Helena Hunting - Inked Armour

I rose, towering over him in all his pathetic, sniveling assholeness. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very distraught girlfriend to attend to because of you.”

I let myself out and texted Tenley as soon as I made it to the end of the hall. She wasn’t waiting in the lounge as I thought she might be, which meant she was sufficiently upset to follow my directions and wait for me in the lobby. I punched the button for the elevator, wanting to get to her as soon as I could.

I wasn’t worried about Calder’s calling security. He had too much to lose. Even after he followed through with my demands, I was going to encourage Tenley to bring that recording to the attention of his superiors. That dick needed to lose his job.

The doors of the elevator slid open and a familiar-looking blonde stepped out. I’d seen her coming out of Dr. Douche’s office before. She clearly hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the building. As she recovered from the shock, her eyes moved over my face and she smiled in a way that was meant to be sexy. It came off as insecure, which was exactly what Calder was looking for.

I moved aside to let her pass. She glanced over her shoulder as I stepped into the elevator. I put my hand out to stop the door from closing.

“I recognize you,” I said. “Calder’s your adviser?”

She seemed confused by the question. “Um, no, my prof, but hopefully next year . . . How—”

“People know you’re fucking him.”

Her horror was the last thing I saw before the doors closed.

Hayden burst out of the elevators and into the main lobby. “Let’s get out of here.”

He grabbed my hand, pulled me up out of the chair, and headed for the door. I practically had to run to keep up with him. His jaw was clenched, eyes blazing. When we reached the car, he helped me in and went around to his side without a word. He slipped the key in the ignition and turned the engine over.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Mostly, yes.”

“He put his hands on you.”

“I told him I knew he was having sex with a student, and he threatened to have me ejected from the program. He also said if I brought the information forward, he would make it impossible for me to secure another adviser. So I played the video from my phone. He tried to take it from me.”

Hayden took several deep breaths, his hands flexing and releasing on the steering wheel as he stared out the windshield. I couldn’t get a gauge on anything but his anger, and my own emotions were pretty frayed.

“What happened after that?”

“I opened the door. You were there.”

Finally he looked over at me. “That’s everything?”

“He grabbed my arm to get the phone, but he didn’t have a very good grip so he ended up just getting my sleeve instead.”

“You’ll have a different adviser by the beginning of the new semester.”

“What? How is that possible? It takes months to arrange something like that.”

“Calder will figure it out; otherwise, he believes the video will go to the board.”

“It should go to the board regardless.” If Calder had done this to me and that other girl, he’d probably done it before and would do it again.

“Yeah—but first I want that fucker to find you a new adviser. Then you can knock his house of cards down.”

Hayden pulled out his phone and made a call. “Hey, Lisa.” His tone was clipped. “What time is my first appointment? . . . And the next one? . . . Can you reschedule the one for noon and leave the block empty? I’m going to be late. . . . Uh-huh. . . . No. . . . Yeah.” He hung up.

“You didn’t have to reschedule your first client. I’m okay.”

“I’m not.”

“He didn’t hurt me.”

“He could have. If I hadn’t been there, he might have tried to.” Hayden reached out and touched my cheek. His fingers trembled, as he fought to stay in control of his emotions.

“But you were there, so it’s okay,” I said, hoping to soothe him.

“I’m taking you home.”

“You don’t need to do that. Do you want to stop somewhere first? We could get a bite to eat.”

“I’m not particularly hungry.”

“It might make you feel better.”

“There’s only one thing that’s going to make me feel better.” His dark gaze raked over me. “And while I’m perfectly content to fuck you in the backseat, I’d much prefer to do it in the comfort of my bed, because I don’t think I have it in me to be very gentle.”

“I see,” I said calmly, even though I was anything but. “We should probably go home, then.”

“That would be best.” Hayden shifted the car into gear, his eyes moving to the road.

We were finally done with the sex hiatus.

Hayden could have broken the sound barrier on the way home. The tires squealed as we pulled into the underground parking garage and he slid neatly into his spot. I was out of the car and beelining for the elevator before he had the key out of the ignition. I had every intention of capitalizing on his primal desire.

“Someone’s eager.” Hayden’s chest brushed against my back when he pushed the button for the elevator.

