toward the corner of the cafeteria.
“Okay, Jake. So…it’s my duty as the protective best friend. I know it’s all cliché and stuff, but it’s got to be said.” She cleared her throat. “Em is my best friend, right?”
He nodded.
“And, in the almost two full years I’ve known her, she’s never had a boyfriend.” She tilted her chin down and looked up at him. “I can tell she really likes you, so, you know I’m going to have to kick your ass if you break her heart, right?”
His cheeks flamed. “No heart breaking. Got it.”
“She’s my best friend. You better be for real with her.”
“Don’t worry. I care about her as well, Ava.” He had to respect Ava’s notion. “I’m for real.”
“Good. And don’t expect to get all up in her bed, either. She’s not like that. You two were pretty hot and heavy when I found you guys.”
“What do you mean—?”
“Hey guys. You ready to go?” Emma’s gaze danced between Jake and Ava. “What’s going on?”
“Nothin’, just giving Jake a few pointers about campus living since he’s a newbie.”
Pointers, right…
Jake reached for Emma’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“See you later, Em.” Ava spun around on her heel and strutted away, leaving a trail of thick perfume.
“What’s going on?” Emma asked as they strolled out of food service.
“Ava’s a good friend to you, huh?” The sun bounced off Emma’s smooth skin.
“The best.”
“She was telling me to take good care of you.” Jake tightened his grip. “And I plan to.”
***
“Time for a study break, yet?” Jake whispered across the table as he grazed his fingers over Emma’s tattoo. He couldn’t get enough of her cool skin.
“That tickles,” she said.
“How can you concentrate? I feel like jumping out of my skin sitting so close to you.”
“I’m faking it really good.” She twirled her pen on the pad of her middle finger.
“Ready for a break?” he asked.
“What’d you have in mind?”
“Anything but this hard library chair. We’ve been here for four hours.”
“You’re right.” She slapped the book shut. “This stuff stopped sinking in an hour ago. I think my brain is mush right now.”
“If I’m a Hunter, too, I wonder why my mark is so different than yours.” He touched her tattoo again.
“Good question. And why don’t I have impenetrable skin like you? Or why don’t you have cool skin like mine?”
“You think some of the documents in that trunk of yours will have answers?”
“Might.” She pushed her chair back. “Let’s check it out.”
Jake stood and shoved his book in his bag. “I’m game.”
They strolled past rows of empty tables toward the front of the Library. The scent of stale air, dust, and books overwhelmed him. A sudden barrage of whispers slammed into him, and he stopped. The voices weren’t completely decipherable, but he heard them.
But where were the people? He scanned left, then right. One person occupied a table up front. Maybe people sat at another section of tables behind the towering rows of books hemming in these empty ones.
“What?”
“You hear that?”
She stopped and held her breath. “Nothing. What’s up?” She glanced at her wrist.
“Nothing.” Might be time for another little relaxation session. With everything that had happened recently, he needed to clear his mind. Difficult with Emma so close, though. Her scent. Her beauty.
He reached for her hand. “Come here once.” With a quick motion, he hauled her between the last two rows of books. Empty, thankfully.
“What are you—”
He swallowed her words. Cold fingers curled around his neck, tilted his head, and her tongue dove in, as if needing to taste him as much as he did her. Her now familiar scent infused his pores. Strawberries…and something else.
He inhaled deeply.
Baby powder?
“You smell good,” he said, grazing along her jaw to behind her ear.
“I do?”
He nipped at her earlobe and buried his face in her
“Okay, Jake. So…it’s my duty as the protective best friend. I know it’s all cliché and stuff, but it’s got to be said.” She cleared her throat. “Em is my best friend, right?”
He nodded.
“And, in the almost two full years I’ve known her, she’s never had a boyfriend.” She tilted her chin down and looked up at him. “I can tell she really likes you, so, you know I’m going to have to kick your ass if you break her heart, right?”
His cheeks flamed. “No heart breaking. Got it.”
“She’s my best friend. You better be for real with her.”
“Don’t worry. I care about her as well, Ava.” He had to respect Ava’s notion. “I’m for real.”
“Good. And don’t expect to get all up in her bed, either. She’s not like that. You two were pretty hot and heavy when I found you guys.”
“What do you mean—?”
“Hey guys. You ready to go?” Emma’s gaze danced between Jake and Ava. “What’s going on?”
“Nothin’, just giving Jake a few pointers about campus living since he’s a newbie.”
Pointers, right…
Jake reached for Emma’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“See you later, Em.” Ava spun around on her heel and strutted away, leaving a trail of thick perfume.
“What’s going on?” Emma asked as they strolled out of food service.
“Ava’s a good friend to you, huh?” The sun bounced off Emma’s smooth skin.
“The best.”
“She was telling me to take good care of you.” Jake tightened his grip. “And I plan to.”
***
“Time for a study break, yet?” Jake whispered across the table as he grazed his fingers over Emma’s tattoo. He couldn’t get enough of her cool skin.
“That tickles,” she said.
“How can you concentrate? I feel like jumping out of my skin sitting so close to you.”
“I’m faking it really good.” She twirled her pen on the pad of her middle finger.
“Ready for a break?” he asked.
“What’d you have in mind?”
“Anything but this hard library chair. We’ve been here for four hours.”
“You’re right.” She slapped the book shut. “This stuff stopped sinking in an hour ago. I think my brain is mush right now.”
“If I’m a Hunter, too, I wonder why my mark is so different than yours.” He touched her tattoo again.
“Good question. And why don’t I have impenetrable skin like you? Or why don’t you have cool skin like mine?”
“You think some of the documents in that trunk of yours will have answers?”
“Might.” She pushed her chair back. “Let’s check it out.”
Jake stood and shoved his book in his bag. “I’m game.”
They strolled past rows of empty tables toward the front of the Library. The scent of stale air, dust, and books overwhelmed him. A sudden barrage of whispers slammed into him, and he stopped. The voices weren’t completely decipherable, but he heard them.
But where were the people? He scanned left, then right. One person occupied a table up front. Maybe people sat at another section of tables behind the towering rows of books hemming in these empty ones.
“What?”
“You hear that?”
She stopped and held her breath. “Nothing. What’s up?” She glanced at her wrist.
“Nothing.” Might be time for another little relaxation session. With everything that had happened recently, he needed to clear his mind. Difficult with Emma so close, though. Her scent. Her beauty.
He reached for her hand. “Come here once.” With a quick motion, he hauled her between the last two rows of books. Empty, thankfully.
“What are you—”
He swallowed her words. Cold fingers curled around his neck, tilted his head, and her tongue dove in, as if needing to taste him as much as he did her. Her now familiar scent infused his pores. Strawberries…and something else.
He inhaled deeply.
Baby powder?
“You smell good,” he said, grazing along her jaw to behind her ear.
“I do?”
He nipped at her earlobe and buried his face in her
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