All characters from Divergent belong to Veronica Roth as well as all characters from Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. I own nothing except my version of events.

Chapter 15 Don't Get Too Close

I had been summoned by our fearless leader. I had no idea why he would want to talk to me, an initiate, but here I was following blindly after his messenger. I found myself suddenly terrified while trying my hardest to act brave and unmoved. But really what other choice did I have? It's not like I could say no and deny my faction leader anything his little heart desired.

We went over one of the many bridges over the pit and passed by Eric's office but continued moving forward until we reached the end of the hall. He rapped once on the wooden door and after receiving the confirmation to enter he opened the door for me, remaining at the doorway allowing only for me to enter and then silently closed it behind me.

Max sat behind his desk, his hands primly crossed over the table, quietly tilting his head signaling for me to take a seat in the chair in front of his desk. I did as I was told, leaving my face expressionless as I waited for him to say something, anything really.

Finally after what felt like forever he broke into a pleasant smile and greeted me casually.

"Bella, I've been meaning to have this conversation with you for a while now. But unfortunately, my schedule has not been flexible and I had not found an opportunity to do this earlier."

I smiled back, relieved now that he seemed to be happy over my presence here instead of angry about it. At least now I knew he wasn't planning to send me away to Erudite. "I'm actually surprised to be here in the first place. I can only imagine how busy you must be on a day to day basis."

His smile remained on his face but he chuckled this time, "Well you shouldn't be surprised, Bella. I've had my eye on you, practically from the start. You've progressed immensely since arriving and I've seen how you've excelled at almost every obstacle we've presented."

I frowned at his words, finding myself confused. First of all, I had no idea he'd been watching. Second, I hadn't taken first place in either phase so it made no sense for him to now basically be singing my praises. I decided to express myself openly for once. "I don't understand, I ranked number thirteen in phase one and right now I'm in second place behind Tris."

He looked me over for a second, I was sure someone else in my place would have squirmed under the scrutiny but I was a pro at keeping my composure… at least most of the time. "You may not be ranking first in either phase but to be honest that has nothing to do with why I have called you in here today. Ranking is only just a number after all. Like I've previously stated, I've watched your progression, I've watched your strength and your unwavering determination, I've watched you survive death and save someone else from the same situation you once lived through. And I've never once seen you show even an ounce of fear through it all. You are unmovable, brave, and dedicated to our faction. I've heard nothing but great praise from three out of four of your instructors, though at this point I shouldn't bother counting Rosalie as one since I've been notified she has only shown jealousy at your success. Of course, it's not just towards you. She has performed below minimum counseling towards all of our initiates and I'm afraid she has failed not only your initiation class but our faction as a whole. And so I have decided to exclude her from the pool of instructors in the future… but I digress. Your dedication to our faction has also been noticed by, who everyone considers to be our most ruthless leader, Eric. He's also taken notice of your strength and resilience, and I figure if you've managed to even impress one of our strictest leaders then there must be something extraordinary about you. You've been an exemplary initiate, it has been a long time since I've last seen someone like you grace the walls of this compound." I think my expression must have shown my surprise because he chuckled again. "But I'm not here to simply commend you for your hard work. I've called you in here because I have a proposition for you."

Say what? Now this just got very interesting… "What kind of proposition?"

"I would like to offer you a job here among our faction leaders after graduation." No fucking way! Contain the excitement, Bella, stay cool and in control. "Unfortunately, all leadership positions are currently being filled. Initially I thought of offering you the position of Eric's assistant. But he's a rather prickly one, and though he's shown his approval of you, I'm sure he would still fight me over assigning you to him. He prefers to do his work alone, without assistance, unlike the rest of us. Instead I have decided to create a position just for you. I want you to be our leader by proxy. This means that if for any reason one of our leaders is unable to attend a meeting or is unable to fulfill their duties for whatever reason, you would take their place. And when one of us retires, you would automatically assume their position among us."

Holy shit. I really hadn't seen this coming. My mind couldn't even wrap itself around the gravity of this opportunity. I pushed my surprise to the side, identifying the look on his face to mean that he was waiting for my response. Clearing my throat I finally spoke, "I am honored by your words, and I would love to accept the offer. Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Bella. Your actions speak louder than words and from what I've seen from you already, I know you won't disappoint."

I smiled again at him and nodded. I would show him just how valuable I was once I started. When I first came here I never thought about becoming a leader. I just wanted to become a member and be accepted for my individuality for once, something I had never felt back in Abnegation. In reality, my family were the only ones who've ever accepted me for who I was and appreciated me and my differences, but hearing those words of affirmation coming from the leader of my new home, it finally felt like I truly belonged here.

