Page 67 of Malicious Intentions

He ignores me, spins on his heel, and carries me through the crowd. I wave at Sophia and blow her a kiss, making her giggle.

The cold night air hits my scantily clad body the second Evan steps out the door. As refreshing as it feels to my overheated skin, a shiver rolls through me.

Evan doesn’t say a word as he strides to his car, then tosses me onto the passenger seat. His dark eyes lock with mine as he pulls the seatbelt across me. “You’re in so much goddamn trouble.” He clicks the belt into place and then steps back, slamming the door in my face before I can say a word.

Fucking asshole.

I try to undo my seatbelt as he rounds the car, but my coordination isn’t the best. Considering I rarely drink alcohol, what I consumed gave me a nice buzz.

Evan slides into the seat, fastens his seatbelt, and fires up the engine. “Stop fucking with your seatbelt. You’re not getting out of this car.”

“Fuck you,” I spit. “Don’t tell me what to do.”

He laughs, shaking his head before he throws his car in reverse and backs out of the space. I can’t help but be impressed as he shifts and we fly out of the parking lot. “Sit there and shut up.”

I don’t listen. “Why did you drive here? You could’ve walked.”

He turns on the heat when he sees me shivering. “Because you’re wearing skimpy clothes and high heels. You’d freeze and break an ankle if we walked.”

I lean back in the seat, enjoying the drive. “Awe. Concerned about me, huh, stepbro?” I bat my eyelashes at him, enjoying the ride.

He surprises me by saying, “I’m always concerned about you. I look out for you more than you realize.” His eyes move from the road to mine, his face serious. “I’m so fucking pissed at you for what you did tonight, Lexi.”

I sigh, knowing he’s about to lecture me and ruin my buzz. “Cause it’s such a crime to have fun.”

“It’s a fucking Wednesday. You have classes tomorrow.” His gaze is back on the road as he drives toward the gate.

“Where are we going?” I point over my shoulder. “The road to our apartment is back there.”

“I know. I was planning to do this after class but was interrupted.”

“Don’t guilt trip me. You didn’t need to come to my rescue. I was doing just fine, having a good time.” I giggle. “I’m a poet and didn’t know it.”

The corners of Evan’s lips tip up. “No way in hell was I gonna leave you alone at a party with a bunch of horny college guys, especially dressed like that.”

I roll my eyes. “Party pooper. I think I look nice.”

“Nice? You look fucking stunning.” His gaze rakes over me before going back to the road. “That’s the problem. None of those assholes are good enough for you. They’d fuck you and dump you if I didn’t protect you.” His hand moves to my thigh, squeezing possessively. “Don’t worry. They won’t get near you.”

Every drop of feminism leaves my body as I bask in the possessive gleam in his eyes.

“But who’s gonna protect me from you?”

His hand glides along my thigh, leaving goosebumps in his wake. “You don’t need protection from me.” His jaw clenches when he mutters, “As much as I thought I wanted to, I’d never hurt you.”

His words echo inside my head.

I’m not exactly sure when things changed, but I went from fearing him to taunting him, confident he wouldn’t hurt me.

My earlier conversation with Bentley flows through my head. “At his core, he’s a decent person who's had a rough life.”

“You can’t take what you see on the surface and think you know someone based on that. You have to peel back the layers. Otherwise, you never know what you’ll miss out on.”

I bite my lip, glancing over at Evan, debating whether to say anything.

The silence stretches between us as he skillfully navigates his car around the winding turns of the narrow road. “Spit it out, bellissima.”

I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face. I like that he calls me bellissima. The way the words roll from his full, kissable lips. It makes me feel special.

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