Wanting by Lynn Burke
Gideon
So, the girls planned on sneaking over to Devon’s. I’d overheard enough of their phone conversation to figure that shit out.
Devon was throwing a party on Saturday night.
Dad and Ingrid had dinner plans.
That left me with nothing to do but stalk after Addilyn without her knowing. Keep that prick Devon away from her. Talk her into giving me her first kiss. Hell, I could’ve taken it from her that day I held her in my arms. I deserved to be the one to taste her lips for the first time after showing so much damn restraint.
So, I had to get myself an invitation to the party. Slim chance in hell, but better than just showing up and being told to leave by the prick sheriff.
I told myself I could play it cool—so I tried Friday morning, offering Devon a nod as he held the door open for the girls like he always did.
He split from the girls at their lockers, and I hurried after him. “Heard you’re throwing a party,” I said, coming up alongside him.
“Yeah.”
“Are big brothers invited?”
He snorted and raised his eyebrows while glancing at me, not slowing his quick stride down the hallway. “And why would I ask you to step foot on our property?”
“Because I’m not that bad of a guy, and if you’re lucky enough to talk my sis into being your girl, then don’t you think we should repair the broken bridge between us?”
He laughed while heading into his homeroom. “See ya ‘round, Gid.”
Fuck. Lips pressed tight, I sprinted in the opposite direction—and stepped over my homeroom’s threshold a second after the bell rang.
My teacher gave me the stink eye, but a flash of my dimples had her nodding toward my assigned seat.
That luck came to a screeching halt just before sixth period when I saw Devon hovering over my princess. Cheeks pink, she peered at him through her lashes, her lips moving, the words lost under the voices of dozens of kids filing through the hallway.
I started their way—and the fucker pushed her hair off her forehead like I’d done.
He fucking touched her with lingering fingertips, and I saw vivid red unlike any jealousy I’d ever felt before.
My stalking toward them couldn’t be hindered and went unnoticed by the two fucking love birds.
“Fuck off, Devon,” I told him, giving his shoulder a shove the second I got close enough. He slammed against the locker beside her, glaring at me like he had balls to spare.
“Lay off, Gid.”
Fucking Gid. Hated that goddamn nickname.
The hallway grew silent, and a crowd gathered, holding their collective breath as though waiting for a showdown that had been brewing since I’d stepped foot into their school.
Devon smiled at my princess right then like I didn’t exist and hadn’t nearly dislocated his shoulder. Eyes only for her with stars in his own.
My teeth grated, and my hands fisted at my sides. Blood rage swept through me, the same sort that had gotten me thrown into juvie back in California. I wanted to smash his face in, send a river of red over his face.
I slowly counted to calm myself the fuck down. Getting in trouble with the little shit in front of me would leave my princess vulnerable.
Couldn’t have that.
“So, I’ll see you tomorrow night?” he asked her.
Fuck, he pissed me off.
“Touch Addilyn again,” I hissed before she could answer, crowding in close enough he pressed his back against the wall of lockers, “and I’ll fucking kill you.”
“You can’t threaten him like that, Gideon!” Addilyn backhanded my arm. “Leave him alone!”
“See you tomorrow?” Devon asked again while peering around me, ignoring me like I wasn’t all up in his face. Ballsy bastard.
“Of course,” Addilyn agreed.
“Best heed my warning,” I said, my finger in his face. I wanted to rip his goddamn eyes out.
Devon finally met my glare, holding it in unmoved complacency.
He wouldn’t throw a first punch, so what could I do but step back?
“I mean it, Devon. One hair on her head, and I’ll make you curse your mother for bringing you into this world.”
He hesitated but decided to continue on, sauntering off like he owned the goddamn school. With the crowd breaking up around us, I turned back to Addilyn.
“Fuck off, Gideon,” she grumbled at me as I hovered the same way Devon had. She grabbed a book and binder out of her locker, shoved another inside, and slammed the door. Those big blue eyes of hers looked my way, and pink fused her cheeks. “Don’t you have anything better to do than lurk like an unwanted shadow tossing out death threats?” She snipped, that chin of hers lifting and tempting my hands to hold it. Feel the throb of her pulse. Squeeze until her lips parted.
My dick twitched.
“Lifting your chin like that leaves your neck vulnerable, princess, and to answer your question, nope. There’s nothing bullshit about my promises. He touches you, he dies.”
Smart girl lowered her head a bit as though afraid I might bite the tender flesh beneath her ear like I wanted to. “I told you, he’s going to be my first kiss—and I’m getting it tomorrow night whether you like that fact or not, Gideon Destil.”
I growled like a goddamn dog, showing my teeth. Ever since I’d held her and she’d cried, soaking my shirt with her tears, all thoughts of anyone else but me putting their hands on her brought out my inner caveman. She made me fucking nuts—like an animal operating on instinct, wanting to take without asking.
But I wasn’t my dad.
Addilyn rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Can’t you just leave me alone?”
“You’ll thank me some day,” I stated through gritted teeth, goddamn hard up to change our unfair, fucked situation.
“Doubtful.” She waved her hand at the sea of bodies around us. “Why don’t you go out? Make friends finally. Find a girlfriend or two.”
“Not interested.”
“Why not? Every girl in this school, teachers too from what I hear, wants you. Easy pickings to get your…your dick wet,” she said, her voice going all soft at the end.
I held her steady gaze, a smirk lifting my lips. “Not interested, princess.”
Not in them, anyway.
She shivered and clutched her books to her tits. “You’re a creep, you know that?”
“Yep.”
“Why are you always up my butt, huh? Why can’t you ignore me here like you do at home?”
Up. Her. Butt.
Fuck.
I couldn’t find the fucking words to toss back, and she walked away with a huff, leaving me with a boner that required a pit stop at the bathroom which made me late for class.
Without an invitation and expecting I’d be sheriff-escorted off the property if I showed up at Devon’s, I decided to throw a wrench in her and Jenny’s plans instead.
Dinner Friday night.
The four of us sat there, Ingrid well on her way to being blitzed again, which Dad did nothing about. He, of all people, knew the path Ingrid travelled. But maybe he wanted her to drink herself to death.
It would save him the problem of getting rid of the burdensome cunt once he decided he’d had enough.
“I heard your boyfriend is throwing a party tomorrow night,” I said across the table to Addilyn in a moment’s lull between our parent’s conversation.
“What’s that?” Ingrid asked, her words slurred.
“That Devon boy—Sheriff’s kid,” I said, watching the princess’s attempt to keep her face passive. She fucking seethed beneath her calm exterior. “He’s throwing a bonfire party at his parents’ place tomorrow. Their whole class is invited.”
“Well, Addilyn won’t be going. She’s having a sleepover at Jenny’s,” Ingrid attempted to claim in a stately, poised manor. Fucking drunk-assed bitch.
A corner of my lip curled, and I raised an eyebrow, daring Addilyn to open her mouth and outright lie. That’d get her cell taken away for a month if Ingrid found out.
“Movie and popcorn night,” Addilyn told me in a sickeningly sweet tone, playing my game. “I can’t stand the scent of woodsmoke. Fires make me nervous.”
Absolute fucking bullshit, but Ingrid bought it.
“I’m not a fan of flames either, Addilyn,” Dad said with a wink. “We had to evacuate Gideon’s childhood home twice because of fires down in California.”
Ingrid asked him about it, but I kept my focus on Addilyn, narrowing my eyes to let her know I knew she lied.
She glared back—but I kept my thoughts and the truth to myself since Dad pretty much gave her his blessing to go.
Stalking and sneaking onto Devon’s property it would be.