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Matt’s eyes flash with rage. “She’s yours, huh? We’ll see.”
I shiver, and Trey looks at me sideways, his hand tightening slightly. Then Matt shoulders his way through the small crowd and stalks to the door.
I can breathe again.
Lincoln is still staring after Matt like he’s in a trance. I reach out, touching his arm gently, and he flinches, goosebumps rising on his forearm. He looks back at me, his dark gaze intense, but at least his anger seems to have dissipated.
His eyes are the perfect stormy gray color, and I’m lost in them. I smell Lincoln’s cool, woodsy scent, and it mixes perfectly with Trey’s warm, spicy smell. I realize I feel safe, the panic attack long forgotten.
With Matt gone, the party seems to pick up where it left off, though we’re getting a lot of sideways looks. Fiona hands me my drink from the counter, which I gladly accept, taking a long pull. I’m suddenly aware that my hand is still interlocked with Trey’s, and I unwind my fingers from his, clearing my throat.
“I was okay,” I say finally, needing to break the silence. “You didn’t have to step in caveman style. And I’m definitely notyours.”
Lincoln looks down at me, his eyebrows dropping in annoyance. “Do you ever stop talking?”
This asshole.
“How about next time, I just let the creep hit on you?” he grinds out.
“I didn’t ask for your help,” I snarl.
Then he pinches my chin in his grasp, forcing my gaze to his. I lick my lips, and his eyes track the movement. He’s so close we could kiss. My entire body heats with his exhale.
“I wasn’t helping you, Sunshine. I was marking you. Believe me when I say that no one at the school will ever touch you,” Lincoln snarls menacingly, which does nothing but ignite my annoyance into full-blown anger.
“Why?” I challenge. “Becauseyouwant me? Because let me tell you—your attitude sucks.” I jerk my chin from his hold and fold my arms under my chest, which causes my boobs to nearly burst out of my dress. I watch as Lincoln and Trey’s eyes fall to my breasts, and I cover myself with a sigh. “Really?”
Their eyes snap back to mine. Fiona snickers.
“No.” The muscles in Lincoln’s sharp jaw twitch. “Because I want to be the one to ruin you.”
I hear Trey chuckle darkly behind me.
Lincoln’s words cause a rush of heat through my entire body, but it’s different from the familiar heat of panic. This rush is a mix of unwanted lust and a warning that seems to tug at my heart.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHARLIE
Fiona and I left the party pretty quickly. We’re walking arm in arm back to the Raven Building, which isn‘t a long distance, but feels much longer when you’re fighting the damp autumn air in skimpy clothing.
“Well, that was an interesting party,” Fiona says, her teeth chattering as the cold breeze whips through the quad.
“Yeah” is all I can manage as my brain short-circuits when I realize Matt knows I’m here.
Did he know all along?
Fiona glances at me. “Do you want to tell me about him?”
I shake my head. “Not really, but I’m guessing you won’t let me sleep tonight until I do.”
A gust of wind blows brown and yellow leaves around our feet and whips my hair into a tangled mess. We pick up our pace, practically sprinting across the quad, and we both let out a sigh of relief when we burst through the doors of our dorm building.
Fiona and I stay quiet on the elevator ride up, and I immediately grab pajamas and head down the hall for the bathroom the second I enter my room. It’s past 2 a.m., and I feel my eyelids trying to force their way closed.
Fiona is sitting on my bed expectantly when I return.
I groan. “Really? We can’t chat about it over coffee tomorrow?”
