rain making sounds against the roof, she didn’t care, or look away, or think that he might catch her. 

He was far too gone for that. 

“Oh shit, Rain.” He groaned and she frowned. 

Wait, did he just call her? Or was he talking about the rain that had started to fall? She couldn’t tell, and she may never know. 

A low, guttural groan spilled from his lips, raw and deep, and it sent a jolt straight through her. Raina clenched her fists at her sides, trying to steady herself. She'd never thought watching someone in such a private moment could affect her this way.

Normally, pleasure felt like something she had to work hard to find, but this--this was effortless. Just seeing him was enough to unravel her.

Her gaze flicked back to his lips as he dragged his tongue across them again, and her own mouth tingled at the thought of kissing him. She could almost feel the warmth of his breath, the softness of his lips against hers. The image was so vivid it made her knees weak.

Tyler's movements grew taster, more urgent. His breathing was ragged now, shallow and unsteady, and his head tilted back against the pillow. His body tightened, his muscles flexing with every thrust. Raina held her breath as she watched him, her fingers digging into the doorframe. She couldn't blink, couldn't think.

Then, it happened. His entire body tensed, and a guttural moan escaped him as he came. His hips bucked against his hand, and Raina's chest tightened as she watched him ride the waves of pleasure.

The sounds he made-those low, primal grunts-were the sexiest things she'd ever heard. Her body trembled as heat rushed through her, leaving her flushed and dizzy.

For a moment, it felt as though time had stopped. She could hear nothing but the sound of his breathing and her own pounding heartbeat. She had lost all sense of reality, completely captivated by the scene unfolding in front of her.

But then, she made a sound-a sharp intake of breath or maybe the creak of the floor beneath her. Whatever it was, it broke the spell. Tyler's head snapped toward the door, and his wide, shocked eyes locked onto hers.

Raina froze, her heart leaping into her throat. The room fell deathly silent, and for the first time, she truly realized what she had done.

Cursing loudly, Tyler pushed up, scrambled around as he grabbed the blanket to cover himself, then his head whipped to the side to grab something, and that was when Raina’s brain kicked in. Quickly, she bolted, rushing down the hall to her room. 

Behind her, she heard a loud crash, a grunt, and then Tyler yelled her name. “Raina! Come back here.” He said. 

When she got to the door of her room, she looked back to see him at his door, his sweatpants up at his waist, with a stern look on his face. Raina quickly grabbed the doorknob, twisted it open, and then she rushed in. She started to close the door when she felt the force of him pushing it back. 

“Stop it, Raina. I don’t want to hurt you.” He said and she knew he was telling the truth. He wasn’t even pushing back the door with all his strength or she might be thrown across the room from the force. 

“Leave me alone, Tyler.” She yelled, even as he tried to push the door. He must have been out of it for a moment, because she was able to push close the door finally, quickly locking it. 

“Go away.” She said. 

She heard him scoff. “Go away? I’m not the one that came to my room to watch, am I?” he asked. “Open the fucking door, Raina, or I’ll break it down and then have it fixed.” He said. 

A thunder clapped somewhere in the sky, and then she jumped. She hated the thunder, and when it happened before, she had been too engrossed in the Tyler Paxton show to bother to be scared. 

Raina’s heart was pounding as she leaned against the door, her palms pressed flat against its cool surface. Her chest heaved, and her mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but she couldn’t form a single coherent one. Outside the door, Tyler’s heavy footsteps thudded against the carpet, pacing back and forth. She heard him curse under his breath, his frustration clear.

“Raina,” his voice was firm but quieter now, though no less commanding. “Open the door. Let’s talk about this.”

“Go away, Tyler!” she shouted again, her voice trembling. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on her breathing, but all she could see in her mind was the image of him on that bed. Her cheeks burned with the memory, the heat of her embarrassment mixing with the thrill she was still trying to suppress.

There was a pause, the sound of his pacing stopping suddenly. “You think locking me out will make this disappear?” he asked, his tone sharper now. “You watched me, Raina. You crossed the line, and we need to deal with it.”

“I didn’t mean to!” she yelled, her words coming out in a rush. “I thought…  I thought you were hurt! How was I supposed to know you would be…” Her voice faltered, and she clamped her mouth shut. Saying it out loud felt too much, too real.

Tyler’s low chuckle sent a chill down her spine. “What? You thought I was hurt, and that gave you permission to stay and watch?” His voice was laced with irritation, but there was something else there, something darker that made her pulse quicken.

“Just leave me alone!” she said, her voice breaking as she pressed her forehead against the door.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the rain hammering against the roof and windows. Then, his voice came again, quieter this time, but still full of tension. “Raina, open the door, or I’ll break it down. You know I can.”

Her stomach flipped. She knew he wasn’t bluffing, but the thought of facing him now was unbearable. “Okay,” she whispered.