Red Hot Obsessions (27 page)

Chapter 10
Too Close for Comfort

I’m only just getting out of bed when someone knocks on the door. Evie springs up from her bed, seemingly already dressed, and opens the door.

“Who is it?” I say, yawning.

I pick up some clothes from the floor and put them on while I hear Evie talking. And then I hear Scarlet’s voice.

Frowning, I get up and walk up to them.

“What is she doing here?” I say.

“Evie and I are going to study together today,” she says.

My face contorts. I haven’t heard about this before. Since when is she making plans without me?

“Sorry, Autumn, I forgot to tell you.”

“Thanks for mentioning,” I snarl.

“She practically forced me to,” Evie says, shrugging.

“No, I didn’t,” Scarlet says.

“Hold on a second,” Evie says, and she closes the door in front of Scarlet’s face. She comes close to my ear and starts to whisper. “I bumped into her and Brody last night when you were still at work. They were fighting, big time, and she could really use some girl time right now. She doesn’t have any other friends here.”

I cross my arms. “Oh, really? And since when are you so interested in doing charity work?”

“I’m not. Look, she offered me some cash in exchange, and I could really use some.”

“But you never work! Your parents support you all the way.”

Evie shushes me. “Look, I didn’t tell you this before, because I didn’t think it was important, but they cut me off a bit.”

“What?” I gape at her. “Why?”

“Well, you know, ever since …” She purses her lips and rolls her eyes.

It’s enough to let me know what’s the matter. I’ve known about her likes and dislikes for ages, but I guess her parents never saw it coming. They don’t accept her for the way she is.

“Look, I don’t want to go into that right now. Scarlet needs help, she offered me cash, I could use the money … one plus one equals two, right?”

“Right …” I say. I’m still reluctant to say I like the idea, but I don’t want to be a bitch either. I don’t want to claim her as my study buddy, but at the same time I don’t want to lose her either.

“Everything all right in there?” Scarlet yells through the door.

“Yeah, we’re fine. Just discussing some things before we go.”

“Okay. Let me know when you’re done.” She laughs awkwardly, and it makes me chuckle.

Evie puts her hand on my shoulder. “You okay with this?”

I sigh and nod. “Yeah.”

“You sure you’ll be okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I can study on my own.”

She smiles and then pulls me in for her big bear hug, making me choke. After a while she lets go again and opens the door.

“Ready.” Evie turns her head to me again. “See you tonight.”

“Yeah, see you later,” Scarlet says.

I really have to do my best not to roll my eyes at her. They hurry down the hall, and it surprises me they’re not hooking arms yet.

I sigh and turn around, but before I can close the door behind my back, someone pushes it back open.

With furrowed brows I look down at a foot that’s jammed in front of the door. What the …

“Got a minute?”

My eyes widen as I hear his voice.

I turn around and stare straight into his fierce gray eyes. Hunter. He looks much better than yesterday. Less blood. Still a lot of bruises, though. But his face is no longer swollen.

However, that smile of his hasn’t changed a bit. It still makes me giggly.

I open the door maybe a little too recklessly, because it slams into the wall. I immediately feel embarrassed, and it shows on my skin. Hunter laughs. The sound of it makes me quiver.

“Hey,” I say with a chirpy voice.

“Hey yourself.” He puts his hand on the door frame, and it makes him even larger than before, even though I thought that wasn’t possible. He’s so tall and masculine. My eyes feel glued to his skin. It’s like when he’s around, I can’t look at anything else anymore.

“What’s up?” I say, clearing my throat. I have to ask something. Otherwise I’ll come across like a stammering, drooling chick. And I don’t want to lower myself to that state. Although I know I already have, plenty of times.

“Hmmm, nothing. Just thought I’d come visit.”

I laugh, but my eyebrows draw together in confusion. “For no reason?”

“Yeah? Why? Can’t I come visit the girl who patched me up?”

“That’s not it, I just …” I stammer.

He lets go of the door frame and steps forward, so I step back. “You want me to leave?”

“No, no, no,” I say.

Each step he takes closer, I step one back, but the moment my back hits the wall, I have nowhere else to go. I’m trapped between the wall and his delicious body that towers above me.

A coy smile appears on his lips. “I think you do. You just don’t want to say it. You’re scared of me.”

He leans forward and puts his hand on the wall beside me. I shudder from the predatory look in his eyes. Those damn mesmerizing eyes that turn me into liquid.

God, I could stare at those for ages.

