Caught in Us (Lost 3)

"Said no one ever." I laugh. "You're a whiz, like my brother. You two would get along well."

"You think he'd like me?" Damon asks doubtfully.

I nod, though I'm not so sure. James is a tad overprotective.

After a pause, Damon asks, "What if your parents stop you from going to England?"

"They can't." I take a deep breath. "My grandfather set up a trust fund for me. I’ll receive it once I turn eighteen, and be free. Once that day arrives, it'll be just you and me."

***

Paul doesn't tire. He stays at school every day, keeping an eye on me. The first two weeks, he even sits in the cafeteria at lunch. The third week, he comes inside to pick up a sandwich, and then heads back outside. Still, we had no opportunity for a date. February morphed into March, and the only pseudo-dates we had were on the school premises.

"I like Paul," Damon says as we watch Paul exit the cafeteria.

"He's clearly on our side."

Hazel nods in agreement then goes back to reading her Biology textbook. Damon and I exchange glances. We've been dying to be on our own for days, but between Paul, Hazel, and the teachers, we don't get the chance.

"Honey, you have to come to my place tonight. My parents are gone." The three of us try to hide our grin as we peek at Anna and her new boyfriend. They are two tables away from us, but it’s impossible not to hear Anna's high-pitched voice. "What do you say, honey?" I cringe inwardly at the word honey. By the look of excitement on the guy’s face, he's game.

"If you ever call me ‘honey’, I will pretend I don't know you," Damon says, shaking his head.

"Glad we're on the same page. Same goes for ‘baby’." I take a sip of my soda.

"Of course I wouldn't call you that. You’re my precious."

I snort soda, just as Hazel bursts out laughing. Damon stares at us.

"See, that's why you have to watch Lord of the Rings,” I say. “You'd never call me my precious."

"Explain," he demands.

I look at Hazel for help; she's better at summarizing. "Well," she begins, "there was this Gollum guy..."

"Was he good-looking?" Damon asks. This brings another round of laughter.

"Of course that’s the only thing you'd be interested in." Hazel grins.

"Damon and Gollum. That's a fair fight." I roll my eyes just as he pulls me in an embrace. I catch a whiff of his aftershave, and a shot of adrenaline and warmth courses right through my body.

"Okay, Hazel, so this trio thing is fun, but I'd like some time alone with my girl," Damon says.

My jaw drops, but Hazel continues to grin. "I'll make myself invisible right away." Packing her books, she slings her backpack over her shoulder, leaving the table. As she passes Anna's table, a knot of unease tightens in my chest. I’m jealous of Anna and her freedom. I wish I could invite Damon over whenever I want to. Surely he must expect it.

Chapter Sixteen: Damon

I've done my fair share of sneaking around in my seventeen years, but trying to be alone with Dani is a challenge. I need her, and I want to be with her as much as possible. I don't know how long our time together will last. George has been quiet lately, and that can't be a good sign.

One day, between classes, we sneak inside an empty classroom. The second we're inside, I flatten her against the wall, putting one of my hands at the back of her neck, the other one encircling her waist as my tongue plunges inside her mouth. I pull back only when we're both breathless.

"Damon," she murmurs as I suckle down her collarbone, my hands roaming on her hips. I can barely refrain myself from slipping them under her shirt to feel her sweet skin.

"What are you doing to me?" I hear footsteps in the distance, the sound bringing me back to reality.

"We should go," Dani says.

"We should," I agree, "but I don't want us to go." I lean into her again. My need to taste her grows urgent, so I tug with my teeth at her lower lip then outline her lips with the tip of my tongue. The light brush completely ravages both of us. She starts shuddering in my arms, her hips bucking forward.