“See, our little pet hasn’t quite figured out her place yet.” Luke pulls me close to him as Eli jumps down. I suck in my breath at the sensation of Luke pressed against my back. It’s a foreign feeling. No one has ever touched me like this. Surprisingly, I don’t actually hate it.
Eli walks across the cafeteria and grabs a chair. Luke’s cologne is one of those soft, seductive scents, warm and inviting. It’s so different from his coldness.
“She needs to know her actions have consequences,” Luke says.
I look back at him, and he grins down at me. His pale blue eyes are just as cold as ever, but with a light of amusement in them that frankly doesn’t reassure me.
“If you squirm or fight back, I’ll make it worse.” His words are soft and for my ears only.
My cheeks flush, but I refuse to acknowledge these psychopaths. My best bet is to ignore them as best I can. Of course, I can’t exactly ignore them right now. The chair lands behind Luke on their makeshift stage. Eli’s evil grin sparks fear in my heart. The reminder that, in here, they can do anything to me pulls at my fear.
My heart sputters as I search for one friendly face or teacher among the throngs of students eager to watch whatever the horsemen have in mind.
My mantra for today goes through my head:I’m fucked.
Luke sits in the chair and spreads his legs. Some guys make catcalls in the crowd. Eli takes ahold of my shoulders from the back and steers me toward the side of Luke’s legs. The weight of Eli’s hands on me sends a shiver down my spine.
“Lie down, Harper.” Luke’s voice is authoritative and his eyes dare me to resist.
Oh, fuck no. I draw back into Eli, the heat of his chest a far lesser evil than whatever Luke has planned. Eli smells like the outdoors on a warm day. Deceptive but alluring. Eli dips his head down next to mine.
“Play along and this will be over before you know it, kitten.”
His breath against my ear sends a tingling sensation through me. That’s not reassuring at all though.
I don’t want to play along. When I look around, everyone looks eager to see what the horsemen have in mind. Not afriendly face among them. Of course they’re eager when it’s not them on the stage.
“Now!” Luke barks out, causing the guys to make an exaggeratedohsound like I’m in for it. They have no idea. Fuck,Ihave no idea. But this isn’t going away. I can’t escape this, but I can endure it. Yes, this is humiliating, but none of these students really know me. I just need to focus on the assholes doing this.
“How?” I lock eyes with Luke. His face shows no mercy.
“Stomach across my legs. Ass up.” He pats his thigh, and his smile is so cold a shiver ripples through me.
“What are you going to do to me?” I ask quietly.
“Come here and find out.” Luke pats again. “Don’t keep me waiting.”
I check that Eli is still behind me. Somehow, him getting a view of my panties is better than the entire student body ogling my backside. My heart is beating faster than the wings of a hummingbird, but I lower myself awkwardly onto Luke’s lap.
He adjusts me until I’m exactly where he wants me. My whole body feels hot and flushed as I hang over his lap. He flips my skirt up.
What the fuck!I try to come up. His hand presses into my back to hold me there.
“If you don’t stop squirming, I’ll pull your panties down and spank your bare ass in front of everyone. Is that what you want, Harper?” His voice is low and just for me.
“You’re going to spank me?” I can’t wrap my head around any of this. It’s the first day of school and I’m being publicly spanked by the four horsemen because I didn’t answer their text.
Fan-fucking-tastic. Great start to the new year. Way to go me. FML.
“We need everyone to count along.” Jack’s voice comes from the back of the cafeteria. Of course they do.
“Our pet is getting ten,” Caden chimes in helpfully. Fabulous.
At least I didn’t wear a thong today. I bite my lip to keep from telling them what assholes they are, but then Luke’s hand comes down on my ass cheek. A cry bursts out of me.
“One.” The crowd doesn’t need to sound so excited about it.
I wrap my arm around Luke’s leg and brace for the next one, but his hand doesn’t come down hard again. Instead, he rubs where he hit, smoothing over the satin, pressing against the sting, and something shifts under the pain. What the fuck is happening?
