“Brothers?” I perk up at that. Please God tell me I can have a fantasy with brothers!
Zeke throws his head back and laughs.I didn’t think my question was that funny.I can’t help but cross my arms and pout.
“I’m sorry,” he chuckles. “I didn’t mean to laugh, I just forgot you don’t know my past. That’s a good thing since I feel so comfortable with you,” he winks and continues on while he pours the milk into the cups. I return to leaning on my hands as I listen in. “See, my brothers are thicker than blood, since we have different parents but share the same essence.” He smiles and waves off my look of confusion. “It’s a long story, anyways, our family is made up between me, Knox, Levi, and Ryker. Since our fathers make up the council that runs Nova and the school, we’re jokingly called the Princes.”
Oh! So that’s who Emer was talking about when she mentioned the Princes, it clicks for me. Hmm. I haven’t met Knox yet but I bet he’s as wonderful as the rest of the guys I’ve met. Well, I’m still on the fence with Ryker. I can admit it: he’s hot as fuck and I love our sparring. I bet our sexual tension will explode when we finally give in, but I won’t be the one bending. My guess is that Knox is the complete opposite of Ryker and he’s the type to bring roses and chocolates.
Zeke uses the wand looking device and places it in the cup and I watch as it makes bubbles, heating up the milk.That’s so cool!
“So this year, the plan was for all of us guys to live here together. Then at the last minute, Moni was accepted to the school. We have the room here but JP thought it would be a better idea to allow her some space to let her, and I quote, “have a real purgatory prep experience”. It all worked out since you were a late arrival, so they put all three of you together. Moni wouldn’t be by herself completely, you would have someone that you probably got along with, and JP could be close to his sister. So, you got an elite suite. Hopefully, you like it,” and he hands me a cup of cocoa that I somehow missed him finish making.
“Like what? The room or the cocoa?” I jokingly ask, giving him a smile.
“Can it be both?” He flirts back and he toasts me with his cup. I take a tentative sip and my eyes close on their own accord when a small moan leaves my lips as I savor the rich chocolate taste. Opening my eyes, I see Zeke hungrily staring at my lips as my tongue comes out to lick the remaining whipped cream from them. He sucks in a quick breath and shakes his head to dispel the mood once again and nods to the living room. “Wanna have a seat?”
I follow him to the sofa and sit down as he wraps an oversized fuzzy blanket around me and snuggles in next to me.
“Thanks.” Taking another sip, I burrow deeper into my little pocket of heaven. This hot chocolate was just what I needed to soothe my soul. This is perfect, but I guess it’s time to pull my head out of the sand and learn what happened to me downstairs.
“You’re welcome,” he smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Are you okay? You know, from earlier?”
“Yeah,” I bite my bottom lip and feel my cheeks flush. Shaking my head, knowing I’m not fooling anyone with that weak answer, I pull the blanket up to my face so I can hide behind it. I can’t believe I cried in his arms—his very muscular arms. I’m not one to play the damsel in distress or swoon, but here I am. “Just… just a little shaken up,” my voice cracks a little. “Sorry. I’m usually not a crier. I don’t know what came over me,” I whisper. He leans in closer to pull the blanket out from around my face and gives me a soft smile.
“Hey, no hiding. No need to be embarrassed,” he says with a laugh. “Hell, I’ve seen grown men cry when Lisa gets bored, so don’t feel bad.” I don’t miss the way his eyes light up when he mentions ‘Lisa’.
The little green monster creeps up and hits me with a bit of jealousy that this Lisa chick was making his eyes light up with admiration. I kinda want to shank the bitch and her bored ass.
Wait.
What?
I place my cup down on the coffee table and look back at Zeke, completely lost. “Lisa?” I ask, wrapping my hands in my blanket. He gives me a timid look and runs his hands through his faux mohawk.
“Uh. Yeah. Lisa is pretty rare. I found her years ago as a kid when I was playing hide and seek with my brothers. Can you imagine finding her in the dark woods?” He lets out a throaty laugh and his eyes get a distant look as he continues. “She scared the shit out of me for a moment when I noticed the shadows were moving and then creepy red eyes peeked out. But for some reason, she just felt safe after I saw her fully. She’s been my pet ever since. She normally has a place out in the woods, but sometimes she comes into the school when she’s bored. I’m sorry you met her on one of her bored days. She’s harmless, I swear,” he tells me, and I see him blush.
It’s the cutest thing in the world. He continues talking, but I’m so focused on him that I don’t hear a word he’s saying.My Zeke is blushing?His eyes dart to me and back down to his lap to where he is tapping out a staccato rhythm with his fingers while looking all sheepish. It’s such an aww moment that, of course, I fuck it up. I lean across his lap and plant a chaste kiss on the corner of his lips.
Freezing, his eyes go wide in shock.Oh God, did I mess up?
Please tell me I didn’t just read all of this wrong. My mouth starts to open to apologize, but instead, I hide. I fall back onto the sofa while pulling the blanket up and over my head. Tucking it under my hair, I cover my face with my hands in utter mortification.Omg. Omg. Omg. I didn’t just kiss Zeke. What the hell? You never make the first move on a guy unless you’re a hundred percent sure he’s into you.I start shaking my head in disbelief.
The sofa shifts next to me, and I know he’s trying to get away from me. Zeke is probably getting up, walking to the door, and is about to kick me out. Hell, I would kick myself out if I could move, but I just want to hide away. I dare not budge, maybe he’ll go to his room and I can run out without facing him and never come out of my room again. I’ll do courses online. Is that even an option here? Online Spell Casting? Shifting 101 and Zoom calls? I’ll take that option any day.
I’m mortified when I feel the blanket being pulled away from my face, pulling my hair out from underneath me. Great, now I’m Medusa with wild hair sticking up. Too bad I can’t turn myself into stone and hide from this nightmare.
Gluing my hands to my face and tensing up, I feel my entire body heat up, and I just know a blush is covering me from head to toe. Zeke grabs my legs, slowly straightening them out, giving me time to refuse, and then he’s straddling my stomach. He places his warm, smooth hands on mine, and I bite my lip to keep from saying something stupid.
“Rez? Why are you hiding?” He asks, his voice taking on a deep husky tone.Really?He can’t figure that out?
“I can’t look at you. I’m so embarrassed. I can’t believe I just kissed you, and I shouldn’t have,” I mumble through my hands, muffling my voice. He doesn’t say anything back, and my brain goes wild like Mardi Gras with its thoughts.I’m hiding from life. From the fact I like you and completely fucked shit up. I already jumped off the deep end, just let me fall into the pit of self-pity and let me wallow in despair. Yes, I know I’m overreacting, but what else do you expect. He’s not saying anything. Damn it!
He clears his throat, “Why not?”
“Because you probably don’t even like me that way. I’m just a girl who fell into your lap, and you felt the need to be my savior. You’re such a sweetie, and we just clicked. I just thought… ugh. Just let me die here of embarrassment and waste away to nothing.”
I hear him chuckle as he leans down, putting his weight on me, and I hate to admit it, but I like it. His warmth seeps into me, warming me up like a fire in the dead of winter, and those pesky butterflies are playing hopscotch again. I squeeze my eyes shut as Zeke starts lifting my fingers up and pulls my hands away from my face. I know I look horrible with a scrunched up nose and thin lips. My gran used to say I looked like a platypus when I do it.
His light grip on my chin pulls it up so I can look at him—if my eyes were open, that is—and gently whispers, “Look at me, Rez.” His breath flutters over my lips, and I shake my head lightly. “Please,” his voice cracks as he murmurs.
