Page 21 of Tell Me You Need Me

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“Just don’t be stupid. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell him as I head back for the door. I’m not going to fight him over his secrets when I have some of my own.

“Night,” he calls out.

“Night,” I say back, opening the door. To my utter shock, West is standing there, wearing a very pissed-off expression. He grabs my wrist to pull, but I’m already moving, closing the door quickly behind me.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be standing here,” I say quietly, not wanting Rich to hear me. Not because of any other reason than I don’t want any more tension between him and West. “You were my next stop.” As soon as the words slip past my lips, I realize how they sound.

West remains silent, but his eyes roam all over me. My nipples harden, and that ache between my thighs I felt earlier in the pantry comes roaring back with the way he’s looking at me.

“Come on.” He keeps a firm hold on my wrist as he makes his way down the hallway.

“Your legs are twice as long as mine.” I almost want to laugh, but I can’t read him right now. He stops walking suddenly. I don’t get the chance to say anything else before I’m in his arms. “Aw, big guy.” I wasn’t expecting that.

West turns at the end of the hallway, going down his. Jack steps out from one of the rooms, his eyes widening slightly when he sees us. I feel my cheeks flush. Think this makes it more than clear that there is something going on between West and me.

“Good evening,” Jack says with a smirk as we pass by.

“Evening,” I say back because what else do I say?! And I don't want to be rude.

“Fuck off,” West tells him, making my mouth fall open. Jack only chuckles and slips back into his room.

“That was rude.”

“Jack is a nosy shit.” There is no fire behind his words, and I’m getting the sense this is their relationship. “He always knows everything.” West enters his room, kicking the door closed behind him before putting me on my feet.

“Are you mad?”

“Mad?” The word comes out clipped.

“Yes, mad,” I repeat, not backing down.

“Yeah, I’m fucking mad.” His hand comes to my face, tilting my head back as his mouth crashes down onto mine.

That's all it takes for me to forget everything and start kissing him back. This kiss is harder and wilder than the one before. “You drive me insane,” he says when he rips his mouth from mine.

West lifts me off my feet once more. I wrap my legs around him. “I don’t mean to.” But I can’t say that I hate it if he’s going to kiss me like that when I do. He carries me over to one of the chairs. This room is as big as all the others. He sits down so that I’m straddling him, his face going to my neck.

His breathing is still heavy, and I can feel how tense he is. I start to run my fingers up and down his shoulders, then to the back of his neck and down, trying to soothe him.

“Talk to me.” I sink my fingers into his short hair.

“Stay out of his room,” West finally says, lifting his head.

“What?”

“I don’t want you in his room.” His comment about me not going into Rich’s room that first day comes back to me. I’d forgotten all about it.

“But I can be in your room?”

“Teddy.” He half-growls my name, and it’s damn hot, but his stare is intense. I try to match it right back.

“West.” I have to fight a laugh.