Second Snowfall (Elton Hall Chronicles Book 2) Page 4

  We started walking toward the castle, in silence at first, just trying to enjoy our coffee. I looked up at Kingsley through my eyelashes and couldn’t help but feel jitters flow through my body. He was so handsome. His dark hair was styled and spiked up in the I woke up this way look, but he probably spent at least fifteen minutes trying to make it look like that. Frankly, I was a fan of it. It was so different from Jason’s messy look, but then again, I was pretty sure Jason didn’t try to get his hair like that. It just happened naturally.

  “What, is there something on my face?” He brushed at his cheeks rapidly.

  “No, I just…” What was I supposed to say? I was just admiring how sexy you are and comparing you to my old crush?

  “It’s okay. I know I’m good looking. Take in your fill.” Kingsley chuckled and made a ridiculous pose. He flexed his muscles and grunted a little at the effort.

  I shook my head and laughed. “I guess you caught me.”

  “That’s all right. I guess I’m just more observant than you are. After all, you haven’t caught me staring at you.” He lifted my chin slightly and looked deep into my eyes. “There, now we’re really even.”

  I smiled brightly as he finally looked away toward the castle. “What class do you have first?” I was a little desperate to talk about something lighter. I didn’t really know how to have these heart to heart conversations. They made me a little nervous.

  “It’s one of my emergency management classes. It’s in the C wing on the third floor.”

  “Oh, my class is in D wing on the third floor.”

  “Great, I won’t have to walk far after I take you to class.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. The jitters faded and I was shocked at how comfortable I was starting to feel with him. Maybe it was because he didn’t play games. He just said things how they were. I didn’t have to wonder what he was thinking. It was a nice change.

  We talked about our families for a little while as we made our way to class. As it turned out, Kingsley’s family had old money. Like, a stupid amount of old money. His father was a successful divorce attorney and his mother was a top tier realtor. They were both trying to force him into law, but all Kingsley wanted to do was protect people.

  “Money is nice. I mean, I’ve always had it, so I don’t really know life without it, but I don’t want to be stuck behind a desk. I just want to help people, but that’s not good enough for them. So, I’m gonna finish this degree and when I’m hired as a full-time firefighter, hopefully seeing me happy will be enough to get them off my back.”

  “That’s so honorable.”

  “That, and chicks really dig firefighters. Wait until you see me in my uniform. It will definitely impress you.” Kingsley pulled his phone out and showed me a couple pictures. He was right, he looked amazing.

  I didn’t know what to say at first. He was clearly waiting for some kind of reaction from me but I wasn’t sure what to do. I could be brave and say something about how the picture made me feel. But that wasn’t really me. He needed to get to know me. Then it hit me. I could change. I could be flirty and suggestive. I could be a bit more like Violet. She got the guy she wanted, after all. But he liked his women more subdued. Maybe I just needed to be more honest about my feelings but do it my way. I needed to be open like Violet, but with my thoughts.

  “I like the uniform. I’d like to see it in person.” I placed my hand on his arm, feeling his bicep, and looked up at him. “Maybe you could show it to me sometime.”

  Kingsley’s mouth fell open just for a second and then he flashed me a cocky smile. “I’ll let you know the next time I get called in for a shift. Maybe you can meet me after.”

  My heart raced at the thought of rushing to a firehouse to meet up with my sexy…oh crap. I was about to say boyfriend. He wasn’t my boyfriend. It seemed like we were on the verge of that, but I didn’t want to scare him off.

  “I think I could make something like that work.” There was a bit of a shake in my voice, but I was glad I said it.

  “You’re going to be a lot of fun. I can tell.”

  ***

  I met up with Violet for lunch after my class and told her about Kingsley.

  “Who the hell are you and what did you do to Annabelle?” She clapped her hands for a second and laughed. “That’s going to be so much fun. I’ve never been with a firefighter, or really anyone in uniform. It’s like you have your own personal porn star. Maybe you could ask him to do a private dance for you.”

  “Oh my god, I couldn’t do that. I was barely able to agree to see him in his uniform. Let’s not push it.”