But at the same time, I want to run.

My heart is throbbing in my throat. He’s right. I’m terrified.

“That’s it, right?” he says with a voice so gruff it makes my pussy clench. And it’s just his voice. Just the sound of it is doing this to me. I don’t understand why.

He laughs, but it sounds more like a low groan. It’s a guttural sound, turning me into a puddle. For some reason I want to hear more of it.

“Even if you told me, I still wouldn’t leave. I always go against the rules.” He leans in closer, and my breath hitches in my throat the moment I feel his hot breath against my ears. “That’s why you want me.”

He moves away again. He steps back, giving me room to breathe, but all it does is make this space suddenly feel very empty. Quivering, I just stand there, as he stares at me with a devilish look on that pretty face of his.

God, I want to jump his bones and kiss him.

Fuck, he’s right. I really am attracted to him.

I don’t want to be, though.

Shit. I’m seriously glowing for a guy that breaks all the rules, ignores everything that he’s told, and goes against everything I was ever taught. He’s the epitome of a bad boy; a cocky, confident fighter, who likes to get girls worked up for no reason.

Especially girls like me.

Goddammit, he knows. He knows what he does to me. And still he continues.

“Stop being such a jerk!”

He chuckles. “Me? A jerk? Never.”

In a fit, I pick up a pillow lying on my bed and throw it at his face, but he catches it in time. He’s still laughing, and it’s making me even more pissed. “Stop laughing!”

“I can’t. You’re too funny when you’re mad at me.”

“Goddammit, I hate that.”

“Hate what? I just came here to talk to you.”

“I hate it that you come in here and … and …”

“And what? That I show you the truth about yourself? That you secretly enjoy breaking the rules and don’t want to admit it?”

My breath falters, and I close my mouth. I don’t know what to say. Part of me wants to shout and tell him to leave. Another part wants to tell him he’s right, and that I’m so goddamn into him I can’t stand it.

He throws the pillow aside. “Stop being such a snoot and open your eyes. You saw what happened yesterday. That’s the real world. You can’t hide behind your innocence forever.”

The more he says, the more I want to forget about everything.

“You can’t shut it out. You have to deal with what happened. Face it head on. It’s the only way to stop it from happening again.”

“And you think I can face it head on?” I say, crossing my arms, feeling very vulnerable all of a sudden. “How can you say that? You make it sound so easy. Like I should just get over it. I was almost raped last night!” I scream.

It’s the first time the world rolls over my lips. Tears well up in my eyes.

He steps closer again, and I draw back into my shell as usual. It’s the only way I know how to deal with things. I’m the girl who runs away. Who doesn’t even defend herself when she’s teased. The girl who hopes things will just go away as long as she ignores them. I’m not a fighter.

He is.

Hunter puts his hands on my arms, and suddenly they’re not that tough anymore. He’s gentle, and he tugs me closer until I give in.

He pulls me in for a hug. My face presses against his broad chest as I wheeze. Anxiety. This is how my body responds to all the fear and pain that was suppressed after last night. Now it’s all spilling out.

I’m crying, my tears making his shirt wet, and he’s petting my hair. Shushing me, he caresses the top of my head until I calm down.

“Shit …” I say.

“What?”

“I didn’t want to cry.”

He muffles a laugh. “Sometimes you have to.”

“Do you?”

He sniffs. “When things happen, yes. You’ve seen it.”

Somehow his confession makes this better. It makes me remember that everybody has moments of weakness.

We’re quiet for some time. I’m not sure if it’s because of our awkward conversation or because he’s holding me. Either way, it feels good, and I don’t want him to let me go.

I never knew a guy’s arms could be so comforting.

“I could help you, you know,” he says softly.

“With what?” I say, drying my tears with my hands.

I look up into his face, and he cocks his eyebrows. “Teach you some moves.”

I frown. “What … you mean …” The thought alone makes me laugh. “You want me to learn how to fight?”

He grabs my arms and pushes me forward. His grip is harsh and it forces me back into the moment. “Do you want to stop those assholes from taking advantage of you again or not? I’m not always going to be there to save you,” he says.

I nod, still wiping the tears from my eyes.

“At least … not unless you want me to.” He wriggles his eyebrows, and it makes me blush. For a moment I forget all about the fact that I was just bawling my eyes out.

“Anyway, I know just how,” he says. The left side of his lips curls up into a sly smile. “But it’ll cost you something.” His eyes move down my shirt, and he licks his lips in the process.

