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I’d barely nodded before his fingers entwined with mine and he gave a gentle tug. My feet didn’t seem to touch the ground as he led me to a set of stairs that took us to a back exit. Even as the door was closing behind us, I heard the student behind the information desk knock over another stack of books.
Vaughn’s eyes were vigilant as the warm, late May evening air caressed my skin. Each time he looked at me, a jolt of happiness hit me. I must have made a noise each time, because he would lift my hand to his mouth, kissing my fingers while focusing on our surroundings again. As much as I tried, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him to look where we were going.
Stopping by a nondescript black car, he opened the passenger door. I bit my lip, shifting my gaze from him to the interior of the car, torn.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, touching my chin with his free hand. “Fuck, I’m scaring you. I’m trying, zhizn moya. I swear to you I am, but I… Fuck, I—”
“I don’t want to let go of your hand.” I cut off his agonized explanation. “Touching you feels too good. I’m starved for any contact with you I can get. My brain tells me it will be less than twenty seconds before you’re in the car with me and I can touch you again, but I don’t want to let go even for that long.”
Understanding filled his eyes. Pulling me against his chest, he kissed the top of my head. “I know what you mean. If I could touch you every minute of the day, it still wouldn’t be enough for me.”
I wrapped my arm around his back, my fingers twisting in the material of his shirt, afraid he would let go. Or worse, fade away. When I woke up, he would be gone. I wasn’t sure I could survive that again.
“Sit, my sweet girl,” he urged, turning me so all I had to do was bend my knees and I would be in the car. He bent with me, making sure I didn’t bump my head as I took the seat. Once my feet were inside, he reached across to fasten my seat belt.
Pressing my nose to his neck, I breathed in his subtle sandalwood scent. Turning his head, he kissed me, quick and hard before latching the seat belt. “Close your eyes. I promise I’ll be beside you again before you reach ten.”
“No.” I shook my head vehemently. “No, when I open them, you’ll be gone. It will be like every morning when I wake up. I’ll be alone again.”
“I won’t let that happen this time, Abi.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “Give me one chance, and I’ll show you.”
My fingers trembled as I released my hold on his shirt. Closing my eyes, I began to count. I heard the door shut. Before I got to five, the driver’s door opened. I felt his arm brush against mine as he took the seat, but I didn’t immediately open my eyes, too scared he would be gone.
Rough fingers grazed my cheek, turning my face to the left. I smelled coffee on his breath, and then he licked my bottom lip. “Open those pretty blue eyes and look at me.”
Shaking my head, I tried to pull away. He wrapped his fingers around my neck, stopping me from getting far. My eyes flew open, a moan tearing from my throat. Stormy brown eyes greeted me. “You really do like that, don’t you?”
“Uh-huh.” I squirmed in my seat in an attempt to alleviate the ache between my legs.
With a curse, he released me, started the car, and put it in reverse. Backing out of the parking spot, he was quick to get us on the road. I didn’t bother paying attention to what direction he drove. It didn’t matter where we went. I only wanted to be with him.
Taking his hand, I traced my fingers over the lines of his palm. Feeling the thick tissue of a scar on his thumb, I lifted it closer to get a better look. “How did this happen?”
“An incident with a very sharp knife when I was ten,” he said without emotion.
I didn’t like it when he went all blank on me. His eyes turned cold. His face became expressionless. He was a different person. My heart broke for whatever had caused him to shut down.
Kissing the scar, I settled back in my seat, still clutching his hand but giving him time to digest whatever was in his past that haunted him. I didn’t want to push him to tell me. If he wanted to talk, I was there to listen, but I didn’t need to know his secrets unless he wanted to share.
After a few minutes of me not prying, he blew out a breath. “I never want to taint you with the bad things in my past. There’s too much darkness. Unfortunately, that’s all there ever was.”
“Vaughn,” I whispered to hide the wobble in my voice. “It’s okay. I don’t care about your past. Just give me your present. And…maybe…your future?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
vaughn
Somewhere between the campus library and driving to the rental that I’d used mostly for showering when I wasn’t stalking Abi, I lost control. It was something I’d never allowed to happen before. It was too dangerous in my world. But when it came to her, I’d given up trying to predict my reaction to anything she said or did.
I barely got the car in the garage without wrecking, the door already lowering as I lifted Abi from her seat. Her long legs wrapped around my waist, our mouths fused together as I carried her into the small house.
She was soaked. I could feel how wet she was through the exercise pants she wore. They molded to her curves like a second skin, one I detested. Because the material got to touch her when I couldn’t. Because her ass always looked edible in them. Because every prick in the state seemed to look at her when she wore them. My reasons for disliking them were infinite.
“These damn yoga pants you wear are going to be the death of me,” I grumbled, flexing my fingers on her luscious ass. “If I see one more motherfucker look at you bending over in these things, I’m going to drop a bomb on this entire town.”
Her soft laugh was wickedly sexy. “You’re the only man I want looking, so it’s a moot point in my opinion, Professor.”
Reaching the door to the bedroom, I pressed her up against it, already rolling down the cloth. “Admit you do it to drive me crazy.”
