Lucid (34 page)

Outside floodlights streaming through the office blinds provided enough light for us to see each other. “Why didn’t you text me back? Call me…anything?”

Ethan quickly shut the door and before I could pull away, he set my back against it, his hands caging me in. His face, full of hard lines, moved close to mine. “Do you still love me, Nara?” he ground out.

I stiffened, offended. “What kind of question is that?”

He closed his eyes for a second, then locked gazes with me once more. “All the other bullshit, texts that never made it, guys who think they can have you, stuff happening out of my control, a life I didn’t choose, none of it matters,” he growled. “But the way you feel about me does.”

A life he didn’t choose? Was he referring to his powers?
I searched his angry gaze. For a brief second, vulnerable pain reflected in the dark depths, cracking through my anger. “I’ve done nothing
but
love you—”

Ethan’s mouth cut me off, his lips pressing hard against mine. The fierceness of his kiss rocked me to my toes. I couldn’t help but respond to it. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I kissed him back with all the longing and worry and fear I’d felt during his absence. God, I’d missed him…missed our connection so very much.

He must’ve felt it too, because Ethan pulled me close and deepened our kiss, his mouth moving over mine in a sensual, bone-melting glide. Full of heat and intensity, our attraction had built to fiercer heights since the last time we were together.

I felt smaller enveloped in his thicker arms and taller height, but at the same time more cherished. As we fell against the door, his hands slid down my sides, past my waist to cup the back of my thighs through my dress. He pulled me tighter against him, as if he couldn’t get close enough, then kissed my jaw and spoke in a low, rough voice, “When I saw his hands on you, touching your skin, all I could think about was snapping him in half.” His warm mouth moved to my throat and he nipped lightly, his grip tightening. “You’re part of me, Nara. Always and forever.”

“Together ’til the wheels fall off,” I agreed. I panted as I yanked at his shirttail, then tugged it out of his belt and pants. I needed to feel the warmth of his skin against my palms, wanted to press him even closer, to imprint his hard frame all over me, everywhere at once. He wasn’t the only one who craved the physical connection. Sliding my hands along his back, I reveled in the new sharply defined muscles and pressed him against me. I couldn’t get close enough. I didn’t care that we were in some coach’s office.

Ethan claimed my mouth once more, pressing his upper body against mine. Sandwiched between the door and his rock hard chest, I felt every thump of his heart knocking on my own, as if his body wholeheartedly agreed with his “you’re a part of me” declaration.

High on the intimate thought, I smiled against his mouth and cupped the back of his neck, threading my fingers through his shorter locks. I missed the longer hair, but this haircut enhanced his defined cheekbones, instead of hiding them. Cool air hit my calf as he gripped my skirt and started to slide the soft material up my leg, raising the hem.

Just as his warm fingers grasped the back of my thigh, Ethan raised his head and narrowed his gaze, rumbling, “People are coming.”

“What?” I listened. “I don’t hear anything,” I whispered as he released my leg and glanced around the dimly lit room.

As soon as he tugged me away from the door, the building’s main doors clanged open and several guys’ amped-up voices floated down the hall.

Footfalls clomped into the hall, and one person said, “The offices are down this way.”

Ethan pulled me into the office’s small storage closet, then shut the door behind us, dousing the room in darkness.

Now that he wasn’t distracting me with bone-melting kisses, I asked in a low voice, “You really didn’t get my TTTWFO text? Why didn’t you call me when you got back from skiing like you said you would?”

Ethan’s chest brushed against my arm. “No, I didn’t get that text, but I think you liked my answer to that one better in person,” he said in a low husky voice. “I was wondering why you were so quiet this week, but instead of calling, I decided to surprise you.”

I smiled and murmured, “You accomplished your goal. Oh, by the way, your cousin sucks at giving messages.”

“You talked to Danielle?”

He sounded surprised. So he really didn’t know. “She answered your phone when I called one night. She told me you were in the shower,” I said in a sour tone. “I asked her to have you call me.”

“She should’ve told me…” he began in an annoyed tone when footfalls came closer to the office.

Another male voice called out, “I’m pretty sure I saw something that’ll work in Coach K’s office.”

