Page 49

KEENE

W ell. I’d broken the seal.

I’d been a good boy and managed not to look at Waverly or think about her in any inappropriate way for over a whole fucking year.

And everything had been fine. I’d been a perfectly respectable gentleman, albeit an annoying one, on purpose, just to get under her skin because nothing seemed to light her up like the way I pissed her off.

But otherwise, I had behaved, and I hadn’t even felt the need to misbehave around her.

Until now…

Now, misbehaving was all I could think about.

And no matter how long I stayed away, the itchy, achy compulsion to get back into her panties just would not go away. I had thought all I needed was a bit of time to screw my head on straight and shove her back into the friend zone where I wanted her to belong. But no…

I still wanted to fuck her. I wanted to fuck her in my bed, on my Jeep, against that damn checkout counter in the library.

I wanted to fuck her standing up, lying down, front-ways, back-ways, just any way she’d let me.

As long as my cock ended up inside her, that was all I wanted.

It was all I breathed. All I dreamed about.

And it was driving me batty.

My roommates were no help, either.

The Tuesday after discovering Waverly’s secret identity, when I’d yet to tell anyone about it because I was still reeling from it myself, Xander up and started acting weird on me.

I was in the kitchen, standing at the counter and making myself a hot drink when she strolled in.

After murmuring good morning to Alec, who was sitting at the table, reading something on his phone, she came straight to me, where she hopped onto the countertop right next to where I was working.

Crossing her legs, she set a hand on her bare knee as if purposely drawing attention to it, and she started to swing one foot, all the while twirling a piece of her platinum hair around her index finger.

“Hey, Keene. Whatcha drinking today?”

I grunted, not really in the mood for morning conversation. “Coffee.”

“Mm. Sounds good. Can I have a sip?”

I glanced up at her because it was such an odd fucking request. And I found her wearing a white tank that was thin and tight enough to reveal the pink bra underneath along with a bucket load of cleavage.

But oh, that wasn’t all. Her shorts were these short little things that showed off plenty of thigh.

Thighs that were perched just inches from my coffee.

I blinked at her, not sure what the hell was going on.

“Can’t you make your own?” I asked, frowning in confusion.

“But I don’t want a whole cup to myself.” Smiling invitingly, she murmured, “Just a sip.”

My jaw dropped, and I blurted, “Are you flirting with me?”

Across the room, Alec glanced up from his phone and blinked at us, taking in the sight of Xander sitting on the counter and leaning suggestively my way.

Flushing bright red, Xander jerked away and popped off the counter, snapping, “No! What the hell?”

I lifted my eyebrows, disagreeing, and glanced pointedly at her breasts she’d made sure to put on display.

Huffing, she crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, “Stop being a dick. I was just testing something.”

“Testing what ? Your flirting skills? Try ’em out on Younger, will you? I’m not in the mood today.”

Xander sent me a surprised blink, and Alec even seemed to do a double take before he asked, “You’re not in the what ?”

“What?” I demanded, wondering what was so wrong with wanting to be left alone.

“Dude,” my best friend said, looking honestly worried. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I stated a little too defensively. “Why?”

“Because you’re always in the mood to flirt and hit on people,” Xander answered.

“She’s right,” Alec agreed with some surprise. “You haven’t been your usual horny self since?—”

“Since the twenty-fourth,” Xander finished for him, sounding a little smug as she spoke.

I shot her a warning glare, while Alec sent her a surprised glance. “Wow. That’s oddly…specific. How do you know the exact day?”

She smirked. “Because that’s when we had the party here to celebrate Foster’s football victory. It’s the very night he met?—”

“Mystery Girl,” Alec murmured, finally catching on.

“Except she’s not a mystery anymore, is she, Keene?” Xander taunted, earning a warning glare from me.

But it was already too late. “Wait. Say what ?” Alec asked, darting a questioning glance between the two of us. “What is she talking about?” His attention settled on me and flared. “Holy shit. Did you figure out who she was?”

Xander let out a totally unconvincing gasp of surprise and covered her mouth with one hand. “Oh no. Did you not tell your best friend you finally know who your mystery girl is? Mr. Dugger.” A scolding sound entered her tone. “That is so unlike you. But why ever would you not tell him?”

“Yeah,” Alec cut in. “Why ever wouldn’t you tell me?”

