The Moth and the Flame (When Rivals Play #2) - B.B. Reid Page 0,9

I finally met his gaze. “Why is that?”

“Because I wasn’t asking.”

We stared at each other for a long time, something passing between us that I couldn’t understand. “I have a feeling you rarely do.”

He didn’t respond as he crossed the room, and the closer he got, the more I became aware of how little I wore. I clutched the comforter closer to my chest when he reached the bed, but none of the scenarios happening in my head occurred in real life. Instead, he snatched my dirty clothes from the floor and tossed them on top of me. They were still damp from the snow, but right now, they were a godsend.

“Get dressed,” he ordered.

I nodded and waited for him to leave.

He didn’t.

The bastard retreated across the room, perched both elbows on the dresser behind him and crossed his ankles with a hint of a smile.

“Some privacy?”

“You’re a pretty heavy sleeper,” he remarked. “Who says I haven’t already looked?”

I ignored the wild beating of my heart and said, “Should I add pervert underneath gangbanger then?” Mentally, I patted myself on the back for not melting into a puddle.

His smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “So you did see.”

My gaze fell to the bed. “It was pretty hard to miss.”

“Then you know that you can’t ever talk about last night.” Although a warning, his tone was surprisingly gentle. I wanted to believe he cared, but I knew he was only looking out for his own ass.

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing about last night I care to relive.” In fact, I was counting the seconds until I could get out of there. Hot or not, Wren was bad news. I knew that now and was thinking clearer thanks to a good night’s sleep. “Now can you leave so I can get dressed?”

I blinked a few times, losing some of my nerves when the smoky gray of his eyes slowly became a stormy blue. However, I’d only gotten a glimpse before he turned his back.

“I meant for you to leave the room.”

Silence.

Unbelievable.

I quickly hopped up from the bed and cursed when the cold morning air touched my skin. Didn’t these people believe in heating?

After I finished dressing, I took the time to study him while his menacing gaze was averted. He was tall—definitely over six feet. And the muscles he possessed were subtle, but he was definitely on the right track to being a modern Adonis in just a few short years. His hair wasn’t as dark as mine. My own was nearly pitch black while his hair reminded me of delicious chocolate. My gaze trailed lower, touching every part of him, including his sculpted ass encased in jeans that hugged his thighs just right. When the long fingers on both hands suddenly flexed, curling and uncurling, I studied them too and wondered just how much blood was on them.

“You done checking me out?” he questioned with a laugh.

“What are you talking about? I wasn’t checking you out,” I lied even as I felt my skin flush. I bent to tie the laces on my black combat boots. The heels were four inches high and almost as thick as my arm—not to mention they were unpractical, but they made me feel empowered.

“I can see your reflection in the TV screen.”

My hands paused from looping my laces, and I glared at his back. “You mean you were watching me this whole time?”

He turned around with a satisfied smile. “Yup.”

I looked away but felt my lip curl as I finished tying my laces. “I guess chivalry is dead after all.”

“If chivalry were dead, baby girl, your cherry would have been mine last night.”

I shot up from my crouched position and propped my hands on my hips. “Who says I’m a virgin?”

His gaze trailed from my face to my neck to the top of my breasts exposed in the low-cut cami. “Only virgins blush like that.”

“So you’re an expert?” At seventeen I doubted it, but it was clear Wren knew more than I did. My palms begin to sweat at the mere possibility of sex while Wren looked perfectly at ease. He shrugged, and I realized I hated his arrogance as much as his indifference. “Yeah, well, sex is off the table. We’re friends, remember?” I had no intentions of being his friend, but it was the only card I had to play. If he pushed the issue, he’d soon find out how eager I was to spread my legs for him. Just this once