Page 38 of Wicked Chains
"Stay with me tonight," I say, closing my eyes. "Until morning."
His hand strokes my hair gently. “Sleep, sweet Rose.”
It's not the same as promising to stay all night, I notice. Not the same as promising to tell me what's wrong. But it's something.
For now, that has to be enough.
Seventeen
Rose
As soon as I wake up in the morning, I’m reaching across the bed with eyes still closed, my fingers searching. My heart does a painful squeeze, the one that comes when I expect someone to be gone. As my hand touches empty sheets, I open my eyes, and my breath catches. Drake is still here, looking at me with those haunted blue eyes, a little smile on his face that makes me smile back.
"You stayed."
"You asked me to." He reaches out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Yeah, but..." I trail off, not wanting to admit that I expected disappointment. "You look comfortable," I say instead, rolling onto my side to face him properly.
"And you look smug." His fingers trace the curve of my cheek, his eyes studying me. "Like the cat that got the cream."
I can't help the grin that spreads across my face, then reach out to touch his face, because I can. Because he's here. "Thank you for staying."
Instead of answering, Drake moves suddenly, pinning me beneath him in a motion so quick I don’t have time to think about it; I just feel the weight of him on top of me, the press of his body against mine.
"How could I leave when you look at me like that," he murmurs, his lips a breath away from mine.
"Like what?" I can feel the heat rising in my core.
"Like you want me." And then he's kissing me.
I respond immediately, my arms coming up around his neck, pulling him closer. His body is cool against my sleepy, warm skin, a delicious contrast that sends a shiver through me. I hook a leg around his waist, and flip us over, so I'm straddling him. The sheet falls away, and I'm suddenly very aware that I'm completely naked.
Drake looks up at me with his hands settling on my hips. "You are so beautiful, Rose." He’s said it before, but this time I’m starting to believe him.
I lean down to kiss him again, lingering, enjoying the moment, the feeling of being wanted, of being seen. His hands slide up my sides, leaving goosebumps in their wake, and I forget all about assemblies and blood marks and psychotic headmistresses.
Until the alarm I set on my phone goes off and ruins the moment.
"Ignore it," Drake says, his hands gripping my waist tighter.
I groan, reaching over to silence the offensive noise. "I can't. They called an all-school assembly. Mandatory attendance."
"Since when do you care about mandatory anything?" Drake's thumbs make circles on my hipbones, distracting me from the responsible thoughts I'm trying to have.
"Since the new headmistress can make my life even more of a living hell than it already is," I say, though I don't move to get up.
Drake's hands move higher, skimming the undersides of my breasts, and I let out an involuntary little moan as his thumbs brush over my nipples. “Oh, God. Drake, I can’t.”
"I'll make it worth your while," he promises, pulling me down for another kiss.
For a minute, I consider staying. But I’m on such shaky ground right now that I don’t want to find out what the consequences are of disobeying Helena, so I reluctantly pull away.
"I have to go," I say, though I make no move to leave the warmth of my bed. "Trust me, I'd much rather stay here with you."
Drake sighs, his hands falling away as I slide off him and start hunting for something to wear. "You're choosing an assembly over me? I'm wounded, truly devastated."
"Oh please," I laugh, pulling on underwear and jeans.
