I nod, knowing how hard it is to talk about some stuff.
No one bothers us as if we sit behind some invisible barrier.
It’s two a.m. by the time we reach the dorm. The moment her head hits the pillow, she falls asleep, and I hope she can find some peace during the night.
Wide awake, I pluck my phone from my clutch and notice the dozens of calls and texts from Tristan.
I am about to call him when my phone rings again, startling me so much that I drop it, but I catch it in time.
“I’m downstairs,” he says in that no-nonsense tone I know so well. The one showing he struggles with control, reaching his limit.
Damn, I should have simply replied to one of his texts.
He hangs up, and I tiptoe out, not wanting to wake Evie.
I walk downstairs on shaky legs, my heart bursting in my chest. There’s this mix of apprehension and desire unbalancing me, weaving tendrils around my being—under his spell.
The moment I step out of the building, he backs me against the wall by the door, slamming his mouth on mine, depriving my lungs of oxygen while simultaneously feeding me pure ecstasy.
Goose bumps pepper my skin, leaving me feverish, aching for more, for everything he can give me. Nothing is enough to sate the constant hunger—starved for his passionate kisses, longing for his fiery touches, craving him with every greedy fiber of my being.
The entire world could see me right now and I wouldn’t care, too high on him.
“Fuck,” he rasps once he kisses me breathless.
I giggle, tipsy from the alcohol but drunk on him.
“You drank,” he groans.
I roll my eyes at him. “Yes, Dad.”
“Brat.”
“Your brat,” I say. “I told your sister about us. And I would have called you once I returned, but you were faster.”
He takes a step back and rakes a hand through his hair, looking so adorably disheveled. “I was worried.” A low groan rumbles in his throat. “How you look in this damn dress is driving me wild. I don’t know whether to burn it or let you wear it only in my presence.”
A peal of laughter escapes my mouth, but then I remember where we are. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Where else should I be, Viviana?” My name flows down his sinful mouth like silk and chocolate, making it a million times more difficult not to beg him to fuck me already.
He corrupted me all right, the good girl a distant memory.
His question has my mouth clamping shut. I look down, kicking at an invisible rock.
“You drove all this way to make sure I am okay?” I ask, knowing full well he would, but there are still moments when I think he can’t be real. That this is only a dream.
His features soften, and he cups my face. “You have no idea what you mean to me, do you? I would cross any limit for you. Drive thousands of miles just to see you for a minute.”
I propel myself into his arms, needing to burrow into him. In my safe cocoon, everything is right; nothing can touch me but him. I am safe. Loved. Desired. Alive.
Eye to eye, I smile, melting the hardness, and he rubs his nose against mine.
“What were you doing before you raced to me?” I murmur.
“Closing a deal.”
No one works as hard and as long as he does. His discipline and work ethic are admirable, inspiring me to push myself even harder and achieve greatness. He motivates me, so it’s no wonder that I took extra classes, wishing to be the best in my field as well.