  “Well, I’m surprised you did too. I know we kinda already talked about it but are you sure you’re over your obsession with Jason?”

  “I was never obsessed with Jason. Kingsley just kind of came out of nowhere, but I feel good when he looks at me.”

  “Just be careful. Everything is still new, but I’m still excited for you.”

  “Thanks, I’ll let you know what happens. So, Berneli is back today. Are you excited for that?”

  “Yes! It’s only been a couple days but I still miss him.”

  “Annabelle! Violet!” Kyle screamed our names from the entrance to the cafeteria. We turned around and saw him walking in with Jason.

  “Hey, Kyle, how was your break?” I asked him, and we all sat down.

  “It was great. I went on this cross country trip and we camped under the stars. We did some amazing experiments and I saw the most incredible sights. You guys should really think about joining geology club.”

  “Kyle, you told me you hooked up with almost all of the girls on the trip and you smoked pot with your professor,” Jason said.

  “Man, why would you say that in front of the girls?” He turned to look at Violet and me. “Obviously, I wouldn’t tell you guys that part. I have more tact than that.”

  Jason rolled his eyes and mumbled, “Whatever,” under his breath. We all laughed a little and my phone went off. It was a text from Kingsley again.

  “Oh my god, Violet, look.” I showed her my phone. “Kingsley invited me out to dinner tonight.”

  “Wait, you’re going out with Kingsley?” Kyle asked. “Jason, isn’t that the new guy who lives on our floor?”

  Jason sort of nodded and shrugged his shoulders.

  “Uh, yeah. Jason introduced us. Why?”

  “Nothing, I just thought you’d have a problem going out with a guy who does drugs.”

  “What? He doesn’t do drugs.” There was no way. He didn’t look like a druggie. He didn’t hang out in dark alleys or have the addiction scratch. It wasn’t like we met in a park. His family was loaded. Why would he need to do drugs?

  “That’s not what I heard. Some of the guys I hang out with said he’s usually trying to find some pills,” Kyle said, and went to grab some lunch.

  I turned to look at Jason. “Have you heard that?”

  He shook his head. “No, but I don’t really know anything about him. It’s not like we hang out all the time. We were the only people on our dorm floor, so I asked if he wanted to get lunch with us. You know, to be polite.”

  “I’m sure it’s just a rumor. He doesn’t strike me as a druggie. I’m still going.”

  “You don’t want to start something and then end up getting sucked in. I don’t think you should go,” Jason warned.

  “It’ll be fine. It’s one date. It’s not like they’re going to get engaged or anything. Have fun and tell me all about it,” Violet ordered.

  “Yeah, will you come over after your class and help me get ready?” I asked Violet, turning away from Jason.

  “Of course. Do you know where you’re going?”

  “No, he said it was a surprise.”

  “So cheesy,” Jason murmured, then got up and left the cafeteria.

  I turned to Violet, who was avoiding my gaze.

  “I don’t want to fight with him,” I told her, and raced after him. “Jason,” I shouted to his back.

&
nbsp; He spun around and smiled, but then the smile faded and he looked annoyed again. “What’s up?”

  “Do you really have a problem with me going out with Kingsley?”

  “I just don’t trust the guy. He seems a little obnoxious, like chucking the putter, running off ’cause he lost a game of mini golf. Seriously, who does that? You don’t want to be with someone like that, right? Besides, what if he’s using?”

  He stared at me expectantly but I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t think the thing with the putter was a big deal. So he got competitive? It wasn’t like Jason was much better when we went bowling. But at the same time, I didn’t want Jason upset with me. I hated confrontation and I didn’t want any problems in our group.

  “Then I won’t go out with him. I trust your opinion.”

  He smiled and nodded. “Good. Listen, I gotta run to class, but I’ll talk to you later? Maybe we can hang out?”

  “Uh, no. I’m just going to go to the EET office and get everything ready for our first meeting.” We said goodbye and I walked back to Violet.

  She folded her arms and pursed her lips at me. “What did you just do?”

