Crashing Hearts (Pine Valley College #2)

9. Bones

CHAPTER 9

BONES

I check my phone once more before slamming it face down on the mat, stretching out my legs. I sip my water as I eye the now empty gym. I just taught two back-to-back classes, and usually I’m exhausted enough to finally sleep without my insomnia getting the better of me, but I haven’t been able to for the last two nights.

He hasn’t texted me.

He hasn’t called.

He hasn’t turned up at school.

He hasn’t gotten arrested.

Nothing. It’s like Skylar simply stopped existing, or worse, gave up on me.

I don’t know why it bugs me. I don’t even like him. I guess I just got used to his annoying habits—that’s all. I changed my life to accommodate him, and it’s irritating me. Nothing more. Nothing less.

It also isn’t the reason why my hands are bruised from sparring all night or why I went so hard on Alek he walked out, telling me to deal with my shit another way.

Groaning, I roll to my back, my arm over my head.

I don’t miss him. I’m just in a bad mood after seeing my father.

“Missing me, beautiful?”

Great, now I’m even imagining his voice—wait.

I drop my arm and sit up, finding a smirking Skylar above me. I didn’t even hear him come in, which isn’t like me—a testament to how distracted I am.

“What? Quiet for once? That’s not like you. Did my stunning appearance render you speechless? I have that effect.” He grins, running his eyes over me as I stare in shock. “You look damn good in a gi, baby. I think I might have to take up a new hobby. You can be my teacher. I’ll even call you sir.”

I stare, and he laughs, his head thrown back. His hair is pushed back from his face and wet, as if he just got out of the shower, and he’s wearing nothing but some loose pajama pants and a tight black shirt. He looks fucking good, and I hate it. I hate that I check him out and that I’m curious if he wears this to sleep or not.

Did he come from being with someone?

That only pisses me off further, and I don’t know why.

He sticks his hand out, but I smack it away and climb to my feet without his assistance. “Why are you here?” I snap.

“Oh, someone is pissy tonight.” He leans in, his eyes sparkling like he knows a secret. “I missed you.”

“Sure,” I scoff, barging past him and making sure to hit his arm.

I’m surprised when he yanks me back so fast, I don’t even have time to react. I hit his solid muscles and freeze as he tightens his arms around me, keeping me pinned against him.

“You know,” he murmurs into my ear, “you could just say you missed me.” His silky voice wraps around me, hardening my cock as his tongue traces the shell of my ear as I remain silent. “No? Well, I kept away to keep our deal. Two days of silence, but knowing you missed me this much makes me happy. I missed you too, baby.”

“I didn’t miss you,” I snarl, hating the fact that I relax slightly at his confession. I had forgotten about his offhand comment. Clearly, he hadn’t. Needing to put space between us, I grab his arm and flip.

He yelps as he flies over me, his back hitting the mat, then he blinks up at me incredulously. “Get out. Go back to whoever or whatever you were doing. I’m busy.”

The smirk he aims my way tells me he reads too much into my words, and I turn away, cursing, when his leg hooks around me. I try to recover, but it’s too late. I fall back, hitting his body, and he wraps his arms and legs around me from below like a teddy bear. I struggle but it’s no use. He’s built.

“Let go,” I demand, freezing in his arms.

“Not until you admit you missed me,” he teases, “and that’s why you are in a mood.”

“I am not in a mood because I missed you, Skylar,” I retort. “I’m in a mood because I am allowed to be. You have no effect on my life at all.”

He pulls out his phone and lifts it to show me his screen, where there is a picture of me, my face like thunder as I bark orders. “No? This says differently. Alek texted me, which was a good thing, too, because I was missing your pretty face. I was having to make do with stalking your social media, but it didn’t measure up to the real you,” he purrs, licking my cheek as I jerk away. “You had two days of peace. Never again, beautiful. It was torture for me.”

Freeing myself, I roll us and pin his hands above him, glaring down at him. “My mood has nothing to do with you. I didn’t miss you.”

“You can pin me like this any time, baby,” he flirts, his eyes dropping to my body and the gaping robe, tracing my muscles. I ignore the shiver of heat that shoots through me at his hungry look. “You look good on top of me. You’d look even better riding me.”

“Fuck, you’re an asshole.” I climb off him and step back.

He leans up onto his elbows, looking far too fucking sexy for his own good as he grins at me. “Yes, I am. A deal is a deal though. I stayed away for two days, so you need to come watch me race.”

“I never agreed to that.” I smirk. “Check your texts. No verbal or written contract was made.”

He laughs, his eyes twinkling. “Alright, baby, then let’s make a new deal, all verbal and shit so you can’t go back on it.”

“No.” I cross my arms. “Now get out.”

“I’m not leaving until we have a deal.” He jumps up, and I know he won’t. “You’re stuck with me, I guess. I’ll even follow you home.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I look at the ceiling for strength when an idea comes to mind. I drop my hand and eye him. “Fine. A deal. First person to pin the other wins. If you win, I’ll watch you race. If I win, you’ll leave me the hell alone—forever.”

“Deal,” he responds right away.

I smirk. “Aren’t you confident?”

“Baby, I’ve been dreaming of pinning you down since I met you. I’m not losing.” He steps back, tugs his shirt off, and throws it away, distracting me for a moment. “Look all you want. I can wait.”

“Let’s do this,” I snap, stepping onto the mat.

We bow out of respect. When I straighten, I slide my leg back and wait. He seems like the impatient type and too emotional, relying on brute strength, so Skylar will be easy to pin. I have more practice and stamina.

What I didn’t take into account was his raw determination.

He feints left and then right, teasing me as he circles me until I grow annoyed and kick my foot out. He skips over it, flipping around me. I manage to right my footing as he kicks my side, and I narrow my gaze.

“I think you missed me a lot, beautiful,” he teases as he avoids me, and I step back, calculating my next move. “I think you’ve thought about me every day, and I bet you even checked your phone a thousand times. Did you dream of me? I bet you did.”

My anger takes over and I snap, which I realize is exactly what he wanted. He avoids my clumsy, emotional attack and sweeps out my legs. I land on my back, shocked to my core since no one has ever managed to mat me before, and then he’s above me.

He grabs my hands and pins them to the mat above my head, his legs trapping mine. I buck and twist, but he doesn’t move. “I win,” he murmurs, his gaze dropping to my lips. “Don’t feel too bad, baby. There was no way I was going to lose with you on the line. Only an idiot would.”

My protests and anger die, my eyes lowering to his lips without meaning to. We are close, and he smells good.

His words trail off as we stare at each other, desire sparking between us, and I lick my lips, drawing his gaze. He groans, following the movement. “Don’t tempt me, baby.”

“I wasn’t,” I reply, but my voice is husky and my gaze drops to his plump lips once more, unable to resist.

What would he kiss like?

His head lowers toward me. “Last chance, baby. Move away if you don’t want this.”

I should push him away, but my eyelids flutter closed and my lips part in anticipation as he lowers his head. I shiver below him and grip his hands, needing to hang on to something.

I wait, anticipation pounding through me along with my heart until he’s all I can feel, smell, and taste, but his lips don’t touch mine.

I open my eyes in confusion, and he grins like he was waiting for that. “See you at my race, baby,” he purrs before kissing my nose and climbing to his feet. He grabs his shirt and disappears as quickly as he came, leaving me flustered and downright pissed.

Fuck!

I cover my face, but my fingers trace over my nose and the warmth from his kiss.

What would it be like to kiss Skylar?