Page 51 of The Freshman

Nate hummed and ran his thumb overAlfie’s Adams apple. “You say the sweetest things.”

Nate moved his hand away, and Alfiecouldn’t help the whine. He opened his eyes, but didn’t connecttheir gazes. He knew Nate would be smiling smugly, all pearly teethand crinkled eyes.

Nate’s warm hand cupped Alfie’s cheek,and he couldn’t stop the elated gasp. Nate’s thumb hooked the edgeof Alfie’s mouth and slipped inside. Alfie pressed his tongueagainst the pad of Nate’s thumb. It wasn’t a lick, more a wetpressure, but it spurred Nate on, and he fed his thumb into Alfie’smouth, in and out.

“Look at me,” Natepurred.

Alfie dragged his gaze up, and theirseyes locked. Nate’s pupils engulfed the blue of his irises, and hislips were slightly parted as he drew in silent breaths. The eyecontact made Alfie shivered, mouth trembling around Nate’s thumb ashe sucked it gently.

“You’re a dirty tease,Freshman,” Nate whispered.

Alfie pulled his mouth off Nate’sthumb. “See, I’m okay. No need to freak out and killanyone.”

Nate puffed air out his nostrils, andthen nodded. “I won’t kill him, but he won’t get away withthis.”

Alfie shook his head. “Leave it. It’sfine.”

Nate didn’t answer. He stared deepinto Alfie’s eyes until the intensity of the look was too much andAlfie had to duck to break it. Nate held Alfie’s chin, lifted hishead, and made him look again.

A coy smile spread Nate’s lips. “Youopened the hatch.”

“I couldn’t have youkicking off.”

“You could, but you didn’twant me to.”

Alfie rolled his shoulders and bowedforward. “You sounded worried.”

“I don’t like the thoughtof anyone hurting you. That’s the hardest part of being inhere.”

Alfie opened his mouth, but no wordsfollowed, and he snapped it shut. Never had anyone said anythinglike that, with that regretful tone of voice. It was nice, and hehated that it was nice. The whole situation made him frown andwithdraw. The addicting buzz in his head faded and hollowness grewin its wake.

“I find you so confusing,”he whispered.

Nate shook his head. “I’m not theconfusing one, Freshman. Now lean your mouth closer so I can kissyou.”

Alfie forced a swallow and before hecould think on it, he moved toward the open hatch. It wasn’t largeenough for their faces, just their chins and lips. Alfie hovered,panting at the air between them and drawing it into his lungs. Himand Nate fought for the oxygen, and Alfie knew he was losing whenhis lips tingled with Nate’s hot breath and his head spun with thefumes of desire.

Just before Nate’s mouth met his, heyanked himself out of the lustful bubble and shut the hatch. Alfiedidn’t rush away even though his mind willed it. His flutteringheart made him rest his forehead to the cool metal door, and heimagined Nate doing the same on the other side.

By baring his throat, he literally puthis life in Nate’s hands. The thought was dramatic and terrifying.He trusted Nate not to hurt him, and he had never let anyone havethat kind of power, not even Tia. He didn’t rely on anyone, didn’twant to have that weakness.

“This can’t happen,” hewhispered to Nate, and himself.

Nate tutted. “It is happening,Freshman. Just let it. I’ll take care of you.”

Chapter Thirteen

“I’ll take care ofyou.”

Nate’s words could be conceived asboth a comfort and a threat. In Alfie’s case, the comfort to thewords was the threat. Nate shouldn’t make him feel good and caredfor. He ‘d sworn if he ever opened the hatch under Nate’s say so hewould quit, but he didn’t, and he internally scowledhimself.

Alfie spent Saturday readjusting tosleep and Sunday lying in bed, then lying on the sofa. He couldn’tbe bothered to dress in proper clothes and chose some worn joggersand a stained t-shirt to wear.

Tia whined down the phone when he toldher he wasn’t coming to the coffee shop like normal. He didn’t tellher about his sore nose, as he knew she would come over and ask forall the details. Saturday it had ached enough to make his eyeswater, but by Sunday he could breathe through his nostrils again,and when he sneezed there was no blood. He just looked awful. Theblue flesh beneath his eyes didn’t hurt, but it was puffy andeverywhere he looked he could see the fuzzy mass at the bottom ofhis vision.

The two days away from Larkwood wereAlfie’s only chance to get his head together after Nate had spentfive days reeling him in. He had to swim away as fast as he could,stretch out the line to put as much distance between hunter andprey. Alfie blinked back to awareness when he realized there was afishing program on the TV. He quickly changed the channel andsettled back into the sofa to watch women bicker and men latherthemselves in fake tan.

At six in the afternoon, there was abang at the front door. Alfie ignored it and continued lounging onthe sofa. One program droned into the other, and he struggled tokeep his eyes open and his brain focused. The door was struckagain. Alfie groaned, then forced himself to sit up.

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