Page 16 of Obsession

She folded her arms across her chest, her expression hardening, even as her pupils flared dark. "Yes, that absolutely terrible advice."

I attempted to school my features into an expression I hoped was akin to sympathy, but something warm unfurled in my chest at the thought that flirting with Zav had gone badly. “What happened?”

She huffed out a breath even though her stance did not relax. "I tried to do what you said—make eye contact, toss my hair…” She flinched and shook her head as if trying to dislodge a bad memory. "My hair got caught in his horns, and Zav had to help untangle me.”

I pressed my lips together until they hurt but couldn't quite contain the smile that was desperate to escape.

Her gaze narrowed. “Are you smiling?”

I shook my head but was fighting to suppress a laugh too much to speak.

She actually stamped her foot, which only made it harder not to laugh. “I cannot believe I humiliated myself trying to flirt with Zav like some ditz.” She jabbed a finger at my chest. “Your techniques are shit.”

"You clearly didn't do them right," I mumbled, then noticed the way her hair was tangled on one side. "I never said to throw your hair at the poor guy’s face.”

She glared at me for a long moment, then her lips started twitching. “Your hair flipping technique didn’t exactly account for his horns.”

I choked back a laugh. “Apologies. I have never seduced a female with horns. I suppose I should be grateful to you for testing that out for me.”

“You are an ass,” she said, as she started to laugh.

Then we were both laughing. I put a hand to my side, which ached before and now hurt with each quiver of my stomach. But watching Britta’s body shake with laughter made it worth the pain.

I sucked in a breath as I held my throbbing side. “How hard did you flip your hair to tangle it in his horns?”

“Give me a break.” She smacked my chest playfully. “I’m new at this.”

I caught her hand without thinking, holding it against my skin as we continued laughing. “At least you didn’t have to cut yourself loose to avoid having to walk around attached to his head all day.”

She laughed harder. “Can you imagine? How would I explain that?”

I hitched in a breath, my laughter fading as her gaze drifted to where I was holding her palm against my bare chest. I could feel my heartbeat hammering under her fingers, see her throat bobbing as she swallowed, and watch her eyes widen. The air between us became heavy as our laughs gave way to silence.

This was how I’d felt when I’d touched her in the Stacks—the same buzz in my ears, prickle along my skin, tightness in my chest.

I dropped her hand like it had burned me, all levity between us gone. She stared at her palm for a moment, then up at me, her eyes wide. The question in her gaze wasn’t one I could answer. I didn’t know what thegrekwas going on either.

She took a step back. “I should…I should let you shower.”

“Britta,” I said as she spun and stumbled away from my quarters.

She didn’t turn, didn’t stop, which was just as well since I didn’t know what I would have said if she had. Should I have apologized for holding her hand to me when she’d slapped my chest? Should I have come up with a reason for my sudden awkwardness? Should I have reminded both of us that we were friends?

I stood in the doorway, breathing hard, wondering what in thegrekkinghell had just happened. My skin still tingled whereshe'd touched me, and the memory of her flushed cheeks and dilated pupils made something primal stir in my core.

One thing was absolutely certain—I wasn't going to give her any more tips on how to flirt with Zav. Even though her first attempt had been a disaster, the thought of her trying again made me want to punch something. Or someone. Preferably Zav.

I closed the door and leaned against it, running a hand through my sweat-dampened hair. I didn’t know when I’d had such a strange morning.

“And all of it entirely your fault,” I said as I straightened and headed toward the shower, fully aware that I’d be late to my class if I didn’t hurry.

I’d been the one to offer to teach Britta to flirt even when I knew it wasn’t my best idea. I’d challenged Zav to the climbing wall without knowing how good he was at scaling rock. And now I was the one standing alone, half-naked, with an aching cock.

I turned on the shower, not waiting for it to warm up before tossing the towel aside and stepping under the icy flow of water. I bit my lip to keep from gasping from the cold, but even the brutally cold water couldn’t tear my mind from Britta. All I could think about as the water poured over my head was the way she'd looked at me, the feel of her hand against my chest, and how much I wanted to see that hungry look in her eyes again.

I slammed a hand against the slippery stone wall. I was sogrekked.

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