“What’re you doing here?” I hiss, my voice somewhere between thrilled and panicked.
“Someone told me this class wasfascinating.” He widens his eyes with exaggerated innocence.
I squint at him. “Really?”
He shrugs, trying for casual, but there’s something almost shy about it, like even he doesn’t fully buy the excuse. “Why? Are you that surprised?”
“Honestly? Yeah.” I raise my eyebrows. “I never see you outside Ashford House. You don’t usually slum it with us mere mortals.”
“If you’re calling me a god…” He leans in, close enough that the heat of his body does strange, wonderful things to mine. His mouth quirks. “Then I approve.”
I snort, roll my eyes, and try not to grin.
Fail.
He grins back, just as helpless.
We’re idiots. Two absolute idiots, smiling at each other.
“What are you doing here, really?” I demand, tilting my head.
He shrugs like it’s nothing, but there’s a rare, faint blush on his cheeks. “What,” he asks, slightly defensive. “I can’t visit my own Bonded?”
I give him a look.
His mouth twitches like he’s trying not to smile. His expression shifts, a flicker of bewilderment. He glances around the lecture hall like he doesn’t quite know what he’s doing here either. Like his own actions have caught him by surprise. “I, uh…,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck. “I wanted to see you. Make sure you’re okay.”
That.
That right there.
That gets me.
My heart trips again, but for an entirely different reason.
“I am,” I say quietly, truthfully. “You?”
The smirk returns. “Oh, I’m thriving. However, Iwaswondering…” His voice lowers, playful now. “How’d you sleep last night, Laurel?” His words roll slowly, drawling, like honey dripping off a spoon, all soft edges and drawn-out vowels that turn even my name into something illicit.
Heat floods my cheeks. “Um—I—uh—” Great. I’ve forgotten how to form words.
“Yes?” He leans a little closer.
“Not so well.” I drop my eyes to my lap.
“Why not?” he asks, not even bothering to hide his glee.
“I was woken up very early this morning…” I trail off because of course heknows.
It comes back to me how, as dawn lightened the room, I woke already climaxing with his head between my legs, with his mouth and tongue on me, in me, andoh my god,it was…
“Tell me more,” he whispers, but his voice has gone husky, his eyes darkened.
I glare at him, which only makes him grin wider. That smug, glorious grin.
“You’ve woken me up in a lot of different ways,” I say under my breath.
“And?”