It dinged a few seconds later and the doors opened. Impatient, I catapulted inside. Hayden followed at a leisurely pace, enjoying my anticipation. Heedless of how desperate I came across, I pushed the button for the second floor and punched CLOSE DOORS until they finally responded.

Hayden leaned against the opposite wall, his fingers curled around the rail. His grip seemed to be the only thing that kept him from taking me to the floor.

“I shouldn’t have waited this long.” His tongue ring peeking out to slide over his bottom lip and click against the viper bite.

I must have looked as worked up as I felt because his mouth turned up in a cocky grin and he pushed away from the rail. He stalked across the small space in two long strides and stopped in front of me, close but not touching.

With lazy fingers he undid the buttons on my coat, parting the sides to reveal my dress. It no longer conformed to my curves, having been stretched out in my altercation with Professor Calder.

The elevator chimed, signaling our arrival on the second floor. Hayden motioned for me to exit. His palm settled on my low back, guiding me down the hall. As soon as we were inside his condo, I found myself pressed against the wall. Hayden’s mouth covered mine and he pushed my coat over my shoulders.

“You have no idea what I’m going to do to you.”

It was a warning and a plea. We needed each other on the most basic level. It was that simple.

“Are you healed enough?” One hand slipped between my legs. “Please tell me this is okay.”

“It’s been long enough.” I rocked against his palm, testing out the friction.

“Thank fuck.”

Not interested in preliminaries, he pulled my dress up to my hips and broke the kiss to get it over my head. It joined my coat on the floor. His breath left him in a rush as he exposed the pale blue bra covered in a tiny-cupcake print. Hayden’s calm composure broke as he traced the hot-pink lace edge with fingers that shook.

“How much more of this cupcake stuff do you have?”

“Let’s just say my shopping trip with the girls was theme oriented.” I pulled down the zipper on his coat.

“That’s very good to hear.”

He kissed me again, slow and deep, walking me backward down the hall to his bedroom. Light filtered through the half-open curtains, leaving nothing in shadow. When we reached the bed, I lifted myself onto the edge. Hayden didn’t waste any time as he rid me of my tights, tossing them on the floor. I returned the favor by tugging his shirt over his head.

“I fucking love these.” Hayden cupped my breasts and skimmed lower to sweep over the satin and lace at my hips.

As he claimed my mouth again, his palms smoothed around my back and found the clasp of my bra, freeing it. It joined the rest of our clothes on the floor. Hayden’s thumbs brushed over my nipples, gently at first and then pinching roughly. My gasp broke the kiss.

“Sorry. I’m sorry,” he murmured.

He sank to his knees and I parted my legs. Warm hands drifted up the outside of my thighs as he placed a penitent kiss on the offended nipple. The tenderness was a stark contrast to the heat and need in him. He sucked and nibbled his way across to the other breast. Desire sparked fire in my veins. I was consumed by the craving to feel him on me, in me, shattering me and making me whole at that same time.

When he released my nipple, I moved back, making room for him on the bed. Every tattoo, every line of ink wrapped around defined muscles, was visible as he came after me, looking savagely dangerous.

He latched on to my ankle, preventing me from going any farther. With a lascivious smile he kissed his way up my calf, his ascent torturously slow. When he reached his destination, his mouth closed over the pale satin. The hot, wet press of his tongue against the fabric was a promise of what was to come. I lifted my hips and he hooked his fingers into my panties, dragging them down. His hair tickled my hip as he dropped a kiss on the cupcake tattoo.

“Ah, fuuuuck,” Hayden breathed. “That is so sexy.”

His lips parted, transfixed as his knuckle dragged over the curved barbell. The piercing slid along with the movement. I made a throaty sound.

“Tell me how it feels, kitten. Is it good? Was it worth it?” he asked in that liquid sex voice I missed so much.

I was so tightly wound, already on the brink of coming even though he’d barely touched me. He circled my entrance with a finger and pressed down on my clit. I whimpered, unable to form words. He took pity on me, watching my face as he slid two fingers inside and curled them up. There was no slow buildup, nothing gradual about the way he manipulated my body. His tongue flicked out and I closed my legs at the devastating sensitivity caused by the piercing and the gathering orgasm.