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My gaze locked on hers, willing her to see what I couldn’t tell her in words, and my hands rose to button her shirt, fingers lingering a little too long as they grazed warm, smooth skin, as if they had all the time in the world.
As if this wasn’t a car crash waiting to happen.
I arched in and kissed her again anyway, slower, stealing her mouth and all the precious seconds I could, before the clock would strike again and she’d go back to being just my stubborn, infuriatingly beautiful rival.
Chapter twenty-seven
Josh
My entire body ached from strain: too many days in the gym, too much running until I nearly dropped, too much grinding my teeth in restraint, while all I longed to do was explore more of her.
Tonight, she’d blown me off for her stupid assignment, so I found myself not knowing what the fuck to do. I had no memory of my evenings before I spent them with my hands tangled in her hair and my mouth on her skin.
She’s becoming a problem.
I shook my head and focused on the clutch kick, on the jolt travelling up my body from the balls of my feet, spiking my adrenaline, on the smell of burnt rubber that should’ve been.
Tires skidded and slipped on asphalt—or what should’ve been asphalt, but now lay covered in a thin layer of snow—as I drew circles in the abandoned car park, marring the white, with nothing but a few lorries as witnesses.
A song I couldn’t name played low on the speakers, drowned by the growl of the engine reverberating in my bones. A faint buzzing came from the console cubby, growing insistent, until I had to pull over and pluck my phone out.
My chest tightened to the point of pain.
I’d been waiting for my dad, so I supposed this was an improvement. Hands shaking with adrenaline, I answered.
“Donald. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Joshua, I’ve heard distressing news…” His practised, even tone made the back of my neck stiffen more than if he’d shouted.
“It’s Josh,” I bit out, hand white-knuckling the wheel.
“Now, I remember how it is to be young,” he went on as if he hadn’t heard.
Do you? I didn’t know dinosaurs have memories.
“Nothing wrong with having a little fun.” He droned on, and I tuned him out.
Is this going anywhere? In this century?
“God knows your father and I got into a load of trouble during our university years…” He chuckled, an affected sound that only grated on my nerves.
I fought the urge to hurry him along and kept my mouth shut, but story time stretched until I started to do my taxes in my head, so I cut in.
“What’s this about?” I cut in, tone pleasant but curt, hoping to dissuade more anecdotes.
“I’m just calling to see if we’re still on the same page.”
Something in my guts sharpened.
“This is about Alice.” I correctly deduced, judging by the long pause that followed, broken only by the puff of a cigar and the clink of a glass.
“She’s quite taken with you, you know.”
I gritted my teeth and resisted snorting.
With my family name, you mean.
“Enough that she doesn’t mind your… extracurricular activities.”
