Inferno Anthology (119 page)

“How about Adam and Eve?” I ask, plucking off my sweatshirt. “We can get into costume right now.” I keep stripping until she’s standing next to me, amused. “I double dog dare you to join me.”

Baya flicks her clothes off as if there were a swarm of bees nesting in them.

I pluck at the band of my boxers and pause. The icy autumn air swirls around me with its arctic blast.

“If you’re going to do it, I think you should commit.” Baya pulls them down until they slide off on their own.

“I think maybe you should consider doing the same.” I give a crooked smile as I unhook her bra. I slip her panties past her waist, and she wriggles out of them. “Last one in is a rotten egg.”

Baya slips by me, and glides in, slick as a ninja.

“No fair,” I say, lowering myself into the boiling water. “Your brother disabled me last night.” I melt into the spring, and the heat calms my aching muscles.

“Sorry about that.” Baya moans into me with a sexier-than-hell grin plastered to her face. “Let me kiss all your boo-boos. I want to make everything better.” She runs her fingers up my thigh nice and slow.

“Permission granted.” I lift my arms and push my chest into hers. Baya presses smooth, easy kisses over my neck, my shoulders, the underbelly of my arm before bouncing back up to my lips. I sear my tongue over hers while digging my fingers into the back of her moist hair. “God, I love you.” I pant over her ear while my hard-on nestles itself perfectly between her legs as if it belonged there, and I very much think it does.

Baya pulls back and examines me. Her lawn green eyes stand out against the backdrop of the storm clouds brewing up above.

“I love you, too, Bryson.”

There’s a sadness in her eyes that I’ve never seen before, and a part of me wants to ask if I’ve caused this grief—if this has anything to do with the fact I haven’t opened up to her entirely—yet, deep, down I know it is. I’m almost ready to crack open the painful vault of the past and let Baya in, let her see the carnage I’m responsible for, and maybe that will explain why I wanted nothing to do with love, until now.

“I cleaned my room for you,” I say, sheepishly. “If you want, you can take all the drawers, I don’t need them. I know Cole suggested we kept it chaste around him, so I’ll take the couch.”

Baya twists her lips a moment. “I might have a place to stay after the weekend. That way you and Cole can maintain your man-cave, and you won’t get sick of having me around.”

“Trust me, I will never tire of you, Baya.” I spin her in the water. “I promise you this.”

“That’s funny”—she whispers the words over my cheek, and it cools me—“I feel the exact same way.”

“I want to make love to you,” I say it pleadingly into her eyes. “I want to do it over and over and over again, and then I’m probably going to fuck you just to round out the evening.”

Baya belts out a laugh, and her voice rises to the top of the pines, before spiraling off to heaven.

“I double dog dare you.” She tilts her head. Her lips look soft—red as cherries, so I lean in and take a quick bite.

I cup my hands over her soft tits and dip my head down until I’m covering her nipple with my mouth—exactly how I wanted to do it that first day in Founder’s Square. My lips move up her neck, and I lick a line straight up to her ear before running my tongue inside it, and she squirms with a laugh. My mouth melts over her for a small eternity. I could easily spend hours doing just this. I roll my tongue over her and memorize the way she feels in my mouth, over my teeth.

I swipe another quick kiss off her lips, already lightheaded from Baya’s special brand of magic. “Maybe I’ll just fuck you right now,” I whisper it low.

“Oh yeah?” She bats those long lashes at me, and my dick ticks under her. “I think you’re all talk and no action, Edwards.”

My head dips back as I give a dark laugh. “It’s on, girl.” I reach over to my jeans and dig out a condom. I’ve never put one on under water before, but I’m hoping it’s just as useful as it is on dry land.

Baya watches as I submerge it and roll it over myself under the vaporous steam.

“It takes a talent,” she muses.

“I’ve got plenty of talent.” I give a devilish grin. “In fact, I’m about to show you just where my talent lies.” I dip my hand between her thighs and rub my thumb over the softest part of her. My finger glides back slipping deep inside her, careful and slow.