  I sat next to her but couldn’t meet her eyes. “Listen, Jason and I are best friends and I don’t want to screw that up over a guy when I don’t even know if it’s gonna work out. What’s the harm in telling Jason that we aren’t going out and then actually doing it?”

  “Well, there’s the whole lying thing. That’s usually frowned upon when it comes to friends.”

  “It’s a lie for his best interest. Jason and I can talk if things end up working out with Kingsley. Jason’s big concern is that he doesn’t trust Kingsley, there’s a rumor he does drugs, and he thinks he’s a little obnoxious. If I get to know Kingsley a little better, then I can tell Jason he has nothing to worry about. I would know if he was high. Besides, we hang out with Kyle and he does a lot of pot. Jason lives with the guy, I think he’s being a hypocrite.”

  “There’s a huge difference between doing pot sometimes and taking pills.”

  “Well, we were with him all night and he didn’t take anything.”

  “Can I just say that I object to this plan?”

  “Yes, but I’m going to do it anyway.”

  “Got it.”

  Kyle joined us then and we all finished our lunch.

  ***

  Kingsley said he would pick me up around seven, and at six fifty I was sitting in my room with Violet, trying to keep my pulse under control.

  “He’s going to bail. There’s no way he’s coming,” I whined.

  “Relax, he has ten minutes before he’s supposed to be here. He’s not even late.”

  “But I feel like my date would be here early. I’m always fifteen minutes ahead.”

  “Yeah, but a lot of guys aren’t like that,” Violet reminded me. “You don’t want to be in a relationship with a guy who is just like you.”

  I rushed over to the window in a huff to check again if he was there. This time, I wasn’t disappointed. Standing in front of our building was a sexy man holding a giant bouquet of flowers.

  “You’re never going to believe this! Come look,” I shouted at Violet.

  “Aww, that’s so cute. Forget what Kyle and Jason said. Have fun and text me when you’re done. I’ll be at David’s, but I don’t care.”

  “Okay, uh, wait. Shouldn’t I wait for him to tell me he’s here? Don’t I sound like a creeper if I go down before he texts me?” I looked back out the window and saw some girl walk up to him. She had long brown hair and gave him a giant hug. “Why is some hussy hugging on him?”

  Violet looked down and swore under her breath. “No, I mean, he could just be friends with her. You hugged Kyle earlier.”

  “Good call. Okay. I’m gonna wait and see what happens, and hopefully it’s just innocent, and he’ll text me, and it’ll be a fun night, and I’ll have my first boyfriend.”

  “Okay, let’s drop the expectations just a little bit. Let’s just hope you have a fun night with a guy you like. See how it goes and then we can talk about putting a label on it. You’re supposed to be getting to know him, not planning the wedding.”

  “Yeah, I know. I just have a really good feeling.” I looked down at my phone and almost willed it to go off. It, of course, didn’t make a sound. “I need to do something. I’m going to run to the bathroom and touch up my make-up, maybe run the straightener through my hair again.”

  Violet grabbed my arm and whirled me around. “Oh, no, missy! You look great and you’re only going to mess it up. Sit down and just wait a minute.”

  My phone went off almost as if she planned it that way.

  “See, he’s here,” she said with a smug look on her face.

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you later!”

  I walked down the stairs and toward Kingsley. He was wearing a blue button-down shirt with a thick black jacket over it and dark jeans. His hair was brushed down and spiked slightly in the front and his eyes were shining. He must have been excited because he was practically bouncing up and down. I fed off his enthusiasm and walked quickly toward him.

  When I opened the door, Kingsley walked up to me and gave me a light kiss on the cheek. “You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you.”

  “Thanks.” I took the flowers he offered me and realized I had no idea what to do with them. Did I take them with me? I didn’t have a vase or anything to put them in. I was going to kill the first set of flowers a boy had ever given me. As my mind started to swim, Kingsley held up his backpack.

  “I thought you might need this.”

  I reached out to take his bag and he quickly pulled it away.

