Coercion

How far will one woman go for love?

Introverted and insecure Valerie Mercer was promised that during her senior year of college she would finally attract attention from boys…but never dreamed that would include Michael Vartanian.

Good looking, troubled and every parent’s nightmare, Michael is adamant on introducing Valerie to a world of both pleasure and, inadvertently, heartbreak. His interest in Valerie is dependent upon the mood and fidelity of his on-and-off-again girlfriend, Breeze.

Nevertheless, Valerie lets her hope and desire override common sense and soon finds she can’t deny Michael anything…no matter what’s at stake.

Content warning: explicit sex, prolific drug and alcohol usage, profanity

Valerie refused to entertain thoughts Michael might ever be interested in her, especially since she didn’t know what she’d do if she had him. She knew of Kim Breza—better known as Breeze—and couldn’t think of two people more different than her and the popular, talkative blonde, whose sexual appetite was no secret. She had heard Breeze broadcast her erotic escapades in the women’s bathroom, the hallway and just about everywhere else. Thus, Valerie knew Michael and his girlfriend had done practically everything under the sun during their on-again, off-again yet somehow enduring relationship.

That knowledge both excited and terrified her. Virginity, which was something her peers had outgrown long ago, was not something she wanted to give to just anyone. Therefore, she could never keep up with Michael.

But a little part of her wanted to try. A little part of her wanted to have the courage to find out how those lips of his tasted. A little part of her wanted to slide her hands down his broad back and into the back pockets of his jeans.

A little part of her wanted to do a whole lot to Michael Vartanian.

Coercion
978-1-61650-178-5
Copyright © 2010, Lux Zakari
Edited by Pamela Tyner
Book design by Pamela Tyner and Renee Rocco
Cover Art by Valerie Tibbs
First Lyrical Press, Inc. electronic publication: August, 2010

Lyrical Press, Incorporated
17 Ludlow Street
Staten Island, New York 10312
http://www.lyricalpress.com

eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher's permission.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

Published in the United States of America by Lyrical Press, Incorporated

To Casey, who’s always adult, entertaining and real

Many thanks to Jazz and Adam E. for the beta reads; my awesome editor, Pam Tyner, for her insight and help in ironing out the kinks; and those who believed it was about time.

Monday

August 26, 1974

Worshipful and adoring, boys waited in Valerie’s future like a long stretch of ruby carpet. At least, that’s what she’d been told. She could have anyone she wanted if she did the right things. Though the jury remained undecided on what those right things were, her mother’s sister, Linda, swore she had the answers. With increasing skepticism, Valerie had previously taken her aunt’s advice—grow out her hair, resist the urge to wear blue eye shadow, retain mystery by never talking about herself too much—with zero to lukewarm results until she reluctantly tried a ruthless diet and exercise regime in the spring. She’d barely noticed her body changing at first, but she was the only one.

Further proof of her effect on the male population came one morning in the form of shrieking brakes followed by a car door slam. Valerie looked up from the orange she peeled while crossing Kenton College’s student parking lot to see a beat-up brown coupe screech to a haphazard halt in a free spot. Then Daniel Travato scrambled from the vehicle, juggling a few notebooks and papers and wearing a giant smile. “Wow, I thought that was you.” His feathery hair drifted into his eyes as he approached. “Long time, no see. You look amazing!”

“Thanks.” Valerie’s face warmed as her fingernails bit into the orange’s peel and tugged the rind away.

His gaze dropped to her legs, which suddenly felt too bare beneath her short denim skirt. “I’ve never seen you look so… I don’t know. Wow.” Did his cheeks turn pink or did a sunburn still linger on his skin? He let out an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry, forget I said anything. How was your summer?”

“Pretty good. What about you? What’ve you been up to?”

“Torturing myself as a swimming counselor at Archley Pines.” He grinned as he fell into step beside her, and they crossed the campus’s dewy lawn toward a series of benches clustered around a metal sundial sculpture. “Going into it, I had no idea how much kids played with their food. I can’t tell you how many times I had to say, ‘That hotdog’s not a telescope, take it out of your eye,’ or ‘Eat your sandwich, not your scabs.’ It got to the point where I dreaded going to the cafeteria.”

A giggle exploded in Valerie’s throat as they sat on one of the wooden benches. “Hopefully you taught them a thing or two though.”

“About swimming, perhaps. Table manners, no.”

Valerie finished peeling the orange and, after tossing the rind in a nearby trashcan, she split it into two pieces, one which she held out to her friend.

His eyebrows rose and an unmistakable blush filled his cheeks as he accepted it. “Thanks.” His attention dropped to the fruit, which he divided yet again. “So you’re pretty and sweet…”

“Stop.” An appreciative laugh escaped her as she took a bite. They watched the students passing by and finished their shared snack in silence, Valerie shy but enjoying herself. Unused to her new body and the approving glances it attracted, she often felt more embarrassed than flattered, but had to admit she didn’t hate the male attention. Daniel was different, though; he was her friend. Still, she couldn’t remember a time a guy slammed on the brakes and parked like a blind person just because he saw her—there probably hadn’t been one. Shannon would crack up when she heard this.

Daniel cleared his throat. “When’s your first class?”

She swallowed and wiped the orange’s juices from her lips with the side of her hand. “Nine.”

“Same here. We should carpool someday.”

Before she could respond, an amber-eyed young woman with her dark blond hair gathered into a ponytail stopped in front of them, a hand on her hip and an eyebrow arched. “Val, what’ve I told you about talking to strange boys wandering around campus?”

