Chapter 9: Portia

Maybe that was the problem-this was so common that women no longer respected themselves. I didn't want to be one of them.

"What do you think is going on behind every one of those closed doors in the hall? I can assure you, they aren't just making out. And most of them probably have more than one couple fucking inside."

My face quirked into an uneasy expression. I couldn't believe what I'd heard. He didn't even apologize or pretend that my discomfort mattered. This was someone I thought-at the very least-was my friend. I didn't know boys who acted this way. Jude sure as hell wouldn't have been this disrespectful to a girl. Jude would have remembered to engage the lock. Jude would have shielded me with his body. Jude would have pushed those gawking, uninvited strangers into the hall. Jude would have found a way to conceal my nudity and ease my embarrassment. Because that's what a man should do. It shouldn't matter if they had a spoken commitment between them; a guy with any integrity would protect any girl from that level of shame.

Yet here I sat with a great-looking guy every girl on this campus would give her right arm to have, and he couldn't care less about how I currently felt. He just wanted to convince me that my reaction was over the top and unwarranted. Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn't. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that was how I felt, and a friend should care about that more than their desire to get their rocks off.

He waved his hand in my face to get my attention. "Earth to Portia."

"Honestly, I didn't think about what was going on in any other room, because that's not who I am, or how I am."

"Exactly, no one's thinking about what anyone else is doing. Stop worrying about it and let me make you feel good."

All I could do was glare at him, dumbfounded that he'd not only dismissed my concern, but all he cared about was getting into my pants. I couldn't stand to look him in the eyes and see the irritation he tried to hide. As my gaze dropped down his chest to avoid the unspoken confrontation, I noticed the strap of an aqua-colored bra peeking out from under him. The second I reached for it, Chet appeared to believe I'd consented to resume whatever he had in mind. His solid arms lifted me in one swift motion and returned me to the place I'd just vacated at his side.

His mouth met mine in an unwelcomed exchange, and when I pushed against his chest to break free, he held on tighter, refusing to let me go. I didn't know if he thought this was some coy game girls played to get his attention, but it wasn't a joke. My anxiety ratcheted exponentially. Sweat broke out on my skin, my heart raced, and fear oozed from every pore. Chet was twice my size, and it was abundantly clear, I couldn't stop him if he chose to ignore my refusal.

As I continued to squirm, his lips left my mouth. He nipped at my ear and then my neck. Suddenly, he bit down in what might have been an erotic gesture had I not feared I was about to lose my virginity to a guy I didn't love in a stinky frat house covered in drunk co-eds.

I jerked back with all my might and forced my elbow to lock between us. "That fucking hurt!"

Chet wagged his brow. "Most girls like it rough. They want to know who's in charge." The chuckle that rolled from the mouth I'd thought was so sexy when he stood in my dorm and said my name, now made me want to slap the taste off his tongue.

He had one thing right. I wanted to know who was in charge-and it damn sure wasn't him. Chet propped himself on his elbow, and I used that opportunity to snag not only my bra, but my shirt. I jumped up as quickly as my arms and legs allowed. Dressing at the speed of a Tasmanian devil, I had my bra on in the blink of an eye and tugged my shirt over my head, while simultaneously rounding the end of the bed.

Chet grabbed my hand as I stormed past him and prevented me from leaving. Screaming was useless; nothing could be heard downstairs over the music. And if what Chet had said was true about girls liking it rough, the other people on this floor who might hear my cry for help would probably assume it was nothing more than a guy and a girl having a good time.

"You're making a mistake, Portia." The confidence in his statement had saliva pooling on my tongue ready to launch it at him if he didn't release me. He'd managed to move his clutch from my fingers to my wrist, and his nails pinched at the skin the tighter he held on.

My chest heaved with the tension that hung in the air. I couldn't fill my lungs fast enough, and staring him down only served to further steal my breath and my words.

"Do you know how many girls at this school would kill to be where you are right now? To have a place at my side? My social status around campus would skyrocket yours-completely changing your entire college experience." He couldn't be serious, yet every indication he gave told me he was.

"In exchange for my virginity?" I gawked at him with my mouth partially open.

"That explains a lot."

Those four words were a slap to the face. "My inexperience, or your inability to capitalize on it?"

He leaned back on his hands, taking a casual stance and ignored my question. "The two of us could be good together, but I don't beg."

I wondered if he believed that would entice me to reconsider, although I didn't bother to ask. The longer I stood there with my lips parted in disbelief, the dryer my tongue got. Either I needed to say something, or I needed to leave. I took a deep breath and dared to voice my thoughts.

"I'd rather be a nobody for the next four years than sell my soul or my body." I grabbed the knob and twisted. As I moved, I heard him rise from the bed behind me, and even with the music floating down the hall, there was no denying the steps he took in my direction.

I'd made it two feet out the door when he called my name. Foolishly, I stopped and faced him. I could never prove it, but he seemed to sense people were coming up the stairs, and he waited for an audience.

"You're a fucking tease and a damn prude. There's not a guy on this campus who's going to come within spitting distance of you after tonight."

The danger I'd seen in the ocean of his eyes was a shark that lurked just beneath the surface. It had come to shore in search of blood. A tear seeped down my cheek and clung to my jaw. I nodded slowly, and without another word, I grabbed the rail and took each step with purpose. I held my head high and swiped at the emotion on my face. Clearing any sign of distress from my posture and my expression, I smiled when I made eye contact with Jet, and then Bart and Todd.

"Where have you been? I was looking all over for you. Bart and Todd created their own little search party of two." She giggled, oblivious to anything I'd just gone through-and that was exactly how I wanted to keep it.

I held out hope that if I kept my mouth shut, rumors wouldn't fly. There was the possibility that Chet would let it drop and not mention my name to anyone. It might be wishful thinking, but for tonight, I pretended nothing had changed...when in fact, everything had.