Page 195 of The Forbidden Note

I start to shove him and stop when I remember he’s injured.

“What do you want?” I snap, my voice shaking.

He leans in a little closer and my heart pounds. The connection between us is undeniable. It would be so easy to fall into that whirlpool of temptation, but I can’t.

“What did your mom say?”

“Nothing.”

“Grey.”

“What?” I put enough attitude in that word to scare off a horse.

Zane doesn’t budge. “Are you okay?”

My ribs feel like someone is pinching them closed. My throat turns scratchy. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You haven’t looked at me once since you came back.”

I zip my eyes up to his. “I’m looking at you now.”

“Yeah.” A smile touches his full lips. He strokes the side of my face with a thumb. “Yeah, you are.”

His eyes are an impossible shade of blue. Turquoise waves and bright like the sun, and yet darkness spreads out from the center, swimming flecks of onyx that warn he’s not as sunny as he pretends to be. The way he watches me is possessive and I should feel suffocated by it.

But I don’t.

The door cracks open.

Sol calls out. “Are you decent?”

“Unfortunately,” Zane says, pulling away from me. He turns to greet his brothers and Sol. “Take Grey home and get started on that search first. I’ll check myself out of the hospital and meet you there.”

I surge forward, nearly knocking into his chest. “Absolutely not. You have a head wound, several bruises, and a broken wrist. You need to stay here forat leastthree more days.”

“I’m fine, tiger.” He leaks a dazzling smile that would probably send half of Redwood Prep fainting. “But I like that you’re worried about me.”

I realize I’d spoken too vehemently and inch away from him. “I’m not.”

“No?”

I backpedal. “As your teacher—”

“Oh? My teacher?” He prowls toward me.

“It is my responsibility to make sure you don’t make stupid decisions.” Halting to a stop, I speak intently, “You really shouldn’t leave the hospital yet.”

Behind us, I hear Sol murmur, “Like he’ll listen to that…”

“Okay.”

The soft thud of Sol’s jaw hitting the floor is all I hear.

Even I’m surprised.

“Let’s make a deal. I’ll stay another night,” Zane leans forward and whispers, “if you spend it with me.”

I shove him back.