[skull emoji]
Devlin doesn’t answer, but I’m not surprised. He got Blair Davis to move in with him. I have no idea how he went from dangling dollar bills on fishing wire in front of her at the beginning of school to living with her, but that’s where they’re at. Grumpy bastard is probably balls deep in her, so I tuck my phone away and finish the joint.
My gaze trails to Thea’s house and I sit up, surprised to see a light on. I didn’t think she’d be up this late.
With a lopsided smile, I stalk across her yard, keeping to the shadows as I creep around. The back door is unlocked when I test it. Sneaking in drives away my melancholy, the mischief putting my mood in high spirits. The smell of warm sugar hits me and I almost groan.
Around the corner, Thea is a delicious mess, covered in flour and dough as she presses a cookie cutter to a slab of cookie dough. Her hair is piled on top of her head in a bun, she has tight spandex shorts on that make her ass look divine, and a loose pink cropped t-shirt. I pause to watch her, my captured sun bathed in moonlight. The light I chased and caught for a few stolen moments.
“Boo,” I say, laughing when she jumps with a strangled shriek.
“Connor, what the hell,” Thea hisses, flashing a look at the ceiling where her mom probably is. She flutters her messy hands over her shirt, letting out an embarrassed laugh. “You scared the crap out of me.”
A deep boof sounds and I lift my hands as her rottweiler charges into the room, heading straight for me.
Shit. Maybe sneaking in wasn’t my best idea when she’s got an attack dog protecting her.
Twenty-Three
Thea
My heart is still racing from the jump scare of Connor sneaking into my house in the middle of the night, like some dark prince of depravity.
“Con, wait,” I say.
Constantine halts, huffing at Connor.
“Thank you. Bed.” The dog lets out a lazy rumble, sniffing Connor’s hand as he lowers it to his side, before trotting back to his bed in the corner. “Good boy.”
“You mean me, sunshine?” Connor gives me a grin that’s all bad boy on his handsome face and traps me against the high counter of the island, arms planted on either side. A thrill shoots through my stomach. He buries his face in my neck, inhaling deeply. “Mm, you smell like fresh baked cookies.”
“Well, that’s what I’m making. And no, you’re not a good boy.” I smack his hand as he tries to steal a cookie from the cooling rack. “Those are for the French club.”
“But I’ve got the munchies, and your baking is the best.” Pointing to the dog, he wrinkles his brow. “You named your dog after me? Something you want to tell me? Like a crush you’ve been nursing on your sexy neighbor for years?”
“Wipe that smug look off your face. His name is Constantine, not Connor.” I go back to cutting my dough with my set of Paris-themed cookie cutters while Connor goes over to the dog, petting him. When I look back up a few minutes later, he has Constantine on his back, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he gives him a belly rub. “Traitor.”
Connor chuckles and returns to my side, sneaking pieces of cookie dough scraps as I get the next batch in the oven.
“What are you doing in here, anyway? It’s late.”
Connor shrugs. “Saw your light on. Missed my girl.”
He shoots me a charming smile, but a tightness lingers around his eyes. I offer him a cookie from the sad pile, and his expression turns more genuine as he takes a bite.
“Oh, god, yes.” Connor moans, wrapping me in his arms as he chews. “So good. You should totally make special brownies. We’ll get baked and it’ll be delicious.”
I snort, wriggling out of his arms to get started mixing another batch of dough to pop in the refrigerator before I take out the dough currently chilling.
“What are you doing up so late? You said goodnight two hours ago.”
I shrug as I measure out the ingredients into a big mixing bowl. “Couldn’t sleep. Baking helps clear my head.”
“I know something else that’ll help you sleep,” Connor says, planting himself behind me, teasing my arms with tickling touches. He runs his nose up and down the back of my neck, distracting me. His tongue swipes across my skin and he presses his hips against mine