Page 79 of They Are Mine

I place my hand on his waist before I can stop myself. Shit.

It’s instinct. Desperation. Greed.

“Please don’t leave me.” I press closer, soft and trembling, letting him feel my warmth, my need.

His body locks up for half a second.

Then, he glances down at me, frowning, assessing. “I don’t see anyone.”

Of course, he doesn’t.

But that’s not the point.

I look up at him, letting my lips part, letting my breath come a little too fast. Letting him see my fear.

“Can you just walk me to my car?” I ask.

Lure him in.

My god, he smells like something I want to lick.

His chest rises and falls, slow and measured. His eyes flicker over me once, twice. He nods.

“Yeah,” he mutters, exhaling. “C’mon.”

I follow him across campus and through the quiet lot, my pulse pounding at the sheer size of him, the warmth rolling off his body, the way his shoulders shift as he moves.

Every step is one inch closer to him being mine.

When we reach my car, I unlock it and toss my bag inside without looking, because why the hell would I look away from him?

Orion.

Standing so close.

So big.

So solid.

His presence hums in the air between us, thick, heavy, warm.

I flick my gaze to his name tag, dragging my lip between my teeth. “Thank you, Grayson.”

He doesn’t immediately respond. His eyes sweep over me, slow and deliberate, and oh, fuck, I feel it everywhere.

“Orion,” he corrects.

Oh.

Oh, God.

I nearly sway.

I almost say his name back to him, just to taste it, just to let it roll off my tongue.

Instead, I exhale, keeping my voice light, sweet, breathless.

“Thank you, Orion.”

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