Page 40 of Sweet Punk
I heave out a breath. Goddamn, I don’t want to think about that because it’ll drive me insane. “Let’s not give him this kind of power. Get your things. You don’t have to think about it anymore tonight.”
“Okay.” The worry I see in her expression yanks at something so deep inside me, it almost brings me to my knees.
I catch her chin with my fingers. “Hey. You’re safe with me.”
“I know. But I’m scared. He’s messed with the others. What happens when he comes after you?”
My jaw twitches. “Then he won’t know what hit him. Because I’m not scared of fuck all, Star. Not a damn thing. And I will protect you with everything I have.” I mean it when I say it, but she swallows, then nods before heading into her room to collect a few things without saying anything. I don’t know if my protective streak freaked her out or what. Too late to take it back now, though.
I wait at the doorway, hands catching the door frame above my head and silently watch as she moves around the room, pulling out a small bag, then quickly stuffing assorted clothing inside. She ducks into the bathroom for a minute, and while she’s in there, I notice her key and lanyard are still dangling from the lock. I guess that answers the question of whether or not he has her keys. Not that it matters, seeing as how the creep seems as adept at breaking and entering as Maddox and Hawk are. Star’s ever-present travel-size can of pepper spray taunts me as it dangles from the lanyard. I huff out a laugh. Who knew back then that I’d soon be waiting to take the same girl who sprayed me in the face with this stuff to my room to spend the night? Who knew I’d have all these urges and feelings? One thing is for damn sure—I wasn’t ready for Star St. James. But maybe I could be. And more importantly, I think I want to be.
After another minute, she comes out of her bathroom with a toiletry bag and tucks it in with her other stuff. She takes a second to glance around, then shrugs. “I guess this is it. I can always come back over if I need more stuff.” She huffs out a breath. “Not that I expect you to put up with me forever.”
I take the overnight bag from her, as well as her backpack when she picks it up. “You’re not staying here until we’re certain it’s safe for you to do so. And so long as that fucker is out and about, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
I don’t know if it’s the part about not staying in her room or that it’s with me that’s making her brow lift like that.
Shooting her a calm smile, I shrug. “What? Ask Hawk or Maddox if Lux or Raven are staying here.”
“Okay, so maybe you have a point.”
“Besides”—I give her a playful scowl as she locks the suite behind us—“I thought we were getting on just fine in the art studio earlier.”
There it is. A smile lights up her face. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go, Casanova. You’ve convinced me.”
Inside the suite, our friends are behind closed doors already. I gesture first to the TV, then the kitchen. “Do you want to watch TV or need something to drink?”
She shakes her head. “No. I’m good. We could probably use some rest. Can we sleep in tomorrow?”
“Yeah. No classes for either of us until after lunch, right?”
“Right. I freaking live for my Tuesday and Thursday class schedule.”
I take her hand and tug her along with me as I march to my room. Inside, I shut the door behind us and lean back against it. “You can have the bathroom first.”
She nods, gives me a quick smile, and takes her overnight bag from me. I can’t keep my eyes to myself as she scurries in there, closing the door behind her. She looked so damn good in the jeans she’d been wearing today. But— Fuck. She’s about to sleep here. In my bed. With me. I’m amused that she thinks I’m getting any sleep at all tonight, because at this point, I highly doubt that’s going to be possible.
I rub my hand over my chest, wondering what protocol is here, having her stay with me after we’ve messed around several times. I don’t know what she expects. And then I immediately feel like the biggest idiot ever because I know this girl likes me. I lace both hands on top of my head.Fuck.This is brutal.
The bathroom door clicks open, and Star slips out. She’s wearing a pair of loose pajama pants with little computers printed all over them and a plain white T-shirt. Her face is clean of makeup, and she looks so damn sweet, especially with the way her cheeks have picked up a rosy-pink color. The thing is, I know she can also be plenty sassy when she wants to be, not a shy bone in her body. Not when you know her. I clear my throat, gesturing to the bed. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be out in a few.”
Drawing in a breath, I let my mind wander as I brush my teeth. And, of course, like it has intermittently all evening long, despite the seriousness of the earlier conversation, my thoughts go directly to how good it’d felt to dry fuck Star in the art room. I don’t know what would’ve happened between us if Professor Zara hadn’t interrupted. Would we have fucked right there in the classroom? My brain is close to detonating at the mere thought of it. I want her so badly it hurts.
I’m overheating, burning up at the thought of Star and me together like that. My dick is so fucking hard, I don’t know how I’m going to manage to walk out into my bedroom and not have her notice. I don’t know what else to do but take a few seconds to breathe and splash some cool water over my face.Can I handle this?I sigh. I haven’t a fucking clue. But there’s no sense in hiding from her in the fucking bathroom all night.
When I open the door, Star’s already turned off all the lights except for the dim lamp on the nightstand. She’s sitting up in the bed, scrolling through something on her phone. “Um. I hope you don’t mind…”
My brows draw together, looking her over for some clue as to what she’s talking about. That’s when it hits me like a sledgehammer to the chest. She’s wearing one of my shirts. A slow smile stretches my lips before they twitch with amusement. “Are you asking if you can wear my shirt?”
She nods, pulling her legs up to her chest under it. Bare legs, which were encased in cute pajama pants when I went into the bathroom earlier. But those are now on the floor next to the bed, along with the T-shirt she’d had on.
I swallow hard but hide it by reaching back and grasping my shirt at the collar and pulling it off over my head. At the edge of the mattress, I hesitate, noting how she’s watching me like a hawk, her eyes skimming over every single one of my tattoos as if she’s cataloging each one for further study. My hands make quick work of the button and zipper of my jeans. And fuck, that zipper is like a wild animal screaming in the night as I pull it down. It shrieks,Hey I’m mostly naked and getting in bed with a hot, sexy girl.
We might be about to do some things together that could cause some problems, like they have for me in the past. I know from the way Star moved against me earlier that she wants more. But I need to figure out how to do that without completely fucking losing it.
“Kellan? Are you…?”
How long have I been standing here staring at her?My eyes flick to hers. She can’t know. I clear my throat. “Am I what?”
