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25

Summer

C onnor is sitting between the twins again. I frown as I sit down. Did I imagine what happened yesterday? Did I imagine we made out in the middle of the cafeteria for all to see? No, because Nexus is filled with visual proof. Multiple people had posted snapshots of the event, and I am tagged in every one of them. The captions vary greatly from Looks like the disaster duo is corrupting the captain to Getting down and dirty in the cafeteria to Connor, you can do better.

Normally, those comments would slide off me. Do better? Please. But with Connor putting distance between us, doubts are creeping in. Once those start, they spiral, and it is almost impossible to stop them from festering.

I sink down in the seat next to Rafe, who is glaring at his burger again. Rage radiates from him all the time, even when he seems to be in a pleasant mood. Well, a pleasant mood for Rafe, anyway.

Connor once again turns all of his attention to Alice, directing his questions regarding our classes and our evening to her. Alice does her best to sidle the conversation back to me by including me in discussions regarding our classes and assignments, but Connor barely registers me. I dig my nails into the table and try to keep my mind from heading down the path of self-doubt.

“So, Alice, how is Runes going? I know you love that subject.” Connor smiles at her, and I can’t stand it. One second, he can’t get enough, and then I’m beneath his notice. This angel will not reduce me to a quivering mess of insecurity. I refuse. I will never succumb to that kind of manipulation again. The moment I stand from my seat and storm away, Connor is at my heels, following me through the canteen.

“Where are you going?” he asks, doing an annoyingly charming slow run alongside me.

I don’t stop, and the doors wobble as I shove them out of my way. “Well, clearly, you don’t want to talk to me, so I’m going to the library.”

Connor wraps his arm around my middle and spins me to face him. I glare up at him, trying to make my stare as venomous as possible. He cups my cheek, his dimples showing as he grins down at me.

“Do you miss my attention?”

I narrow my eyes at him, absolutely refusing to add to his enjoyment of my obvious ire.

Connor leans in, his breath tickling my lips. “I miss giving it to you.”

I can’t help the way my gaze flitters down to his lips, hating how inviting they look.

“I miss sitting next to you,” he whispers, brushing his thumb over my cheek.

I drag my gaze away from his mouth to meet his gaze. “Then why aren’t you?”

Wait. Do I… miss him? Oh, fuck.

Connor smiles down at me, his expression calm and unconcerned. “Because I’ve done my chasing.”

My whole body tenses. What the fuck does that mean? He doesn’t want to be with me anymore? He’s not going to try to be more with me? Why does that bother me so much? My stomach knots at the thought of him giving up on me, and I struggle to justify my uncertainty.

Connor brushes his lips over mine. “I scared you by going too fast. So, now, I’m…” Connor pauses as if he’s choosing his words carefully so as not to spook me. “Giving you space to come to terms.”

“Come to terms with what?” Connor looks as if he’s about to explain when annoyance surges through me, and I cut him off. “Never mind, don’t answer that. Bye.”

I push out of his arms and move away again, but Connor wraps his large hand around my wrist, tugging me to a stop. He waits until I look up at him and tilts his head when our eyes meet, his smile kind and soothing. “Come to terms with the fact that I’m not going anywhere.” He leans down and kisses me softly, his lips barely brushing mine but lingering. “See you tomorrow.”

He winks at me, and while I’m still stuck in that stupid cloud of confusing desire, he turns and goes back into the canteen. I’ve barely made it into the library when my phone pings in my bag. I pull it free and glance at the message, fighting to maintain my annoyance.

Connor

You’re very prickly when I don’t give you enough attention.

I give in and smile down at my phone like an idiot. There is no one here to judge my capitulation. Well, no one but myself.

Summer

Go away.

Connor

You’d miss me terribly.

I roll my eyes and shove my phone away, relaxing into the dusty peace of the library. Strolling through the stacks, I let my mind wander. Thoughts flow through me as I brush my fingers over the soft leather of the books. My gaze trails over them, taking in every title as I walk. As I move deeper into the library, everything seems to get darker, the shadows taking up more space than the light. The wood of the shelves is richer, and the area smells of old books and pine.

“Come to us.”

It’s a soft croon, brushing against my ear, but there is nothing frightening about it.

The lights are few and far between here, and any sunlight dwindled about seven rows ago.

“Power hides here, find it, use it,” the voice continues.

I walk deeper into the seemingly never-ending room, willing myself to get lost. I long to be forgotten like the ancient tomes that line these walls. It is so quiet here, and it feels like I’ve entered another realm.

“Don’t you want to be strong? Dangerous? Deadly?”

It’s like a secret world, protected from light and noise. The only sound is my breathing and the echo of my heels against the wood floors.

“You have so much to learn. There is so much you don’t yet know.”

I slow as I come to a particularly dark shelf. Shadows cling to it differently than any other, and it intrigues me. Slowly, I reach for one of the barely visible books. My fingers anticipate the feel of the old, worn leather, but I pause. The hair stands on the back of my neck, and my muscles ache with tension. Whatever lured me to this part of the library has gone silent. The beckoning voice that whispered of forbidden power is gone. My breath fogs in front of my face, and my fingers ice over where they are resting on the shelf, locking me to the wood.

My heart pounds in my chest, but not because my fingers are stuck. Someone is watching me. I can feel the eyes on me from somewhere in the shadows. The need to turn and face the stare is perfectly counterbalanced by fear, so I remain perfectly still.

The gaze isn’t kind. It isn’t intrigued. It’s hateful . A tremor goes down my spine, and goosebumps form over my skin. It doesn’t feel like the gaze of my hunter. It feels worse. I swallow and slowly turn my head. The morbid curiosity wins out, and I peer into the darkened shelves behind me. Nothing. There is only the yawning abyss of the dark stacks, hoping to swallow me whole. I slowly drop my hand, surprised to find the ice gone. My fingers burn slightly from the cold, the only indication that it ever existed. I twist my shoulders, searching deeper into the shadows.

“Hello?” My voice is shocking, and my heart is pounding so hard in my chest that I can barely hear the oppressive silence.

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.