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I can’t stop letting my gaze roam over him. His skin looks so smooth. I bet the muscles beneath all that smooth skin are hard as a rock. I wonder what it would feel like, being pressed up against him. Or having him pin me, my body beneath his—
“Tell me what you’re thinking. Right now.”
The knowing in his voice makes me uneasy and I shake my head.
“N-no way.” I shake my head.
He chuckles, the rich sound washing over me, leaving me achingly aware of his nearness.
His near nakedness.
What’s he got on under those sweats anyway?
My entire body flushes hot at the thought.
“Where were you today?” he asks, changing the subject. Leaving me confused for a moment.
“I was at school.” I say it slowly, like he might have trouble comprehending me.
Arch makes a dismissive noise. “You weren’t at the office second period.”
“Oh.” He realized that, hmm? What, did he miss me? If I had more courage, I’d ask him if he did. I’m sure he would have no qualms asking me that question, but I can’t seem to work up the nerve. “I was in the library.”
“Why?”
“I needed to study.” I shrug, hating my lie.
More like I needed to stay far away from him.
“You missed out. Vivian trained me on the phones.” He makes a disgusted face and I almost want to laugh. “That is the very last thing I ever want to do.”
“Answer the school phone?”
“Yeah. I asked Viv if I could change up the script but she said hell no.”
I very much doubt she literally said the wordshell noto him. And I know for a fact she wouldn’t let him get away with calling her Viv either. “How exactly did you want to change the script?”
“Thank you for calling Lancaster Prep. Arch Lancaster speaking.” He grins. “She said no one would believe an actual Lancaster would answer the phone, and I argued that’s my point. But she still wouldn’t let me say it.”
“Is she going to continue to let you answer the phone?” Sounds risky. He might say or do something that could cause trouble. Something he loves to do apparently.
“No way. She’ll shove me back into that coffin of an office tomorrow and have me stapling useless packets until the end of time. You do realize what they’re doing, right?”
“What are they doing?” And who isthey?
“Keeping us apart.”
It’s the way he says it. Like he hates the fact that Matthews and Vivian are the ones keeping us apart when maybe…
Maybe he doesn’t want to be kept away from me?
No. I’m reaching. Seriously.
“I should get back home,” I say as I start to walk right past him, but he reaches out at the last second, his fingers locking around my wrist, keeping me in place.
The moment he puts his hand on me, my heart starts to race, and the blood rushes through my head, pounding in my ears. His touch is firm yet somehow still gentle. He’s barely touching me at all, but I can feel his fingers on me as if he were running them all over my skin. Lighting me up inside.
Reminding me that I’m small and delicate and he is very much…