  “Uh, sorry. I don’t like people touching my bag. Just hold on a second.” He unzipped the main pocket. Inside was a beautiful glass vase. “I didn’t think you would have brought one of these to your dorm, so I went out and got one.”

  “You’re right, I didn’t have one. Let me take these upstairs and put the flowers in some water.”

  “Great, I’ll come with you.” He took my hand and opened the door for me. We walked hand in hand to the bathroom to fill the vase with water, and then to my room. Geez, was I grateful I had nervously cleaned earlier, or this would have been really embarrassing.

  “It’s nice that you have a single. You don’t have to worry about a nosey roommate or anything like that.”

  “I like that I can set everything up the way I like. For example,” I said, and placed the flowers in the middle of my desk, “I like the flowers there and I don’t need anyone else’s opinion, well, except yours. Do you think they look good there?”

  He laughed lightly and ran his hand down my cheek. “Yes, they look perfect. I’m glad you like them.”

  I smiled up at him as my pulse raced. He was standing very close to me and I could feel his breath on me. He was going to kiss me. I held my breath and closed my eyes, willing myself not to panic. His lips brushed mine gently and the butterflies in my stomach settled. It felt right kissing him.

  Kingsley pulled away before the kiss could heat up and smiled at me. “I didn’t want to wait until the night was over to kiss you. To tell you the truth, I’ve wanted to kiss you since I helped you get a hole in one last night. It was such a turn-on knowing I’d helped you do that.”

  I forced a smile. This was definitely not the time to remind him that I actually already knew how to play. Instead, I did the one thing I could think of to change the subject. I placed my hand on the back of his neck and pulled him in for another kiss.

  His hands snaked around my waist and he pulled me closer to him. He licked my lip a little and begged me to open to him. As soon as I did, I practically melted in his arms. Kingsley took control of the kiss and taught me a thing or two. I fought desperately to keep up with him as the kiss became intense. It wasn’t long before I caught up, realizing how easy it was to kiss him.

  Suddenly, Kingsley pulled away but hugged me tightly. “If we continue this, I can prom
ise you we will miss our reservation, and that green dress looks too good on you to stay in. I want to show you off.”

  I gave him a light kiss on the lips and sighed. “Okay, I guess we can leave.” As we headed back out, I realized the truth. The thought of being with him in my room any longer was actually a little terrifying. Kissing was the furthest I’d ever gone, and I didn’t want to move too fast. Hopefully, Kingsley didn’t mind.

  He offered me his hand as I climbed into his black Range Rover and we drove to the restaurant.

  Chapter 4

  Dinner was amazing. Kingsley had insisted I order the most expensive thing the menu and practically balked when I tried to pay. He told me that his father held meetings there all the time and we put dinner on his tab.

  We were about to pull up to the dorms when Kingsley spoke up. “So, do you want to come back to my room? We can watch some TV or just talk.”

  My face flushed because I knew what he was asking. He wanted to have sex. My heart raced and I thought of something to say that didn’t sound like a brush off. But before I had a chance to get any words out, he took my hand. Then he leaned forward and kissed my knuckles softly.

  “I see the hamster wheel turning in your head. I really just want to spend some more time with you. No pressure. As much as I want to be with you in that way, I can wait until you’re ready.”

  And just like that, my heart soared. He got me. I leaned forward, placed my hand gently on the side of his face, and kissed him. “I’d love to go to your room.”

  Kingsley smiled brightly and then pulled into a parking spot. As we were going up to his dorm, Kingsley was rubbing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. It was actually really comforting. I bit my lip and looked up at him. I wasn’t ready to go all the way, but I wanted to kiss him again and I couldn’t wait.

  “I think I need a pit stop,” I said, leaning against the wall.

  He looked at me, confused, until I grabbed his jacket, pulling him into me. Kingsley grinned and pressed against me hard. It was a passionate kiss as he slid his hand up my side and stopped at my breast. He lightly stroked my nipple with his thumb and I shivered with anticipation. It felt so good and I wasn’t ready for him to stop. I didn’t even care that we were in the middle of a hallway. Who would have thought I’d be all right with exhibitionism?