Page 15 of InfraRed

His hand moved again, a finger brushing the edge of my panties. I pushed his hand away, swallowing hard as my heart pounded in my ears. A deep growl rumbled in his chest as he glared at me with gritted teeth. “What’s the problem, Casey?”

“N-nothing. I j-just… We should slow down.”

His blue eyes turned glacial as he blew out a heavy breath. “If we went any slower, we’d be going in reverse. We’ve been going out for months, and you said we would do this when you turned eighteen. Well, happy birthday, baby. You’re eighteen today.”

He dove back in, groping, digging his fingers into my flesh, forcing my legs apart as he nipped at my neck. My airways constricted. It was too much, too fast, and too public. My hands went to his chest, trying to push him away. “Drake, please stop. Not here.” When his fingers brushed my covered center, I shoved harder. “Drake, I said stop. Please.” But he didn’t.

Tears sprung to my eyes, but before I could plead again,he was gone. A bone-cracking sound erupted in my ears as Graham punched Drake in the face. Then again. And again. Blood sprayed from his nose like a volcano, his mouth poured crimson. He cried out in pain, begging for it to end.

When I finally shook away my shock and grasped what was happening, I leaped from the bench, ran over, and grabbed Graham’s arm. “Stop!”

He turned toward me, eyes as dark as night, cold as steel, and filled with fury. It allowed Drake to scoot away and then climb to his feet. When he took off, I chased after him, worried he was hurt. No, I knew he was hurt.

I started to turn the corner when fingers gripped my elbow, pushing me into the dark corner against the stone wall of the building. “What are you doing?”

“I need to go check on him.” I tried to pull away from him, but it was pointless. He kept me pressed against the wall, refusing to let me go.

“You are not serious. Casey, he was assaulting you.” He bellowed loudly, making me jump.

“No, he wasn’t. He’s my boyfriend, and you broke his nose.”

“Not anymore, he’s not. If he comes near you again, a broken nose will be the least of his worries.”

That pissed me off. Drake had gone too far. Pushed too hard. I wasn’t stupid. I knew what he did was wrong, but he was still my boyfriend, and my stepbrother just bashed his face. Intervening was one thing, but he didn’t have to hit him, much less so many times or so hard. And Graham didn’t get a say in who I dated. “Back off, Graham. I’m an adult as of today. I don’t need you trying to big brother me.”

His jaw clamped down as he ran his hand over his head. His dark eyes turned into an abyss, staring so deeply inside of methat I thought he could see my innermost thoughts, desires, and fears, all of which revolved around him. A shudder rippled through me, and my breath hitched. I tried once more to go around him, but he grabbed both my hands, pinning them at my side as he crowded me. A sheet of paper couldn’t fit between our bodies.

His nostrils flared as he bore those fathomless depths into my confused eyes. My heart thundered and skipped. He pressed his forehead against mine. I could hear his ragged breaths and feel the tension rolling off him. “You deserve better than that asshole.” His voice was low and rough as if he were fighting for control. Control of what I didn’t know. “You deserve everything, Sunflower. To be treated like a queen.”

My brows pitched low as I fought to keep my thoughts clear. To remember this was nothing more than him being protective, watching over me just like he’d always done. And remembering that triggered angry, irrational feelings. He spoke like I was special when I knew I wasn’t. I didn’t deserve any more than someone else.

I shoved his chest. “You have no idea what I deserve.” He couldn’t understand the burden I was on so many people. Or that Drake was right. I told him when I turned eighteen, we would have sex. I didn’t mean in the freaking garden at a charity gala, but still… “You shouldn’t have interfered.”

Rage flashed in his eyes. A muscle in his cheek twitched. Then he reached for my face, gripping my jaw in his hand, fingers digging firmly, but not painfully. “You deserve it all, Casey. Do you understand me? The stars, the moon, the sun… it should be yours if you want them, and anyone that doesn’t give that to you is. Not. Good. Enough.” He moved closer. Our lips practically touched, and I stopped breathing. “I don’t give a single fuck if a man is balls deep and about to blow his fuckingload. If you say stop, he fucking stops.” His chest heaved as his breath fanned across my face, smelling distinctively of Scotch and cinnamon, making my knees weak and my lashes flutter. A rough thumb brushed against my cheek as his eyes zeroed on my lips.

Then he stepped back and walked away, leaving me breathless, confused, and hurt because, once again, I let hope infect my heart.

I scrub my hands over my face and groan. It was the same thing in the library, but this time I knew better, right? I refuse to go down that path again. Besides, I moved on and let go of my childish crush on the one man I could never have.

And maybe Grahamwasteasing me. Intentionally trying to make me flustered and uncomfortable. In the past, he would never do that, but maybe I was right. Perhaps I don’t know him anymore. Or he is using my quirks against me as a deterrent.

Don’t worry, jackass, I know better now, but even if I didn’t, the message was clear in his reaction when I kissed him back then. And when he walked away from me after cornering me against the wall.Annnnddddavoiding me the past few years.

The cab driver looks at me through the rearview mirror, his green eyes curious, and I realize I’ve said all this out loud. Fortunately, he doesn’t remark on my odd behavior. I’m sure he’s seen much stranger things than a girl having an existential crisis.

And by the time we reach the diner, my face feels like it’s the color of tomatoes because I’m completely embarrassed about my neurotic behavior. I have to stay away from Graham. There are no other options because even if I don’t still feel like that toward him, he messes with my head.

Taking a deep breath, I climb from the cab and walk to theorange door, stepping aside when it opens as a couple exit the retro diner. I slip through the door before it closes and scan the bustling establishment, then find Dad sitting in a far corner booth. He glances at his watch, mouth twisting with impatience because I’m half an hour late. When he looks up, the scowl vanishes, and he waves me over with a big grin.

My steps are quick as I hurry over unremarkable beige tiles to the laminate-covered table. I place a quick kiss on my dad’s cheek, then slide onto the vinyl bench across from him. “Sorry, I’m late.”

“What held you up?” He hands me a menu despite knowing what I’ll order. It hasn’t changed once in the four years we’ve been coming here. It’s as predictable as the meetings themselves.

My thoughts immediately go to Graham. Does Dad know that’s where he’s staying? Suspect that’s why I’m late? A trickle of sweat beads at my temple, but before I can answer, a waitress asks for our drink orders. I order water as usual while Dad orders iced tea, then we tell her what we want to eat. When she leaves, Dad leans onto the table, his hands folded in front of him with concern in his eyes. “Did you run into your Mom?”

Mom.Of course, that’s what he meant. Why would his mind go to Graham? “No. She wasn’t there. I called the housekeeper before I went over.” The waitress drops our food off, and I dive into the totally bad for me and goes against my diet double bacon cheeseburger. But considering my diet is screwed anyway since ramen isn’t exactly a key part of a dancer’s menu, I indulge. The moment I bite into the massive burger, my eyes roll back in my head. I feel like I haven’t eaten in months. If it weren’t for these dates with Dad, I’d wither away to nothing. Top Ramen isn’t exactly keeping the pounds on. On the plus side, I’m not struggling to keep the weight off, so on the rare occasion I get cast with a guy tall enough, I’m a breeze to lift.

“It’s not running away, Case.” On the other hand, Dad watching me shove the burger in my mouth like I haven’t eaten in weeks will raise questions. I don’t need him to find out my food budget is nonexistent.

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