Page 51 of All Saints: Pledge

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My alarm goes off around seven the next morning. I groan, and reach my hand above my bed to grab it off the ledge I charge my phone on while I sleep,when it encounters a head full of short blonde hair. Kendall spent the night. Well, shit.

I push the button on the side of my phone, silencing the alarm.

“Did you know you snore?” Kendall’s morning voice is gravelly and if it’s possible, sexier. “Cute little snores,” he amends at my look.

The mattress groans as I sink back into the bed. Back into the spot next to Kendall. Back to where his arm wrapped around my body, holding me most of the night. “I donotsnore. Shut up.”

“Mmm. I can think of several ways you could shut me up,” he says, his eyes on my chest as I lay back down.

I have these flaming visions of him licking my nipple through my thin pajama top and holy hell, I’m halfway to thirsty. “Good morning to you too, Kendall.” I say with forced moderation.

He breathes out a sigh and blinks down at me before a shy grin steals across his lips. He leans down, gives me a peck on thecorner of my mouth and then one on the top of my head. “Good morning, Helena.”

“Clara will be here in about fifteen to go do our workout together,” I say.

He nods, and the mattress groans as he rolls to the side of the bed. At some point during the night I shed my sweatshirt and he shed his vest. I don’t know at what point we just gave up the pretense of him going home. Probably around the time he went to retrieve our phones from the bathroom and crawled under my duvet. Our clothes are spread around my bed, he has to dig under it to find his vest.

His shoes mingle with mine by my desk, his bag slung over my desk chair. It’s…intimate the way our things lay together in my room.

I justsleptwith Kendall.

Not just slept. Spooned. Snuggled. Adhered.

This is unexpected on so many levels. Needing a moment to gather my wits, I slide off the short end of my bed and walk the several steps to the bathroom. The reflection that greets me in the minuscule bathroom is shocking. My cheeks are pink. My eyes are feverishly bright. My hair tumbles out of its bun with lazy curls fanning around my face. Honestly, I look like I’m on drugs.

Cold water on my face is all I have time for, though I wish I could shower. I swear I can still smell Kendall on my skin and it’s seriously messing with my brain. I shuck my pajamas and rummage in my hamper for yesterday’s workout clothes. Zero way I’m walking into my room naked, or changing in front of him.

By the time I reemerge in my shorts and sports bra, Kendall is dressed again in his vest and jacket, sitting in my desk chair.

“So you’re still going to work out?” He asks, his eyes making a perusal of my frame that fans the embers of our…activities last night.

“I’m not going to miss two days in a row,” I answer, keeping my eyes steadfastly on the running shoes I’m lacing up.

Kendall coughs, likely remembering how we both managed to get our cardio in shortly before midnight. “Yeah, well. That’s not what I meant.”

I look up from tying my laces and cock an eyebrow at him. “Okay, whatdidyou mean?”

He watches as I climb to my feet and approach the desk as if there’s a wild animal sitting there. The library book he stole from me sits front and center on my desk, as if it’s been mine all along. A peace offering, apparently. I snatch my hair tie off the corner of the desk and start to tie my hair up on top of my head for my run.

He reaches out and stays my hand, plucking the hair tie from my fingers. My hair tumbles down, covering my face, and I blow ineffectually at the strands covering my vision. “Nothelping,” I grouse. “Seriously, Kendall, Clara is going to be here any minute.”

“Can’t I just enjoy the minutes we have before she gets here?”

I pause as his fingers cup the back of my head, threading through my hair. By the time he clears the strands from my vision, I’m standing between his legs, just in front of my desk chair. His hands run through my hair, and I understand his intent now. Shifting my weight to keep from reaching out and feeling his shoulders, I huff out a breath. “Okay, look. I know last night was fun, but we can’t repeat that kind of workout.”

“Helena.”

“And I’ve got to get my headphones, and then my study bag because I have exams…” I’m babbling because holy shit, the wayKendall is just sitting there, hands in my hair, peering into my soul is setting me on edge.

“Helena. Look at me.”

I yank my eyes up from the floor to meet his. Steel with molten centers. Cocky. Arrogant. “I’m looking,” I challenge him.

“I thought we talked about this last night.”

I cut my eyes to the side. “Yeah, well, we talked about alotlast night. Wait, is this about Clara?”

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