Oh my God. Is he checking me out?

My panties are already getting wet just from seeing his eyes skim over me like I’m worth looking at. As if I’m sexy.

But then I realize what he just said.

“I’m not some kind of―”

“Bookworm?”

“Excuse me?” I stammer.

“That’s what I need.”

“You. You need me?” I say, befuddled.

A short, cute laugh comes out of his mouth, and he wipes his finger along his lip. Oh, how I wish I could be that finger.

“Help me with studying.”

My jaw drops. I’m shocked. He wants to study? Hunter Bane actually cares about his college degree?

“Well … this is new,” I say.

“Don’t look so surprised. I told you, I think it’s important, but there are other … things in my life right now that make it … difficult, to say the least.” He clears his throat. “So, are you in or not?”

“Uh … Yeah, sure.”

Hunter grabs a book lying on my bedside table and dangles it in front of me. “If you help me with this, I’ll teach you how to defend yourself.”

“All right. Deal.” I try to snatch away the book, but he skillfully avoids me.

With a devious smile he turns around and starts walking toward the door. “Great. Then let’s get started.”

Chapter 11
Infatuation

I walk after him like a puppy dog, and we go into his room. He puts my book down on his desk and turns around.

“We’ve got an hour or two. My roommate will be back by then.”

“What does him coming back have to do with us studying?” I say, peering into his room.

He sits down on his bed. “Can’t have him see me read a book.”

I gaze at him, and the serious look on his face makes me burst out into laughter.

“What? Are you serious?”

“I’m dead serious.”

“It’s just a book.” I use the table to lean back.

“Not to them. They’d kick my ass if they saw me trying too hard. Nah, I gotta fit in.”

“With who?”

“No one.”

So, he refuses to talk about it. I’m still going to want to know. I won’t stop asking about it.

He clears his throats and pats the bed. “Sit down.”

It sounds more like a command than a question. Still, I do as he says. Those eyes of his are luring me, coaxing me to come. My body wants to do whatever it takes to get close to him.

I’m not so sure anymore what my brain has to say.

As I sit down, I look at his bruises and the scabs on his wounds. “It’s healing quite nicely.”

“Yeah, about that, do you think we could take off the bandage? I don’t really want to go out into the world looking like I have a war wound.”

I chuckle. “Sure. I didn’t know you were that insecure.”

“I’m not. I just don’t want them to ask any questions.”

I have no idea who ‘them’ is, but I think it has something to do with the guys he keeps hanging around with.

Squinting, I start peeling off his bandages. His eyes are on me like a hawk, checking my movement. I have to twirl it around his head to take it off, so I lean forward. Sometimes I catch him flashing a glance at my boobs. My entire body zings from seeing it. Like I want him to see me. Almost as if I’m prepping to be touched.

I clear my throat once I’m done, and check the remaining scar to see if it’s healing well enough.

“Are you afraid they’ll ask you why you were in a fight?” I say.

He snorts. “Oh, no. They know already.”

“Then what? You’re afraid to look weak?” I say.

When he doesn’t answer, I know I made the right guess. “What does it matter what they think? You were the one who told me that the only thing that matters is what
you
think of yourself.”

His eyebrows tighten and he looks down at the floor. “I said that because it’s true, but my situation is a little more complicated than that. I need to be fit and ready, at all times.”

“For what? Fighting?”

He sighs, which sounds more like a dragon’s breath, and reaches over to his fridge, taking out a bottle of water. He holds the plastic bottle against his swollen face, the coldness of it probably soothing to him.

“I fight because I have to.”

“Why?”

“Stop asking so many questions. I saved your ass. That’s the only thing you need to know.”

I swallow and sit back. I feel I overstepped his limits a bit. “Thank you for helping me back there. If it wasn’t for you, I’d be …” I push away the word again. “How come you were there anyway?”

“I was watching them. Still pissed I didn’t spot them leaving the joint. Otherwise I would’ve been there way quicker.”

“You were watching them?” I say with a voice that makes me sound like an interviewer.

He shuts his mouth and just stares at me.

Okay … I guess even that question is too much for him.

I wonder what in the world he’s hiding.

“Well, your wounds look like they’ve healed quite nicely. Should be no more than a couple of days before the scars are completely gone.”

“Too bad. I kinda liked the idea of looking like a pirate.” He leans closer, makes a
yaarrghh
sound, and forms hooks with his fingers.

We both burst out into laughter.

