The Ritual: A Dark College Romance
The Ritual: Chapter 18

W E’VE BEEN AT the club for three hours now. We’ve had drinks, shots, and danced our asses off.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she asks as we come up to the bar for a refill. I’m not sure if it’s the alcohol or the flashing lights, but it’s getting hard to see.

“Nope.” My problems are not hers. And I’m still unsure of this ritual shit. Does she have to tell Gunner if he asks her? Would she willingly tell him without him having to ask? I love my friend, but I’m going to keep this to myself. It’s not something she can fix anyway.

“Okay,” she says, not concerned that I’m keeping something from her. “Just know I’m here if you need me.”

“Here you go, ladies. Courtesy of the two gentlemen at the end of the bar.” The bartender sets two shots down in front of us.

I look over to my right, my hair flipping across my face expecting to see dipshit again. Thankfully, the guys haven’t bothered us since Sarah told them to fuck off. But instead, I’m surprised to see a set of emerald eyes staring at me. He stands there, holding a glass of scotch. Gunner stands next to him, drinking a beer. A laugh bubbles up from my chest, making his eyes narrow on mine. It’s funny. I’m not even mad or surprised that the fucker found me.

“I swear I didn’t tell him,” Sarah assures me, patting my shoulder.

“It’s fine.” I nod, picking up my drink. I stare at it for a second before I throw it back. Some misses my mouth, and the coldness runs down my breasts since they’re on full display tonight.

“Fuck them, B. We came here to have fun. Me and you. Let’s go dance,” she offers when I set the empty drink down.

“Lead the way,” I half joke. I’m fucked up and feel great. He can’t ruin my night. Hell, not even Matt can piss me off right now.

She grabs my hand and pulls me onto the dance floor. We make our way through the people, bumping into them until we’re in the center. I throw my hands up above my head and start moving my hips to “Taste of You” by Rezz and Dove Cameron.

The lights flash, making it hard to focus on anything. So, I close my eyes and drop my hands, running them over my hips, moving my head from side to side, letting my hair slap my face. I can feel the bass thumping through my body. The bright lights are warming up my skin.

Someone comes up behind me, and rough denim pushes against the back of my thighs. Then a set of hands grabs my waist before falling to my hips. Instead of pushing them away, I hold them and pull them around to my front, knowing exactly who it is. Ryat doesn’t know how to stay away. I lean back on him, laying my head on his chest, eyes still closed.

His hand sprawls across my exposed stomach, his other trails up my body. He wraps it around my neck, and I whimper. My ass grinds on his hard cock in his jeans.

Bending down, he nibbles on my ear, and I groan. “Fuck, yes.”

My pulse is racing, and my head is spinning. I’ve already had so much to drink before we even got here. I just want to let go, feel the music, the vibrations, and the sweat that covers my body. It’s all so much.

His hand squeezes, taking away my air for a quick second, and my underwear grows wet. My lips part, unable to breathe. Maybe he’ll knock me out. When he loosens his grip, I feel an overwhelming rush of disappointment.

Lifting his hand just a bit, he moves from my neck to my chin. His free hand dips lower and up under my dress. “Yes.” I moan. “Please …”

“You’re in so much trouble,” he growls in my ear, making me shiver.

“Punish me,” I tell him, my hands coming up and reaching behind me to grip his hair. He hisses in my ear when I pull on it.

I don’t even care at this point. Matt can’t do shit right now. Ryat has made that very clear—no one will touch me. No one will hear me. He owns me for now. And I’m going to revel in it.

“Be careful what you ask for, little one.” He kisses down to my neck, where he bites it.

I gasp, my hips pushing forward, feeling his fingers very close to my pussy. I’m so wet that my thong is soaked. The song changes to “Sick Like Me” by In This Moment, and he spins me around, his hands on my hips stopping me from turning too far.

Moving his hand to cup my face, he pushes the hair out of my eyes and rubs his thumb over my parted lips while our hips grind. I stick my tongue out and wrap it around his finger, pulling it into my mouth.

His eyes darken under the flashing fluorescent lights, and I feel a growl from his chest vibrate mine. I close my eyes and suck on his finger as his other hand goes to the back of my neck. Gripping my hair, he yanks my head back, his thumb popping loose from my lips. He lowers his lips to my neck and kisses my skin.

“Ryat …” I whimper, digging my nails into his shirt. Is this my punishment? Dancing? Teasing? “I want you.” I moan, my lower stomach grinding on his hard dick. “Fuck.” My hands go to his belt, but he pulls back, grabbing my wrists to stop me.

He looks over my shoulder and nods once. I’m guessing to signal to Gunner. Then he grabs my hand and drags me off the dance floor. My drunken legs can’t keep up in my six-inch heels. He takes me to the coat check at the entrance and gets my purse, keys, and phone for me. Guess I didn’t have to text him a pic from the bathroom after all.

