Page 98 of The Executioners Three
Theo slid a hand into the blazer, moving toward Freddie’s back. Her shirt had ridden up; his cold fingers brushed bare skin.
She stiffened with surprise.
Theo stiffened too. “I’m sorry.” He yanked his hand back. “I didn’t mean to—”
“Wait.” Freddie caught his wrist. Then ever so slowly, she returned his fingers to her skin.
“I like it,” she told him.
“Oh,” he replied.
“Now kiss me,” she commanded.
And Theo did. A sweet kiss this time—slow and thoughtful while his fingers traced gently across her hips. Up her spine.
Freddie had never been touched there before. She had always been too shy with Carl. Perhaps ashamed even. After all, none of the girls inSeventeenmagazine had the same softness or curves that she had.
But with Theo, she found she didn’t care. He enjoyed the shape of her, and that knowledge was… well,intoxicating. Freddie’s heart thudded in her abdomen. In her skull. Then a moan left her throat, the softest of sounds.
And it was like a fuse going off. Suddenly the kisses were no longer sweet. Suddenly she and Theo were clinging to each other with another level of desperation and hunger.
They would have gone on forever like that too, if headlights hadn’t beamed over them. If an engine hadn’t abruptly filled the air. Freddie and Theo pulled apart, startled, as headlights blazed through the snow.
A Jeep,Freddie realized as it skidded to a stop.
The driver’s door flung wide. “What thehellare you doing?” a voice bellowed. Then Kyle Friedman materialized through the snow. He was charging their way. “Get off her!”
Before Freddie or Theo could fully react, Kyle reached them. He slammed into Theo, and they crashed to slick pavement.
Freddie almost crashed too, but somehow she managed to scrabble backward just in time. “Stop it!” she shrieked, and she vaulted after them.“Stop it!”She grabbed at Kyle’s shirt and pulled with all her strength. But it wasn’t enough. Not even close.
Kyle was flailing and Theo was flailing and punches were flying everywhere.
More Jeep doors opened. Then voices zoomed in—and people came with them. First was Luis, grabbing for Kyle along with Freddie. Cat followed next, shouting at Kyle tocalm the hell down!
And last was Divya, shouting at Freddie,This was why you didn’t answer your phone?
Freddie didn’t respond to her best friend. She couldn’t. Not through all the chaos, not with everyone yelling and Kyle still whaling on Theo and Theo still whaling on Kyle, and both of them tumbling over snow-sodden asphalt. They were a tangle of shadows spotlit by headlights.
Only with Luis’s help and three more grunting tugs did Freddie finally wrench Kyle off of Theo. Then while Luis towed Kyle away, Freddie dropped to the ground beside Theo. His white uniform shirt was soaked through and streaked with parking lot filth. And his eyes…
Oh, his blue eyes were wild with rage.
Freddie offered him a hand. He didn’t take it. Instead he shoved to his feet unaided and barked, “What the fuck, Friedman? What thefuck?”
“What thefuckto you!” Kyle roared, trying to break free from Luis. But Cat lunged in and grabbed him too. “What were you doing to her, Porter?”
“Doingto her?” Theo huffed a laugh. “It’s called making out, Friedman. See, when a guy and a girl like each other very much—”
“Freddie doesn’t like you,” Kyle interrupted. “Right?” He swung his gaze to Freddie. “Tell him that you don’t like him and that you…” Kyle trailed off. Then abruptly stopped struggling against Cat and Luis.
And for the first time since his arrival, he looked at Freddie. Likelookedat her. “You’re wearing his jacket,” he said slowly.
Freddie gulped. Then nodded.
“So you wanted…”
Another nod. “Yeah, Kyle. I did.”
