Page 72 of Habits

Green eyes find mine. “You’re cold,” he states, as if he just now comprehends that he brought us outside in freaking December when it’s cold as fuck.

Shrugging out of his dress jacket, he takes those few steps that separate us and wraps it around me. My arms slide inside and the warmth of his jacket surrounds me, the scent of cut grass and pines entering my every pore.

I burrow my head inside, pulling the material closed over my chest in hopes of keeping the warmth as I inhale deeply, savoring his scent.

The anger and frustration I was feeling only a moment ago deflates because of his sweet gesture.

The jacket is big, too big for me, falling all the way down to my knees. Wrapping it around me as not to let the cool air underneath the material, it almost feels like he’s hugging me.

“What the hell happened inside, Andrew?” I repeat, my voice soft. “How do you know Ethan?”

“The better question is—” He leans closer, eyes narrowed and jaw set tight. “What the hell are you doing with him on adate?”

The last word comes out as an angry, irritated growl. He’s leaning into my face so I can see every dot in his eyes and every line marring his forehead, including the vein throbbing furiously.

He’s pissed.

But so am I.

How dare he? He’s the one who’s been hooking up with other girls ever since I’ve known him. I stopped counting the number of different girls hanging from his hand between our hook-up in library and now. He fucked a girl at the Halloween party, kissed another one in the cafeteria just to piss me off, lets them hang off him like they’re accessory simply because he gets a thrill of knowing they find him irresistible.

Fucking idiotic douchebag.

I shove him away, putting all the strength behind that one push. “It’s none of your business, Hill,” I spat. “You don’t get to come out here, cause a scene and then demand answers from me, like I’m the one in the wrong here!”

“No? You went on a fuckingdatewith my biggest enemy and asshole …”

I roll my eyes at him. “You’re the one saying …”

“While we’re…” He stops, opens his mouth, but no words come out. Andrew is so close to me, panting hard, puffing little clouds in the air on every exhale. “While we’re …”

“While we’re … what?” I don’t let his nearness and height intimidate me. Taking one step nearer, I’m now so close our chests are brushing.

Inhale.

Brush.

Exhale.

“Whatever the hell we are.”

“Nothing.” I let my eyes meet his and hold his gaze. “We’re nothing. Fooled around a few times, had sex twice. Aren’t you the ultimate love-‘em-and-leave-‘em guy?”

“Maybe I am, but listen to me carefully, Jeanette.” His cool fingers brush against my cheek, untangling a strand of hair and pulling it back as his fingers slide between my strands. He tilts my head just slightly, and I can feel the tingly sensation run through my body as he fists my hair.

Excitement.

Even when I’m pissed and fuming, he can make my body react.

His green eyes are wide, almost haunted, but also intense. So, so intense. And they’re looking straight at me.

My tongue darts out to wet my dry lips.

“Fuck whoever you want to fuck, date whoever you want to date.”

I swallow hard, my irritation growing and I don’t even know why. He’s giving me exactly what I expect of him, exactly what I want, but ... “Then why …”

His fingers tighten their hold on me. “But don’t ever go near Ethan Williams again. Understood?”

---