Tainted Blood (24 page)

“So,” a mischievous grin appeared on his lip, “new car,” he said. “Wanna break it in?”

“Sure,” I said with my own wicked grin.

His grin turned into a really hot smirk and I grabbed the front of his T-shirt, twisting it in my hand and pulling him to me. Our lips collided and Oliver’s hand slipped behind my ear and up into my hair. His kisses were hungry with what we both needed. Without breaking the kiss I began climbing over the console to get closer. Oliver grabbed me and pulled me into his lap. My butt hit the steering wheel, accidently honking the horn. We both laughed with our lips connected but we didn’t stop kissing.

I was straddling him in the front seat of his new car and he had me pressed against his cool, firm body. I slipped my hand up the sleeve of his T-shirt. I loved the way his bare skin felt and I especially loved the way his muscles felt as they flexed under my touch.

“Please,” he breathed against my lips and I felt every part of me react to that one simple word.

“Let’s go home,” I said in a low voice with my lips still against his.

“No, please, stop,” Oliver pleaded, and with reluctance I leaned back, breathing heavily as I stared into his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said raggedly. He brushed my hair behind my ear again. “We’ve had this conversation before and I still feel the same way. Not in the car, Laney.”

I did my best come-hither look and said in what I hoped was a sexy voice, although it just sounded breathy, “Then let’s go home.”

The corner of his mouth picked up. “Not today, Laney.” I pouted playfully and noticed the windows were steamed up. “Let’s get going before I lose the fight to resist you.”

I smiled sinfully and said, “But, that’s my plan.”

He popped the driver side door open as I leaned in to kiss him and I laughed at his attempt to escape me. Still straddling him in the front seat, my mouth so close to his, and my eyes fixed on his I said, “We will finish this later.” A crooked smile formed on his lips and I scooted off of him and out of the car.

He slipped his glasses on, and after grabbing our backpacks from the back seat and handing me mine, we headed toward class. He slipped his hand in mine and said, “You know, when I suggested breaking the car in, I meant going for a quick drive.”

“Oh,” I laughed. I leaned against him as we walked and I hugged his arm.

We passed Ashton as we walked through the parking lot heading toward the university. He was leaning arrogantly on the back of his little silver sports car watching us, and I got the feeling that he’d been watching us for a while. I squeezed Oliver’s hand when I felt him tense at the sight of Ashton.

“Let’s go,” I whispered, and although I knew it was hard for him to just keep walking, he did.

I glanced back as we reached the sidewalk leading to the school and Ashton was still staring after us; he never took his eyes off of us and a shiver ran though me.

I plopped onto my stool next to Carter in Biology and watched as Avery sauntered into the room and took her seat next to Oliver. I saw her say something to him and he nodded in response and I felt myself get warm with anger, and jealousy. There was absolutely no way that I was going to make it through the duration of the class with them as partners. And to make things even worse, Ashton strutted in. He put both hands on Oliver and Avery’s desk and leaned down close to them on Oliver’s side of the table. I felt my entire body tense. Ashton said something to them and I had no clue what. They both looked up at him but said nothing and then Ashton straightened, making eye contact with me as he made his way to his desk. I looked away first. My head was beginning to hurt from glaring so hard.

I quickly texted Oliver and asked him what Ashton had said. He responded a moment later and told me Ashton had been talking to Avery. He didn’t even acknowledge Oliver.

Professor Morgan announced that we would be having a pretest the following week to get us ready for the upcoming midterm.

“I expect every one of you to be prepared and be on time,” he told us sternly. “If you are late to the test you will not be welcome in my class.” He continued to inform us that the pretest would count as a large portion of our grade, and Carter and I agreed that Mr. Morgan was giving off the vibe of a power-thirsty monster.

Then class began, and it felt like it was one of the longest classes of my life. I was unable to focus on what we were supposed to be doing and I was thankful that Carter seemed to have it all together. I kept my eyes on Oliver and the tramp most of the time. Several times she leaned too close to Oliver when she spoke to him and several times I saw her flip her hair and glance back to see if I was watching.

And I was, every time she looked I glared at her.

I was so worked up that I didn’t even notice that I’d dug my own fingernails into my arm and had drawn blood until Oliver slowly turned around on his stool and wrinkled his brow at me. He slowly stood up and made his way back to me, his eyes burning into mine. He put both hands on the end of the long table on Carter’s side and leaned down to speak to me. Carter, oblivious to all that was going on around him, looked up, startled.

“You’re bleeding,” Oliver said to me quietly.

That’s when I looked down and discovered several speckles of blood surfacing from where my fingernails had dug into my arm.

“Mr. Knight, is there an academic reason why you are away from you partner during this lab?” Professor Morgan called from his desk at the front of the room.

“No, sir,” Oliver answered.

“Then please, take your seat.” Professor Morgan gestured to Oliver’s assigned table and a waiting Avery.

When Oliver took his seat again, Avery leaned close to him, whispered something to him, and I saw him smile in return. I felt my temper spark. I wanted to know what she had said, but what I really wanted was for her to disappear. Avery and I had a past when it came to boyfriends and I did not want a repeat.

Ashton, who had apparently been watching everything a little too closely, as was usual lately, leaned across the aisle toward our table and quietly said, “Laney, jealousy doesn’t look good on you.” Carter and I both shot him a look. Mine was an extremely dirty look to which he responded, “I take that back. It might actually suit you.” He straightened on his stool, looking rather smug.

I’m not sure what I had been about to say but Carter stopped me, and in the process of gently pushing me back across the table and onto my seat, my front-closure bra decided right then and there was a fantastic time to come undone, setting the girls free.

“Oh, crap!” I said under my breath. I zipped my sweatshirt up higher and crossed my arms over my chest to cover myself.

