When Rivals Fall: A Bully Romance (Bayshore Rivals Book 1) Read online

  This close I can see just how beautiful he truly is, high cheekbones, a strong, sharp jaw, and full lips that draw you in. His hair is a disheveled glossy mass of russet brown that I want to run my fingers through.

  Enemy. Bully. Rival. I repeat inside my head, to starve off the indecent thoughts I’m having right now.

  “Harlow,” Oliver calls out, and I shake myself from the daze I’m in. The dimpled smile on his face tells me I’ve been caught red-handed.

  “You know, I thought Banks was joking when he said you threw yourself at him, but I see it now. That’s your thing, isn’t it? You use your body to get what you want? How many guys have you slept with to get your way?”

  I can’t help but laugh at his question as I push him away. I’m a little insulted and for a split second I think about telling him that I’m still a virgin, but that fact seems too personal to share, especially with him.

  “Oh no! You got me.” I raise my hands into the air like an idiot. “Harlow, the harlot. I just go around kissing guys and whisking them off into my bed to get them to do what I want. Haven’t you heard,” I lean into his stoic face, “my vagina is made of gold.”

  His facial expression combined with the words I’m spewing send me into a fit of laughter that makes my belly hurt. Bending over I hold a hand to my stomach and snort loudly.

  “Fucking Christ,” he mumbles under his breath, grabbing me by the arm and practically dragging me up the steps to the library.

  “I’m guessing you didn’t think that was funny?”

  We pass a group of people and even with the quick motion I can still feel their eyes on me. Once up the steps I shake off his hold and put some space between us.

  “You aren’t taking this serious at all, are you?” he asks, his voice threaded with frustration. Little does he know his frustration only makes me feel better. Shrugging, I tuck a couple loose strands of hair behind my ear. My chest is still burning from the laughter and the run up the steps. “This is all a game to you. That's all it’s ever been.”

  “I guess it doesn’t really matter what my answer is. You guys will do your worst no matter what I say.” I don’t wait around to hear his response. Instead I turn and walk inside the library. My sanctuary.

  Oliver follows behind me like there is an invisible string tethered between us. It doesn’t take me long to find a seat, and I pull out the chair making sure I don’t scrape it against the wooden floor.

  “I’m giving you one hour, that’s it. Then I’m putting you over my shoulder and carrying you back to the dorm. I’m not babysitting your ass all night.” He growls, throwing himself into one of the wooden chairs. He almost looks too small for it.

  “Aww, why not? Got another girl to traumatize?” I whisper getting my notes, pencils, and book out.

  “Nope, only you,” he says, and somehow his words make their way into my brain and make me feel a way I’m sure he didn't intend. Only you.

  I start working on the stupid paper, trying to concentrate on my books and not on Oliver sitting next to me. A few times I have to get up and find different books for references, and every time I do, Oliver’s there watching me like a hawk, like I'm some criminal that’s about to make a run for it or something.

  After almost an hour I’m not even close to being done.

  Sighing, I set my pencil down. “You know you don’t have to babysit me, right? I’m not anywhere near being done here and it's painfully obvious you don't want to be here. I don’t understand why you have to watch me every second of the day. I'm not a child.”

  At my words he looks up from his phone, which he’s been playing with for the better part of the last hour.

  “No, I have a better idea. You gather your stuff up and we’ll head back to your dorm. I gave you an hour of my time, if you want more you'll have to earn it.” His expression is dead serious, nothing but honesty reflecting in his eyes and that kind of frightens me.

  “Earn it? What’s that supposed to mean? If you think I'm going to sleep with you, then you're mentally ill.”

  “Pfft, you'd be lucky to ever get graced with such an amazing experience.”

  I stare at him, my expression blank, “I'm not earning anything. I'm a grown person and if I want to stay here then I will. I'm a human, not an object.” I barely get the words out before he is on his feet and reaching across the table. He gathers my papers and pencils stuffing them into my backpack haphazardly.

  “Stop,” I demand. “I’m not done!” I'm vaguely aware of someone saying shhhh but I'm more concerned with Oliver than them right at this moment.

