To Love a Shifter: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set (60 page)

      Jeff’s smile faded. “Hey, chill. But…” His forehead creased. “You’re really going to study tonight?”

      I nodded. “Yup.”

      “Let me study with you then,” he suddenly said.

      “Uh, y-you can’t,” I stammered, taken aback by his unexpected answer.

      “I think it’s going to be fun,” Jeff continued, face breaking into a grin again. “We can study together then afterwards…” He shrugged and gave me a flirtatious smile.

      Maybe it was just Jeff, but I had a feeling it was me. Something was wrong with me. Jeff was hot in anyone’s standards, but somehow that smile—the
lust
in it—just left me cold, revolted even. I looked away, not wanting him to see the dislike in my eyes. “I’m sorry. It just isn’t possible. I’m grounded.”

      His fingers curled around my wrist.

      I tried not to shiver in disgust. One thought flashed in my mind.

      Only Luka could touch me like this.

      I stiffened.

      How could I feel like that when Luka obviously didn’t have any problems letting other women paw his body?

      When Jeff pulled me close, bitter anger at Luka’s continued deception made me swallow my revulsion as he turned me around to face him. “Come on, beautiful. What do you say?” His lips came closer.

      I forced myself to stay still even as my mind recoiled and my heart threatened to explode at the thought of letting another man kiss me.

      “You’re in my seat.” Someone pulled Jeff away just before his lips smashed against mine. As he turned away with a mutter of irritation, I almost collapsed against the couch in relief, feeling like I had just been saved from disaster.

      Sabina was glaring at Jeff. Unlike Ever or me, she had no problems at all being rude.

      Jeff’s face immediately smoothed. “It’s all yours now, darling.” He really was a shameless flirt.

      Sabina didn’t return his smile, but Jeff didn’t seem bothered. He winked at me. “See you in my dreams.”

      I was doing my best not to smile at my friends’ wide-eyed stares as Jeff walked away.

      “See you in my dreams?” Sabina finally sputtered. “Seriously? That line…
seriously
?”

      “That’s so…I don’t know…1990’s?” Ever giggled.

      The rest of the day passed quickly. I couldn’t even remember much of it. All my thoughts were centered on one thing—on one person.

      Luka, Luka, Luka.

      Oh, God, this obsession had to stop.

      “Bye, Caylie! See you tomorrow!” My friends waved at me one last time before getting in Sabina’s car. They were off to God knew where while I had to head back home for rehabilitation. As I turned around, I heard Jeff calling my name again. My first instinct was to pretend that I hadn’t heard him, but that would be the second time I’d be doing that for the day. It would be unbelievably rude, unheard of for a Caro.

      Still undecided, I heard my name being called again—but it wasn’t the same voice.

      My head jerked up.

      Luka?

      My eyes widened. It was him!

      Luka stood next to a top-of-the-line Lexus, wearing his usual suit and tie getup. It was so unfair that he had to look so unbelievably gorgeous and mature in it when he was only a year older. The longer I stared at him, the more I…
craved.

      Even after everything, he was still the most beautiful thing alive in my eyes. Just seeing him, feeling his presence—it made my heart ache and my tears feel itchy. It made a part of me wish we could rewind the time even though it could never be.

      I took my time walking toward him because it let me enjoy the view even longer. Oh God of Caros, but was it really fair to our race to bless someone with such looks and intensely raw sexuality?

      Even this far, my entire body was already tingling for his touch, practically humming and throbbing for it. The power he kept tightly leashed was impossible to ignore, and it had every girl or woman within a five-meter radius looking up and swallowing, wondering why they were suddenly becoming wet between their legs.

      When I stopped just a few inches before him, I was ready.

      “Hello, Luka.” I gazed at him under my lashes, not doing anything to hide the desire in my eyes.

      Luka lifted a brow.

      A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. Some things never changed. The faintly inquisitive look on Luka’s face was a bittersweet sight. I remembered being the recipient of it so many times in the past. It was his way of politely expressing his surprise when he caught me trying to sneak outside our home by dressing up as a chamber maid when I was grounded. It was the same look he gave me when he also caught me playing hooky as I tried to scale the twenty-foot walls of my school during lunch break.

      Right now, it was his way of silently asking why I was so brazenly ogling him when I never used to do so. Pulling him down by tugging his tie, I whispered to his ear, “This is a lovely surprise.” I made sure my breath tickled his ear.

