Chapter 28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
AUGUST
S he literally just exited my room like some sort of dignified queen and now here I am running to her rescue like I’m her knight in shining armor. You could never convince me fairytales were real when I was a kid. I called bullshit on all of them. And while my parents are the most romantic couple I’ve ever witnessed, I’d boldly claim that romance is dead in my withering, hateful soul and I’m okay with it. I don’t need love. All it gets you is turmoil and stomach aches and that constant, nagging feeling that you have to protect someone. That someone depends on you and needs you more than air. That you need them more than air.
Just thinking about that is scary as fuck.
But here I am, helping Sin out with the loser Tim. He’s sending glares that if looks could kill, I’d have a cut across my face with little bleeding. Meaning the guy is relatively harmless, but I don’t think Sinclair believes that. She looks ready to run far and fast from him, even though I doubt he’d do much to her.
“We’re good, prez,” Tim finally says with a short nod. “Just about to walk Sinclair back to her dorm building. ”
“Oh.” I can feel her watching me and fuck if I like it way too much. “That’s funny because that’s what I was just about to do too.”
Tim frowns. “Really? You walk?”
“Well, no. I’m driving her.” I pull my car keys out of my sweats pocket, turning to look at Sin. “Ready to go?”
She nods, her eyes flashing at me before she turns to Tim. “That’s what I was trying to tell you.”
“Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I guess I didn’t…” Tim squints at us. “Are you two together?”
I chuckle. Sinclair full-blown laughs.
“No,” I snap, my chuckle dying.
“Absolutely not,” Sin agrees.
“Are you ready to go?” I offer her a baring of teeth because no, I’m not smiling at her. Not tonight and hopefully never again. “The car awaits.”
“Perfect. Bye, Tim.” She sashays in front of me toward the door, the hem of my hoodie swaying back and forth and maybe if I tilt my head just right, I might see her bare ass. But, no. I’m wrong.
Such a pity.
The moment we’re outside she’s turning on me and I steel myself, fully prepared for her to blast me for whatever false grievance she might have against my heroic act. Instead, she surprises me.
“Thank you for offering to take me back to my dorm.” Her voice is small and she wraps her arms around her middle, a shiver visibly moving through her. “He was getting a little pushy.”
“He was?” Pure hatred for Tim runs through my veins and my hands are clenched into fists. “Want me to take care of him?”
Her head jerks up, her eyes full of surprise at my offer and I suppose I deserve that. I’m surprised too, that I would make the offer.
“No. Please don’t hurt him. It’s just—he’s not worth it.” She’s hanging on my arm, sending me a pleading look and I gaze into her eyes for a beat too long, drowning in their depths.
Fuck, she’s beautiful and I despise it. There is no reason this woman has such a chokehold on me yet here I am standing in the front of the frat house on a Saturday night clad in just my sweats and a T-shirt that is—I glance down at myself—yep, inside out. Eager and ready to drive her back to her dorm room.
“Does your offer still stand?” she asks, after waiting me out to see if I’ll say anything.
“What offer?”
She rolls her eyes, full of sass. “That you’ll drive me back to my dorm building.”
“Let’s walk.” When she starts to protest, I talk right over her. “It’s not that far. And I’m not going to make you go alone.”
“You’re not?” She peers at me from beneath her thick eyelashes.
“I’m not a complete animal,” I mutter as I start walking. She doesn’t move and I get at least fifty feet away from her before I glance over my shoulder and say something. “Are you coming or what?”
“Yes! Oh my God.” She’s running in those horrible heels and somehow manages to stay upright, catching up to me with ease. “Thank you.”
I say nothing in return. I don’t deserve her thanks. I’m a dick who’s only got one thing on his mind and that’s how soon can I taste her delicious pussy again.
Wait. That’s not necessarily true. I’m also thinking about what an asshole Tim is and how he can’t pick up on her signals that he makes her uncomfortable. Or how many times she has to turn him down and he still doesn’t get it. Is he purposely obtuse or just a complete dumbass? I still haven’t figured him out. I don’t think she has either.
We’re quiet for most of the walk and I’m cold because I’m the idiot who only wore a T-shirt outside and it has to be fifty degrees, tops. That and the Gucci slides on my feet, which make me feel tacky because come on. They’re Gucci, and I’m not a fan.
I’m a label snob. Sue me.
The walk to her dorm building goes by swiftly and she’s glancing over her shoulder to study me as we head up the walkway that leads to the double door entrance of her dorm, her brows lowering. “Are you shivering?”
“It’s fucking cold out here,” I state the obvious.
“Do you want your hoodie back?” Her tone is reluctant and her movements slow as she starts to take it off. I practically lunge toward her, stopping her by pressing my hands on her arms and keeping them at her sides.
“No. Keep it.” I like how she looks in it. Like she belongs to me.
I drop my hands and take a step back, scratching the back of my head. Uncomfortable with my thoughts because come the fuck on. Where did that come from?
“How about you come up to my dorm room and I can give it to you then.”
I send her a questioning look. “I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore. That I’m depraved.”
“I don’t,” she says bluntly. “And it’s what we do together that’s depraved, though I do believe you’re the root cause.”
“Gee thanks.”
“But I can return the hoodie to you so you can wear it on your walk back,” she offers.
“I’ll be fine.”
“No, you won’t. Come on.” The little sinner actually has the audacity to grab my hand and drag me toward the doors, somehow digging into her purse at the same time, pulling out her key card and waving it in front of the lock pad so the doors swing open for us.