  “I don’t care. We’re leaving.” He grits out, and I worry I may have pushed him too far this time. Out of the corner of my eye I spot the librarian getting up from her desk. Oh shit! She starts walking toward us, casting a glare our way that says shut up or get out.

  “I’m serious, I’m not going. I need to finish this paper,” I whisper yell as I reach for my backpack.

  Oliver’s expression turns deadly. “And I’m serious, as well. Walk out or I’ll walk you out.” I want to slap him so badly, but right then the librarian walks up.

  “You two need to leave, right now!” The librarian who looks older than the building scolds, her finger pointing back and forth between us.

  “He needs to leave.” I hook my thumb in Oliver’s direction. “I’m staying. I'm sure you could see I've been working for the last hour. He hasn't."

  Before anyone can respond, Oliver zips up my bag, swings it over his shoulder and then squats down, while grabbing onto my hips he tosses me over his shoulder like I’m nothing more than a sack of potatoes. I start to squeal like a pig as soon as I’m in the air.

  “Put me down, right now!” I order.

  “Out!” The librarian demands. “And don’t come back.”

  “What? I didn’t do anything,” I yell through the otherwise silent library as Oliver carries me out like a caveman. I’m flustered, irritated, and confused. Balling my hands into fists I start pounding on his back, but it doesn't seem to even phase him. He just continues walking like he’s taking a long peaceful stroll through the park.

  “Put me down! So help me god, Oliver,” I growl.

  “Quiet or I’ll spank you.”

  “Excuse me?” I squeak, unsure of how I feel about that.

  “You heard me.”

  “You wouldn’t dare. Now put me…” My words are cut off by Oliver’s hand as it comes down hard on my ass cheek.

  Holy shit, he spanked me. I beat on his back harder, hoping that I’ll leave him with bruises, or at least something to remember me by.

  “I hate you!” I growl.

  “Sure you do,” he chuckles into the night air.

  We’re halfway across campus when I finally give up, exhausted from pounding on his back and getting nowhere, I just slump down on his shoulder. Then I realize that people must have seen the scene in the library followed by Oliver carrying me across campus on his shoulder. This literally couldn't get any worse.

  He walks me into my dorm, stopping in my hallway to set me down. I’m still unsteady on my feet, trying to regain my bearings after hanging upside down on the way over here, when I’m suddenly pushed against the wall.

  “Do you really hate me, Harlow?” Oliver asks, his fingers moving under my chin to tip it upwards, forcing me to look up and into his eyes. With all the hard plains of his body pressing up against mine it’s hard to think or breathe.

  My tongue feels like a weight is attached to it. I can’t form words, there’s something wrong with me, something very wrong.

  Oliver grins and then leans down pressing his lips against mine. Our lips crash together like a tidal wave against a cliff. My hands come up landing on his chest and for a brief second I consider pushing him away. I should, my heart is already a mess, my mind in complete disarray. Slowly they’re breaking me down, and I’m letting them.

  Against my better judgement I cave to my body’s need, and instead of pushing him away my fingers cl
ench onto the fabric of his shirt to pull him closer. Again, the kiss is different in comparison to his brothers. Oliver kisses with passion, with a longing that you feel deep down in your soul.

  All the anger I felt towards him melts away and is left somewhere in a puddle on the floor. His hands find my hips, pulling me into him. His hardened cock presses against my thigh making my mouth water. My whole body is on fire. His tongue slides across my bottom lip, begging for entry and without hesitation I part my lips, a tiny moan escaping in the process.

  The second our tongues touch I’m done for. He tastes like sweet mint and forbidden fruit and I’m reminded of how wrong all of this is, but I can’t help wanting him. It’s like I’m possessed or something. Like a goddamn dog in heat, I want all three of the brothers.

  The blood in my ears roars and I bite at Oliver’s lip, the growl that emits from his throat shoots straight to my core, and I clutch onto him harder. This is bad, but it’s so much better than all the fighting and hating. I like this, this place where we only exist in the moment, without anyone or anything living in the same world.

