They shared a worrisome look but both ended up shooting me a little nod before my hands fell from Sloane’s shoulders. We clasped hands again, catching the eye of a few other groups of students who all stared at me like I’d shown up naked instead of in what I actually wore.
My eyes glided over my outfit, and my stomach tumbled. There was a lot more leg showing tonight than at the last party. And even though I wore a skirt during the day for class, I’d always worn knee-high socks so there was only a thin sliver of thigh peeking most days. But tonight, Sloane had talked me into wearing her ankle boots—Doc Martens was what she’d called them, completely baffled that I didn’t know the name. She’d lent me a black mini-skirt that hit mid-thigh but had a gold zipper down the back that seemed overly accessible to anyone who’d try to sneak up on me from behind—like Bain. A shiver danced over me when the brief memory of the last party crowded the edges of my mind.
As Sloane and Mercedes pulled me toward the back of the party, I scanned the open space for him. My feet stalled when I found him standing against a stone pillar with a few unfamiliar guys standing nearby. He was leaning his broad shoulder against the casing, looking just as dangerous as I suspected him to be. Cropped hair close to his skull. A thin scar over his cheekbone. Handsome smile, which was extremely deceiving.
I kept my gaze on his when he found me, as if he knew I was staring at him from afar. His eyes were a deep amber that looked like they’d burn me if I went near. One cheek lifted in a half-smile/half-snarl, and chills raced over my skin. Shit, maybe Isaiah was right. I needed to be more alert, especially when sneaking to the art room in the early morning.
“Damn, ladies,” a deep voice said from up ahead, stealing my attention away from Bain. I could still feel him staring, though, like his eyes were leaving a trail of warnings over my body. “You three look downright edible.”
Warm pools of honey greeted us as we stopped walking. Sloane pushed the guy's shoulder, letting her hand fall from mine. I briefly recognized him, and I was pretty sure he was in my Chem II class. His skin was dark and rich with a smile so bright I felt like I’d been touched by the sun. “How would you know? I wasn’t aware you knew what a lady tasted like, Mica.”
He tsked a couple of times before grinning at Sloane. “Sure, I do. How would I know that I didn’t particularly enjoy the taste?”
I kept my face steady as I tried to comprehend what they were talking about. I had a very strong feeling they were using code. Sexual innuendos were not my thing.
“How could you not like the taste of pussy, though?” This came from behind Mica, and I swiveled around to see the Rebels coming to the group. My heart locked in my chest as I caught the eye of Isaiah who had already spotted me.
Heat kissed my cheeks, and the room seemed to shrink around us. He wore dark jeans and his usual Vans, but he looked more casual tonight. Instead of wearing a shirt like he’d worn last week, showing off his toned arms, this week he wore a zipped-up jacket and had the hood pulled over his head just far enough that it made me pause. My fingers nearly twitched with the need to shove it back from his face.
His famous grin made an appearance, and I swore his hand reached right into my chest, and he squeezed the life right out of it. Shit. He had an effect on me. A really big one. One that I wasn’t very familiar with. It was like standing on shaky legs or like being pushed underneath icy water and not knowing how to swim.
“Enjoying your night off from tutoring?”
I shrugged just enough that my sweater fell off my shoulder, allowing musty air to dance over the bareness of it. Isaiah’s eyes immediately shot down to it, and I watched as a swal
low worked itself down his throat. “I guess.” My voice was a tiny squeak, and I internally cringed.
Isaiah’s head slanted. “You guess?” His eyes were filled with something that caused me to taste that tiniest bit of anticipation on my tongue, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what it was. Or what it meant. It was like the last few nights of us “tutoring” in the library with nothing but the sound of his tapping pencil against the thick wood and my racing pulse had led me to this moment right here, where one heated look from him had the small bundle of nerves in my belly exploding to full capacity. “We can always leave now and get back to…”—he took a step closer to me—“tutoring...if you want.”
My eyes narrowed as Isaiah’s grin grew wider. Was he toying with me? Was he making it seem like we weren’t tutoring when we said we were? What was he playing at?