“Am I even allowed to enter this den of virginity?” I drawl as she practically drags me inside.
“It’s Saturday night,” she says as if that’s the proper answer. “And I’m probably the only virgin in this entire building.”
Doubtful but if she needs to keep telling herself that, then so be it.
She leads me over to the elevators and the doors slide open as if they were waiting for our arrival. The interior is dingy and old, the fluorescent lights flickering as we take the short ride to the third floor and when the elevator stops and the doors slide open, I practically jump out of there. I might take the stairs when I leave because that elevator has definitely seen better days.
“My room is this way.” She flashes me a beguiling smile and leads me down the hall. The stench of burnt microwave popcorn fills the air and I can hear someone strumming a guitar—badly—while attempting to sing. Also badly. It’s been a long time since I was a first-year student at Thornhill, but I never stayed in the dorms like this. I had my own private apartment that I shared with Cyrus and we had every amenity you could think of. We didn’t have to deal with the riffraff.
Guess I’m spoiled.
“Okay, here it is.” She comes to a stop in front of a door that’s covered in what looks like a bunch of motivational quotes. The one right above Sinclair’s head says, “Strive to be the best version of you,” and I almost want to laugh. All I can envision is Sin spread across my bed, my face smashed against her pussy while I fingerfuck her. Is that her best version?
Christ, I’m sick in the head.
“Thank you for walking me.” She opens the door and then wedges herself in between it, trying to take off the hoodie, but it’s not working. “Come inside for a few.”
“I don’t think so…”
“I can’t hold the door open and try and take off this hoodie—the door is too heavy. And don’t worry, Elise isn’t inside. She’s back at the frat house with Rafe.” She fully enters the room, holding the door open for me, and what am I supposed to do? Tell her to fuck off and leave?
Instead like the gentleman I am, I slowly enter her dorm room, turning to see the door slam shut with a hollow clang that rattles me straight to my bones. Reminding me that I’m in a room with her and it’s just the two of us.
Alone.
“Okay. Give me just a minute.” I watch her wander over to the tiny closet and tug open the door, pulling her own hoodie off a hanger and tossing it on her nearby bed before she reaches for the hem of the sweatshirt she’s wearing and yanks it off. She tosses it on the bed as well and whips the dress off without warning, leaving her standing in front of me naked save for the shoes. Without a care in the world.
I snap my mouth shut, unaware it was hanging open but fuck, who could blame me. She’s got the most beautiful body I’ve ever seen. Soft skin I haven’t even begun to explore thoroughly. Things always seem to happen fast between us. One minute we’re snapping at each other, the next thing we know, I’m shoving my dick in her mouth.
Guess we just get carried away.
Seconds later, she’s wearing her hoodie and she’s kicked off the gold stilettos. She finds a pair of blue and white cotton boxer shorts in her top dresser drawer and steps into them, covering herself up completely and I wonder if she planned that little strip show just for me.
“There we go. Oh my God, those shoes were the worst. Okay.” She grabs my hoodie and turns to face me, pushing the wad of fabric into my chest and not giving me a choice but to take it. “Thank you again.”
“For what?” I fully expect her to say the earth-shattering orgasm.
“For walking me to my room. And for the hoodie. I would’ve been frozen if I wasn’t wearing it.” She smiles. “Now you don’t have to freeze on your walk back to the house.”
“Right.” I tug the hoodie on, hating how it smells like her. Fifteen minutes and she’s branded my clothes like she owns them.
“It looks good on you.” Her eyes are lit with interest and my entire body responds, which is a mistake. Been there, done that twice. Don’t need to ever do it again. “Funny how it’s so huge when I wear it but on you, it fits perfectly. You’re a lot taller than me, you know.”
I do know. She’s stating the obvious.
“You didn’t have to walk me back here. I could’ve done it on my own.”
“And have Tim chase you down? I don’t think so. Besides, if he’d done that, I would’ve ended him and I don’t need someone’s murder on my hands tonight.”
“What, like you’ve murdered someone before?” She sounds amused.
I glare at her. “Of course not.”
“You really would’ve done bodily harm to Tim?” Her brows shoot up.
“If he’d chased after you, yes,” I bite out, hating how easy it is to be honest with her.
“That’s so…sweet.”
I bark out a laugh. “Don’t get confused, Sin. I’m not a sweet person. I don’t even fucking like you.”
“Yet you’d defend me against Tim.”
“It has nothing to do with you.”
“Liar. ”
The word hangs in the air between us, like it’s a living, breathing thing, and I hate it. Hate how she’s watching me with that gleam in her gaze and the word somehow grows in between us, reminding me how much I hate liars and somehow, every damn time, I end up feeling like one when I’m with her.
“I’m leaving.” I turn and head for the door, my steps determined, my mind awhirl with all of the stupid mistakes I made that led me to be here. Alone in Sin’s dorm room. What the hell was I thinking? She’s a baby. A little girl who’s in over her head with me and now believes we’re matched?
Please.
“You don’t want a goodbye kiss?” she calls.
I spin around to face her, enraged. “Are you mocking me?”
“I don’t know, August.” She pauses, her eyes glowing. Why the hell is she extra beautiful right now anyway? She’s a fucking mess, thanks to what we did in my room not even thirty minutes ago, and I swear I can still smell the scent of my cum on her skin, which has me in a feral state of mind. “Am I?”
If she wasn’t mocking me before, she definitely is now. This girl—this supposed little innocent virgin who has more tricks up her sleeve than the most wizened whore currently working the streets—will be the fucking end of me.