Page 15 of Bonding with the Beta

My throat tenses. Why the fuck did I say that?

I close my eyes and count my breaths because I know Kayden’s gaze is still trained on me. A small laugh erupts into the air. I flick my eyes open to see him leaning forward, which does nothing to stop his arms from stretching out his T-shirt even more.

“When you say finish, I presume you don’t mean your essay?”

“I didn’t mean anything,” I blubber before standing and making my way towards the kitchen to put some space between us.

Am I clearly this delirious to be making an absolute fool out of myself around him?Again.

The kitchen is empty, and I walk straight to the fridge to grab something cold to drink. My throat is burning and turning dry by the second. I spot the bottle of wine Ava mentioned, but I grimace at the thought. That will make the situation even worse.

I opt for a can of Coke and shut the fridge door. My eyes flick up, and I jump as Kayden leans a hand on the top of the fridge and smiles down at me with a glint of mischief in his eyes. Oh, God. If he’s about to tease me, I’ll jump out the window.

At this angle, he looms over me, making me feel small against the fridge. His arm is fucking huge as I study the long vein that runs along the inside of his bicep. A smirk tugs at his lips. His gaze drops down to my white cropped T-shirt and black shorts.

Fuck. I should have worn more appropriate clothing.

Something flares in his eyes, somehow making them even darker. I suck in a breath and clear my throat. His intense gaze makes me flush, and my nipples begin to tighten.

Kayden traces his eyes back up before settling on my chest, where my nipples are poking through the thin fabric of my top. Then, after what feels like an eternity, he lands his gaze on mine. “Are you stressed, Kayleigh?”

My legs tremble at the sharpness of his voice, straight to the point.

“I-I–”

“Are you stressed? Yes or no.”

I startle at him as he twists into me, my back now firmly against the coolness of the fridge. It’s the only thing keeping me upright. “Yes,” I state with a strangled tone. “Yes. I’m always stressed. It’s inevitable being a student.”

“Mmm.” He presses his lips together. “And how would one relieve stress?”

With my vibrator.

The corner of his mouth twitches again, and I bite down on my jaw to stop myself from shuddering at the close proximity between us. His finger brushes the space between my shorts and top, right across my midriff. My skin rises in goosebumps, and I hold my breath, so I don’t release any kind of sound that will send me into an early grave.

It’s a tease of a touch, but it shamefully makes my core ache.

Kayden’s arm is still above me, caging me between the heat of his body and the coldness of the fridge. The two sensations making my head spin.

“You don’t relieve it?” he asks. “That’s a shame. You must be so…pentup.”

Good God.

I think I might have lost sense of my sanity.

“I-I’m used to it,” I stutter.

But I would die for a little stress reliever.

His lips twitch downwards as the tip of his finger flicks over the skin on my hip, and I stiffen despite my body’s desire to shake in response.

“Used to it?” Kayden repeats and then tuts. “I don’t think that’s good enough.”

“What?”

“I would offer to help,” he raises his hand from my hip and brushes a strand of blonde hair behind my ear, “but I probably don’t know where the clit is.”

From our conversation earlier, I can guarantee he knows exactly where the clit is. Without fail. No man would speak so nobly about himself. Most of the time, it's false confidence and knowledge—but he sounded like he was stating facts.

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