Page 204 of Their Cruel Play
The Arsenal
Harper
Eli holds my hand as we approach the office. I really don’t want to talk to the principal, but we know it’s the only way to appease my mom. Besides, it would be good to have another adult know.
Eli must have drawn the short straw to be the one who accompanies me. It didn’t seem appropriate to come in with all the horsemen.
Smiling encouragingly, Eli tugs open the office door to let me pass. I take a deep breath and step into the bustling office. The workers behind the counter move around almost in a dance, their movements coordinated to avoid each other.
A few students sit in the chairs playing on their phones. When we step in, they glance up. There’s slight interest in Eli before they look back down at their phones.
Guiding me up to the counter, Eli clears his throat, and a middle-aged woman glances toward him and smiles. “Eli, how can we help you today?”
His smile is warm and inviting as he leans on the counter. “Margaret, I love that color on you.”
“Thank you. I just bought it.” Her cheeks flush, and her smile widens. And this is why Eli is with me.
“You did well then.” It’s like the charm just oozes off him. “We need to speak to the principal. Is he in?”
Margaret refers to her computer screen. “Yes, let me see.” She taps on her keyboard a few times. “Okay, I can squeeze you in right after the next student comes out.”
“That would be great. Thank you, Margaret.” His smile never wavers, and his eyes never leave hers.
“You can just sit over there.” She points toward a couple of empty chairs.
I smile, but don’t say anything, afraid that I’ll break whatever spell Eli cast on her. That’s why I said my mom wouldn’t like him. He’s a charmer, just like Mom said my father was. Eli guides me over to the chairs, and we take a seat. He sits between me and the guy on his phone, who glances at us for a second.
The guy gives Eli a nod of respect before going back to his screen. Eli relaxes into the seat and holds my hand in his lap, gently tracing my knuckles.
My mind spins. How am I going to approach this with the principal? Do I tell him about the break-in? The threatened rape? Obviously, I can’t tell him everything that’s happened. But I do need to tell him about the picture.
Fuck, the picture!
“I don’t have a copy of the picture,” I whisper to Eli.
He weaves his fingers with mine on his lap. “I have a copy. Jack is still tracking down where the original came from.”
I blow out a breath. If anyone can find it, it would be Jack. Hopefully, the principal won’t want to get the cops involved. I’m over eighteen, and it’s not me in the picture. At least not fully.
The girl across from me is wearing a super short skirt and spreads her legs open. Her eyes watch Eli as she twirls her hair.She has a cocky smile on her face that I want to wipe off. Was she one of the girls Eli fucked?
She barely glances at me when she notices him holding my hand. I’m not a violent person, but part of me wants to grab her hair and tell her to stop looking at my man like he’s candy up for grabs.
Eli squeezes my hand and leans into my ear. “Calm down, kitten. She’s just jealous.”
“No, she thinks you’re available for the taking,” I whisper and glare at her.
“You want to show her I’m yours?” Eli’s lips brush my ear, sending shivers through me.
I turn so our eyes lock. His gaze drops to my lips. I’m aware of the office buzzing around me. That we’re not alone at all. But this isn’t the cafeteria or a party where we’re surrounded with kids our age.
There are adults in here. Adults that can hand out detentions or punish us in some way for PDA. Not that it’s happened in the hallway on the way to class when one of the guys backs me up against a locker.
“You know you want to, kitten. Show her what she can’t have.” His nose brushes mine.
I close the distance between our lips until we just hover there. A breath apart. My heart beats wildly in my chest. My eyes search his. His lips curve up, and I feel it more than see it. We’re too close to see each other’s lips.
There’s a challenge in his eyes. He wants to know if I’m willing to do what it takes to claim him. Fuck it, I’m going to get in so much trouble.
