Page 14 of Pick Me

He pointed at the floor by one of the cabinets. “Because you threw my headset across the room, I need to make sure Liam can hear me.”

I followed the point, noting the headset looked fine and intact. Little noises came out of it, which I assumed was Liam. “Ugh. This is so pathetic.”

Jackson stood, watching me closely the entire time.

“I don’t care what your problems are. Just deal with it.” He shook his head, stalking over to and grabbing the headset before making his way back to me.

With my arms folded, I glared at him. “You’re an inconsiderate asshole, you know that?”

“And you’re always looking for trouble.” He stepped forward, forcing me to step back, then Jackson grinned. I stared right back at him, refusing to be the first one to break eye contact, tipping my chin all the way back.

Was he always this tall? Wide, yes, but tall too? My neck was hurting.

“Oh, what’s wrong, Pyro? You scared of me?” His smile grew when I took another step back. I wasn’t afraid of him. Like I said, Jackson was a teddy bear under his muscular exterior, but I was already tired of sharing the same space as him. With every step back I took, he stepped forward. We did this dance a few times until I’d somehow walked all the way back to the door of the apartment.

How the heck did I get here?

With my back against the wood, there was nowhere else to go. I looked down in search of the doorknob, and by the time I’d found it, Jackson’s big paw was above my head, holding the door shut.

Asshole.

I was surprised at how close he was. His breath fanned my face as he took me in. No words. Just our panting breaths from arguing filling the air. He crouched down, and I pushed to my tiptoes, attempting to get some space between us.

He didn’t move. In fact, my squirming only encouraged him.

“Jackson… What are you doing?”

“You tell me.”

His nose skated across mine, and his got closer. Was he about to kiss me? Why did that thought send a small thrill up my spine?

“Is this what you want, Pyro?” Our lips were practically grazing, but I refused to move or give him any reaction. Mocking me was what he got off on, and this was just another way for him to do it. He’d known I had a crush on him when I started at Covey U and had only rubbed it in my face since. The worst was the day I was at their house, and he walked Grace straight to his room. He did it to make a point that I’d never get someone like him.

Well, if he wanted a fight, I fight to kill.

With one hand on the doorknob, I placed the other on his chest, leaning into his touch, and while gazing into his eyes, I whispered, “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that” in the sexiest voice I could muster. His movement stuttered as his eyes tracked mine. I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his for the slightest of seconds, which shocked him enough to pull his head back.

“Uh,” he drawled, studying me with furrowed brows. “What was that?” His voice was husky and laced with confusion, which gave me just enough time to kick him in the shin and shove him to the floor. At least I finally found a use for those self-defense classes Tanner forced me to take after theincident.

Then I turned the doorknob, slipped through the door with a cackle, and looked at him one last time. “Screw you, Jackson!”

With his hands on the floor, his chest heaved as he watched me from the other side of the threshold, and a sinister smile replaced the confusion on his face.

“Too easy,” he said, making me frown. Why wasn’t he annoyed? Then he lifted his foot and tapped the edge of the door, shutting it in my face.

I stepped back, staring at the door as though it could tell me something.

What the …

I rushed to open it but heard the all too familiar lock before I could turn the knob.

“You can’t be serious?” I said, waiting for him to respond.

“Jackson?”

No answer.

“Jackson?”

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