“A surprise? How exciting. I hope it’s the good kind of surprise and not the other kind, not the kind with Neem oil. Like the time you threw me a tea party, not the time you held back my hair while I puked.”
He grinned showing sharp, white teeth. “Penny, are you nervous? I promise I won’t bite you.”
I hesitated then let him slowly draw me over to the couch. He grabbed a remote, clicked at the enormous screen hanging over a fireplace and with that flames came to
life behind the glass wall at the same time I heard familiar music and saw my favorite characters of all time from the Telenovela, ‘Passiones’.
I squealed and actually jumped up and down before throwing my arms around Drake. “It’s a good surprise!” I squeezed him tight, burying my face in his neck and inhaling his bewilderingly intoxicating scent before I pulled away, breathing rapidly. “Do you have a blanket? Popcorn? Come on!”
I sat down on the floor in front of the couch while Drake went to get a blanket, black of course, and I wrapped it around myself, covering my nicely bruised leg. I heard popcorn popping, but I was already sucked into Laredo’s secret obsession with Marionetta.
“Drake, hurry! He’s going through her mail and he’s going to see her correspondence and have a knife fight with Antonio! You’re going to miss it!”
He laughed and soon settled beside me with a silver bowl of fluffy popcorn. He tugged on the blanket until it covered both of us and I curled beneath his arm against his side. I didn’t think about going closer to him, just one moment I was leaning against the couch, and the next I was leaning on Drake. He felt so nice, so right and perfect.
I swallowed and somehow felt less like squealing gleefully. I glanced over at Drake, and he turned his head, smiling at me before I quickly faced front again.
“Viney and Zach should be here.”
“You think Viney would like this?”
I shrugged. “She made me watch horror. That means she can watch Telenovelas, doesn’t it?”
“Honestly, I think she’d get addicted and that’s all you guys would ever do. It’s better this way, trust me.”
I leaned my head on his shoulder then sat upright because what was I doing, getting closer to him.
“Are you all right? Uncomfortable?”
I turned my head to stare at him, shook my head, and then turned back to the screen. For some reason, everything made me think of Drake, lying on his body on the steps. I could practically see Marionetta in such a position with her brother-in-law, Hester, because they were always accidentally getting into those kinds of positions. She wouldn’t snuggle under a blanket with him, though. That wasn’t an accident. What was I doing so close to Drake when it wasn’t an accident? I couldn’t be so close to him, not when my body was so stupid about him, not when my mind shut off when he brushed his fingers over my skin.
Finally, the show ended and I shot up, grabbing my laundry basket. “That was so amazing! I can’t believe you let me watch that. You’re so sweet. I’ve got to get to bed.
See you tomorrow, buddy!”
He grinned at me while he stood, folding the blanket into neat thirds before draping it over the black couch. “I’ll walk back with you.”
“That’s silly. I just walked here with you, if you walk back with me, then I’ll have to walk back with you, and then you’ll have to walk back with me, and it could take all night.”
He tugged the laundry basket. I held on for a second but then let go when the laundry bounced alarmingly. I would hate to fold it all over again. “Do you have a lotion for bruises that I could put on my back? I hit it on the stairs.”
I sighed. “Oh. Of course. That’s a good idea.”
We walked back, but I walked fast that time, like hounds were chasing me. Finally, we got back to my room and I did my code and hand scan then let Drake in with my laundry basket. I rummaged around for the right lotion and then turned back to Drake. I held it out to him, but instead he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up, over his rippling abdominals, rounded pectorals, sharp collarbones, and over his head.
I stared at him while my mouth watered and I almost dropped the lotion out of my limp fingers.
“Can you put it on me?” He gave me what may have passed for a demure smile on anyone else then turned and showed me his back. I hissed when I saw the raised welt that ran down his left trapezius. I unscrewed the lid and smoothed the lotion on, barely noticing the soft skin, the silk covering rock hard muscles, starting at his shoulder blade and working down to his hip. I rubbed and rubbed, way more than was necessary, but I couldn’t seem to stop touching him, stop stroking and sliding my hands up and down his back until he turned around, pulling the lotion out of my hands.
