Search
Report & Feedback

Chapter no 19

Crave by Tracy Wolff

โ€ŒHow Many Hot Guys Does itโ€Œ

Take to Win a Snowball Fight?

Macy squeaksโ€”she actually squeaksโ€”but Jaxon just raises his brows at me. The look on his face is a little amused and a lot wicked and my heart starts beating like a metronome on high.

At least until Macy hisses, โ€œSeriously? You couldnโ€™t tell me he was there?โ€

โ€œI didnโ€™tโ€”โ€

โ€œShe didnโ€™t know.โ€ He looks me over from top to bottom, and for a second, just a second, a smile touches the depths of those obsidian eyes of his. โ€œBraving the snow twice in one day? Iโ€™ve got to admit Iโ€™m impressed.โ€

โ€œDonโ€™t be too impressed. I still have to make it through the snowball fight in one piece.โ€

The smile dropsโ€”from his face and his eyesโ€”as quickly as it came. โ€œYouโ€™re playing Flintโ€™s game?โ€

It sounds more like an accusation than a question, though I donโ€™t know why. โ€œIsnโ€™t that why youโ€™re here?โ€

โ€œFor aย snowballย fight?โ€ He shakes his head, makes a dismissive sound deep in his throat. โ€œI donโ€™t think so.โ€

โ€œOh, wellโ€ฆโ€ That got awkward fast. โ€œUm. We should probablyโ€ฆโ€

โ€œGet going,โ€ Macy finishes.

Jaxon ignores her as he braces a hand on the wall behind me. Then he leans in and, in a voice so low I have to strain to hear him, murmurs, โ€œYouโ€™re determined not to listen to me, arenโ€™t you?โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t know what you mean,โ€ I whisper back, but I canโ€™t look him in the face as I say it. Not when Iโ€™m lyingโ€”I know exactly what heโ€™s talking aboutโ€”and not when his breath is so warm and soft against my ear that I can feel it everywhere, even deep inside.

โ€œIt really is for your own good,โ€ he tells me, still standing way too close. Heat slams through meโ€”at his words and his proximity and the orange and dark-water scent of him currently wrapping itself around me.

โ€œWhatโ€”โ€ My voice breaks, my throat so tight and dry, I can barely force the words through it when I try again. โ€œWhat is?โ€

โ€œYou shouldnโ€™t go to that snowball fight with Flint.โ€ He pulls back, his gaze catching and holding mine. โ€œAnd you sure as hell shouldnโ€™t be wandering around the school grounds on your own. Youโ€™re notย safeย here.โ€

Itโ€™s not the first time heโ€™s implied that Katmere is dangerous for me. And I get it. I do. Alaska is no picnic for the uninitiated. But Iโ€™m with Macy, on school grounds. No way is she going to let anything happen to me.

โ€œIโ€™ll be fine.โ€ Itโ€™s easier to breathe now that Jaxonโ€™s mouth isnโ€™t a scant inch from my ear, but finding words is still harder than it should be under his watchful gaze. โ€œIโ€™m not planning on wandering off tonight. Iโ€™ll be with the group the whole time.โ€

โ€œYeah.โ€ He doesnโ€™t sound impressed. โ€œThatโ€™s what Iโ€™m

worried about.โ€

โ€œWhat do you mean?โ€ I clarify. โ€œI thought youโ€™d be relieved Iโ€™m not planning on tackling any wild animals with my bare hands.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s not theย wildย animals Iโ€™m concerned about.โ€

Before I can ask him whatย thatย means, Macy interjects again. โ€œWe should get going. We donโ€™t want to be late.โ€

โ€œWell, whatever youโ€™re concerned about, you shouldnโ€™t be,โ€ I tell him, refusing to be pulled away before Iโ€™m ready. โ€œIโ€™m a big girl. I can take care of myself. But if you want, you can join us.โ€

โ€œJoin you.โ€ His tone implies I just suggested that we fly to Mars under our own power.

But I refuse to be dissuaded. Not when Jaxon is standing so close to me instead of pulling his usual disappearing act. โ€œItโ€™ll be fun. And Iโ€™m sure Flint wonโ€™t mind.โ€

โ€œYouโ€™re sure he wonโ€™t mind.โ€ He repeats my words, and again it isnโ€™t a question. Heโ€™s back to seeming amused, thoughโ€”at least if you donโ€™t look too closely at his eyes. Theyโ€™re flat now, completely empty in a way I havenโ€™t seen since he looked through me at the party. โ€œBecause Iโ€™ve got to tell you, Iโ€™m pretty sure he will.โ€

โ€œWhy would he? He invited a ton of people.โ€ I turn to look at Macy, who has gone absolutely sheet white.

