No. Shaun hasn't that much influence. He's doing this deliberately to confuse and worry me.

What a snide b.a.s.t.a.r.d.

"Thanks for the help, Shaun. Shame we couldn't keep things professional."

"And I'm sorry I rejected your attempts to have s.e.x with me."

"What?" My voice rises. "What the h.e.l.l?"

"It's okay, Fleur. You weren't the first to offer yourself in the hope I could influence your grades. Your maturity about the rejection sucks, but I'm prepared to draw a line." Shaun strides to the door and pulls it open. "See you around."

Numbly, I walk to the door and leave without speaking. I had many retorts in my head, prepared to bite back; but the sardonic look on Shaun's face suggests that reaction is what he wants.

I leave the building and head across campus, and my body tingles with nerves as I play over his words. I jump to a hundred conclusions over what he'll do.

Nothing. He can't do anything.

26.

WILL.

Fleur's distracted this evening. I responded to her earlier text, to let her know I'm busy, but will be at group; keen for Fleur to realise I'm sticking to my word. There's no real point in me attending the group. I'm sure she knows as well as I do it's an excuse. This exchange of texts suggests she's letting me edge back in. Tonight, we talk and from there, see where we go. Her reply this time was an okay with a smiley face.

Fleur doesn't have a smiley face when we're in the group tonight. At first, I'm convinced it's because of me; but her shortness applies to everybody else, and she makes mistakes over names and dates. Things Fleur never makes mistakes over.

An hour later, the rest of the group leave, and I sit on the desk with my feet on a chair, watching as Fleur avoids my eyes. Great. Are we back to this? I like the chick; but if I'm wasting my time, I'm not wasting my energy.

"You okay?" I ask her.

"Stressful day." She finally looks at me, and her eyes shine. This girl is fighting tears.

The familiar spike of anger pushes me to stand. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yeah, it does, if somebody upset you. Who was it?"

Fleur touches beneath her eye, catching a tear. I pretend I don't see. "n.o.body. It's fine."

I grab my bag from the table. "Liar. Tell me who. I'll speak to them and "

"Jesus," Fleur interrupts. "You don't need to protect me from anybody. Besides, it's not as if me and you are... something."

"Yeah, about that. When are we going out? Tonight?"

"I'm not in the mood, Will."

I've spent the last hour watching Fleur's every move, itching to push hair from her face, remembering how close her mouth was to mine at the party. Now, I have an excuse to touch her. I place my bag on the tiled floor.

Fleur stiffens as I place a hand on her arm and looks back at me with wide eyes. "Come on, let's do something to take your mind off whatever this s.h.i.t is," I say.

"How do you propose to do that?" she asks in a low voice.

How? By touching you and kissing and undressing you and... Yeah. "A drink?"

"Alcoholic drink?"

I smile. "If you like."

"Not a good idea, I'll probably drink too much as I'm in this mood."

I've seen this expression before. "Was it Ethan again?" My stomach plummets south. I've been away, after what happened maybe Fleur went elsewhere. She b.l.o.o.d.y hated me two days ago. "Are you guys back together? Is that why you've avoided talking about this? Fleur, be upfront with me."

"No!" she snaps back. "Not Ethan. But I am over men s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around with me!" When she drags her arm away and steps back, I step forward.

"What the f.u.c.k is going on?"

"Nothing!"

"Is it that Shaun guy? Seriously?"

"Shut the h.e.l.l up, Will!"

Ah, s.h.i.t. Semi-hysterical woman making no sense. Walk away? "Fleur, calm down."

Wrong move. Her eyes flash with anger. "Don't tell me to calm down!"

"I don't want you to be upset!"

"Hypocrite! You're on the list!"

"What list?"

"Of men who screw me around."

I push a hand into my hair. "Don't compare me to them."

"What makes you different?"

"I'm not about to f.u.c.k you around. I want to be part of your life, instead of using you like Ethan and Shaun did!"

"Why?"

"Because I do! Why does this s.h.i.t have to be a.n.a.lysed?"

"Because I was fooled by them, I won't be fooled by you!"

I step closer and look down at Fleur whose breathing grows heavier, face pinker. "Do you think I ever trick any girl into thinking she's worth more unless she is? Why would I do that? Girls know what they're getting into with me "

"Exactly!" she says. "And I'm not 'getting into it' with you!"

"It?"

"Being your fun for a few days."

"A few days? How many days have I spent with you, fighting this? Both of us fighting whatever this... this is between us."

"Not both of us."

"The kiss?"

"One kiss."

