I Just Need You - J. Nathan Page 0,18
and her avoiding me like the plague.
“All set,” the girl said as she slipped out of the bathroom. She drank in my bare chest before darting into a nearby room.
Kresley scoffed low in her throat, and it took everything in me not to give her shit for questioning my scoff the previous night. Instead, I entered the bathroom, did a quick sweep, and walked back out.
Kresley moved around me and slipped inside, stepping back out a short time later and dodging my eyes. “I’m grabbing breakfast with the girls in ten minutes.”
“Marco’s on today.”
“Please let him know.” With that she hurried back to her room and disappeared inside before I could even check it.
What happened to the drunk princess from the previous night? Did she regret the way she’d spoken to me or did she not even remember?
Kresley
I stood with my back pressed against my closed door, my heart racing a mile a minute. Holy mother of all things sacred. Why in the world did he need to be shirtless? And, why did he have to be all jacked underneath his clothes? Holy six-pack, Batman. It was like the moment I first saw him all over again. My brain became all frazzled by his presence. His eyes. That voice. The same hum of electricity coasted over my skin.
There was a knock on my door and I jumped.
“Kresley?” Elodie called. “You ready?”
My entire body deflated, betraying me on so many levels. What was wrong with me? I didn’t want it to be my moody bodyguard. I couldn’t stand him. I pulled myself together and opened the door.
Alice and Elodie stood there with toothy grins on their faces.
“What’s up with you two?”
“You tell us,” Elodie said.
They pushed past me into my room. I shut the door and turned to face them now both sitting on my bed, anticipation lighting up their eyes.
“What happened after we left you two alone last night?” Elodie asked.
“What do you mean what happened?”
“Did he walk you inside your room?” Alice asked.
“No.”
“Did he try to kiss you?” Elodie asked.
“No.”
“Then what happened?” they asked at the same time.
“First of all, it’s like you two share a brain. And second, nothing happened. I told him he sucked. Then I went to bed.”
“It’s gonna happen,” Alice said.
“What?”
“You and him,” Elodie explained.
“Why would you say that?” I asked, now curious since I’d had another “reaction” to him.
“He’s not fair game anymore,” Alice said. “I’m bowing out gracefully.”
“What? You’re crazy.”
She shook her head. “There’s so much sexual tension between the two of you, you can almost feel it.”
“I just can’t wait to see who caves first,” Elodie added.
CHAPTER NINE
Kresley
I slipped on jeans and a T-shirt, twisted my hair into a high ponytail, and slipped on my shoes, ready for another Monday. My phone rang as soon as I opened my door. Tristan stood waiting. I stopped in the doorway and answered the call. “Hey, Mom,” I said, having seen her name on the screen. “I’m just on my way out to class.”
“Did you order something and have it sent to the house?” she asked with urgency in her tone.
“What?”
“Did you order something and have it sent here?” she demanded.
I thought for a second, but knew I hadn’t. “No. Why?”
“A package just arrived and it’s addressed to you,” she explained.
“Where’s it from?”
“There’s no return address,” she said.
I could hear voices in the background. “Stand back, Mrs. Hastings.”
My heartbeat sped up. “Mom?”
Silence.
“Mom, are you there?” I nearly cried as Tristan pushed off the wall with concern on his face.
“Put it on speaker,” he said urging me into my room.
I switched it on speaker as I stepped back in my room and sat on the edge of my bed, listening for confirmation that she was okay.
“Yes,” my mother finally said. “I’m here. I’m just staying back while security checks it.”
“What is it?” I asked, fearing it was an explosive.
“Hold on,” she whispered.
“Just stay back, Mom,” I said as tears glazed my eyes and fear grabbed hold of me. I stared at Tristan, watching for his reaction.
“Oh, my God,” she said, her breath leaving her in a relieved sigh.
“What?”
“It’s a bottle of perfume,” she explained, almost laughing.
“I didn’t order perfume,” I said.
“What kind is it?” she asked her security.
“It’s French,” one of them said.
My mother gasped.
My stomach dropped.
“Mrs. Hastings, this is Tristan. Is there a note?”
“There’s no note,” she said.
My pulse began to drum in my ears and my hands began to tremble.
“You need to come home,” my mother said.
A million thoughts whirled through my brain. They