I gulp a few times, waiting for my heart rate to settle. But it doesn’t.
When Rosa and Finley move around, I force myself to join them, feeling sluggish. They shoot me a few concerned glances, but I ignore them.
I can’t work out what happened for myself, let alone explain to somebody else.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
LILAC
When Zach approachesme at my locker on Monday morning, I’m not sure how to react. The radio silence of yesterday left me feeling uneasy. Like I’ve misjudged something but don’t have a clue what.
But all my doubts disappear when he places his arms on either side of my head, resting his elbows against the wall as he says, “Good morning.”
A smile lights up my face without prompting. I stare at his full lips, wishing they would press against mine, then a second later my wish comes true.
His kiss takes my breath away. I’m holding onto my Chromebook or I would fling my arms around him to draw him closer. As it is, his body traps my arms between us and I can’t move, can’t touch him, can’t do anything but take his mouth and his tongue, feeling the hardness of his cock pressing against my centre until I would let him tug down my jeans right here, where everyone can see, so long as it meant increasing that delicious friction.
Then he pulls back, stroking my hair back and caressing my jawline. His thumb wanders down my throat, lightly pushing against my windpipe. A thrill of sparks shoot across my collarbones in response, some fluttering down to ignite an ache in my chest that feels caught halfway between pleasure and pain.
“Good morning to you, too,” I whisper, having to clear my throat to chase away the roughness.
“Got you a present.” Zach eases his body away from mine, setting off a throb of disappointment along my entire length. “Try not to lose this one.”
I stare at the box. Another phone. My residual guilt comes flooding back. “Please. I can’t accept—”
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have called it a present.” A smile tugs at the corners of his lips and his eyes brighten. “Since it’s more of an obligation.”
My smile falters and I see the box has already been opened.
“Give me your SIM,” he orders, and I hand over my mobile without thinking. He snaps off the back, transferring the tiny card, then pockets my old phone before handing over my new one. “There you go. I set it up for you.”
His gaze is full of expectation, and I boot up the phone, unease mixing with my tingles of desire until my nerve endings feel like open wounds.
The home screen looks identical to my last one. Right down to the social media apps already logged into, using my name.
“I particularly like this one,” he says, pointing to a new icon. “Try it out and tell me what you think.”
My thumb passes over the top, hovering. I’m afraid to press it. Something has gone haywire between us, and I don’t understand. Instead, I search his face, looking for a clue, but all I see is a tiny frown of impatience.
I click.
The app opens on a screen that makes me blush. My body, painted over a home page that looks like an advertisement for a whore.
A second later, I realise it is.
“You’ve already got some special requests in there from fans,” Zach says, his eyes as warm as I’ve ever seen them, even as he digs the knife deeper to torture me. “Open the first one.”
“Number three. Fulfil a request and post it for paid viewing.”
“You can’t be serious.”
His forehead touches against mine, easing my head back until it rests against the cold metal of my locker. “You know I am.”
“But I thought…?”
“What?” His hand settles on the side of my chest, his thumb circling my breast until it ever so lightly teases my nipple. My suddenly erect nipple. “Did you think we were girlfriend and boyfriend? Did you think we were in love?”
“You said you dumped Em.”
