Ruthless Noble by Alley Ciz
CHAPTER 8
By the timeI climb out of Duke’s Mercedes for the second time today, first period is long over. Jasper doesn’t seem to be in any rush to get to class as he straightens his rolled shirt cuffs, his forearms twisting as he does, the sinew and strength displayed in them sending a bolt of heat to my core.
You’re turning into a hussy, Savvy.
I just came twice while having car sex—and on campus, no less; my body should be sated and not getting turned on by the sight of Jasper smoothing his now wrinkled shirt over his washboard stomach and tucking it back into his pants.
Shaking myself out of my lust-induced stupor, I take stock of myself. My breaths are a little bit fast and my heart rate is slightly elevated, but neither is cause for concern.
My shirt didn’t fare much better than Jasper’s, the bottom almost stuck bent up where it hangs over my skirt, though thankfully that’s an easy fix. My underwear, however, is a lost cause, so I slip them down my legs. Jasper’s eyes turn stormy at the sight of the white lace, and I don’t even get the chance to straighten before they are being snatched away and shoved into the pocket of his pants.
“Those are mine,” I complain, but there’s a distinct lack of heat to the words.
That maddening smirk makes an appearance, the action only exponentially sexier given the puffiness all the kissing caused on his lips. “When are you going to learn, Princess…”
The nickname is meant to provoke, so why am I starting to like it?
He moves in closer, caging me in next to the car door. “Everything about you is mine.” His mouth grazes the shell of my ear, my head tilting to the side. He cups the side of my neck, his thumb pressing onto the spot he marked earlier, my knees turning to jelly against my better instincts.
There’s a part of me—albeit a small one—that wants to be his, wants to give in to the push and pull between us.
It’ll never happen. There’s too much baggage to unpack, not to mention the fact that I’m technically supposed to be engaged to his best friend.
That’s a problem for future Savvy. I need to make it through this day first.
Jasper straightens, peering down at me as he steps back. The way he’s looking at me, his gaze studying and cataloging everything he sees, makes my breath catch for an entirely different reason than I’m used to. Gone is the usual malevolence that simmers beneath the surface. There’s almost…dare I say…care.
“Are you sure you’re good?” He grips my lapel but doesn’t reach inside my blazer like he did earlier. I want to be annoyed, to lash out again about being perfectly capable of taking care of myself—except he seems too damn genuine.
I get it. An asthma attack is a scary thing to experience for both myself and those around to witness it. When it’s your first, and especially when it’s as severe as the one from last Saturday, it can be downright terrifying.
The details surrounding the event are always a bit hazy, but the few pieces I am able to recall all feature Jasper.
Not once did he let me go as I succumbed further to my symptoms. He didn’t let Chuck take over or shy away when confronted with my brother—as both Carter King himself and as our true relation to each other. Not even the commanding I’m-in-charge-here side of Tessa could push him away.
I remember leaning against him, seeking comfort where I had only experienced peril.
I remember being wrapped in him—not just in his coat to keep me warm, but in his presence. He held me, cradled me against him, reassuring me despite the fear tingeing his words and coaching me through the worst of my symptoms by following Tessa’s lead.
“I’m fine.” I slide a hand up the hard plane of his chest, fiddling with the silk tie hanging between us. “It’s not…” I bite my lip, coyly watching him from beneath my lashes. “…physical exertions that triggers me the worst.”
Jasper’s lips twitch in amusement, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I can hear the entendre he wants to let out about physical exertions without him having to say it.
“So you’re saying I can fuck you any time I want without having to worry?”
I laugh, ducking beneath his arm, and start for the school. “In your dreams, Noble.” His disgruntled curse about using his last name has me giggling before I let out a startled squeal as I’m lifted from the ground and pinned to the stone wall of Blackwell Academy.
“One of these days, Princess…” Jasper skims a hand along my side, his palm splaying across the center of my chest, his fingers angling over my throat. He’s never squeezed hard enough to restrict airflow, but a frisson of something forbidden still sparks inside me. “You’re going to say my name without your orgasm being held hostage.”
“You really are living in dreamland, huh?” I taunt, the tip of my tongue pinched between my teeth to restrain a full smile.
Trading barbs is how we communicate, so I don’t know how to respond or even react when he ghosts his thumb across my bottom lip, eyes locked on my mouth as he does. “I like it when you giggle like that. It makes you seem…softer, sweet even.”
Stunned speechless, my head thunks against the wall while I process the statement. I don’t think anyone has described me that way before. I mean…you don’t earn the nickname Savage by being sweet. Why does it feel like he sees parts of me nobody else does? And why does it feel like that thought could trigger an asthma attack?