“Anyway, I need you there,” I said in a quiet voice as we got closer to the quad. The last thing I wanted was for Bash to hear me. “This thing between me and Bash is really intense and I’m pretty sure I’ll need a buffer to keep me from going full porn star at the party.”
Rory’s mouth dropped open. “Seriously? It’s that hot?”
I just shook my head, reliving the wonder of how intense his kiss had been back at the library. “I can’t even wrap my head around it. The guys back home were like puppies compared to Bash. Cute and fun to watch, but mostly childish.” I sighed and hated myself a little for being such a girl. “It’s different with him. I can’t seem to think straight or catch my breath when he’s around, and when he touches me…” I blew out a breath.
“Do you think maybe he’s your…” Rory trailed off and I snapped my head in her direction, shocked by what I knew she’d been about to say.
“No,” I whispered adamantly. “I don’t know if I even believe in that, anyway.”
It was Rory’s turn to smack my arm. “What? How can you not believe in it? Are your mom and dad not soul mates?”
I frowned and shrugged then slowly shook my head. “I don’t think so. They aren’t all lovey dovey or anything. I think they’re more like best friends to be honest.”
“Huh. Well, my parents are definitely soul mates. They’re actually embarrassing with the kissing and whispers but we all got used to it.”
“How many of there are you?” I asked, trying to change the topic since thinking about my parents that way made me feel oddly guilty and sad.
“Seven,” Rory said with a grin. “Three girls, four boys. I’m the oldest.” Her face fell a bit. “Lucky me.”
I wanted to ask what she meant but we were just about to the quad. I stared into the shadows, looking for Bash and his friend and nearly had a heart attack when a hand touched my shoulder from behind.
“It’s me,” Bash’s resonant voice whispered as my heart thundered so loud, I could hear nothing but the blood in my veins. I gasped in a breath and laid my hand over my heart, trying to calm my pulse as my cheeks flushed.
“You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry,” he apologized as his lips twitched. “I thought you’d heard us.”
We should have heard them but we’d been caught up discussing how incredibly hot I found… oh, sweet Old Ones. My skin felt as if it were on fire and I was glad for the darkness.
“Um…” I searched for words to cover my mortification while Bash just smiled down at me with too much knowledge in those emerald eyes.
“Hi. I’m Rory.” Rory stepped forward and stuck her hand out to Bash, taking all the pressure off me. I decided right then and there that I loved her. She turned to the guy standing next to Bash next and extended her hand.
I hadn’t noticed him in my panic, I realized, but also because he blended with the shadows so well. His skin gleamed like polished obsidian under the light of the moon, deep but warm. His smile was wide and sweet, inviting as he took Rory’s hand in his and shook. “Hey Rory, I’m Darius.” His long fingers wrapped around Rory’s petite hand, enveloping it. His eyes widened, just a bit, as he held her hand, then he let go and reached out again.
I shook his hand and made note to ask Rory about that little pause. He’d definitely reacted to her touch. “Elena,” I said, even though I knew he’d know my name. Or, at least, I hoped so. Having Bash talk about me with his friends made my stomach feel jittery.
Bash moved to my side as we started forward, still sticking to the edge of the quad. The proximity of his body to mine set little fires racing over my skin and my fingers twitched, wanting to reach out to take his. I kept them at my side, barely. As we walked, his arm swayed, touching mine, and my head swam.
“You look beautiful,” Bash murmured quietly, leaning in closer so the entire length of his arm pressed against mine.
Heat moved swiftly up my body into my head and the world seemed to waiver. I breathed as quietly as I could manage and managed to say, “Thank you.” Flirty responses filled my brain, jumbling together so I couldn’t pick just one. I said nothing and kept walking.
Beside me I could hear Rory and Darius chatting and registered that they seemed to be enjoying one another. Beyond that, I had no awareness outside of Bash and the way my body was urging me toward him. I sucked in fresh night air and tasted my own pheromones on the soft wind.
His fingers brushed mine and the dull ache in my core intensified. I let out a small gasp.
It must have been all the confirmation he’d needed, because Bash’s fingers slipped through mine then, twining together, pulling my palm to his. His thumb rubbed over my skin, eliciting desire in me so deep it felt endless.
Connor made me feel like this. I dipped my head and forced the thought down.
“So,” Bash said, squeezing my hand slightly, “tell me about you.”
I tensed. We didn’t know anything about one another other than the fact that something in our genetic makeup drew us together physically. What if he didn’t like my personality, where I came from, my perception of this world he thrived in? I chewed on my lip for a moment, knowing whatever this was between us would go nowhere if I didn’t show him the real me.
“I suppose you already know I’m here on scholarship.” Thanks to your sister, I thought bitterly.
He nodded. “It takes a lot to get a scholarship from AWA. You must be brilliant.” His thumb stroked my hand again, soothing me, relaxing me.
I chuckled. “Not according to my creative writing prof, Xavier. He’s torn apart everything I’ve passed in so far.”
“Xavier Davidson?” Bash asked. When I nodded, he made a dismissive sound. “He’s been going through a really public divorce, so I wouldn’t take his bad mood personally.”
“Rory said the same thing. I guess I don’t get the same gossip you guys do.”
Bash was quiet for a moment. “You’re from Newfoundland, right?”
I nodded and let the pride I’d always felt for my home province push away the unease that seemed to be my daily companion here. “Yeah, have you ever been there?”
“No, but I’ve been to Ireland a bunch of times and I’ve heard it’s very similar.”
“Parts of it are. Some areas are more French than Irish, though.” She thought of her father’s slight French accent and smiled, missing him. “My coast has more of the French but get me tipsy and the Irish comes out.” I grinned up at him.
His eyebrow shot up. “Well then, is that a challenge?”
I laughed and didn’t bother covering it up. We’d moved from the open quad to the forest and had the cover of trees to stop our voices from carrying. “Screw it,” I said, throwing caution to the wind. I needed to relax and have fun. “Let’s call out the Irish.”
He asked me about my favorite books and movies as we walked, moving further away from the stone buildings that made up campus. It was fun to discover our common likes and dislikes, and to challenge each other over things like Marvel vs. DC. I don’t know when it happened, probably when he confessed to loving Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but all my nerves floated away, leaving behind a sense of wholeness and excitement that filled me with joy. Rory’s question about soul mates flitted through my mind more than once but I swatted it away quickly.
We heard the music from the party long before we arrived. It wafted out on speakers placed at the four corners of a large meadow that opened out of the forest. The scent of grass and wild flowers perfumed the air and the tinkling sound of a nearby brook set the scene for fun and romance. I wanted both.