And why was he so beautiful. His blond hair was perfect and hung lazily over his eyes. His beer tight in his hands, I noticed his split knuckles. He appeared to have punched something.
Or someone.
Ares had said their fight had gotten physical, which was crazy. He’d done that over everything with Bru? Really?
Dorian noticed me eyeing his knuckles, smirking. Shaking his head, he tipped back his beer again. He swallowed it down. “Which one of those fuckers I call friends got you to come see me?”
My eyes twitched wide, surprised. “Ares texted. How did you know?”
“Because I know my friends,” he said, rocking back. He killed one beer, then started on another. “And few people can track my phone.” He studied me. “And my parents don’t know you.”
His roving gaze stayed on my bare thighs, pausing only a second before coming up to my midriff. He didn’t stay there long before getting a good visual fondle of my breasts before smirking again and drinking more beer. I’d hit dudes for less.
But under Dorian’s gaze…
He was in my head too, my chest visibly flushed in my scoop-neck top. He made me feel completely naked despite being fully clothed.
I hated that it wasn’t in a bad way. I hated that I burned under his sight. He was still feet away from me, but that didn’t matter.
Why is he here?
The house in front of us was dark, empty. Like my home, there were no neighbors. Each house sat in its own privacy of full trees and moonlight.
It was just Dorian and me out here, alone with the for sale sign and his beer. He lifted the pack. “Want one? I’m not an asshole.”
He was, but I took one anyway. After my selection, he stole it back from me. He opened it with his boot before returning it.
“So chivalrous,” I crooned, making his dark smile appear. It didn’t frighten me like it probably should. Not anymore. I popped a squat beside him on my knees. “Any idea why your friend would be desperate enough to call me over here?”
“Because he knew where I was.” He lounged his big body back in the grass, his dark eyes in my direction. “And he’s obviously caught on to my fascination with you.” My mouth dried, and he smirked. “It also helps that you live just down the street and could get here soon.”
My mouth parted. “You know where I live?”
“You’d left-hook my ass at the things I know about you.” He turned in my direction. “Orphan at eighteen. Your brother seventeen. You came to this town after your father died in a factory fire. Your tuition is paid by a Callum Montgomery, and though I don’t know a lot about him, I’m assuming he’s very wealthy.” My jaw slacked. He faced the house. “Your file said he was a family friend.”
So, he had my file, impressive. I sat back then brought in my legs, hugging them. “What else do you know?”
He smiled again. “I know you’ve moved around a lot, and that’s clearly made you combative.” His gaze roved over me. “You jumped down Wolf’s throat before he could jump down yours, and considering your history of fights at your old schools, that makes sense. You’re from Chicago most recently but have lived in the state your whole life. Your mother passed at some point in your life. Though I don’t know how.”
He stated my life in facts only, and at my silence, his expression shifted. He almost appeared apologetic. Like he’d run away with himself and just realized what had fallen from his lips.
Even still, he didn’t apologize. He simply clinked his beer with mine. Together, we drank a long sip, the pair of us lost in it.
“You seem to think you have me all figured out,” I said.
“But don’t I?” Sitting up, he hooked an arm over his knee. He frowned. “I mean, I thought I had.”
“Until when?”
“You showed up here. With me?” He waved his beer in front of the house. “Dropping into my hot fucking mess of a life.” His head tilted in my direction. “I’m sure you know all about this shit, though. My life is as open to you as yours was to mine. Just pull up a fucking internet search.”
I blanched. Actually, I knew very little about the dark prince because I hadn’t looked him up. I hadn’t fe
lt I needed to.
I wondered why now.
He fascinated me too, and I’d stalked boys for less in the past during a crush phase.