Chapter Eight
Helen
Lachlan took the seat beside me,giving me a chin tip. I tipped right back.
He went about his business, like he did at the start of every class, setting up his laptop, stretching out his long-ass legs, ignoring me and everyone else while he waited for Professor Davis to commence his lecture.
“You know, you could have stayed with me on Monday, but you just left me withhim.”
His head swiveled my way. “You get hurt?”
“No.”
“He say something you didn’t like?”
“No.”Yes. Always.
His big shoulder lifted. “You’re all right, girl.”
“Hecould’vesaid something I didn’t like.”
His eyes held mine. “Didn’t, though. I think you can take care of yourself against that guy anyway.”
“Not all of us are seven feet tall, Lock.”
“You don’t need to be. That guycouldhurt you, but I get the impression he’d saw off his arms before hurting a woman.”
“I don’t know about that,” I mumbled.
He chuckled, low and velvety. “Yeah, you do.”
Lachlan had taken the title of my seat neighbor for one hour, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. At first, I liked him because he was silent. Then because he occupied the chair Theo might have otherwise taken. And last, because he’d stuck by my side on the way out of class both Friday and Monday. Until he’d essentially handed me off to Theo, which was bullshit.
Lock knew less about Theo than I did. He’d used some bro-code instinct to declare him non-threatening. When you were a six foot six, iron teddy bear, I guess not too many people were threatening, so perhaps his impression was slightly skewed.
All that to say, Theo had walked me to my dorm on Monday. And annoyingly, he’d pinned me to yet another wall, as was his way, it seemed.
“Bad start to my day. Why’s it looking better now that I’m seeing you?”
“That sounds like something you should be asking yourself.”
Forget that those words did things to me. I wasn’t interested in the things the words were doing or the man who’d said them.
“I keep thinking about you lunging at me, Tiger.”
My nose crinkled. “I didn’t lunge. Wrong girl, dude.”
He lowered his face, bringing it close to mine. “Don’t call me dude.”
“I’m a skater. Everyone’s dude.”
He slowly shook his head, never looking away from me, not even for a second. “I know why you’re doing it. I don’t like it, and it will not stand.”
My breath came faster as desire and panic swirled in my chest. But my mouth ignored the panic, and as always, got me in trouble when I was trying to avoid it.
“Oh yeah? What will you do if I say it again...dude?”
In a flash, I was whirled around, cheek flattened to the brick wall, Theo, warm and dominant, at my back. One arm braced next to my head, the other moved his palm along my ribs and hip, skating over the outside curve of my ass.