Wicked Love | √

Seventeen

But I've always hated that word. Especially when it's telling me what I can and cannot do. Because nothing holds me back or puts me in my place. Especially not a small single syllable word like no.

"I hate surprises," I say, divulging the little piece of information about myself easier than I care to admit.

I don't give away an ounce of myself to anyone. I don't want to give anyone a reason to doubt me or believe they can acquire a one up on me.

At a young age I learned to never let your opponent know your weakness and never let them use those weaknesses against you.

A smirk stretches across his lips. "I know."

I roll my eyes as irritation ignites within me. "You're doing a terrible job convincing me to follow you," I grumble, maintaining my position on keeping my distance from him.

He's already invaded my every thought, I can't let him take up my time as well.

Preston walks even closer and as I look up at him the light slowly dies out and the shadows are all I see. Because they are as much a part of him as he is of them. All I can see is him and the glint of something else swirling in his deep brown eyes.

"You deserve breaks. You deserve adventures. You deserve fun Jameson," he says with such conviction that he almost has me.

But of course I can't let him win me over so easily.

"I have fun," I oppose slowly with stubbornness laced in my words. "I have adventures." I just had one with my friends proving I didn't need him by my side to experience life.

"Then have them with me." The words roll off his tongue so smoothly I almost feel myself lean into him. "Have fun with me Jameson."

I roll my eyes but can't stop the smile that touches my lips. "Why does it sound so dirty when you say it?"

"Because I know the right way to have fun," he says with a cocky grin as his attention trails over my mostly bare legs. "Remember...I told you I could tutor you in other ways also."

Heat flares against my skin burning me with pleasure because I do remember his offer.

I also remember his best friend's offer as well. "Everett extended a similar proposal to me to me the other night," I tell him wanting to see his reaction to his friend openly hitting on me. Even though it's Everett, which means he hits on anyone with a pulse.

Warm laughter escapes his lips. "I can promise you King isn't as good as a teacher as me. No where close in fact. You'd be bored in minutes."

I reach over to grab a pillow and throw it with as much force as I can at his smug and stupidly handsome face. "I hate you," I groan. But I surrender as I stalk over to my closet as curiosity consumes me.

The sound of him laughing softly grabs ahold of my heart until I turn over my shoulder to see him holding onto the pillow I tossed at him and his eyes locked in on me. Always on me.

And I know he doesn't believe I hate him. Not one bit.

"Wear black," he comments before dropping my pillow back onto the bed and walking out of my room.

♢

Dressed in a pair of thick black high-waisted leggings and a cropped black crew neck I stole from Annabelle, I follow Preston out the doors of my apartment building. The night air remains cool as the month of October creeps by, but there's a thick humidity in the air because of the rain making me break out in cold sweats.

Rain falls from the midnight sky onto me and seeps through my clothing as I continue to follow the man who has somehow worked his way under all my layers.