Page 112 of Dead Wolf Walking (Bad Moon Academy 1)
I’m not entirely sure I want to figure him out.
He kicks off his shoes and crawls to one side of the bed, lying on his stomach and placing his hands under him for a pillow. I get up and put the burrito on my desk before climbing onto the mattress. I give him one of my pillows, because I’m not an asshole, and lie down facing him.
“One time,” I say in warning.
His lips twitch. “All right.”
Narrowing my eyes slightly, I clear my throat and get ready to singYou are my Sunshine.I can’t think of any other songs off the top of my head that aren’t completely ridiculous. There will be noTwinkle, Twinkle, Little Starbeing sung today. I open my mouth but the first word catches in my throat.
“It’s only me,” he says.
Therein lies the problem.
Draco is one of the most intimidatingly charming assholes I’ve ever met.
“Just you and me, Little Red, let it go.”
Closing my eyes to escape his all too knowing gaze, I start to sing. After the first line, he starts to hum along with me in perfect harmony. His throaty vibrato catches me off guard for a second, but I keep going, relishing this strange moment for all it’s worth. I don’t know all the words, so I sing the main part through twice. We draw out the last line,please don’t take my sunshine away, and the words hang heavy in the air.
My heart is beating so fast for having done nothing but sing, and my stomach flutters with nerves. Draco starts singing the other lines I forgot, and I open my eyes to see him staring at the ceiling. His voice is deep and so full of pain it brings the lyrics to life. My favorite part of this song is how some people think it’s such a happy tune, when in reality if you listen to the words, it’s heartbreaking.
He finishes the song and starts another I don’t recognize. I close my eyes and let his voice carry me away, if only for a little while.
Chapter 24
Raven
On Friday morning, I wake to sunshine streaming through the gap in my curtains and alone. No, not alone. The shower is running. Rubbing my hands over my face, I try to wake myself up enough to change before Draco finishes. The first few steps make me wish I’d stayed in bed, but by the time I make it to the dresser, some of the lingering sleepiness has faded.
I grab leggings and a long gray sweater. Sweaters usually don’t make sense for the middle of summer but the academy is always freezing. The only reason I wear shorts to bed is because I hate having to fix pants in the middle of the night because they can’t keep up with my flopping from side to side.
Pausing for a second, I listen for the sound of water running. I shuck off my pajamas as soon as I hear it, sighing in relief when I take off my bra. I replace it with the softer bralette, which doesn’t dig into my skin, and pull on matching underwear. Carter’s friend was oddly concerned about the coordination of my undergarments. I haven’t seen Jackson since I found out he brought me these clothes… Carter must have laid into him and scared him off.
The water shuts off without warning. I yank on the leggings as the shower curtain is drawn back across the rod, the little metal rings screech in protest and my stomach flutters when the bottom of the pants gets stuck and I have to reach to unroll it.
The bathroom door opens as I’m pulling the shirt down over my chest. Draco pauses with his hands on the towel he’s securing around his waist. He eyes me hungrily as I drag the shirt the rest of the way down.
“Morning,” I say without letting my inner panic show.
He prowls toward me as steam curls out of the bathroom behind him. Water tracks down his stomach, stopping where the towel sits. There’s a small trail of hair leading down his lower stomach too, and I fight the urge to reach out and stroke the strands.
“Little Red,” he says in a deep voice, “what am I going to do with you?”
I swallow and grudgingly lift my gaze to meet his. “Eat with me?”
He blinks, then his lips curl up, and he bursts out laughing. “I thought you saideat mefor a second.” He shakes his head. “I need another shower.”
No, I do not watch as he reaches down to adjust himself and no, I do not grin when he growls at me for staring.
“I’ll be back.” He shoves his wet hair off of his forehead.
Oh thank god.
I was about to do something very fun and stupid.
Expecting him to move away, I glance toward the clock. Only he doesn’t step back. Instead he grabs my waist and yanks me toward him. I crane my neck but don’t get a chance to look at him before his lips find mine. They’re soft but demanding, and I grab on to his shoulder to stay above the wave of chaos he rides. Draco is intoxicating. His tongue traces the seam of my lips. He hums in approval when I open to him, and he buries his fingers into my hair at the back of my head, adjusting my position so he can take over.
He backs me into the wall next to the dresser and pins me against it with his hips. I gasp for air when he breaks the kiss and drops his forehead to mine. My heart thunders in my ears and he traces a finger across my lips, making my core tighten in response.
