Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(55)

He’d shown up for classes today as he said he would. And because he knew she didn’t want everyone assuming they were together, he hadn’t been overly friendly. But dad blast it if every time she looked his way, he wasn’t watching her through his thick dark lashes with a sexy smile on his face. She’d bet her best bra that he was thinking about them kissing. About what it would be like to do more than make out.

And seeing him and that heart-stopping smile made her think about it, too. It was as if her brain needed an escape from her other problems, so it took her there. It took her back to Steve’s lips on hers, to feeling his touch.

But damn it, she didn’t want to go there. Especially in the middle of math, with several students able to smell her pheromones.

Nor did she want to think about having to tell him she was leaving shortly after classes were over. But she had to tell him. She couldn’t just leave. That would be rude. Della might not excel at being nice, but she worked at not being rude. Well, most of the time.

Miranda cleared her throat and brought her back to the problem at hand: the nosy little witch problem.

“I won’t be long,” Della huffed.

“What is it that you have to do?” Miranda asked, her tone filled with impatience.

Della almost broke her anti-rude rule. “I have to talk to Steve,” she bellowed out.

“Now see, was that so hard to just tell us?” Miranda’s eyes grew round. “Oh, wait. Are you going to confront him about the doctor’s daughter?”

Kylie gave Miranda a sharp elbow in her ribs.

Della frowned. “What do you know about that?”

Miranda’s expression went forcibly innocent. “I don’t know anything.” She looked at Kylie and then shifted to stand behind her as if Della might attack.

Della was considering it, too. “Spill it!” Della rubbed her head when the throbbing pain in her right temple inched up a degree.

Kylie exhaled. “She … we don’t know anything.” She pulled Miranda from behind her. “Look, we both noticed the girl didn’t seem to be able to look away from Steve. She seemed to have a thing for him.”

They weren’t saying anything Della hadn’t already concluded, but it hurt to know she wasn’t the only one to notice.

“I … I gotta go. I’ll be back here before four.” She took off, not even sure where she was going, except to find Steve. Heck, she didn’t know what she was going to say to him, except to tell him she was leaving. But the hurt and jealously radiating through her stung deep. It reminded her of how she felt when her dad walked out yesterday.

Chapter Sixteen

Della ended up at Steve’s cabin. Instead of knocking on the door, she peered into his window. Heart still hurting, she studied him. Looking comfortable, he stretched across his bed. His orange T-shirt lay on the corner of his nightstand. All that golden skin covering his chest and back looked so touchable. The muscles in his shoulders and arms had her remembering what it felt like to lean against him. His faded jeans fit nicely—not tight, tight would have looked gross—but snug enough to showcase the firm body below.

Holy moly, she wanted to pull that window up and crawl into that bed with him. To feel all of him, against all of her. She wanted to forget her problems and just let him make her feel … alive and cared about.

It wasn’t just how much she liked how Steve looked. She liked how he made her feel about herself. He made her feel normal. And sexy. The smile pulled at her lips again as she let herself enjoy the view a little longer.

Instantly, she recalled their conversation when Jessie had knocked on his door and mentioned him being shirtless. The fact that she wasn’t the only one enjoying the half-naked Steve had her chest tightening with jealousy. And that feeling confirmed her fear.

She was too damn close to falling smack-dab in the middle of love with the sweet, hot shape-shifter lying on that bed. Did she really want to go there again? Hadn’t love already let her down once?

Steve glanced up, a sexy bedroom smile spread across his expression. Then he bounced off the mattress and opened the window.

“I was hoping you’d drop by.” He offered her a hand.

She debated telling him to come outside, not wanting to stir up any rumors by getting caught in his bedroom. Then again, he’d already been caught leaving her bedroom. Sure, Derek wasn’t the type to start rumors, but according to Jenny, everyone already knew Della and Steve had a “thing.”

Define “thing,” her heart screamed out as she placed her hand in his. His warm palm came against hers. That touch was all it took to make her whole body zing with electricity. Steve’s touch was like a live wire, and yet despite its intensity, she still wanted more.

Her breath caught. Was she going to let this continue? Or was she going nip this thing in the bud before … before it was too late?

It might already be too late, a voice inside her head whispered.

She let him help her up even though she didn’t need his help.

Her feet weren’t flat on the floor when he pulled her against him and kissed her.

She put her hands on his chest to protest, but nothing inside her wanted to object. So she didn’t. She let it happen, like she’d let all his kisses happen. Had she successfully stopped even one of his kisses? She didn’t think so. When it came to him, she was a weakling. Was it wrong not to hate that?