Always Only You by Chloe Liese (z-lib.org).epub

that Annie’s unable to get me, I’m screwed.
“Everything okay?”
I jump in my seat at the sound of Ren’s voice and drop my phone. It lands
with a sickening crack on the bus floor.
“Zounds!” Ren leans and picks it up.
“Did you just swear in Shakespeare—”
“Let’s move on and pretend I didn’t do that.” Ren’s cheeks are bright red.
Sighing in relief when he turns it over, Ren hands me my phone, demonstrating
the screen somehow survived the drop. “I’m sorry I startled you.”
“That’s okay.” When I take my phone, our fingers brush, and a crack of
electricity snaps through my skin. I yelp and pull away, a scowl tightening my
mouth. I always look murderous when caught off guard because, while most
people startle mildly when surprised, I jump out of my skin, adrenaline floods
my system, and all I want to do is curl up into the fetal position. It’s unsettling
and embarrassing.
“You okay?” Ren asks.
“I’m fine.” I make a fist and release it. My hand’s trembling. “That didn’t
hurt you?”
He shrugs. “I felt a jolt. But I was expecting it.”
Expecting it. What does that mean?
Ren’s eyes are on me, his mouth shifting from an easy grin to a frown of
concern. “You don’t look okay. What’s up?”
I glance at my phone, staring at Annie’s text. “My ride home fell through.
I’m a grouch when it comes to a change in plans, but it’s not a big deal. I’ll
figure it out.”
“Let me give you a ride.” When he sees my uneasy look, he nudges my thigh
gently. “You’ve already been in the minivan. You know how cool it is. How can
you say no?”
His eyes hold mine, that easy, gentle smile in place. Something tells me
getting in that van alone with Ren is asking for trouble. But weighed against a
late-night Uber ride with a possibly cane-fetishizing murderer—laugh all you
want, but it’s a statistical possibility and those aren’t chances I want to take,
even when chances are slim—it’s not enough to deter me.
“All right,” I tell him. “Thanks.”
Ren’s smile widens, before he schools his expression. “Cool.” He picks up
his book and doesn’t say another word.
When our bus rolls to a stop outside the practice facility, Ren stands and
stretches. It sets his hips at my eye level and it’s too easy to picture him more
than shirtless—pale skin, the shadow of hair arrowing down his stomach…