My temper’s fuse burns to the end, sparking into a full-blown flame instantly. I manage to keep my voice neutral, but it takes serious effort, and I’ll be surprised if my steering wheel’s not bent in the process. “Why is that?”
Her voice softens when she speaks, like she’s a little wistful. “I want to be in love with whoever it is.”
Love.That’s not something I can deliver like flowers or a gold bracelet. I shift into third, glancing over at her. She seems serious, which I find strange. If she’s such a puritan about sex, why did she agree so quickly to barter oral sex for protection?
“So how does that work?” My tone is genuinely curious. “If you don’t fall in love, you stay a virgin forever? And all your boyfriends have blue balls till they give up and end things with you?”
She rolls her eyes, but her gaze flickers toward me for a moment, possibly recognizing that her plan to withhold sex until she’s in love may interfere with her ability to find it.
“I don’t know.” Her fingers smooth down her dress, which causes me to catch a glimpse of her bare knee. Those legs were spread for me last night. I want them to be again.
“Maybe I won’t wait till I’m in love,” she murmurs. “I haven’t been in a serious relationship yet. I guess I’ll see how I feel at the time.” Avery pushes her hair back over her shoulder and shrugs. “Anyway, it’s college, and I’m a normal person with normal feelings. I’m sure I’ll be able to find someone to fall in love with.”
She says this casually, but for me, it’s a dark veil descending on my plans. I put her in a box, one she’s apparently been in since high school, and now she’s trying to climb out of it.
In high school, when she was fifteen, I made it known that touching her would lead to bloody consequences. Then after the basement incident, when she was frozen out socially at school, she went through some sort of meltdown. She buzzed off her hair and dressed in jeans and black hoodies every day, like a subversive punk singer with a grunge singer wardrobe. High school, not known for its tolerance of anything weird, doubled down on keeping her isolated.
I figured after I graduated and wasn’t around, she’d go back to normal and start dating. She did grow her hair back, but then she adopted a studious, no-nonsense style that was not exactly begging for male attention. The status quo of her being single continued. Which suited me. I may not have wanted her in my life, but I still never wanted to imagine her in another guy’s bed. Even so, until last night, I’d assumed she’d been withsomeone.
Now she’s pairing the ‘girl next door’ look with her diligent smart girl ways. Some guys will miss the point, but plenty of others won’t.
I think about the old man’s warning that she’s an irresistible draw. In the sapphire dress, she was for me last night. Breasts threatening to slip out for a peek at the room, overlapping folds of her skirt separating to flash smooth thighs, practically begging for my hand to reach in to stroke her pussy.
Yeah, no. If I want her, I need to build new walls around her. And I do fucking want her. More than ever.
Her phone buzzes, and she looks at a text.
“What in the world?” she murmurs. Her brows pinch together, and her head turns in my general direction. “Why are members of the dance team inviting me to a party?”
Yeah, the Platinum Party. I need to make an appearance behind the scenes, since I’m supplying the liquor. I could skip the main event, though. Blowing it off would give me more time alone with Avery at my house, which appeals to me way more than any party. On the other hand, I could use it as an opportunity to raise the walls.
“Right, the party.” I force a casual tone. “I forgot about that. We’re going. After class, I’ll take you shopping and buy you a dress.”
“You’re not buying me clothes.”
“You’re not staying home alone at my place, and the party’s got a theme. So, unless you’ve already got a platinum-colored dress, you need one.”
She frowns, then nibbles on her bottom lip. My mouth really wants a chance to do that.
“I don’t do that kind of dress-up anymore.”
I’m not sure what she means, but I don’t want to get mired down. “Tonight you do, since you’re coming with me.”
Her sapphire gaze slides over to my face. “Icanstay home alone.”
“Not in my house you can’t.”
“Are you worried I’ll break into your secret room?”
That hadn’t even occurred to me. “I’m not worried about anything.”
She wrinkles her nose. “It’s not the kind of thing…I’m not good at those kinds of events.”
“Sure, you are. In public, you’re always on. Just like you were this morning with Pops. You’ve got a game face that you wear when necessary.”
Avery’s cheeks hollow as she sucks them in, pursing her lips. “I don’t like being forced to wear it.”
There’s something deeper. I’m about to ask her, when she shifts gears like it’s her hand on the stick.
