Free Cornered by Amy Valenti Page A

slight quiver that ran through her body in response.
    “ Sian, you remember we talked about that ‘ polite company ’ thing?” I murmur ed when she drew back, and cast an apologetic look at Kate , who was shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
    “You know, I just remembered I have to stop by the administration building ,” she said, pushing aside her half-eaten meal and standing up. “I’ll see you in class .”
    “ See you later, Kate .”
    S he nodded, attempting a smile before beating a fast retreat.
    “Bye…” Sian called after her, but the new girl didn’t look around. We watch ed her leave the almost- empty cafeteria before locking gazes again.
    “ Your boy ? ” I ask ed , trying to pull my emotions under control.
    Sian shrugged , shifting in my lap with a casualness that almost made me believe she was unaware of what she was doing to me. “You had that ‘cornered animal ’ look. I was ridding you of the hunter .”
    “Could’ve burst into tears and told me you needed to talk, too,” I point ed out, and she instantly began to rise from my lap, her expression guarded.
    “Next time I’ll do that, then.”
    Impulsively grabbing her hips, I pull ed her back t oward me. S he overbalanced and fell back into my lap with a gasp that was half surprise at losing her equilibrium, and half dis covery— her thigh brushed my slight erection as she landed .
    “ You got rid of her. I g uess thanks are in order,” I growl ed into her ear , running a finger down her arm and watching a wave of gooseflesh rise in its wake.
    Her eyes fell closed, and she opened them again with an effort, whispering, “ God, Ryan …”
    There was no point in pretending I didn’t want her, not while she was sitting in my lap with her face only inches from mine. She didn’t even try to disen tangle herself from my embrace, and instead dropped her he ad onto my shoulder and pressed her lips to the side of my neck in a teasing kiss.
    “ You gonna keep that up?” I ask ed , breathing deeply to try to curb my more primal urges. Still, my traitor ous brain fed me images as she continued to trail kisses along my jaw. I could just spin her so that she straddles me, push th at tiny skirt of hers aside and —
    “Well, she might come back,” Sian said , and it took me a second to realise that she wa s talking about Kate . A mome nt later it ceased to matter. S he skimmed a hand across my erection with a wordless purr, and I bit back a curse at the int ense sweep of need that resulted.
    As much as I want ed to bend her backward s over the table and fuck her, the cafeteria wasn’t the place . “ Sian … N ot here.”
    She ceased her teasing with a reluctant nod, getting to her feet and watching me follow suit. “My dorm ?”
    “ Too far. ” Hoping like hell that we wouldn’t run into anyone who’d notice my obvious hard-on on the way , I took her hand and pull ed her out into the hall. There wa s a cafeteria storeroom a short way down, large enough to hide us if need be, and the door wa s unlocked— thank god.
    The door close d behind us , and Sian was kissing me before I’d even turned to find her, her fingers in my hair and her hips pr essed into mine. The darkness was absolute, and it crossed my mind that our firs t time shouldn’t be like this— unable to watch each other or take our time, fucking against the wall of a storeroom as if this were just a mindless one-off encounter.
    The thought disappeared as she slipped her fingers up under my shirt, skimming them against my lower back and sending tingles through my skin. I set my mind to the task of pushing up her clothing and trailing my lips over her warm flesh, wondering if I was kissing tattoos I couldn’t see through the darkness. I unsnap ped her bra fa stening, and the garment loosened enough that I could brush it out of the way.
    I nipped and licked my way over her skin until I found her taut nipple—and it was pierced. Oh, fuck. My cock twitched and I bit back a