Page 22 of Manhattan Secret

“Whoa. What the fuck is going on? You know new teachers are fair game, especially young ones. Zander said he might try to tap that.”

Fury burns through my eyeballs and I pull into the curb with a hard jolt, turning my whole body to find him scrutinizing my reaction with a grin. “He better not go near her. Call that bastard up now.”

It was then Ethan cracks up. “Fucking hell, man. I was joking, he hasn’t said a word about the farm fresh teach, but it was worth it to see your head spinning around.” He goes on cackling. I don’t find shit funny. My hands are white knuckling the steering wheel just picturing Zander throwing his dick in her direction. He’s not a bad looking kid; he gets his fair share of tail even while pining after Riley. He’ll probably recite poetry or take Delaney for a long walk through the park, something sappy like that to get into her panties. Kid is smooth, but it will be over my dead, rotting corpse before he uses his moves on her.

“Now I get it,” he says, “you wanna bang her yourself.”

Already banged her. Wanna bang her again.

I break my death glare and loosen the need to strangle my best buddy for winding me up as easily as he had. “Just let everyone know not to give her a hard time.”

“Fine, you miserable shit, but if she gives us a hard time there’s nothing I can do.”

As if anyone would dare go against my word.

They know the consequences of that.

I’m not a bully.

I never take my fists to anyone—never play mean pranks, that shit is for turds with no self-esteem, who need to feel like a man in any way they can. But if I issue a demand, then I expect it to be followed.

And Delaney Sloan is now hands off to everyone.

Excluding me.

I want my dirty hands all over her.

In typical Ethan fashion, he moves on pretty quick from that conversation and gets his thumbs working furiously on his phone. I swear it’s an extension of him. “Which booty call is it tonight?”

He chuckles. “Maybe Kendra, waiting to see if her mom is working. You wanna come over? I’m betting she won’t mind.” Before I can refuse, he opens his trap and goes on. “Hey, maybe I can help with farm fresh? I bet she’s a closet kinky bitch. A real screamer. I could throw her a bone.”

Honestly, there’s so much to unpack from that one sentence I feel the back of my eyeballs begin to catch alight and before I can reach across the console and choke him out, I rein myself in, gritting through my teeth I growl. “Already told you, she’s off limits to everyone. You included, soft dick.”

“Ouch, you wound me.” He laughs, unfazed. “I’m just saying, she could be—”

“Get out of the fucking car, Ethan,”

Cackling like a fool, he does. “Let me know if you wanna be the other slice of white bread in the Kendra sandwich.”

“Nah, I’m going home.” Ethan has the extraordinary superpower of taking nice girls and turning them insane because he doesn’t want to commit to just one chick.

I expect to go right home, I’m tired and oddly eager to get to school all the earlier tomorrow for some unknown reason…yeah, right.

Why then do I park around the block out of Ethan’s sight and fish out my notebook to do a fast search for Miss Sloan? The school records are like breaking through red lace candy, because I have her file open and her address in minutes.

I’m not going to check it out. I assure myself.

But there I am, not twenty minutes later, lights out, parked at the curb near her car, watching the darkened windows for any sign she is inside.

My reaction to her has thrown me for an upside-down loop, but that doesn’t mean I won’t use this advantage of her confusion and wariness to my own gain. The little mouse gave me a perfect taste of her body and then disappeared before I had a chance to take more.

For a moment or two, I let myself remember how she felt, how she tasted, what her cries into my mouth made me feel.

I’m a total creepy piece of shit sitting here like I’ve caught feelings or something. Do I feel guilty for hacking her records? Nope.

Miss Sloan will soon realize that if there’s something I want, I get it.

I was nice today.

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