Page 24 of Brutal Savage

Thoughts of pinning her to the hood of my car consume me. My hand wrapped around her throat, my fingers inside her as she fights the desire building within her.

I brush off those thoughts.

Fucking Ms. Hill is the last thing I should be thinking of. Then again…

I chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Her brows knit.

“Nothing at all. Now, may we go inside?”

“Mm-hmm.” She tightens her mouth before she gives me her back, leading me into the building.

We follow her, entering the first door to the right. Desks sit in the center of the room, the left side with some age-appropriate games and toys.

She kneels to Brody’s height and grabs his hands, and he lets her. Doesn’t even try to pry them off like he does with me. It shocks me every single time.

“How about you go and play while I talk to your…cousin?” She glances at me questioningly.

“Cousin is fine.”

“Okay, Brody, you go.” She brushes a hand down the back of his head.

For a moment, I think he’ll just run off, but instead…he smiles at her.

My inhale freezes in my lungs.

He. Fucking. Smiled.

Her eyes fill with tears, a palm pressing to the center of her chest. She blinks faster, past those emotions she can’t seem to hide.

Brody, though? He scurries off to look at some books while I stare at him, unable to fathom what just happened.

He smiled for the first time in a year.

And it was for her.

“Has he ever done that since…” she whispers. “He never smiles in class, or anywhere that I’ve seen.”

“No.” I return my attention to the alluring Ms. Hill and the magic she carries. “He must really like you.”

“Well…” Her grin is shy. “I like him too. And now I’m completely embarrassed because I talked about him when you gave me that ride.”

“Don’t be,” I say dryly. “I omitted that information.”

“Why did you?” Her eyes dart to the ground before finding mine again, fingers slipping a loose strand of hair behind her ear that I’d very much like to do myself again.

Touching her in any damn way is all I can think about lately.

It’s killing me.

She’s killing me.

I need it to stop.

“I didn’t think it mattered.”

Or because I have been watching you and didn’t want you to know exactly who I was.

---