Looking at him for a few seconds feels like an eternity. It’s so dead quiet in here. Neither of us knows what to say.
“Thanks,” I say after a while. “For coming to my rescue.”
“I would do it again.”
I blush and smile, and the smile he gives me back makes the butterflies in my stomach fly even more.
“Well … goodnight,” I say, and I turn around and walk to the door at an awkward pace.
“G’night.”
Before I walk out I peek one last time at the wicked fighter lying in his bed.
He looks darn cute and sexy when he tries to sleep.
And then I close the door.
“What are you doing?”
I jolt up and shriek, startled. I immediately turn around. Evie is standing right in front of me, her hands clenched to her waist, and she looks pissed.
“Going to bed,” I say with a quavering voice.
“That’s Hunter’s room,” she says, pointing.
“Obviously.”
“You just came out of his room.” Her eyes scan my face, and when she lowers them to look at my clothes, her pupils dilate. “Oh my God!”
I shush her by putting my finger on her lips. “Don’t shout so much.”
“But you’re covered in blood! Shit. Are you all right?” She grabs my shirt and lifts it, inspecting my tummy where the stain was. “There’s no wound.”
“That’s because it isn’t mine.” I jerk my shirt loose and lower it again.
She squints, and I can almost see her brain working.
Biting my lip, I say, “It’s Hunter’s. He got into a fight.”
“I knew it! He’s the one who was in the fight the other day. People have been talking about him.” She gapes at me with furrowed brows. “And you were in there? With that guy, who’s got a temper like a stick of dynamite?”
“Shhh,” I say. “Stop making so much noise. Let’s go to our room. We can talk there.”
I push her inside and close the door behind us.
“Autumn, you really shouldn’t be around that guy,” Evie says. “He’s bad news. Big time.”
“I had to help him.”
“Why? You could’ve called nine-one-one.”
“He didn’t want to go to a hospital.”
She snorts. “Why not? Afraid of needles or something?”
“I don’t know … It doesn’t matter. The point is I was the only one who could help him out. What else was I supposed to do? Leave him out there, bleeding to death?”
She sighs. “Well … No, of course not, but …”
“But what?”
“Why were you even there in the first place? I thought you were working at Denny’s place. Next thing you know I find you sneaking out of Hunter’s room.”
“I …” I hesitate. I want to tell her, but at the same time I don’t want to speak. Not about that. I don’t want to relive the moment some group of dickheads almost raped me.
But I’m so grateful Hunter was there to save me and kick their asses. I owe him. Big time.
How can I explain that to her? She won’t understand. Just by looking at her I can see she’s starting to hate him, just like almost every other guy she meets. Her eyes are practically burning with fire.
If I say anything, all it’ll do is cause her to ask more questions. I’m tired, and I really don’t want to talk about it. I want to bury it somewhere deep and never think about it again.
I take a deep breath before I speak. “I didn’t see anything, okay. I wasn’t there when it happened. I just found him and fixed him up. That’s it.”
I know I’m lying. And I hate myself for it, but I really want to sleep right now. Maybe I’ll tell her sometime later, when things have calmed down.
When I’ve had the time to calm down.
She sits down on her bed and changes into her pajamas. “Well, I still think it’s risky to hang out with him.”
I sigh, closing my eyes. “I don’t think he’s that bad. There’s just a lot we don’t know about him.” I sit down on my own bed and start changing, too.
“Like what? You saw who he hangs out with,” she says, crawling under her blanket.
“So? Maybe he has a good reason.” I lie down in bed and pull up the covers.
She shakes her head. “Look, I’m just worried about you, okay? After what happened with Brody … I don’t want to see you go in the same direction.”
I turn around and face her. “I know. And I won’t. I promise.”
She smiles at me, and even though I can see it’s fake, I smile back. I want to reassure her that everything’s going to be all right.
At least, I hope it will.
Chapter 10
Too Close for Comfort
I’m only just getting out of bed when someone knocks on the door. Evie springs up from her bed, seemingly already dressed, and opens the door.
“Who is it?” I say, yawning.
I pick up some clothes from the floor and put them on while I hear Evie talking. And then I hear Scarlet’s voice.
Frowning, I get up and walk up to them.
“What is she doing here?” I say.
“Evie and I are going to study together today,” she says.
My face contorts. I haven’t heard about this before. Since when is she making plans without me?
“Sorry, Autumn, I forgot to tell you.”
“Thanks for mentioning,” I snarl.
“She practically forced me to,” Evie says, shrugging.
“No, I didn’t,” Scarlet says.
“Hold on a second,” Evie says, and she closes the door in front of Scarlet’s face. She comes close to my ear and starts to whisper. “I bumped into her and Brody last night when you were still at work. They were fighting, big time, and she could really use some girl time right now. She doesn’t have any other friends here.”
I cross my arms. “Oh, really? And since when are you so interested in doing charity work?”
“I’m not. Look, she offered me some cash in exchange, and I could really use some.”
“But you never work! Your parents support you all the way.”
