APPARENTLY, TESTING MY PATIENCE is the answer to my previous fucking question. All the self-control in the world can’t get me to take my eyes off her, which means spending the last two hours watching Carter hang all over her. She’s patient with him, pushing his hand away nicely when it gets too close to places she isn’t comfortable. Me, on the other hand—I’m ready to level him.
It’s five minutes to midnight, when it’ll officially be Tessa and Delaney’s birthday, and I can only imagine what he plans on giving to her as a gift. I swear to fuck, if he tries kissing her, there isn’t a person in this fucking room who could hold me back.
Delaney may not be mine, but she’s certainly not for anyone here tonight. At least I’m man enough to admit I’m no good for her. Carter, however, will take everything he can and then throw back the broken pieces before moving onto the next one.
When I can’t fucking take it anymore, I take out my phone and quickly type out a message I know I’ll regret.
Knox: Meet me in your bedroom. Two minutes.
I watch as she pulls her phone from her bra. Reading my text, she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. I turn around and head up the stairs.
It only takes two attempts to figure out which room is hers. The neatness of the room and pictures of her
and Savannah are enough to tell me I’m in the right place. I gaze over everything, admiring the seafoam green walls that somehow suit her personality.
“Is everything okay?” she questions, pulling my attention toward the door.
I shrug. “That depends. You looked pretty cozy down there with Trayland.”
“Carter? He’s my friend.”
“Friend, my ass. He was all over you.”
Her brows furrow and her beautiful smoky eyes narrow. “So what if he was?”
“I don’t like it. He’s a scumbag. You should stay away from him.”
She laughs, rolling her eyes. “That’s really rich, Knox. Why don’t you give me a list of people I’m allowed to be near? Maybe that will be easier to follow. Oh, wait, that’s right. You don’t have any say over who I can and can’t talk to.”
“Has he kissed you? I swear to God, Delaney, if he did anything to you, I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” she shouts back. “Continue to be a coward? Act like nothing is going on between us? Fucking hell, at least Carter has the damn balls to go after what he wants. He doesn’t act like a possessive asshole who doesn’t want me but doesn’t want anyone else to have me either.”
I take a step forward. “That’s what you think? That I don’t want you?” She swallows and blinks up at me with her big green eyes, and I’m done for. “All I can think about is you. It fucking keeps me up at night. I lie awake, wondering if you’re sound asleep, and who you’re dreaming about.” Reaching out, I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I’m not the kind of guy a girl like you needs. You deserve better. Better than me, and sure as fuck better than Carter.”
Using every ounce of self-restraint that I can manage, I move to leave the room. However, just as I reach the door, she speaks.
“He hasn’t kissed me, yet.” My head whips around so fast I almost get whiplash. “But he said he’s going to at midnight.”
“And you’re going to let him?”
She shrugs halfheartedly. “It seems kind of pathetic, being eighteen and never having been kissed. He said he’d teach me how.”
Her words hit me like a goddamn freight train. The idea of Carter getting one of her firsts is enough to make me throw caution to the wind. Shouts of “Happy Birthday!” echo from downstairs, and I glare as I walk toward her.
“He’s too fucking late.”
My hand wraps around the back of her neck, and I pull her into me, covering her mouth with my own. She gasps at the sudden movement but I don’t miss a beat, using the opportunity to slip my tongue into her mouth and tangle it with hers. As her fingers lace into my hair and the taste of her floods my senses, I know I’m so fucking screwed. This girl is going to be the death of me.
10
DELANEY
I stand alone in my room, giving myself a minute to catch my breath before I go back downstairs. Did that really just happen? The tingling sensation on my lips tells me that it did, and I don’t think there could have been a better way to ring in my birthday. His mouth on mine was better than anything I’ve dreamed in the past few weeks. He was tender and careful, while still taking everything he wanted from me. It was incredible.
When I feel like I find my footing, I make my way downstairs in a blissful haze. Savannah sees me first and throws her hands in the air.
“There you are! Happy Birthday!”