“My turn.” He nudged me into a chair with the elaborate rose carvings, and then started on my leg, at the knee, smoothing lotion over the skin in circular patterns, working with his thumbs over the tight muscles, up, and up, until he was at the edge of my skirt. My breath caught while he hesitated at that flimsy barrier until he slid his thumbs beneath the edge and worked up my outer thigh to my hip. His hands smoothed and caressed, until my whole body was tight and trembling. He pulled away, stood up, and carefully screwed the cap back on, the movement flexing his naked pectorals.
I exhaled in a rush before I ran a hand through my hair. “You’re going to give me a stroke.”
“I thought I did give you a stroke, several in fact. Do you need more?”
I whacked his leg. “None of that. Get to bed unless you have more excuses to keep you here.”
He stared at me for a long time before he closed his eyes, nodded slowly and turned away. He put on his shirt, his muscles disappearing beneath the fabric.
At my door, he turned and gave me a long, slow look before he nodded, flicked his eyebrows, and turned, closing the door firmly behind him.
Chapter
I spent all night dreaming about Drake. The things my dream self was capable of on stairs with Drake were shocking. I woke up in the morning fuzzy and cranky. When I came out of my room, Zach was sitting on the couch. He stood up when he saw me.
“I’ll walk with you to breakfast.”
I gave him the brightest smile I was capable of. “Sounds good.”
“Are you okay? I heard what happened on the steps. You’re lucky Drake was there to break your fall.”
I stopped walking for a minute, frowning at the students in the corridor ahead of us, heading towards the Dining room or classes. “I don’t need Drake to break my fall. How does it make sense for both of us to fall down the stairs instead of just one of us? Am I more breakable than Drake?”
He nodded, his eyes wide and sincere. “Drake is really tough. No offense, Penny, but you’re not.”
I punched his shoulder and he shook his head.
“Was that supposed to hurt?”
I lifted both of my fists and crouched down before I sighed and straightened up. “Of course it wasn’t supposed to hurt. Why would I hurt you? You’re the only one who likes all the flavors of my lollipops.”
With that, I gave him a handful of lime, which he tucked into his bag with a wide smile. “Last night after you guys hung out in your room, he came in my room and kept me up for hours.”
“What did you talk about?” Not like I cared. That much.
Zach smiled slightly. “Different things, whether he should stop flirting with you so people stopped bugging you, or if that would make things worse in the long run, who should compete in the next Chemiss tourney, the best way to take Neem oil out of wool,
he just kept talking until I finally kicked him out. I think he really liked falling down the stairs with you. You guys could go to the dance as Jack and Jill.”
I stared at him. I couldn’t let Zach think that I was going to the dance with Drake, that I was serious about him or he would never marry me. “We’re not actually going to the dance. I agreed to let him tell people that so girls wouldn’t get so crazy about him.”
He s
topped suddenly, his eyes narrowing. “You’re not actually going to the dance with him?” He nodded slowly and resumed walking. “That makes sense. He’s really annoying.”
I laughed and shook my head. “That’s true. What is with the howling? I think he’s a wannabe werewolf.”
Zach snorted. “It’s his spirit animal. Also, most girls really like it.”
“Does he do it to make girls like him?”
Zach shook his head. “Naw, he’s always run around howling. I don’t know why.
Maybe he is a werewolf.”
I snickered. “He has such big eyes.”
“And sharp teeth,”
“And big ears…”
“I heard that.”
I gasped and turned around to see Drake leaning against a pillar in the early morning light, his arms bare in spite of the chill. “We were talking about…”
Zach interrupted me. “The fairy tale dance. You guys could go as the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood.”
Drake cleared his throat, and held out a brown paper bag to me. I took it gingerly, half expecting a wolf to jump out at me, but of course a wolf wouldn’t fit, but an extremely short skirted dirndl did. I held up the green and pink thing, the white blouse with way too wide neck, the black shoes and white knee high socks, it was all so adorable.
