Jinxed: A Paranormal Why Choose Standalone
Jinxed: Chapter 7

Fuck Felix and his fucking rules.
Who did he think he was?
I had been in the house for less than a day, and already I wanted to punch him square in the face. I had stormed out of the living room not long after that moment between us. One of us had to break first, but I couldn’t look into those dark eyes any longer. I had a feeling if I stared too long, they would drown me.

No fucking fraternizing. I scoffed, running my hand along the smooth banister in the foyer. Who even said fraternizing anymore? People from fucking 1907, that’s who. The stairs, which took up most of the room, were elegant and curved, covered in a deep green carpet. A delicate white pattern traced its way from riser to riser. I assumed the bedrooms were upstairs. Not like I cared, having no plans on fraternizing with any of the men in the house.

You fucked Theo, my traitorous brain reminded me. But our fraternizing had been pure survival instincts. A need for comfort and companionship. Nothing more. I closed my eyes and sighed, hesitating on the bottom step and wondering how the hell I had wound up here. This was supposed to be my big break, my chance at a fresh start in life. Something new to focus on. At least the house was pretty–everything I had imagined it would be. Then my eyes landed on a door I hadn’t noticed before, to the left of the dining room, nearly hidden by the sweeping staircase. A bathroom maybe?

Curiosity dragged my feet towards the door, nosiness made my hand turn the knob. Locked. Definitely not a bathroom then. What the hell would be locked up in a house everyone had been stuck in for years? Didn’t they know everyone’s secrets?

Obviously. Because Felix knew Theo and I hooked up, before we even made it to the living room. Luther had told him, without asking. Just like that my anger was back, clouding my vision, pumping hotly through my veins. Fucking Felix. I should’ve known he thought himself to be king of the castle by the way he sat in the chair while he explained things to me in the dining room, or the way he held court only minutes ago. My thoughts repeated as I stomped up the stairs. I was surprised none of the guys tried to follow me, but they probably wanted to give me some space. If I had seen my face when I left, I would have probably given me space, too. I couldn’t believe the other two went along with what he was saying. Sheep.

Fraternizing. Fucking. Sheep. I climbed to the top of the stairs, a long hallway stretching both ways. Doors lined either side, some open, and some closed. I picked a direction and walked, trailing my hand along the smooth wallpaper. Every so often, there was a slightly darker patch of wallpaper, rectangular and perfect, as if a picture had been removed. Weird. If I was trapped in a house for the rest of my life–which I was–I’d want the pictures to stay. Memories of better times. Didn’t surprise me in the slightest Felix didn’t give a shit though. Ass.

I passed a bedroom with a messy, unmade bed and a few pairs of pants tossed around. Theo’s, if I had to assume. The lack of shirts sold me if nothing else. The bedroom across the hall was slightly tidier, but still lived in. Stacks of books sat on the end table next to the large bed. Another thick stack was piled on top of the old dresser. Luther’s room. I hadn’t spoken to the older man much yet, but from what I knew of him, this had to be his domain. The next bedroom seemed untouched. A bay window identical to the one downstairs hugged the wall–this must have been the bedroom in the gable I had seen outside. The bed was made with tight hospital corners, and the drapes were tied back neatly. If I had to claim a bedroom, it might as well be this one. I sat down on the bed, flopping backwards and closing my eyes. I suddenly felt absolutely exhausted. If I kept my eyes closed, I was certain I could sleep for twelve hours. How much time would I be able to sleep and pretend I wasn’t in this situation?

“What the hell are you doing in my room?”

I shot up, my eyes flying open to see Felix glaring at me from the open doorway. He was so silent, I hadn’t even heard him come upstairs. I blinked. “I didn’t think anyone was living in this room, so I thought I’d claim it.” Your fucking majesty, I added in my head.

“Well, it’s mine. And I don’t like people in it. You can claim the white room across the hall.” He leaned against the doorframe, his height making the small space seem even smaller.

I held my hands up. “Whatever.” I got to my feet, glowering at him as I tried to squeeze back out into the hall.

I stopped halfway through the doorway, tilting my chin to look up at him. “There was a doorway in the foyer. Behind the stairs, but it was locked. What’s in there?”

“Don’t go near that door ever again. Do you hear me?” Felix was tense, ready to pounce, which only made me more curious about what he was hiding behind the door.