"I won't." I promised.

"I will be announcing your appointment after the rankings have been revealed. You will not need to attend the following day's new member job assignments nor the apartment designations. Eric will personally guide you to your new apartment. You will have the weekend to relax and get used to your new living arrangements but I expect you to be here Monday morning at 8 a.m. for your first day." He informed me, smiling at me as he stood up, reaching forward to shake hands with me. "I look forward to working with you, Bella, and I'm sure the other leaders will feel the same way once they've been notified."

I stood up with him and happily shook his hand back. "Thank you, I guess I'll see you at the ceremony then."

Once dismissed, I made my way out of his office and entered once again into the hallway on the leadership floor. I was heading back to the bridge when I caught Eric appearing from around the corner. The look of surprise on his face at seeing me here in his territory almost made me laugh. He frowned and discreetly looked around him making sure the coast was clear, then he grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into his office with him.

"Is this really smart, Eric?" I asked, just because I couldn't help but to tease him.

But instead of answering my question he threw me another one. "What are you doing here?"

I breezily walked past him taking a seat in his chair behind his desk, I casually leaned my elbows on his desk, interlacing my fingers to place my chin on top, the picture of calm. "Wouldn't you like to know?" I playfully asked back with a smile.

He rolled his eyes and moved towards me, leaving me seated in his chair but taking his position at the edge of his desk. He crossed his arms and arched a brow at me in return silently asking me to explain myself.

Feeling too happy at the moment to face his pretend wrath against me I finally answered his question. "Well," I started, as casually as I could manage, leaning back against the backrest of his chair and lifting my legs on top of his desk. He threw me an annoyed look but didn't make a move to remove me. "Apparently Max has been impressed in my performance during initiation. Receiving positive feedback from three of my instructors and one of our Dauntless leader's and has decided to add me to his collection on the leadership floor."

He looked stunned for a second but asked again, "What does that mean exactly?"

"It means that he's offered me a job here in leadership after initiation. He would have appointed me as an official leader but unfortunately all leadership positions are currently being filled. He initially wanted me to be your assistant but since you're such a douche he didn't want me to suffer by forcing me to work under you. He also didn't want to hear you bitch about it either." He rolled his eyes when I called him a douche but didn't even bother to contradict me, he knew what he was more than anyone else. "So instead he opened up a new position just for me. I will be acting as a leader by proxy… not sure if that's the official name but it basically means that whenever you guys are too busy or unable to fulfill your duties, I will take your place. And whenever any one of you retires, I will automatically assume said position."

His face displayed shock but then it slowly transformed into a smile, surprising me for a moment. "Congratulations." He said happily, his face then transforming into a more playful smile. "Though you know I wouldn't have minded having you working under me." He said seductively.

I laughed lightly so as not to be heard from outside. "Oh, I know that too, but I very well couldn't have told Max exactly why you wouldn't mind, now could I?"

"A wise choice." He said with a smirk. He lifted my legs up from his desk and pulled me closer while simultaneously sliding over to settle himself in between my legs. He grasped onto my ankles and slid his fingertips underneath the cuff of my pants, tracing little patterns on my skin. "I feel like that deserves a prize, don't you think?"

"What kind of prize?" I flirted back, if it had anything to do with Eric touching more of my skin I would gladly accept.

He hummed low in his throat, pretending to be thinking for a moment before dropping down to his knees with a dark little smirk playing along his lips. I watched him captivated, my eyes following the path of his hands as they slid along the inside of my thighs until he reached the button of my pants. He looked up at me then, teasing me. "You didn't say if you wanted your present."

My lips pursed trying to contain my smile from slipping out. "You don't ask people if they want presents, Eric. They're called presents for a reason."

He chuckled lightly and moved his hands again, unbuttoning my pants and sliding the zipper down. He grasped the sides and pulled them down. I lifted my hips up to assist him and he brought them down to my ankles, keeping them there. He grasped the back of my knees and pulled me down until my ass reached the edge of his chair and spread my knees apart to gain access. He bent forward then, lightly pressing his nose against my underwear and taking a deep inhale. My skin prickled with goosebumps as I watched the look of hunger overtake his features, but he resisted going further, looking up at me and connecting his eyes with my own. "Are you wet already, baby?"

I wasn't yet, but I knew I would be in a matter of seconds with his face so close to my heat, "Only one way to find out."

