Page 22 of Crave Me

“Okay, look. I was never good at science, but me and my brother have always been good with projects. Do what I tell you, and me and him, we’ll try to help you.”

“Yeah?” he asks.

“I promise.”

He adjusts the beanie on his head and starts to turn. But then he narrows his stare at Evan. “Let me ask you this. What does he have that I don’t?”

“A legal age limit,” I offer.

Sauron huffs. “Okay, I’ll give you that one.”

Evan and I watch him hop down my wood porch steps and onto the freshly plowed sidewalk. He jumps onto his bike, but it’s not until he pedals onto the sidewalk leading back to his house that Evan speaks. “It seems you have suitor.”

“Oh, yeah,” I tell him. “Grade schoolers can’t seem to get enough of my sparkling wit.”

He laughs, stepping through when I pull open the door. I shudder when the frigid air from outside rushes in, and quickly lock the door.

My house isn’t huge, but it’s a good size and almost three times as big as the row house I grew up in. There’s a small sitting area that doubles as a library to my right and cozy family room with a fireplace to my left. But it’s not until I see Evan standing by the couch, small flurries melting into his dark hair, that I see it in a different way.

This is home to me, with all its dark wood, plaster walls, and charm. This is my happy place. Evan’s home is his work. I can tell by how at ease he was in that environment, despite how sterile the marble tile and expensive modern furniture felt. I don’t fault him for it. We’re just different. Maybe too different.

“You look stunning,” he tells me.

Okay. We’re different. But he’s still a fucking sweetheart.

He steps forward with the roses in his hands. Suddenly, I’m thirteen again and waiting on Connor McGillis to kiss me before my brothers catch us and stomp his ass. “These for me?” I ask, my face flushing.

He does a subtle one shoulder shrug. “I’d say they were for Sauron, but I don’t typically reward children who ask me, ‘What the hell are you doing here, asshole?’”

My jaw pops open as I reach for the flowers. “He said that?”

He nods, thoughtfully. “It would seem I sparked his protective nature.”

“And his evil side.” I groan. “I’m sorry about that. He and me, we’re going to have a talk.”

“It’s all right. He was . . . charming.”

“Charming?” I ask.

He frowns. “Perhaps that’s not the best word. But I commend him for looking out for you.”

“Most people would have kicked him to the curb. Just last week I had to pull one of the neighborhood girls off him who challenged him to a fight. But give them a few years, my guess is he’ll take her to prom.”

I take another look at the heavy coat he’s wearing. God Almighty, he makes everything look yummy. “If you want, place your coat on the railing,” I say backing away. “It’s warm in here and I want to put these in water. We have time, right?”

“Take as much time as you need,” he says.

My steps slow to a stop when he tugs off his coat. We’re going to a nice place for dinner that much I know. I expected him in a suit, but I won’t complain about what I see. As he slips the coat from his shoulders, I get my first real look at his body.

Not that I can help it, not with the dark green V-neck sweater clinging to his frame. There’s definition in his arms and shoulders, something I didn’t notice in his business clothes. But I notice it now. Maybe a little too much.

He smiles, tilting his head as my attention lingers. “I went with casual attire this evening.”

“I can see that,” I say, inching forward. I want to brush my fingers through his hair and feel the moisture leftover from the melting flakes. I also want to feel the fabric slide against my palms as I pass my hands along his chest.

Somehow, I refrain. Not that he makes it easy.

The deep green of his sweater borders on black, but I catch enough of the color despite the dim light from the family room. It’s brings out the green in his eyes and fades the gold away, tempting me forward to see if I can find those flecks. It’s a hell of a thing, considering how shaken I was before he arrived.

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