Page 123 of Crimson Promises
“But he was mean, and he was coarse and unrefined
“And now he's dear and so unsure
“I wonder why I didn't see it there before.” He sang in a high-pitched tone, eerily similar to the character of Belle.
I shook my head at him. I wasn’t talking.
His smile stretched wider, he amplified his voice, this time in a more masculine tone:
“She glanced this way, I thought I saw
“And when we touched, she didn't shudder at my paw
“No, it can't be, I'll just ignore
“But then she's never looked at me that way before.” He opened his mouth to sing the next verse.
I plugged my fingers into my ears. Anything to prevent my eardrums from going numb.
“Fine,” I muttered. Maybe it would help to talk about Aurora. I had no one else to use as a sounding board.
“I knew I’d get you to crack eventually. It works with my sister all the time.”
“You’re a real ball breaker.”
“More like pussy pleaser, according to the ladies.” He winked at me.
“I’d recommend not letting the ladies hear you say that, or else I think your opportunities with them will start dwindling quickly.”
“Yeah, yeah. Coming from the guy who is having problems with one. I think that’s your issue right there. You went from options to monogamy. Terrible, terrible decision.”
This undefined relationship between Aurora and I felt a lot stronger than monogamy.
“We aren’t in a relationship.”
“Ah, but you would like to be.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over you,” Connor waved a hand in dismissal. “Let’s proceed to the juicy bits, shall we?”
I shrugged my shoulder. “I don’t know where to start.”
“I have no problem starting things off. What you fail to comprehend is Greek Row is one of the scandal epicenters at ACU. I have expert skills at withdrawing information from others for the sake of the gossip mill. Has anything progressed with you both? And by that, I am strictly referring to anything physical. I don’t care about that emotional bleeding heart stuff.”
I glanced around the gym, taking in other boxers I recognized sparring in the ring parallel to ours. Some were at the speed bags running through drills, and a few were hanging out in Sully’s office. Sweat and bleach burned the insides of my nostrils. I didn’t want to admit to him that Aurora was half naked, ensconced in the covers of my bedroom. I had added additional wards to keep her safe. If I stayed there one more second, I didn't think I would be able to ever leave and that was a problem. A ginormous fucking problem.
“Alright, I’ll take that as a yes,” Connor said. “Obviously, there's physical chemistry and connection between you two. I told you last time she couldn’t stop staring at you at the party.”
“There’s something there. It’s so mixed up in a bunch of other crap though. I can’t figure it out. One minute, Aurora seems interested, and then the next, she is making plans with another guy.”
“So, Riley’s still in the picture, then?” he prodded.
I clenched my jaw and nodded. Angelfucker was trying to take her away. Aurora was mine.
“He won’t give up. Ben, he’s used to being the alpha male. Once he sets his sights on something like a bloodhound, he does anything to go after it. He’d rather destroy you than let her have you.”
“He can try,” I threatened. “He’s like a cockroach. No matter how many times I think he’s gone, somehow he reappears.”
