Page 34 of Such a Naughty Girl

I’d tried to find her online. Hell, I’d gone to three nearby colleges to see if I could find her; but had come home kicking rocks.

She hadn’t tried to contact me.

Why would she?

It was one thing to allow yourself to fall into a situation, to befriend the lion while you’re stuck in the pit with it to avoid becoming its dinner. It was another to come back and pet the lion for fun.

Izzy sparkled where I wrinkled. She was soft where I’d grown hard. Life bubbled from her andinvigoratedme.

I barely knew her, yet months on from our brief encounter, I found myself thinking about her. She plagued me.

How long would it take for herimpressionto fade? Months? Years?

She’d likely gone back to college and settled back into her usual life. Hell, after the few days we’d had, she was probably living it up.

As she should be.

Isolated in my cabin a million miles fromcivilisationwas no place for someone so vibrant. Heck, even Chunk deserved better. A family with snot-nosed tots who’d drop toast for him every morning and sneak him chicken nuggets at night.

I sighed, inhaling the woody scent and pressing my hand harder into the bark,impressingher initials into my skin. More than anything, I wanted her nail marks on my arms, my lips swollen with her desperate kisses. I wanted to make her smile. To swallow her giggles before making her squeal my name into the night.

Chunk nudged at my legs, urging me to continue our walk.

With a nod, I pushed my way back from the tree and followed Chunk back through the woodland.

With every step, I ran my fingers over the I and E imprinted in my palm.

It faded too soon.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

IZZY

Jason wittered on as he walked me back to my dorm. The date hadn’t been terrible, as such, but failed to ignite anything much inside me. Despite the golden leaves, the fall chill failed to bring the romantic flair it usually did.

Most years the influx of pumpkin spice and super-sweet rom-coms had me feeling all starry-eyed, looking around the men on campus and imagining falling in love. Nine months on from losing my virginity, I still awaited anything coming close to theexcitementEmmett had brought.

His hand on my lower back didn’t send tingles through me. It sat there like a ball of limp lettuce as he escorted me up the stairs.

We neared my room, relief filling the space where nerves should be.

I zoned back into Jason’sconversation, feeling like a terrible person for my wandering attention. He’d brought me a single red rose and paid for dinner. He deserved better than a date who had her head in the clouds.

‘I had a fantastic night, thank you,’Jason said, his hand sliding down from my spine to catch my fingers in his.

My door loomed beside us, watching over me like myjudgementalfather. I’d given it plenty ofopportunityto judge me in my search for something that would match the pleasure I’ddiscoveredin Emmett's snow-surroundedcabin the previous December. The guys weren't bad at it, per se, their jigsaw pieces just didn’t quite match mine. Sure, we could lock together, but there were awkward gaps andoverlappingedges.

‘Thanks for walking me back,’I replied,extractingmy hand from his and fishing my keys from my purse.

‘Izzy.’His fingers were on my jaw, his lips covering mine before I could move away. Numbly, I accepted the kiss. I’d accepted a lot over the past months.

Jason’s tongue invaded my mouth, still tinged with garlic and the bitter tang of beer.

A wave of nausea hit.

Pressing my key-filled hand against his chest, I separated us.

‘Sorry, Jason, this isn’t working for me. It’s not you. You were the perfect gent. There’s just something missing.’

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