"One mind-blowing kiss," I correct.

"Wasn't that special," she mutters.

"Now who's lying?"

The volume in the room grows as the evening darkens outside. "You're confusing me! Leave me alone!"

"f.u.c.k this," I mutter under my breath, grab Fleur's head firmly in both hands and kiss her.

Immediately, she presses her mouth back on mine, hands going to my chest. She pushes her tongue into my mouth and I stumble. Fleur tastes as she does in my memories; sweet, intoxicating. I pull her towards me, her soft b.r.e.a.s.t.s squashing against my chest, and I'm gone. I've no way of controlling my need for her now. She's about to discover how much I've held back.

Judging by the way her tongue's exploring mine, and how she presses herself against me, Fleur's as desperate for this kiss as I am. Mind. Blown. Maybe it's the ability to kiss her as Will and not Nate, no holds barred, but I want her. Bad.

Fleur staggers backwards as I move and I pull my face away, leaving the tiniest of gaps between our lips. "Want me to stop?"

She doesn't answer and pulls my head to hers again. I back up and lift Fleur onto the desk. Fleur's darkened eyes tell me all I need to know, her own self-control is rapidly leaving too. I did not expect this reaction, but it's b.l.o.o.d.y awesome.

The room is quiet, besides our breathing and Fleur drags me by the shirt, until I'm lying on her. Her top rides up and I slide my hand along her belly, upwards. Her skin's velvet smoothness is beyond what I imagined: warm, soft, kissable. Although I couldn't put my mouth on her if I tried, her lips are locked on mine, kissing as if she never wants to stop.

I press myself between her legs, and she makes a small noise in her throat, which doesn't help my hardening c.o.c.k. When she slides her hand beneath my shirt and across my back, I retaliate by moving mine to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Too much? No. Fleur pushes herself into me and wriggles as I rub my thumb across her hardened nipple, hidden behind her bra. She pulls her mouth away and looks me directly in the face, mouth parted.

"What are you doing?" Fleur asks.

"Taking your mind off s.h.i.t."

Her mouth twitches into a smile. "It's working."

"Good." I run kisses beneath her ear, trailing my tongue along Fleur's neck until I reach her collarbone. She wraps one leg around mine and slides her hands around to my stomach, fingers playing across my abs, driving more blood from my brain, south.

I groan and nip her skin, pushing her top higher and higher until... Black bra. Lacey. Hiding the t.i.ts, I've pictured in my dreams, over and over.

Confident she'll kick my a.s.s if she doesn't want me to, I pull down one edge of her bra and close my mouth round her peaked nipple. Her breath rushes out and nails on my stomach dig in. Fleur's skirt rides up, but she's wearing leggings. b.l.o.o.d.y good job that barrier's there, because I'm on the brink of trying my luck in discovering how wet she is.

"Will," she murmurs.

"Mmm?" I continue to run my tongue around her nipple.

"Will!"

I look up into her pink face, her smooth hair tangled. "What?"

"We shouldn't do this here."

"No?" I hitch her onto the desk and drag my t-shirt upwards. Our skin meets, her softness against my hard, and I close my mouth over hers again.

I want her. Here. So f.u.c.king bad. She yields and wraps her legs around my waist.

The metallic noise of Fleur undoing my belt arrests me and I place my hands either side of her on the desk, attempting to keep control.

Nope. That's left the room.

I run a hand between her thighs, to the heat between her legs and push my thumb against her.

Fleur's unb.u.t.tons the top b.u.t.ton of my jeans and slides a hand downwards, towards where my c.o.c.k strains against my jeans.

Yes. No. Yes. s.h.i.t.

I pull my mouth away and swallow hard. "Fleur, I "

"Whoa! Is this some kind of private biology study group too?" Sam's voice comes from behind and I close my eyes, picturing him in the doorway.

Shock crosses Fleur's face and then she giggles at me as I readjust her clothes. If he sees me fastening my belt, Sam will have the wrong impression and I don't want to embarra.s.s Fleur again.

"Go away, man," I say without looking around.

"Not staying. No way! Jesus, man. I knew you two want to rip each other's clothes off, but here?"

I stand back and fasten my jeans before turning. Sam's gaze drops to my unbuckled belt and he shakes his head.

"Don't tell anybody," I say in a low voice.

"Not my business; but if you don't want anybody finding out, maybe choose somewhere more private." He heads to a nearby table, the one we congregate around as a group, and grabs a book. "I came back for this. Wish I hadn't. Some things can never be unseen."

"Funny, man."