“We have psychology together,” Alyssa cuts in, beating him to the punch and drawing my attention back to her.
I jerk my head toward the stacks where we can have a little more privacy. “Let’s talk.”
Her brows skyrocket across her forehead before she does the unthinkable and shakes her head. “Sorry, maybe another time? We’re kind of in the middle of something.”
Excuse me?
First of all, I’m well aware of what they’re in the middle of, and that’s exactly what I’m attempting to break up.
Second, is Alyssa really telling me no?
Me?
Is this the same girl who would have happily spread her legs any time I wanted?
“Look, Mont—”
“Shut the hell up,” I glance at Jamison and snap, “this doesn’t concern you. Do yourself a favor and stay out of it.”
His jaw turns slack. I don’t think he could be more surprised if I tackled his ass to the floor in the middle of the library. Jamison Daniels might be a senior, but I don’t give a flying fuck.
Alyssa’s eyes widen.
Since they’re both in a state of shock, I drop the books I’m holding onto the table and take this opportunity to pull her away. Alyssa has always been something of a wildcard. I don’t even bother to pretend it’s not part of the attraction. Once she finds her bearings, she’ll probably tear me a new one.
I grab her hand and yank her to her feet before flicking a glance at Daniels to make sure his ass stays glued to the chair. Even though I can tell he’s tempted to get in my way, he doesn’t move a muscle. The guy has always struck me as a pussy, so this isn’t a total surprise. All bark and no bite.
“Colton,” she says in weak protest.
“You’ve got two minutes, Montgomery,” Jamison mutters.
Or what? What’s he going to do?
Instead of jumping further down his throat and getting into a physical altercation, my grip tightens on her. That one touch has the brightest part of my anger and jealousy diminishing. Alyssa has always had this effect on me. She settles something deep inside. Something I’ve never wanted to examine too closely. Only now do I realize that I might have to. If my only alternative is to lose her, then there won’t be a choice in the matter.
Ignoring Jamison, I wind my way through the stacks, searching for a place we can converse without interruption.
“Colton!” She tugs her hand, attempting to pull it free. “Stop! You can’t just come here and hijack—”
Wanna bet?
When I grind to a halt, she slams into me from behind and stumbles. I swing around, my hands tightening on her slender shoulders before stalking toward her. She’s left with no other choice but to scramble backward. Her eyes widen as her spine hits the bookshelf, and she realizes there’s nowhere else to go. She’s trapped.
And at my mercy.
Our gazes fasten as my lips hover over her parted ones. The scent of her is intoxicating. I’ve spent so much time keeping her at a distance that being this close to her drives me insane. It takes everything I have to hold myself in check. I want this girl in the worst possible way.
I always have.
Now that I’ve done the unthinkable and touched her, I’m finding it difficult to control myself. The floodgates have been opened, and there’s no way to slam them shut again.
“What are you doing?” Her voice wavers as her hands press against my chest as if she’s capable of holding me off. The heat of her palms burn through the thin cotton of my T-shirt, singeing the skin beneath it. The feel of them are tattoos that will forever be a reminder of the day I lost my battle.
“This.”
I step closer, pressing our bodies together until I can feel every rise and fall of her chest against mine. Her breath catches at the contact right before my lips crash onto hers. For a heartbeat, maybe two, I wonder if she’ll fight me. Her body stiffens before melting against mine as if she’s wanted this for as long as I have.
When my tongue sweeps across the seam of her lips, demanding entrance, she opens, and I delve inside. Her fingers curl, sinking into the cotton fabric of my shirt. The crescent shape of her nails bite into my flesh, grounding me to the present, to the intimacy unfolding between us. Only now that I’m exploring her mouth do I realize how much I’ve craved this. How did I ever think that one taste of her sweetness, almost a year and a half ago, would be enough?
I lose all sense of time as our tongues tangle. I’ve missed the taste of her. No matter how many girls I’ve been with, they all paled in comparison. Needy little noises escape from her, and it only drives me on.