I slugged him. Laughing, he stepped back. “Towels are in the cupboard under the sink. We have everything you need next to the tub. Just… don’t drown, okay?”
“Why would I drown?”
He sighed heavily. “Just…” He slammed his fist against the counter. Holy crap, what did I do? “Just, don’t make me worry, okay? I hate worrying.”
Didn’t everyone? “Fine.” I nodded. “I’ll try really hard to keep myself from mermaiding it, deal?”
Without looking at me, he nodded his head and walked out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
Geez, that boy had more mood swings than grandma when she went through menopause.
I quickly stripped off the rest of my clothes and leaned over to feel the water. It scalded my hands. Perfect.
It was tricky lowering myself into that Jacuzzi tub. Finally I was immersed except for my knee. The scrape was still bleeding, and I knew it would hurt like hell the minute it went underwater.
I just didn’t know how bad.
“Ow, ow, ow! Crap!” I blew on my knee and waved my hands in the air.
The door to the bathroom burst open. “What happened?”
I looked at Nixon. A shirtless Nixon. Was he planning to join me too?
Then his eyes locked with mine and lower. I didn’t cover up this time. I think I was in shock or something. Warmth spread through my body, and it had nothing to do with the bath water as his eyes darkened.
He took a step toward me and then another.
“Nixon! Are you in here? Is she okay?” It was Chase.
With a curse he backed out of the bathroom and slammed the door. My heart beat wildly in my chest. What just happened?
Confused and exhausted, I decided to be quick about the bath. I ducked my head under the water. Peace and quiet. It was so nice. My stomach grumbled underwater. Of course it did. I was losing weight on this whole vegan kick, mainly because I was eating Cheerios and granola bars like they were going out of style.
After fifteen minutes, my hair was washed and I was squeaky clean. But I didn’t have any clothes to change into. I paced the bathroom for a few minutes and tried to even my breathing. I didn’t want to barge out of the bathroom in all my nak*d glory asking for clothes. What if other people were in there?
“You can do this, Trace, just ask for some clothes.” I gave myself a pep talk, nodded my head once, and reached for the door. The minute my fingers touched the knob it jerked open and I fell directly into Nixon’s shirtless, muscled, and tattooed arms.
We both froze. His fingers dug into my shoulders. My face smooshed against his chest. He was breathing heavily, and I was trying to remember not to faint.
“You need something?” he whispered into my ear. Lord, how did his whisper even sound sexy? Shouldn’t there be laws against guys crazy as sin being sexy?
“I need…” My voice cracked. Great. “Um, I need something to wear.”
“Hmm…” He gently pushed me away and looked down at my towel. “Are you sure about that?”
My knees seriously began knocking together. Why did he have to be so beautiful? And why did his touch make me want to sell my soul?
I licked my lips and broke eye contact.
Nixon released me and immediately I felt so cold I shivered. “I’ll find you something. Give me a few minutes.”
He jogged off. Giving me a beautiful view of a tattoo on his back. It was huge, almost taking up the entire thing. It was the picture of a cross, and then in some weird language, maybe Italian, I couldn’t tell, it said Familia and a few other things.
My eyes scanned the rest of the room. It basically looked like a bachelor pad. Or a hangout. The room was large and each chair had a game console hooked up to it as well as a name, and then the far side opposite of the TV had little closets with uniforms with names above each uniform.
Holy hell, I was in the Bat Cave. This was the Elect headquarters. Crap. I just took a bath in the Elect bathroom.
All I needed was to be seen leaving this place and the entire campus would be even more relentless.
I slumped against the wall.
Nixon appeared a few minutes later with some clothes. They all had tags on them. “So…” He scratched his head. “I, um, I guessed on the sizes, and I honestly didn’t want to offend you by guessing too big or guessing too small, which is why it took me five years to pick something out. So don’t get pissed if I was wrong, okay?”
A laugh escaped my lips. “Okay, I promise I won’t get mad.” I took the clothes from his hands and went back into the bathroom.
The jeans were designer. The only reason I knew was because the tag was still on them, and it said three hundred and ninety dollars. I swallowed and pulled out the sweater. It was cashmere and soft, exactly the type of thing I’d want to wear after a crappy day.
There was a small pink box underneath that said Victoria Secret. What? Did he have a freaking mall in this place? Well, it was the Bat Cave, and it was Eagle Elite. I shrugged and opened the box.
My eyebrow lifted. A thong? Really? The matching bra wasn’t so bad, and wonder of all wonders, it was a 34 C, which actually was my size. Then again he had just seen me topless and… oh crap. I leaned against the counter and took a few deep breaths.
It only took me a few minutes to get dressed. I grabbed my clothes off the floor and tried to comb the tangles out of my hair with my fingers.
