her expression, but because she’s classy and put together and a way better person than I am, she just smiles sadly and nods.
I feel bad for her. I can’t help myself. I want to hate her, sure, it would make my damn life easier, but I can’t. She’s a good person, and I just wish she had feelings for someone other than Roman so I could root for her instead of feeling this awful combination of elation and guilt as I watch her walk away.
Damn it, I wish I could go up and say something to him. Show him just how much I appreciate him turning Tamlin down. Tell him how much I like him and promise I’m really working on not being so… so me. But there’s no way I could get away with that in such a public setting. So I just watch him until my stare draws his attention, and when he turns to look at me, I try to put everything I’m feeling into my eyes.
I don’t think I’m entirely successful—I’m feeling a lot.
But maybe he picks up on some of my emotions, because his cobalt gaze softens, and an expression crosses his face that makes me think if we weren’t surrounded by people, he’d wrap me up in his arms and kiss me until we both drowned in the sweetness of it.
Then another visiting professor claps him on the back boisterously, and the moment breaks.
I sigh and turn around to look for the rest of the guys. Dmitri’s in a literal corner, brooding like he’s Batman or something. Seriously, what the hell? But before I can move toward him, I hear a woman’s voice saying, “So, is Cam short for something? Like Cameron?”
Spinning in place, I spot Asher and Cam a few yards away from me, the former holding the drinks he promised, surrounded by about five girls from Zephyr Academy—the air elementalist school. Cam’s a charmer by nature, and Asher is polite, so none of the girls can tell the guys want nothing to do with them.
Well, too bad for you, ladies. I can tell. Because I actually spend time with these guys and I know them pretty well by now. They’re not interested.
Asher’s shoulders are stiff and he’s got his head lowered, and Cam’s smile is too wide, too fake.
I can’t do anything about Roman. I can’t tell him how much I appreciate him choosing me, even if I’m not sure what it means yet or how to handle it. I can’t go over and request a dance with my professor.
But I can do something about these two men.
Something hot and possessive rises up in me before I can stop it—before I can even name it—and next thing I know, I’m striding toward them.
Chapter 16
The girls don’t notice me at first, but Cam and Asher do as I slide between them. I can feel both men relaxing, which tells me how stiff and uncomfortable they were until I showed up.
“Hey!” I take Cam’s hand and slip an arm through Asher’s, tugging them both a little closer. “I’ve been looking for you two!”
Cam glances down at me, startled, and the girls finally notice my presence. I shoot the five of them a wide smile—well, maybe it’s more like a baring of teeth, but it conveys exactly what it needs to.
“Hey, Sin… how’s it going?” His brows draw together. He’s looking at me like he can’t quite figure out if the real Elliot got abducted and I’m her double.
“I’m great. I was just thinking I might take you up on that dance you offered.” I flick my gaze back to the Zephyr girls. “Thanks for entertaining my guys until I could get here. I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Elliot.”
A couple of the girls splutter out their names, but their leader just blinks at me. I squeeze Asher’s arm, gesturing with my chin to the drinks in his hand. “Is one of those for me?”
He smiles and lifts the glass of whiskey. “Yup. Got your favorite.”
Then I do something I’ve never done before, in public anyway: I lean up and press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, breathing in his citrus and lemongrass scent. “Thanks, Ash. You know me so well.”
The poor guy looks like lightning just hit him. His cheeks flush, and he blinks slowly. I bite my lip, hiding a grin. He kissed me in front of Alyssa and her crew once to prove a point, but this is the first