Chapter 20 Hooks, Line, Sinker
REID
That smile on my face doesn’t fade, not even after I leave Lyra’s room and walk down the hall toward mine.
I can’t believe how much I enjoyed taunting her… or taunting myself, because I swear to the gods, it took every ounce of restraint not to shove her onto that bed and fuck her until my scent soaked into her skin.
Dangerous territory. I know that.
I should be avoiding her. Staying far away. But I can’t help it. Fuck.
When I reach my door, I stop. It’s slightly open.
My brows pull together. I remember closing it properly before stepping out.
Quietly, I push the door wide and step inside.
The warmth I carried from being around Lyra, that heat crawling through my veins, instantly melts into cold irritated blood as I see who’s in front of me.
Roxanna sits on the edge of my bed, legs crossed, wearing the skimpiest, see-through nightdress I’ve ever seen. A tray of cookies rests beside her.
“Hey,” she says with a soft wave, giving me that slow, seductive smile she thinks works on me.
She rises to her feet and starts toward me, hips swaying, breasts bouncing under the thin fabric. Her curves are sharp enough to make any male fall to his knees.
But not me. I don’t even twitch.
I just stand there and wait.
“Where have you been?” She asks when she reaches me, sliding her arms around my torso. She presses herself against me softly.
She tilts her head up and blinks through her lashes, the perfect look of a pornstar hungry to suck and fuck a cock.
Too bad this cock is permanently off-limits.
“What do you want?” I ask. My voice is flat, not even angry anymore. Just tired.
Why can’t she get the message? How many times do I have to warn her to stay the hell away from me?
“Nothing.” She smiles and shrugs. “I baked my favorite cookies and thought you might like some too.”
She finally lets go of me and walks back to the tray.
As I watch her, my mind flashes to the way she manipulated and humiliated Lyra at school.
My blood heats, rising like a violent tide. The anger pushes everything else aside.
I want to grab her by the arm and drag her out of my room.
But then… another idea slides into my mind. A better one. One that hits two birds with one stone.
The anger cools instantly.
I wait for her to reach me again. When she does, she picks up a cookie and brings it to my lips.
I lean in and take a bite. Her smile stretches wider, her eyes glittering with surprise.
“Tastes good,” I say after chewing. “Thanks.”
Shock flickers in her expression. She wasn’t expecting that.
I reach for her hand and wrap my fingers around hers.
Her skin against mine makes something in me recoil, but I force myself to endure it.
Roxanna blushes, her chest lifting with shallow breaths.
“Actually, Roxanna,” I say, holding her gaze, “I want to apologize for all the times I’ve been mean to you.”
Her lips part. She stares at me like I just confessed eternal love.
“I know you’re surprised,” I continue smoothly. “But I really am sorry. You’ve been kind to me even when I acted like a complete jerk. I’m honestly ashamed of myself.”
The look on her face…
She’s definitely throwing a party inside her head right now.
I keep my expression still.
“Come on, Reid. It’s no big deal,” she says brightly, squeezing my fingers. Her smile widens. “I always knew you were just playing hard to get.”
I scoff in my head.
If only she knew.
“You’re right.” I force a small smile. “And I apologize for that.”
I lift my other hand and cup her chin, tilting her face up so she has no choice but to look at me properly. That hunger in her eyes… lust, obsession, blind adoration… they shine too bright to miss.
“Actually,” I murmur, “you are my kind of girl. Hot. Sweet. Every male’s dream.”
She giggles, soft and girlish, then rises on her toes and presses a quick kiss to my lips.
I fake another smile when she pulls back.
A mental note forms instantly: scrub my lips clean once she leaves. Twice. Maybe three times.
“Does this mean we’re dating now?” She asks.
You wish.
“Not yet, pretty.” I brush a loose strand of hair from her face, my smile warm and convincing. “There’s something you need to do first.”
Desperation flashes into her eyes. She’d burn the world if I asked.
“What must I do?”
“Confess,” I whisper, leaning closer. Her brows pull together, confused. I slide my finger from her cheek down her throat.
She shivers and lets her eyes flutter shut for a second.
Then I move behind her, dragging my hand down her spine before gripping her ass. I squeeze the soft flesh slowly.
She gasps, breath heavy with pleasure.
Foolish girl.
“You think I didn’t know you were the one who sent those messages from Lyra’s phone to that girl’s boyfriend?” I say quietly.
Her whole body stiffens in my hand.
I smile, calm and gentle, like I haven’t just cornered her with her own sins.
“Don’t be scared, love. I’m not angry. I just want you to tell the truth and apologize to Lyra. I hate when innocent people get dragged into stupid games.”
Roxanna stays silent.
Her throat works as she swallows.
I trail my fingers up again, sliding over the sheer fabric covering her breasts. Her nipples show through the thin nightdress, hard and needy. I brush my thumb over one, slow enough to make her knees weaken.
She trembles.
“It’s going to be hard…” she finally whispers, voice thin and unsteady.
“It won’t be.” I catch her chin again and lift her face to mine.
I lean in, brushing my lips lightly against hers. Just a tease, but enough to make her lose the little sense she has left.
Her scent arousal hits the air hard, but it does nothing for me.
Not like Lyra’s. Not even close.
“You’re the prettiest, sweetest girl in all of Northlands Crest University,” I say softly. “People forgive you easily. They always have. Just like they forgave you for fucking your sister’s arranged mate behind her back.”
Her breath catches.
I bite her bottom lip, slowly and sinfully. She melts instantly.
Hook, line, sinker.
“Do what I ask,” I whisper against her mouth, “and we can start dating right away. Maybe one day,” my voice drops lower, darker, “we could even become mates.