He nudged his face against my covered sex, pressing his nose against the area where he knew my clit would be, he rubbed ever so gently and I grasped tightly onto the armrest of his chair. I could feel myself getting wetter at the sensation. He stopped until he could see a wet spot forming and inhaled deeply again, releasing a low groan at the base of his throat. I watched in fascination as his tongue slid out from in between his lips, tilting his head to hook the tip of his tongue to the hem of my underwear and using it to slowly pull it to the side. Just enough to gain access so he could tease me some more by sliding the tip of his tongue along my now exposed slit.

"Eric." I whined with need, teasing was nice and all but I was starting to feel desperate and I just wanted to get my present already.

"Tell me." He breathed.

"I want my present now." I practically ordered, my urgency clear in my tone. He looked up at me with a dark smile on his face and grabbed the thin straps of my underwear with his fingers. He surprised me when he suddenly snapped the sides off as if they were made of paper and pulled the front flap to uncover my sex completely, without wasting another second he shoved his face fully in between my folds. "Shit." I gasped, holding onto the arm rests of his chair. What I really wanted was to grab his hair but we were currently in his office and I couldn't mess up his neatly combed hair at work.

His tongue lapped over me, forming almost an eight shape going around my clit and around my opening. He was still teasing me but it was just enough to keep me wanting more, literally at the edge of my seat as I waited for him to get to the main act. My legs automatically tried to close over his head to assuage my need but he retaliated by pressing his hands against my knees to keep them apart. My pants were still around my ankles and so my bottom half was restrained and left bare to his ministrations.

"Always taste so good." He moaned, talking over my sex and making me shiver. "Give me more." He ordered, sliding his tongue inside and fucking me with it.

A stunned gasp left my lips, I couldn't stop myself from touching him and so I grasped onto his ears and pulled him forward, forcing him to move at the rhythm that I wanted. "Yes, fucking, yes." I gasped out. He dug his fingers into my thighs near my sex and lowly growled, reminding me to be quiet. I bit my lip then to prevent myself from making any further noise but it was almost impossible to do when he fucked me so openly like that, his whole mouth covering as much of my sex as he could possibly manage. The feel of his tongue rubbing against my inner walls and pushing it as far as it would go. My legs started to shake, feeling the tell-tale signs of my orgasm approaching, steadily building and growing more and more with Eric spurring me on. I was just at the edge of falling but I still needed just a little push, sensing this Eric slid his right hand up my thigh, pressing his elbow against my knee to continue to keep me opened and restrained while his thumb rubbed just above my clit.

I exploded into his mouth, closing my eyes and squeezing them tightly. He released a low moan deep in his throat as his tongue slipped out of me to capture every single drop of my essence.

My hips dived down towards his face, riding the waves of my orgasm for as long as I could until I twitched when my sex became too sensitive to take more. I sagged back into his chair, relaxing and letting the echoes of my orgasm roll over my limbs and the rest of my body. I felt his mouth begin to slow, cleaning me up and taking the last traces of my orgasm before pulling away.

I heard his low chuckle, enjoying the view of me completely melted over his chair. I felt him move again, sliding my pants up and tapping me to lift my hips to help him redress me. I don't know where I found the energy, but I did, and I felt him removing the scraps of my underwear altogether and covering me with just my pants. Once I was settled he reached beside him, pulling his bottom desk drawer and stuffing my wet undies inside.

I arched a brow at him but he didn't even bother to explain the action, though I didn't really need one. He was such a deviant I knew exactly why he'd wanted to keep them there.

I opened my mouth to tease him over it when there was a sudden knock at his office door. We both startled, wordlessly switching spots and I ended up trapped in between his legs on the floor hidden underneath his desk.

Jesus we were a fucking mess.

"Come in." He called in a bored tone.

I could hear the door opening but didn't hear the footsteps I had anticipated, which meant the person had remained at the doorway. Good.

"Eric, good thing I caught you before leaving for lunch." Shit it was Max. "You getting sick or something? Your ears are red and you look a bit out of breath."

Oops. I guess I held onto them a little too tightly, better than fucking up his hair though.

Eric cleared his throat before responding. "No, I'm fine. Just a bit hot in here, and I took an earlier lunch. I actually just got back. I'm kind of in a hurry, Harrison asked me to eval the soldiers at the border to make sure they're doing their job right after what happened to Luke."

I heard Max absentmindedly hum in thought. "Yes, his report was rather vague and the circumstances of his injury didn't fit the report either."

"Obviously a lie." Eric deduced.

