Savage Grace

3 - Grace

We sat at the lunch table near the door. I figured if anything were to happen, at least I could make a quick escape.

"I just don't get why he hates you," Mattie mumbled around her avocado toast.

"Who knows with people like that?" I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of my orange juice. "Maybe he wasn't hugged enough as a child. Or maybe he has a little you-know-what." I wagged my pinky finger at her. "So, he needs to pick on helpless little girls to make it feel bigger."

"Grace," Mattie made a choking sound, her cheeks nearly as red as her long tendrils.

"Screw him." I glanced at Mattie, whose eyes were now focused over my head.

"Is that an invitation? Because I don't fuck commoners," a gravelly voice spoke from above me. I pulled my eyebrows together, whipping around in my seat. My jaw went slack as I came face to crotch with Ryatt Ransom.

"You're not really a helpless little girl, are ya', Savage?" he asked, his voice low enough not to be heard over the hum of conversations at other tables. I was thankful this place was set up with smaller round café seating as opposed to the ones at my last school that fit forty people.

"N-no," I stuttered. Why couldn't I stop stuttering?

He sighed, looking up to the ceiling before back down at me. "Good. Then maybe you can tell me what a you-know-what is. Come on, Gracie, use your big girl words," he taunted.

His calling me Gracie threw me off guard. It is what my father had always called me, and my heart clenched at the memory.

My gaze flitted to the bulge concealed behind his dark pants, my eyes widening. He smiled down at me almost sweetly. It sent a shiver rocking its way down my spine. There was nothing sweet about him. He was a predator, getting ready to go in for the kill.

"You know what I meant," I bit out, feeling my face heat.

"I want to hear you say it." He reached between us, fingering the locket dangling from my neck. I flinched, worried he would rip the heart from my chest, but he just let it fall back against my skin.

"Penis," I whispered a little too loudly for my comfort.

That caused a low rumble in his chest, a genuine smile spreading on his face as he tilted his head to the side.

"It's my cock, and if you can't even say the words, you have no business talking about it."

"Why are you doing this to me?"

He was quiet a beat before replying, sinking down on his haunches to be eye level. His gaze was lethal, and I was breathless being this close to him. "Don't change the subject. I told you to say it. Now say it."

"Cock," I whispered on an exhale, my skin growing clammy as I searched the fathomless depths of his ocean eyes, flanked by thick, inky lashes.

"Next time you question my manhood, I'm going to pull it out right here in front of everyone so you can tell them what you really think as you're choking on it." His voice was low, even.

My stomach churned. I wanted to bolt out the door, but this beautiful monster was blocking my escape route. "You want to know what I really think?"

That response caught him by surprise, his eyes widening fractionally at my challenge. "Tell me, Kitten."

I licked my lips, preparing to spew every curse word I could think of. But I also knew I was currently digging my own grave, and I didn't want to tie Mattie to my inevitable demise. She was an innocent bystander to the train wreck that was my life.

His eyes searched mine as he stared me down with rapt attention, rendering me mute. I swallowed back the words I wanted to say to him. "I don't think you play fair."

His lips curled into a devastating smile. "It's more fun this way," he shot back with a wink, leaning in fractionally closer before pushing to his feet. His attention turned to the boy who'd stolen my schedule. He stalked off toward him as they yelled something about an upcoming football game.

I spun back around to Mattie whose jaw was slack as she blinked at me. "That was so hot," she whispered, her voice coming out in a squeal.

"He is unhinged."

"Yeah, well, I volunteer as tribute if you're going to just ignore the way he was eye fucking you."

I screwed up my face in disgust. "He literally just threatened me with sexual assault and public humiliation."

"Yeah, but he did it with a smolder."

I choked out a laugh, but my insides were liquefied, churning at the thought of running into him again. "He... he wouldn't really do that, would he?"

"A girl can dream," she shot back, shaking her head before giggling. "Come on, Grace. I'm pretty sure not even Handsome Ransom could get away with that. He's just trying to scare you."

"It's kind of working."

"Are you going to the bonfire tonight?"

"What bonfire?"

Mattie rolled her eyes. "It's to kick off the new school year. Everyone goes. Even me."

"That doesn't really sound like such a good idea."

She waved away my worry. "Ransom will be busy. Trust me. He's been out of town for a while. He has to sleep with all the skanks to get himself reacquainted. Like a dog peeing on all the trees at the park."

I glanced across the cafeteria, just as Ransom looked up from the crumpled piece of paper in his hand, his eyes landing on mine.

"It'll just be a cesspool of sex, drugs, and underage drinking."

"Exactly," she chirped. "It'll be so much fun."

***