Chapter 12: Chapter Twelve

RILEY

“Thanks a bunch,” I grinned at a little kid who was returning a book.

My stomach was doing somersaults as the clock inched closer to eight. Tristan would be here any minute, and I was a bundle of nerves.

I knew he had a test today, and I was hoping he’d aced it.

Besides the paycheck, I wanted him to do well. A tiny part of me wanted to call it quits on the tutoring—it felt strange to be teaching him and kissing him at the same time.

And I’d been scared he wouldn’t want anything to do with me outside of our study sessions.

Our conversation last night had left me dumbstruck, and I didn’t know where we stood now.

It felt like we had our own secret world within the four walls of his room.

My thoughts were broken by the loud honk of Tristan’s fancy car, and I gathered my things to leave.

After locking up the library, I walked to his car and opened the door, only to find him looking at me with his signature sexy smirk.

His tousled hair made him look dreamy as hell. He rested his arms on the passenger seat, chewing on his thumbnail.

~Did he just step out of a magazine or what?~

~It’s not fair to look so damn perfect all the time.~

“You gotta stop looking at me like that, Adams,” he chuckled as I slid into his car and he pulled away.

“Ju-just drive, Tristan,” I stammered, doing my best to keep a straight face.

“You look beat.”

“It’s just my face,” I shot back, instantly regretting it. He was just trying to make conversation, and I was acting like a jerk.

I wasn’t used to him being nice to me, and I couldn’t help myself.

“That smart mouth of yours is so damn sexy,” he replied with a small laugh.

I turned to look at him. “How was your test?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“It’s a surprise; wait till we get to my place.” He grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement, and my heart skipped a beat.

I was both nervous and excited to be alone with him again, and memories from yesterday morning flooded my mind.

I squeezed my thighs together as my body started to react to just the thought of his kiss.

“Okay,” I murmured, shaking the dirty thoughts from my head. I stared out the window, while he drove with his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

***

We walked into his living room, and I was surprised to see a cute little girl who must have been his sister, Susan, darting around the room.

Mrs. Waters, the housekeeper, was trailing her with a bowl of food in her hand.

“What’s up with this little one?” Tristan asked, scooping her up in his arms. She immediately started to giggle, trying to wriggle free from his grip.

~Oh my!~

~Who is this guy?~

I stood there in the middle of the living room, stunned, watching this unexpected scene.

“I don’t wanna eat, Tristan. I wanna play,” she replied in a sweet little voice that melted my heart.

~Tristan?~

~Damn! That’s so cute.~

“If you eat now, I promise to watch Peppa Pig with you tonight,” he told her, swinging her in his arms.

I was a goner.

~How the hell can I resist this?~

~What is it about guys and kids? It makes them look ten times hotter.~

“Wanna meet someone?” he asked the girl. My eyes widened.

~I’m not good with kids.~

~Please, Tristan. Don’t!~

“Yes, who is she?” Susan chirped.

“This is Riley Adams, and she’s helping me with math,” he explained to her slowly and carefully, walking toward me. I smiled at her, waving awkwardly.

“Hi, Susan. Nice to meet you.” I extended my hand to shake and she stretched out her little arms, making me grin even wider.

“Are you his teacher?” she asked.

“No, I’m one of his classmates, but we do have teachers at school for math.”

“Then why is she helping you, Tristan?” she asked curiously. I tried to hide my smile.

“Because ~Tristan~ is a bit slow,” I replied, holding back a laugh.

He shot me a glare.

“Okay, dinner time. Listen to Mrs. Waters, and I’ll be back after studying.” He kissed her cheek and sat her down at the dining table.

Mrs. Waters gave us both a warm smile and started to feed her.

“Shall we?” he asked me, scratching the back of his head shyly.

~Damn, this whole new side of him is so adorable.~

“Lead the way, ~Tristan~.” I gestured toward the stairs and he shook his head with a small smile. When we reached his room, I sat down in the chair in front of the study table.

“She’s really cute.” I smiled as he sat down on his bed, letting out a huge sigh.

“Yeah, she really is. I wish I could spend more time with her, but with football and studying, it’s really tough.”

I nodded in understanding. “Where’s your mom?” I blurted without thinking. His face changed.

~Shit!~

“Umm... I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pry or anything.” I looked down at my fingers, avoiding his gaze.

“Come here.”

“Huh?” I glanced up, a questioning look in my eyes, and he patted the seat on his bed next to him.

I bit my lip, debating whether or not to sit down on his bed, next to him.

“I don’t bite. Unless you want me to,” he chuckled. I choked on my own spit, imagining his dirty words.

I got up from my seat and went toward him, but sat far away. He rolled his eyes and closed the distance between us.

“You’re the first person at school to know about my sister, you know that?” he asked, brushing a strand of hair away from my face.

I let out a small gasp, my eyes darting to meet his intense stare.

“Really?” I was honestly taken aback. I couldn’t figure out why he trusted me so much.

“Yeah, and um... I’ll talk about my mom soon. It’s just a bit tough,” he murmured, his gaze fixed on my lips.