“Is it dangerous?”

He gritted his teeth. “No. But it’s not for you. You will not try to open it again. Understood?”

“Fine,” I snapped, and turned to leave once more. I wasn’t sure if I was more angry or annoyed at this point, but neither emotion was something I wanted to share with his Highness. “You know what, no. No.”

Felix rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “No, what?”

“You can’t boss me around, and think I’ll go along with it. If we’re going to really be stuck with each other for the rest of our lives, you need to know you can’t tell me what to fucking do.” I narrowed my eyes, but my heart was pumping, racing with the thrill of standing up to him.

He raised his eyebrow and leaned forward, caging me in the doorway with an arm on either side. “Oh, darling. You see, I can do just that. Because this is my fucking house. You being trapped in here doesn’t make this any less my house. So you’ll listen to me with a smile on your pretty little face, and say nothing.”

I leaned into his body, invading his space like he invaded mine. “You can’t possibly be serious.” The air between us was thick, charged with the tension of two people who didn’t want to back down. Felix would be sorry he ever challenged me. I may have looked sweet on the outside, but on the inside, I had to claw my way back from Hell one too many times to put up with his bullshit.

Felix smirked, saying nothing. The smirk irritated me more than anything, annoying me even more with how good his chiseled face looked with the cruel expression. Our faces lingered inches apart, and it was impossible to differentiate one angry breath from the other.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “This isn’t 1907. Women aren’t property. We can’t be owned and controlled, despite whatever backwoods mentality you still possess from being locked up in this asylum for so long. Women have opinions. I have a voice.”

“This wouldn’t be half as fun if you didn’t have a voice.” Felix lifted one hand off the doorframe, brushing a rogue strand of hair away from my cheek. The gentle touch was unexpected, and my brain went into overdrive trying to process it.

“Wha…what the he–” I was cut off by Felix’s lips against my own, bruisingly hard as they moved against me. I was too shocked to do anything besides kiss him back, leaning into his desperate touch. His fingers tangled in my hair, twisting a handful back until we separated, forcing me to look up at him. The smirk was gone, something unidentifiable drifting behind his dark eyes. I came back to reality, slamming my palms down on his chest. “What the hell was that? What happened to no fucking fraternizing?”

“I make the rules.” He snatched my wrists, holding them still before I could wind up to do it again. Maybe next time I’d aim for that perfect face of his. How fucking dare he be so presumptuous. “Don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy my kiss, Savannah.”

“I didn’t.” But my brain and my body were obviously operating on two different circuits. My brain rationalized exactly how much this man annoyed me, thinking he was in charge and knew what was best for me. My body cried out for more, wanting to run my hands down his chest. I wanted to explore how deep the darkness behind his eyes went. Did it poison every cell in his body, leaching into his very core? Or was it only surface deep, an act for everyone else to see?

“You did,” he corrected, offering me a crooked smile on his full lips. It seemed less cruel this time, if only fractionally. “You might hate me. I might piss you off with the way I do things. But you want me. There’s not a single shred of doubt in my mind, darling.”

What an absolute fucking prick. A correct prick. But I’d never let him know. I opened my mouth to contradict whatever bullshit he was planning on spouting next but was stopped once more by his kiss. This time I had a choice. I could push him away, yell and scream. Or I could admit my darkest cravings and give into the kiss.

I gave in. Felix stopped kissing me for a moment, his lips curling into a smile against mine. “There’s a good girl,” he cooed.

“Fuck off and kiss me,” I muttered. I’d cave into my urges, but I wasn’t going to let him know how good his words warmed me from my toes to the tip of my head. I didn’t realize I had been one for praise before, but the way Felix’s words affected me told me completely otherwise. I wanted to be so goddamn good for him.

He obliged, not another word spoken. My hair was pulled tight in his grasp, and I rested a hand on either of his cheeks. Our lips moved with perfect synchrony, giving and taking in the most delicious way. One of his hands left my hair, slid down my neck, and tugged me closer.

I moaned as he pressed our bodies against each other’s, not an ounce of space between us. His erection pushed against my stomach, thick and long. Would his cock be as nice as Theo’s?

