“Want my advice?” Jason asked.
“Fuck, no.”
“I’ll give it, anyway. Nailing the Snow Queen might earn you some serious bragging rights, but there’s no way it’s worth the aggro, dude. Even if Riley had never been a factor. There’s a reason Liss has dated no one in Claremont.”
There was an extended pause before Leon’s gruff response came. “Maybe instead of worrying about my life, take a closer look at your own, jackass.”
“What’s that mean?”
“One word, bro… stepsister.”
“Don’t fucking go there.”
Leon barked out a short laugh. “Oh, he can dish it out…”
When their voices neared, I pushed away from the wall and ducked into the nearest room, closing the door behind me with a soft click. Leaning back against the wood, I let my backpack slide from my shoulder and smoothed my fingers over my hair. An irritated growl tore up my throat when I realized they were trembling.
Get a goddamn grip, Liss.
Of course, it was bullshit. Obviously, it was bullshit. It was always fucking bullshit.
It wasn’t like I thought it was going anywhere. The guy had a quota to meet, and I happened to be the last outstanding item on his list. But my lashes fluttered toward my cheeks as the walls of my throat tightened and a stinging sensation pricked at the backs of my lids.
God, what an idiot.
What the hell was I doing, letting Leon Bradshaw get to me?
Fuck this. Sweeping the pads of my fingers under my burning eyes and ignoring the sound of my heart thudding in my ears, I lifted off the door and shouldered my backpack.
I wasn’t fucking hurt, goddammit; pissed off, infuriated… maybe a little embarrassed, yeah. But not hurt. He didn’t have the power to hurt me. No one did. I’d kissed him once, developed an unwanted attraction and let myself get caught up in it. But one kiss and a near miss hadn’t done any lasting damage—nothing I couldn’t undo.
My reputation would remain intact, and with that little reminder of exactly who Leon was sitting fresh in my head, I could go back to hating him.
I wouldn’t allow anything else.
***
“Been looking for you.” Leon’s low murmur filtered through my ear as I walked toward the library for study period later that afternoon.
“And now you’ve found me,” I muttered flatly.
I’d had a few hours to process what I’d overheard, to let it sink in, and I couldn’t deny it had stung, or that I felt like a fool—I’d allowed him to draw me in against all my better knowledge. Leon was a player, and I’d let him play me. Now I knew. Lesson learned. He wouldn’t do it a second time.
“Can we talk?”
Gentle fingers gripped my elbow and applied a little pressure.
I fought to maintain my stride without missing a beat, but the rhythm of my pulse shifted under his touch, my skin tingling. I eased my arm out of his hold and tucked it into my chest.
“What about?” I clipped, steadily increasing my pace.
Leon sped up and came around me, blocking my path. I pulled up short and stopped without glancing up, my body stiff. He reached out and traced a delicate path down the sleeve of my sweater, before looping his fingers lightly around my wrist. My breath tried to falter as I dropped my eyes to the hand circling my arm, and then up to Leon’s serious face.
“You okay?” he asked.
I wanted to remain unaffected. I wanted to stare into his liquid blue gaze and feel nothing but loathing. Indifference, even. Instead, my heart rate spiralled, and my gaze moved to his full lips. Desire stirr
ed instantly. I blinked hard and gave my head a firm shake. Shit would not go down like this. My brain ran this show, it just needed a bit of time to catch up. “Yeah. Fine, thanks.”