Page 13 of Make Me Mean It

He laughs, ducking his head before looking back up at me through rain-darkened lashes. “I know your name, princess.”

“Use it then.” I fold my arms over my chest, only to uncross them again when the movement presses my freezing shirt tighter against my skin.

Theo hums, considering me with an amount of concentration this really doesn’t deserve. His head tilts slightly, rain tracking down the side of his throat.

“If I prove I know your name,” he says slowly, “will you get on?”

I stare at him through the rain.

“Not a chance.”

“Then princess it is.” He shrugs.

“You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re freezing.”

My mouth opens, ready with another argument, but a shiver chooses that exact moment to run through me.

Theo’s eyebrow lifts, some of the amusement slipping from his face. His eyes run over my soaked clothes, and there’s nothing teasing in them when they come back to mine.

I look down the road.

It’s easier than figuring out what to do with that.

Through the rain, it seems even longer than it did five minutes ago, nothing but wet pavement and grey sky stretching ahead of me. Water has made its way into my socks now, my fingers starting to go numb, and refusing a lift purely because Theo is the one offering it would be ridiculous.

Even if walking seems significantly less complicated.

I let my shoulders drop and turn back towards him.

Theo thrusts a spare helmet at me, the smirk returning so quickly I regret giving in on principle.

I snatch it from him and pull it on, trying to fasten the strap beneath my chin. My fingers are too wet, sliding uselessly over the clip every time I try to push it together, and after the third attempt my patience starts wearing dangerously thin.

Warm fingers close over mine, startling against how cold my hands have gotten.

My head snaps up.

Theo’s leaned towards me, close enough that I have to tip my chin back, his fingers already taking the helmet strap from mine.

I pull my hands away. “I’m fine.”

He ignores me, attention fixed beneath my chin while he takes over.

The clip snaps into place on Theo’s first try, because apparently the thing only had a problem when I was touching it. His knuckles graze beneath my jaw when he adjusts the strap, skimming the edge of my throat, and my pulse kicks hard against his fingers.

There’s no chance he missed that.

“I’m fine,” I say again, but my voice comes out rough, catching slightly when his fingers brush beneath my jaw before falling away.

Theo’s eyes stay on mine with that same unnerving intensity from his bedroom, and the longer he looks at me, the hotter my face gets despite the rain still running cold beneath my shirt. I finally break away, fixing my attention on the bike instead.

He rolls his eyes, tipping his head towards it.

Right.

I step closer, more than happy to have something else to think about, until I actually look at the thing and realise I have absolutely no idea how I’m supposed to get on it.