Shock has her eyes widening, but damn, she doesn’t fight me in the slightest.

“Acting desperate, that’s your plan to get what you want?” I question. “You’re good with gaining notice that way?”

Her mouth opens but those lips clamp closed just as quick.

“No, no, D,” I egg her on with a whisper. “Say it.”

“I was dancing, I’m a dancer, there’s nothing desperate about it. I was having a good time with my friends.”

I fight to keep my mouth shut, but the little cloud in her normally bright green eyes spurs aggravation I can’t suppress, and words I shouldn’t share fly from me. “He won’t want you if you dangle yourself like bait.”

That has her frown coming back and she lifts her hands, attempting to push me away, but all it does is make it appear as if she’s rubbing on me.

My body is a brick fucking wall against hers.

“How the hell would you know?” she hisses.

“Because he’s a punk...” Stop fucking talking, I curse myself, but it’s to no avail, and fuck if I don’t say more. “He wants what belongs to someone else. It’s all about the chase, winning over another, for an asshole like him.”

“Maybe I can be different.”

“Maybe... you can be mine.”

Words fail her and she takes in a quick breath through her nose, her brows knitting as she silently studies me.

“What?” she croaks after a second.

Slowly, I allow my fingers to slide up her bare side. When my hand twitches against her chilled skin, she pulls her lips between her teeth.

I dip my mouth close to her ear.

“Nico, what are—”

“What the fuck’s the point of this thing,” I exhale against her, my other hand tugging at the bottom of her wannabe hoodie.

Her swallow isn’t missed and I glare at the softness of her neck as she leans to the side, trying to escape my heated breaths, but all it does is tease me with more creamy, sun brushed skin.

A harsh exhale leaves her. “It’s a crop sweater for... for over my suit. Nico, what are you doing?”

I shift my feet forward, so one leg is between hers, the other blocking her left hip in. “I told you.”

My brain tells me one thing, while also transmitting another.

Shut the fuck up and walk away, but damn, don’t she feel good...

I keep going.

“Hammons wants what someone else has. You a girl worth his competition’s time and attention?”

“Stop acting like everyone wants to be you.”

“Stop acting like they don’t.”

“God! You’re so—”

“Shut up, D. Your man is still watching.” She tenses against me, her fingers involuntarily bending, making it seem as if they’re fighting to get closer.

“I bet his eyes are trailing my hand,” I tell her, allowing my palm to slide lower and this time her little nails do bite into my skin. “Waiting to see how far you’ll let me go, right here in the open, for him... and everyone else to witness.”

I pull back, gliding my tongue along my bottom lip and her eyes follow, slowly raising to mine.

"How far will you let me go?"

“I...” She blinks, shaking her head lightly as if she’s confused but can’t focus.

I discreetly reach into my pocket for my keycard. When I pull back, her hands stay glued to my chest, but her head draws away with mine, an unsure expression stamped across her face.

“Turn and look,” I instruct her.

As I thought she would, she hesitates a second, but can’t help herself in the end.

She shifts her head and mine follows.

Some of our classmates pass, eyeing us curiously, a few girls laugh while a couple guys grin, and others are too buzzed or wrapped up in their own hook-ups to notice, but not Alex.

His feet now shuffle him stupidly slow down the hall, his eyes raking over our position before lifting.

I wait for his stare to move to hers, wait for a hint of the fucking grin I know comes next, the one he gives everyone, and the one I know will have her smiling wide back, all fucking hopeful and shit.

Not happening.

Before she can react, I quickly wrap my arm around her waist, and drop my head into her neck, effectively blocking her from his view. I slip the key in the slot and the door unlocks, so I quickly push her backward into the room.

It clicks shut behind us, my hands falling from her in the same second.

Her palms fly up as she stands there open-mouthed, and finally, she gets her grip and hits me with a little glare.

“What...” She shakes her head, eyes flying around my room. “I don’t... why are you getting naked?” she sizzles.

Ah, there’s the anger.

I ignore her, tossing my shirt to the little chair as I kick off my shoes.

“What the hell!” She throws her arms up only to let them drop back to her sides with a slap.

I move toward her and her eyes slice to my bare chest.

She swallows and looks away. “Seriously, Nico, what is this, what was that? Better yet, why the hell am I in your room – this is your room, right, you didn’t just break into someone else’s?”

My arm slips past her and she holds her breath, letting it out when I lift the remote in front of her face and step backward until I can lie back on the bed.

“That was me helping you.” I can’t keep the irritation out of my voice. “Bet lover boy hits you up on the beach tomorrow now.”

“Are you joking?!” she shrieks. “He’s gonna think we’re hooking up!”

“And?”

“And...” Her eyes widen, but she has no idea what to say, so she goes with the most obvious response. “He’ll think we’re dating!”

I level her with a bored look. “That’s the last thing he’ll think.”

Her head pulls back, and like a brat, she crosses her arms. “Because Nico Sykes would never waste his time on a girl like me, right?”

“Wrong.” My stare moves to hers. “Because Nico Sykes could fuck you either way.”

She sneers. “You—”

“Stop talking,” I interrupt her, not interested in hearing her crybaby shit over that idiot. “I did you a favor, now you won’t have to try so hard. Sit down, play on your phone or watch whatever I put on, something.”

“Like I trust you enough to sit on your bed with you.”

My eyes jump back to hers and she keeps her glare strong a minute, I’ll give her that, but slowly, it wipes away and she looks to the wall.

She trusts me enough, just like she did when we were younger.

We might not have been friendly over the last few years, but I’m not some fuckin’ stranger to her.

“Sit.”

She scoffs, moving for the door instead.

“You leave, he’ll think you’re a lousy lay and couldn’t even help me get it up.”

“Or,” she snaps back. “He’ll think you’re a minute man and be dying to show he can hang longer.”

A loud laugh leaves me and she rolls her eyes.

“D, he knows better than that, but do what you want. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“It’s not like he’s standing out there waiting to see when I leave. I’m sure he’s in his room by now, you know, with the same girl you were fucking not long ago.”