Ride (Alpha Male Romance): In Between the Covers (Carolina Bad Boys #3) by Rie Warren Page A

snagged some hot guy. She wasn’t going to leave with him. She said she’d stay with me—the buddy system. But Benny always put me first, and that wasn’t fair. I told her I’d head straight home.”
    “She should’ve stayed with you.” Jase’s voice turned dark.
    “She’s not my keeper, and I’m not her responsibility, Jase.” I frowned, remembering that night.
    It had been hot, the fall term had begun a few weeks before, and all I’d done was work and study on repeat. I’d finally broken down and let Benny convince me to go out. I’d even left my hair loose and dressed up a little bit. I’d felt so foolish about that afterward.
    “I knew the rumors, and I was always careful. No one ever came onto me anyway.”
    Jase growled under his breath.
    “What?” I turned to look at him.
    Fire sparked in his irises. “They’re a bunch of fucking fools, those boys. And I’m damn glad no one saw you clearly enough to make a move because that would mean more arms I’d have to break off, and I think I’m gonna have my hands full enough with Duncan.”
    “I should stop. You don’t need to know this, Jase.”
    He slumped back. “I’m sorry. Jesus, Ave. I won’t say anything else, I swear.”
    “Are you sure?”
    His Adams apple bobbed, and he nodded.
    “I was heading toward the door. That’s when he approached me. I thought he was cute. I didn’t see the way his eyes looked hard and cruel, not until it was too late.” I gasped. “Oh . . . of course. Someone cute and popular paid attention to me, and I fell for it. Oh my God, you must think I’m so stupid, Jase. Just because a guy flirted with me, I stayed at the party. I invited him back to my room!”
    “I don’t think you’re stupid. Don’t you ever think that.”
    “I was though. We danced and kissed. I thought he was nice, and I was lonely.”
    “Did he drug you?” Jase asked.
    “No. Sometimes I wish he had. That might’ve been easier. I remember everything so clearly.”
    Jase gripped my hand until it almost hurt before letting go.
    “In my room, I should’ve reacted faster. I told him no as soon as he pawed at my breasts. His breath stank of beer. I can still smell it. His fingers were rough when he pushed them inside my jeans, under my panties. He’d laughed at my panties, they had little bows on the side. I can’t remember what he called me then . . . something like a teasing little slut who deserved what I got.”
    “Just like Duncan deserves to get beaten to a bloody pulp, so help me God,” Jase muttered in a dangerous voice.
    “I kept trying to avoid his kisses, but he pinched my cheeks between his hand and drove his tongue into my mouth. I bit him once, and he yanked my hair so hard I almost passed out. And I was too scared to pass out.” I started crying, the words coming out in gasps. “I didn’t know if he’d do something even worse than raping me.”
    Jase stroked my hair, and it was the only thing keeping me grounded while the same pain ripped through me. Tears blinded me and made a wet mess of my face.
    “I was so dry, Jase. He didn’t care. He thought it was funny. He said it would make my cunt grip his cock tighter.”
    Jase’s hand briefly clenched on my hair. His jaw turned to carved stone.
    “He pushed me onto my bed. He destroyed my shirt, and smacked my face when I started to scream. He tore off my jeans. He pinched my nipples and pulled them up so far I thought he’d rip them off. When I tried to scramble away, when he got his jeans down just far enough to shove on a condom, Duncan flipped me onto my belly. He pinched my thighs, pressed them open. He said he preferred me that way better so he didn’t have to look at my ugly face while he fucked me.
    “The pain was . . . it hurt. It hurt so much. I muffled my screams in the pillow. He went hard and fast, always spitting insults at me, and it was disgusting. He was so turned on. I tried to buck him off, but he laughed at me then dug his fingers into my