Five
Callum
Gods she’s exquisite. I could have looked into her emerald greens all day if time would have allowed. Instead, I pull away, knowing she stares at my retreating form, mouth hung open and cheeks flushed.
It didn’t take long before she left the gym. If she was flustered, she didn’t show it. Maybe a hint of annoyance, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary.
Truly she gives no indication that she’s aware of my presence. She never has—not now and not then. I was told to keep my distance, which I have.
Mostly.
But with a schedule like hers, it’s like she’s inviting me in, wanting me to get a taste of the hunt, and when I finally decide to strike, she vanishes into thin air, and I’m left with feeling the gut-hollowing sense of disappointment. Then the real reason I’m here slaps me in the face, and I’m filled with rage, unbelieving I would ever let myself get swept up in her temptress ways.
Truthfully, I’m amazed at the obliviousness she carries, and it makes my blood boil. I want to punish her for being so careless, show her the consequences of leaving your defenses down. An inkling feathers in the back of my mind, curious what she would do if attacked.
That same part wants me to find out.
Every fiber of my being is being pulled toward her, but learning from my mistakes, I make the executive decision to not follow her into the bathroom.
The fewer distractions I give myself, the better. Especially after nearly losing myself in the sparring ring today.
Wanting her. Needing her. My cock swells at the memory. The way I held her life in my hands—completely at my mercy—and knowing one wrong move and all of this would’ve been for nothing.
She stalks back into her dorm room—humming a tune, like she has no cares in the world—in that tiny piece of fabric. I make a mental note to switch those out with something that will leave a little more to the imagination.
The last thing I need is some low-life thinking they can have what’s mine. Laughable, really, for them to think they even stand a chance. I will gladly tear their eyes from their sockets if anyone looks at her in a way I deem unfit.
Her back is to me as she drops the towel and starts to get dressed in the tiny material she calls ‘jammies.’ If it were anyone else, I would find it insufferable. But when she says it, I find it tolerable.
As she’s buttoning up her shirt, I can’t resist myself and send a stream of cold air against her breasts. Her nipples harden instantly, and I swallow the groan I so desperately want to set free.
Eyeing the window that sits slightly ajar, she does a quick sweep outside before closing and locking it. Her eyebrows meet in the middle, still stumped on how in the world that could have opened all on its own.
Snagging something out of the mini fridge, I don’t even have to look to know what it is. The bubbles foam a bit at the top when she cracks the can of the energy drink she ensures to keep a healthy stock of. The clock reads 10:30 p.m., and she and I both know she’s not staying up to study.
Poor little Kallie doesn’t want to go to sleep, and if there was any doubt that was the case, it’s rectified when she takes a long drink.
My mouth quirks up into a grin because she’s afraid. She’s afraid of what’s going to be waiting for her after she closes her eyes. Will it be rainbows and butterflies…or the boogie man ready to strike. That just won’t do. She needs her sleep, and I need her under my control.
She sits down at her desk, pretending to do homework. Suddenly, her lamp gets knocked on the ground.
Whoops. And the sound that came out of her is one I definitely wouldn’t mind hearing again. Slinking through the shadows, I move undetected while she goes to investigate, and I slip a sleep aid tablet in her drink.
A little shaken, she places the lamp back where it belongs and goes around the rest of the room…then the rest of the dorm. Coming back in, she looks confident there is nobody here and knocks back the rest of her drink in one gulp.
Well, this will be quicker than I realized.
The confidence she exudes is enticing, infectious with the power it holds. It didn’t go unnoticed that she didn’t grab a weapon during her investigation. After all, she has the potential to be a weapon of mass destruction.
That only makes her a liability, not an asset.
This is the first time I’ve allowed myself to spend any extended span of time in her room. So I take my time, letting the medicine take effect while browsing the space and noting whatever secrets it may hold.
Romance books litter the shelves, tabbed and written in at the most intriguing scenes. Pictures of her and Kate line the mirror around her vanity, and underneath it…a journal I’ve never seen before.
Looking over my shoulder, I see she’s fighting sleep, facing away from me, so I nonchalantly tuck it into my jacket pocket.
Turning around, her head falls forward, and she instantly jolts upright. But it only lasts seconds before she leans into her arm resting on the desk. Her eyelids flutter closed, followed by a yawn, and I know she’s a goner. With one last futile attempt to stay awake, she shakes her head, gives herself a little love tap on the cheek, but it’s no use.
Thankfully, she has enough sense to get into bed. She would have been insufferable with a kink in her neck.
Instinctively, I can’t help but pull back the covers for her. Luckily, she’s too out of it to notice. She climbs in and gets settled against her nest of pillows before I tuck the blankets under her chin.
“Sweet dreams, little fighter. I’ll make sure you dream of me.”