“This is cute!” I whirled around and the skirt spun with me because it was about fifty layers of lace and chiffon.
“You said you wanted vengeance, right?” Drake murmured, moving close to put a hand on my arm.
I inhaled deeply before I beamed up at him. “I only hope all my bruises are healed because I don’t think this skirt is going to cover very much thigh.”
“That’s what makeup is for.” He stepped closer, his knee brushing mine while my chest tightened.
Zach cleared his throat. “So, Jack and Jill?”
“Hansel and Gretel.” I whirled to him. “Isn’t it fabulous? Drake is going to wear Lederhosen and we are going to look so great!”
Zach blinked at me then gave Drake a sidelong glance. “Hansel and Gretel are siblings.”
Drake shrugged. “Our hair is complementary.”
Zach cleared his throat. “Sounds pretty taboo, if you ask me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Like a wolf and a girl together are worse than a brother and sister, or the girl and the creepy old man who wants her baby, or the unconscious girl and the prince, or the other unconscious girl and the prince, or the prince dressed as a bear, never mind that one is really cool. Anyway, Hansel and Gretel were probably switched at birth or something.”
Drake cleared his throat. “Yeah, and the guy’s actually a changeling elven prince who can give the girl bliss through endless nights of shared immortality.”
I glanced over at Drake, swallowing as he smiled at me seductively. I cleared my throat and projected my voice so everyone could hear us who wanted to, or didn’t want to. “Right. Anyway, thanks so much for this super adorable Gretel costume, Drake,
because now I’ll be so cute and fabulous at the dance that I’m going to with you. It was so thoughtful and caring and brilliant for you to get us matching costumes.”
Zach winced. “That was loud.”
Drake smiled slightly. “I think that does it.”
I hesitated before I launched myself at him, forcefully enough that he should have fallen back a step, but he only braced himself and slid his hands over my lower back, holding me closer to his body. Oh dear. “I can’t wait to dance in your arms all. Night.
Long.”
I surged up to my tiptoes, hesitated a breath away from his lips then turned away, a hand on my forehead while I looked faint from being close to so much Drake. Okay. I was faint from being close to him, but he would naturally think it was my fabulous acting skills.
He fought back a laugh as he let me go, struggling to keep a dangerous and seductive look on his face. “I’ll see you later, sister.”
Zach winced while I held onto my manic smile until he was out of range.
“That was really sad.” Zach shook his head. “It would be better if he went as the wolf.
As Hansel he’ll just confuse people.”
Friday came, and it was the night before the dance. I went in to dinner with Viney, ignoring the stares of envy and hatred. I should just let them rip Drake apart like a pack of wolves. Wolves. My mouth watered for some reason and it probably wasn’t the extremely beautiful lasagna sitting on its white plate in front of me. We were at the little table in the corner Drake usually sat at, but he wasn’t there at dinner. I could have asked Viney where he was, but I liked pretending not to be interested.
“Drake’s at polo practice.”
“Mmm hmm. That’s nice. Are you going to the dance?”
She snorted. “To watch you and Drake try to dance? I’ve heard stories about your lethal ballet maneuvers. Honestly, it will probably be hilarious. I’ll think about it. Have you ever thought about having a make-out party?”
She leaned forward, staring at me over her chicken cacciatore with the gaze of a hungry predator.
I swallowed the bite of lasagna I’d just put in my mouth and gave her my least freaked out freaked out stare. “Make-up party? That is such a great idea!”
She rolled her eyes and leaned closer, keeping her voice low. “Make-out. You know, kind of a mash-up of people all kissing at the same time.”
I leaned forward until we were only inches apart. “How would that even be physically possible?”
