for a long silent moment and then busts out laughing. “Fuck. You can be scary when you want.” He takes the card. “No problem. I got it covered. What’s my limit?”
“No limit as long as you follow the rules.” I clasp Quinn’s hand in mine. “Let’s go.” I don’t wait for her to agree; I just start moving and I don’t stop until I reach the elevator.
“I’m trying to figure out why you hosted a party at your apartment when you hate them,” Quinn says in a low voice as I jab the down button with unnecessary force.
“Because I didn’t want you to go to the frat party.” The elevator doors slide open and I drag Quinn inside. Once the doors shut and the noise recedes, I allow myself to relax against the wall of the cab.
Quinn tilts her head to the side as she studies me. “Do you really not know what a keg is or were you pulling Flip’s leg?”
“I don’t know. This is my first year of college.”
“Oh. A non-trad?” She doesn’t say it with any judgment.
I nod. “Yeah. I had a job before and decided it wasn’t for me so I quit and enrolled.”
“I’m a junior.”
I don’t say I know because she might find that creepy.
“I think it’s cool you’re coming back to school. How old are you?”
“Twenty-five.” I feel eighty sometimes. Killing wears you down. Or maybe it’s more like killing erases all your ideals. Everyone is dirty; no one really lives a worthy life. You get up; you eat; you die. That’s what life boils down to. Except Quinn here makes me want to rethink things. There’s something in her face, something beyond just prettiness, that makes me want to unravel her until I can see the inside. She’s got something I need, something alive.
“Why are you staring at me?” she asks.
“Because you’re so fucking beautiful, why else?”
She averts her face in embarrassment. “I’m pretty at best but definitely not beautiful.”
I shoot forward and slap my hand across the red button, bringing the elevator to a screeching halt. “Who told you that?” I demand, towering over her. Someone’s going to die. I just need a name.
“Told me what?” Her eyes dart to the elevator button.
“Who told you that you weren’t beautiful?”
“I’m just not.” She seems confused.
“Then you’re blind.” I put my fist under her chin. “You’re the most beautiful thing walking on this earth. Pretty sure if you weren’t here, there wouldn’t be any reason for any other living thing to exist.”
Her mouth parts and maybe she was going to say something but I can’t stop my head from descending. I can’t stop myself from sealing my lips across hers. I can’t stop my tongue from diving between her lips. I can’t stop kissing her. All my life, I chased death but now I want to live.
Chapter Ten
Quinn
I gasp into his mouth as he lifts me off my feet. His mouth remains on mine. This doesn’t feel as though it’s a normal kiss but a claiming of sorts. Not that I would really know. I’ve never had anyone kiss me this way before. I can’t put into words what it feels like. I know that I feel it way down to my soul as his mouth continues to move over mine.
I wrap my arms around him, kissing him back with everything I have. I had no idea when tonight started that this is where it was headed or where I would end up. It’s also hard for me to believe this is the same guy Trin called a dick. He’s gone out of his way at every turn to make me happy. I should have known that I was a goner the first time those blue eyes locked with mine.
I push my chest into him. A small moan comes from my mouth. He matches mine with a groan that rumbles throughout my body. His hand digs into my hair. I wiggle against him, needing friction. My whole body throbs with a need that I’ve never felt before. I want more of him. Scratch that, I want all of him. The urgency to have him is something I don’t quite understand yet, but I’m not willing to deny either.
“Daman.” I moan his name as I pull back from the kiss. His face remains the same. Unreadable.
“Not here. I’m sorry.” He sets me back on my feet. I lick my lips, suddenly feeling shy again. Is he having second thoughts? He reaches down, pulling my bunched-up