Valerie gave Daniel an apologetic look. “You remember Shannon.”

“Of course.” Daniel gave Shannon a nod and a smile as he stood. “And I’d like to stay and catch up, but I have to get a coffee or I’m gonna pass out in the next twenty minutes. Shannon, it was great seeing you again. And Val, you still need to tell me about your summer. What do you think? Meet me in Farley around noon for lunch and regale me with tales?”

“Sounds good.” Valerie waved as he ambled down the path toward the student union building.

Shannon narrowed her eyes at Daniel’s retreating form, shaking her head with a look of mock regret. “Boy, I hate it when you leave, but I love watching you go.”

“Give it a rest.”

“You two were looking very cozy before I showed up. What were you talking about? Did he say how gorgeous you are?”

Valerie unsuccessfully tried to hide a smile. “Actually, kind of.”

“I knew it.” Shannon gave her a giant grin as she took the vacant seat beside Valerie on the bench. “Face it, Val. You lost about twenty-five pounds since spring, so expect people—i.e. guys—to notice and wanna screw you.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Please. For once, let’s pretend we’re normal American adults with healthy sexual appetites who can talk maturely about what Daniel Travato looks like naked. There’s no way you could go to one of his swim meets and not fantasize about that body. The boy is gorgeous in all the right places.”

“Daniel was my study buddy for Lit last year. I can’t think of him like that.”

“I think if someone’s your ‘study buddy,’ you’re required to think of him like that.”

Valerie shook her head. “If only poor Rick could hear you now.”

“Good thing poor Rick’s safely tucked away at Rockhurst then.” Shannon shook her head, her long ponytail swaying from side to side. “All right, so you don’t want to talk about it. Just be ready, that’s all I’m saying.”

“Ready for what?”

“Anything.”

* * * *

“Kiss me when you exhale.”

Breeze coupled her breathy instruction with the act of sliding her arms around Michael’s neck in a motion so languid it was as if it’d happened underwater. Her words, sensual and commanding, sent a rush both hot and cold up his legs.

Michael obediently sipped at the joint then pressed his mouth against hers, creating a seal. Like veterans, they both parted their lips in perfect synchronicity, and the smoke he’d been holding in floated inside her. She was so near, he could feel her rib cage expand as she took a deep, purposeful breath. Then she drew away and coughed, hazy tendrils escaping her smiling mouth. “Thanks, baby.”

He blew out the remaining smoke still lingering inside his lungs and stretched his legs in front of him, reclining against the back concrete wall of Rightmer Hall, which saw few passing students. “No problem.”

“And I thought the morning couldn’t get any better.” Breeze flicked a piece of lint off her crinkle-gauze peasant blouse and gave her curly blond hair a toss. “Just think, come May, we’ll graduate and finally leave this hellhole.” She gave Michael’s cheek a brief, grandmotherly squeeze. “Except for you, my sexy late bloomer.”

Michael swatted her hand away. “I’m still older than you.”

“But it’s your first day of college. How cute is that?” She tickled him under the chin, laughing when he cringed and rubbed his skin in an attempt to erase her touch.

“It won’t be so cute when you remember he’s still got four years ahead of him here at Kenton while you have one.” Crouching, Rooney plucked the joint out of Michael’s fingers and took a hit. The morning sun trickling through the secluding trees’ shade turned his short red hair the color of a bonfire and nearly made his already pale freckles disappear.

“Only two,” Breeze and Michael chorused defensively.

“If it were up to me, there’d be none.” Michael rolled his eyes. “Believe me, this whole back-to-school, higher education shit wasn’t in my plans.”

“That’s because you have no plans, baby.” Breeze patted his hand, an irritating gesture. “You should be glad your dad threatened to kick you out unless you at least got your associate’s. I think it gave you proper motivation.”

Rooney shot Michael a sympathetic grimace. “I bet it also kept a roof over your head.”

“And for Michael here to get smart and abandon his crappy gas station gig, well, for me, that’s worth an extra year in the fucking Show Me State.” Breeze leaned against Michael, tucking her head in the crook of his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. “Come on, guys. I hate that you two aren’t as excited as I am.” She held out her fist out to Rooney as if it were a microphone. “Tim Rooney, the world is dying to know your big plans for the future. Won’t you tell us all about them?”

After puffing once more on the spliff, Rooney took hold of Breeze’s wrist. “Well, folks,” he spoke into her fist, addressing his imaginary spectators in a pinched voice, “my goals include rising to maturity and becoming an admiral.”

Michael didn’t bother to suppress his snort. “Good luck with that.”

Rooney pretended to squint into the distance, shielding his eyes from the sunlight piercing through the leafy canopy overhead. “It seems we have a heckler in the audience.”

“I’m not heckling.” Michael held up his hands, surrendering. “I’m just wondering if fooling around with those high school girls you met at the pool counts as rising to maturity.”

“You say tomato...”

“Enough!” Breeze clamped her hands over her ears and heaved a throaty, aggravated growl.

Rooney tilted his head in Breeze’s direction. “The queen finds us tiresome.”

“No,” Breeze said. “I just find your sex life boring.”

Rooney’s shoulders slumped forward. “You’re not the only one.”

Breeze jabbed Michael’s ribs with her elbow. “Let’s move on to you, baby. Tell us about all the amazing things you’ll do after graduation.”

Michael groaned. “I haven’t even had my first class yet.”

“Our first class,” she corrected with a smile.