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15
Archer
Idon’t know what game Colton is playing at or what Scott could have told him, but the insinuation is clear. There’s more to this dick than first appearances reveal. Lena’s fingers dig into my thigh, and her body stiffens. The flush that so beautifully colored her cheeks earlier is gone, and her skin pales the longer she stares at Colton.
“Lena, you look like you’re about to drop dead. Are you okay?” Octavia frowns as she leans in.
Lena blinks a few times, pulling her hand away from my leg to pinch the bridge of her nose. She rubs at the spot between her delicately arched brows. “Sorry, just got slammed with a headache.” She pushes back from the table. “I’m going to go splash some water on my face.”
Lena’s obviously upset, and I’m this close to throwing punches. Colton has the smug sort of face that invites a pummeling and there’s a good chance I’ll smash his nose if he doesn’t stop looking at Lena.
Christ, everything about her has me dialed up to the next level. Very rarely have I been pushed to the edge of wanting to throttle someone so often. Amongst our friends, I’m known as the level-headed one who’s hard to rattle. Obviously, all that’s gone straight out the fucking window since Lena and I started shit. I’ve always been protective of her, but lately it’s as if there’s a biological imperative to safeguard her.
“I’ll show you to the washroom.” There’s a satisfied look on Colton’s face as he stands up, until I do the same.
Lena’s eyes flicker to me and then back to Colton. “No need. Please, just point me in the right direction.”
The tick in Colton’s cheek tells me he wants to argue. The set of Lena’s jaw and her stiff shoulders must be enough of an indication of her growing ire to make it apparent even to him. He flashes her a million-dollar smile and I practically hear Lena’s teeth cracking as she clenches her jaw. I slap a hand on Colton’s back, hard enough to make him grunt.
“Come on, Colt. I’m itching to check this place out. The Smithe’s only entertained their buddies out here. It’s a rare treat for us plebs to get a glimpse inside this place. Humor us and give us a tour, will you?”
“Oh, yes, Colton. Let’s go explore all the nooks and crannies of this place.” Serafina snorts like this is all a great joke. She tops off her glass of wine, emptying the bottle, shaking it a little to get every last drop out. She’s wasted.
Colton turns his grin to the rest of us, but the annoyance in his eyes isn't as well hidden as he’s aiming for. I doubt I’m doing much better at keeping my dislike off my face. Julian’s brows are so high they’ve all but disappeared into his hair. Ben pokes his side, nudging him to get up and stop gawking at us.
“Who am I to turn down the masses?”
We follow Colton out of the parlor, dropping Lena at the closest bathroom. The rest of us are led on a tour through the great hall and study, with a promise to visit the library, billiards room and ballroom next. My own parents' house has a ballroom, which is utterly ridiculous, but not unusual for the upper crust homes on our little island. This place takes extravagant to the next level and makes my parents' house look like the little leagues.
Julian spouts off a million and one questions about the house as we wander through the rooms. Colton has absolutely no idea how to answer, but Octavia is another story. She knows as much about the history of the island as almost anyone who lives here. Lena might be a close second with her love of all things books and research, but Octavia has decades of learning on her.
When I can’t stand waiting any longer, I slip off under the cover of Julian’s barrage of questions. Backtracking through the hallways, I return to the bathroom where we left Lena. The water is running inside, and I contemplate how many lines I’m crossing by barging in on her in the bathroom.
Not giving myself too much time to think about it, I look down at the glass doorknob, noting a familiar lock. It’s the same kind I had at my house growing up. My parents refused to replace them because they were original to the house, but the damn things suck. They don’t latch properly and the little button that locks the door can easily be popped from the outside. Bad design, but who am I to ignore my good fortune?
I poke the lock in, disengaging it, and turn the knob with a grunt of satisfaction when it opens. Lena’s head snaps over to look at me, surprise written all over her face. Her brows are pulled down and her mouth forms the oh of an unspoken thought. She’s standing in front of the vanity, her hands on the counter. The water is running but I think it’s just for noise, because her hands are dry.
“It’s pretty rude to bust in on someone in the bathroom.”
“Looks like you’re just hiding in here.”
Lena shuts off the water and shrugs. I step inside the bathroom, shutting the door behind me, and pushing in the little lock. Not that it’s much protection, but it might spare us a minute if someone tries to come in here.
“I needed to get away from Colton. What the hell is his deal? And what the fuck did he and Scott talk about? Not to mention he kept trying to knock his feet against mine under the table.”
A low rumbling sound of irritation escapes from the back of my throat. A small smile takes shape on Lena’s face, but this isn’t something I find funny.
“He might stop if I rip his feet off. That wouldn’t be an overreaction, would it?” I move behind Lena and drop my hands to her waist, trapping her between the vanity and my body. Her gaze catches mine in the mirror and she raises a brow.
“I doubt you could just tear them off. You’d need a bone saw, or some other equipment at the very least.”
I drop my head, pressing my nose into the sleek fall of her ebony hair and inhale the crisp, fresh scent that is uniquely Lena. My eyes drift closed, and I think I might float outside of my body for a minute. There is something so damn intoxicating about her. Lena. One of my oldest friends. I shove those thoughts away and focus on the warmth of her through the thin material of her shirt.
“That went dark real quick, Luna,” I murmur the words into her ear and a shiver rolls through her body.
“He makes me want to get violent.”
I press an open mouth kiss to the soft skin right beneath her ear, wanting to taste every inch of her but restraining myself to this small patch. Lena’s head rolls back onto my chest, her eyelids heavy as my mouth makes a path down the column of her throat. My fingers find the gap between her shirt and skirt and dip them beneath the fabric to brush across her stomach. Every inch of her is silken perfection. Why haven’t I touched her somewhere that isn’t the public library or some fucking creep’s bathroom? I’m going to need to rectify that mistake as soon as possible.
