The Bound Angel (Sacrilege Rising: Book 1)

Chapter Twenty Seven

It had been more than a week since they’d hashed things out with Mike, and Emma was finally able to do proper sketches again. Today she was practicing drawing figures. Shapes, lines, proportions, they were the starting point for everything. They determined how a piece would hang, the silhouette it would create, how it would move when in motion. It was rudimentary, and one of the first things she learned, but if there were cracks in the foundation the house would crumble. Going too long without practicing was like an athlete skipping cardio.

She began with two horizontal lines to represent the shoulders and hips. They were tilted in opposite directions to mirror the angles the body made when it walked. Small circles came next, representing joints. Two on each line for shoulders and hips, and two more beneath for knees. Then curved lines connecting them formed the waist.

The shape always made her think of a smile, and she inevitably found herself doing just that. Two more circles for the chest and she was ready to outline the torso. From there, it was simply about connecting the dots, adding curves to join hip to knee. When a person walked, the back leg would tuck behind the front to give a sense of motion.

Arms were next. Emma hated doing arms. They had a penchant for ending up too lanky like a gorilla dragging its knuckles, or too short like a dinosaur. As she concentrated, she felt her tongue peeking out the corner of her mouth. These weren’t bad, with one hanging forward and the other tucked behind, continuing the feeling of motion. There. Finished.

The figure was done, and if Emma was honest, it was one of her better ones. Out of habit, she continued with the drawing, outlining a flared skirt. More flared fabric covered the chest, but left the shoulders bare. Then a neckline that plunged to the belly. Thin loops circled the arms just above the elbow, sewn into the back of the dress. Finally, the inner curve of breasts. Done. The beginnings of a dress fit for the red carpet.

Emma considered making the breasts larger, but discarded the idea with a shake of her head. Where had that come from? It was supposed to be elegant, not some teenage boy’s pinup fantasy. Though the mere fact that the idea blossomed told her something. When was the last time she saw Mike? She checked her phone. Still early enough to… no. Not today. She had to focus.

These last weeks had been wonderful. She was officially back on track with her classes, and was more focused than she’d been in months. She wasn’t sure when she first started noticing the effect he had on her, but, finally, the itch had been scratched, and new ideas were blooming like wildflowers after a late spring. Even her entrepreneurship class was going well. She’d been nailing the math lately and was making real progress on a business plan.

And the sex. The sex was bloody brilliant. Who knew he had it in him? Who knew he was walking around with that in his pants? She’d been over to see him a few times since their little rendezvous and had left his apartment clear-eyed and satisfied each time. Ever since this whole thing started, her main concern was the rest of her life getting lost in endless shagging. But so far, this was working. She could see Mike as she pleased, get her itch scratched, and then return to her normal life.

But something was gnawing at her like a beaver to a tree. If she was honest, she was still on slightly shaky ground with that boy. Not physically, of course. He pushed all the right buttons there, and she could tell he was just as happy on his end of things. And the banter was still there. They still gave each other a hard time and reminisced just like they always had. But something was missing.

They used to watch movies. They used to go to the pub. They used to open up to each other, even if just to vent. Now all they did was have sex. Wham-bam-thankyou-ma’am, see you next week. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. It was never quick, and she wouldn’t wait a whole week. But still. She missed her friend.

And it was at least partially her fault. Emma only found herself texting him now when the itch was too strong to ignore. She told herself it was because she was busy catching up with everything, and he was busy juggling his own schedule on top of making himself available for three randy women. But deep down, she knew it was because if she asked him to come over and watch a movie they would just end up in bed anyway. She was realizing that friends with benefits never worked because the ‘friends’ part lost out to the ‘benefits’ part.

The other thing making her anxious was having Allie and Meredith involved. That was… well, a shock, to say the least. She’d never been with a woman before. It had never even crossed her mind. And now it was a possibility whenever she wanted to get together with Mike.

It wasn’t all necessarily bad though. Being with a woman was different in ways she was beginning to appreciate. She liked full-body touching, paying attention to everywhere all at once, while men seemed to focus on… certain areas. The girls savored a slow build-up of flirting and teasing and foreplay, while men wanted to rush to the main event.

She was becoming more in-tune with Meredith and Allie when they were in bed, developing more of a connection. But with guys, specifically Mike, they were more carnal together. It was heady and primal and intoxicating, and once it started she never wanted it to stop. Though how much of that was due to his own personal qualities and how much was due to the crazy sex magic, she wasn’t sure.

Outside of the bedroom was completely different. Meredith was fun, quick-witted, and playful. She was confident without being abrasive. In short, she was an absolute delight.

Allie was something different entirely. She was a right twat. In bed she was hyper confident and oozed sex appeal to such a degree it made Emma jealous. She’d taken something of a leadership role when they were all together, giving directions and changing things up. And she was downright gorgeous, with a body Emma would kill for and… no. Stop that. She checked the time on her phone again, glancing out the window to see the light beginning to fade. Not tonight, she reminded herself.

Allie was infuriating. She was always making nasty little comments about, well, everything. Emma was considering asking Mike to let her know if Allie was going to be there, just so she could stay away. But that wasn’t exactly fair or proper, given the circumstances. She’d been with Mike both privately and with Allie and Meredith there. When it was just the two of them it was nice. Better than nice, it was wonderful. He was attentive and gentle and kind. Maybe, if she was honest, a bit too gentle. Perhaps a bit too kind. But wonderful and satisfying nonetheless, and it always scratched her itch.

The times Allie was also there were very different. She pushed his buttons, on purpose, obviously. Making him mad was some sort of kink for her, and seeing what it did to Mike was… informative. Emma wished he would be a little more like that with her, sometimes. Not always. But the way he took what he wanted from her was eye-opening.

The feral look in his eye, the way he easily manhandled her, the way Allie turned into a whimpering puddle by the end. Well, Emma secretly wished she could experience some of that. Not all of it, of course, and not all the time. But once, well, no harm in trying something once.

Those nights, after he finished with Allie, he would turn those eyes on her. There was some spillover effect. He became a bit more forceful with his hands, a bit more direct with his words, a bit more… intense. It didn’t help that by the end, Allie would recover her wits and begin teasing him again, the wench. When Emma left his apartment those nights, she felt like she’d been struck by lightning.

In Meredith, she may have found a new friend. In Allie, she’d found a new… Enemy? Competitor? Infatuation? Whatever it was, she made Emma suspicious. And, if she was honest, randy.

But she couldn’t complain. Not really. Life was good. She just missed her friend and wondered if he would ever come back.