"What do you think really happened?"

Eric released a low chuckle, I was sure he even rolled his eyes. "Idiot was probably climbing the fence for fun. You know they get quite antsy at the border, they were probably betting on who would reach the top first and the moron slipped and fell. He's lucky he ended up with just a fractured leg and not a broken neck."

I covered my mouth with my hand but my body shook as I silently laughed. Dauntless were brave and all, but sometimes we lacked in brain power. I felt Eric lightly nudging me with his knee to stop. My eyes narrowed and I did the only thing I could think to do. I placed a hand on each knee, feeling his legs stiffen at my touch. Oh, this was going to be fun...

"Take off points from those involved, nothing motivates them more than docking their pay." Max ordered. While Max talked I started to slowly glide my hands up and down his thighs, simply to taunt him a little.

I heard Eric's voice tighten just a fraction, enough for me to notice but not Max. "Of course, but I'm assuming you didn't come here just to ask about the idiots at the border. So what's up?"

I slid my hands softly over the clear bulge in his pants, I could tell already he was rock solid and desperate to break out of his jeans.

"Right, uh, I wanted to let you know I'm calling a leader meeting for tomorrow morning at six. I know it's two hours before you're all scheduled to come in but we have a lot to discuss and I have another meeting to attend to at 8."

Maybe if I go slowly Max won't hear the zipper?

Eric pushed himself further into his desk to make sure I wouldn't be seen. "No problem. Preview?" He asked casually.

"Just some things concerning other factions, I'd rather let you all know together. One thing I can tell you is that I've decided to offer one of our initiates a job here with us after initiation is over."

"Really?" He asked with pretend surprise. I rolled my eyes, he was such a terrible actor. "Who?"

"Bella."

"Oh." He said in a bored tone, I stopped what I was doing and took a bite out of his thigh in retaliation. The muscles in his leg tightened but not a single part of him outwardly showed the pain. Huh…

"You don't approve?"

Eric coughed, "Not necessarily. I'm just surprised, you've never done that before."

"I did it with you."

"That was different, you had a spot open and next to me no one could compare." I covered my mouth over my laugh again. He nudged me with both knees this time, partly for making fun of him but mostly so I would continue with what I was doing.

I could hear Max's deep chuckle. "Cocky bastard. Anyway, I want her to be like our substitute leader. I'll give you more details with everyone tomorrow but I figured I should tell you first since its concerning one of your initiates."

Zipper is officially down.

"Right. Thanks." He sounded so eager to get rid of him… I wonder why, I thought, laughing to myself.

I rubbed his erection over his boxer briefs.

"Alright, well I guess I better go. It'll be a long day tomorrow and I hate going to Erudite."

Erudite?

"I bet. Jeanine's a real piece of work." Eric idly commented.

I heard the creak of the door as if Max had hesitated at the door and I froze my movements. There was a moment of silence before I heard the door fully close but Eric hadn't moved and so I'd remained in place too. I soon found out why when I heard footsteps moving closer.

I stilled even further at his proximity. It was dead silent in here.

I heard Max sitting and releasing a stress filled breath before he spoke again. "Eric," he started with clear trepidation in his voice, like he wasn't sure he should be entrusting Eric with the following information. "Jeanine's made a new serum… She wants at least one of our leaders to attend a preview."

What? New serum?

I felt Eric literally freeze at Max's declaration this time before he finally asked, "What kind of serum?"

"She was vague… add that to the fact that she's never made personal calls before and it's got me worried. She usually contacts us through email or has one of her assistants call. But it was like she was calling herself to ensure that at least one leader of each faction was in attendance. It's highly unusual."

Eric remained silent for a beat as if he were hesitant to respond, "Do you want me to go with you?"

Max didn't immediately respond, as if thinking over his options. "No… no, it's fine. I'm sure I'm simply reading too much into this, and you're busy with the end of initiation. I know the initiate's final test is in a couple of days and you have to focus on that."

"If you're sure."

"I am. I'll see you tomorrow." Max finally said with more confidence in his tone, I could hear him getting up from his seat and the door opening and closing behind him.

Eric remained where he was for a beat longer before he moved his chair back, extending a hand down to assist me getting back on my feet.

"That was weird." I commented, not really having anything else to say.

"Max worries over everything." He said, trying to sound indifferent but I could tell he was unsettled over Max's worry. I mean, he was currently standing up and zipping up his pants again. Eric never refused a blow job, they were rare and precious to him.

"Maybe you should go with him anyway." I offered.

