“Did you enjoy your date with Ahren?” he asks, his voice a low rasp which gently scrapes along my skin, causing goosebumps to rise in the wake of his words.
“He kissed me. He put his lips on mine, and I liked it.” The honesty doesn’t burn my throat like it usually would. But I see the jealousy burning in Elian’s eyes. Perhaps it’s anger at the fact that I kissed his brother before him, or maybe it’s envy that I enjoyed it.
I almost expect him to do something more, touch me where I ache and roughly plant his lips on mine, but he doesn’t. The controlled yet barely restrained man releases me and sits back in his chair before gifting me a smile. A grin so dark and sinister something cold races up and down my spine as he regards me.
“Then choose,” he finally speaks. “You decide here and now who you want, and it will happen.” His command is no-nonsense. My heart skitters in my chest, thumping against my ribs in a timely beat of nervous energy.
“Are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m joking, little deviant?” A dark brow arches, the corner of his mouth quirks. There is no longer a playful expression on his face. He’s being utterly fucking serious. Slowly, he pulls out his phone. I watch him tap the screen and then he sets the device on the desk. The speaker is on because I can hear the ringing.
“Brother,” Ahren’s voice comes across the line. “What’s up?”
“I have Ms. Davenport in my classroom right now,” Elian speaks. “She’s considering her choice. You or me.”
“What are you talking about?” Ahren’s clearly confused. I don’t think his brother has told him about the change of plans. And I have a feeling Ahren’s not happy about it. A smile graces Elian’s perfect lips, and I wonder how it would feel to kiss him.
Would he be rough and commanding? Or gentle and seductive like Ahren?
“I’m offering Arabella a choice.” Elian’s voice is chilly. “It’s up to her, you or me. And once she chooses, the other one steps back. Am I understood?”
“God, you can be a real dick sometimes,” Ahren grumbles, but the shock in his expression is obvious. “Yeah, whatever, man,” he tells his brother before he hangs up and we’re listening to a silent line.
“There you go, Ms. Davenport,” Elian says. “Make your choice.” Cool, blue eyes hold me hostage. They’re so clear, it’s almost as if I can drown in them, just from his stare on me. He is beautiful. But I’m not going to submit to him like this.
“Ahren kissed me,” I tell him. “I can only decide once you kiss me too.” I fold my arms across my chest, jutting my hip out in an attempt to appear calm, but I’m nowhere near calm. My hands are trembling, but he can’t see that because I tuck them away. I focus on keeping my legs straight, praying my knees don’t give out.
Elian’s lips form a perfectly salacious grin before he pushes to his feet and takes a step toward me. “You like being between us. Don’t you?” he asks as he eats up the distance between us. He knows. The thought races through my mind, but I push it back. There’s no way he could’ve found out about what happened. My father’s team had those newspapers retract everything.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
He chuckles. His hands grip my hips, pulling me flush against him, and as much as I try to fight it, I can’t because my body reacts to his. My stomach tumbles, and my heart leaps into my throat. I finally drop my hands at my sides, but I keep them fisted, hoping that the trembles will dissipate.
“You and Ahren were—”
My words are cut off the moment his mouth crashes against mine. Heat sears me from the softness and warmth of his lips. His fingers dig into my sides, causing me to whimper in pained pleasure. Elian takes it as his cue to slip his tongue into my mouth. He tastes me. It’s commanding, his movements consume everything in my mind, and there’s no longer an outside world. All that exists is him and me. And this fucking moment.
His hands trail over my hips and down to my ass. He holds me closer, and I can feel the ridge of him against my stomach. The warmth, the pulse, every hard inch. A low growl vibrates through his chest when I bite down on his tongue, sucking it into my mouth as if it were another part of his body.
I don’t know how long we taunt each other, but by the time Elian breaks the kiss, I’m breathless. His eyes have darkened, the pupils black as night as he regards me closely.
“Are you going to make your choice now?” he challenges as if he already knows I’m going to choose him. He’s confident. I must admit, Ahren’s kiss was nothing compared to his brother’s, but I have to consider just how this will work even if I did choose Elian.
I came to school convinced I had time. And I’d be happy about it. But right now, I’m unsure. I like both brothers, but I have a feeling I might be more attracted to Elian than Ahren.
My heart is already torn in two.
My phone chimes loudly in the empty room, causing me to jump away from Elian’s hands. When I pull out the device, I find his brother’s name flashing on the screen.
“Answer it,” he tells me, knowing who’s calling.
I swipe my finger across the screen and place the phone at my ear. “Hello.”
“Have you made your choice yet?” he asks, the deep gravel of his tone making me ache.
“No,” I answer honestly. I need time. I said that before, when I knew about them both wanting me, but now that I have to choose, I’m uncertain. My gaze cuts to Elian’s, the blue shimmering with
