I pressed my forehead to Chris’ back, tightening my arms.

He reached down, his hand running over my leg and then stayed there.

It felt nice. Right.

I would be sadder about when we’d have to say goodbye than my crew. That told me everything.

I was such a fool.

When we pulled back into his house, he led me by the hand, and we went back to his room.

We didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

It was early. The clock said it was six in the morning when we’d collapsed after our last round.

I was resting half on his chest, drawing a circle over his stomach.

Both of us were sweaty and had no desire to move, not another inch. My body had no bones. I was a melting mess, and it was wonderful.

But still. The clenching in the stomach. It was there because his uncle was supposed to call. He’d shared that part when I asked when he needed to go, though I’d been dreading even speaking the words.

“Those guys are going to kill Johnny.”

His body stiffened.

I lifted my head up. I wanted him to see that I knew. “I heard what you said to him, about doing drugs. You’re right.” Another thing I was kicking myself for not seeing. “I actually think I flushed his drugs today.”

He moved his arm from behind his head and took my hand in his. Sliding his fingers through mine, he cocked his head to the side. “Good.”

That note. I grinned, remembering it.

“What?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. There was a stupid note on the door. It was kinda funny.” But thinking on it, “Johnny couldn’t stash drugs in the girls’ bathroom. Someone else must’ve done that.”

Chris didn’t respond, not that my statement even warranted a reply. It was done.

I sighed, laying my cheek back down on his chest. His free hand went through my hair, smoothing it down my back and up again. It was soothing and caressing at the same time.

“So, your uncle is going to call you to join their group?”

He tensed again.

I learned he did that anytime the Red Demons were brought up.

His voice was low. “Yeah. More than likely.”

That meant I needed to deal with it, start getting over him.

Was it sad that I needed to get over a guy with whom I only had one night? Or maybe that was a beautiful thing?

I didn’t know. Beautiful things didn’t survive in my world.

I looked up.

That made sense too, because Chris was beautiful.

He looked down, his hand coming to cup the side of my face. “What’s in your head?” His thumb ran over my cheek, so soft and tender. It matched his tone.

I wasn’t going to tell him that, so I said something else, “Thank you for being here to protect me this year.” My heart skipped a beat. “That’s the nicest thing anyone’s done for me.”

“Oh, baby.” He sat up, curling over me, and his mouth dropped to mine.

But there were no words that could be said.

He was going.

I was staying.

It was what it was.

We had the morning still.

Then his mouth was moving over mine, and before long, we’d shifted. I was straddling him, and his hands were on my hips.

The sun was spreading through the room, inch by inch, but I wasn’t seeing it.

I was just feeling, and in a way, I felt like I was feeling for the first time.

12

Christopher

My phone rang.

We’d both been waiting.

It was almost noon, so my uncle gave us half of another day. I wondered if that was part of his gift to me for handling the problem last night.

Taking my phone outside, I answered, “Hey.”

“I have good and bad news. Which do you want?”

I sighed.

“The bad first.”

Max chuckled low over the phone. “Pack up. I want your ass on your bike in thirty minutes. I’ll send you the coordinates where to go.”

I gripped my phone tight, hating this, hating everything about this.

“Okay.” I was forcing air out through my nose, trying to keep my teeth from grinding. “And the good news?”

“Got a guy in the admissions office. Turns out, we need a college boy for our club. Guess where you’re going to school?”

Wait.

“What?” I started to turn around.

Kess was sitting at the table, her knee pulled up. She was hugging her leg, and her head was cocked to the side. She was trying to figure out a puzzle in a magazine I had lying around. Jesus, she was stunning. A breeze was going through the room, and I was noticing every detail about how it was lifting some of her hair strands, making them wave in the air.

Goddamn romantic crap here.

My heartbeat was drumming thick in my ear.

There’s no way I’d heard him right.

Tags: Tijan Romance
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