Ethan slid me in front of him and whispered, “Shhhh” then rested his hands on my shoulders. I relaxed a little, glad he sounded upset with his cousin. She deserved his anger for not giving him my message.

“We’ll find something to crown the rightful king!” another voice said right before a light suddenly flooded under the closet door, giving off a dim glow inside the small space.

In his excited state, Drystan’s Welsh accent sounded even stronger outside the closet door. Ethan’s fingers tightened on my shoulders, and he moved closer until I could feel his heart thump hard against my back.

A rattling echoed from across the room and one of the guys said, “Damn, this cabinet’s locked.”

“No problem.” Drystan said, then a drawer slid open and someone rummaged through it.

While Ethan ran his thumbs along the back of my shoulders, warm breath rushed against my ear, sending tingles along my neck and scattering down my limbs.

He surprised me when he bent to press a kiss on the back of my left shoulder in the same place he’d just rubbed his thumb. The sounds in the office faded away as a jolt of scorching heat flooded into my skin where his lips connected. I gasped as a cool sensation quickly followed the searing intensity. Goose bumps skittered along my body and the tips of my fingers and toes tingled. Though Ethan hadn’t said a word, I’d felt his emotions. His kiss had been intimate and boldly possessive, as if he’d just branded me, and an overwhelming, tender, “I claim you” message settled in my heart.

You’re mine too, Ethan
.

As he straightened, I glanced over my shoulder into his hooded gaze, hoping he could see how I felt.

Ethan slowly turned me around in the confined space. When he gripped my waist, then effortlessly lifted me to his towering height as if I weighed nothing, I grasped his shoulders and mouthed, “What are you doing?”

His smile oozed devilish intent, making every nerve in my body stand at attention. “Fulfilling a promise, Sunshine,” he whispered right before he pulled me close and planted a warm kiss along the plump curve of skin peeking above my bodice. When he moved to give the same attention to the other side, I dug my fingers into his shoulders and bit my lip to keep from making any noise. The raven feather I’d kept from our picnic, the one he’d tucked in my bra as a promise, had fallen out of his journal. I’d been sad when I realized it was gone, but the real deal was far more seductive and intensely emotional. Whenever he touched me, Ethan made me feel so much, it was hard to contain my response.

When he lowered me to my feet, the guys had finally freed whatever trophy they planned to take back to the dance. After they exited the office, I inhaled and exhaled slowly in order to get-a-grip, then straightened my shaky legs and met his gaze. “I can’t believe you expect me to go back to the dance after that.”

The seductive look he gave me sent puffs of steam shooting straight to my belly. “Who says I want you to go back to the dance?”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ethan and I had just made our way to the food table when Lainey waved to me from across the room and mouthed, “Bathroom.” then pointed to the gym entrance.

While Lainey skirted the crowd, heading toward the entrance, I looked at Ethan. “Lainey wants to talk to me about something. I’ll be right back.”

Before I could walk away, he glanced at the locker room doorway on the far side of the gym. “The bathrooms are that way.”

“They’re crappy and smelly. The dance committee got the school to agree to let us use the school bathrooms in the main building for tonight.”

“I’ll go with you then.”

I put my hand on his arm. “There’s always people coming and going to the bathrooms, so I won’t be alone. I’ll be right back.”

As I headed toward the door, I heard Matt yelling above the crowd, “Hurry back for our dance, Lainey!” He spun to the revved-up hip-hop beat while holding something gold—was that a trophy?—above his head. Drystan danced in the center of the crowd, surrounded by a pack of girls, trying to gain his undivided attention. Off to the left, Tarra and Jared sported their Ice Queen and King crowns, while holding court to the entire cheerleading squad and football players’ cheers.

Everyone seemed to be having a blast. I smiled that it had all worked out as I followed a group of girls out the gym and then through the main building’s double doors.

Packed with groups of girls crowded in front of the mirrors, giggling and applying lipstick and in some cases even more makeup, the bathroom smelled of perfume and hairspray.

I shook my head at the girly chaos, then peered under the stall doors for Lainey’s dress and shoes. When I didn’t see her, I frowned and walked back into the somewhat quieter hall.

