Page 34 of Just a Bit Guarded

Except he loathed the thought of being away from him.

It was so irrational.Whydid he feel so clingy? He hadn’t even been kidnapped or hurt. It was irrational to feel like grabbing his bodyguard’s hand and begging him to stay with him, especially considering how humiliated he felt. Shouldn’t he want some space? But his mortification wasn’t stronger than the panic building up inside him. He was barely resisting the urge to grab Will’s hand again. And he didn’t understand himself. Why was he panicking? Why did he feel so on edge? The danger was over. He was safe. Everything was all right.

“Are you upset?” Will said, breaking the silence that fell over the living room.

Gadiel shrugged, unable to look him in the eyes. Upset? Not really. There was disappointment, of course—he’d foolishlypinned so many hopes on Scott—but he didn’t feel anywhere near as disappointed as he probably should have.

Besides the strange, irrational panic building inside him, mostly he was just annoyed. And embarrassed. And angry. Did he mention embarrassed?

“He was wrong,” Gadiel said. “I don’t have a thing for you.”

Will blinked. “I meant the kidnapping attempt. Are you seriously more upset about what Scott said?”

Gadiel shrugged. “It’s hardly the first time someone has attempted to kidnap me. And Scott was wrong.”

“Okay,” Will said, his tone placating.

Gadiel glared at him, his face becoming hot when their gazes met. “Don’t patronize me. He was wrong. And I’m still angry with you, by the way. Very angry.”

Will’s lips twitched.

Gadiel narrowed his eyes. “Do you find it amusing?”

“It?” Will said with a straight face.

“You know what I mean. Don’t play dumb!”

“I’m not playing dumb,” Will said. “You could mean a number of things. For example, the end of your relationship with Scott—though it was never much of a relationship.”

That panic spiked again, as if Will had touched the subject close to the root of the problem, but it still remained elusive.

“Or did you mean your little crush on me?” Will said, looking away for a moment before meeting his eyes. “No, I don’t find it amusing. Actually, thanks to that, I foresee a lot ofbitching and whining in my future. Scott isn’t easy to be around when his ego is wounded. He really was infatuated with you, though I think he was more infatuated with your pretty face than your personality.”

Gadiel looked away, trying not to show how much Will’s words hurt.

But Will must have still noticed something. He frowned. “He doesn’t know your personality. All he cared about was your pretty face.”

That made Gadiel feel a little better, but he still wanted more. He wanted to know whatWillthought about him. He wanted Will to say that Scott had been an idiot not to fall in love with him because Gadiel was gorgeous, smart, wonderful, and good. But of course Will wouldn’t say that. Will didn’t see him that way. Gadiel’scrushwas just an inconvenience for him.

“I don’t have a crush on you,” Gadiel bit out, trying to save what little of his pride remained. “Scott got it wrong.”

Will gave him a look Gadiel couldn’t quite read before looking away. “There’s no need to sound so defensive,” he said, his lips twitching. “You’re still a teen. It’s natural for teenagers to get silly crushes.”

Ugh, Will’s attitude was only pissing him off more. It felt so condescending, as if Gadiel wasn’tcapableof anything deeper than a silly crush. It made Gadiel’s hands itch with the urge to scratch that amused little smirk off Will’s face—and then lick him and kiss him and bite him all over.

Fuck, he needed to get a grip.

“I’m not being defensive,” Gadiel ground out, lifting his chin. “I have nothing to be ashamed of. I donothave a crushon you. I’m a healthy nineteen-year-old who hasn’t had sex in months. The truth is, anyone with a pulse would do.”

“Right.”

God, that tone just rubbed him the wrong way.

It made Gadiel spitting mad. He wanted to shatter that confident, condescending look on Will’s face. He wanted towipeit.

He knew how to wipe it. Will considered him an amusing little kid with a silly crush? He’d show him.

Gadiel heard himself say, “I’m entirely serious. Yes, I’m attracted to you. But I was attracted to Scott too. I’ve been attracted to hundreds of other men. It means shit. I don’t have a crush on you.” He smiled. “You don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you.”

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