Page 164 of Withered

Jake smirks, his hands trapping me on either side of my face. “Are you getting clumsier, or is it my usual charm that makes your knees go weak?” His tone is laced with amusement, teasing me.

“None,” I say with a half-smile as I lightly tap his chest. “I lost my balance.”

He chuckles and tucks a free hair behind my ear, causing my skin to burn at his touch. My eyes betray me, and I find myself staring at his lips. I look up and find him doing the same, which concludes only one thing.

A thing that I’ve learned by now. A thing that is growing inside me at a rapid speed and is now swimming its way out, diving, and disappearing in Jake’s eyes. His eyes are so green, the intensity burning so hot in them that I’m sweating as the heat prickles at my skin.

“We’re in the library,” I state flatly.

I suppose it’s simply me stating it aloud to him, but mostly to myself, so I can control my emotions before doing something reckless and almost inappropriate.

He leans in closer, his lip grazing my earlobe. “I’m fully aware. I’m thinking of a hundred different thingsIcould do toyouright now. I could fuck you right against one of these bookshelves, but that would scare you off, so I’ll settle for this.”

Before I could ask him, his lips lock with mine. A moan slips out of me, and Jake seems to enjoy devouring it. He nibbles at my lower lip and tries to pry my lips away. I grin at his eagerness but break away unwillingly.

“We can’t do this here,” I say as his breath fans my lips.

“Who the fuck cares?” He whispers back, equally breathless.

“What if the librarian catches us?” I look up at him.

“Then she’ll enjoy one hell of a show,” Jake remarks, his eyes gleaming.

Jake’s lips catch mine again in a hot, blistering kiss—no tongue, just our lips moving in perfect sync. I was about to grab a hold of his jacket when a voice booms, “What is going on here?”

I glance over to find our librarian standing at the end of the shelf with her hands on her hips and her cheeks red from anger. My cheeks heat up at the thought of being caught kissing in the library.

She starts approaching us. I’m so stunned that my feet remain glued to the ground, but Jake snaps me back to my senses. He grabs my hand and starts running towards the door.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” I shout, offering a quick apology.

Silent readers are now disturbed by the little show. The librarian is still on the hunt for us. Jake and I dash through the main door, leaving everyone dumbfounded behind us.

Luckily, the bell didn’t go off yet, which means it’s still lunchtime and most of the student body is inside the cafeteria, leaving the hallways deserted with only a few lurking around.

Jake suddenly opens the door around the corner, walks in, and pulls me in with him. He slams the door shut, pressing my back against it. Because of the little run we had, my breathing is coming out in puffs.

I take a look around the dark, small room. Jake is practically plastered to my body. Behind Jake, there’s a rack full of supplies, and my eyes widen with familiarity. We’re in the famous janitor’s closet. I would never have guessed that I, of all people, would end up here.

Just the thought of it brings a chuckle to my lips. Jake peers down at me and brings his finger to his lips, making a playful "shh" motion while keeping a smirk on his lips.

Footsteps approach us before retreating. I breathe a sigh of relief and glance up at Jake.

He whispers, “We can go out now.”

“Yeah,” I respond, my voice becoming thick.

Even though we should go before someone notices us hiding in here, my feet are stuck together, as if I can’t move. His gaze is drawn to my lips, and mine follows suit. I feel the same sparks I felt before.

“Fuck it,” Jake grumbles. “I’ll finish what I started.”

His lips meet mine in a strong kiss with enough force to slam me farther into the door. His teeth graze my bottom lip, and I let out a gasp. He wraps his hands around my face, his tongue trying to rip my lips away. I surrender to the pleasure and slide my hands under his jacket, pressing him further closer to me. My heart is pounding so hard that it feels like it’s about to burst through my chest. I break the kiss with a quiet giggle, out of breath from a lack of oxygen.

The bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Jake opens the door, peeks out, and signals for me to follow him. I exit and lock the door. Kristy and Tyler appear in the hallway at the exact right time.

Tyler blows a wolf whistle, and Kristy points a finger at me. “Oh my fucking god. You did it, didn’t you?”

My eyes widen, and my face burns. They’ve got the wrong idea. I shake my head furiously, making weird hand gestures. “No. We didn’t.”

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