Mica, who had moved out of the way some, whistled loud enough that it cut through the music and my racing thoughts. “And suddenly, I wish I was into girls. I think I just got a boner watching you two talk.”
Sloane threw her head back and laughed as Shiner blew out a breath. “Fuck, I think I got a boner too.”
I knew my face was beet red, and I wasn’t sure if I was more angry or embarrassed. Once again, I was in the dark with whatever the hell Isaiah was doing at the moment. It was like the lacrosse game all over again, when Isaiah leaned in to kiss my cheek and put on a show for people. Was that what he was doing? Putting on a show again? For Bain? Making people think that he and I were up to something so they’d watch us closely and keep Bain from interjecting himself? I knew the blog had been mentioning Isaiah’s and my tutoring sessions, as if there was something else going on.
Isaiah shot Shiner a quick glare. “Shiner.”
Shiner winked at me secretly, and I held back a smile. I actually liked the rest of the Rebels, even if they did walk the halls like they had crowns upon their heads. I mean, I did see Shiner throw a serious punch earlier today at the lacrosse game, so I guess I could see why some people stayed out of their way, but over the last few days, the Rebels had been exceptionally nice to me. Cade even introduced to me a game on my phone during lunch this week, and we’d been playing back and forth for the last two nights. I was beating him, and it felt really good to beat someone that seemed to be perfect.
Isaiah sighed agitatedly once more in Shiner’s direction before he took another step toward me. The group had parted some, and his walk was more of a prowl than anything else. I swallowed back the need to glance away, knowing that it would only show how confused I truly felt in the moment. But as soon as Isaiah was close enough that his chest brushed against mine, everything else seemed to fade away. There was definitely a shift in the air. I could feel it. Eyes were on us. All of them. They tried to prick my skin, but as Isaiah’s hands fell to my hips, a shield that was impenetrable locked down around us.
“What are you doing, Isaiah?” I whisper-seethed, realizing the music had grown softer at some point within the last ten seconds. “Is this another repeat of the lacrosse game? Everyone is going to start labeling me as—”
“Mine.” The black hood on top of his head had fallen back, showing off those black-framed blue eyes that sent an icy burn whipping through my body. His fingers around my waist were splayed out, and I was almost certain he could pick me up in one single whoosh, and it would be nothing to him. His hands were large, and my waist was a perfect fit.
My breath caught as his head dipped to my ear, a dark lock of his hair brushing over a sensitive spot. I was suddenly in a frenzy, wanting to pull him in farther, but I was too rational to do so. I wasn’t sure what was happening, but my body was feeling all sorts of things, and I was toeing the line of staying in the present and jumping back to the past. You will remain untouched.
Richard’s voice was like whiplash, but I was quick to dodge the blow.
Stay present, Gemma. Just stay present.
This time, I didn’t really care what Isaiah was playing at. I was going to let my instincts lead and push away the uncertainty of right or wrong. This one was all me. I wasn’t listening to anyone but myself right here and right now. Not Richard. Not even Tobias, as his last words filtered through. Survive, Gemma. Just survive.
“I’m going to kiss you, Good Girl.” My mouth opened, and a rush of heavy-laden breath surrounded us. “Because right now, I need people to know you’re mine. I found something today and...” My back curved as his soft lips swiped at my skin. “Just trust me, okay? I’m going to kiss you, and I’m going to act like I’m claiming you.” His lips were moving over my ear like some type of synchronized song, and I was falling for it. Every last word. “There is no way I’m letting you out of my grip with Bain in the room.” He paused, and I was pretty certain the entire room swayed. “Are you okay with that?”
My hands clamped down onto his wrists, my chest brushing over his. I leaned up on my tiptoes the second he pulled back and placed that dangerous gaze on me. My lips moved over his ear slowly. “I don’t know how to do this,” I whispered, briefly catching the eyes of our friends at his back. “But I am okay with it.” Was I okay with this?