I wrapped my arm around her waist to keep her from tumbling over. Her hips and ass melded into me and I’d never felt something so fucking amazing. It turned me into a caveman. I wanted to grab her by the back of her hair and bend her over the nearest anything. Tonight, I’d fall asleep thinking about doing her from behind.

I didn’t let go of her immediately. Instead, I held her close to me and enjoyed the feel of her ass against my now rock-hard cock. Women say men think with their penis and in that moment, my penis was the only thing thinking. It took me minute to realize that her entire body had gone tense in my arms. I didn’t feel her nails as they dug into my arm. I didn’t hear her begging me to let her go.

“Let me go, let me go, let me go,” she was saying over and over again as she slapped at my arm.

I released her immediately and she turned and faced me. Her pupils were dilated and there was more fear on her pale face than I’d ever seen a person display. She was hyperventilating and shaking so badly I thought she’d pass out. Instead, she took off and ran out the gym door. The sun poured in and then the door snapped shut, leaving me in the shaded gymnasium. It was like she’d left the darkness of hell and walked into a heavenly room full of light. It was a perfect metaphor for my current situation. She belonged in the light and I was right where I was meant to be—stuck in a dark, dank gymnasium, surrounded delinquents.

I wanted to chase after her, but that was something I’d never do. Chasing after women was for bitch boys and I was determined I wasn’t going to let this chick change me. As it was, she already had me thinking crazy thoughts. I had more control over my actions than I did my thoughts. So, instead of going after her and making sure she was okay, I went to my group and sat in my trusty chair to wait the hour out.

She never came back and the hour was the longest one I spent at the Boy’s Club yet. It dragged since I didn’t have her to tease and talk to. The boys did their own thing, which made me feel like nothing more than a glorified babysitter. Every now and again, one of the boys would come up and ask where Patience was. I just shrugged and said I didn’t know.

Once my hour was up, I walked out into the cool evening air and made my way to my car. I checked the parking lot to make sure she wasn’t there waiting for a ride, and then I pulled out and headed home. I stopped at the first red light I got to and my headlights lit up the park across the street. Sitting alone on a swing with her head down was Patience. My headlights practically reflected off her platinum locks. I turned my blinker off and instead of turning at the light, I drove straight into the park parking lot when the light turned green.

My loud car caught her attention and she looked up. I cut the engine and got out. She was writing in the sand beneath her with her shoe as I walked over to the swings. Sitting in the swing next to her, I pushed over and softly bumped her knee with mine.

“The boys were asking about you. I think Keaton has a serious crush on you.”

The side of her mouth tilted up, but she continued to stare at her feet. We sat in silence after that until finally she leaned her head back and sighed.

“I’m sorry for that back there,” she said without looking at me. “I don’t usually claw the hell out of people who are trying to keep me from falling.”

Sure, I had originally wrapped my arm around her to keep from falling, but I kept it there for much different reasons.

“Don’t worry about it. I was feeling you up after a certain point. So we’re even.” I grinned at her when she looked at me with wide eyes.

“Really? Well, in that case, serves you right.” She smirked back at me and let me know she was teasing me. “Is that what happened to your eye? Did some chick punch you for being too touchy feely?” she laughed.

I had forgotten about my eye.

“Yeah, something like that.” I nodded.

She leaned back and pushed off with her feet. I held on to the two chains holding the swing up and watched as she went back and forth beside me.

“So, what’s your deal, snowflake?” I asked.

She looked over at me. A strand of blond stuck to her face.

“What do you mean?” she slowed.

Again, she didn’t correct me when I called her snowflake. I’d won that battle.

“What do you do when you’re not being the governor’s daughter, the soccer star, the Good Samaritan, or a wannabe rocker chick at The Pit?”

Her brows puckered as she thought for a minute.

“I don’t really do much else, I guess. Just school and stuff.”

“You go to the prep school, right?”