Baya closes her eyes and lets out a breath. “Yes,” she whispers, biting down on her strawberry-colored lip. “You are quite talented.”

Baya wraps her legs around my waist and guides me in. I take it slow and easy, pushing in inch by inch, watching her face to see if I’m hurting her. I press her in by the small of her back, and she takes in a quick breath.

“Okay”—I glide out—“we don’t have to do this.” I might die, but that’s not important.

“No, it’s fine.” Baya bats her lashes at me. “It didn’t hurt at all, I swear. Besides, rumor has it, we have to do it”—she gives an impish grin—“a lot. And if we don’t, my body starts from scratch.” Her dimple goes off as if it were winking at me.

“That’s one rumor I like.”

“So put it back.” Her eyes widen with the command. “Now.”

“Damn, Baya.” I give a little groan as I guide myself in again. “I think I like you large and in charge.”

“Really?”

Her eyes glow a pretty lemon yellow, so I kiss each of her eyelids in turn.

“Really.”

“Okay then, do that thing you said you were going to do.” She lowers her gaze to my chest before raking her lips against it.

“Do what thing?” I think it’s damn cute she can’t bring herself to say it.

“You know.” She looks up as the apples of her cheeks flame a soft pink.

“Say it, Baya,” I whisper, grazing her thigh with my hard-on.

“Fuck me,” she says it so low, I can barely make the words out.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.” I bite down gently over her earlobe and stretch it out with my teeth.

“I said, fuck me right now, Bryson Edwards.” Baya giggles it out loud enough for her voice to carry up to the pines.

“Yes, ma’am.” I land a wet kiss over her lips. “I follow orders.”

Baya guides me in this time and presses into my back until I offer a full thrust. Her eyes flutter back, her mouth opens. It looks as if she’s enjoying it, so I go with it. I reach down and cover her sensitive spot with my finger and bring her along for the ride. I wait until her breathing grows erratic, her eyes roll back into her skull, before I unleash and take us both to that special place that I swear has never felt so good before.

“I’m coming,” I pant into her ear.

Baya clutches onto me. Her fingernails dig their way down my back and bury themselves just below my hips. A choking sound emits from her as her body trembles over mine, then I join her. The two of us lost in our love for one another.

I want to stretch this feeling out for all eternity with her.

It’s magic like this with Baya, and I never want it to end.

Baya

Bryson Edwards is a god. No really. Sans that whole omniscient thing, he’s perfect beyond universal comprehension.

The thought ricochets in my mind on a loop as I throw on my apron at the Black Bear Saloon. It’s Halloween, and to say the freaks come out at night is putting it mildly. Tonight there’s a freaks and Greeks invasion like no other. Girls in slut-ware, boys in…well, most of them are dressed as themselves.

Bryson winks at me from behind the counter, and my heart thumps as if begging me to jump him right here on the bar. He’s got his five o’clock shadow giving him that sexier-than-all-holy-hell look, and his jaw keeps redefining itself as he gawks over at me in my bunny slash waitress uniform. Honestly, with the catcalls I got just walking through the door, I should seriously consider wearing this cottontail every night of the year.

Bryson, however, skipped the faux animal parts and decided to go rogue as a “bartender,” an amply endowed bartender sporting some seriously hot tats, but, nevertheless, he and all his immeasurably long male parts are mine. I give a private smile over to him as he speeds this way.

“Nice ears.” He swoops in for a kiss.

“You should see my tail,” I counter.

“I plan on inspecting it in detail later tonight.” He gives a naughty growl as his hands round over the back of my shorts. I’ve kept the summer wardrobe as a part of my work uniform because, let’s face it, I get twice as many tips dressed as Jeanie Waters.

“
Hey
.” Holt barks over at us in his vampire attire. His face is covered with white pancake makeup while a trail of gelatinous blood drips down his chin. I’m not sure how he managed to do it, but he actually has fangs. “This is a family show. Keep your hands to yourselves.” He gives a sly wink while conducting some major mixology behind the bar. “I’m teasing. Fornicate freely. In fact, I’d pay to see it. It’s probably good for business.” He holds up an electric blue drink for our approval.

