Emily: Hello Kitten (The ‘Hello’ series)

6. Chapter 6

six

G roaning, I sit up and rub my temples. My mouth tastes gross, my body kind of hurts, and my eyes don’t want to open. I flop back down and bury my face into the pillow until I notice that the pillow doesn’t smell right.

It doesn’t smell like lavender.

Drawing back, I blink a few times and realize I’m not in my own bed. I look down. My dress is still on, even if it’s bunched around my hips. My panties are on too. Okay, so I didn’t have sex.

Glancing around the room, my eyes widen as I recognize it. The dark green walls, the thick black curtains. I roll to my side and let my feet drop to the ground, feeling the soft, fluffy carpet under my feet.

Fuck. This can’t be happening. I can’t be at his place again…

I jump up and hurry to the door on my right. The sharp bathroom lights turn on and make me squint as I try to fix the mess that’s me, smoothing out my dress as much as I can, then cleaning the run-out mascara and opening the faucet to erase the taste in my mouth.

How the hell did I even get here? And why am I here? Wait… the texts. He came to get me—against my will, may I add.

As I tie up my hair, turn off the light, and wander back into the bedroom, I freeze. Adrian sits on his bed, his gaze fixed on mine. My cheeks heat as I keep my head held high, trying to act like it doesn’t bother me that I’m here, even though deep down, it kind of freaks me out.

His brow lifts, and I scoff, walking toward the nightstand to get my phone. Why is he making this harder than it should be?

As my feet hit the soft, fluffy carpet, he grabs my wrist and tugs me into his arms.

“Let me go!” I screech, unable to escape as he holds me tightly.

“What are we going to do about this, Emily?”

“There’s nothing to do,” I grumble, squirming on his lap. The more I squirm, the more his arms tighten around me. He’s holding me effortlessly despite the fact that I feel like I’m struggling for my life. The skirt of my dress pulls up to flash my black panties, and he lets out a sharp breath.

“I didn’t fuck you last night.” He pauses as his stare remains on my bare thigh. “Obviously, I can control myself, but if you’re going to tell everyone what we did, then I need to be aware. It’s against the rules and I could be fired and blacklisted,” he says without missing a beat.

“I only told my best friend. She won’t tell anyone. She thinks it’s because I’m too forceful with people,” I huff.

“Stop wiggling,” he warns.

“Then let me go!”

“I’m not going to let you go until I get a real answer. But you’re about to get yourself into trouble,” he warns darkly.

“Tell me how much more trouble I can be in, Stallion . I fucked you, my professor!”

“Stop wiggling or I’ll bend you over and spank you until you’re unable to sit in class on Monday,” he commands, that intense voice so hot and sure.

A sigh leaves me, and I stop moving. Somehow, he’s everything I want in a guy, except I’m not allowed to have him.

“There’s nothing to fix,” I insist. “We fucked each other, and we’ll forget about it once we fuck someone else. It was one time, not like a whole relationship or something.”

“So, you won’t tell anyone?”

Is that why he came to get me, only that? If I were going to tell anyone, I already could have.

“Oh, please, everyone but my bestie would say I was fantasizing,” I dismiss despite how hot my cheeks are.

“Until they see how I look at you,” he murmurs, his eyes softening.

I shove out of his arms and stand in front of him. “You shouldn’t come to bars to get me.”

“You shouldn’t be out,” he snarls right back, standing up and reminding me exactly how much taller he is than me.

I put a hand on my hip. “Excuse me, I can go wherever the fuck I want!”

“I need you safe,” he hisses.

“Why do you even care? I was a hookup! A one-night thing. Be honest, you were never going to text me again even before we ended up in this… mess,” I yell. “Just leave me the fuck alone!”

He’s quiet, just watching me, and I shove him. It’s immature and stupid, but it also backfires right away. Adrian grabs my wrists and holds them above my head as my body presses to his. I pant as I writhe against him until he transfers my wrists into one of his hands and his other arm wraps around me.