Grabbing my hand once again, he leads me out the back, and we walk toward his car. I’m stumbling, my vision blurry. I blink, but it doesn’t do any good. “Did you … did you drug me?” I ask as he brings me to the passenger door. He and Gunner had bought us drinks. I wouldn’t put it past them to slip something into them.

He pushes my back into the door, coming to stand between my legs. He grips my chin and forces me to look up at him. “No,” he answers, his green eyes searching my face. When they replace mine, he gives me a devious smirk that lights up his gorgeous face even in the dim parking lot. “I want you to be awake and remember every little thing I do to you tonight.”

I whimper, my thighs tightening.

“Starting now.” He spins me around to face the passenger car door, pressing my exposed stomach to the cold metal, making me shiver. He yanks my hands behind my back, and my ears still ring from the loud music inside, so I don’t hear the handcuffs before they wrap around each wrist. And just like before, he secures them extra tight.

Leaning over, he opens the door and helps me into my seat. He slams the door and I cry out as my arms are crushed behind me.

RYAT

I GET IN the driver’s side and start my car. We knew that Sarah had brought them here, so I drove Gunner so we could each drive them back. Leaning across her, I fasten her seat belt.

“It’s a thirty-minute drive,” she whines, trying to adjust her arms behind her back.

“Should have thought about that.” I wasn’t all that mad until I saw what she was wearing. A fucking bathing suit would cover more. And I know she dressed this way because of our fight earlier. I reach over and yank both sides of the straps open, exposing her tits. I grab her left one and squeeze. She throws her head back, panting. Leaning over the center console, I suck her nipple into my mouth, making it hard. She lifts her hips the best she can with the seat belt on.

Pulling away, I slap it, making her cry out again. If the car was big enough, I could totally fuck her in it because the windows are blacked out. But I need more room to work with. She’ll probably be passed out by the time we get back to the apartment.

I lift her skirt and shove her underwear to the side. “Just how wet are you, Blake?” I ask, running my fingers over her pussy.

“So wet,” she moans.

I push a finger into her, and she’s not lying. “For who?” I ask.

“You.” She wiggles her shoulders, trying to relieve her hands restrained behind her back.

“Whose girl are you?” I ask, shoving another one into her.

She gasps, her tits bouncing at the motion while she spreads her legs farther apart for me. “Yours.”

“Mine,” I remind her as I start finger-fucking her while she sits in the passenger seat of my car.

She cries out, her legs shifting on the seat, her hips bucking and head banging on the headrest. I don’t gag her. I like the way she sounds when she’s screaming my name.

My fingers go in and out of her while my free hand pinches her nipples. She arches her back as her cunt clamps down on my fingers while she comes.

I pull them out, and she slumps against the seat. Lips parted while she tries to catch her breath. I push the strands of hair covering her face away and shove my fingers into her mouth. “Clean them,” I command.

Her cheeks hollow as she sucks her cum off them, and I pull them out with a pop. Gripping her face, I force her to look over at me. “Don’t ever do that again. Do you understand me?”

Her eyes are glassy, her chest heaving and body shaking. I want to drag her across this car and force my cock down her throat. I want to be rough with her. Remind her who the fuck I am and that she belongs to me, but I don’t. She licks her numb lips and nods. “Yeah.”

After I release her, I sit back in the driver’s seat and defog the windows while putting the car in gear and take off.

_______________

SHE’S OUT LIKE I expected her to be by the time I park at her apartment. Undoing her seat belt, I help her out of the car and carry her inside with her hands still cuffed behind her back.

Getting her into the door, I head toward her room but pause before passing the kitchen. Something on the floor catches my attention—it’s glass. Its broken pieces are scattered on the floor, and I frown. What the fuck happened? I knew she was home because I had watched her on the cameras, but then I got called to the house of Lords for a meeting. Once it was over, Gunner notified me the girls were going out. By the time I checked on her, she was already on her way to the club.

Moving on to her room, I lay her on the bed facedown. She doesn’t even make a sound. I remove her heels and then place her on her side to remove the halter from over her neck. I then slide it down her stomach and legs before tossing it to the floor as well.

That too will be getting burned. I run my hands up and down her bubble ass, giving it a small slap.

She buries her face into the pillow, letting out a moan as she stirs. Moving my hand up to her face, I push the hair off the side. “Good night, little one,” I tell her and turn toward the bathroom.

“Ryat?” She moans my name.

I turn to look at her over my shoulder. “Yeah?”

“My wrists?” she asks, licking her dry lips with her eyes still closed.

“They stay on,” I tell her.

She whimpers, her face digging into the pillow once again. I walk back over to her. “Did you think your punishment was an orgasm?”

“They hurt.” She ignores my question.

“Good,” I say and then pause, getting an idea. “They can come off. If … you tell me what happened today.”

She turns her head to face away from me and mumbles, “Good night.”