We spend the next hour going over his homework and outlining what needs to be done in order to catch up. He’s behind schedule by quite a bit, and it worries me to see him struggle this much. I didn’t know he had so much trouble coping with college life.

When he throws the book to the other end of the room, I sigh.

“Enough for today. I’m fucking tired already,” he says, yawning.

“But we haven’t even started yet.”

He shrugs, and I stand up. I pick up his book lying next to the book shelf, and when I come back up I can’t help skim over the many books inside. It’s like a treasure chest to me. I wish I could just grab a bunch of them, sneak out, lock myself in my room, and read all day.

I hear footsteps behind me. Then I feel his chest press up against my back.

I shudder. His pecs are pushing against my back, and I love how it feels. My whole body clenches with need.

“I used to read a lot when I was little,” he says softly.

“I can see …” I say.

“You like books a lot, don’t you?” he says, and he lowers his head so he can look into my eyes. I don’t dare turn my head. I’m much too excited. Electrified by his proximity.

And then my eyes catch a peculiar book.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
.

I gasp. “Oh my God! You’ve read
Harry Potter
? God, it’s been ages since I last saw that book.”

He chortles softly, so close to my ear it’s making me shiver.

I turn around within his arms and find myself gazing into his hypnotizing eyes.

“I told you, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Reading is … difficult. But if I have the patience, I enjoy it.” I don’t even hear the words he’s saying. All I can see are those rugged lips as they separate. How he licks his lips in between and squeezes them. How I want to kiss him.

He inches forward. The intoxicating scent of his aftershave arouses me. His arm reaches past me, and I’m still amazed by the size of his muscles as they move beside me. I gulp when I see them flex. He takes out the book and holds it in front of me.

“You can have it.”

He waits until I hold up my hands and gives it to me. “I … I …” I stammer like a dribbling, love-struck teen.

When I look at him all I see is hotness. Power. Masculinity. He radiates sex. Oozes it from his protruding veins. Screams it through his magnificent eyes.

And it’s such a turn-on, I can’t stand it.

All I want is for him to be closer, to touch him, to have his hands all over me. I’d like that.

Suddenly he moves back and clears his throat. “Well, I guess we should call it a day, for now. Let’s continue tomorrow.” He opens the door for me.

I smile and draw in a much-needed breath. “Yeah, sure.” I walk to the door, clenching the book firmly against my chest.

“Cool,” he says as I walk out. “See you tomorrow then?”

I nod, and he nods, and then a moment of very uncomfortable silence follows.

“See ya,” he says, and then he closes the door in front of me.

I just stand there, staring at the wood. My heart is beating like crazy. My breath is crazily fast. I want to jump up and down from all the tension that’s been building up inside me.

God, I could squeal forever.

I have to tell someone. I really have to talk to someone, right now. This has got to come out.

I think I’m falling for Hunter.

But Evie’s not around, and I have no idea where to find her. Sure, I could go looking, but that would take me ages, and by that time it’ll no longer be fresh.

Maybe I could tell Brody.

It’s not such a bad idea, actually. I mean, he was my best friend, before I had Evie. He can’t have changed
that
much, can he? I don’t want our friendship to disappear. Maybe if I tell him some good news he’ll cheer up.

Before I realize it, I’m already standing right in front of his door. I try not to be overly enthusiastic as I open it.

“Brody, I …”

My voice stops working.

Brody’s behind his desk, fidgeting with plastic bags. He’s putting some white powder inside them.

My eyes widen as I see him doing the thing I never imagined. He’s preparing drugs?

He turns his head the moment I burst in and covers his stuff with his jacket. “What are you doing here?” he snaps.

He gets up, and I immediately step back as he comes toward me. “I don’t have time right now,” he says, and he slams the door shut.

It takes me a while to realize I’m not even breathing.

I take in a sharp breath. If what I saw there was real, Brody is a … drug dealer?

My God …

Why?

“Brody,” I shout. “Open the door. We need to talk.”

No response.

I start banging on the door, but he doesn’t open. “Why are you doing this?”

I’m asking questions I know the answer to already. But I don’t understand why he couldn’t think of any other way to make enough money. I know we’ve always been a bit poor, but that doesn’t mean he should stoop so low and just go the criminal route.

This can’t be real. It just can’t. Never in my life would I have imagined him dealing drugs. And yet everything he’s done the last couple of days suddenly makes all the sense in the world. He’s changed so much, I don’t even recognize him anymore.

And that’s when I realize he’s no longer my friend.