Page 131 of Firestorm
Alexander studied me as I studied him. His dark eyes traced along my face down to my chest then my legs while I only stared at his neck. He had a scar. A large, angry scar that seemed to go from his front to his back, right where his neck met his shoulder. Alexander cleared his throat before tightening his tie and hiding the scar once more.
So, he was self-conscious about it. I could use that to my advantage, although a man with wounded pride was dangerous. He didn’t like being ignored, he had a scar he didn’t like being seen–
“Skye,” Alexander said softly. My eyes snapped to his. “I know you’re scared. I know you didn’t want to show it to Earl back there, and I don’t blame you. He’s a condescending prick on the best of days. Here’s my number. I’ll send all the information you need to your email, if you like.”
He pulled one of his hands out of his pocket to hand me a business card. I plucked it from him with two fingers, eyeing the number on the back without reading the front of the card.
“I’m not scared. Just shocked.” I said, proud that my voice didn’t shake.
Alexander offered me a soft smile. “Brave,” he commented, his eyes tracing over me once more, his gaze softening. I stiffened. “And smart,” he murmured as he reached out and picked up a tendril of my hair from my shoulder.
My affinity bristled inside me, itching along my hands as if it wasabout to squeeze him whether or not I agreed. I breathed out slowly, willing myself to relax.
Alexander twisted the piece of hair back and forth in his fingers, studying it like it held my secrets. Maybe it did. Maybe he could see right through me. I hadn’t shaken his hand or touched him at all. He hadn’t reacted when I’d spoken to Zephyr, and something told me he would have if he’d known.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my breath catching when he looked at me again. His eyes had changed. His pupils were larger, making his already-dark eyes look impossibly darker, almost black. He looked…sort of like a demon.
“You have very pretty hair,” he murmured, then moved as if he were about to lift to strand so he could…smell it?
This time, my affinity reacted. Alexander was jerked away from me with a gust of air. His back hit the stone wall behind him, and his eyes flared with something indiscernible. Neither of us spoke. Gratitude swirled through me, and I was glad I’d only used air on him. If I’d used anything other than air to attack him–
“Alex?” A voice down the hall boomed just as Alexander opened his mouth to speak.
Oh, shit.
I knew that voice.
Ihatedthat voice, and yet, right now? It was here to save me, I just knew it.
Alexander’s head snapped to the left, and his eyes flashed, something looking like…fearcrossing his face.
There striding down the hall, hands casually in his pockets, deep green dress shirt rolled up to his elbows to expose his strong forearms, was Wyatt.
God, he was so hot. My mouth watered at the sight of him.
“Mr. Craig,” Alexander clipped.
Wyatt grinned at me, setting my fucking skin on fire. “Ms. Aria,” he said smoothly. “What’s happening here? Another mishap with your air affinity?”
I blinked at him.
“Mishap?” Alexander asked, his eyes darting over to me as he took a tiny step away from us. Wyatt took another step toward him.
I crossed my arms.
“Ms. Aria has been undergoing extra training. She’s recently awakened with her water affinity,” Wyatt said smoothly. “You know how that goes, Alex, don’t you? New affinities always set off the old.”
“Right,” Alexander murmured as he took another small step back.
“I didn’t know you were on campus.” Wyatt said brightly, advancing on Alexander again. “Have any time for lunch?”
Did Wyatt know this guy? I vibrated with a sense of barely contained rage. Of course Wyatt would be friendly with this fucking creep. Why the fuck did I keep pining after him? Aiden was more than enough for me. I was just daydreaming over him like a lovesick puppy less than an hour ago, for fuck’s sake.
“No,” Alexander said before clenching his jaw. “I was just here with Earl to discuss some private business with Ms. Aria. She was just heading back to class.”
“Yep,” I said, popping thePawkwardly. “I’ll just be…doing that.”
I ducked around Wyatt as he spoke to Alexander, putting all my energy into walking down the hallway as normal as possible before I could get to the corner. I just had to get to the corner. Then I could run.
