Crush Crush

Chapter Five

We woke up late. Rushed, Chloe and I tried to get ready in one bathroom. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and quickly applied some mascara Chloe lent me. I borrowed a pair of jeans that hugged my ass and thighs. I pulled a top out of her closet at random—an off-the-shoulder long-sleeve—and yanked on my backpack, both of us gurgling with mouthwash as we fell over each other running downstairs. We spit out the mouthwash in the kitchen sink. I grabbed a granola bar and banana for the road. We sprinted to our cars and nearly killed each other racing to school.

Chloe won. She was more reckless than I could ever aspire to be.

She grinned triumphantly. "I win."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. At least we made it, on-time and alive."

We were a pair of total hot messes walking into school that day, but we laughed it off. After the last bell of the school day rang, Chloe offered to let me stay the night again. I shook my head. "I need clean underwear and a good shower. Thanks anyway, babe."

"Your loss," she sang, blowing me a kiss.

I chuckled getting into my car. As I drove down my street, I noticed Ryder's car speeding up the road behind me. I pulled into my driveway and turned off the engine. As I exited my car, Ryder screeched to a stop at the bottom of my driveway. He got out of the car, anger practically radiating off of him in waves as he stalked up the driveway toward me.

"Where were you last night, Isabel?"

"Not here, obviously." I moved toward the front door, but he blocked my path.

"Where. Were. You," he growled.

I've never seen Ryder this worked up about something.

"What does it matter? I've told you: I don't need a babysitter."

His eyes were glowing with untold fury. "Tell me where you were, Isabel."

"God," I groaned. "What is with you? You're taking this whole temporary-guardian-thing to an extreme, don't you think? I went to a friend's house, okay?"

"Why didn't you come home?"

"I lost track of time and decided to spend the night. Jeez, what's the big deal?"

Ryder's eyes glanced around the neighborhood before he grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the porch, unlocking the front door with his own key and practically throwing me inside. I spun, "What the hell is—"

He was suddenly there, covering his body with my own, his mouth crushing mine. It happened so fast, at first I didn't react. After a moment's shock, I melted, letting him invade my mouth, enjoying the feel of his fingers digging into my ass.

I gave a small yelp when he pushed me toward the stairs. My foot caught the edge of the bottom step, and I fell backward. His hand wrapped around my waist, the other catching us before I seriously bruised my entire back on the edge of the stairs. His hips settled between my thighs. He broke the kiss, allowing me to breathe. His nose traced along my jaw and down my neck.

He hummed thoughtfully. He stopped moving his nose along my skin, his tongue pressing a wet kiss just below my collarbone. I gasped, my fingers curling into his hair and my legs tightening around him. 

"Hmmm. Here it is, then." 

His teeth caught a sliver of skin and sucked. I blinked, realization dawning on me. I grabbed his shoulders and attempted to shove him away. His hands caught my wrists and pinned them above my head as he continued to mark me. When he pulled away, his eyes danced with amusement, the smallest of smiles on his lips. "I think that will suffice."