Page 40 of Eat You Alive (Court Legacy 4)

I studied it. “I read about how you both weren’t always together.”

“You finally looking into me, Red?” His hands came together, his big shoulders lifting, shifting. “Tell me. What did you find?”

That playful tone returned to his voice, his eyes dancing, and my skin flushed that he knew I’d looked into him.

I just didn’tknow why, or why this conversation was seeming so intimate. I tucked a leg under my knees. “Might have looked into some things when I realized I had a stalker.”

His chest bumped a laugh. “Hardly.” He said this though his attention shifted to the table. “And yeah. We weren’t always together, which was bullshit. For me. Her. Our parents.” Restless, he weaved fingers through his wavy locks. “Anyway, things are better now.”

Still, must be hard. I studied the necklace once more, and he let me. For a long time, he did and that itch ticked at my fingers again. He watched as I reached forward, and when he didn’t draw back, that gave me permission to run my fingers along the emblem.

An instant heat pulsed my digits, and Wolf pulled his hair out of his face. That cleared the way for me to really look at the necklace since his hair was so long, but that also meant his face was like right next to mine.

His lips.

They parted, a flush running over them. It matched my fingers. I was a terrible blusher, no doubt red everywhere.

“Red?” His voice was husky, a warning in it, but I didn’t pull back.

“I’m sorry that happened to your family,” I said, head clouded. My breath stuttered from my lips, but laughter had me stopping.

“Sure.” He tucked his necklace away, taking it from me. Rigid again, he shifted in his seat. “Anyway, I’m going to need you again tonight. There’s another party at my buddy Thatch’s frat, and we need to make an appearance. He and the other guys have been asking about you, and I’ve been putting it off long enough.”

I blanched he transformed so quickly. It was like that wicked wolf had returned, and I hooked an arm over my leg. “Well, I can’t.”

“Why?”

Besides not actually wanting to, I had a social life. One I’d been neglecting no matter how little it was. Heath and some our other photojournalism friends planned to do some shooting tonight, and after, we’d made arrangements to do some studying. I shrugged. “I have a study session.”

Wolf smirked. Actuallysmirkedat me, the arrogant fuck. “Well, cancel because you’re going, and it’s not like I’ve been making you go to anything.Doanything.”

“No, just mandatory coffee and strolls every goddamn day.” They hadn’t been bad, but still, they hadn’t been optional. “I don’t want to go to that party.”

“Funny how that’s not really your decision.” Things had been playful before, almost fun even in a way.

Almost different.

Wolf and I hadn’t had any push and pull lately, and I realized now that was because we weren’t interacting on the regular. Whenever we did, we werethis, and I couldn’t believe I’d actually been flirting with him moments ago.

You really are as dumb as this arrangement.

I started to get up, but he got my arm. His eyes narrowed. “This party is not optional, and neither is your attendance.” He let go. “So, I expect you there, and I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

He sounded like my dad, and last I checked, I didn’t have one of those. I’d lost that, gone. My jaw clenched. “Wolf…”

“You asked for respect, right?” He got in my face. “Well, I’ve been respecting you. I also haven’t been making you go anywhere, so it’s time to respect me and our agreement.”

A familiar anger rose like a heavy devil inside me. It was one I was too familiar with because I did go off the handle sometimes. It was exactly that, and those images he had that bound me to him in the first place. I didn’t consider myself an angry person.

But even calm people could be pushed too far.

We were in a stand-off, he and I, one where I knew he was right, and I unfortunately was wrong. “Fine.”

His casual look only angered me more. He knew he’d get his way, always did. “It’s at the same time, and I’ll take you. Just be here and be ready.”

So that wasn’t happening. I shook my head, and when he started to open his mouth, I did first. “I do have plans with friends, but I can meet you after. I don’t know how late we’ll be studying, but I’ll be there on time. I promise.”

He appeared as if he wanted to contest that, but he sat back in the end. He lifted a hand. “Whatever.”

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