Nixon was waiting in the large room drinking something and watching TV. “Better?” He took another sip from his cup and never took his eyes from the TV.
“Squeaky clean, and I’m happy to announce that no drowning took place in your bathroom.”
He smirked and nodded his head.
Okay, so was this the part where I was supposed to say thank you and bolt like a scared deer?
I cleared my throat. He still hadn’t moved.
Right. “Well, thanks for… everything. I’ll just go back to—”
“—You aren’t going anywhere until classes are dismissed. You still have two hours to burn. So make yourself at home.”
“But…” I held the damp egg-smelling clothes in my hands. “I need to get these cleaned and…”
Nixon swore and launched himself from the couch, stalking his way toward me. He grabbed my uniform along with my underwear and tossed it into the trash. “Done.”
“What, you have a magical trash can that cleans clothes?”
“Nope. You can’t wear those again. They’re ruined and there are rules here. You can’t just wear a ruined uniform.”
“I hate the stupid rules!” I stomped over to the trash can and tried to free my clothes. “This uniform is all I have!”
Nixon pried the death grip I had on my clothes and dragged me over to the couch. “Sit.”
“But—”
“Sit.” It wasn’t a question, it was a command. I stuck out my tongue. He licked his lips and smiled. “You thirsty?”
Deep breaths. “No.”
“Hungry?”
My stomach growled. Damn traitor!
“That’s what I thought.”
I refused to turn around even when I heard him messing around in what was probably the kitchen. A few curses and slamming of pots and pans and he returned.
With a cow.
Okay, not a real cow. A dead one, in the shape of a hamburger and fries. My mouth watered and sadly I felt tears prick in my eyes. “Thank you.”
I was officially the lame homeless lady who had no money, no food, and cried when people offered her meat. Sigh.
“You need to eat more.” He cursed.
Just then the doors opened. Chase strolled in with a garment bag, followed by Monroe, Tex, and Phoenix. Welcome all to the room of humiliation!
“Are you okay?” Monroe ran to my side and hugged me.
My mouth was full so I just nodded.
“I made her half a cow.” Nixon laughed. “I’m sure she’s in meat lover’s heaven right now.”
“Aww, you killed a cow for her?” Monroe sighed happily.
“Good God, people, he put frozen meat in the microwave and pressed defrost,” Chase muttered. “Is this all you needed fearless leader?” He held out the garment bag.
Nixon nodded. “Right sizes?”
“Yup.”
“Good,” Nixon clipped.” Just put the bag over there, and we’ll take it over once classes are out.”
Chase’s face was stern as he did what Nixon said, but his jaw flexed as if he wanted to say more but was held back.
Phoenix kept looking at me funny as if I was going to launch my person on him and beat the living daylights out of him, which I kind of wanted to do, all things considered, but I felt kind of powerless against him.
Tex sat between me and Monroe and put his arm around her. “So, what are we doing this weekend?”
“We…” Monroe ducked under his arm and placed it back on his knee. “Are doing nothing. I’m going to be a good friend and hang out with my roommate who was brutally assaulted by the stupid a**holes that go to our school.”
Tex pouted. “Nixon, can’t you just order a hit on the ones that started it so I can have some alone time with your sister?”
I laughed. “Order a hit? You guys talk like he’s mafia or something.”
The room fell silent and then everyone burst out laughing.
But it was the kind of nervous laughter that happens when nobody knows what else to do.
Freaky.
I finished the burger while Monroe and Tex argued over what to do with me where I wouldn’t get into trouble or cause myself physical harm. Finally I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Guys! Just go hang out. I was going to go to the store anyways.”
“No!” everyone said in unison.
“Is the store dangerous or something?”
Monroe shrugged. “No, it’s just not smart. I mean you shouldn’t leave campus by yourself. Besides, you need a car. You don’t have a car.”
No, but I had a bit of money stashed away. “I’ll take a cab.”
Monroe looked horrified. “A cab?”
Tex burst out laughing. “Do those still exist?”
Nixon flipped off the TV gaining everyone’s attention.
“So…” Chase asked, thrusting his hands in his pockets. “What will it be Nixon?”
He eyed me briefly before answering. “I guess we’re all going shopping.”
“But—” Monroe started and Nixon gave her a warning glare.
“We’ll take security.” He shrugged.
“But last time—”
“—I said…” Nixon’s nostrils flared. “We’ll take security.”
Chapter Eleven
After the last class ended for the afternoon, Monroe walked me back to the dorm. It was safe to say my messenger bag was completely destroyed. Grumpy, I threw it on the floor and grabbed the box that Grandma had given me. I hadn’t looked past the framed picture since that night, but I did stuff that wad of cash underneath a whole bunch of stuff in the box in order to keep it safe.
I hoped Grandpa wouldn’t be too upset that I was using the emergency fund for food and a new bag.