Page 13 of Obsession

He followed me to the wall where I slapped a hand to the hard surface. He tipped his head back to look to the top and then peeled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. “I believe the Taori possess traits you assign to all your different schools.”

Glancing at the broad expanse of muscles that were etched with an incomprehensible pattern of numbers and symbols, the black ink covering almost every speck of exposed skin on his chest, I suspected he was right. He did not look like any science officer I’d seen, even the ones in Inferno Force. With his leather pants hanging low on his hips and a pendant hanging between his pecs, he looked like he would be an ideal candidate for Inferno Force, which made me want to best him even more.

As much as I wanted to convince myself that I had invited Zav to climb to get to know him better, the idea had started to consume my mind only after I’d taught Britta how to flirt with him. The idea of her trying to seduce the Taori had so consumed me that I hadn’t been able to sleep, and I’d finally leaped from bed determined to learn more about the enigmatic alien.

I did not want to be responsible for her trying to seduce someone unworthy of her attention. At least that was what I’d told myself with every step I’d taken to find Zav.

I stripped off my own shirt and kicked off my boots while the Taori pared down to nothing but his pants. Before I could wonder if he could move easily in leather, he had leaped into the air and landed on the wall.

Grekkinghell. I scrambled to catch up, grabbing two high holds and pulling myself up. The Taori was fast and agile, and his snug, leather leg coverings did not seem to slow him down one bit. I focused on my own technique, remembering to climb with my legs and use strategy over brute strength, although it was hard to fight the urge to power up the wall to catch Zav.

Sweat trickled down my back as I chased him up the wall, but I welcomed the burn of my muscles. I’d let myself go soft over the term break since my usual workout partner had been distracted by his new mate. I didn’t begrudge Volt his happiness, but I did miss our sparring sessions and our races up the wall.

Glancing up, I spotted Zav only a few moves from the top. Gritting my teeth, I lunged for first one distant grip and then another, slapping the top of the wall only moments after he did.

Zav tossed his long hair back, his pale eyes flashing with triumph. “Again?”

Had he really beaten me on my own course? Had I underestimated the Taori so completely? I could not let my defeat go unanswered.

I gave him a single nod. “Again.”

Chapter

Eight

Britta

It’s just another day, I told myself as I headed toward my first class.

I scoffed out loud, glad that the long hall leading to the School of Engineering was not yet filled with other cadets. “You’ve always been a crap liar, even to yourself.”

If it was any old day, my stomach wouldn’t be in a knot, and I wouldn’t be going over Kann’s questionable advice in my head.

Kann.

Nothing had happened in The Stacks, I reassured myself. Nothing. Then why did I feel like a kid who narrowly escaped getting caught with her hand in the cookie jar?

I replayed Kann’s tips in my head. Nothing had been provocative or even ground-breaking, which made me think that there might not be any real skill to attracting guys, after all. Did I really believe that a twisty walk and running my fingers through my hair while making eye contact would make Zav go weak at the knees?

I thought about the serious Taori. Doubtful.

I ran my fingers along the cool stone of the corridor wall as I walked and let the unyielding rock ground me. Despite my traitorous heartbeat and ragged breath, I had nothing to regret and nothing to explain because nothing had happened. I brushed aside the memory of locking eyes with Kann and the frisson of heat I’d felt between us.

I’d imagined it. Just like I’d imagined that the Taori engineer snuck looks at me while we were working. Right?

Ugh. I’d always been horrible at reading guys, which was why I’d originally taken Kann up on his offer. I’d thought that life would be easier if I could learn some of the Drexian’s smoothness. But then I’d changed my mind, so how did I end up in the Stacks getting lessons from the Blade when I’d intended to let him out of his promise?

“Not that his lessons will work anyway,” I whispered furiously to myself. “I could never play dumb.”

Okay, maybe he hadn’t told me to play dumb. But asking Zav to explain things I already understood was pretty much the same thing. The advanced engineering class might be challenging but there was nothing I found confusing. There were no questions I needed answered.

I bristled at the idea. I’d spent my entire life fighting against the assumption that female engineers weren't as capable as males. I'd endured the sidelong glances, the constant need to prove myself, the whispers that I'd only gotten this far because I was filling a quota. And now Kann wanted me to throw all that away and act like some simpering cadet who couldn't tell a power coupling from a data port?

If that was what it took to entice a guy, maybe I needed to reconsider men.

“If only it was that easy,” I muttered. “Women would be so much easier.”

Too bad I’d been born straight and had a fondness for dick, otherwise I’d forget the whole thing. As I lamented liking guys—and a Taori in particular—I reached the door to my classroom and paused at the entrance.

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