      I felt the slightest shudder go through his powerfully hard body, and even as it made me feel triumphant, it also made me want him more.

      God of Caros—how am I ever going to destroy him if it seems like doing so would also mean destroying myself?

      Just as I started to pull away and let go of his tie, Luka captured my hand, keeping it locked in his as he whispered to my ear, “Caylie.” He said it with preternatural softness, telling me that what he had to say was for my ears alone.

      I stilled at the audible caress of his voice.

      “I can smell you.”

      My eyebrows shot up. “What?” I hissed, unable to believe how incredibly rude Luka was being.

      His chuckle tickled my skin. “Caylie, I can smell how you’re wet for me.”

      A lightning bolt of heat zapped my body at his words, and I stumbled back in shock. For a moment I was blind, my gaze completely consumed by black fire.

      And then the vision disappeared, and I completely lost my balance with it. “Luka!”

      Luka’s eyes widened before reacting swiftly, reaching for me as I started to fall, but someone had already caught me from behind.

      “Gotcha!” Jeff’s voice was like a bucket of cold water, and I numbly let him help me back to my feet. He couldn’t resist copping a feel as he did, his hands lingering on my waist. I didn’t make a move to stop him, but I could see Luka wanted to.

      Luka stiffened, his tension as ferocious as a wild and untamed beast inside him, wanting to break free. The tension communicated itself to Jeff, forcing the younger guy to let me go.

      Luka immediately stepped forward, as if wanting to emphasize how he completely dwarfed Jeff.

      Jeff straightened, making him a centimeter taller but still inches away from being eye to eye with Luka. His gaze was as accusatory as his tone when he demanded, “You know him?”

      I almost rolled my eyes. He was seriously going to ask that? It was enough to get me over my shock. Later, I would examine what just happened in my mind. But for now, I had to deal with Jeff. I said dryly, “If you tell me you don’t, I won’t believe you.”

      Jeff flushed, saying sulkily, “What I meant was do you know him
personally?”

      Everyone in Caro society knew who Luka was. Even though elections were still ages away, his name was practically flooding the ballot boxes already.

      Because of his betrayal.

      The thought had me curling my arm around Jeff. “Let me introduce you to him,” I cooed.

      Luka’s face hardened, more so when I leaned closer to Jeff, making sure the other guy felt the brush of my breasts on his side as I said, “This is Luka—my dearest, oldest friend.” I smiled brilliantly at Luka. “And Luka, this is Jeff, a dear friend as well.”

      Luka offered his hand.

      His right hand—forcing Jeff to let go of my arm so he could shake Luka’s.

      I smiled grudgingly. Of course Luka would figure a way to keep us apart without losing his cool. It was child’s play for that fine mind of his everyone so envied him for.

      “May I have a moment with Caylie?” Luka was asking ever so politely.

      Male aggression and the usual tough talk, Jeff was well-equipped to handle but Luka’s exquisite manners confused him and he found himself nodding.

      Luka lifted a brow at me again.
Do you want me to continue manipulating him,
his gaze mockingly asked.

      I wrinkled my nose at him even as I gave Luka my hand.
Pompous ass.

      Luka took my hand, pulling me close, and then we were walking away, stopping only when we reached a secluded corner under the shades, the school almost half a block away. Even so, I could feel everyone’s gazes on us and I became cold all over again. I remembered the headlines, and I reminded myself that I couldn’t let Luka deceive me once more.

      Luka always
had a
plan
. That was what I used to think but not anymore.

      What Luka never failed to have was an
agenda
. Plans didn’t always hurt, but agendas—they were different, more deceptive and cruel, and that was really what Luka should be known for.

      “This is a nice surprise.” I reached for his hair, loving its texture. My lips curved in a teasing smile. “But what you said back then was even more surprising. It was hot, too, don’t get me wrong.” I pretended to fan myself. “But it’s very unlike you—and definitely not the kind of words you’d expect from a rehabilitator.”

      Luka had the grace to flush, but he also said evenly, “You seemed to be in the mood for it, the way you were looking at me.”

      “Oh, I always look at hot guys like that,” I said airily. “So don’t take it too seriously.”

      Luka’s lips tightened.

      Good.

      “What brings you here, Luka?” I asked again.

      Hesitation crossed his violet eyes.

      No.
I withdrew sharply. “Don’t say it, Luka.”