Chapter 7

I stopped right in front of him. He was a lot taller than me so I had to look up to meet his eyes. “I want to have a word with you.” I went straight to the point.

He turned and looked at the crowd behind him before returning his gaze to me. “Fine. Let’s go somewhere quiet. I don’t want to risk my rep by talking to you in public.”

I rolled my eyes. “If anything, I should be the one risking my rep for talking to an asshole like you.”

He gave me an annoyed look and shifted his weight on one foot as he folded his arms beneath the grey shirt he was wearing. “Do you want to have that talk or do you want to piss me off?”

“Talk,” I replied curtly and followed him as he led us to one of the buildings. I was wondering where he led me and widened my eyes as he opened the door of the janitor closet. “Are you serious?”

“This is the place no one would see us,” answered him, still holding the door open for me. “So, do you want to get in or not?”

I swallowed and took a step inside. He closed the door behind us and leaned against it. “Well?” He lifted one brow and gave me a questioned look.

“I want you to tell everyone that what you said last night was a lie.”

He frowned. “Not everything was a lie.”

For a split second, I was confused and had no idea what he meant but now I realized that we were talking about different things. “I meant for the stupid rumor about me sleeping with the admission board to get here.”

“Oh, that one.” He scoffed. “Sorry, but I don’t do takebacks.” He ran one hand through his dark hair and sighed. “A man never takes back his words.”

“I don’t care. You made a lie and started this ridiculous rumor, I want you to tell everyone that it’s not true.” I was sick of listening to people whispering about me wherever I went and the disgusted look they were giving me began to crack the thick mask I was trying so hard to put on.

He was quiet for a moment. “It wasn’t a lie,” he said as he stared at me. Those dark grey eyes always had their way of making me feel giddy.

I shook my head stubbornly. “It was a lie. I’ve never slept with the admission board. I didn’t even know who they were. All the correspondences regarding my admission were done through emails.”

“No, I meant the story about someone getting here by sleeping her way through. It was a real story.” He folded his arm and shifted a little. “There really is a girl who slept with the admission board. I just don’t know who she is.”

“Oh, so you decided to make me the fall guy? Why? Because I said no to your dating offer and hurt your pride?” At this point, I really didn’t care if I hurt him or if he would hurt me for saying that out loud.

His jaw tightened, and his gaze turned hard. There was no trace of his good mood earlier, he almost looked like a different man.

I was amused. He actually had the balls to act all pissed off. I was the one who was supposed to be angry right now. Yet here he was standing right in front of me, radiating heat and looking angry. Like I’ve hurt his feelings, which, given his hard exterior and surly nature, seemed bizarre.

“You’re not angry, aren’t you?” I narrowed my eyes and asked just to be sure. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings but that’s the truth. I can’t figure out any other reason for you to make up the lie.”

He looked back at me, anger setting his square jaw and leaking out of him like a dark shadow spilling across the floor, reaching out to me. “I don’t get my feelings hurt when a girl I met for several hours tells me she wants nothing to do with me.” He denied it but his face told a different story.

“Great.” I didn’t really know what to answer. “Just do me a favor and tell everyone that it was a lie. I’ll be out of your way faster than a blink.” I moved towards the door and grabbed the handle. I looked at him, expecting him to move his body so I could open the door but he remained where he was. Immobile, he looked like one of the Greek statues. Tall, big, and ridiculously handsome. He even had the muscles to go along with it.

“Could you move your äss, please?” I glanced at the watch on my wrist. It was fifteen minutes before my next class started. “I have to go.”

Instead of doing what I asked him to, he grabbed my arm and pushed me against the wall. My bag dropped next to my feet. You’re not going anywhere.” He put both hands on the wall, trapping me in between his muscled arms.

My eyes widened at the anger laced in his voice. He was too strong, I could feel it from the way he grasped my arm earlier. “I’m gonna scream.” I tried to remain calm even though my breath hitched and my heart pounded like a machine gun.

He let out a deep chuckle. “Scream all you might, Temptress. No one is gonna hear you.” A mischievous smile appeared on his face and the look he gave me told me he meant every word. We were in a secluded room, I doubted anyone would hear my screaming but it definitely worth a try.

I opened my mouth, ready to scream all my might when his mouth came down crashing on mine. The scent of his sandalwood soap assailed me, as he pressed his mouth against mine. For someone who was rude and cunning, it surprised me how he could be soft when it came to kissing. He placed soft kisses at the corners of my lips and held my face in his warm hands as his fingers tangled in the hair above my ears, tugging my ponytail and messing with my hair.

His brown eyes filled my vision, hard and intense, a direct contradiction to his hot, sensual mouth. The tip of his tongue touched the seam of my lips, and my breath caught in my throat. I could feel a jolt clear in the soles of my feet, a warm tingling that curled my toes and settled in the pit of my stomach. The kiss was tender, almost sweet, and I fought to keep my eyes open and pressed my lips tight. I fought to remind myself that the lips brushing mine, as if he were my lover, belonged to an egomaniac asshole who told lies and swore to make my life miserable.

I grabbed his shoulders, trying my best to shove him away but he was too strong. And too stubborn, if I might add, considering the way he brushed his lips, trying to coax my mouth open. His eyelids closed and I tried to keep mine wide open. I wanted to kick him between his thighs, but it seemed that he learned his lesson from last night as he pressed his body against mine. Limb to limb that I couldn’t lift my knee to meet his most precious treasure.

He finally stopped after a few minutes. With his hands still holding my face, he looked down at me. “Be mine, Autumn. Stop fighting over this.”

I shook my head. “I’ve told you, I’m taken. You should stop hoping for me to change my mind because that will never happen.”

Frazier gave me a weak smile that didn’t reach his sorrowful eyes. “Okay.” He took a step backward and my skin felt cold without his touch. “Friends, then?” He offered one hand.

I observed his face, looking for a sign that he might be joking but I found none. “You promise not to kiss me again?”

He rolled his eyes but gave me a nod. I shook his hand. “Friends.” He grinned like a little boy and I couldn’t help but smile.

The door behind him swung open and we both turned to see an angry blonde girl with both hands clasped on her hips. She looked up at him and said, “I knew you’d be here.” Her gaze slid to me and there was disgust on her face as well as her voice. “But I didn’t expect you to be with the school’s slut.” I recognized her two minutes late and suppressed my lips before I murdered her with my words and forced her to listen to what I had in mind.