“You and I had a whole lot more fun than a drunken night. Did you forget me the next morning?” he demands.

His eyes search mine. The right answer and the real answer aren’t the same.

That means there’s only one answer that matters.

“I was late waking up and didn’t even remember hooking up until you walked into the room,” I lie.

He shakes his head slowly, knowing I’m lying, and jerks me tighter against his sinful body. “You’re mine, Kitten. And I’m not done with you.”

“Shut up,” I snap.

“I’m not letting you go.”

“I don’t want to hear it, Adrian.”

“Our night wasn’t a normal bar hook-up,” he finishes.

We stand there in silence, my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

“Well, it doesn’t matter because it’s not going to happen again,” I finally say, hating the silence. Mostly because it makes me want to kiss him, or struggle more just for him to take control. “Let me go, and I can get home.”

“That’s how you want it to be? You want to forget?” He releases me.

I groan while searching for my purse. I find it thanks to my ringing phone. I pick it up, fumble with it, and end up having it on speaker. “Hello?”

“Emily, baby!” my mom croons.

Adrian shakes his head and walks out of his own room.

“Hi, Mom,” I mumble. “You’re calling really…” A look at the clock says it’s six a.m. “Really early.”

“Oh, I forgot all about the time difference. But don’t worry. That’ll be fixed soon.” She giggles.

“Why?” I ask.

“Don’t tell me you forgot about your sister’s wedding!” she gasps.

I sit down on the bed. “I… It’s coming up faster than I was prepared for.”

I have two weeks.

“And I bet you don’t have a date… unless you do?” Mom’s never been good at fishing for answers.

“I don’t,” I say while glaring at Adrian as he leans against the doorframe and his jaw ticks.

He doesn’t get to be jealous. We’re a hookup that can’t be more. He’s my professor. That’s not something he’s willing to risk, and I don’t want to spend a whole semester looking over my shoulder and hoping we’re not caught… even if that sounds insanely hot.

“Oh, good!” My mom squeals. “I have a guy that I think you’ll love. He’s a little older, but he’s funny and muscular. Honestly, if he were any older…”

“Mom,” I sigh.

“I know you don’t like being set up, but you’ll like him. He’s from a good family. He’s successful, has a good career. He could really give you some direction. I showed him your picture and—”

“You showed him my picture!” I screech.

“Yes, and he’s eager to meet you. I’ll just tell him yes and—”

Adrian takes a hard step forward, his arms crossed over his chest. I almost want to say yes to my mom just to make it clear that he and I can’t do this.

We have to have boundaries between us. Because if I even give in a tad, I know I’ll fall hard for him.

“Emily?” Mom asks.

Adrian keeps watching me, his green eyes so dark and ensnaring that I can’t escape. My body heats as he closes the space between us, making me swallow.

Needing something to make my mom back off, and Adrian, I say, “As good as that sounds, Mom, I actually am bringing someone.”

Adrian’s gaze threatens to burn me alive.

“Yeah, I met him recently, and I’ll bring him even though I think it’s a little much for a new relationship,” I say.

“Really? So, I shouldn’t ask Trent to come to the wedding?” she asks.

“No. I can handle my own dates. Thanks. It’s really early, so I’m going back to bed. Love you and talk to you soon,” I say calmly before hanging up.

“And who is the guy?” Adrian demands.

“None of your business,” I remind. “You don’t get to be jealous. One night. That’s what we had.”

“Funny that you were drunk texting me instead of him, then.” Adrian steals my phone away. “Who is he.”

It’s not a question. I swallow my sass when Adrian grabs my chin, refusing to let me look away. I can’t help it when honesty slips out. “A made-up guy is better than anyone my mom can recommend.”

“Lucky you, I have weekends off,” he says before walking to the bathroom and getting in the shower.

What the hell did he just decide?