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Laughing a little myself, I raised an eyebrow at him. “You have any…nicknames?”
Kellan gave me a charmingly crooked smile. “None that I’ve given myself, but from what I’ve heard said in the bedroom, it would probably be something like, ‘The Oh-God-yes-harder-faster-don’t-you-dare-stop-yes-fuck-me-now-you’re-freaking-amazing Machine’.” He shrugged.
“But that’s kind of a mouthful.”
Frowning, I elbowed him in the stomach and shrugged his arm off of me. Sometimes he could be just as much of a jackass as Griffin…almost, anyway. Laughing, he came up behind me and spun me around. As I squealed in protest, he lifted me up over his shoulder and smacked my bottom. “I’m just joking. Come on, let’s get you to class.” As I squirmed against him, he added, “Maybe while you’re learning, I’ll go get some of those handcuffs…then you can give me a better nickname.” I stiffened in his arms, wondering if he was serious about that; his only response was to laugh.
After depositing me at my place of higher learning, Kellan went off to go do…whatever he did while I was in school. Maybe think of new ways to mortify me. Hopefully he really was joking about the handcuffs.
Over the past weeks I’d gotten to know some of the other graduating English majors and I met up with a few of them before my Critical Practice class. It was an intense course and we’d all agreed to meet early and study for an hour before we went in. Sitting in a group of six or seven like-minded individuals, contemplating the importance of interpretive practices when studying literature and culture, I felt more like my own person, with my own hopes and dreams, and less like one of Kellan’s entourage. It made me feel whole, complete, and made the process of him leaving slightly less nerve-wracking. Slightly…I still wasn’t ready for that day to come.
The nearly two hour course was a brain burner, and by the time it was over, I was grateful for my slightly easier ethics class. Even if ethics brought Candy…and not the apple-flavored kind. Gritting my teeth, I did what I did nearly every day when I walked into the classroom—I 108
ignored her and her friends. It was fairly easy to do since she’d started ignoring me too. After her failed attempt to make me jealous enough to break up with Kellan, she seemed to give up on it. Either that or she was busy plotting and scheming a more masterful plan than merely spreading gossip. I liked to believe the woman had more important things to do with her time, though.
Quickly absorbed in the lecture, I forgot about all about Candy sitting a few rows in front of me with her friends. Once the class was over, I grabbed up all of my stuff and went over the paper I was going to write tonight during slow times on my shift. The teacher was having us do a paper on the ethical responsibility of various websites. I was thinking of doing mine on a popular medical advice site, showing the importance of giving potential patients the correct information.
Already outlining my debate in my head, I bumped into Kellan in the hallway. Grabbing my shoulders, he held me in place in front of him.
Lost in thought, I blinked at him stupidly for a second before smiling and engulfing him in a hug. “Hey, you’re picking me up inside.” Laughing at my obvious comment, he scruffed up his hair with his hand. “Yeah, it’s pouring out there. I thought I’d go for a swim instead of waiting in my car.” I cringed away from the water droplets flicking me and he laughed a little more.
Looping my arm through his, I smiled and leaned into his side. “Well, I’m glad you did. I can run my idea for a paper by you…even though you’ll probably have no idea what I’m talking about.” I smiled, knowing that Kellan rarely went near a computer, let alone searched the internet.
He grinned as we started walking away. “Hit me.” Just as I began my speech, I was jostled so harshly that I was knocked a step away from Kellan. Frowning, I glanced over at the rude person who thought they ruled the hallway. Flaming red curls met my eye as Candy snidely glared back at me. Sighing, I rolled my eyes and reat-tached myself to Kellan. He didn’t let me, though. His eyes narrowing at her, he mumbled, “Stay here a second,” then strode over to where she was eyeing him with pleasantly curled lips.
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Irritated, but curious too, I stopped where he’d asked and watched him approach her and her friends. Tina and Genevieve looked about ready to faint as he stepped up to them. I figured it was the closest they’d ever actually been to him. Kellan, however, looked about ready to rip somebody’s head off. Glaring at the trio, he finally rested his eyes on Candy. She backed up a step as his dark expression settled on her.
Grabbing her arm, he leaned into her face, whispering something heatedly. I didn’t know what he was saying, but Candy’s eyes widened.
Shaking her head, she started muttering something and pointed at Tina.
Tina put her hands in the air and started sputtering something too when Kellan’s glare swung around to her. Releasing Candy’s arm, Kellan said something to the three of them that had them quickly nodding and scur-rying off.
