Elect(23)

Trace took my coffee out of my hands and took a sip. “Don’t be a prude.”

Laughing, I jerked my coffee away from her. “Honey, that’s the first time I’ve ever been accused of such.”

“My mistake.” Tracey snatched the coffee back. “Chase, don’t be such a whore.”

“Better.” I stole my coffee back. “Now stop taking my coffee. It’s eight a.m. and I’m still not fully ready to face the day, especially that professor in your Women’s Studies class. Seriously, the chick needs to get laid. I think she hates men.”

“To be fair”—Trace tried to grab my coffee but I held it over my head so she’d have to get a ladder to grab it—“she”—Trace jumped—“only hates you”—she jumped again—“because you called her fat.”

“Not true.” I yawned and kept the coffee in the air. “I asked when her baby was due.”

With a huff Trace gave up and put her hands on her hips. “Right, and she wasn’t pregnant, so basically it’s the same thing.”

I shrugged. “My mistake.” Trace was still eying my coffee. “Fine, we’ll go get you some coffee, but remember you can’t be late to any more classes.”

I checked my watch. “Okay, we have exactly fifteen minutes to go across campus, buy you coffee, and head up to the Social Sciences building.”

“We’ll be fine!” Trace grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”

We ran across campus and stood in line at the coffee shop. Luckily, there was only one person in front of us.

But as my own personal luck would have it, the person standing in front of us just happened to be Luca.

What the hell was he doing on campus? And how would he have any idea we were even heading to get coffee? Was he truly watching us that carefully?

I gripped Trace’s hand hard within mine.

She looked up at me. “Chase, seriously. Get over the cow thing.”

I laughed and went into action. “I’ll get over it, if you get under me.”

Her mouth dropped open. I tilted my head to the left. She didn’t need any more information. In an instant her arms wrapped around my neck and she leaned into me, her mouth inches from mine. “Hmm, how about we skip class then?”

“Nice.” I was seriously sweating. Everything felt awkward and off limits. If I just went with instinct I knew it would make Tracey uncomfortable and I only had seconds to decide what the hell I was going to do. Luca turned just as I leaned in and pressed my lips against Trace’s.

I was counting on her reaction to be timid—and it was.

Mine, however, was like unleashing a starving tiger from its cage. I thrust my tongue into her mouth and tasted her, like really tasted her. Shit, I was going to go to Hell for enjoying this so damn much. With my body as tight as a drum, I opened her mouth with my tongue and continued to take what wasn’t mine to take. She put her hand on my chest, almost as if she was pushing me away, but I shook my head as I deepened the kiss and slid her hand down my abs to the loop in the front of my jeans.

A throat cleared. Slowly, I pulled away from Tracey and looked up into Luca’s amused face.

“Chase.” He nodded. “And you must be?” He was looking at Trace with more curiosity than anything. Shit, did he know we’d played him?

“Oh, um,” Trace giggled. “Sorry we got carried away, I’m Chase’s girlfriend, Tracey.”

“Lovely.” Luca took her outstretched hand and kissed it. “What a beautiful couple. A pleasure, Miss Tracey. Chase, we’ll be in touch.”

I nodded as he walked off with his coffee, saw that a few of his men were with him.

I faintly heard Trace order a drip and then she directed me out of the coffee shop toward the Social Sciences building. I pretended everything was fine on the inside, but it wasn’t.

I was far from fine.

I was ripped to shreds on the inside.

Because until a few minutes ago, I’d had no idea what I’d been missing. And now… now I did.

And suddenly betraying everyone I loved was back on the table. Because Tracey—she held a part of me I couldn’t take back, and it scared the hell out of me.





Chapter Fifteen


Nixon


I reached into my shoulder bag and felt around for my gun. I knew I was seriously going to lose my mind if I was checking my gun every five seconds of the day, but I couldn’t help it. I was worried about everything.

Damn, if my ma could see me now.

I went to my one and only Tuesday class and tried to look scary. No way was I in any shape to talk to students or my professor with the whole Trace and Chase situation hanging over my head. Holy shit, their names even rhymed. How the hell had I missed that?