  Of course, as soon as I start to think that, the moment between us ends.

  Oliver pulls away, leaving me breathless, with my swollen lips burning for him.

  “Fuck, my brothers were right, you do taste sinful, but oddly sweet too.” His eyes reflect hunger and when he swipes at his bottom lip with his thumb I nearly come undone.

  He takes a step back to leave, and somehow I find my voice, “Wait, don’t leave.”

  “Stay in your dorm. If I find out you left, I’m spanking that sexy ass until its red.” My gaze widens partially because he’s so straight forward about the punishment and partially because I kinda want to break the rules just to see if he’ll do it.

  “But…”

  He shakes his head, and lifts a brow in warning, “Be a good girl now.” The words come out in a whisper and before I can muster up a response he’s gone, walking down the hall. I stare at his back until he’s out of sight and then sigh against the door.

  What the hell just happened?

  “Oh my god, you’re totally sleeping with all three of them. Wow, you really are a slut. I better not catch you trying to seduce my boyfriend with one of your kinky fuck fests.” Some girl I failed to notice standing in the hall snarls. Horror, shock, and disgust reflect in her features.

  Jesus, how long has she been standing there? Scrubbing a hand down my face I ignore her, and only then do I realize that the boys have slowly been making the rumors worse, showing up here, kissing me, leaving my dorm at random times. I thought it was bad having them follow me around but now they’re kissing me, touching me, and my body is short circuiting.

  “Holy hell,” I mumble to myself.

  My breathing is still uneven, and my lips feel like they are on fire. Maybe I should heed Oliver’s warning, but I really need to get that paper done, I need to get to the library and apologize to the librarian, begging her to let me in. I reach for my backpack—My blood pressure spikes—my backpack, that little shit took my bag with him. I don’t even think as I run down the hall, and around the corner to the door.

  That asshole with his stupidly good kissing skills distracted me. Shoving the door open I step out into the night, cool air kissing my heated cheeks. I look around the well-manicured lawn looking for anyone that might look like Oliver but find no one.

  It’s eerily quiet. Motherfuck! Descending the steps, I start to head in the direction of the library. I have no way of getting out to their mansion, so I hope he hasn’t left campus yet. Along the way I silently scold myself. I’m stupid, so stupid. I let my hormones rule me again. I have got to stop thinking with my vagina. I’m supposed to dislike the Bishop Brothers, not want to ride them like Channing Tatum in the Magic Mike movie.

  Caught up in my own thoughts I round the corner and collide with another body, a body that’s much larger, much beefier than my own. The impact causes me to bounce like a bouncy ball of off the person and land harshly on the concrete sidewalk.

  “Ugh.” I whine, an ache radiating up my spine. My night goes from bad to worse when I find Sullivan staring down at me. His face lit by the soft glow of the street lamp above us.

  “Weren’t you told to stay in your dorm?” he accuses, like I’m a child sneaking out and he’s my parent.

  “The gentleman thing to do would be to apologize and then help me up,” I spit coldly, my eyes lingering on him a little longer than they should. Stop staring. Stop staring, Harlow. He’s got his hands tucked into a pair of worn jeans, and he’s wearing a dark Henley that shows off his toned chest, and biceps perfectly.

  Boo, why can’t they stop looking gorgeous, and while they’re at it stop following me around too. These shenanigans are getting old.

  “I’m not a gentleman, but I thought you already knew that?” The boyish grin he gives me makes my heart start to race. If these three don’t stop fucking with me, I’ll be going into cardiac arrest. I feel like every time I escape the frying pan one of them finds me and tosses me back into the fire. It’s beyond exhausting.

  “Ain’t that the truth,” I mumble under my breath, I still have the throbbing pain in my spine, but I push through and get up off the sidewalk. I wipe my sweaty hands on the front of my skinny jeans.

  “I don’t need a babysitter, so you can go and do whatever it is you brothers do when you aren’t making my life hell.”

  “You like us making your life hell.”

  Narrowing my gaze, I say, “Do not. All I want is to be left alone. I came here to forget about my past, and then you show up here, and ruin everything.”

