Mara’s breathing turns unsteady; she’s staring up at me like she can’t quite decide whether to slap me or pull me closer. Her chest rises and falls quickly, and her lips part, but no retort escapes.
I catch her gaze flick down to my mouth and back up. A triumphant heat coils in my gut at that little tell. Oh, she wants me to kiss her, she just doesn’t know how to admit it.
Then, just as swiftly as I trapped her, I pull back. Mara remains pressed against the wall, eyes wide and lips trembling with words she can’t seem to say. I flash a final cocky grin and turn away.
I’m pretty sure she’s going to stay there a moment, heart hammering, trying to convince herself this was all just for show. Let her. She can pretend all she wants.
Strolling out of the building into the late afternoon sun, I run a hand through my hair and allow a satisfied smile to spread across my face.
One day, she’ll stop pretending she doesn’t want me. One day, I’ll bring Mara Black to her knees.
THIRTEEN
DREDYN
Isink lower in the cracked leather chair, legs spread wide as the bass bleeds through someone’s headphones in the next aisle, mixing with the wet choke of a mouth that isn’t Mara’s.
She’s one of the girls I regularly call for a good throat fuck. I’ve got one hand in her hair, just enough to keep her rhythm where I want it.
I should be enjoying this, but honestly, I feel nothing. Not even the smug satisfaction of exhibitionism. Her moans vibrate against me and it pisses me off further. I stare at the spine of some book across the aisle while she gags prettily for the fourth or fifth time—I’ve lost count. I just keep shoving her head down onto my thick cock.
Every time I close my eyes lately I see her lips twitching in that infuriating almost-smile. The defiance in her eyes is intoxicating, but she’s been avoiding me… for days now. Changing up her routine so she can hopefully evade me. And it’s been fucking working.
I only dragged my ass to the library tonight—with SloppyMcStuffins—because if anyone is going to be at the library it would be Mara Black. I figured maybe I’d spot her. Make her watch while I get my dick sucked.
My cock won’t even twitch unless it’s her mouth I’m imagining wrapped around it. I’m seconds away from calling it off and zipping up when I hear Mara’s laugh.
My body goes still.
“Fuck,” I mutter, shoving the girl. She releases me with a wetpopand a confused yelp. I’m already tucking myself back in and zipping my pants, not even bothering to look at her.
“Wha—D-Dredyn?” she stammers, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, eyes wide and disoriented. “What’s wrong? Did I do something . . . ?”
I’m on my feet before she can finish. “We’re done.”
She sputters an insult after me—something like “Asshole!” under her breath—but I don’t give a damn.
Because through the carved wooden slats of the bookshelf ahead, I see her.
Sitting at a study table with Jasper.
My Jasper.
My brother.
My fucking best friend.
I stride out of the alcove, emerging into the main aisle of the library. Across the room, Mara and Jasper are engrossed in each other. I can’t see Jasper’s face, but I know that easy smile of his is plastered there, probably pleased with himself for coaxing a laugh out of her.
Mara’s lips—those soft, full lips I’ve only seen pressed in annoyance or curved in scorn—are parted in a genuine smile.
They’re only a few paces away now, oblivious to my presence. She’s wearing a simple charcoal-grey sweater that stretches over her delicate shoulders, and black jeans that hug the curves Jasper has no business admiring right now.
The scraping of chair legs against the floor rings out as I grab Jasper by the collar and yank him clean out of his seat.
A grunted exclamation chokes up Jasper’s throat as I haul him up. The wooden chair he was in skitters back with a shrill screech, toppling over. Mara gasps audibly, shooting to her feet in alarm.
In an instant, I’ve got a fistful of Jasper’s shirt and jacket, bunching the fabric at his chest. He’s on his toes from the force of my grip, face flushed with surprise and anger. We stare eye to eye. He’s tall, but I still have a couple inches on him, and right now, I’m using every ounce of it.
