had. I was trying to avoid him.
I paused, not wanting to alert them to my presence. Great, let's add creepy stalker to my ever-growing list of new personality traits.
"You told me if I helped you that you would make me something." Robyn's jaw was clenched. "That means you're going to date me."
"Nope, not happening." He propped himself against the wall with his face completely composed. "You don't make the rules here. I do."
"That's bullshit, and you know it." She stomped her foot. "If you don't follow through, I'll make you regret it."
His face turned cold, and he narrowed his eyes on her. "You better be careful who you threaten, little girl. I'm not someone you can push around, and in fact, I can make your life a living hell."
"This isn't fair." Her voice quavered with rage.
"Doesn't matter. You're just a lowly freshman who's desperate to do anything mean so you can get your jollies." He shrugged and took a menacing step toward her. "And you did. So you got something out of it."
She blew out her breath and ran out the door, making sure it slammed behind her.
"You can come out now, Mia." Liam's voice didn't sound quite as cold. "She's gone."
Shit, he knew.
The only thing I could do was own it. I continued down the stairwell, and soon his haunting blue eyes found mine. They weren't as dark, and he wasn't putting off cold vibes. "I wasn't trying to interrupt." Why did I feel like I had to explain myself to him?
His eyes stayed on me, and he took a deep breath. "I know."
Even though my brain said I should just leave, my legs propelled me forward and I closed the distance between us like he was some kind of magnet. His scent filled my nose, making me dizzy. I somehow managed to stop myself before lunging into his arms. There was only a paper’s width distance between us.
"Dammit. I can’t get you out of my head, but there’s so much at stake that you don’t know about." His eyes flicked to my lips. "But I can’t walk away. You should go. This isn't good."
No, no it wasn't. At least, I knew he was struggling the same way I was.
He reached out and brushed his fingertips against my cheek, causing my skin to buzz. I should tell him he’s an asshole and then walk away. But it was like my soul needed him, overriding any sense of rationale that I’d normally have.
That's when there was no doubt in my mind. He was my fated mate, but the problem was he'd never be mine. He was an heir and obviously cared more about appearances and expectations while I could never measure up to his specific requirements.
He growled in a way that warmed my body. He took a step forward, eliminating any barriers between us. “I don’t want this. This is too damn tempting. We don't need to be alone together." His hand fisted my hair at the back of my neck. Within seconds, his lips were on mine.
I'd been kissed before, but never like this. He tasted of sunshine. It was the only thing I could compare it to. The type of taste the air has on a gorgeous sunny day. My whole body came alive as I matched his tongue, stroke for stroke.
A low growl emanated from his chest as he let go of my hair and grabbed my bag, tossing it to the ground. He grabbed my ass and lifted me up so I could wrap my legs around him.
In that moment, I forgot everything—what he had done to me, where we were, and how I had somewhere else I needed to be. The only thing that mattered was his touch and how very badly I needed him to own me.
A loud thud sounded as a door opened and shut above. Within seconds, footsteps were pounding down the stairs, breaking us out of whatever haze we were in.
He dropped me back on my feet and scooted back away.
My wolf whimpered in pain, and my heart hurt, which was asinine. I should've known that wasn't him giving into our bond, but the bastard should’ve known better than to kiss me. It had only kicked off the cementing of the bond. He’d only made it that much harder for both of us.
"Is there a problem?" Evan's icy voice came from behind me.
I spun around and faced him. Neither Liam nor I could be trusted together, which sucked hard. We were