I roll my eyes at her, annoyed she seems so freaked out at the idea of hanging with Jaxon, but before I can say anything, Flint walks up behind me and puts his hands on my shoulders. โ€œHey, Grace. Looks like youโ€™re ready to get your snowball on.โ€

โ€œI am, actually.โ€ I turn and end up grinning at him because

itโ€™s impossible not to. Heโ€™s just that funย andย that charming. Not to mention the fact that heโ€™s wearing a snow hat in the shape of a fire-breathing dragon that looks absolutely ridiculous. โ€œIn fact, I was trying to talk Jaxon into joining us.โ€ โ€œOh really?โ€ Flintโ€™s eyes go a kind of burning amber as he looks from me to Jaxon. โ€œWhat do you say, Vega? Wanna

fight?โ€

Flintโ€™s smiling, but even I can tell itโ€™s not a friendly invitationโ€ฆand thatโ€™s before three other guys in all black join us, arranging themselves in a semicircle right behind Jaxon. For the first time, the phrase โ€œgot your backโ€ makes sense to me, because itโ€™s very obvious thatโ€™s why these guys are here. To have Jaxonโ€™s back. I just donโ€™t know from what.

These must be members of the infamous Order Macy was telling me about. And I can see why they got the nickname

โ€”thereโ€™s a closeness among the four of these guys that even I canโ€™t miss. A bond that seems to be about a lot more than simple friendship.

Flint feels it, too. I can tell by the way he stiffens and the way he shifts his weight forward onto his toes, like heโ€™s just waiting for Jaxon to throw the first punch. More, like heโ€™s hoping for it.

Whichโ€ฆno. Just no. I donโ€™t care if thereโ€™s suddenly enough testosterone in our little alcove to start the next world war; itโ€™s not going to happen. At least not while Macy and I are standing directly in the middle.

โ€œCome on.โ€ I grab my cousinโ€™s arm. โ€œLetโ€™s go figure out a way to win this snowball fight.โ€

That gets both Jaxonโ€™s and Flintโ€™s attention. โ€œThose are big

words coming from someone who never saw snow before she got here three days ago,โ€ Flint teases, and while the tension isnโ€™t gone, itโ€™s way lower than it was a few seconds agoโ€”exactly as I intended.

โ€œYeah, well, you know me. All about the bravado.โ€ I keep a firm grip on Macyโ€™s arm as I start to maneuver around Jaxon and his friends.

โ€œIs that what you call it?โ€ Jaxon murmurs in my ear as I slide past him. Once more, his warm breath is against the side of my neck, and a shiver that has nothing to do with the cold works its way down my spine.

Our eyes meet, and for a second, just a second, the whole world seems to drop away. Macy, Flint, the other students who are laughing and chattering as they move past us on their way to the door all disappear until itโ€™s just Jaxon and me and the electricity that arcs between us.

My breath catches in my throat, my whole body grows warm, and it takes real, physical effort to stop myself from reaching out and touching him.

I think he must be having the same problem, because his hand comes up, hovers in the air between us for one long, infinite moment.

โ€œGrace.โ€ Itโ€™s barely a whisper, but still I feel it all the way inside myself. I wait, breath held, for him to say somethingโ€” anythingโ€”else, but before he can, the front door flies open, letting in a huge gust of freezing air.

It breaks the spell, and suddenly weโ€™re just two people standing in a crowded hallway again. Disappointment wells inside me, especially when Jaxon takes a step back, his face set once again in inscrutable lines.

I wait for him to say something, but he doesnโ€™t. Instead, he just watches as Flint herds Macy and me toward the open door. As we cross the threshold, I raise my hand in a small goodbye wave.

I donโ€™t expect him to return it, and he doesnโ€™t. But just as I turn away to take my first step outside, he says, โ€œDonโ€™t forget to build an arsenal.โ€

Theyโ€™re pretty much the last words I expect to hear from himโ€ฆor anyone, for that matter. โ€œAn arsenal?โ€

โ€œItโ€™s the most important part of winning a snowball fight. Find a base you can protect and concentrate on building up your arsenal. Only attack when youโ€™re sure you have enough ammunition to win.โ€

Snowballs. Here I was, convinced we had just shared a moment, and heโ€™s thinking about snowballs. Fan-freaking- tastic.

โ€œUmmmโ€ฆthanks for the advice?โ€ I give him a WTF look.

Jaxon responds with his regular, annoying blank face, but I swear his eyes are sparkling just a little. โ€œItโ€™s good advice. You should take it.โ€

โ€œWhy donโ€™tย youย take it? Join me and the two of us can

build a bigger arsenal.โ€

He lifts a brow. โ€œAnd here I thought thatโ€™s exactly what I have been doing.โ€

โ€œWhat doesย thatย mean?โ€ I demand.

But heโ€™s already turning away, alreadyย walkingย away, and Iโ€™m left staring after him.

As usual.

Damn it.

Something tells me this boyโ€”and his world-famous

disappearing actโ€”is going to be the death of me.

You'll Also Like