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She was…holy shit, she was gorgeous. I’d seen her tattoos before, glimpses of them, but they were on full display on her arms and I wanted to know where else she had them.
I wanted to know everything.
Twenty-Two
KC
Not only was someoneinmy room, behind the door I’dlocked, it was also the absolute last person I expected to find in my bedroom.
“What the fuck?” It came out halting and stuttered. Jonas, even when he came to talk to me, never came through the door itself. Now,Lachlan,Douchebag King of the Damn Ninja Kiss, was standing right there and all I had on was a towel, with another wrapped around my hair. “What the hell are you doing in here?”
“I—” No other sound escaped him. Beyond registering that he was in my room, I hadn’t paid much further attention to him. Lachlan swallowed. The sound seemed almost too loud in my room, and his eyes tracked over me like he couldn’t decide where to look.
Worse? The scorching heat in his eyes was like a desert wind blowing away all the chills. It was almost too hot in my room now and this was after I showered to chase away the cold. I’d spent too long outside, waiting to hear about Pen’s latest scan results.
The chemoseemedto be working. “Seemed” being the keyword. They’d had to change their course when the first few rounds had only succeeded in making her sick and not shrinking the cancer.
By the time the call ended, the chill was in my bones and even my feet were numb. I’d sent Jonas a message and asked if he’d grab my assignments for me. It was the first time I’d taken advantage of our roommate situation, and hopefully he didn’t mind.
Even boiling myself in the shower didn’t burn me up the way Lachlan’s eyes were. A shudder climbed my spine and goosebumps raced over my skin. The longer he stared at me, the hotter it seemed in here.
“Lachlan?” I demanded when he seemed to have gone completely mute while he stared at me.
“Ace,” he said slowly, dragging his gaze up to lock on my eyes. “Long time…”
“Clearly,” I said, hoping for a frosty tone and getting one that came out a great deal more breathless. Fuck. “But why are you in my room?”
“Used to be mine.” The flippant response was so him, but then again so was the cocky grin slowly spreading across his face. The last couple of weeks, he’d been a thoughtful prick.
I kind of wished it had lasted.
All good things though…
“It’snotyour room anymore though, is it?” I challenged, fisting my grip on the towel. I wanted to yank the one off my head and snap it at his face. But that would bring me closer to him and right now, I needed every inch of space between us.
“No,” he said slowly, the rapt expression on his face irritating and fascinating me in equal measures. Right, no fascination, KC. “It’s not, and more’s the pity, because it’s definitely gotten so much better in my absence.”
A laugh escaped with my snort. “Well, look at that, we can agree on something.”
Another grin flashed across his lips, and a fresh spark lit his green eyes. The intensity of the mysterious forest was suddenly alive again. And fuck if I didn’t want to get lost in there…
No. No I don’t.The mental slap didn’t do much for clearing out the haze of attraction that just did notbelonghere right now, ninja kisses or no ninjas kisses.
“We agree on a lot more, Ace,” he said, taking a step toward me. “What we don’t, I’m almost certain we could negotiate. This vibe right here…it’s everything.” He motioned to the two of us. The excitement in his voice coupled with those scorching looks and the fact he was still between me and the door out of here while I was in a towel just struck a match.
Anger blew through me like a wildfire. The heat burning me up right now had nothing to do with attraction. Where the love and hate coin was concerned, I was far more on the latter than the former. The only thing he was succeeding in doing was dislodging my indifference.
“Let me clear something up for you, douchebag.” I eyed him. “This vibe? It’s dislike, disdain, and I would imaginedisappointment. The first two you made clear and the third? Well, let’s just say I’ve been there long enough to earn a permanent address. Now do us both a favor and get the fuck out.”
I headed for the closet. I could at least throw on some clothes while in there. I didn’t make it two steps before he tugged the towel and it spun me around as he yanked it free. I half-stumbled trying to hold onto it but if I didn’t let go, I would have collided with him.
“You ass—” I didn’t even get to finish the sentence, because his gaze wasn’t on my body. The fact that cool air rushed against me didn’t help with the goosebumps or the tightness of my nipples.
Even my thoughts stuttered to a halt at the dark possession in his gaze. Two things happened. I yanked the towel off my head even as he dropped the other one on the floor. Then he was just there, filling the space, taking up all the oxygen and his lips were dangerously close to mine.
“Ace,” he whispered. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”
And naked.
