Page 78 of King

He cuts me off and I realize that’s exactly what I need right now. Something to take my mind off everything. It looks like Damien might know me better than I realize.

Rolling my eyes I reach for the door. “I left it in my locker.” His scent overtakes me when I climb in. "But, really, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking of it shoved up your ass." He smirks and I give him a push on his shoulder but the thought gives me a tingle. Damn Damien King. Damn him to hell.

"You're insufferable." I sink into his seat, calmer now than moments ago.

“I guess we’ll have a toy for school.” He opens the glove compartment to reveal another plug. This one is purple with a matching gem. “I have backups.”

The boys greet us the same way the next day. Damien with a sunflower for Willow instead of a rose. At some point, I’m going to have to tell my sister what’s going on.

Or I can avoid that conversation. She’s made friends with the popular kids in her class in her way. Why couldn’t I?

Damien sends her off to class with swoons from her friends. It's out of character and sort of creeps me out, but it's nice to see him treat her this way.

Once she's off with her friends, I agree to meet Isaac during fourth period for another job. It’s not worth as much as the first two, but at three hundred dollars, I’m still very much down. At this rate, I'll have little to worry about come the big eighteen.

With no morning conversation from Allie and Nate, I'm in my homeroom early. Damien hardly looks my way when he enters but there's a twitch of a smirk before he takes his seat. Christian strolls in shortly after.

“Parcel for Joelle Rowland?” Beckett's secretary is at the door, square box in her hand.

"Uh…it’s Jo,” I say, raising my hand halfway with a glance at Damien.

“Thank you. Jo, make it quick,” Mr. Hill says this as if we’re going to do anything besides reading in his class.

For Damien, that means texting, but he’s well aware of the package that’s arrived for me. So is Christian. He’s staring over at me as the parcel drops on my desk.

Beckett’s secretary walks out of the room, my eyes on the white ribbon. Another look at Damien gives me a shrug as he leans back in his seat. “You should open it.”

“Yeah,” I say, tucking it under my desk. “Later.”

“Could be important,” Damien pushes.

I raise an eyebrow. “Doesn’t look like it is.”

“How would you know?”

“Jo?” Mr. Hill sounds tired. “Do you want to open the package?”

“No.”

“She does," Damien speaks for me at the same time.

“Fine!” I make it quick, untying the ribbon and popping off the lid. Inside sits a pair of clamps attached to chains. “What the fu—”

“Oh my…” Mr. Hill's face is like a baboon's ass, fingers to his lips.

“Russian grade nipple clamps,” Damien says amused, but my face boils. “Good choice.”

The class erupts in laughter and I glare at him, but he returns to his phone. It’s clear that Damien King isn’t your usual flowers and chocolate kind of guy either but this…

“Alright, settle down!” Mr. Hill waves a spread hand up and down. “I’m all for you kids exploring but you can put that away now, Miss Rowland. It’s very inappropriate.”

I realize that it’s still on my desk and jump before I push it back in the box. The class laughs again, heat moving from my face to my core.

“One second Mr. Hill,” I say, jaw tight. I plop the cover back on before I get up and drop it on Damien’s desk, glaring. “I need to return it to sender.”

“If you both don’t mind,” Christian pipes up. “I’m trying to get some work done.”

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