My brows rise. What the fuck happened that she doesn’t want me to know? “What happened in the kitchen?” I try another way.

Nothing.

“Okay.” I reach down and undo my belt. She’s given me no other option. Snapping the leather between my hands, I then slap it down across her upper thighs.

She screams, her body tensing.

Doing it again, I order, “Ass up in the air.”

She buries her face into the pillow, whimpering, but she wiggles up onto her knees, arching her back.

Dropping the belt next to her on the bed, I reach out and rub my hands over the red marks that it gave. She wiggles her ass, and I grip her underwear and tear them down the middle. My hand runs down over her ass to her pussy. “Last chance. Tell me what happened today,” I say, pushing two fingers into her already wet cunt.

She moans, her hips rocking against my hand. “Nothing …”

I remove my fingers and slap her pussy.

She cries out, her body jerking, and she goes to pull her knees together. “Don’t you dare,” I warn, and she pauses, slowly pushing them back to where they were. “You’re lying to me, Blake.” I sigh, tapping her pussy in warning, and she flinches. My left hand reaches for the chain that connects the handcuffs, and I grip it in my hand, pulling it toward her ass.

Her head comes up off the bed. “Ryat.” She gasps. “Please …”

I tap her pussy again before pushing the two fingers back into her. “You’re in control here,” I say. Manipulation is important. “All you have to do is tell me, and I’ll take them off.”

She stays silent, and it pisses me off.

I force a third finger into her pussy and work them in and out while circling her clit. She rocks her body back and forth, whimpering at what my hand is doing. I get more forceful, pulling harder on the cuffs.

She’s panting, her body rocking back and forth, trying to fuck my fingers as if it’s my cock. Her pussy clamps down on me, and I pull them out. Her body sags, and she groans.

I slap her pussy once again and then shove my fingers back in. “I can do this all night, little one,” I say with a smile.

She’s close to orgasm again, so I stop. She screams, burying her head into the pillow, getting irritated. I slap her pussy, then start again.

Just as she’s about to cum, I let up. “Okay, okay,” she rushes out. “Please … just let me …” She trails off and I keep going, and this time, I allow her to come. Pulling my fingers out, I bring them to my lips when she breathes, “Matt.”

I pause. “Excuse me?” Did she just call me her ex?

She stretches her legs out, flattening her body to the bed, and whispers, “He threatened me.”

“Matt threatened you?” I growl. “When? What the fuck did he say?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She sighs. “Never does.”

I dig the key to the handcuffs out of my back pocket and undo them. Before she can even move, I’m pushing her onto her back and sitting down next to her. Reaching out, I push her hair from her face. “Tell me what he said.” She’s pretty fucking drunk, and I’m not even sure how much of tonight she’ll remember when she wakes up. So, I need to use this as an opportunity to replace out everything before she sobers up and becomes a brick wall again like she was earlier today.

Her eyes are closed, and she’s breathing heavily. She’s about to pass out again anytime soon.

“Blake?” I bark, and she opens her heavy eyes.

“Today. Earlier.” She licks her lips, reaching up and running her hands through her hair. “I saw you talking to your wife.”

I frown.

“Well, he caught me watching you talk to your future wife.” She chuckles. “I think he thought I was jealous. Like he thinks I already love you.” More laughter follows, like that’ll never happen. “And he told me that you may have me now, but once you’re done with me, I’m stuck with him until I die. And he’ll make my life a living hell.” She yawns and mumbles on. “Something about not seeing daylight. Your slut, his whore …” She trails off.

“Blake …”

“He pushed me up against the wall and licked my face.” She shudders. “Thought I was going to puke.”

“He what?” I snap, my body tensing while my blood pressure rises at that thought. But she ignores my outburst. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me this when I asked you earlier?”

She looks up at me. Her pretty blue eyes look unfocused and tired. “I don’t know what happened between you two, but I know Matt is the reason you chose me.”

I sigh. She’s not far from the truth. “Blake …”

“I will not be punished for something he has done, Ryat,” she says softly. “You can fuck me, but I told myself that Matt will not dictate my life anymore.”

I run a hand through my hair at her confession. She’s not wrong. Matt is why I had to pick her. But it wouldn’t have happened without her. “Why did you let me choose you?” I ask.

She gives me a weak smile. “Because you made me feel wanted.”

Matt is a fool and a dead man!

“I hate everyone,” she goes on, eyes closed once again. “My mom for making me marry him. Matt for blaming me for you hating him. And you …” She trails off and whispers, “I’ll just run away once you’re done with me.”

I stand staring down at her, my hands fisting. Why the fuck was he even talking to her in the first place? He told her I’m marrying Cindy? That may be true, but we don’t discuss that shit. How would he know that?

When she starts snoring softly, I place the handcuffs in her nightstand, then I cover her up with her comforter, kissing her forehead good night.