She shrugged and stabbed a piece of chicken. “It could be a not big deal, just Zach and Drake…”
I giggled and pointed my fork at her. “You’re trying to make out with Drake. Very subtle, Viney. I don’t think it sounds very fun. I’d probably end up sitting there in super uncomfortable jeans watching two guys fight over you again. I know, we could have telenovelas on so I have something to do.” Of course I was not about to go anywhere near the making out of Drake. If I kissed him, I wouldn’t ever be able to stop. Just look at how ridiculous I’d been on the stairs, hovering over certain death but not caring even a little bit because Drake was beneath me and his leg…
She sighed and wrinkled her nose at me. “The idea of Zach and Drake making out with me is nauseating. No, you’d have to keep Zach occupied.”
I rolled my eyes. “All I have to do is dress up in a black bodysuit and paint my hair black and my face white.”
“With black lips.”
“Tons of kohl. It would help if I was two dimensional.”
She smiled slightly as she eyed me. “You are so flat you’re practically one dimensional.”
“Ha, very funny, shorty. Are you going to be around tonight?”
She shook her head. “I’ll be busy with the Makiss.”
I nodded. “I’ll probably get sucked into playing video games with Zach, although it would be way better if I could trick him into watching telenovelas with me. Maybe I can think of an actor who looks like Pitch.”
“Good luck with that.” We got up, put our plates away and separated, me heading for my room and her to her nocturnal fighting band or whatever.
I stopped suddenly as Wit stepped out of the shadows, her hair not quite as perfect as usual, wearing jeans and heels. If I’d looked anywhere near as perfectly seductive as she did, I should have had guys absolutely crawling over me.
“Why did you do this? What did I ever do to you?” Her voice was thick with tears as her eyes widened and grew moist and dewy. Where had she learned to cry on demand?
She held up a long, silk, red dress and cloak that shimmered in her hands.
I had no idea, but I could pretend. “I think in a past life you cut me off on the freeway. I think I blame my horrible driving on you.”
Her eyes narrowed as she shook the fabric in my face. “Someone heard you telling Viney that it would be funny if someone cut up my costume, and now it is. You did it, admit it!”
I stared at her then down at the silk. Had I said some
thing about cutting up a costume? I couldn’t remember. I stared at the silk, transfixed by the swirl of blood red fabric before I looked up at her. “Witley, you don’t know me very well, but I would never hurt red silk. I’d sooner go slasher on her.” I pointed at the brunette standing at Witley’s shoulder. I forced a sympathetic smile. “If you need help fixing your dress, I’d love to. I’m sure we can get it ready before the dance.”
She stiffened and curled her lips. “I’m not wearing some patched dress that you ruined. Maybe you didn’t cut it up, but you gave someone the idea, and are still guilty of the crime.”
I sighed. “What do you want me to do about it if you don’t want me to fix it?”
She smirked and lifted her chin like she’d won. “Give me your costume and take this trash in exchange.”
I stared at her. “You want to go as Gretel?” Oh seriously, she wanted to match Drake?
I was torn between wanting to scratch her eyes out and wanting to light her face on fire.
I bit my bottom lip while I struggled with the visceral rage. Witley touching something Drake had given me? Never. I’d sooner burn it and dance in the ashes. I opened my mouth then stopped. It was all very well to pretend to go to a dance with Drake to irritate girls like Wit, but every day I got closer to Drake, closer to losing my mind, my heart. Drake was my enemy. I couldn’t forget that. He would be furious if he saw Witley in the beautiful dirndl, maybe so angry that he’d leave me alone and stop being so sweet that I couldn’t help but want to nibble on him.
I inhaled deeply and gave her a sweet smile through gritted teeth while my heart ached. “Sure, Witley. We’ll trade costumes although they probably won’t fit exactly. I’m a little bit taller than you, but if that would make you feel better about the cruel prank someone played on you, I’d love to help. Come to my room and I’ll get it for you.”
She looked surprised for a moment before she smiled brightly and followed me with her band of troubled beauty queens to Lilac Stories. Witley stayed in the doorway to the commons, not quite coming in while I went to fetch the dress I’d hung up on my wall over the kiss or kill tapestry. It was an adorable dress, so cute, so perfectly woodland to go with my bedroom theme. It even had little deer cut-outs along the hem. I hesitated, considering putting itching powder inside it, but that would hurt the dress.
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