What am I doing? I’m so stupid. I’m an idiot, really. It’s the only thing that’s certain in my life. My mental tirade has repeated over and over in my head from the time I left Skull yesterday until right now at this very moment, standing in front of Katie’s stone, waiting for the one man in the world I should stay completely away from. I don’t, though. I choose to ignore common sense. I ignore my overpowering fear… and end up here instead of back at school.

The only excuse I have is that after Colin’s text this morning, I have a bigger fear. Colin has ordered me home this weekend. We’re going out to dinner together. Like a fool, I thought it was just another family dinner, and I asked if everything was alright.

His response made my blood run cold. He thinks it’s time to announce to the family that we’re a couple. “You ought to get accustomed to what I expect of you.” That’s what he said. I have no idea what that means, but the implications chill me.

I can’t let it happen. I just can’t let my life be one in which I’m… Colin’s.

That means I have to run away before Friday evening when Gerald comes to pick me up. I’m scared to death, but I’m more afraid of what will happen if I don’t try. It also means I have three days… three days… with Skull. It may be selfish of me, but I’m going to ignore everything inside of me that screams this is a bad idea. I’m ignoring the part of me that’s enraged and hurt because Skull’s already planning on moving on to another woman before we’ve even begun. I’m going to ignore everything and just live.

Skull is the only man to make me feel like a woman. I almost died, and one of my biggest regrets was that I would never feel what it felt like to make love… to be in love. Skull is that chance for me.

There’s a very big chance that my escape will fail and I won’t be able to get away from Colin. If I do, then he’s not going to be the only memory I have of sex… of being with a man. I’m going to give my body to Skull, except I’m doing it on my terms. What Skull doesn’t know hopefully won’t get him killed.

And that is the real reason I’m standing here. I expected Skull to show up by now. I glance at my watch. If he doesn’t show in the next ten minutes…

“Cristo… you’re in a uniform.”

“What?” I ask, taking in a breath after he scared me. He’s standing behind me. How long has he been there? I’m going to have to be more alert if I am really going on the run from my family. I turn around to look at Skull.

“I don’t usually engage in games,” he tells me. “I like my fucking straight forward. But… Christ, Beth. I wondered yesterday and now seeing you in a school uniform with that damn skirt… I suddenly see the appeal of role-play.”

His words warm me with heat—not embarrassment, but desire. I like knowing I get a response out of him that he hasn’t had before. Suddenly I find myself, the virgin who is slightly scared of going all the way, liking the idea of role-play, too.

“I didn’t have time to change,” I lie. I was afraid to change. “I brought some clothes in my pack,” I tell him, holding up the large backpack I’m carrying on my shoulder.

“Good girl, but you forgot one thing,” Skull says, stepping closer to me until our bodies are almost touching.

“What’s that?” I whisper, loving the look he has in his inky dark eyes.

“I’ve been almost twenty-four hours without your lips, querida,” he tells me, his hand sliding along my neck, adjusting me the way he wants before he takes my mouth.

I’ve spent all night remembering how it felt when he touched me… the way his fingers felt inside of me. Add that to the fact I know in my heart that I only have a few days with him and I’m dying for him. So, as his tongue dives into my mouth, I don’t wait for him to coax me this time. I let the taste of him invade my system and moan at how delicious it is. My tongue seeks his out, fighting with it, warring with it and demanding more. Skull’s arms come under my ass to pull me up on his body. I steady myself on his shoulders, our lips never parting as I wrap my legs around his thick body. We’re moving, but I don’t care. I want more of his taste, more of his kiss, more of… him.

I feel something hard hit my back. He has me against a tree. His mouth pulls away from mine and I let out a growl of protest; I’m not ready to stop yet.

“Christ. You’ve turned into a she-cat,” he says, his voice hoarse. One of his hands reaches under my shirt to palm my breast. I look at him, listening to the sounds of our ragged breath mixing with each other.

“I need you,” I tell him, saying the one fully honest thing to him I can.

“Are you horny, sweet Beth?” he asks, his thumb brushing against the fabric of my bra, teasing a puckered nipple that begs for his attention.

When I said I needed him, I wasn’t just talking about sex. I knew that’s where Skull would take it. I’m okay with that. He doesn’t have to know that he’s everything I’ve ever wanted in the world. Just like he will never know that he won’t be in control of when this ends. It’s just as well. I need to be the one to walk away from Skull, because if I have to watch him walk away from me, I know I’d never survive. Skull would laugh. I’m not so young and stupid that I don’t get that he doesn’t believe in love, but I know that I could love him. I could love him completely.

“Did you think about me last night, Beth?” he asks and I force my mind back to the here and now because that’s all I have… all I may ever have.

“Yes,” I tell him, and it’s the truth. That’s just one more complete truth between us.

“Did you need to come? Did your body remember what it felt like to have me touching it, exciting it?” He growls, freeing my breast from the bra, again torturing my nipple by pressing it firmly between his thumb and forefinger and pulling.

“Skull…” I complain, trying to grind myself against him, needing more than what he’s allowing.

“What is it, querida?” he asks like he doesn’t have a clue.

“Stop torturing me!”

“Aww, but torture can be so much fun, querida… So. Much. Fun.” He looks down at me commandingly. “Unbutton your shirt, now.”

His order grabs my attention and I don’t argue. I do exactly what he says, unbuttoning the white dress shirt. My fingers are shaking, whether from nerves or need, I can’t decipher. My fingers brush the back of his hand as I work, but my eyes never leave his. I watch his face, his attention glued to my breasts, and as the cool air hits my chest, I see that familiar heat zap into his eyes… and I feel beautiful. I feel like a woman… his woman. It takes some work, but I shrug out of the blazer and shirt, letting them fall to the ground. I don’t want them between us. I want to be bared to him—for him.

His head goes down. I expect more of his soft kisses, but on my neck or stomach, while his fingers keep up their magic. I don’t get that. Instead, I’m shocked as he sucks one of my aching nipples into his mouth. My body goes still for a minute as a wave of sensation barrages me. Then, need explodes through my body.

This. This is what I knew only Skull could give me. This is what is worth Colin’s wrath. This.

My hands go into Skull’s hair, urging his mouth on, and I cry out when he releases my breast with a wet pop. The sound echoes, but I don’t have time to voice my frustration because he instantly moves to my other breast, which for some reason is even more sensitive.

“Skull… oh, God. That feels so good,” I moan, wanting more, but wishing our positions were different so I could touch him too.

He looks up at me, and I don’t even complain that he’s left my breast alone. It doesn’t even occur to me, because he has this look in his eyes that hypnotizes me.

“Just wait, querida. I plan on making you feel much, much better.”

I swallow at his dark smile and darker promise. Fear is not there this time. Now, it’s all need.