I groaned, rolling my head back. “And if he decides to check on me?”
“No one will be around to let him in,” Hannah mused. I leveled a skeptical glare at her. Guilt mingled with apprehension. Going to a party with a friend wasn’t a crime, was it?
I bit my lip. “Just this once.”
Hannah shrieked, her bag slamming her hip every time she jumped. “It’s gonna beepic!”
Waving her off, a heady buzz of excitement swirled in my chest while I strolled to my last class for the week. The clap of my flip flops echoed off the tile as I entered Smithson, the building where most Gen-Ed classes were held. My phone buzzed in my bag, threatening to destroy the high of rebellion; I ignored it with a small smile.
The auditorium was mostly filled with chattering students. I dropped into a seat near the back corner; the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
A shadow fell over me-
I jerked as body eased into the seat next to me.
Smoke and spice and something distinctly masculine filled my nose. The newcomer leaned closer- so close the heat of him scorched my skin. Eyes like knife blades slashed through my defenses. Silver, glowing and swirling, they locked onto mine with a ferocity that had my hands fisting.
“How?” he growled. Blue crashed like ocean waves in his irises. Fascinated and terrified, my mouth opened and closed like a fish. “Tell me,now.”
Coming to my senses, I jolted back. “What the-”
“How are you blocking me?”
“Blocking you?” I stammered. “I don’t even know you.”
But that wasn’t true. Ididknow him, even if I wanted to forget the annoying tug in my chest whenever he came to mind. He relented, leaning back in his chair and crossing his ankle at his knee. August heat aside, he wore combat boots and black jeans that stretched teasingly over his thighs. He propped an arm on the back of the chair beside him.
“You really don’t seem to know what you’re doing,” he mused, more to himself than me. The pad of his finger absently stroked his lower lip, drawing my gaze to his mouth again before trailing down his forearm to the ink on his skin.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The corner of his mouth curved into a half smirk. My heart lurched.
“Apparently not, Angel.”
I blinked at him, stunned. “Angel?”
That smirk widened, revealing bright white teeth. A shiver danced across my skin, my stomach bottoming out like on an awful carnival ride. He moved again, pushing into my personal space with his spicy scent and invasive eyes and mesmerizing mouth-
“I wouldn’t mind corrupting you.”
Oh.
Mom warned me about men that took what they wanted and left you empty. But she failed to mention how intoxicating the idea of corruption was.
Before I could respond, the professor started the lecture. I inched away from him and opened a new document on my laptop to distract myself. He didn’t take notes, though his gaze remained on the projected slideshow.
“Are you going to magically remember everything?” I whispered. Without turning his head an inch, those eyes shifted to me and pinned me to my seat. After an excruciating minute, he returned to staring at the screen.
Because that wasn’t weird at all.
I forced myself to focus on the lecture about gods, worshiped and celebrated around the world. It made sense people believed in something more; the world was a grim, cutthroat reality. As the professor ended class, I snapped my laptop closed and on cue, my phone buzzed. I leaned down, fumbling through my bag.
Where was the stupid thing?
It started another round of vibrating.
“Avoiding the tick?”
