Page 48 of Dirty Martini
No. I won’t give him the chance. I have to remember that he’s not the guy I used to know who treated me like I was something special. We’re far beyond that. It’s going to stay purely physical until we get tired of each other. After that… Well, we’ll just part ways and pretend like it never happened.
I appreciate that Knox is worried, though. He’s looking out for me like he always has. “That won’t happen.”
He nods, but it’s obvious he doesn’t believe me. After a moment, he raises a pierced eyebrow. “I guess this means we’re not fucking around anymore.”
“Yeah,” I chuckle, scratching the back of my neck. “Probably not a good idea.”
Not like it would be a hardship. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done with him, but now that I’ve had Rhys, nothing else compares. He said he would ruin me for anyone else, and he has, because I have no interest in having Knox’s hands anywhere near me.
Looking at me with a mixture of concern and something else I can’t place, he reaches out to brush his thumb against my cheek. “Just be careful.”
“I will,” I promise him, smiling against his hand. I turn to my textbook and sigh. “This isn’t working. Want to go to the library with me? Maybe you can find some people to sell Adderall to?”
“Yeah, that works,” he says, helping me up. “Then do you want to grab some hot pot?”
My stomach growls at the mention of it, and I smile. “Fuck yeah.”
We gather our things quickly, and he slings an arm across my shoulder as we exit the apartment, joking about nothing in particular. I try to stay in the moment with him and my studies, but I’m screwed.
Because all I can think about are the ticking hours until I can see Rhys again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Everest
Maybe if Iwhack my head against the textbook, the information will just magically stick.
I’m tempted to chuck it against my bedroom wall as I slam it shut, groaning with a mixture of annoyance and frustration. I don’t understand why I can’t seem to get it. I doubt anybody else has this hard of a time memorizing facts. It’s biology, for fuck’s sake. I have a body, don’t I? I should be able to remember all the shit that contributes to keeping me alive.
Even though all I want to do is give up and grab some takeout, I know I have to keep going. I have a test tomorrow that counts for a ridiculous amount of my grade, and I can’t fail. If I bomb it, then I’m at risk of bombing the class, and then I prove what a failure I really am.
I open my textbook again, grabbing my notebook and placing my pen between my teeth as I try to absorb the information. I get into a semi-groove where I’malmostsure I’ve got it, so I don’t even notice Rhys walking in until he’s crawling on my bed and hovering over my back.
“Everest,” he growls, pressing his hard-on against my ass as he bites my neck. “Take your pants off.”
I bat him away with annoyance. “Fuck off, Rhys. I’m trying to concentrate.”
“You’ve been staring at the same page for five minutes now. You’re not focusing on shit.”
I raise an eyebrow as I crane my head to look back at him, a victorious smile playing on my lips. “You were watching me, huh?”
Scowling, he grabs the back of my neck and forces my face down against the bed. “Shut up. I want to fuck you, so take your damn pants off.”
“Not right now,” I snap, using my strength to fight his hold, and pointing at my textbook. “I have to study.”
He groans dramatically as he rolls off and lies beside me on his stomach, taking my textbook. “Biology? Come on, that’s easy. You can take a break.”
I know he doesn’t mean anything by it, or maybe he’s being a jackass and does, but it rubs me the wrong way. Huffing, I try to shove him off my bed, bristling with indignation. “Fuck you. I’m having a hard time, alright? We can’t all be super geniuses.”
“I’m not a genius,” he scoffs. “I just happen to know the difference between monosaccharides and disaccharides.”
“Don’t have to rub it in,” I say, hitting him on the shoulder with my notebook. “How is that supposed to help me?”
He looks at me for a moment before a slow smirk tilts his lips and he shrugs. “I can help you study.”
I narrow my eyes suspiciously. “Why would you do that?”
“I told you. I want to fuck and you’re too busy. This way, we both get what we want,” he states, as if it’s so obvious. He gets up and stretches in front of me, sweats riding sinfully low on his hips, and he snorts when he catches me looking at that exposed sliver of skin. “Let’s make this interesting.”
