CHAPTER 6 #2
"Ah, no. We have a class together." I hate lying to her but I’m not ready to explain what’s going on here when I’m not even sure myself.
"Oh, okay. Well, cool I guess."
Adam straightens and stands. Vaughn lifts her face to take him in, but his face is much higher than her line of sight because he's standing so close.
He turns from her and looks at me now, walking toward me.
He grabs me by the side of my face and kisses my temple, long and lingering.
My lips part as I lean into him. Keeping his lips on my face, he says, "We're not going to my car.
You're taking me home to shower and change my clothes, Wildcat.
And then we'll make plans for the day. I'll wait for you in the living room.
Don't be long." He kisses my temple again and walks out of the room.
I have no idea what is going on between us.
I know almost nothing about him. He knows nothing about me.
All I do know is that I want to be near him, and I think he wants or needs to be near me.
I'm not even sure how much I want to learn about him or how much I want him to learn about me.
Vaughn and Eli are on the short list of people who love me the way I am.
I can already sense that if Adam got to know me and then rejected me, I wouldn't come out of that unscathed.
Looking back to my roommate, she's standing there with crossed arms, pursed lips, and her hip cocked to the side.
Just shoot me now . He made sure that there was no denying what was going on here.
We obviously aren't just friends who fell asleep watching movies.
But we were, weren't we? When I actually fell asleep, we were just friends.
Not even friends. Acquaintances at best. I mean we've known each other for a total of less than 30 hours.
We did see each other before that but we didn't even exchange words then.
"I don't know what to say. I really did fall asleep, and nothing happened until just before you knocked. I don't even know what happened then. We kissed. Maybe some touching. That's it."
"Honey, you know I love you. I just don't know about this. I feel like you're jumping out of the kiddie pool and into Lake Michigan."
"Lake Michigan. That's your reference?"
"It's home to the most drownings in the country."
"Where do you come up with this shit?"
"It's what I do. I shoot tequila and I know things, but that's so not the point. The point is that this guy is dangerous to women, but to you, he's a stonefish."
"A stonefish."
"Yes. A stonefish."
"Deadliest fish on the planet?"
"Deadliest fish on the planet."
"Right. Got it. Ok, listen. I want to tell you that I will be careful, but honestly, it's like I'm on the steepest, slipperiest slope I have ever been on, and my shoes have no traction.
I just can't claw my way away from him. The more I try, the more I slip and now.
..I don't know. I don't know if I want to get away from him and I've only known him a little over a day. "
Vaughn looks to the ceiling and sighs heavily. "Okay." She starts toward the door.
"Okay? That's it?"
"Yep. That's it. It's going to take time to plot his murder, scope out a disposal site for the body, and procure credible alibis for the three of us."
"The three of us?"
Vaughn huffs a laugh, "If you think we're leaving Eli out of this, you are crazier than I thought. We'll never pull it off without him."
"I love you."
"I love you, Eve. Just...I don't know. Just protect your heart."
Smiling, I bring her into a tight hug, all the while knowing that I have no control over this circulatory organ that seems hell bent on going in blind.
I walk into the living room and see Adam looking out the sliding glass doors. Without turning around, he says, "You know these are the preferred entrance points for burglars, right?"
"You and Vaughn would get along really well."
"Why is that?"
"You're both full of random facts and statistics."
He turns and looks at me. He's taking in every part of me just like he always does, only this time, my best friend's warning rings in my ears. Just protect your heart.
"Are you preparing to pick me out of a police lineup?"
He lifts one eyebrow and cocks his head to the side. He does this every time that I catch him off guard.
"No."
"Then stop studying my face."
All traces of curiosity vanish from his chiseled face. In their place is irritation.
"You and your roommate had quite the talk then."
"Are you ready to go?"
He closes the distance between us in two quick strides.
He grabs my hair at the back of my head and uses it to hold me in place.
Lightly brushing his lips across mine once, twice and then he trails his lips to my ear, "Careful, Wildcat.
You have no idea what I'm capable of, and you won't until it's too late. "
Naturally, when he threatens me, I lean into him and run my hand up the nape of his neck because that's what normal people do.
A throat clears loudly behind me. Vaughn.
I stiffen, but Adam just continues burying his face into my neck.
I try to pull away, but he bites my throat and pulls me into him, gripping my ass hard.
Okay libido let's give it 48 hours before we strip down and give him our virginity in front of our best friend. Deal?