"We'll see." He said, almost dismissively. I was tempted to say more but decided he knew better than I did. I wasn't a part of leadership yet so what the hell did I know? "Come on, I have to get you out of here." He said, grasping my hand and leading me towards the door. He paused before opening the door and turned to look at me donning a seductive expression again, ready to lure me at any opportunity. "You're coming over tonight right? We were kind of interrupted."

"I thought you were going to the fence?"

"I am, but I'll be back tonight. Probably after your curfew, but sneaking out of the dorms hasn't been a problem for you in the past so I expect you in my apartment as soon as possible."

"Fine." I said, acting as if it was bothersome to do, though we both knew I was just as eager as he.

Not being able to help it he leaned down and captured my lips with his, his hand grasping onto the back of my head and forcing me to submit to his forceful kiss. I didn't fight him, not when I could still taste myself on his tongue. I swear I was dripping again, and now I couldn't wait for him to finish his job tonight so we could finish what we'd started. I had come to terms with the idea that I was absolutely addicted to Eric, kind of. I idly wondered how long that would last, but for now I would enjoy it and take as much of it as I could until I had my fill. He released my lips, smiled down at me with a look I couldn't quite identify but before I had enough time to decode it, he opened the door and stuck his head out of his office. With the coast clear, he silently guided me out and I followed like an idiot until we parted ways at the stairs.

My body moved automatically, climbing down the stairs on autopilot. I had nowhere to go really and I didn't want to be interrogated by my friends yet. I just needed to be alone with my thoughts so I made my way to Tobias' apartment, I knew he was still busy with the initiates right now and then he would immediately pull Tris in for private lessons afterward. We were so close to the final I knew they had very little time to prepare. Every minute for them was now precious. If I was honest with myself I was worried. After our conversation the other day, I've been hearing Tobias' words playing over and over again on repeat. A never ending repeat.

It hadn't been fair of him to ask me to take first place instead of her. He hadn't said it directly but I knew him better than I knew myself. He'd mentioned it for a reason and that was more than enough. He was asking for my help, he was calling onto the side of me that would do anything to ease his pain and worry. I'd done it for him all my life and now wasn't any different. If Tris failed, he failed. And if they found out about her Divergence then she would go down and then so would Tobias. I was more than aware of what I was supposed to do to ease all of our worries, and as I entered his apartment and made my way into his bedroom I was assured of that more and more with every step I took. There were clear signs of her everywhere, barely noticeable but to me they were like red shining beacons of light. A hair tie on his night table, two towels hanging on the back of his bathroom door, the cup his toothbrush was standing in holding another… she was everywhere. If I opened his drawers I was sure to find at least one article of her clothing in there too.

She was a part of his life now.

Something he had dreamed about since we were two kids in Abnegation sitting on a branch of a tree watching our faction members walk by… or at least that's what I had been doing. Tobias had spent that time staring at the door of her house, waiting for her to suddenly appear and join the world around us. Come to think of it, I now wondered if Tobias had been the one to pick that particular tree for that specific reason… It made sense now. I couldn't believe I'd let that detail slip past me…

I laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling but I quickly wrinkled my nose when I realized Tobias' scent wasn't the only one I could smell anymore, there was another's mixed in. Suddenly grossed out I jumped off of his bed and instead went to the sofa to lie down there, only to find another fucking hair tie on the arm of the couch. How many hair ties did one person need?

I already knew what I was going to do at this point.

There was no debate.

Really, the only discussion roaming around in my brain now was forcing myself to believe I wouldn't be sacrificing anything if I followed through. I could handle the resulting backfire from the rest of the initiates, I could handle the extra attention I would receive from everyone. It would just be one of the many anyways. After all, Max had offered me a job in leadership and he'd said he was going to announce it right after our rankings were revealed. I'd gain the attention of every single member of Dauntless anyway, and wouldn't it be better if I were number one? I mean, everyone would understand then why Max had chosen me for that position and not Tris. It made sense.

I convinced myself I was doing the right thing, especially after what I'd overheard in Eric's office.

My brain quickly switched to another topic, weirdly related and a reason for concern as well. If Max had been worried over a new serum, then I figured it would be smart to be concerned about that too. Jeanine, the leader of Erudite, was bad news. She was the one to start the hunt for Divergents, instilling fear into every citizen over the threat of those who didn't conform to our society. Of the dangers they presented to everyone in the city. If she had developed a new serum, I was sure it would be something to go against Divergents… no doubt about it.

