Page 61 of Zodiac Monsters

Chapter 26

The wind escaped my lungs suddenly and abruptly as Marcus shoved me against the lockers right beside the door for Advanced Structural Analysis. I covered my mouth to muffle the gasp, not wanting to get the attention of my Physics Professor who was right on the other side.

My fight or flight instincts began negotiating in my head, while Marcus held me in place with his eyes alone. Shock and confusion shook its way down my spine.

His gaze was intense, unlike anything I’d ever seen from him. The gold of his irises was barely visibly through the narrowed, cruel glare. I held my breath and pressed myself harder against the metal doors, trying to process what was happening.

“Marcus, Adrian’s class is right there.” I whispered harshly. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you make a decision.” The corners of his lips upticked into an expression that was truly wicked. “Let’s try something different, Lila.” He didn’t so much as glance to see if the coast was clear before he untucked my blouse in a single tug then shoved his hand up my shirt. My whole body went rigid, and my breathing hitched for longer than was safe or prudent. “I’m happy to be your friend, but I need you to know that I am absolutely not just your friend.”

“What does that mean?” Heat warmed my cheeks, while a cold sweat cooled my brow. In my head, I was terrified. In my heart, I only worried that Adrian might check on the commotion.

Marcus ignored the question as he followed the smooth fabric of my shape wear up to my rib cage, then he hooked a finger beneath the edge of the snug garment.

“Your head seems to be all over the place right now, and I think it would help for you to put all of your focus on one, single thing for the rest of the day. Maybe ease your anxiety a bit under these complicated circumstances.” Not even his smooth voice was enough to distract me from the hot and cold sensation as he started dragging the body shaping waist hugger downward until it reached my skirt’s waistband. He brought it to the edge, then repositioned his hand under my skirt and started pulling it down further.

“M-Marcus—” I gasped, frantically looking over his shoulders for anyone who could stumble upon this scene. My thick underwear clung to me, but that didn’t deter him in the slightest as he peeled past my ass, and freed it from the much too damp spot between my legs. He never broke eye contact as he removed my undergarment from under my clothing, undressing me both secretly and in plain sight at the same time.

A mischievous grin covered his lips as he shifted his hold, then forcefully yanked my shapewear down past the thickest parts of my thighs. He dropped to his knees, then one at a time, he lifted my ankles to thread them through each leg, fully removing my decency.

The pleats of my skirt wafted back down over my now bare nethers, and my heart thumped hard. I was completely exposed to anyone looking at me at the right angle, and Marcus was very much at that angle.

“I want to clear a few things up.” Nonchalantly, he tossed my underwear into the nearby trashcan, and my heart pounded ten beats faster. “I’ve been playing so sweet with you, I worry you’ve forgotten that I’m still half vampire.” Back on his feet, he caged me against the locker with his body, blocking my escape routes with a forearm on each side of my head. “And all monster.”

All I could do was swallow thickly in response. I was trembling as he blocked me in, having never felt more vulnerable than I did right now.

He continued. “You don’t need those, you know. Your soft, natural body is so much sexier without the torture devices you wear to hide it.” He leaned in and skated his lips over his mark, ghosting his cool internal temperature over my neck. I knew he could hear my pulse escalating. He was good at that. “For a matter of fact, from here on out, you’re only going to be wearing underwear when I say you can.” He sunk the heel of his hand into the side of my abdomen, then he pressed firm pressure down my hip, then my thigh, until he reached the bottom of my skirt. He hooked three fingers under the hem, and he very slowly started to drag it upwards.

The fabric slid along my bare thighs, while the air-conditioned hallway was a powerful reminder of exactly how naked I was beneath that loose veil.

My knees were shaking when he reached the top of my leg, fractions of an inch from exposing me. He followed along the path to the apex of my thighs, lightly skating his fingertips down between my legs to everywhere he shouldn’t be. He cupped me under my skirt, with only the shortest material hiding what he was doing.

I sucked in a sharp breath as he entered me with his index finger. I did my best not to falter, while the hunger in his eyes continued to hold me captive. I sucked my lower lip into my mouth, raking my teeth over Adrian’s mark, and our breathing synced through this twisted connection.

His motions started subtle, just tracing the shallow entrance of my pussy. He added in a thumb to rub my clit, managing well placed and uninterrupted circles, while he sank into my center until his forefinger was pressing perfectly against my g-spot.

I bit harder into my lip, in my best attempt to hide the whimpering and short, stifled huffs. Adrian was teaching a full classroom right there, and if what Marcus said was true, he could feel this through our shared bond. Doing this right here, right now, was beyond volatile, and I couldn’t afford to make it obvious I was unraveling in his hallway.

The worst part was that I was bargaining in my mind, determining how I could remain discreet enough to not get in trouble, when I should have been demanding he stop.

I was supposed to want him to stop.

But fuck, I don’t.

The way his expression darkened, I had a feeling he’d just heard every one of those thoughts.

“I don’t think it’s fair to you that you only get to have sex during the full moon. Look how tense and pent up you are.” He pressed his whole body against me more firmly, like he wanted more contact himself. I was thankful that I had both his strength and the lockers at my back to hold me up. “But then again, maybe that’s what makes it so explosive.” He was still rubbing me, and I was practically panting in his grasp. “This is one of the things I like about you, Lila. Instead of running, you’re happy to be a play thing for men you should be so, so afraid of.” He was a master of movement as his fingertips put just the right pressure on every sensitive nerve. I was buckling while clinging to my soul. “You like being wanted that badly, don’t you,

Baby.

Doll.”

He slipped out of me, then plunged back in with a second digit. At some point I’d grabbed hold of his sleeves, and shoved my face into his shoulder, using the material of his uniform coat to muffle my inappropriate sounds.

Marcus must have noticed, because he responded by shoving me back against the metal. He shook his head and wagged the finger on his free hand between us, never skipping a beat with his less free one. I covered my mouth with both of my palms instead.

“I realized earlier that I’ve been going about this all wrong. I’ve been so worried about protecting your innocence, when I should have been worried about warming you up for another fantastically magic fueled night.” He chuckled directly in my ear, before he touched his lips to the side of my cheek. “You look forward to these nights where you can just let yourself feel, don’t you.” He wasn’t asking me. We both already knew the answer. “This is the one night a month where you don’t have to pretend that you’re a good girl.” He too perfectly coordinated the pressure on my clit and the maddening nudges against my inner walls.