“Better watch it, kitten.” Lucas’ eyes bounce back and forth between mine, then they harden. He chucks me under the chin. “Don’t make me get out the spray bottle.”
A growl rumbles through me before I can control my reaction.
I look for an escape, but more people sidle up. It gives me the opportunity to shuffle several steps away from Lucas when the newcomers distract him. He tosses me a quick frown, but his friends demand his attention.
A glance at Alec confirms he’s not even looking our way. Un-fucking-believable.
“Burns! What’s up, brother?” Alec greets.
Alec bumps his knuckles against the guy he called Burns with familiarity and puckers his lips cheekily at the girls. Burns must be on the football team because he’s stacked.
My shoulders tense. This is the crowd I want to avoid most of all. The in crowd.
The crowd I used to belong to, once upon a time.
Remaining quiet as the group talk, I form a new understanding of the dynamic.
I can see it in the way these people act around Lucas. The girls compete for his attention and Burns is poised to take whatever Lucas says as law.
He’s the king around here.
Burns pulls out his phone and he and Lucas crowd around it, the girls elbowing each other to stand next to Lucas. Tinny moans drift from the phone’s speakers and I roll my eyes. Lucas tosses me a smug look as his buddy high fives him.
“What a slut,” one girl whines as she bats her eyelashes at Lucas.
Lucas laughs. “Maybe that’s what I like.”
His eyes fall on me again.
Whatever.
“That’s Bishop’s spot you parked in, you know.”
I suck in a surprised breath.
Devlin is close to my back, able to loom over my shoulder with his height. Like a creep, he uses this advantage to intimidate me.
I narrow my eyes and take a pointed step away from him. The heat of Lucas’ gaze bores into my skin again, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of turning his way. Does he think he has some claim over me because of that kiss?
He’s probably the caveman type that thinks that’s as good as peeing on me to mark his territory. My nose wrinkles at the thought. Fucking gross.
“I don’t see the name Bishop on it. Or any of the spots.” I raise an eyebrow and shrug. “I guess he should’ve gotten here earlier if he wanted prime parking close to the steps.”
Devlin considers me for a beat before he laughs. The amusement chases away the shadows that crowd his face and gives him a more boyish look.
“That’s fair.” Devlin stomps on his cigarette and blows smoke away from my face. “If he gives you shit, tell him Lucas said you could park there.”
“If this Bishop gives me shit, I’ll handle it myself.” I cross my arms and tip my chin up. “I’m a big girl like that. I don’t need the boys to tell me what I can and can’t do.”
Devlin’s eyes move up and down my body, lingering on my gray tights, and his playful smirk grows. “Yeah, I bet, baby.”
Something over my shoulder makes his eyes widen slightly. He shuffles back, tucking his hands into his pockets. I turn, prepared to thank Alec for getting his shitty new friends to back off, but it’s not my brother who glares at Devlin.
It’s Lucas.
My stomach drops.
The people surrounding Lucas mess around with each other and talk about their weekends, but his fierce blue eyes are glued to me.