Dangerous Seduction

Jessica

I woke to heavy breathes against my bare neck. I froze, stiffening as I stared at the dark room. It was still early morning-five or so and I thought of my early morning shift at the diner. I needed to leave, I needed to go home and shower and get myself together.

I was an idiot-why the hell did I agree to sleepover? As much as I wanted physical intimacy, I desperately wanted an emotional connection. Deep and meaningful. From getting nothing from my parents, I craved it. And I knew Darien wasn't that kind of guy. He wanted sex and I did too but I could feel myself getting too close. I wouldn't let him get any closer. I would find someone else to be physical with.

Slowly, I turned to see Darien had kept his distance but his hand had stretched out towards me, reaching. I couldn't look away from his hand; large, powerful, calloused. I was surprised he hadn't snored, some reason I pictured him as one. Instead, he only made soft noises.

When I sat up in the bed, the sheet pooling around my waist, he grunted and his hand touched my exposed thigh.

"Where are you going?" I swallowed at the huskiness in his voice. In his sleepy voice. Oh god, no wonder girls crawl into his bed.

"I have to leave," I whispered back and he grunted in response.

I tried to get up but he gripped my thigh tighter and his head lifted off the pillow.

"You know Genevieve," he muttered back. I stared at his shadowed, sharp features. "If there was any girl I'd settle down for, it'd be you." I was utterly speechless. What-what was he implying? It was then when I studied his expression I realized he was half asleep. I could recall the times my sister had spoken things that didn't make sense in the middle of the night and didn't remember saying them the next morning. This was what he was doing-he wasn't there. He was still in dreamland.

"Go back to sleep, Darien," I whispered and leaned towards him as I removed his hand from my thigh. His head fell back against the pillow and his eyes bored into mine. Slowly, as if he was fighting against it, his eyes fluttered shut and the soft noises filled the dark room.

I sighed, running a hand down my face. A second later, I walked quietly out the door, sneaking one last glance at the sound asleep man. I didn't waste much time though. I rushed back to the dorms, ignoring the early morning joggers suspicious looks. Willow groaned when I tiptoed in but I left the lights off and searched for the shower things. I was happy to be the only one in the bathroom. I needed to clear all my thoughts.

By ten o'clock, groups of students piled into the diner, many of them nursing a hangover with coffee and lots of greasy food. I guess Hudson was right about that.

If it hadn't been for Tony making hilarious side marks about random things, I would have been terribly distracted by my thoughts. I brought a tray of used dishes to the counter and Tony peered up at me.

"God, they eat fucking fast," he muttered and shook his head.

I bit into my lip to fight back a giggle but it passed through anyways. "They're like animals."

He stared at my expression and my smile faltered. "If a guy here ever makes a pass at you, you let me know and I'll put him in his place, got that?"

I tried to shrug it off. "No one has-and if they do, I can deal with it."

"I know you can, Gen but I'd personally love for them to meet my fist," he said and I was now the one examining his tensed expression.

"You've fought someone before then?"

He focused on wiping down the counter and he tried to shrug it off but his entire frame was rigid. "Yeah, plenty of times." Do all guys fight this much? Have they ever heard of words? "That doesn't bother you, does it?" When I came out of my thoughts, he was watching me carefully, a weary expression on his face.