Once I made it into the leadership wing next week I would do whatever it took to get in the know. I could ask Eric but I wasn't entirely sure he would help me. In his office he has seemed hesitant, eager to get me off the subject, and I'd let him. So I would probably have to go around him to find the truth, which would be fine because from what Max had said I would be working with all of the leaders, not just one. I was sure one of them would be open to let me in if they knew. Why not? I would be part of their ranks and therefore privy to information the rest of our members were denied.

Before I knew it, it had already become dark outside, so lost in the inner working of my brain. Checking the time, I was sure Eric would be back in his apartment by now, but I felt like all of that thinking had dropped a heavy fog over me and I needed something to relax and dissipate my sudden dark mood. So I decided to take a shower before heading over, luckily Tobias still had my towel in his closet. I took a relaxing shower, closing my eyes and letting my mind drift into nothingness.

Once I was sure my brain was now free and clear of worries, I got out and slipped into the new spare outfit Tobias had remembered to purchase for me after I'd given mine to Tris.

At least he hadn't completely forgotten about me… Don't be so bitter, Bella. I chastised myself, sometimes I really needed it.

I made quick work of getting dressed and getting the hell out of there before either one of them appeared, or both, and made my way up the stairs and towards Eric. The promise of an orgasm prompting my steps to quicken, I so need the release… hopefully multiple times.

But I was startled out of my thoughts, because as soon as I opened his door I could hear yelling.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Eric roared from his bedroom. It was the angriest I'd ever heard him. I was tempted to sneak a peek into his bedroom to see who exactly had sneaked in there but I also didn't want to get caught by whoever had been here before me.

I could hear a female voice responding but couldn't hear what she said exactly, mostly just a pleading murmur. Not that it mattered because a second later I heard his bedroom door slam against the wall as he opened it and I quickly hid behind his kitchen island to avoid being seen.

"You know you want me Eric. You were so hard when I touched you, even now I can see just how hard you still are. Why are you fighting this?" She practically begged.

Oh, gross.

I couldn't resist any longer and took a peak from the side, seeing Eric covering himself with his blanket while his other hand was holding onto a naked Rosalie's arm so tightly I knew she wasn't getting any blood circulation.

Eric in turn growled out his next words. "How the fuck did you even get in my apartment? I never gave you the code."

"I know the right people, and what does it matter? I'm here now and I can take care of that for you." She said instead, trying to sound seductive but completely failing while her free arm desperately reached for his covered cock. Even from here I could see she wouldn't come within a foot of it with the death grip Eric held on her other arm, it was starting to look purple and I was sure it was also throbbing in pain. She looked desperate though, her eyes wild and her free hand moving frantically as it tried to reach Eric. I idly wondered if Max had spoken to her about her unsatisfactory work performance and now she was trying to find a way to get back into his good graces through Eric.

Either way, this was so sad to witness.

Meanwhile her response seemed to only anger him even further and he practically roared when he spoke again, "You are fucking pathetic! I don't know how many times I have to tell you. I don't want you! After I find and kill whoever gave you that code, I'm changing it immediately. And if you ever think of sneaking into my apartment again, I will personally choke the life out of you! Do I make myself fucking clear?!" He roared. Finally done with her, he opened his front door and threw her out without another thought. I could see her fall onto her naked ass right outside his apartment door before Eric slammed it closed.

Now that the coast was clear I stood back up, placing my elbows on the counter and casually leaning my chin on my hands. He was glaring at the door as if he could will it to burn it with just his mind, not just the door but the person behind it too. He huffed in anger, his free hand reaching up to angrily brush his hair away from his face.

"Hmm..." I hummed in thought to announce my presence.

He whirled around looking at me in shock, his eyes opening so wide I thought I'd given him a heart attack. "Bella, it's not what you think!" He quickly spilled out, thinking I was upset by what I'd seen.

"I know." I said simply. He blinked back in confusion, shutting his mouth but still watching me in fear, waiting for me to scream at him or something… not that I would. "You do know it's fine if you want to fuck her too, right?" I finally said.

"What?" He asked, startled at my words.

"I mean it's none of my business if you do, her or anyone else really... It's not like we're in a relationship." I said to clarify more firmly.

Something crossed over his features at my words but he quickly hid them away from me, the only thing left behind was the visible tick of his jaw. "Does that mean... Are you...?" He started to ask but trailed off, shaking his head as if not wanting to know.

