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“Don’t make me break down this fucking door because I will. Try explaining that one.”
“Ugh.” I throw back the covers and march over to the door, throwing it open.
Bennett’s changed into a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeve shirt, my backpack and books in his arms. He comes inside and drops them on my bed.
I close the door and lean my back against it, putting as much distance between the two of us as I can.
“I pissed you off,” he states. His cheek is tinged red where I slapped him, but the stubble on his cheeks helps camouflage it. Even still, it glares at me.
“Yes,” I reply. “But I still shouldn’t have hit you.” I look down at the pale-pink polish on my toes.
Suddenly, his sneaker-covered feet appear in my line of vision and then his fingers touch my chin and he lifts my head up so I’m forced to look at him. I know he can see the shame in my eyes.
“I’m
a dick,” he says seriously, no traces of humor in his eyes. “I deserved it. I shouldn’t have said that to you.”
I try to step back, but of course, the door’s still behind me so there’s nowhere for me to go to get away from him. “You’re right, though,” I start, pushing his arm down so he’s not touching me anymore—I can’t think straight when he touches me, “I’m not your real girlfriend. I’m nothing to you.” I move around him and to my bed.
He grabs my arm before I can get too far and keeps me from retreating. “That’s not true, Grace. You’re not nothing. You’re …”
“I’m what?” He licks his lips and his eyes dance over my face. “See, you don’t even know.” I shake my arm from his hold.
He shakes his head roughly. “I don’t know how to describe it. I’ve never had a girl that’s a friend, but I guess that’s what you are. I like you.”
I sit down on my bed and push my books to the bottom. “You can go now,” I tell him, not even looking at him. “I’ll deal with my dad on my own when he gets here.”
Bennett stands there not saying a word.
I force my gaze to his and glare. “You can go,” I say harshly. He looks at me strangely and stalks forward. “What are you doing?” I ask nervously.
Before I can blink he lifts me up and my legs wrap involuntarily around his waist. He crushes his lips to mine and I startle, not having expected that. I grab onto his shirt to push him away, but instead, I pull him closer. My body doesn’t seem to realize what my mind wants to do.
This kiss is different from the first because it’s real and not for show. I know it shouldn’t be happening, but I’m powerless to stop it. In fact, I’m hungry for more.
I shouldn’t want to kiss Bennett.
I shouldn’t like it.
I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t.
But I do.
His tongue tangles with mine and I moan, desire pooling in my belly. I’ve liked plenty of guys, but none of them have ever made me tingle all over the way Bennett does. The kiss in the arena was electric but this one makes that one seem like a peck on the lips. This is intense and all-consuming. It makes me feel things—want things—that I shouldn’t want with Bennett, of all people.
He breaks the kiss and I find that my arms have wound around his neck. Our breaths mingle together in the space between us, and his hazel eyes stare into mine with as much confusion as I feel.
He sets me down easily and keeps a hold on my waist. His teeth dig into his lip and I know he’s warring with himself the same way I am.
“Grace,” he whispers my name and I hear the pain in his voice.
I lean my head against his chest and breathe out. “I know.”
Grace’s mom ends up talking some sense into her dad and he and her brothers end up heading home before they make it even halfway to campus.
It’s too late to change what’s happened between us, though.
I kissed her again, and this time there was no one to witness it so I can’t blame it on our arrangement. This was all me.