Evie shushes me. “Look, I didn’t tell you this before, because I didn’t think it was important, but they cut me off a bit.”
“What?” I gape at her. “Why?”
“Well, you know, ever since …” She purses her lips and rolls her eyes.
It’s enough to let me know what’s the matter. I’ve known about her likes and dislikes for ages, but I guess her parents never saw it coming. They don’t accept her for the way she is.
“Look, I don’t want to go into that right now. Scarlet needs help, she offered me cash, I could use the money … one plus one equals two, right?”
“Right …” I say. I’m still reluctant to say I like the idea, but I don’t want to be a bitch either. I don’t want to claim her as my study buddy, but at the same time I don’t want to lose her either.
“Everything all right in there?” Scarlet yells through the door.
“Yeah, we’re fine. Just discussing some things before we go.”
“Okay. Let me know when you’re done.” She laughs awkwardly, and it makes me chuckle.
Evie puts her hand on my shoulder. “You okay with this?”
I sigh and nod. “Yeah.”
“You sure you’ll be okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I can study on my own.”
She smiles and then pulls me in for her big bear hug, making me choke. After a while she lets go again and opens the door.
“Ready.” Evie turns her head to me again. “See you tonight.”
“Yeah, see you later,” Scarlet says.
I really have to do my best not to roll my eyes at her. They hurry down the hall, and it surprises me they’re not hooking arms yet.
I sigh and turn around, but before I can close the door behind my back, someone pushes it back open.
With furrowed brows I look down at
a foot that’s jammed in front of the door. What the …
“Got a minute?”
My eyes widen as I hear his voice.
I turn around and stare straight into his fierce gray eyes. Hunter. He looks much better than yesterday. Less blood. Still a lot of bruises, though. But his face is no longer swollen.
However, that smile of his hasn’t changed a bit. It still makes me giggly.
I open the door maybe a little too recklessly, because it slams into the wall. I immediately feel embarrassed, and it shows on my skin. Hunter laughs. The sound of it makes me quiver.
“Hey,” I say with a chirpy voice.
“Hey yourself.” He puts his hand on the door frame, and it makes him even larger than before, even though I thought that wasn’t possible. He’s so tall and masculine. My eyes feel glued to his skin. It’s like when he’s around, I can’t look at anything else anymore.
“What’s up?” I say, clearing my throat. I have to ask something. Otherwise I’ll come across like a stammering, drooling chick. And I don’t want to lower myself to that state. Although I know I already have, plenty of times.
“Hmmm, nothing. Just thought I’d come visit.”
I laugh, but my eyebrows draw together in confusion. “For no reason?”
“Yeah? Why? Can’t I come visit the girl who patched me up?”
“That’s not it, I just …” I stammer.
He lets go of the door frame and steps forward, so I step back. “You want me to leave?”
“No, no, no,” I say.
Each step he takes closer, I step one back, but the moment my back hits the wall, I have nowhere else to go. I’m trapped between the wall and his delicious body that towers above me.
A coy smile appears on his lips. “I think you do. You just don’t want to say it. You’re scared of me.”
He leans forward and puts his hand on the wall beside me. I shudder from the predatory look in his eyes. Those damn mesmerizing eyes that turn me into liquid.
God, I could stare at those for ages.
But at the same time, I want to run.
My heart is throbbing in my throat. He’s right. I’m terrified.
“That’s it, right?” he says with a voice so gruff it makes my pussy clench. And it’s just his voice. Just the sound of it is doing this to me. I don’t understand why.
He laughs, but it sounds more like a low groan. It’s a guttural sound, turning me into a puddle. For some reason I want to hear more of it.
“Even if you told me, I still wouldn’t leave. I always go against the rules.” He leans in closer, and my breath hitches in my throat the moment I feel his hot breath against my ears. “That’s why you want me.”
He moves away again. He steps back, giving me room to breathe, but all it does is make this space suddenly feel very empty. Quivering, I just stand there, as he stares at me with a devilish look on that pretty face of his.
God, I want to jump his bones and kiss him.
Fuck, he’s right. I really am attracted to him.
I don’t want to be, though.
Shit. I’m seriously glowing for a guy that breaks all the rules, ignores everything that he’s told, and goes against everything I was ever taught. He’s the epitome of a bad boy; a cocky, confident fighter, who likes to get girls worked up for no reason.
Especially girls like me.
Goddammit, he knows. He knows what he does to me. And still he continues.
“Stop being such a jerk!”
He chuckles. “Me? A jerk? Never.”
In a fit, I pick up a pillow lying on my bed and throw it at his face, but he catches it in time. He’s still laughing, and it’s making me even more pissed. “Stop laughing!”
“I can’t. You’re too funny when you’re mad at me.”
“Goddammit, I hate that.”
“Hate what? I just came here to talk to you.”
“I hate it that you come in here and … and …”
“And what? That I show you the truth about yourself? That you secretly enjoy breaking the rules and don’t want to admit it?”
