Page 116 of Theirs to Ruin

He walked away.

“What does that mean?” I called after him but he ignored me. Was he saying he blamed me for something? I was tempted to go after him and rail at him for suggesting such a thing, but knew it would do me no good. He’d be just as hateful if not more.

I stood there, taking deep breaths, trying to capture my composure. My lips tingled from Ty’s kiss, and my mind raced as it tried to process the inescapable reality that I still wanted him.

Would probablyalwayswant him.

It was only after I made it back to Kage that I realized I never got the book I’d been looking for.

Two hours later, we decided to call it quits. I was packing up my stuff when Kage said, “So, are you going to tell me what happened when you went looking for your book?”

I froze in the act of shoving my laptop into my bag and looked up at him. He was leaning back in his chair. I thought about lying but he’d see right through me. I sighed. “I had a run-in with Ty.”

The corner of his mouth tipped up. “With your mouth? Because your lips were swollen when you came back.”

“He needed a decoy and I just happened to be there.”

He stared at me for a moment then nodded. “Okay.” He stood, packed up his things, then threw his backpack over his shoulder.

“Okay? That’s it?” I asked. “You’re okay with the fact he kissed me?”

“I’m okay with the fact you told me he kissed you and why. Is there anything else I should know?”

I shook my head.

“Then let’s go.”

“What about me picking an interesting place to study? I want to know what you meant.”

He clenched his jaw, confirming his casual attitude was at least partially a lie. “I’ll tell you while we walk home.”

“Why not tell me here?”

He took a deep breath and stared at the floor.

“You’re mad Ty kissed me.”

His head snapped up. “I’m not.”

“Then why not tell me?”

“Because I figure you’re conflicted about the fact he kissed you and if that’s the case, it takes the fun out of what I was going to show you.”

“Show me anyway,” I said.

“God, you’re stubborn,” he muttered, making me bite back a smile.

He walked over to a nearby shelf, scanned the items, then pulled out a book. I walked up to him and he showed me the cover, which was a photo of a lavishly detailed painting of naked men and women, their bodies intertwined in sensual poses.

“Oh. Wow,” I said. I scanned other book spines on the same shelf. Words jumped out at me.Erotica. BDSM. Sexual positions.“It’s a regular Joy of Sex theme over here.”

Turning back to him, I held out my hand, and he handed me the book he’d picked up. I began flipping through it. As I did, Kage braced one hand over my head on the bookshelf and loomed over me.

Flipping through the pages, my eyes darted from one image to the next. Each page boasted paintings that depicted passion, raw desire, and something darker. I stopped at an especially provocative one. It was erotic and visceral, and I instantly pictured me and Kage in the same position.

With Kage so close, his warm breath ghosting over the back of my neck, every risqué image seemed magnified. Each page turn was like another layer of our own intimate dance, with him drawing me closer.

The book took a more intense turn when it began showcasing bondage and BDSM-type acts. There were paintings of intricately tied ropes crisscrossing pale, flushed skin, of leather restraints holding wrists taut against wooden crosses. The play of power, dominance, and of submission was painted so beautifully it made my pulse pound, my body warm, and my breathing go ragged.

---