Where’d she go?
I glanced into the darkened atrium—the custodians had only left on the lights at the front of the school for us—and tried to think like Lainey. She wanted to talk, but she had to know the bathrooms would be packed. Which meant…she’d gone to the other girls’ bathroom close to our study hall classroom.

Thankfully, Mrs. Meacham had stepped outside to talk to a parent chaperoning the dance, so I wouldn’t have to sneak past her. My heels echoed in the open, two-story atrium, so I moved to my toes and quickly crossed it, then pushed open the door that led to the sophomore locker halls. Cutting through the locker hall wasn’t the fastest way to the bathroom, but at least that hall had skylights. The rest of the halls were full of shadows.

I’d just turned down the locker hall when someone grabbed my neck and yanked me around, slamming me against the lockers.

“I want my books back, little tweet,” my attacker hissed in a deadly voice.

My shoulders throbbed, but I bit back the gasp of pain from his manhandling and glared at the bald guy towering over me.

Drake
!

Before I could speak, he grabbed my throat and slammed me against the locker once more. “I went to all that trouble collecting those books, only to have that little monkey-climbing shit steal them away. When I saw you dancing with that foreign kid, I realized who’d stolen my books.”

“They weren’t
your
books!” I snapped, while trying to decide which way to run as soon as I got free.

He sneered and dug his fingers into my throat. “I want them back!”

“You won’t get them!” I croaked and grasped his wrist. A sharp-edged cufflink dug into my palm as I tried to jerk his hand from my throat. He was so strong. When he laughed at my failure, I gritted my teeth and tried to lash out with my foot, but my shoe caught in my dress.

Just as I freed my foot and swung it toward his knee, he straightened his arm and snickered. “I have a much longer reach now, little bird.”

I frowned in confusion. He talked as if we’d interacted before. His “tweet” reference sounded just like the guy who’d attacked me in the library. Had that guy told him what happened between us? They obviously worked for someone. “Who were you stealing my books for?”

His lips curved in an arrogant, evil grin. “He’ll be your worst nightmare.”

“Why does he want my books?” I dropped my voice to a whisper and let a hand slip from his wrist.

When he leaned in to ask, “What did you say?” I swung my free arm, slamming my fist into the side of his head.

He grabbed his head and stumbled to the side. “You conniving bitch!”

I hiked my hem and took off in the direction of the bathroom. If I could get there, I’d bolt the door from the inside. I prayed Lainey was there, so we could use her phone to call the police.

Hard-soled shoes hammered the floor directly behind me right before he grabbed a handful of hair and pulled me back against his chest in an excruciating, painful yank.

“I’m really going to enjoy torturing you,” he hissed in my ear, then let out a low chuckle. “I’m glad you’re young enough to handle some bumps. I hated that old man going down for the count so quickly. It pissed me off that he hadn’t felt me pin his puny body to that damned raven tree.”

His admission to Freddie’s murder ignited the burning in my stomach, snapping something inside. With a growl of fury, I ground my spiked heel into his shoe and slammed my fist backward, pegging him in the groin.

The second he released my hair, I started to run when I realized I didn’t hear his howl of pain right behind me anymore. I turned just in time to see his arms and legs flailing as he flew through the air down the hall in a blur of white. His body slammed into a set of lockers, denting them before he fell to the floor, heaving an audible grunt. Ethan stood where Drake had been just a second before. He stared down at me with eyes as dark as night. “Get out of here, Nara!”

Hard lines creased his face, making him look much older. I’d never heard such fury in his voice, nor had I seen the kind of vicious look he turned toward Drake when the guy crawled to his knees and sucked in a lungful of air.

“He killed Freddie—a sweet old man who tried to help me. Let’s get out of here!” I grabbed his arm and tried to tug him along, but he effortlessly uncurled my death grip from his arm. His jaw worked for a second, the reproach in his black eyes flickering over my face. He was angry I hadn’t told him.

He turned away from me and said over his shoulder, “I mean it. Get out now!”

His fierce tone spurred me into action. I ran and tried not to wince at the punching sounds or the distinct reverberation of bodies slamming against lockers. Once I turned the next corner, I veered down the hall that led to the girls’ bathroom. I wasn’t leaving Lainey behind.