“Nice,” I say, inspecting the glowing concoction.

“You’re gorgeous.” Bryson leans in, and the sweet scent of his cologne intoxicates me. “I can’t wait to get you alone tonight. I’m going to bite that tail off with my teeth.”

“Mmm...” I give a kiss that pulls at his lips. “And I can’t wait to get me some of those 3 a.m. kisses.” I don’t dare tell him I’ve got my haunted meet and greet with Aubree, the keeper of the Alpha Chi crypt. I’ve already arranged to borrow Laney’s car for the midnight rendezvous. I made Laney swear not to breathe a word of this to anyone. The last thing I want to do is blow my chances at acquiring a room at the scholastic version of the Ritz. Besides, I’m sure whatever stupid Satanic ritual Aubree dreamed up won’t take up an entire hour, and, then, I’ll finally have a place of my own, free from overprotective brothers, not to mention the romping roommate I’ll be leaving behind at Prescott Hall, although a small part of me will miss Thing One and Thing Two, perversely entertaining as they were.

Bryson turns to head back to the bar, and I land a brisk tap right over his rock hard ass.

“Meow,” I purr over at him.

“A bunny that purrs like a kitten.” He touches a finger to my long fuzzy ear. “Sounds like the best of both species.”

“I’m just trying to lure you into the field so I can have my way with you.” I run my finger down his chest nice and slow.

“Consider me lured.” He tucks a quick kiss into my neck before heading to the bar.

I find Laney on the floor sporting the same cotton tail and ears which doesn’t surprise me since we bought them together at the student store. I went over to her dorm earlier, and we drew cute little whiskers on each other and dotted our noses with blush, and she mentioned it was more action than she’s had in almost a year.

“Guess who’s seated at five o’ clock?” She gives a quick glance past my shoulder.

“Five o’ clock?” I’m the worst person to try and orient spatial relations by way of a timepiece. I glance over and spot a quasi-familiar dirty blonde dressed as a slutty farm girl with nine inch FM’s and a dress three sizes too small. Her full lips siren out with bright red lipstick, and her nipples peer from her frilly bra every three seconds as she chortles herself into a laugh-gasm. Her suitor catches my attention, and I harden my gaze over at the boy seated across from her wearing a rather inglorious black cape. I recognize him instantly as the boy Cole tried to hook me up with. “Oh, it’s that guy from my music class, Luke something. And why is this minute hand worthy information?”

“No, braniac—not him—the
girl
.”

“The tramp trying to get her field plowed by the magician? Luke better get ready to let the ox out of the barn.” The skank leans into him, and her boobs gyrate like bouncing balls. “Looks like the farmer’s daughter is ready for that roll in the hay. You think we’ll need security?”

“That’s no costume.” Laney slips a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “That’s Jeanie Waters.”

“
That’s
Jeanie Waters?” I lean in to inspect her with the cosmetics-based disaster smeared over her features, the boob enhancing costume that’s about to burst at the seams. God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her face. She was all hair and limbs, moans, lips, and penises coming out of every orifice. Her boobs wiggle again, and oh! It takes everything in me not to give a friendly wave over to Thing One and Thing Two. Here they were desperately trying to get my attention all along, and I was stupidly ignoring them.

Jeanie glances over at me and gives a sharp look.

“Shit.” I spin abruptly. “Should I say something?” I clutch onto Laney and resist the urge to shake her. “Like—hello, I’m your invisible roommate! Would you please stop fucking over every free surface in our dorm room?”

Laney’s eyes flutter. “It’s subtle. I like that.” She speeds me over to their table and drops me off with all the enthusiasm of a kid on the first day of kindergarten.

“Hi.” I give a little wave at the two of them, but my attention gravitates to Thing One who has cleverly raised an eye at me and is bouncing away, happy to see me.