“Kingston Adair,” Tristan breathes out heavily.
My breath gets caught in my throat at the unexpected answer. Honestly, since that stupid frat party where I’d kissed Cade, Kingston had thankfully kept his distance. I’d even gotten to a point where I could ignore him in the one class we have together. I thought maybe getting through the year with him this close wouldn’t be so bad, sincehe’d relatively kept to himself. Taking everything into consideration, things had been much smoother than I’d initially thought they would be after the first few run-ins.
So hearing that he has anything to do with making Marcus that angry has something ugly coiling inside me, because I don’t know if he’s going after Marcus because of me, or if it’s for another reason, but the fact that it’smyboyfriend is enough to have my back bristling and my claws extending.
“What the fuck did he do?”
Tristan sighs, tucking his chin into Qi’s shoulder. “Coach bumped Marcus up to a starting wide receiver, and Kingston was less than thrilled. He made damn sure Marcus knew it after practice.”
“Did he hurt him?” I ask because I saw such a brief glimpse of Marcus; I couldn’t see if he’d been hurt, just very obviously pissed.
Tristan shakes his head. “No, Derrick and I stepped in before it got physical, but it was just barely.”
I give Tristan a clipped nod before heading upstairs and assessing the damage for myself. That fucker is allowed to come for me all he wants. Obviously, I don’t enjoy that scenario or his attention, but I’d rather it be me, andnotMarcus, any day.
I knock once on Marcus’s door, and there’s no response. After a minute, I huff and try again.
“Hey, babe?” I call out, and the door suddenly swings wide open, revealing a very perplexed Marcus.
“Did you just call me babe?” he asks incredulously.
I bite my lip in response because,seriously,with this guy. Pissed off enough to slam doors and not answer until I start throwing out endearments, and it’s like flipping a switch, and he’s back to eager lover boy eyes.
“Fuck, that’s hot,” he mutters before pulling me into the room and melding his lips to mine.
I can’t help but give in for a moment—his kisses devouring me as they do—it's addicting as fuck. But I can also feel the desperation, the anger bleeding beneath the surface, and I pull back.
Marcus’s eyes meet mine with confusion, and I let out a huff of apology.
“As much as I really hate to say no right now, because I really do know that you want me and I’m so fucking turned on it almost hurts, but I also know most of this moment is in response to whatever Kingston said to you. I’m sorry, but I absolutely refuse to allow that asshole a seat in our intimacy. So, let’s backburner this until later, and maybe we could go out to dinner instead?”
Marcus frowns at that. “How do you know about Kingston?”
I roll my eyes. “My brother is dating your bestie.”
He huffs out a laugh. I think he was going for casual, but it came out a bit sardonic because the anger is still obviously coiling through his system.
“I should have known,” he says to himself before looking at me. “Where do you want to go for dinner?”
“There’s that nice little deli just off of campus that has good subs and salads,” I tell him, happy that he seems less frustrated and more contemplative, like maybe he’s getting over the worst of it.
He raises an eyebrow at that. “Just subs and salads? You didn’t want to go to Kairos or–”
“I realize that’s the kind of place you and Tristan are used to, but I’m not into places like that, so I’d rather the deli if you don’t have your heart set on Kairos,” I point out.
It’s not that Kairos doesn’t have amazing food, because it really does; it’s just that it’s not my vibe. I’ve never really cared for expensive and lavish things. I mean, maybe here and there, fine, but not as a lifestyle. And I get that it might be a bit weird for Marcus because thatishis lifestyle, but hopefully, we can find a common ground somewhere in between.
“But I want to spoil you,” he says quietly, his eyes meeting mine, and it has me taking a deep breath.
I reach out and thread my fingers through his.
“You do. Every time you look at me with those eyes that tell me I’m the center of your universe, you spoil me. I don’t needthingsand overpriced food; I just needyou.”
His eyes light up, and it feels almost like I just chased away the lingering bad feelings still coiled up inside him, as he takes a breath that sounds like a breathless chuckle, and his entire body relaxes. He pulls our intertwined hands up and kisses the back of my hand.
“Well, you definitely have me,” he says, a smile curling his face.
I beam back at him, my stomach doing an entire tap dance routine at the way I’m enough to chase his clouds away, thatI’mthe person who can do that forthisperson who is just such an amazing-best-kind-of person.