God, I was a hoe. Trapped in a house with three hot guys, one who I boned within a few hours, and another who I was now hooking up with, one I wasn’t even sure I liked. But he was a damn good kisser, I’d give him that. Our tongues toyed with each other, both trying to dominate. I dragged my hands up his face, winding them in his dark, thick hair, clinging for purchase against the waves of passion.

Felix’s hand crept lower, brushing over my breasts, never breaking the kiss. I felt a small smile on his lips as he realized I was braless, but he didn’t stop, moving lower, until he was above my waistband. He broke the kiss for a moment, cocking his head. “May I?” he whispered.

I nodded. “Please.”

He unbuttoned my pants with ease, hissing as he slid his hand over my underwear. They were already damp with desire from our frantic kisses, and heat from our fight. Really, was there anything sexier than make-up sex?

His fingers found what they were seeking. “You’re so fucking wet for me. Maybe you do want to be my good girl after all.”

All I could do was moan, words forgotten by his gentle touch.

Felix dipped his head into my shoulder, kissing my neck as he moved lower. Soon enough his fingers found my clit and began swirling slow circles with a soft caress. His kisses grew more desperate on my neck, harder and needier. But he didn’t change his slow tempo. The contrast was exhilarating, and I craved more. I wanted him. I wanted to feel his cock between my legs, and to hear him sigh my name as he sank into me. These thoughts only added to the sensations building pleasure in my core. His fingertips teased and taunted, those circles never ending as my body began to rock against his hand. I gripped his back, and his kisses turned to licks and bites against my neck. For a man who was nearly 150 years old, Felix was damn good at touching.

My body surrendered to the unforgiving rhythm, my hips bucking into his touch. Still he didn’t speed up. I was so fucking close, desperate for release. And like he knew what I needed, Felix finally began to move his fingers quicker against my clit.

“Oh, fuck!” I cried out as I came, clutching at Felix’s back. I was sure the poor man would have nail marks up and down, but he didn’t say a word, rubbing me through my orgasm.

I closed my eyes, resting my head against the doorframe. We were at another crossroad now. We could stop. Or we could take it further.

I couldn’t fuck two guys on the same day. Could I? I wanted to, no doubt about that. But it had never been a path I considered going down before. Then again, I had never been thrown into a cursed house with three ridiculously attractive men.

Felix pulled away, barely, and withdrew his fingers from my pants. “We…we should…stop,” he panted.

“We should stop,” I agreed, trying not to sound as breathless as I felt. But when I met his eyes, it was apparent neither of us actually wanted to stop. Lust and desperation fought for victory in his gaze. Felix caged me against the doorframe once more. This time, I didn’t mind. This time, it was more of a turn-on than a turn-off, now I knew what those strong, powerful arms were capable of.

Every time either of us breathed our chests brushed against each other, a whisper of what had just happened. I want you. I crave you. I need you. I tipped my head, looking up at Felix as we stared into each other’s eyes. There were secrets hidden behind those eyes, restless and begging to be set free. I wanted to hear every last one he was keeping to himself, until he was raw and bare before me. I had a feeling Felix without any walls would be a beautiful sight. Would he tell me now, while we were here, bared to each other?

But I supposed if you wanted to get to the end, you had to start at the beginning. “Did you ever love this house?”

Felix dropped his hands from my hair, turning away from me. Now I’d done it. The end. No more truths, no more honesty. He sat down on the bed, giving me an odd look. “Once. I loved it once upon a time. When it was filled with hopes and dreams, instead of memories and regrets.”

“What happened?” I took a chance and crossed the room, sitting next to him on the bed before he could stop me. “How did the house become cursed?”

“That’s a long story.” He sighed, resting his hand on the back of mine. He swirled soft circles around it, mimicking the same motion he used to drive me crazy only minutes before. I had to convince myself to stay focused.

I pulled back, Felix’s expression dropping ever so slightly. I wasn’t leaving. I crossed my legs, giving the handsome man with so many secrets my full attention. “Good thing we have the rest of our lives for you to tell me.”

“My story isn’t pretty, darling.”

I shrugged. “Whose is?” He was kidding himself if he thought any of us had perfect pasts, pristine records. My soul was cracked in a thousand places, stained and flawed. He’d figure it out soon enough.

“If you’re sure.” Felix took a deep breath, steadying himself. “I’ve never told this story to anyone before.”

I rested my hand on top of his. “Then I’m honored to be the first.”

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