My breath falters, and I close my mouth. I don’t know what to say. Part of me wants to shout and tell him to leave. Another part wants to tell him he’s right, and that I’m so goddamn into him I can’t stand it.
He throws the pillow aside. “Stop being such a snoot and open your eyes. You saw what happened yesterday. That’s the real world. You can’t hide behind your innocence forever.”
The more he says, the more I want to forget about everything.
“You can’t shut it out. You have to deal with what happened. Face it head on. It’s the only way to stop it from happening again.”
“And you think I can face it head on?” I say, crossing my arms, feeling very vulnerable all of a sudden. “How can you say that? You make it sound so easy. Like I should just get over it. I was almost raped last night!” I scream.
It’s the first time the world rolls over my lips. Tears well up in my eyes.
He steps closer again, and I draw back into my shell as usual. It’s the only way I know how to deal with things. I’m the girl who runs away. Who doesn’t even defend herself when she’s teased. The girl who hopes things will just go away as long as she ignores them. I’m not a fighter.
He is.
Hunter puts his hands on my arms, and suddenly they’re not that tough anymore. He’s gentle, and he tugs me closer until I give in.
He pulls me in for a hug. My face presses against his broad chest as I wheeze. Anxiety. This is how my body responds to all the fear and pain that was suppressed after last night. Now it’s all spilling out.
I’m crying, my tears making his shirt wet, and he’s petting my hair. Shushing me, he caresses the top of my head until I calm down.
“Shit …” I say.
“What?”
“I didn’t want to cry.”
He muffles a laugh. “Sometimes you have to.”
“Do you?”
He sniffs. “When things happen, yes. You’ve seen it.”
Somehow his confession makes this better. It makes me remember that everybody has moments of weakness.
We’re quiet for some time. I’m not sure if it’s because of our awkward conversation or because he’s holding me. Either way, it feels good, and I don’t want him to let me go.
I never knew a guy’s arms could be so comforting.
“I could help you, you know,” he says softly.
“With what?” I say, drying my tears with my hands.
I look up into his face, and he cocks his eyebrows. “Teach you some moves.”
I frown. “What … you mean …” The thought alone makes me laugh. “You want me to learn how to fight?”
He grabs my arms and pushes me forward. His grip is harsh and it forces me back into the moment. “Do you want to stop those assholes from taking advantage of you again or not? I’m not always going to be there to save you,” he says.
I nod, still wiping the tears from my eyes.
“At least … not unless you want me to.” He wriggles his eyebrows, and it makes me blush. For a moment I forget all about the fact that I was just bawling my eyes out.
“Anyway, I know just how,” he says. The left side of his lips curls up into a sly smile. “But it’ll cost you something.” His eyes move down my shirt, and he licks his lips in the process.
Oh my God. Is he checking me out?
My panties are already getting wet just from seeing his eyes skim over me like I’m worth looking at. As if I’m sexy.
But then I realize what he just said.
“I’m not some kind of―”
“Bookworm?”
“Excuse me?” I stammer.
“That’s what I need.”
“You. You need me?” I say, befuddled.
A short, cute laugh comes out of his mouth, and he wipes his finger along his lip. Oh, how I wish I could be that finger.
“Help me with studying.”
/> My jaw drops. I’m shocked. He wants to study? Hunter Bane actually cares about his college degree?
“Well … this is new,” I say.
“Don’t look so surprised. I told you, I think it’s important, but there are other … things in my life right now that make it … difficult, to say the least.” He clears his throat. “So, are you in or not?”
“Uh … Yeah, sure.”
Hunter grabs a book lying on my bedside table and dangles it in front of me. “If you help me with this, I’ll teach you how to defend yourself.”
“All right. Deal.” I try to snatch away the book, but he skillfully avoids me.
With a devious smile he turns around and starts walking toward the door. “Great. Then let’s get started.”
Chapter 11
Infatuation
I walk after him like a puppy dog, and we go into his room. He puts my book down on his desk and turns around.
“We’ve got an hour or two. My roommate will be back by then.”
“What does him coming back have to do with us studying?” I say, peering into his room.
He sits down on his bed. “Can’t have him see me read a book.”
I gaze at him, and the serious look on his face makes me burst out into laughter.
“What? Are you serious?”
“I’m dead serious.”
“It’s just a book.” I use the table to lean back.
“Not to them. They’d kick my ass if they saw me trying too hard. Nah, I gotta fit in.”
“With who?”
“No one.”
So, he refuses to talk about it. I’m still going to want to know. I won’t stop asking about it.
He clears his throats and pats the bed. “Sit down.”
It sounds more like a command than a question. Still, I do as he says. Those eyes of his are luring me, coaxing me to come. My body wants to do whatever it takes to get close to him.
I’m not so sure anymore what my brain has to say.
As I sit down, I look at his bruises and the scabs on his wounds. “It’s healing quite nicely.”
“Yeah, about that, do you think we could take off the bandage? I don’t really want to go out into the world looking like I have a war wound.”
I chuckle. “Sure. I didn’t know you were that insecure.”
Fierce Page 8