“It’s okay, Twistan.” I smiled, and he chuckled at my pronunciation of his name.

“I’m never gonna live that down, am I?”

I shook my head, and he gently brushed my bottom lip with his thumb.

We continued to gaze at each other. I could hear my heart pounding. The world around us seemed to blur until all I could focus on was him and his touch.

“I got a ‘B’ on my test,” he blurted out.

I blinked, pulling back slightly. “What?”

“I know I’m hard to resist, Adams. Stay with me.” He winked and stood up to retrieve something from his bag. I took a moment to rein in my racing hormones.

“Here, take a look at this.” He handed me the test paper, and I scanned it carefully, noting his errors.

“You were supposed to differentiate this equation further. I’ve told you a million times. Ugh! You never listen.” I looked up to find him watching me, his hands tucked in his pockets.

“What?”

“I was practically failing, and now I’ve got a ‘B’. Can’t you give me some credit, ~Ma’am~?”

“Well, I wanted you to get an ‘A’,” I said, even though I was secretly thrilled that he’d managed a ‘B’.

“I thought you’d be happy! You’re so tough on me, dammit.”

I just shrugged, a playful smile on my lips. He ran his fingers through his hair.

“Well, I’ll get an ‘A’ sooner if you keep teaching me like this.” He grinned, moving closer to me and taking the paper from my hands.

“Ho-How can I teach you if you keep distracting me like this?”

“I think I’ve earned a reward for my achievement,” he replied, pushing me back onto the bed, catching me off guard.

“Tristan…”

“Shhh! Just look at me.”

My breath hitched as he cupped my face, hovering over me. He lowered his head and claimed my lips.

I couldn’t hold back any longer; I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned his kiss with equal passion.

~I’m hooked on his kisses.~

He took both my hands and held them, stopping me from touching him as he began kissing down my chin.

“God, you’re perfect,” he groaned, burying his face in my neck, showering me with wet kisses. I was going wild; every cell in my body was on fire, and I could feel myself getting wet.

“You’re all mine, Riley Adams,” he whispered, releasing my arms. I started to pull his shirt up.

He quickly took it off and tossed it aside. My eyes widened when they landed on his bare chest.

~Yup, he could definitely be a model.~

~It’s like he was chiseled or something.~

I swallowed hard, feeling insecure.

~What if I don’t live up to his expectations?~

I looked away, closing my eyes, and he gently touched my cheek.

“What’s wrong? I can stop if you want. I’m sorry, Riley.” He started to get up and I sat up on his bed. My eyes began to well up, and he immediately started to panic.

“Jesus, did I hurt you or something? You’re scaring me, baby.” He went to put on his shirt, but my mind was stuck on the fact that he’d called me “baby”.

~God, he’s driving me crazy.~

“No, you didn’t hurt me. It’s not you.”

“Then what is it?” he asked, his eyes filled with worry and fear.

“I just can’t believe that you like me, even physically,” I confessed.

He frowned.

“You’re perfect, Tristan. You could have any girl, and I’m just…just so fucking ordinary. I can’t control myself around you, and I think I’m starting to like you and…fuck.”

I sighed. “I don’t know. I’m so confused about everything you said last night. I don’t even know what we are.”

He looked stunned.

“I meant every word I said last night. I know I was mean to you and... I didn’t understand why until recently. I was going crazy when you never paid any attention to me.”

He paused. “And even though I hooked up with a lot of girls, I didn’t feel anything for any of them, and I realized that I didn’t want them.”

I stared at him, wiping the tears from my eyes.

“I want you, Adams. All of you. Please don’t cry,” he wiped my tears away, pulling me closer onto his lap.

“You’re so tiny,” he chuckled, kissing my cheeks.

“You could have just talked to me like a normal person, instead of annoying me all this time,” I mumbled under my breath. “I thought you hated me.”

He let out a sigh. “Even I thought I did. I guess I had too much pride, and like you always say, I’m an asshole, right?”

“That you are,” I scoffed.

He looked at me with raised eyebrows. “So you like me too, don't you?” he asked with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes at him. “I don’t know, Tristan. This is all new to me. You’re only the second guy I’ve ever kissed. I have no experience, unlike you. I don’t even know if you like me or you’re just attracted to me--”

He silenced me by pressing his lips to mine, nibbling my lip while his tongue explored every inch of my mouth, making me squirm on his lap.

“If that kiss doesn’t tell you whether I like you or not, I don’t know what else will,” he whispered against my lips.

His hands roamed over my thighs, edging perilously close to my core. The sensation made me jolt back before I could even comprehend his words.

“Quit squirming, unless you’re ready for me to take you right here and now,” he murmured into my neck, his voice a deep, sensual growl.

“Oh…”

“You don’t even know the effect you have on me, Riley Adams. It’s not just physical—it’s mental too.” His soft laughter echoed in my ears before his lips found mine again.

~Oh, Tristan.~

~If only you knew what you do to my poor, unsuspecting heart!~