Page 79 of Tempest

Goddamnit, her dress barely covers her ass.

My glare practically tattoos itself between her thighs as she walks over, intelligently keeping enough distance between us that it would take obvious effort for me to grab her by her braid and drag her out.

“Thank you for the talk, professor,” she says before inching out the door and past my immobile frame.

I ready one more glare in Miguel’s direction. “I’ll take her to Clover, then return.”

I’m impressed at how mild that came out.

“Whatever you want, Tempest.” Miguel’s lips tilt in amused derision. “I got what I needed from you, regardless.”

My eye twitches in my otherwise frozen expression. I shut the door with a sharp click before rounding on Ardyn.

“Move.”

Ardyn jumps at my tone but turns and tries to match my strides. “What the hell was that about? And why do you look like you just crawled out of a grave?”

“That is between Miguel and me, and how I look is none of your fucking business.”

Ardyn’s jaw tightens. “Tell me where Clover is. I’d rather not be led around by you while you throw a mysterious fit.”

I whirl, getting so much in her face that she darts back. “If I were truly to lead you, it would be on a leash, which we both know you enjoyed last night.” I tug on my belt loop. “Care to have me use this again?”

“No because you passed it onto your buddy like I was nothing,” she heaves into my face. “After what you—what we—you couldn’t be bothered to escort me back to my home.”

I stiffen at her unexpected honesty. “I received a call I couldn’t ignore. And don’t you ever get it twisted. I would never put you in the hands of somebody I didn’t trust completely to keep his hands off you. He took you home just fine.”

“So now nobody else is allowed to touch me? Because I’m soiled now?” She scoffs and, shockingly, shoves my shoulders. Her vigor surprises me so much that I actually allow her to move me. “You knew exactly what you were doing. And when it came time to explain yourself, you didn’t care.”

“I never do.”

“Well, I care.” She points at her chest. “About you. And what we did. It mattered to me. I’m not going to let you ruin it by barging into my meeting with my professor and manipulating my GPA and-and stomping all over me like You mine now, me Tempest take to cave with stick.”

I can’t control it. A laugh shoots out of my mouth. Incomprehensible, considering I just finished decapitating a man who buried his family in gambling debts and offered to sell me his daughter to save himself while Rio held him down. It’s just, she looks so cute and angry, like a perturbed anime doll, the very one I dirtied up mere hours ago. It’s like she put herself through the laundry while we were separated, hoping to come out clean, but the filth of me stayed in her mouth.

I get out, with choked restraint, “What did you just say?”

“Do I have to spell it out? You treated me like a caveman would last night and right now. I refuse to be yanked around by you any further. So tell me, where’s Clover?”

“In your dorm.”

Ardyn releases a drawn-out sigh. “You’re unbelievable. Goodbye, Tempest.”

I allow her enough of a lead to watch the ruffle of her dress bounce against the backs of her thighs before resuming my walk.

She glances over her shoulder, perturbed, and picks up her pace.

I could match hers easily but prefer the view, so I linger behind as she cuts through the quad, past the fountain, and makes it to the stairs of her dorm.

Her hand raps against the banister. She asks, without turning, “Why are you following me?”

“I’m making sure you make it home safe.”

Ardyn spins, nearly toppling off the first stair. Honestly, this girl. “I believe I asked you nicely to go away. Do I have to reach your level of cruelty for you to get the message? Fuck off, Tempest.”

I’m impressed with her word choice since I’m sure she rarely lets curse words malign her precious tongue but press forward.

“Let me get this straight.” I lean up against the banister, close enough to catch a whiff of her ambrosia perfume mixed with the sweat of her frustration. I fucking love it. “You’re angry with me for not escorting you home last night, and you’re pissed at me now for walking you home from class today? Make up your mind, princess.”

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