"Paradise?"
"I have a concussion," she mumbles, talking to herself. The words tumble out so fast I can barely catch them all. "His stupid hard chest gave me a concussion today and I'm having crazy brain damage dreams. I'm probably in a hospital right now, in a backless gown with my butt hanging out. Ow!"
"Paradise?" I jerk upright, worry shooting through me at her pained cry. "Are you okay? What happened?"
"Holy shit," she whispers. "That hurt!"
"What hurt?" I growl, anxious as all hell. "What happened?"
"I pinched myself."
"Why?"
"To make sure I was awake, obviously." Her exasperated tone makes me smile like a crazy person again. "I guess I am because that really hurt."
"Don't pinch yourself, little owl. I don't want you hurting yourself," I murmur, not liking the thought of her bruising her beautiful body just because I'm stressing her out. "I'll stop teasing you for now."
"Oh, okay." She sighs as if she's disappointed.
Shit. Does she think I'm just fucking with her? The thought makes my chest ache. I don't want her thinking I'm just toying with her or leading her on.
"But just so you know," I say, clearing that shit up right now, "I still plan to break all the rules with you, Paradise."
She groans and then decides to completely ignore what I just said. "Where do I need to meet you tomorrow?"
"I'll be working out of the Assistant Principal's office this week." He retired last year and hasn't been replaced. We wondered why none of the teachers at Commodore applied. I guess we know now. No one wants to work with Richard Johnson.
"All week?" Rowan says, her voice an octave higher than normal.
"Yes."
Fuck, I want to kiss her right now.
"Alexa, where is the closest church with the confession booth thingy?" she shouts.
"It's called a confessional, Paradise," I say, cracking up when Alexa tells her that she couldn't find anything and then starts listing off nearby churches.
"I have to hang up now. I think Alexa is having a stroke."
"Goodnight, Paradise."
"Goodnight, Sebastian," she whispers.
Damn. I can't wait to hear her telling me that from the pillow beside me while she's in my arms. I've never wanted to cuddle someone as fucking badly as I do her. Hell, I've never wanted to do anything with anyone as badly as I do with her. I want to know everything about her…what makes her smile, what makes her laugh, and what makes her cry. The thought of her crying has me reaching up to rub my chest like that'll get rid of the ache there. I'm definitely not going to let her cry. Fuck that.
My phone beeps with an incoming message.
Why Paradise?
I quickly save her number and then type my response, a shit-eating grin on my face.
Me: Ask me tomorrow, Rowan.
Paradise: Goodnight, Sebastian.
Me: Sweet dreams, Paradise.
Christ, I can't wait until morning.