Page 17 of Pucking Obsessed

Instead of waiting for me to respond, he turns to the girl who tattled on him, his voice confident when he says, “We’ll take two butter pecan iced coffees with almond milk. An extra straw. She hates when they bend.”

I gasp as the words leave his mouth because flimsy coffee shop straws are my biggest pet peeve. Hayden looks down at me with that knowing smile. “I know everything about you,” he murmurs, and I feel my cheeks flush.

The barista looks at Hayden with stars in her eyes, completely taken with him, and I can’t help but notice the little flicker of jealousy that stirs in my chest. The other barista places the two drinks on the counter, and he avoids making eye contact with either of us, and it makes me wonder what exactly those hockey players said to him.

“If you get a job here, then I will too,” Hayden says with a smile meant to taunt me. He leans in before adding, “And no one wants that.” I glare at him, because he’s totally serious. Images of Hayden standing outside pouring coffee on every guy who walks by doesn’t seem that far-fetched.

Hayden’s hand never leaves mine as he takes one drink and hands it to me and then picks the other up for himself.

“You can let go,” I say, my voice quieter than I intend, “I’m not going to run away. I know you’d catch me.”

But Hayden doesn’t let go. Instead, he leads me out of the coffee shop, still holding my hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“I like holding your hand,” he says casually, as if the confession is no big deal. “I never saw the appeal before, but now that I’ve held yours, I get it. It’s nice.”

I laugh, a little incredulously. “You really are a fuck boy if you’ve never held your date’s hand,” I say, lifting my coffee to my lips and taking a sip, trying to cover the blush that I know is creeping up my face.

Hayden glances at me, his expression amused, but there’s something deeper in his eyes, something intense. “You’d be surprised just how many firsts we’re going to have together.”

My eyes widen, and I almost spit out my coffee. His words hit me in two different ways: first, the insinuation that we’re going to have sex and second, the idea that someone as popular and attractive as him hasn’t had his fair share of women to pick from.

“You’re joking,” I say, the words escaping me before I can stop them.

Hayden doesn’t miss a beat. “I don’t joke about you and me, princess,” he replies, his tone low, like he actually means what he’s saying. He looks at me in a way that makes my heart race as he tugs me gently to walk on the other side of him so he’s on the outside of the sidewalk. He nudges me to switch my coffee to my other hand, so he can hold the hand closest to him. I try to focus, but my heart is pounding in my chest.

“You know the sidewalk rule?” I blurt out, looking up at him and without thinking, I reach up and push his hair out of his eyes.

He leans into my touch and he raises an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “I don’t want you near the road, and that’s the only rule I know.” I can’t believe I’m walking hand-in-hand with Hayden like we’ve done this our whole lives. “I’ll always be there to protect you.”

My heart skips a beat as he looks at me like I’m the only girl he’s ever seen. What he says reminds me of what he did to Dawson earlier. “You can’t just go around punching people for touching me. I thought you were going to kill him.” I finally manage to say, keeping my voice steady.

Hayden looks down at me. He’s so tall, it feels like he’s hovering over me. “I should have.” He purses his lips for a moment, clear irritation at the memory showing on his expression. “I’ve done far worse to someone for merely looking at you, princess.”

“You are—” I start, but Hayden frowns, cutting me off before I can get the words out.

“You need to stop avoiding me.” His voice is quieter now, as if he’s trying to coax me into listening to something that’s really important to him. “I need to make sure you’re safe, and I can’t do that if I don’t know where you are.”

I open my mouth to argue, to tell him I don’t need his protection, but the text I got today stops me. I really need to tell him about that, and I know he’s not going to take it well. I decide I should just rip the bandaid off and get it over with, but before I can, he spins me around in one fluid motion, pulling me up two steps into a stone building.

“What are you—” I gasp, caught off guard as he pulls me inside, the door shutting behind us with a heavy thud.

I turn, trying to make sense of where he’s taken me, and realize with a jolt that we’re in the campus chapel. The high ceilings and the quiet hush of the space should have made me feel at ease, but I’m keyed up. The only sounds are our breathing, thick and rapid, and the soft shuffle of our footsteps.

Hayden takes my coffee from my hand, setting it down with his own. The action is casual, but there’s nothing casual about the way he’s looking at me like he’s starving.

He backs me against the wall, his body pressing into mine. He holds my wrists above my head with one hand, the other hovering near my collarbone.

His fingers slide up my neck, delicate yet possessive, until he’s cupping my throat, his thumb grazing the sensitive skin there.

I should be scared. I should be pulling away, fighting him, but I can’t. The way his touch lingers on my skin, the warmth of his breath ghosting over my face, it makes my insides twist with desire. I’m not afraid of him. I want him so much it’s embarrassing.

I like the way his fingers curl around my throat. The way his palm presses against the delicate curve of my neck, it’s like he’s claiming me without saying a word. There’s an intensity to him, to the way he touches me, that pulls something deep inside me that no one else has ever been able to stir up.

My body feels alive in a way it never has before, like his proximity is the only thing grounding me. I can’t look away from him, and he breathes me in, inhaling like he’s trying to lock this moment in for eternity. His eyes stay on mine and he whispers, “You are so fucking beautiful.”

MADISON

“Hayden,” I whisper, breathless.

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