Straightening as they left, Kellan turned and faced me with a perfectly normal smile, like nothing odd had just happened. He walked back to me and grabbed my hand. He started pulling me towards the doors, whistling as he did. Raising an eyebrow at him, I waited for an explanation. When he didn’t give one, I cleared my throat. Looking down on me, he shrugged. “What?”
Pointing to the doors we were approaching, the window wet from the downpour he’d mentioned, I indicated where Candy had fled. “What was that all about?”
Smiling charmingly, he shrugged. “I just let them know that it wouldn’t be prudent for them to spread anymore lies about me, and suggested that they leave you alone.”
Grinning, he opened the door for me and moved aside so I could step through. Narrowing my eyes at him, I prepared to step past him into the downpour. They’d seemed pretty startled by whatever he’d said, so my mind was running over a list of threats that he could have used. I’d seen Kellan’s anger several times before and he could be intimidating when he wanted to be. I figured they really would leave me alone for the re-mainder of the school year.
Smiling, I leaned in and kissed him. “Did they happen to mention how they saw your tattoo?”
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Rolling his eyes as he held the door open, he shook his head. “Tina saw me working out in the park near here. I got hot, I was shirtless.” Biting my lip, I glanced down his body. Yes, he was certainly hot. I supposed that explained the story. I watched his face for a minute, gauging the truth I saw in his eyes as he held my gaze steadfastly. I saw no deception there and smiled wider. Raising a corner of his lip, he indicated outside. “Are you gonna head out there, cuz this door’s getting heavy.”
Laughing, I kissed him lightly and then sucked in a quick breath, preparing to make a run for it. Halfway down the steps, I felt like a water-logged rat. Groaning, I dashed for the parking lot and wished I’d brought an umbrella.
Coming up behind me, Kellan smacked my bottom. “Hurry up, pokey, you’re getting soaked.” Laughing, he ran his fingers back through his hair. The mess slicked back in a way that reminded me of a less pleasant moment in the rain with Kellan. I pushed aside the memory and focused on his body twisting away from me and running hard.
Adjusting my bag, I yelled out, “No fair! You’re not carrying anything.”
He only looked back at me and chuckled. By the time I got to the lot, he was already in his car, feet propped up on my side of the seat and leaning his back against the driver’s side door with his eyes closed, like he’d fallen asleep waiting for me. I batted his shoes as I stood in the rain, but he ignored it, and continued to take up my spot. Cursing that I was still getting soaked, I crawled over his legs to lie on top of him. That got his attention.
His eyes opened with a wide smile. Twisting my body to shut the door, I unhooked my book bag and tossed it into the back seat. His arms came out for me, pulling my soaked body into his soaked body. Scooting down the seat, he laid his back against the cushion. He adjusted my legs so my hips were straddling his.
“There, that’s better,” he muttered, lifting his head up to kiss me.
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Assaulted by more wet memories of him, I pulled back. His eyes were lustful as he stared at me, his breath heavier, and not just from the exertion of running all the way out here. My wet hair hung down around my face, the long strands dripping onto his clothes. The scent of him beneath me mixed with the smell of clean water, both of them stirring something within me.
Cupping his cheek, I stroked his rain-softened skin with my thumb.
Looking over his midnight blue eyes, the specks of water glistening in his hair, the full, partly opened lips, the strong jaw, I sighed. “You’re so attractive,” I whispered, my words oddly in tune to the pounding rain in the background. “You’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.” Feeling completely alone with him in here, even though it was the middle of the afternoon, I leaned down to kiss him. His soft lips melded with mine, tasting, searching. After a brief moment, he frowned and shook his head. “I may not always be.” Shrugging, one hand clenching and unclenching my hip while the other indicated his face, he added,
“This could vanish overnight, you know. I could be mauled by a bear while walking down the street tomorrow.” He lifted an eyebrow.
“Would you still want me then?”
Smiling at his comment, I tilted my head. “Of course. Your face isn’t the only thing that makes you attractive, Kellan. Your looks aren’t why I love you.” He smiled, his hands running up my back, urging me down to him. Before our lips met again, I gave him a pointed glance. “A bear?
Really?”
Chuckling, he pulled me all of the way down to him. As our hips met, rocking lightly against the other’s, the windshield quickly fogged up. I felt bodies hurriedly walking past the car, but with the noise of the rain and the windows tinted with moisture, I felt like we were the only two people around. As our breaths and kiss heated, Kellan murmured, “God, now I’m going to have to do something I never thought I would.” Moving up to kiss his cheek, I dug my hips into his. “What?” I breathed, the tip of my tongue lining the edge of his ear.