The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Chapter 55

ASTRA

“Good.” Zane whispered darkly, his thumb slowly rubbing across my bottom lip. “Because I wasn’t done with you anyway”

My heart slammed against my ribs so violently I thought it might break out of my chest.

“Oh God.”

I was trapped between his hard body and the bedroom door, his cedarwood scent, masculine and completely surrounding me. His thumb kept stroking my lip like he was memorizing the way it felt after he’d kissed me senseless earlier.

I couldn’t breathe properly.

“Why does my body react like this to him?”

I hated him. I was supposed to hate him yet every time he touched me, every time he looked at me like I belonged to him heat flooded through my veins and pooled shamefully between my legs.

“What… what happened to your lip?” I whispered shakily, eyes fixed on the split at the corner of his mouth. The dried blood made my stomach twist with something that felt dangerously close to concern. “Did someone hit you?”

Zane’s green eyes darkened even more. His thumb pressed a little harder against my lip, almost like a warning.

“Don’t worry about that,” he murmured, voice low and rough. “It’s not important.”

But it was important to me. The sight of blood on his face made my chest ache in a way I didn’t want to examine too closely. Who would dare hit Zane Ashton? And why did the thought of someone hurting him make me feel… unsettled?

His other hand slid down to grip my waist, fingers digging into the soft curve there!

“You’re shaking,” he noted, almost amused. “Still scared of me, Trash-tra?”

I swallowed hard, refusing to answer.

Because yes, I was terrified.

Terrified of him.

Terrified of how much I didn’t want him to stop touching me.

Terrified of the way my body kept betraying me every single time he got close.

Zane leaned in closer, his breath brushing my swollen lips.

“You’re going to tutor me now,” he said, the words almost a growl. “Which means you’re going to be in my room. Alone. A lot.”

My stomach flipped.

“I… I don’t have a choice,” I breathed.

A dark smirk tugged at his bloody lip.

“No. You don’t.”

His thumb dragged slowly across my lip one last time before he finally released my jaw. But he didn’t step back. His body

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stayed pressed against mine, hard and warm and overwhelming.

“Zane..” I whispered, voice barely audible.

“Shhh.”

He dipped his head and brushed his lips against mine, not quite a kiss, but close enough to make my knees weak.

“You still taste like me,” he murmured against my mouth.

I shivered hard, eyes fluttering closed despite myself.

And for one terrifying second…

I almost kissed him back.

The realization hit me like ice water.

I jerked my face away sharply, cheeks burning so hot I felt like they were on fire all the way to my ears.

“Zane, please stop this,” I whispered, voice trembling. “Just… stay away from me.”

I turned quickly, reaching for the door handle, desperate to escape the heat of his body and the way he made my mind go

blank.

But I didn’t even get to touch the handle.

Zane’s hand shot out like lightning, wrapping around the back of my neck. He yanked me backward hard, slamming my back against his chest.

I gasped.

His body was solid and burning hot behind me. And then I felt it, something thick and very hard pressing insistently against my ass through his sweatpants.

My knees buckled instantly.

“Zane…”

His grip around my neck tightened, not enough to choke, but enough to make me feel completely at his mercy. His lips brushed the shell of my ear.

“Be quiet,” he murmured darkly.

Then his tongue traced slowly along my parted lips, wet and hot, licking them from bottom to top like he was tasting how much I was shaking for him.

A violent shiver ripped through my entire body. My thighs pressed together desperately as fresh heat flooded between my legs.

“Oh God…

I was mortified.

I was terrified.

And I was so wet it was humiliating.

Zane smirked against my ear, clearly feeling how badly my legs were trembling.

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Then, just as suddenly as he’d grabbed me, he let go.

His warmth disappeared completely.

“Leave, Astra,” he said, voice suddenly clipped and cold.

I stood there for half a second, eyes wide, chest heaving, completely thrown by the sudden shift.

Then I rushed.

I yanked the door open and practically ran out of his room, heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. My legs tel weak the entire way down the hall to my own room.

I slammed my door shut behind me and leaned against it, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor with my knees pulled to my chest.

What the hell was wrong with me?

Why did my body react like that to someone I was supposed to hate?

And why did the way he said “Leave, Astra” hurt more than it should have?

I pressed my forehead against my knees, trying to calm my racing heart.

But all I could feel was the ghost of his hand around my neck…

…and the Insane truth that I was starting to crave it.

