Page 35 of Mad As Hell

“Nah. We both know you can’t resist me,” he teased, opening the door for me.

“Oh, I’m full of resistance,” I snarled, stalking past him and striding to the elevator.

He followed me into the car and pressed the button for the main level, then crowded against my back so that his chest brushed me as he breathed. “I could always fill you up with something else.”

“Pass,” I muttered even as I tried not to clench my thighs together at the memories of him doing just that.

He chuckled softly, and I knew if he leaned forward an inch, his mouth would touch the shell of my ear.

“I’ve missed this,” he said quietly.

I focused on the digital counter above the elevator doors ticking away the floors. “Missed, what? Having a girl hate your very existence?”

“You’re sexy when you’re feisty,” he told me as if I hadn’t replied. I could hear the smile in his voice.

Ryan Cain is the devil. Ryan Cain is your enemy.

My hair shifted as he leaned forward and sniffed me. “God, you smell fucking delicious.”

Fuck me.

Thankfully the doors opened, and I scrambled out of the elevator before I could do something really stupid, like lean against him.

Sucking in an indignant breath, I whirled around before he could step off. “Stop. We’re not together, we aren’t friends. Just… stop.”

His head angled to the side. “Why? Afraid you won’t be able to resist my charms much longer?”

“I hate you,” I hissed.

His eyes narrowed. “If I actually thought you meant that, I might back off.” He inched closer. “But I know you really don’t. Eventually you’ll accept what I already know.”

“And what’s that?” I asked through clenched teeth, because the freaking nerve of this guy.

“That you’re the girl for me, Madison Porter,” he answered simply, as if that sentence held all the truth in the universe.

Except one thing.

Madison Porter was dead.

I swallowed and stepped back. “Let’s just go, okay?”

Luckily Ryan was willing to let it go, even though I’m sure he saw the pain flash across my face at the mention of my name.

I reluctantly followed Ryan outside and down the path to the dining hall. My stomach twisted into a pretzel as we drew closer to the building. People were everywhere. Had the student body always been this big? Did all the teachers usually hang out here during their lunch?

As if sensing my hesitance, Ryan reached back and grabbed my hand, linking our fingers.

I started to squeeze his hand, grateful for the support, when I remembered I was supposed to hate him.

I mean, that I did hate him.

Dammit. Why did he make everything so complicated?

I tried to pull away, but he shot me a severe look.

“Optics, Maddie,” he murmured, looking pointedly at our joined hands. “Happy couple, remember?”

I gritted my teeth, keeping my eyes focused ahead. In my periphery I still saw the heads swing to look at us as we walked by. Once we were inside, Ryan let go of my hand long enough to wrap an arm around my shoulders.

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