grab the back of her neck and crash my lips to hers. Laken swipes her tongue over mine, and I indulge in something far more primal, much more intense and viral than I had ever hoped to achieve.
The world stops spinning. I’m having a heightened sexual experience right here, in the middle of the student body, through the portal of Laken’s mouth. My stomach clenches as she pushes in deeper, and a moan vibrates from her throat to mine.
Laken pulls back, her face red with shock. She looks past my shoulder at the door, her fingers still interlaced with mine.
Wes. Her chest heaves from the state of nirvana we just launched ourselves into.
Laken hurls her open palm in my direction and ignites a fire across my cheek.
“You bastard!” She screams it in my face with her left hand still clutching mine.
See you at the ridge at midnight, she says before taking off in Wesley’s direction.
My heart soars. That kiss personified everything we could be—everything electric.
Wesley is the enemy, and Laken knows it. She’s just using him in an effort to save our families. He’s a necessary evil for the time being just like Grayson.
I watch as he ushers her out the door with his hand firmly planted over the curve of her skirt.
She might be in Wesley’s arms for the next few hours, but she’ll be in my bed tonight.
Wesley
My heart pounds against my chest like a judge sounding a gavel. I’m fucking finished with Flanders. He signed and sealed his death warrant tonight by ramming his tongue down my girlfriend’s throat.
“Just get me out of here.” Laken chokes the shit out of my hand like it was Cooper’s neck. And right about now, I’m betting she wishes it were. “I want to go someplace to forget about all this. Maybe Charity Lake? Or your room?”
A smile cinches up my cheek at the thought of Laken being so ready and willing.
“Yeah,” I say, leading her outside. “I’ll take you wherever you want.”
The stars spray out like an umbrella over Ephemeral. It’s cold as hell with the frost already coating the pines—the grass. A layer of mist seeps from the forest and sails over the campus like a ghost.
I glance back at Melville House pumping like a drum with its windows rattling from the noise. It’s taking all of my strength, not to go back in there and rip Flanders’ balls out from his throat.
“What happened?” I slip my arm around her waist as we continue down the road.
“I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “It’s weird because the Cooper Flanders I know doesn’t just manhandle girls. Last I heard, he was taking Grayson to homecoming.” She raises her shoulders to her ears. “I was talking to Carter, and the next thing I knew Grayson backed into me—she waved at someone and took off. Cooper was so wasted he lunged in my direction just as she left and planted one on me.”
Aiming for Grayson and missed? Doubt it. I’m damn sure Coop hit his target tonight.
“That’s probably it,” I say, brushing a kiss over her cheek. “Coop’s way too nice a guy to go around attacking girls, especially mine.” I’ll layer on the frosting, and make Coop look like a hero. When they find him lying in a ditch, I’ll be the last person Laken will suspect. Not that I’d kill the bastard—injure maybe.
If that less than stellar performance he gave on the field tonight is any indication, the varsity team won’t be missing him too much, either.
Laken looks up me with her eyes filled with fear.
“Hey”—I press a kiss over her temple—“let’s get to Henderson before we freeze to death.” I rub her arm. “I’ll get you something warm to drink.” And if all goes well, we’ll be drinking each other down in less than an hour.
I pull her in close and examine her under the pale light of the moon.
“I have something special to show you in my room,” I whisper.
She licks her lips and gurgles out a sexier-than-hell laugh.
“You’re a dirty boy, Wes. You know that?”
“That’s not what I was going to show you.” I hold back a smile. “But if you insist, I might give into your demands.” My lips curve at the thought. “Anyway, I really hope you’ll love it.”
“I love everything about you, Wesley Parker.” She dots my lips with a kiss.
I wrap my arm back around her waist as we head in the direction of Henderson Hall.
She loves everything about me.
Too bad she can’t