Page 70 of No One Else

He runs his hands through his hair till it’s standing on end. “I feel like I’m going insane,” he mutters. “I’m not asking you to stop seeing just anyone. I’m asking you to stop seeing Carter. Your ex-boyfriend. I feel like that’s justified.”

“You act like I’m seeking him out and I’m not. He keeps cornering me.”

He nods. “I know,” he admits. “I just don’t trust him.”

“I don’t trust him either. But that doesn’t matter as much as this - do you trust me? Because he can throw whatever he wants at me or you or us as long as you know that I would never betray you. If you have faith in me, then the rest doesn’t matter.” He swallows heavily, gazing at me with guilt-stricken eyes. “I need you to move past this,” I say more softly. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do,” he whispers thickly.

“Then you have nothing to worry about.”

He reaches over the center console to grip my hand tightly. “I trust you, Natalie. I do. I was being a jealous ass. You’re absolutely right. It’s just hard to shake. But you don’t deserve this shit from me. I’m sorry for embarrassing you in there.”

“Apology accepted.” I stroke his knuckles with my other hand, needing the connection between us right now. “And I get it. I really do. But he’s not worth it. And after the gala, I won’t be around him anymore.”

He nods soberly.

“And I’d really like it if you came as my date.”

“I’d love to be your date.” He leans over and kisses me gently. “He’s out of my head now. I promise.”

I give him a look.

“Seriously.” He cracks a smile finally. “Scout’s honor.”

He starts the car then, driving me back to my dorm and walks me upstairs.

I open my door, expecting to find Morgan in her usual spot on her bed, headphones and laptop in front of her, but the lights are out.

“Morgan?” I question tentatively, as if she might jump out of her dresser drawer or from under the bed, but I’m met with silence. I flick on my lamp, motioning for Evan to come inside. “We have the place to ourselves.”

“Yeah?” A broad grin spreads over his face as he approaches me, heat in his eyes. Like he wants to devour me. And God, do I want him to. Alone, just the two of us.

He stops before he makes contact, though. “Natalie, I really am sorry about before. When I saw him speaking to you, I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t mean to go all caveman-”

I place my fingertips on his lips, silencing him. “It’s over and done with. We can discuss it more later, but I don’t want to waste any of our alone time talking about him.”

“Got it,” he whispers, the light flaring in his eyes again as he lowers his head down to my level, capturing my lips with his, the same way he did earlier in the ballroom. But this time it’s not to prove anything. It’s just for us.

At the first sweep of his tongue, I’m lost in him, pulling him closer, not worried about how desperate I look because he’s right there with me, his hands under my shirt... getting higher... almost there...

The click of the lock has us both groaning, his arms hastily returning to his sides as Morgan appears in the doorway, startled to see us.

“Hi, Morgan,” Evan says politely, sitting down on my bed, lowering his face into his hands in frustration.

She gives him a confused look as she puts her backpack down and I step over to her side, pleading with my eyes, literally putting my palms together in a begging gesture. “Please, can you give us some alone time?”

She immediately goes into huffy mode and I stop her, gently setting my hand on her arm. “We have nowhere else to go.”

She rolls her eyes and turns away from me, moving over to her desk.

My shoulders slump, about to tell Evan I’ll see him tomorrow, when she turns back, holding her shower caddy and towel. “I’m going to take a shower,” she announces, “but when I come back, I’m in for the night. You have fifteen minutes.”

My jaw drops as she exits, completely unprepared for my plea to have actually worked. My eyes meet Evan’s and I cross over to him, tackling him on the bed, surprise all over his face as I grin down at him. “Hmm, what can we do in fifteen minutes?”

His expression is blank with shock for a second before he kicks into gear, cupping the back of my head and bringing me down to meet his lips, his other hand caressing my side.

I greedily take from him, straddling his hips until I feel him there against me, already hard. I bear down on him, the pressure exactly what I need. “Ready for me so soon?” I whisper.

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