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“You scared the hell out of me,” I gasp. “I thought you were anintruder.”
“You were gonna disarm me with meadowfreshness?”
I flush as I drop the bottle on the washer. “You must be done with mydad.”
“He’s a slave driver.” Tyler’s voice sounds distracted. “I came to get myclothes.”
I nod. “I was, um, trying on something for Carly’sparty.”
Tyler’s gaze drops down my body, lingering on my bare legs. “Thought it was a costumeparty.”
“I’m keeping my optionsopen.”
I turn to face the mirror, brushing a hand along the neckline of my dress for an excuse to look somewhere that’s not him. “Carly texted me to ask about your costume. I said you were going as a pirate and you specifically requested she dress as yourparrot.”
Tyler meets my gaze in the glass, grinning, and for some reason I add, “Don’t fuckher.”
His reflection goes still. “Dammit, I was heading therenow.”
My body stiffens. “I’m serious. She’sevil.”
“That’s the onlyreason?”
The thought of you with her makes my skincrawl.
When he steps close, his fingers brushing the base of my spine, I yelp. “What are youdoing?”
“You’re not zipped. Thiswouldmake an impression at the party.” His words are soft, but his voice chafes like a roughseam.
With the slow drag of his fingers chased by cold metal up my spine, it’s impossible not tosquirm.
My new zipper must be broken, because it takes forever. This room is too small for two people. Especially when one of them’s Tyler, his dark T-shirt stretched tight over distractingly muscled shoulders and chest, his lips pursed inconcentration.
“Apparently you run the school now,” I hear myself say, but it’s an echo from far away. “You’re like some prince they forgot who’s returned and woven a spell overeveryone.”
I meet Tyler’s gaze over my shoulder. One brow lifts under the heavy fall of hair. “And they haven’t even seen me snort ginger ale out my noseyet.”
I roll my eyes and try but fail to stop the laugh from bubblingup.
His smile matches mine, and something in my hearttwinges.
“I’m new. The appeal will wear off,” hepromises.
“What if itdoesn’t?”
“You tellme.”
I twist a piece of hair between my fingers. “Growing up, before I moved in with my dad, I didn’t have many things that were mine. But you… It sounds stupid, but I never had to share you. It felt like I had you to myself, and I likedthat.”
His expression shutters, but after a moment he steps closer, the soft cotton of his T-shirt brushing my shoulder blades above the back of mydress.
“Maybe I like having you to myself,too.”
Heat starts low in my stomach, tugs between mylegs.
I spin to face him. My hands land on his chest to brace myself, but it’s a mistake. He’s too strong andalive.
“Why are you here?” My voice is lower than it was a secondago.
