Out of Love(9)

“Did you give Jerry the cow ear?” I widened my eyes in question as I sipped my water again and studied the side of his face. The front of his hair stood erect while the hair above his ears swept forward, framing perfection.

“Jericho. Unless you want to lose your tongue too.” He turned to slaughter me with those eyes.

Easing the water bottle away from my mouth, I grinned. “My arm and my tongue. Wow … that’s a little harsh, don’t you think?”

Slade Wylder hovered near me like a storm cloud, sending sparks of electricity through my veins and chills along my skin while siphoning oxygen from my lungs.

The professor cleared her throat at the lectern, stealing my attention. I continued to feel the wolf’s gaze stuck to me, certain my neck detected his hot predator’s breath as well. Midway through the lecture, I slid a notebook from my bag and wrote a note to Slade.

Have you ever torn a person’s arm off?

Ripped their tongue from their mouth?

Do you surf? How old is Jerry?

Would you happen to have a stick of gum on you?

Keeping my attention on the front of the room, I dropped the paper onto his lap. He read it while I squirmed in my seat. So many thoughts played tag in my head.

Have those veiny hands truly harmed anyone?

Does he just deal? Or is he an addict?

Does he play fetch with Jerry?

Would his whole face crack into a million pieces if he smiled?

What would those lips taste like pressed to mine?

That last thought jumped into the mind games without permission. I was curious … determined … not a masochist. Snatching up every douche bag just to piss off my dad was yesteryear Livy. I found his body sexy, not his attitude. I wasn’t that girl. Not anymore.

“You’re in over your head.” He stood and escaped before I completely cleansed my inappropriate thoughts.

I chased after him, hellbent on breaking him. Saving an innocent victim. Maybe just … Just what? I didn’t know. My feet carried me without giving my brain time to figure out what I was doing. It didn’t matter.

He was gone.

Not a distant silhouette. Not a fading shadow.

Just … gone.

After adjusting my backpack on my shoulder, I stabbed my fingers through my hair, turning in a slow circle, surveying the sparse dotting of students milling around. “What does that mean?” I mumbled. “How am I in over my head? Unless … you’re into something shady, Slade Wylder.”

I skipped out early on my last class of the day, packed my Jeep, and cruised to the beach to wash away the day from my body and him from my mind. Hours later, when the evening breeze slithered over my body, covering my skin with goose bumps, I glanced at my phone.

Aubrey: Is it weird that I bought a loaf of bread several days ago and I’ve only had two pieces, but now all that’s left are heels?

I grinned, knowing she wasn’t really mad. In fact, I could easily imagine her eye roll, like when I left out the peanut butter. Aubrey had passionate dreams and possessed mad organizational skills, but she struggled in school—unlike me, who rarely had to crack a book. Another trait I inherited from my dad. If I hadn’t spoon-fed Aubrey everything she needed to know to pass her hardest classes, the bread theft might have been a bigger offense.

Livy: I’ll pick some up on my way home. Grabbing dinner, then I’ll be home. LY.

“Leaving?”

I turned toward Elias, the only person I knew who spent more time at the beach than I did. He ran a hand through his wet, dirty blond hair, water rivulets sliding down his bronzed torso.

“Yeah.” I leaned to the side and twisted my hair to wring out the water before slipping on my favorite wide, ripped-neck sweatshirt that hung off my shoulder. “I’m starving.”

He followed me to the Jeep and helped me secure the board on top of it. “Wanna grab a pizza and go back to my place?”

I clenched my fingers around the frayed cuffs of my sweatshirt and leaned my back against the driver’s door. “Yes.” I tried to suppress my grin, but it only made it bigger as I felt my cheeks flush. “But I’m not going to do that.”

His head cocked to the side, sexy yet adorable like a puppy. “And why is that?”

“Because you’re my favorite fantasy.” I shrugged, diverting my gaze to the side.

A hearty laugh spread from deep in his chest to his gorgeous, white smile. “Sounds like the perfect reason for you to come over.”

“Nope.” I forced my gaze to his, and I held up the key fob and unlocked the Jeep. “I like you best in my fantasies. And I like sharing space with you here. I like flirting with you.” I turned. “You have no one to blame but yourself.”

“Me? What?” He coughed with disbelief.

I climbed into the driver’s seat. “I’ve heard you don’t sleep with the same girl twice.”

“So?” He lifted a shoulder.

“So … I think it’s infinitely more stimulating to be the one you can’t have.”

His only comeback was a smirk. Yeah … he knew the chase was everything. “Catch you later, then.”

I grabbed the door to shut it. “You’ll never catch me, but I look forward to watching you try.” With an equally sly grin, I shut the door, started the Jeep, and pulled out of the lot.