I sat on the floor of my room for what felt like forever, knees pulled tight to my chest, trying to calm my racing heart.

But I couldn’t.

My body was still burning.

My neck still tingled where his hand had gripped me. My lips still felt sensitive. And between my legs…

I was soaked.

With a shaky breath, I stood up and locked my bedroom door. My hands trembled as I pulled down my leggings. The moment the cool air hit my skin, I looked down.

My light pink panties were visibly wet. The crotch had a dark, obvious damp spot that made my face burn with shame.

“Oh gosh… I’m wet for Zane Ashton.*

The thought made me feel sick and aroused at the same time.

I’d never touched myself like this before. Never really needed to. But right now my body was throbbing, aching, begging for

relief.

I slid my panties down slowly. They stuck to my puffy, slick folds for a second before coming off. I was embarrassingly wet. glistening, swollen, and sensitive.

My fingers hovered hesitantly before I brushed them lightly over my folds.

A soft whimper escaped me.

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It felt too good.

I rubbed a little more, clumsy and unsure, circling my clit with trembling fingers. My knees buckled slightly and I had to lean against the wall.

*This is wrong.

“He’s the one who did this to me.”

But I couldn’t stop.

I kept rubbing, faster, biting my lip hard as pleasure built in my core. My other hand moved up under my shirt, squeezing one of my heavy breasts, pinching my stiff nipple.

A broken moan slipped out.

I was so close already just from thinking about him. About his hand around my neck. About how hard he’d been pressed against my ass.

Before I could finish, shame crashed over me like a wave.

I yanked my hands away, breathing hard, and rushed into the bathroom. I turned the shower on cold and stepped under the spray fully clothed at first, gasping at the shock of the icy water.

I stripped quickly, letting the cold water run over my heated skin. My nipples were painfully stiff. I rubbed my hands over my full breasts, down my soft stomach, between my legs, trying to wash away the evidence of what Zane did to me.

But even the cold water couldn’t fully cool the heat inside me.

I leaned my forehead against the tiles, eyes closed, water cascading down my body.

“What is wrong with me?”

I hated Zane Ashton.

So why did my body keep craving the boy who was supposed to be my nightmare?

The cold water did little to calm the fire under my skin.

I stayed under the spray until my fingers pruned, scrubbing every inch of my body like I could wash away Zane’s touch. My full breasts felt heavy and sensitive, nipples still stiff from the memory of his body pressed against me. When my hand slipped between my legs again, I bit my lip hard and forced myself to stop.

“No more.”

I stepped out, dried off quickly, and slipped into my favorite soft pink nightgown.

I stood in front of the mirror for a second, brushing my long golden blonde hair until it fell in smooth waves down my back.

I was pretty.

I knew I was.

But pretty didn’t matter when you were the “fat girl” everyone loved to mock.

I sighed and turned away from my reflection.

Climbing into bed, I pulled Patches into my arms and hugged him tightly against my chest.

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“Hey, Patches….” I whispered, voice barely audible in the quiet room. “You won’t believe what happened today.”

I buried my face in his worn fur for a moment, then started talking.

“Mr. Ashton called me into his study after I got back from the hospital. I was so scared, baby. I thought he was going to fire me. I thought I’d lose the job with the twins and the money for Mom…”

I swallowed hard.

“But he was… nice. Really nice. He asked if I had another job on weekends, Elira told him. Then he said he needs my help. With Zane.”

I hugged Patches tighter.

“He spoke about Zane like… like he was disappointed in him. Like Zane was a problem that needed fixing. It didn’t feel right The way his voice got cold when he mentioned his own son… it made me uncomfortable.”

I paused, stroking Patches’ ear.

“But then he told me I’m at the top of my class. He said he came to me specifically because of that. It felt… good. Being seen for something I’m actually good at. He wants me to tutor Zane twice a week or whenever I’m free after the twins. Just two hours. And he’s going to pay me extra. A lot extra. Enough that it could really help with the debts…”

I let out a shaky breath.

“I said yes. I didn’t feel like I had a choice… but part of me is proud. He trusts me with this.”

I rolled onto my side, curling around Patches.

“But now I have to be alone with Zane.”

My cheeks burned again as memories of his hand around my neck and his hard body pressed against me flashed through my mind.

“I don’t know what I’m doing anymore, Patches,” I whispered. “I’m supposed to hate him… so why does my heart race every time he touches me?”

I closed my eyes, exhausted but unable to sleep.

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