“What?” Carter asked quietly and with some concern.

I told him what had happened and he did his best to cover me and try not to chuckle while I worked to re-hook my bra unsuccessfully. He was trying his best not to laugh at my dilemma but when I failed so did he. His quiet laughter drew unwanted attention our way.

With my arms crossed over my chest, I hurriedly excused myself from the class and made my way to a restroom. I couldn’t believe it. What were the chances? I was really beginning to believe that the nineteenth year of my life was an unlucky one, then I reminded myself that the end of my eighteenth year hadn’t been all that wonderful, either.

After fixing the bra that I swore to myself to throw out when I got home, I left the bathroom and Oliver was waiting for me outside the door. Apparently my rushing out of the room had alarmed him and he had hurried after me. When I explained to him why I had left in such a hurry, he got a pretty good laugh and he also offered to resolve my problem. I informed him, as his arms snaked around my waist and pulled me close, that the problem had already been resolved and I offered to let him help me another time. He laughed again and this time I loved the way it sounded. Then, very discreetly, he sealed the nail marks on my arm by running delicate little kisses over the wounds and I felt certain feelings begin to surface. I was tempted to drag him into the women’s restroom, but instead, we headed back to class.

When we returned, I got punished. It would seem that Professor Morgan had only partially witnessed my almost confrontation with Ashton. He’d misinterpreted what had happened and thought that Carter and I were not working out as partners. Apparently he’d missed Ashton being involved all together. Mr. Morgan made a change to his permanent seating chart and told Carter and Ashton to swap places. I suddenly felt faint at the thought of spending the rest of the semester with the beast as my partner.

Carter went pale as he gathered his things and traded spots with Ashton, and he gave me the most helpless look I’d ever seen.

I thought I was going to cry.

Ashton smugly took a seat on his new stool beside me and flashed me an arrogant smile. I glared in return. “It’s okay, Laney. We’ll make a great couple.” He patted my hand and I jerked it away.

“Don’t you dare touch me!” I growled through gritted teeth.

He just shrugged and continued to have that stupid mocking smile on his face while he finished the lab and I watched from afar, keeping my distance from him and my arms folded over my chest to show I wanted no part of being anything with him. I was hoping my permanent glower was getting that point across.

After the longest and most torturous class in the history of the world, I shouldered my backpack and trudged up the aisle to Oliver’s table.

When Avery noticed me making my way to them she immediately began talking to Oliver, trying to divert his attention from me. “So, I’ll see you tonight, then?” she said in that sickly sweet voice she used when she thought she was seducing someone with her words. I gagged inside. Then I processed what she had said to him and panic coursed through me.

Why would she see him tonight?

Oliver nodded as he shoved his bio book into his bag. I tried not to let my anger and jealousy show. I tried my best to ignore her and seem indifferent. I was pretty sure she was on a mission to set me off, just as Ashton was on such a mission with Oliver.

“Okay, see you then,” she said with a devious smile. She tossed her backpack over her shoulder and hoisted her oversized purse into the crook of her arm. I was still trying to ignore the fact that her boldness, which I’d never known she was capable of, was crawling under my skin. She ran her hand across Oliver’s back as she slithered past him and she made a point to bump me as she headed for the door. “I’ll see you tonight,” she said again just before she sashayed out of the room, and I felt my entire body fill with angry heat.

I turned on Oliver. “What the hell? Why are you seeing her tonight?”

He looked a little surprised by my tone and probably the wave of red hot anger he was feeling from me at that moment. He stood and shouldered his backpack. “She’s fallen behind because I haven’t been here to help her with the labs. I told her that I’d meet her at the library tonight and help her out a bit.”

I glared. “Are you insane?

“What?” He was utterly clueless.

“She’s full of crap!” I hissed. The class was nearly empty but the remaining students seemed to be lingering in the hopes of a show so I took Oliver by the arm and pulled him toward the door before I continued. “She hasn’t fallen behind on her labs. They’re freakin’ easy! Plus, Professor Morgan isn’t that much of a jerk as to let one student fail because their partner isn’t around.” I took a breath and swallowed back the bile that was threatening to make an appearance. “She’s just trying to get you alone. She’s trying to steal you from me.” I fought back tears at the thought of losing him.

He stopped in the arched hallway, students brushing past us. He gently held my upper arms and looked down into my eyes. “Do you honestly think that’s a possibility?” he asked with an angelic smile. I shook my head lightly in response although I knew from experience that Avery always got what she wanted, no matter what it was. “I’m meeting her at the library; we’ll be far from alone.” He kissed my forehead and pulled me against his chest and I breathed deep, letting his scent calm me.

I was frustrated. Not just because Oliver had agreed to meet with Avery but also because of my new partner situation. And what was most upsetting was that neither of these things seemed to concern Oliver in the least and I really thought they should.

Of course I went to the library with Oliver that night. I sat at a table not far from them, my books splayed out to make it look like I too was studying, which I wasn’t. I watched closely as Avery repeatedly giggled and flipped her hair and touched Oliver’s arm way too many times.

Okay, I’ll admit that touching him once was considered too many times in my book.

Unfortunately, Avery wasn’t my only irritation in the library that evening. Ashton showed up soon after I’d taken my seat and he helped himself to the chair next to mine. He didn’t say much to me, no snide comments or anything. Just a simple, “Hey,” that I didn’t respond to when he took his seat. It seemed Ashton had the same plan as I did for the evening; like me, he kept his nose in his bio book and his eyes on his sister and over the low murmur of voices we watched.

It was hard not to embrace the rage that burned inside of me. I wanted that trash as far away from Oliver as possible. But there she sat, just about in his lap as he pored over their notes, explained details from the biology textbook, and clarified meanings when she pretended not to understand.