“Is it perhaps because you’re just so disappointed to learn who she was?” Xander wondered, tapping her chin in an over-exaggerated mocking way.

I shot her a killer glare and growled, “No. That is not at all the reason why.”

As if pleased by my answer, her lips spread with knowing relish. “Oh. So you’re being so hush-hush and secretive in order to protect her reputation, huh? Because you like her?”

I narrowed my eyes, not appreciating her perceptiveness at all. “You are mean,” I hissed. “And evil.”

She snickered, enjoying herself way too much.

“Now, wait,” Alec demanded, clearly annoyed about being left out of all the details. “Who even is she?”

My jaw worked as I refused to speak.

“You really should tell him,” Xander said.

“At this point, Alec’s probably the only person who doesn’t know.

Because Parker no doubt informed Thane. And we all know Oaklynn blabbed to Damien and probably Faith and Raina too.

So we can reasonably conclude that they told their boyfriends.

Which means, yeah, that just leaves poor Alec, all alone in the dark, knowing nothing. ”

“Holy shit, man.” Alec swung toward me, looking betrayed. “Am I really the only person who doesn’t know? What the hell?”

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered, throwing up my hands in defeat. “It was Waverly Frank, okay.” My hard gaze shot to Xander. “Are you happy now? You made me out her. Way to be a good friend.”

“No. I outed you ,” she countered. “Someone was going to tell Alec any day now, but no one was going to realize you’d been quiet about it for so long because you’re hiding the fact you liked learning it was her.”

“That’s it,” I muttered. “We’re back at war again, and you’re still dead to me. Go…” I shook my finger out of the room as if that would actually shoo her out of my sight. “Just—buzz off, will you?”

She laughed and shook her head as if she thought she’d actually trumped me at something—which was total bullshit. She waved at Alec and sauntered from the room, humming victoriously.

As if.

She hadn’t won shit or exposed anything. Because I didn’t like Waverly like that. I refused to.

Grumbling under my breath, I spun away, only to find Alec still sitting there, gaping at me.

“So Mystery Girl is actually… Library Girl?” he asked as if he still didn’t understand.

“Son of a bitch,” I hissed, swiping an aggravated hand over my hair. “Don’t make it a thing, alright?”

But he only blinked. “Are you sure it was really her? Because I just—she doesn’t seem like the type who would do something like that at all. I can’t even picture it.”

“Good. You shouldn’t be picturing her naked,” I growled.

Alec pulled back and blinked. “Holy shit, I—I wasn’t,” he assured, lifting his hands. “I swear. I just—wait a second. I saw her. That night. She was at Archer House before the party started. When I came out of the shower, she was right there, standing between Oaklynn and Xander.”

“What?” I exploded, gaping at him. “Why are you just now mentioning this?”

He looked cornered and surprised before sputtering, “Honestly, I forgot all about it until just now. But damn…” He whistled under his breath and shook his head slowly. “You and Library Girl.”

I pointed threateningly. “Stop picturing her naked. Right fucking now, asshole.”

Alec’s eyebrows shot sky high. Then he snickered. “Wow. This from the guy who usually forces me to look at every girl he checks out right along with him. Dude, you really do like her, don’t you?”

“No,” I snapped, scowling at him. Only to point accusingly toward the exit of the kitchen where Xander had just departed. “At least I’m not gaga over some meddling pain in the ass she-devil who doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone.”

“Xander is not a meddling pain in the—” Alec countered defensively, only to cut himself off abruptly and scowl at me for outing him and his crush.

Coming to his feet, he sniffed bitterly.

“Look, if you’re having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that you finally like a girl and want more than just sex from her, fine.

Stew and brood to your heart’s content. I don’t care.

But stop attacking me for it. It’s your problem to deal with, not mine or Xander’s or anyone else’s.

Jesus,” he muttered and walked from the kitchen, leaving me alone with the echo of his words to haunt me.

Finally like a girl.

Damn him.

I didn’t like Waverly.

I mean, yeah. Of course, I liked her. We were friends. I appreciated her in a very non-romantic, platonic way, and being in her presence was a refreshing break after being around my usual crew. She always had a way of making me feel centered. And?—

Shit. Where had I been going with this?

Right. I didn’t like her, like her.

This whole sexual awareness thing she’d made me notice was just a minor glitch, a hiccup I had to get over before we could be chill again.

Not a big deal at all.