I knew what he was about to ask, but I didn't give him the satisfaction of answering a question he hadn't actually asked. I'd never told him I'd ended things with Jared, and he never asked either. I also knew he was suspicious of Zeke too. We always openly flirted and I never hid that from Eric either, but again, Eric had never asked if Zeke and I were also involved so I'd never told him either. It's not that I wanted him to think I was sleeping with them too but I also didn't care if he did, like I just said, we weren't in an exclusive relationship. I never asked if he slept with anyone else because I didn't care, and I figured he wouldn't either.

But he looked absolutely furious right now as he marched over to me. I thought he was going to yell at me next and I was getting ready to knee him in the balls but instead I gasped in surprise when he grasped onto my hair and pulled me in for a kiss, savagely shoving his tongue down my throat. "I only want to fuck you, Bella." He growled out, dropping his blanket before me and practically tearing my clothes off in his haste.

He picked me up off the floor and threw me onto his kitchen counter. Before I knew it, he'd shoved his erection into me and I screamed at the intrusion. I hadn't been ready for it, but at the moment I could see Eric didn't care. He fucked me so hard I was instantly wet anyway, so problem solved, and I threw my head back and screamed out. "Feel this baby?" He gritted out, hooking his arms under my thighs and grasping onto my hips to move into me harder, now with my legs draped over his arms. "It's all for you." He growled.

The deepness in his voice caused me to lose my brain, so much so that I could feel my body stiffening already with an orgasm, but before I could release he stopped his movements completely and pulled out.

I literally whimpered at the loss.

His breath was heavy and I could see his muscles tight from holding himself in place that I was afraid he'd pop a vessel. But instead of moving he just smirked at me. "Do you want me, Bella?" He asked seductively, but I could still see the anger hidden in his eyes.

"Yes!" I yelled, throwing myself back to lay flat on the counter and throwing my hands over my face.

His dark chuckle penetrated my frustrated filled brain but before I could yell at him again, he roughly pushed into me again, pounding into me like he had never stopped. I screamed again, my back arching at the movement but he was hitting me so hard I was sliding off the counter, forcing me to grasp onto the edge above my head to keep myself in place. My anger quickly dissipated at getting what I wanted.

"I just want to fuck you, Bella." He groaned again, his voice sounding out of breath. I tried to ignore what his words meant to me, solely focusing on the feel of his cock inside of me. I hated to admit that his words only intensified the pleasure whirling inside. I yelled when I felt my orgasm near, my legs starting to shake with the impending release.

And then he stopped again. I could feel his hardened cock, throbbing inside of me. I knew he was desperate to get his release too but his need for punishment trumped his own wants.

I threw my hands over my face again and whined, almost crying in grief as my orgasm slipped away from me again, leaving me high strung and my body stiff at its inability to release again.

"Only I can make you reach the stars." He taunted, his breath coming in savage pants.

"Eric!" I yelled, starting to get really angry.

At my yell he started to move again but moving at a snail's pace making me scrunch up my face in pain. I whined but didn't say more. I don't really know what he wanted from me but he wasn't going to get it. I wasn't about to fold under his touch just because he wanted me to. If he wasn't going to let me come, I would do it myself. I didn't need Eric. Reaching down, I slid my fingers over my clit and rubbed.

His breath caught in his throat, but he recovered quickly and growled at my hand. He reached over with one hand to grasp my wrist and forced it away from the place I needed it the most. I reached down with my other hand but Eric quickly caught that one too, holding both of my wrists in one hand and pinning them against my lower belly, just above my sex, close to where I wanted to touch myself but far enough away that I couldn't reach.

This time, I was the one to release a frustrated growl from deep in my throat, my legs tightening against his arms with how much I wanted to either hurt him or make myself implode.

To pacify me his pace began to quicken until he was slamming into me again. I was strung so tight I felt like I was about to explode and take the whole compound with me. This time I was desperate to reach my peak and there was no way he was going to stop me. His grunts below me began to sound hoarse at how savagely he was grunting, practically growling. I could feel it run through my body like an electric current and my legs started to quiver at my impending release.

And then he stopped.

Again.

I yelled in frustration, but this time I was so angry I found a way to lift my legs up and use them to kick him away from me. "Fuck you, Eric!" I managed to scream out as he stumbled back and slipped out of me. I wasn't going to play this game anymore. This wasn't fun… for either one of us. He was punishing me and in a brutal way, forcing me to bend to his will but that wasn't me. I bended for no one. Ever.

I jumped off the counter and bent down to pick up my clothes to leave when he abruptly picked me up and threw me back on, trapping my legs in between his and the counter, holding onto both of my wrists in one of his hands again and forcing the grasp I had on my clothes to loosen making me drop them to the floor again.

