Page 94 of Wicked Dove

I glance at Ocean, and she doesn’t even budge at the noise. At least I’m not the only one.

Brushing my hair back off my face, I kick the covers off and swing my legs over the side of the bed. Another knock sounds before I can even stand up, and I hurry toward the door, hoping not to disturb Ocean.

With a deep breath, I open the door just a fraction to find the wolf who has been haunting my dreams.

“Rion,” I breathe, and he grins at me, leaning against the door frame in just a pair of shorts. His chest is on full display, every muscle glistening, and I don’t know where to look.

“Hey,” he says with a grin, and I yank my gaze from his pecs to his eyes, but I know I’m already busted.

Clearing my throat, I quickly try to change the subject. “Hey, have you been in my room?” I blurt, and he frowns.

“No. Why?” he asks, and I shake my head.

“Never mind. What do you want?”

He purses his lips, mischief dancing in his eyes as he nods at me.

“You.”

I can feel my skin tingle at his teasing, but I try to hide it the best that I can. “I’m going back to bed. Goodbye, Rion,” I whisper, moving back a step to shut the door, but he stops me before I get a chance.

“Petal,” he breathes, and I rake my teeth over my bottom lip.

“What?”

“Come to my bed,” he murmurs, making my stomach clench as I scoff.

“Does that usually work on girls?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know, I’ve never tried,” he admits, a shimmer of something in his gaze, but I brush it off.

“Why don’t I believe that?”

He shrugs again. “Come hang out with me,” he pushes, and I gnaw at my bottom lip.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I decide, my voice weak and my certainty waning. He’s easy and fun to be around, and right now, my bed doesn’t seem like the safest place.

“It’s just me. I want to watch this new movie, but I don’t want to watch it alone.” He pouts, but it’s the loneliness that I see in his eyes that makes me pause.

I must be insane.

“You better have popcorn.”

Butter popcornafter brushing my teeth is not the vibe. Neither is lying in Rion’s bed again, but this time, he’s right beside me. Maybe itisa vibe and I’m struggling to fully appreciate it, or the movie, with him this goddamn close.

I’m acutely aware of his every breath as the action movie plays on his television. I have no idea what’s going on, but I could probably hazard a guess at how many little freckles he has smattered across his chest because I can’t stop looking. I don’t think I’ve managed to look away for more than two minutes.

Nineteen freckles. That’s my final answer.

I need to get out of my head. We’ve been here for over an hour now and I’m still on edge from his proximity.

“Petal, you can’t keep staring at me and running your tongue over your bottom lip like that. It’s killing me,” Rion mutters, making a show of adjusting his cock beneath his shorts, and I press my thighs together as I refocus on the television, refusing to meet his stare.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whisper, hoping to keep my voice even, but it still hitches with the lie.

“Of course not.” He’s amused and I hate it.

Sitting up, I shuffle back to lean against his headboard in an attempt to ease the tension rippling around us. He cocks a brow at me, I spy it out of the corner of my eye, and I sigh. “Why did you tell Professor Drayker about my father?” I blurt, aware that the movie is completely lost on me at this stage, but I’m quickly enraptured by how he stiffens when I turn my attention to him once again.