I don’t know what to say to Cora. A million things are running through my brain. Things like What the hell? and Are you crazy? and I’m gonna kill Dylan and Jesus, fuck, what happened?

But I get one look at her tear-stained face and I can’t will myself to be angry.

“Hey,” I say gently.

She frantically wipes her eyes and gasps for breath in effort to calm herself down. She didn’t expect me.

“Hey yourself,” she finally replies.

“You okay?” I ask.

“Yeah,” she answers, too quickly.

“What happened?” I ask as gently as possible.

She struggles for words. Nothing comes out.

“You hated the song?” I suggest.

“No,” she says solemnly, shaking her head. “I love the song. Really.”

“Then what?” I ask, "Something happen at that audition?”

She fixates on a small corner of the floor. Bingo.

“Don’t want to talk about it,” she says, timidly. She curls up on the bed. Tries to make herself smaller.

“Can I help?” I ask.

“I don’t think so,” she finally answers, her voice barely a whisper, “I’d give anything to not feel the way I do right now.”

I don’t know what happened at that audition, but I’m so angry I could strangle whoever it was that made her feel this way. God, when Cora’s happy, I feel like I’m on top of the world. When she’s crying, I feel like I’d move heaven and earth to get her to smile again.

Holy fuck. This is what it feels like to be in love.

It’s hell. And heaven. Painful and wonderful at the same time.

She needs out of her head. I know it. And I think I know what to do about it. If I’m wrong, I trust her to tell me to fuck off.

I strip off my shirt.

I swallow hard. I narrow my eyes. I take control.

She looks at me like I’ve completely lost my mind. Maybe I have.

“What the fuck are you doing?” she asks.

I slide off my shoes, socks and jeans. No boxers.

I’m completely naked in front of her.

And I’m hard. I can’t help it. I’ve got this hair-trigger erection like a horny teenager when I’m around her.

“Use me,” I command.

“What?” she asks.

Her eyes roam over my body. It’s working. I feel her anticipation. Fuck, I can practically feel her breath on my skin as she gets up off the bed.

I don’t wait for her to answer.

“Whatever you’re feeling, just… take it out on me. All the aggression. Everything. Do anything you want to me,” I seethe out, my eyes half-closed. “Hit me. Fuck me. Scream at me. Up to you.”

I lean up against the wall.

She stares at me, like she’s unsure of what to do. For a second, she just breathes. Then she looks at me like she doesn’t know if she wants to cry or if she wants to slap me in the face.

She kisses me.

Hard.

Hard enough to bruise my lips.

And she drags her fingernails down my chest. She scrapes me. Not like she wants to hurt me. But like she wants to mark me.

Good. I’m a fucking freak. I like the pain. Right now I want her to go crazy on me and draw fucking blood if it’ll make her feel better.

I bring my hands to her hips gently.

“Me too,” she gasps, “I need to hurt too.”

No way in hell I’m hurting Cora. But I will fuck her senseless. Take her hard and fast like I’ve always want to.

I pick her up. I throw her down onto the sheets, climb on top of her and pin her wrists over her head.

Her lips are puffy. Her makeup smeared. She takes a few deep breaths, her chest heaves with desperation.

I swear, I’ve never loved her more.

“Tell me to stop,” I hiss, “Or I fuck you into the mattress.”

She looks up at me like she might challenge me. Or fight me. Then she zeroes in on my neck and she fucking bites me.

Sinks her teeth into my flesh and growls.

Fuck yes.

There’s nothing in the world like good, angry fucking.

I push her dress to her waist, tear off her panties and shove two fingers inside of her. She moans. She’s dripping wet. She’s as turned-on as she is enraged.

I give her all of my weight and thrust my cock balls-deep inside her with one forceful stroke.

“Ugh,” she gasps.

Her eyes are hooded. They roll back into her head. Her mouth is open.

I hold her down and make her take everything I want to give her. Everything that I can do to make her feel good.

She’s pushing against me, trying to get out from underneath me.

God, I love the idea of Cora riding me.

She flips me onto my back and climbs on top, still with me inside her, an evil grin on her face.

I give her ass a hard spank.

She yelps, surprised, but not angry. If anything, it spurs her on even more.

“Harder,” she orders.

“Really?” I ask.

“Yes,” she cries, “Harder. Make it hurt.”

She grinds her hips into mine, finding the speed and pressure she likes. Good, I think, take what you want. Cause what I want is to hear that crack my palm makes when it smacks your ass.

Another spank. Another.

She gets even wetter. Rides me harder.

She moans my name.

She kisses me deeply. Thrusts her tongue in my mouth and it wrestles with mine. She lifts her hips and then drops down on me over and over again.

My control, if I ever had any, is lost.

“Fuck Cora,” I pant, “I can’t hold on much longer.”

“Come for me, Ian,” she whispers. “I need to feel you come. Please.”

The please sends me over the edge and I come like a damn freight train. She practically shrieks out her orgasm, her hot, wet pussy bearing down on me.

She claws at me. Swears. Moans my name.

Gives me a hard, greedy kiss and sucks on my tongue.

Completely loses herself.

We lose ourselves in each other.

I’m fucking shaking.

Several minutes later, I still can’t move. I just hold onto her, going soft inside of her, listening to her heavy breathing.

I ease her onto her back.

God, she’s so beautiful all spent out, her long black hair fanned out like a dark halo. Her eyes are closed, but she’s not asleep. I hold her underneath me and kiss her softly. Slowly. Deeply.

Desperately.

Because I feel her slipping away.