Page 42 of Redeeming the Villain
“You’re right; I’m sorry. Let me direct that attitude where I mean it.” His gaze shifts. “Toyou.” He steps forward, leaning down and resting his hands against the back of a chair across the table from us. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” I snap, my tone sharper than expected.
Blair’s head whips my way in shock.
Malik cocks his head to the side, his eyes running up and down my body.
“Blair invited me over to study. But don’t worry; I’m leaving now.” I hook my backpack over my shoulder.
Malik pushes away from the chair, rounding the table toward me and getting in my face. “I don’t want you to come back to my house.”
I cross my arms as my face twists into a scowl. “In my defense, I wouldn’t have come if I had known you lived here. The last thing I want to do is be in the same house as you.”
His head whips over to Blair, who is avoiding looking at us, Griffin’s arm wrapped around her. He snarls, “Blair, seriously? Did you do this on purpose? Stay out of my damn business.”
Griffin’s voice is cold yet hesitant as he warns Malik, “Careful, buddy. You need to chill out before you take it too far, especially with my girl.”
Malik chuckles manically, reminding me of the Malik that I know well. “Or what?”
“Malik.” Blair exhales his name in disappointment.
Griffin strides around the table toward him, shoving his shoulders. “Go for a walk, dude. You need to calm down. Love you, man, but you’re being a fucking prick.”
“Well, I’ll see you guys later. Or hopefully,notall of you. Thanks for having me over, Blair.” I wave kindly to her before turning back toward the exit of the dining room, which, of course, is behind the now-dueling boys.
Malik tears his angry stare from Griffin, aiming it straight down at me. “Where do you think you’re going?”
I throw my hands up in the air as frustration weighs me down. “What?”
His eyebrows pinch together, and he steps toward me. “Where are you going? I didn’t see a car out front when I got back from my run.”
I run my hand down my face. “So, you don’t want me here? But you also don’t want me to leave? And you want to know how I’m leaving? As if you deserve any of that.”
When I stride past him, he catches my forearm in his grasp, surprisingly gentle but firm enough that I can’t budge. “Answer me.”
I roll my eyes at him and then look up into his darkened eyes. “Let me make sure you hear this plain as day.” I clear my throat. “Fuck. You. Malik.”
His eyes brighten, and ever so slightly, a smirk tips up the corner of his lips. Of course, he finds this amusing. “You wish.”
“Believe me”—I stand up on my toes, closing the gap between our faces by a couple of inches—“I would rather cut my hands off and never play piano again than sleep with you.”
His tongue flicks against his bottom lip before he bites down on it, his eyes falling to my lips.
Andthereit is.
That spark in his eyes that I’m getting weirdly accustomed to seeing when he looks at me. Burning bright and uncontrolled.
Maybe I could taunt him with the answer to his question, even if it’s not true. “I have to go. I have a date.”
Spinning on my heel, I stride through the arched entryway of the dining room and cross the grand foyer to the front door, quickly slipping on my shoes.
“Oh, yeah? With who?” he demands, charging after me, his feet stomping on the marble before coming to a stop two feet behind me.
“Jesus!” I jump, not realizing how close he is.
“Who is it?” he asks again, his eyes boring deep into me.
My phone dings, and I’m sure it’s Phillip, letting me know that he’s here. “You don’t know him. He just transferred in.”
