He sighed. “You’re really thinking about school after all that? Because I can hardly see straight.”
I snickered. “You didn’t do your job as well as I did, then. Because my vision’s just fine.”
“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that.”
He rolled me over quickly as giggles fell from my lips. He muted them with his mouth, kissing me with a passion that sent my heart fluttering wildly. I slid my fingers through his hair, feeling him trying to wiggle between my legs. I moved my head side to side, and he tried to stop me as he deepened the kiss.
“Don’t leave. Stay here with me,” he whispered.
I giggled. “You can’t keep distracting me with sex. It won’t work after a while.”
“I can spice it up enough to keep you here all day.”
I winked. “Doubt it.”
He scoffed and rolled over, gripping his chest, feigning a heart attack. It made me laugh. I slid out of bed, making my way for his bathroom. I needed one last check of my neck and my hair before I had any chance of covering shit up in school today. We were twenty minutes away from our lunch period. And us walking in together wasn’t an option. He’d have to drop me off on the curb or something so the two of us could walk into the school at separate points.
Because I sure as hell wasn’t ready for that firefight.
I pulled my hair out of its bun. “Are you sure my hair doesn’t look bad?”
“It looks great, Rae.”
“Are you just saying that to get me to shut up?”
“If I wanted to do that, I’d tell you what I really thought of your hair.”
I grinned. “Now I’m intrigued.”
I looked over at him, watching as he leaned against the bathroom doorway. He’d already gotten his pants on, but he still stood there shirtless. I let my eyes travel over the soft rings of his abs, my gaze lingering on the steady rise and fall of his chest. He crossed his arms over his body, flexing his biceps at me and causing me to lick my lips as he drew in a deep breath.
“If I wanted to get you to shut up, I’d tell you your hair doesn’t mean shit to me. Because telling you that your hair is beautiful is like telling someone the sun’s bright. It’s obvious, trite, and overdone. If I really wanted to compliment you, I’d say how taken I am with the way your eyes match your hair. With the way your freckles undulate when you laugh. With the way your mind betrays an intelligence and maturity far beyond the high schoolers I have the privilege of spending time with. And if I really wanted to leave you speechless, I’d punctuate it with something like this.”
He pushed off the doorway, crossing the threshold of the bathroom. His hand cupped my cheek, and as his thumb slid across my skin I felt my heart stop in my chest.
“I’d tell you the sun is jealous of the light you emit simply by being yourself. And that your hair has shit-all to do with it.”
I drew in a ragged breath. “Stop it.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know you are, and I need you to stop it.”
“Why?”
I blinked rapidly. “Because.”
“Give me one damn good reason, and I’ll stop.”
Because you’re not supposed to steal my heart.
“Because your long-winded compliments are going to make us late for lunch.”
His eyes fell to my lips before his thumb ran along my skin. I shivered at his touch just before his lips pressed against mine. My head tilted back. He cradled the nape of my neck as he stepped forward, closing the gap between us. And as he slid his fingers through my hair, I whimpered against his lips.
“Your hair looks fine,” he whispered.
I nodded quickly, then turned away from him. I cleared my throat and pulled my hair back into the traditional ponytail people were used to. I felt Clint’s eyes on me, but I refused to look at him, because if I did I might just give in. I might just stay with him for the rest of the day instead of going to school and doing what I needed to do in order to get out of this hellhole.