Page 24 of Lust

I cringe at him even bringing up the conversation. “Brad, I’m starting to understand that you aren’t doing this to me the way I thought.”

“Yeah, but I’m sorry for messing around with you at Alpha Alpha Mu’s party. I assumed you wanted it too, which is why I was feeling the way I was, but considering how much weird shit there is around you, and that I can’t even control what I feel, we don’t know what we’re fucking with here. We don’t ever have to bring it up again. And what’s happening between us as far as what my powers are doing, we don’t have to get into details with the guys about it if you’re not comfortable with that.”

Brad Henning is just full of surprises. In such a short span of time, he’s gone from being douche extraordinaire to this thoughtful guy who’s genuinely concerned about me.

“I’mnot sorry about what happened at the party,” I say. He tilts his head, and my cheeks are warm again. “It was pretty epic, actually.”

He chuckles awkwardly. “It was, right?” But his expression turns serious again. “You’re sure you’re straight?”

I take a moment before replying. “Maybe I was too quick to say that. I’ve never done anything with a guy, and when it happened after the Seth thing, I assumed it was something you were doing to me. But maybe, like you mentioned with other guys, I have some bi-curious part you activated when we met.”

“Maybe. I just don’t know that we should fuck around like that again while we don’t know what’s going on.”

My heart sinks. After all that, I’m not gonna be able to even feel that again? Fuck me.

“College is about experimenting, right?” I say as a half-joke.

He studies my expression. “You keep saying shit like that, and you’re gonna make it real hard for me to keep my hands off you.”

“Shit like that,” I tease, which makes him smile before stepping closer to me, his gaze on my mouth.

I lick my lips, and he places his hand against my face, running his thumb across the bottom lip. Desire pulses through me, radiating through my body.

He pulls his hand back, leaving my body wanting so much more.

“I’m sorry for how we dumped all this on you tonight, Luke. I know it’s a lot.”

I was enjoying the distraction, but now he’s brought it back to the thing that feels like too much to handle. “That’s an understatement.”

“I know we’re asking a lot, telling you to leave your dream school, but we wouldn’t be doing all this if we didn’t think there was something to Cody’s vision.”

“I can appreciate that. But you see what I’m saying? What if you guys are wrong? I’ve been planning to come to St. Lawrence since I was a kid. This is a big ask.”

He can’t possibly understand how much this means to me. That this is one of the last connections I still have with my dad. But there’s also the fear…what if they’re right? What if my being at St. Lawrence could lead to something horrible happening?

He takes a moment before saying, “Yeah. I know it is.”

I snicker.

“What’s so funny?”

“I like this version of you a lot more than the ass you were being.”

He grimaces. “Can we please forget that other stuff ever happened?”

“Oh, hell no. I fully intend on using this against you as much as possible. As a matter of fact, I think you should have to make it up to me.”

I step closer, until I can feel his breath against my face. My nerves tingle with excitement as I think about how his face would feel against mine.

He gulps, surely sensing what’s on my mind. “I think now would be a good time to get back to the dorms.”

He’s right. With all I need to consider, the last thing I should be thinking about is messing around with him.

But I know that’s not gonna happen.

8

BRAD

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