Page 96 of Steeling Her
“You’re fucking kidding me!” he roars at the realization that Carter stayed the night with me. I’m not going to play his game and try to beat him, it’ll only backfire on me later. So, instead, I take Carter and lead her out the door.
“I’m going to walk her back. I’ll see you guys later!” I wave my hand over my shoulder, pushing us out the door.
“Carter, he slept with Maya! Did you not see the picture I sent you?” Ryan closes the distance between us. I immediately step up front to protect her from him, my eyes clouded with anger. I’m not going to fight him in front of her, though, he wants that.
“She heard Maya talking about how you two set me up to make me look bad. Nice try, Ryan, but you were caught. You’re an idiot, you and Maya deserve each other—”
“I’m not interested in Maya, Jackson!” he yells. I step closer to him, warning him to not start something he can’t finish. I haven’t held back in the past, but I will for her. As much as I don’t want to swing at him right now, I will if he pushes me far enough.
“Watch it,” I warn him. His furious eyes meet mine but I don’t have the time for this shit. I will not fight with him again in front of Carter. I don’t want her to see that. We have another stare off; he’s the first to break it by trying to intimidate me, trailing his eyes up and down my frame in disgust.
“If you change your mind, Carter, you know where I am.” He smirks, walking back into the kitchen with a glass of OJ in his grip.
“Trust me, she wouldn’t touch your ugly ass,” I say with a wholehearted laugh. Placing an arm around her shoulders, I walk her out and down towards the campus. Once we reach the college, we get a few eyes following us along with a few whispers. I know girls are wondering if we’re a thing, and I honestly don’t care. It’s nobody’s business but ours.
With that, I pull her a bit closer to me because she’s noticing the attention she’s getting. I know she doesn’t like said attention, and I know she’s freaking out a little, because I feel her grip tightening on my shirt.
The eyes continue to follow us as we make our way towards the dorm. Seeing the building in my sight, I’m greeted by a flock of people around the doors. I guide Carter through, all while being stared at like I’m famous. I know people know me, but this is a little much. I don’t even bother to look up as we make our way to the elevator. Waiting with a bunch of girls, the doors separate, letting a few others come out. They momentarily stop again to check if it is really me in their dorm building. I walk beside Carter into the steel cage and head towards the back, resting against the cold metal wall.
I reach across to Carter and pull her against my body, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. “You okay?” I ask near her ear, making her shiver slightly. I smile near the spot on her neck at the effect I have on her. Her head nods, allowing her hair brush lightly off my face, tickling it. I kiss her cheek, making her blush and look down at her feet. Still in my hold, I brush her skin every so often to take her mind off all the stares we’re getting.
But I still feel nothing but eyes on me. It’s like they’ve never seen a guy in their lives.
“What floor?” one of the girls asks, hovering her hand over a knowing button. The fourth floor.
“I think you already know.” I stop an eye roll from happening, but she giggles like it was the funniest thing in the world. Her eyes are hooded and seductive, but I couldn’t be less interested in her. Lighting up the fourth button, the doors close; it looks like we’re the first stop. When it starts to move, so does everybody in the lift, fixing themselves in the makeshift mirror. I don’t look anywhere else other than Carter.
I lean in closer to her once again and whisper to her, “You’re so easy to hug.” She releases a quick laugh and I smile on her head, silently chuckling myself.
Turning her head over her shoulder to face up to me, she says, “So are you.” I couldn’t help the urge to lean down and capture her lips, hearing small gasps and the ding of the elevator. I break the kiss begrudgingly and push her out with me, parting the crowd in the process. I take her hand again and intertwine my fingers with hers, lacing them together. We walk down to that gray door I hate so much, because I won’t see her for the next few hours.
This is all so weird for me. I’ve never been so attached to a girl before. But with her, I feel my best. I feel happy all the damn time when I’m with her.
She reaches in her bag on her shoulder and finds her keys. Putting them into the lock, she turns them to open up the door.
“Ugh! I’m so fucking LATE!” Danielle is running back and forth between the kitchen and living, panting in exhaustion. Grabbing a notebook and some pens, she throws them into her bag as she runs by us. “Hi, guys! Bye, guys!” She bolts down the steps, her hands still in her hair as she fixes herself. We both laugh at her nearly running into some girls coming up the steps. Many of the girls coming up the steps laughing at her too. Not that she cares, she keeps running.
I turn back around to see Carter laughing into her hand at her roommate, throwing her head back a little. When she calms down, her shoulders are still shaking up and down with a muffled giggle in her hand.
I lean my hands on either side of the door frame as I’m watching her. The crinkles in her eyes, the way her nose scrunches up, and the light flush of her cheeks with freckles dotted across them under her eyes. She’s the vision of true beauty, and I can’t get enough of her.
She finally stops herself after I’ve admired her. She clears her throat, feeling slightly awkward, and bites down on her plump red lip. I groan out loud and lick my own lips, wanting another taste.Why does she do this to me?
“Don’t do that,” I say with a laugh, biting my bicep. Her brows furrow with confusion.
“Laugh?” She tilts her head to the side, wondering why can’t she laugh.
“No, you can laugh. I like hearing you laugh. Just don’t bite your lip like that.” I rub my finger tips along my jaw, pointing out that her biting her lip alone is a weakness of mine.
“Why?”
She’s so innocent,I think to myself.
I step closer into her space and tower over her small and sexy frame. “Because it makes me want to do it too. That’s why.” She blushes again and raises her hand to the nape of her neck to stroke it, feeling so embarrassed. I rest my large hands on her hips and pull her slowly to me, missing the feeling of her body against mine. Even though I held her for the entire night, I miss it already.
I would do anything to crawl back into bed with her and just lay there—lay there and stare at her, watching her sleep, as creepy as that sounds. It was soothing to listen to her sleep peacefully. Knowing that she’s resting and recovering nicely. She needs all the rest she can get. “So I guess this is where I leave you?” I sigh a little, knowing she needs to get ready for classes today. So do I, but I would miss them for her.
“You’ll see me later though, right?” I nod back, grinning like an idiot. I couldn’t give a fuck, though, I’m an idiot for her. “Okay, I need to go and get ready.” She smiles and bites that lip again. Huffing, I give in and lock lips with her. She knows what she was doing. She’s knows.
