Page 47 of My Return to the Walter Boys
“Again?”
“Yes,again,” he said, trailing a knuckle up my hip. “Don’t you remember showing up in my room, trying on this sinful dress, and begging me to come with you?”
“What?” I spluttered and spun around to face him. “That isnotwhat happened.”
“How did it happen, then?” His breath fanned across my face, and I was suddenly aware of how close we were standing. If I pushed myself onto my toes, our lips would brush. Cole’s gaze dropped to my mouth as though he could hear my thoughts, and his eyes darkened. The hand he was resting at the small of my back glided up my spine to curl around the base of my neck.
Another shiver wracked my body. “I—we…”We asked each other concurrentlywas what I wanted to say, but my brain stopped working, and the words wouldn’t come.
A wolfish grin slashed across Cole’s face. “We what, Jackie?”
Instead of responding, I tracked the upward curl of his lips. I didn’t realize I was staring at his mouth until he grasped my chin and tilted my head back just so. His face dipped, and this time, I was sure he was going to kiss me. I closed my eyes, heart fluttering in anticipation, but before his lips found mine, a blaring siren made us jump.
“What the heck is that?” I asked, stuffing my fingers in my ears as I glanced around for the source of the noise.
Cole peered over the railing and frowned. “I think it’s a fire alarm.”
Sure enough, when I looked down, the entire dance was streamingout of the building into the parking lot. Nobody appeared to panic, but that didn’t mean we weren’t in danger.
I licked my lips. “We should leave,” I said, wrapping a hand around Cole’s arm. Even if there wasn’t a fire, my friends were probably wondering where we were.
“Yeah,” he agreed, tearing his gaze away from the scene below. “Let’s go find out what happened.”
Ten
A pair of lips brushed against my bare shoulder.
“Cole,” I said in a warning tone. Reneging on my study session with Riley had been a major mistake. Originally, we made plans to spend Sunday preparing for our physics test at Caffeinated Pursuit, but then I woke to the sound of rain battering the windowpane and quickly changed my mind. No way was I trekking into town in this weather. The problem was all the Walters were stuck inside too, and that meant the house was loud. Well, louder than usual. It didn’t help that Parker had no concept of the wordquiet. I’d been on the verge of chucking her PlayStation against the wall when Cole knocked on our door and invited me to spend the afternoon curled up in bed with him. Why I thought I’d get any work done ensconced in his room was beyond me.
Calloused fingers slid the strap of my tank off my shoulder. Whenhe pressed his mouth to the newly revealed skin, I closed my eyes and willed myself not to snap.
“Cole,” I said again.
“Mm-hmm?” Another brush of his lips.
Jaw clenching, I slammed my textbook shut. “I’m going to find somewhere else to study.”
“Nope, I won’t let you.” Cole caged me in his arms and buried his face in the side of my neck. “You’re my prisoner now.”
“You promised not to distract me,” I whined in frustration.
He inhaled deeply. “But you smell so good.”
“Physics doesn’t care how good I smell,” I shot back. “This test is twenty percent of my grade. If you don’t cut it out right now, this prisoner is going to revolt.” To prove my point, I yanked on one of his leg hairs that kept tickling me.
“Ouch!” He jerked his leg away, accidentally knocking a pillow off the bed. “Jackie, that hurt.”
“There’s plenty more where that came from,” I told him as I pushed the strap of my tank top back into place. “I’m mean, remember?”
“Ugh, fine.” Cole let go of me and collapsed against the headboard.
Half an hour passed before he started up again. At that point, I was so deeply immersed in practice questions that I didn’t fully register when his knuckle grazed my thigh. It wasn’t until he started fiddling with the hem of my Soffe shorts that I noticed his ministrations.
“Cole!” I squealed when his fingers slipped under the fabric and inched upward.
He took a sharp, audible breath. “Are you commando, New York?”
Before I could answer, the door to the art studio flew open.
