Page 96 of The Ruthless Rivalry

I scowled, pushing past the urge to snap back at him. “What do you want?”

He pushed off from the wall, straightening up and giving me that infuriating attractive half-smile. “Can’t slam a door in my face if we’re both on the same side, now can you, Prescott?”

I pulled my jacket tighter around me, still drenched from the sudden storm. My clothes clung to me uncomfortably, and I could feel the chill creeping up my spine. I gave Bishop a pointed look, trying not to focus on how his gaze lingered on me.

“I don’t have time for you,” I said, exasperated, motioning to my soaked clothes. “I just want to go inside, get out of these wet clothes, and dry off. So unless you’ve got a towel handy, I suggest you move.”

Bishop tilted his head. “Did you have a good study session with Sylvester?” His voice was casual, but there was something cutting beneath it.

“Yeah, it was fine. We went over some notes. Nothing special.”

But that didn’t satisfy him. I could see it in his eyes—the flicker of something darker beneath the surface. He wasn’t going to let this go.

“Hmm. That’s it, huh? Nothing special at all?” His gaze flicked behind me, his eyes shifting slightly as if scanning the space—just a flicker, but enough to make me feel like something was off. It was a brief glance, almost too quick to notice, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was looking for something. Or someone.

I glanced over my shoulder instinctively, but the hallway was empty.

“What?” I asked, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice. “Is there apointto this?”

He straightened up, that same cocky grin returning to his lips. “Nothing,” he said smoothly, his eyes locking back onto mine.

I shot him a glare, irritated. “Seriously. What do you want, Bishop? It’s late, I’m wet, and I’m freezing. The dorm’s about as peaceful as a jackhammer convention, and that’sbeforeI nearly slipped on the walk up thanks to this round-the-clock construction project.” I threw my hands up, exasperated. “Can you just go annoy someone else? I’m really not in the mood.”

But he wasn’t backing down. “I was in Altair’s main building earlier,” he said, his voice soft but deliberate. “You weren’t there.”

I turned to face him, narrowing my eyes. “What were you doing there?” I asked, keeping my voice level. “Were you spying on me?”

The gall of this guy. I could feel my blood starting to boil as I stared at him—this arrogant, infuriating jerk who had made my life a living nightmare from day one. He’d done nothing but mess with me, poke at my every weakness, and try to make me regret even existing on this campus. And now, here he was,acting like he had the right to show up at my dorm and ask questions about my private life.

“Not that it’s any of your business, Prescott,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension, “but I had a meeting.”

“A meeting?”

“Yeah. You know,actualimportant things to do,” he said smoothly, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my pulse skip. “Funny, though. I didn’t see you two anywhere.”

I couldn’t help but let out a sarcastic laugh, my lips curling into a smirk. “Oh really? What’s next? Are you going to tell me you’re the one who had Sylvester show me around the science building? Because you’ve made it pretty clear that everything I do around here is your business.” My voice dripped with challenge, daring him to deny it.

“Science building? That’s where you were?” His voice was tight, barely masking the undercurrent of something possessive.

I couldn’t hold back the noise that slipped past my throat, my annoyance flaring. “Yes, Bishop. Thescience building. Is that a problem for you?” The question hung in the air, thick with sarcasm, daring him to keep pushing.

But instead of responding with words, something shifted—broke. I felt the air grow thicker, the space between us suddenly charged with an energy I couldn’t ignore.

Without warning, he closed the distance between us in a flash. He shoved me back against the door with a force that made my breath catch. His body was impossibly close, his chest pressing against mine as his gaze locked onto me with that dangerous, smoldering intensity. For a split second, the air between us crackled, and I felt something twist in my stomach. The way his eyes darkened, the lust flickering there, made my pulse race, but I forced my mind to stay sharp.

I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorframe. “You keep showing up like this, I might just start charging you for the privilege.”

His grin only deepened. “Is this your way of inviting me inside your room, troublemaker?”

I fought the surge of heat that threatened to rise in my chest, desperately clinging to the part of me thatknewbetter than to fall for his games. “I think you’ve misunderstood,” I said, trying to sound unaffected, even though his proximity made my pulse spike. “I don’t offer private tours. But you’re welcome to admire the door from the outside.”

Bishop chuckled, the sound low and rough, vibrating through my chest as his breath brushed against my skin. It was a near electric shock that sent a shiver down to my toes. He leaned in, just enough to make my breath catch, his lips grazing my ear as he whispered, “Keep lying to yourself, Prescott. It only makes me want you more.”

I swallowed hard, clenching my jaw to keep from betraying the pulse of desire that flared beneath my skin. I had to stay in control.

“Don’t kid yourself,” I said, though the words tasted weaker than I wanted them to. “I’m just trying to make sure you don’t break anything in here. You’d ruin the ambiance.”

His smirk was a dangerous thing, a silent promise of trouble, but he didn’t back away. No, he took a step closer, until his body was almost pressing into mine, radiating heat like a furnace. The air between us thickened, charged, and I could feel the weight of it in my chest.

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