Page 62

There is no reply, yet those eyes are glued to me. The malice is palpable, waiting to sink its teeth into my spine. I tilt my head, trying to pierce the solid darkness with my eyes.

“There you are.”

Connor’s deep voice shatters the silence, and my head snaps around. I exhale in relief when his smiling face appears at the end of the row. He strolls over to me, cupping my cheek.

“Hi,” I manage to grate out, my relief audible.

Connor tilts my chin up and brushes his lips over mine. “I missed you, so I came to find you.”

The fear and the adrenaline course through me, and suddenly, they morph into something else. I place my hands on his waist and lean into him, deepening the kiss a little. Connor backs me up until I’m pressed against the wood of the shelves. He smiles and whispers against my lips, “This is becoming our thing.” He pulls back, looking around. “Though, a much spookier area than last time.”

My lips twitch, and I reach up, tunneling my fingers into his hair and pulling his head down so his lips meet mine again. Adrenaline still courses through me, and I need to get rid of this lingering unease. I need Connor. He groans, and I expect him to cup my ass and lift me so that I can wrap my legs around him, but he doesn’t. Instead, he pulls back and drops to his knees. His eyes are so dark, the blue almost completely swallowed by his arousal.

He slowly glides his hands up my thighs and over my hips. Slipping his fingers into the waistband of my panties, he tugs them down my legs and helps me step out of them. I pant, watching him as he hooks one of my knees over his shoulder, opening my core to him.

Connor leans in and brushes his lips over my pussy, his tongue caressing lightly over my clit. The surge of pleasure washes away my fear and unease, and I lean my head back against the shelf. Connor’s hot breath teases at my wet core, and I grip his dirty blond hair, seeking an anchor. He digs his fingers into my thigh and licks from my opening to my clit. I arch toward him, using the shelf behind me as leverage.

“Don’t stop…” I moan, rocking my hips. Connor flicks his tongue against my clit and slowly pushes a finger inside me. I grip harder at his hair, angling his head until his tongue hits that fucking perfect spot.

“Gods. Right there…”

Connor moans but is careful not to change the rhythm, giving me exactly what I need.

Adrenaline floods my system again and unease filters past the wall of sensations. All my senses go on alert, and I open my eyes. It’s back, but it feels different now. It seems less angry and more… interested. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end, but I see nothing. My eyes remain transfixed on the shadows, even as Connor pushes a second finger inside me. My body clenches against the stretch. At the same time, I finally connect with the gaze of whatever is watching me. The sensations overwhelm me, and I bite my lip hard to hold back my cry as I come. Connor lets me ride out my orgasm against his tongue, gradually slowing his licks and gentling the pressure. He sits back on his heels and eases his fingers from me. Still, I stare into the darkness, my chest heaving.

Connor grips my hip in one large hand and carefully lowers my leg, holding on to me until he is sure I am steady. I drag my gaze from the shadows to look at him. He has a satisfied smile on his face, and my core throbs as he licks his lips, enjoying every last drop of me. As if it is a compulsion, my gaze flicks to the darkness between the stacks. I just imagined it, right? Connor stands up and kisses me hard, the taste of him and my release mingling on my tongue in such a heady and erotic way. He breaks the kiss and smiles down at me.

“I’ll see you tonight,” he says confidently.

“I’m practically under house arrest, remember?”

Connor’s smile only brightens. “I remember. I’ll bring pizza.”

I quirk a brow. “And condoms.”

The happiness that infuses his grin at my acceptance of evening plans with him is borderline painful. “It’s a date.” He kisses me quickly and hurries away.

I consider chasing after him to protest, but my gaze is drawn again to the end of the stacks. I take a step toward the presence,wanting to reach out, but the malevolence has returned, and it is stifling. My stomach twists, and my instincts scream at me to run. Run. Run. Run! This time, I listen.

26

Summer

Iemerge from my room in search of water, wearing Connor’s discarded shirt. It swallows me, the hem sitting at mid-thigh. He was reluctant to release me, but I convinced him by promising to bring him back some dessert. The guy is a bottomless pit. How does his mom cope with five of them?

I open the newly installed large double door fridge and pull out two bottles of water. I grab the pastry I got from the bakery yesterday that I forgot to eat and bump the door closed with my hip. Strong arms wrap around me, and Connor presses his soft lips to the sensitive spot beneath my ear. I inhale deeply and relax against him, reveling in the smell of clouds.

“Summer?” His voice is still a little hoarse. I did put him through quite the workout.

“Hm?” I ask, tilting my head as he trails the softest kisses down my neck, teasing me.

“Sometimes it scares me, too.” His voice is so soft I almost miss his words.

“What does?”

He nuzzles my neck, his nose brushing against my pulse. “Us.”

I frown at the way I instinctively lean back into him, seeking the comfort of his powerful body wrapped around me. “Us?”