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I respond to his mouth and body hungrily, my mouth moving feverishly against his, my fingers curling and fisting the hair at the nape of his neck. He lets out a deep groan that I swallow, reverberating through my body like a ping pong ball, everything inside me coming to life, like trees blossoming during the spring. His hand tugs on my hair, tilting my head, deepening the kiss. My heart pounds erratically inside my chest, beating like the heavy downpour of rain on a tin roof. The warmth of his mouth over mine electrifies my body, especially when his tongue licks the seam of my lips, causing me to open for him. When his tongue sweeps inside my mouth, the peppermint taste is intoxicating, and I become unsteady and drunk on him.
We kiss with reckless abandonment and desperation as I meld my torso against his, taking everything he’s willing to give.
When we finally pull apart, dazed expressions are on our faces as our eyes lock together, slowly floating out of the clouds as the sounds and smells of the restaurant permeate our senses, reality hitting us like the force of a cold wave.
My pulse hammers against my skin as the cacophony of the dishes clanging, the low murmur of people chattering, and Vanessa’s laughter and loud whistles light my cheeks on fire, my eyes wide as I slowly turn my head, meeting my best friend’s shocked and very pleased face.
Holy shit! I just kissed Max like that inside the damned diner!
“Wow, guys. That was fucking hot.” Vanessa picks up the rest of her water, dumping it down the front of her shirt.
My mouth drops open as Max throws his head back, roaring with laughter. Two seconds later, I dissolve in a fit of giggles as Vanessa sits in the booth, her top soaked, fanning herself, looking around the diner.
Always the comedian, Vanessa basks in the attention of the shocked patrons looking between Max and me to her, disbelief and incredulous looks on their faces. Two college-age guys at the table beside us stare hungrily at her, their gazes locked on her chest.
“Oh, you look like you need cooling off.” Sliding from the booth, she grabs their glasses of water and proceeds to pour more on herself, then on them.
I’m dying. Max and I are holding onto one another at this point, laughing hysterically at their stunned faces as Vanessa slides back into her seat across from us, grabbing some napkins from the dispenser.
All eyes are still on her. “And that, friends, is how you kiss someone.Hot damn!” She fans herself again. “The next show won’t be free so get your wallets out.” Raising her arms in the air, she does an inappropriate shimmy in the booth. “I could make some serious money from the two of you.Holy hell.”
I can barely breathe as I finally gasp out, “P-P-Please s-s-stop, V-V-Vanessa.”
Max is holding onto me, laughing too hard to say anything, as Vanessa gives us a broad grin. Pointing over her shoulder at William, she says, “And that’s how you piss off a stalker and get him to leave.”
My laughter subsides as my gaze meets William’s; his blue eyes more venomous than a copperhead ready to strike. He and his friends get up from the table, throwing us disgusted looks. Well, William’s face resembles far more than simple disgust. He’s the fury of an avalanche combined with a volcanic eruption as he scowls at us, malice twisting his features, making him look sinister. He throws money on the table, not even bothering to wait for a check or… hell, it doesn’t seem like they even ate their food as my eyes rake over their barely touched plates.
William’s gaze locks with Max, who calmly pulls me even closer to his body, his hand tightening around my shoulder. There is no tension in his muscle, as though he’s well aware he’s the victor in this situation.
As my eyes rove over Max’s profile, the threat is clear in his eyes as he stares William down. A cold sneer twists Max’s lips as his muscles tense, his baby blues narrowing as he slowly cracks his neck from side to side. It’s as though he’s getting ready to pound William into the ground if he so much as dares to glance at me again.
A smirk pulls up William’s lip and he raises one brow before spinning on his heel, walking out of the restaurant behind his friends.
What the fuck just happened? I’m stunned as I watch William slam out the door, never once looking back at me.
Max’s body relaxes as he turns toward me, all his rage disappearing in an instant as his gaze softens, meeting mine. A small smile pulls his full, pink lips upward. His fingers wrap around my hand, bringing it up to his mouth, kissing it softly. “I’m not here just because of William. I really wanted to seeyouagain.” His voice is low and husky, his eyes blazing with sincerity.
My breath hitches inside my chest and I melt, my body swaying slightly from the way he’s looking at me.
“I hate that he was here, but I’m grateful I get to see you again so soon.” My voice is soft, my fingers squeezing his tighter.
“Don’t start making out again or I’ll have to go around the diner, dumping water on everyone, to cool them off.” Vanessa looks over at the table of guys beside us, winking at them.
Max chuckles but then grows serious. His gaze is pinned on Vanessa as he says, “I want to discuss coming up with a plan to make sure Irelynn is safe, since…” Max pauses, his eyes moving to the table William once occupied, then his gaze slides back to Vanessa. “Obviously, that jackass is going to keep showing up and doing God only knows what.”
“Agreed. We can go over our class schedules to make sure we can be around her as much as possible.” Vanessa is all business as she straightens in the booth, pulling out her phone.
The waitress brings the food and we dig into our breakfast, Max and Vanessa compare class schedules and look at my phone, passing it between them, taking turns studying my class schedule
Max looks at Vanessa, then at me. “We have our first class together today, so that problem is solved. And your 1:00 pm class is in Stevenson, while mine is beside you in Cooper, so I can walk you there and meet you afterward.” He looks up at Vanessa, gauging her reaction. She nods and he continues, “As for tomorrow, I can walk you to class at 1:00 and 2:30 p.m.”
“Max,” I put my hand on his arm. “That’s a lot of running around for you.” My gaze moves to Vanessa, hoping she’ll help me out, but she just smiles and shrugs. Turning my attention back to him, Max’s fingers pause over his phone as he stares at me with raised eyebrows. “I don’t want to make your life complicated.”
He slowly shakes his head. “Irelynn, you’re not. Again, I don’t make offers I don’t intend to honor. If I’m offering, it’s because I want to, okay?” His tone is gentle, his eyes full of sincerity as he slides his hand over mine.
I can’t argue with that.
Vanessa clears her throat, drawing my attention away from Max. “I’m in agreement with Max, Irelynn. And we both know that when it comes down to it, you are safer with him than you are with me, even though I’d give my life for you.”
