I fold my arms over my chest. “Yeah, but my question is better.”
She scrunches her mouth. Annoyance is written in the thin line across her forehead and the exasperation in her eye roll.
And while I should be equally annoyed, seeing her pouting like that brings my attention to her mouth.
And then I remember what it felt like kissing her—reallykissing her—before I left.
And that makes me want to kiss her again.
I look away, fighting with myself. “You’re supposed to be at the hospital.”
“Thank you for that brilliant observation.” Her eyes dart to the yellow bungalow and back to me. “I will definitely go back to the hospital and be a good little girl. Scout’s honor.”
My lips tremble. She’s a firecracker packed into a tiny blonde package. How did she hide it for so long?
When I keep standing there, she makes a shooing motion. “I assume you’re busy and have better things to do than babysit me so…”
I jut my chin at the house. “What’s in there?”
“Nothing.”
I arch an eyebrow at her.
J shoves me down the sidewalk. “Go glare into someone else’s soul for about”—she checks her watch—“four hours.”
I don’t budge.
She huffs and tilts her head up. Her upturned face makes my heart beat faster.
Kiss her.
Touch her.
Unzip her jeans.
What.
The.
Hell?
I broke my rules of self-restraint once. Just once. I allowed myself to kiss her and feel how soft her body would be against mine. But now that I’ve opened the door, I can’t seem to close it. An insatiable beast was freed from the depths. Now, it’s roaming through my body, making unreasonable demands.
Take her back to the car. A quick one in the backseat will do. Kick Hayato out and get her out of your system.
And then she’ll die.
The reminder sobers me and the beast slinks away.
“Finn.” J’s voice crackles with desperation.
I should take the hint. J’s busy, and I also have plenty of other tasks. Kurosaki summoned me to explain the Ace situation. Bex Dane expects a follow-up about our concert schedule availability.
I also have Redwood Prep homework.
But the truth is, I don’t want to leave her side.
J’s face is turning red, and her chest pumps up and down. The watch makes a tiny beep of protest in warning, and I make a note that anger also speeds up her heartrate.
