Saint (Angelview Academy #1) - E.M. Snow Page 0,35
What about his fingers?”
I let out a squeak when his hand reaches around and cups one of my butt cheeks, his fingers digging under my swimsuit. His touch is rough and possessive. I almost lose my balance and fall into his chest. I’m overwhelmed by everything he’s saying and doing, and it takes me several seconds to come up with any type of response.
“I-I’m not … I’m not sleeping with Liam,” I stutter, then wince at how breathless I sound.
“Liar.” His voice rumbles like distant thunder, and I shiver.
“If he’s been telling people—”
“He hasn’t,” he cuts me off. “I’m just not an idiot.”
I lick my lips and try to understand what is happening here. Why is he doing this to me? Why’s he so pissed off at the idea of me and Liam together? Because he hates me so much? Because he doesn’t want his friend tainting himself with the trash he wants gone?
Then why’s he touching me like this?
“A-are you … jealous, Saint?”
My question is a whisper that shocks us both. He stares down at me with wide eyes, and I’m frozen in place as I wait for him to say something in response.
At last, his eyes narrow to icy slits.
“Why the fuck would I be jealous of Liam railing your skinny ass?”
“I don’t know, Saint. Why would you be jealous?” I feel strangely bold as I meet his gaze. I don’t know why, but maybe it has something to do with his hand on my ass and his lips hovering over mine. He’s tense, like he’s holding himself back from something, and it’s taking a considerable amount of strength to do so.
“You’re a little cock-tease, aren’t you, little masochist?”
He’s avoiding answering me, insulting me instead. I’m onto his game, though. I’m beginning to see the cracks in his armor. If I chip at them long enough, will I shatter him?
“Is that why you fuck with me?” I murmur, letting my hand fall to his thigh. His whole body goes rigid at my touch, and his jaw tightens. “You want me all to yourself?”
His rips his hand from my ass only to wrap his fingers around my throat. He doesn’t choke me, but it’s just like the times he’s grabbed my hair. He’s trying to remind me who’s really in charge here.
I refuse to cower in front of him, though. Instead of shrinking away from his grip, I inch my hand higher up his leg. His fingers tighten ever so slightly, and we’re stuck in a wicked game of chicken as we push each other. When his thumb strokes my bottom lip, my mouth falls open slightly.
“It’d be better for you to stay away from Liam,” he snarls. “I don’t share well, and until I’m done with you, no one else is allowed to touch you, and you’re not allowed to put your trailer trash mouth on anyone else.”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” I insist, but a voice whispers in the back of my mind that he can.
He tilts my chin up, and for one terrible but thrilling moment, I think he might actually do it. He might actually kiss me.
“You need to learn your place.” Instead of lowering his lips to mine, he dips his mouth to my ear once more, his voice a low hum as he whispers, “If you don’t like it, you know what you have to do.”
“You already know my answer to that.” He’s not scaring me away. Not now. Not ever. I won’t let him, Liam, my mom, or anyone take Angelview and the future it will provide me away.
To my surprise, he pulls away grinning. “You’re stubborn as fuck, but damn, it’s entertaining. Goodnight, little masochist.”
As I stare at him, stunned, he lets me go and steps away from my touch. I feel cold despite the warmth of the room. Tucking his hands into the pockets of his swim trunks, he turns and struts from the room, whistling as he goes.
The moment he walks out the door and is out of sight, my knees give out and I sink to the floor. I can’t believe I said those things to him. I can’t believe I stood up to him like that.
The laughter that escapes me is crazed and uncontrollable, and I know that, at last, I’ve lost my mind.
I’m over my hysterics by class the next day, and when I get to gym, I’m not dreading it. I feel almost invincible after my face-off with Saint, and I march into