  Sullivan shrugs his sculpted shoulders, “I’d say I’m sorry but I’m not. You fucked me over that night, Harlow.” He takes a step forward, his huge hand reaching out for me, cupping my cheek gently. I should pull away, run back to my dorm, but I can’t. I crave their attention as much as I hate it. I need more, so much more.

  “I thought you were different, sweet, and innocent. That night, I was sure I saw a glimpse of a girl that cared, and then like a snake slithering through the grass you showed your true self, sinking your teeth into my skin, injecting me with a nasty venom,” he snarls, and even angry he looks beautiful, like a tall wave and I’m the coastline standing in his way.

  “I….” My tongue darts out over my bottom lip and his gaze hones in on the movement. The muscles in his throat tightening as he swallows.

  “You’re a temptress, and I’m weak, so fucking weak for you,” he whispers, leaning forward, his hot breath fanning against my lips.

  Kiss me. I think to myself, but then decide to take charge pushing up onto my tiptoes I brush my lips against his. A groan resonates from somewhere deep inside of him, and his free hand moves to my hip. My shirt rides up with the movement and I gasp at the feel of his hand on my bare skin. Ahh, it feels heavenly.

  “You want me, don’t you?” There’s a huskiness to his voice and I nod my head, unable to form a single word. There’s something in the back of my mind that tells me this is a bad idea, but I push the thought away. All I want is to feel wanted, loved, cared for, and in some twisted way the Bishop Brothers make me feel all those things, even if they don’t realize it.

  With a gentle nudge he pushes me against the side of the building and out of the street lamp light. It’s harder to see him this way, but not impossible. I can still hear his heavy breathing and feel the hardness of his body brushing against all my softness. Everything is different between us this time, the very first time he kissed me he was gentle, kind, unsure. But this time there’s a darkness that clings to him, and I want that darkness to overtake me, to claim me.

  He Slides his hand from my hip up my body, until he’s cupping my breast through the silky fabric of my bra. My knees shake as molten lava pools in my belly when he flicks his thumb over the hardened nub.

  “Sometimes, at night when I can’t sleep, I think about what you look like when you come. And I wonder, do you think about jus
t me, or me and my brothers?”

  “Oh god,” I sigh, my core tightening around nothing but air. I want his fingers there, his tongue, his… it dawns on me then, do I really want him to be my first?

  All the thoughts inside my head become fuzzy when he flicks his finger over my nipple again, and leans forward, peppering my throat with hot kisses. Kisses that turn into something more, and soon he’s sucking on the tender flesh below my ear. Eliciting quiet mewls of pleasure out of me. Like a tiny kitten I claw at him, pulling him closer.

  Lost in my own little bubble of joy, I don’t notice someone approaching until a throat is being cleared right beside us.

  Oh my god! Without thought I’m shoving at Sullivan’s chest. He takes a step back, chest heaving, eyes flickering with fire as he stares down at me with confusion. Without his body shielding mine two girls come into view. They both wear the same look of disgust and I notice then that there’s also a guy with them.

  “You done with her brother?”

  I blink, and for some reason betrayal cuts deep into the tender tissue of my heart hearing Oliver’s voice. He’s with two girls. He was in a hurry to get away from me to be with them.

  “Yeah, you done with that, Sullivan?” One of them snickers. Tears glisten in my eyes. I couldn’t stop them from forming even if I wanted to. There’s a sick feeling that coats my insides at being caught out here, letting him feel me up like some cheap whore.

  Something that looks an awful lot like shame flickers in Sullivan blue depths but before I can read him completely a mask falls into place, overtaking his true emotions. He takes a step back, the street lamp above emitting a soft glow over his features.

  “Of course, I’m done. Thanks for the fun, Harlow.” The cruelness in his eyes leaves me cold, and I barely keep it together as he gives me one last once over before walking away with his brother and their groupies. Squeezing my eyes shut I tell myself that I won’t cry, that I don’t care what those girls think of me or how the brothers are using my attraction towards them to make things worse.