Trick Me Twice

My eyes closed, and in a trembling voice, I admitted the truth that I hadn’t even allowed myself to think. “I didn’t want you to stop.”

Another tear fell.

“Look at me.”

My eyes flew open, and he stared at me for a moment, his face illuminated by the glow of the lamp, then lowered his face, and his lips were on mine, hard and furious.

I froze in shock for all of two seconds, before I kissed him back.

His mouth was punishing, slamming against mine, savage and raw. He attacked me with his lips, and I met every single assault, moaning into his mouth, my legs hooking around him of their own accord as he sent fire racing through my veins.

“You want me, don’t you?” His voice was a low growl as he moved to nip at my neck, and I sighed, allowing the quietest yes to escape.

He stilled above me.

Suddenly, his body weight was gone, and he was looking down at me with total and utter contempt. His eyes were hard and unforgiving, and his harshly spoken words fell like acid rain on my skin.

“You can want me, but you can never have me. Watch your back, little trickster.”

9

From the minute I awoke, I hadn’t been able to shake the overwhelming trepidation that had stayed with me ever since Carter had come into my bedroom and told me that he knew who I was. He hated me before, but now, he actually had reason to. I’d never dreaded school like I did this morning. I really needed to speak to someone, but I guess I felt a sense of guilt surrounding everything that had happened between me and Carter. Guilt for the way I’d tricked him, lied to him, and made him think I was someone else.

As I turned the corner and the gorgeous, golden stone buildings of Alstone High came into view, my gaze was immediately drawn to a familiar figure, slouched against the wall with his arms crossed over his impressive chest. I noticed the moment he saw me because he straightened up, the distant expression on his face replaced by a hard, dark look.

My stomach flipped, and my steps slowed.

“Everything okay?” Lena eyed me with concern. She’d been picking me up on the way to school every day since we’d been paired on our project, and I’d started to look forward to our random morning conversations. She’d asked me how Fright Night had gone, both via text and again this morning, but all I’d told her was that I’d left early. I owed her the truth, but I was working up the courage to tell her.

“Yeah, fine.” I gathered myself, and as we ascended the steps, I did my best to ignore Carter, despite his dark gaze boring into me. We drew level with him, and I held my breath. One more step, and I’d be inside the doors, free.

Then I felt the hand on my elbow, and I was dragged against his torso. I gave a squeak of fright, losing my balance and accidentally elbowing him in the ribs. He made a low, angry noise in his throat.

“Raine?” Lena had suddenly noticed I wasn’t next to her anymore. I did my best to school my expression into one of unconcern, although from the look in her eyes, I didn’t think I succeeded.

“I’m fine. I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

She frowned, but at my pleading look, headed inside with a sigh, only after she’d shot a pointed look at Carter and drawn a finger across her throat. Her theatrics made me smile, despite everything, although the same couldn’t be said for Carter.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Five innocuous words, but spoken in the low, sinister tone Carter used, sent icy shivers down my spine. He held me in an iron grip, my back against his torso. People were throwing us strange looks as they passed, no doubt wondering why Carter, king of the school had me, a nobody, pressed up against him.

“Little trickster.”

His lips were tickling my ear, and I had a sudden, inexplicable urge to laugh. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips before I could stifle it.

“Something funny?” The grip on my torso tightened. He pulled me behind the columns at the top of the steps, into the shadows away from prying eyes.

“N-no,” I stammered. My brain was going haywire. I took a deep, cleansing breath, and then my nose was suddenly full of cedar and spice. Why did he have to smell so good?

“Remember how I told you to watch your back?” His low, threatening tone sent prickles of fear through me.

“I said I was sorry.” Gathering my courage, I met his eyes. The gold flecks blazed like fire as he stared down at me. Yeah, he wasn’t going to be forgetting what I’d done anytime soon.

“Too little, too late.”

“Yeah? You hated me already, what difference would it have made?”

“I already told you that to hate you would mean I actually cared enough to form an opinion,” he said in a bored voice.