The next four hours are torture. With each passing minute, I'm growing more and more restless.

I want to see her, to kiss her like I didn't get to earlier. I held myself back, not allowing myself to get carried away. Now I wish I had. I might be able to focus on anything other than her for more than two minutes at a time.

I'm kicking myself for letting the assignment wait until the last minute. I could be out with her, drinking and dancing. I bet she's a great dancer...

I'm letting my mind get away from me again...

When my phone pings, I reach for it so quickly that I knock a glass from the table.

My foot taps against the ground as I read her messages.

Like hell.

He's trying to go back to her apartment, alone at one in the morning? To get his "phone." A likely story.

Jumping up, I grab my jacket and rush out the door. I watched him watch her all night at dinner. Even as he spoke about his new girlfriend, he stared at her.

I don't even know what I'm doing. As I drive toward her house, the thought occurs to me what this will look like but I don't care. They will know that I'm jealous, I am jealous, no need to try to hide it.

Evie is loyal and honest, I'm not worried about her but I don't know him.

As I drive, I can't help but to laugh at my own insanity. I've never been possessive or jealous over anything in my life. The thought of letting her slip through my fingers because I didn't care enough to show up simply can't happen. I won't let it.

Parking on the street in front of her apartment, I jog up the stairs in my basketball shorts and hoodie. I might have taken a moment to change... this will have to do.

Knocking lightly on her door, my breath catches as I wait for her to open it. Seeing her always makes my heart beat harder. After a few minutes of standing outside in the cold, dark, it becomes obvious that she's not here.

Just standing outside of her door would be creepy...

As I walk toward the stairs, I hear her voice, laughing from the walkway leading toward the steps.

"Are you going to be able to make it up?" She giggles.

"Yeah, I've got it," Jackson slurs slightly. "It's been so good to see you, Evie. We miss you back home."

"I miss you guys too. I really needed this change of scenery."

"This guy, Connor, he treats you well? He's not like Noah?"

I feel like shit for being here, for hearing this. I also feel like shit for not backing away.

"No, not at all. He's nothing like Noah."

I sigh, relieved. She hasn't told me everything about Noah but from what she has mentioned, I know being compared to him is a very bad thing. The thought of someone having her in his grasp and just tossing her aside is mind-boggling to me.

"Good," he sounds serious. "I'm glad you found someone who treats you the way you deserve."

I might have misjudged him. Maybe all of the smiles and glances at dinner were innocent and I read too much into it.

As they step up onto her floor, she gasps when she sees me.

"What are you doing here?" Her lips twitch, forcing back a smile. The kind of smile she only does when she asks something she already knows the answer to.

"Oh... I just..."

She laughs and hands Jackson the keys, "go in and find your phone. I'll be right in."

As soon as the door clicks behind him, she wraps her arms around my waist and looks up at me.

"Are you checking up on me?"

"Not checking up, no..." I'm an idiot. "I just wanted to make sure he didn't try anything, that's all. Which... for the record, I realize is stupid. He seems like a decent guy."

"Connor Abbott, jealous. Who would have thunk?"

"I wasn't jealous..."

"You absolutely were."

"I was," I hold her tighter against me. "All through dinner I watched him watching you. I know you said he's dating someone now but I recognize the way he looks at you. It's the same way I look at you."

"Did I look at him the same way I look at you?"

"No." I really am an idiot.

"He doesn't want me, not anymore but even if he did, I don't want him. I just want you."

I'm stunned for a moment. She's made it clear that she doesn't want a casual relationship but this is the first time she's really just laid it all out there. Spoken plainly, she wants me.

Taking her face in my hands, I kiss her. The kind of kiss that makes your toes curl and leaves you breathless.

"Let's go see The Shins together," she smiles against my lips.

--

Thank you SO much for reading! I hope you enjoyed :)

If you're a fan of sexual exploration and steamy erotic romance with a billion-dollar twist, I've just published 5 chapters of PINK on my page and I think that you'll love it. Here is an excerpt:

"Are you wearing crotchless panties?" He groans, his tone rougher now. The begging is long gone. He's in charge now and I'm in trouble.

"Y-Yes..."

"I want to make you come," his free hand comes up, gripping the hair at the base of my skull, roughly pulling my head back. When our lips meet, the kiss is pure, unrestrained lust. "I've thought about you all week."

His confession sets my skin on fire. A wave of tingling pleasure runs down my spine and my skin burns.

"Fuck-" I moan into his mouth as he thrusts one of his long fingers into me.

I can't tell him that I've thought about him too. I can't.

Now, go add PINK to your reading lists and don't forget to follow me