Page 84 of Vicious Games

“Good. Don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m anything but predictable.”

“I’ll make a note of that.” She licks her lips, and my gaze snaps to the tip of her tongue.

Fuck. I’m hard. And I’ve got an English Lit test which, judging by that bell, I’m already late for. But I don’t seem to care. Not when Frankie is looking up at me like that.

“I… I should go,” she says, still flustered. “Class awaits.” I nod and step back, my hands fisting at my sides just to keep from pulling her in again, keeping her here for the rest of the day. “Thanks for the lesson, the cupcake, and the kiss,” she teases.

I’ve never been thanked for a kiss before, so the tension in my body eases just a little. But when she turns for the door, my hand moves of its own accord, catching hers.

“Have you ever played hooky before?” I ask before I can stop myself.

“No. And I’m not about to start today either.” She laughs but doesn’t let go of my hand.

“Are you sure? We could have a lot of fun in this room,” I coax with a wink.

“As tempting as that is, I really need to go. I’m a good girl, remember?”

“Good girls don’t go around throwing punches,” I remind with a smug smile.

“They do when jerks like you deserve it.”

“Touché.” I chuckle but then eat the distance between us, lifting her chin so I can look at her gorgeous face for another second.

“Still, being good is overrated. You sure you don’t want to stay and be bad? With me?”

Hope stirs wings inside my chest when her gaze meets mine, something unreadable flickering deep in her eyes. Then, before I can even react, she rises onto her tiptoes, leaving a tender kiss on my jaw, then another on my cheek, and finally brushing the corner of my lips. My whole body tenses as I wait for her to kiss me again, only to open my eyes and find her already at the door.

“You’re bad enough for the both of us. You don’t need me for that.” She winks before walking out, leaving me with nothing but the taste of chocolate and the ache of wanting something far more decadent than that.

She said I don’t need her.

Then why does losing her already feel like a foregone conclusion?

And better yet… why does that fucking bother me?

Chapter 12

Frances

I sit on the edge of the St. Mary’s fountain in the front courtyard, softly chuckling to myself about this morning. It was thoughtful the way Lucky went through all the trouble to get me a cupcake from my favorite pastry shop. I have no idea how he even knew their Devil’s Double Fudge was my weakness, but I’ve long since stopped trying to figure Lucky out.

Most days, he’s a jerk. Other days, he’s sweeter than that cupcake he got me. So much sweeter.

When he asked me to skip class and hang out with him, I was beyond tempted. I would’ve gladly stayed the whole hour just to kiss his stupid, perfect lips.

But priorities and all that jazz.

Calculus isn’t the only class I need to pass to graduate, and unlike Lucky, academics don’t come easy for me. I have to fight for every good grade that I get.

If I had Lucky’s brain, I could probably wake up every morning already knowing everything without even trying.

Must be nice. Or frustrating, I guess. If you’re the smartest person in the room all the time, it probably gets old. Fast.

Maybe that’s why he snapped at me that day I punched him.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt him to learn how to give other people a little more grace.

My mind is on Lucky and our secret classroom kiss when I hear what sounds like whimpering nearby, followed by sharp, mocking laughter. The faint sound is forgotten, though, when my phone dings in my hand, announcing an incoming text. I glance down at the screen and see it’s from Lucky.

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