His whole body was drenched in sweat and his muscles were protruding out of his body with the tension he held. His member was throbbing angrily and looked so painful, I wondered how he'd managed to restrain himself from releasing in the first place.

He grasped onto my face with his free hand and forced me to look at him. His eyes were so fierce that they burned me as they made contact with my own. "I'm only fucking you, Bella. I will only ever fuck you!" He growled angrily, before spreading my legs apart and shoving himself into me again. I screamed out at the motion and his resulting moan sounded almost as savagely as mine. He pushed me down onto the counter and forced my arms down against my lower belly again, adding pressure and forcing me to feel every single ridge and bump of his cock with every thrust. He fucked me so hard the only thing we could hear echoing in his apartment were both of our screams and the skin of our bodies savagely slapping against each other. Items fell off the counter, clanking loudly to the ground with every pounding he inflicted, but none of it mattered as I desperately reached for the one thing he had been denying me for so long. And if he didn't let me reach it again I swore I would stab him with the knife I could see just an arm's length away from me.

But my murder plan was for naught because I soon felt my whole body coil in anticipation, my body tensing so tightly I thought I would snap. I was so close, so very, very close. And then, when my body literally shook with need, I finally released it all with a scream of ecstasy. I faintly heard Eric yell in response as he too reached his peak not a single second after me.

He kept pumping into me, spurting so savagely into me that I could feel it hitting my walls without an end. It was so much I could feel it spilling out of me, if I paid close attention I could probably hear the drops hitting the floor below us.

After what felt like forever I lost the tension in my body after finding the release I'd been dying for since I first caught sight of him in just his blanket. I was breathing so heavily I thought I would faint with the lack of oxygen. I could see Eric leaning above me, his hands having released mine at some point and now grasping tightly onto the end of the counter besides my hips, as if it were the only thing currently keeping him up. His chest was heaving as hard as mine as he desperately tried to gasp for breath.

I waited just enough to come back to my own body and regain my senses before I angrily pushed him off of me again and dropped down to the floor to get my clothes again.

I was so fucking out of here.

"Bella-" He rasped, reaching for me, but I deftly moved out of his grasp as I pulled my pants on quickly, not bothering with my undergarments in order to leave quickly.

"Fuck off, Eric!" I said angrily, pulling my shirt over my head and marching to the door but before I had a chance to open it he'd whirled me around and shoved me up against his front door, trapping me against his still naked body.

"Dammit, Bella!" He growled angrily. "Why can't you see that I..." He trailed off, closing his eyes to get some control but he only growled again as he punched his apartment door in anger and frustration. He sounded more animal than man at this point.

I narrowed my eyes and through gritted teeth I demanded, "What do you want from me, Eric?"

He pried his eyes open in order to look down at me, like I would give him the answers to my own question.

Well good luck buddy, cuz I had no idea what the fuck was going on here.

His eyes shifted erratically between mine, like he was going absolutely crazy. For a second I feared for his sanity, but then he finally said what he needed to say. "I just want you." He admitted openly and grasped onto my face to shove his tongue into my mouth.

But this time I couldn't reciprocate. Terror clawed at my throat at the implication of his words. He couldn't mean what I think he just had, Eric couldn't possibly want more than what we already were... what we have been since the beginning. He couldn't change our dynamic now, he just couldn't.

I pulled away in a panic, my breath leaving my chest in hard pants. "You're asking for too much." I admitted.

He closed his eyes again and dropped his forehead down to mine. His right hand that was holding my face slid down my body in a surprisingly tender move. As if he were trying to memorize it while trying to show his love for it for the last time. So contradictory to the rest of his tightly coiled body.

Finally after he'd practically touched every inch of me he spoke again, "Ok." He said softly, pulling himself away and taking a few steps back.

I released a somewhat relieved breath, which ended up caught in my throat as I watched his defeated form. The first time I'd ever seen him looking even remotely weak in front of my eyes.

He was still completely naked, his cock still glistening with my essence, and looking utterly gorgeous...

I knew what he wanted from me.

If I were being honest with myself all the signs had been there all along, but I'd been too stubborn to acknowledge them when all I'd wanted was his body. And if I weren't so pigheaded maybe I would consider what he was offering me now.

But I couldn't.

I wasn't ready.

And the fact that he was now being so open after everything that's happened was just too much for me to take.

Without another word I opened the door and slid out of his apartment. Running away from my feelings and Eric's unspoken offer of more…