Rm w/a Vu(70)

“You, too.”

I’m just walking away, my fingers sliding along the palm of his hand until only our fingertips are touching. Before we lose connection, his hand reclaims mine, and he pulls me back to him. Our chests collide, expelling all the air between our bodies and my book bag falls heavily to my side while he’s still got a hold of my other hand behind my back, our fingers now woven together. There’s a familiar spark in his eyes, and this excites me, making me forget all about the people milling around us.

“You forgot something,” he tells me in that low, gravelly voice that makes all of my senses numb to anything but him. His other hand comes up to cradle my face, and he lowers his lips to mine.

I don’t mean to, but the minute he kisses me, I whimper, drop my bag the last few inches to the ground, and bring that hand up to lie on his chest right above his pounding heart. His thumb moves slowly over my cheekbone, and the fine hairs all over my body stand on end. Pushing up on the tips of my toes, I curl my fingers into the fabric of his shirt, holding him close as he takes my bottom lip between his and traces it with his tongue.

There’s nothing in this world I enjoy more than being kissed by Greyston. At least, not yet, anyway.

Apparently I’m no longer in control of anything I do whenever Greyston’s lips are on mine, because it’s Greyston who ends our kiss, pressing his forehead to mine and smiling.

Panting breathlessly, I try to calm my racing heart. “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”

“Just proving a point,” is all he says.

My eyes snap open, and I shake my head. “And what point is that?”

Instead of answering me right away, Greyston’s head lifts away from mine and his eyes drift off to focus on something behind me. Slowly, I turn my head to follow his gaze and find Ben standing several yards away. “Oh, I see.” I smile. “He looks a little upset.”

“Good,” Greyston responds, tightening his hand around mine gently and drawing my eyes back to his. “Juliette, I’d like to take you out on a date tomorrow night.”

I nod, a smile slowly spreading across my face. “I’d like that.”

Greyston’s smile rivals my own before he kisses my nose. “Okay, you should head to class. I’ll see you in a few hours, beautiful.”

My heart flutters each and every time he calls me that. Greyston releases my hand and bends down to pick my discarded bag up for me. I don’t head right inside, choosing to wait until his car is out of sight. When it is, I turn around and come face to face with Ben.

Nothing he might have to say interests me, and I sure as hell don’t want him to sour my once-again good mood, so I side-step around him and proceed toward the building. He’s clearly dense, because he doesn’t seem to take the glaringly obvious hint, instead taking it as an invitation to follow me.

“You know, Ben, I could have you charged with stalking,” I threaten. “I’m pretty sure my father wouldn’t even bat an eye.”

He laughs, apparently mistaking what I’ve said for a joke. Greyston’s right; he’s a twit. “You know, you have a lot of nerve, Juliette,” he tells me. “You get mad at me for screwing Delilah, when you were stepping out on your sugar daddy with Erik on Friday night.”

His accusation stops me dead in my tracks, right in the middle of the hall. I turn to face him, glaring daggers that I hope to hell will maim him beyond recognition. When it doesn’t work, I contemplate thrusting my knee into his groin and dropping him like a sack of potatoes.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I tell him venomously. “And even if you did, what you have to say means exactly jack-shit to me anymore, Ben.”

“So, you didn’t leave the party the other night with Erik all over you?” he demands, sounding somewhat jealous. “Because that’s what a few people have been saying. I bet your sugar daddy—”

“Would you grow the hell up and stop calling him that?” I demand, growing more and more annoyed the longer I stick around to listen to his inane prattling.

Not wanting to hear another word, I turn on my heel and begin to walk away when Ben calls after me. “I don’t get it; what does he have that I don’t have?”

I refuse to stop, instead turning and walking a few slow steps backward as I shrug. “You mean, besides basic respect for our relationship?” Ben remains quiet, and I smirk cheekily. “Me.”





At the end of the day, Daphne meets me by the front entrance and walks with me outside. She’s rambling on excitedly about her psych class while we make our way to the lot. It isn’t until Greyston comes into view that she clams up—or maybe I just can’t hear her because he’s smiling crookedly at me. It’s more likely that, because Daphne isn’t known for going mute for anything.