Page 59

Are we still talking about the stretch?

He’s so big over me, shoulders stretched and broad, hair dangling over his eyes as he looks down at my stomach. I can feel cold air where my top has ridden up over my midriff. His fingers slide just an inch closer to where I can feel my heartbeat thumping between my thighs, desperate for him, clenching around nothing. I’m panting, heavy and whimpering in the space between us. And he’s barely even touching me.

“Tor—”

He drops his grip on my right side, letting my leg fall toward the mat, dropping to his forearm on that side, letting my left leg still up in the air rest on the outside of his hip.

It’s like . . .

God. It’s like we’re having sex fully clothed.

“Your dad is right outside,” he grunts into my ear. My eyes roll, leg tightening over his hip. This isn’t stretching anymore. He’s hard against me. His mouth is at my neck; I can feel the sharp point of his incisor like he might bite me.

We should stop. Move away. But it feels so good.

“Please—”

My begging shatters the delicate mirage, his body pulling back from mine.

He stands slowly, pants tight where I can see the obscene outline of him. Would it be inappropriate now to ask him to show it to me? He collects his things swiftly, before heading toward the door.

“Wait! Toren, I just—”

He shakes his head. His throat works over a swallow, eyes glowing in the dark of the room, nostrils flared. “Good night, Lily.”

Chapter 24

Toren

I’m late—really fucking late. And surprise surprise, it’s all LaBlanc’s fault.

Kimberly is staring darkly at me as I enter the math lab room, but I’m apologizing before she can reprimand me.

“You know I’m never late,” I breathe. “C’mon, Kim, I’m sorry. You know I wouldn’t hang you out to dry like this.”

She grumbles, but I know she has something of a soft spot for me, so she lets me off the hook. “We barely had five students show up. It was easy. But . . .” Her eyes ghost over the room. “Since you’re here now, I’ll head out early. I’m sure you can finish up with the stragglers.”

“Yeah, easy.”

I discard my bag on the side of the head table, running a hand through my damp hair before daring to look across the room. There are only three students left, and two of them are sitting together to go through the last few questions. The other is watching, her head darting over her shoulder every few minutes, lips thoroughly chewed, red hair an unusual mess across her shoulders.

Stepping over toward her, I push the sleeves of my cream sweater up my arms, clearing my throat as I hover over her table.

Lily looks up at me, blue eyes wide as they take me in. “You’re bleeding.”

Shit. Am I?

My fingers touch at my sore, bruised eyebrow, coming away a little red and sticky, but it’s drying.

“I’m fine.”

“Okay.” She looks me up and down again—like she’s checking me over, before refocusing on the mess of her desk. As if I’m not even here.

A little burst of adoration threatens at the sight.

After our last meeting in the conditioning room, I’d taken another cold shower in the locker room before heading home with Harris. It has been two days since then, and it feels like it was barely twenty minutes ago. I can still feel the heat of her body under my hands.

Stepping around Lily, I peer over her shoulder and scroll my eyes across the textbooks and notes—and to the side, a graded scantron with red marker—a giant D circled with a written note for a retest day.