Attraction
1098 Words
Amara hurried through the hallway, bag in hand. She was late—so late—and she didn’t even understand why.
She’d kept a clean record for over a year, and now she’d broken it. All because of another not-so-very-sexy, very sexy, s*x dream.
Leo.
He was haunting her.
She rushed through the corridors and slipped into class. It was a joint, compulsory vocational subject, which meant everyone was there. Kevin sat with a cast slung over his shoulder. Tasha was a few rows back, snapping gum and leaning so close to Leo that her small chest was practically pressed against his arm.
And the worst part?
He looked like he didn’t mind.
“Miss Wayne?” The teacher’s voice cut through her thoughts.
“Yes, sir—I… I’m sorry I came late, I—”
“Just go to your seat and don’t distract my lecture.” His tone was calm, but her stomach dropped anyway.
She slid into the empty seat at the back row—two rows behind Leo. Great. Perfect. Just close enough to see Tasha practically purring against him like some untrained cat while he wore that smug, royal face of his.
From across the room, Becky tried to catch her eyes. Amara ignored her and sent a quick text: later! before dropping her phone. She already knew what Becky wanted to say: that Tasha had found a new target. But of all people, it just had to be Leo.
When class finally ended, Amara rushed into the hallway, her chest tight. The rest of the day dragged on insignificantly… until hockey practice.
She’d done this routine countless times: clipboard clutched to her chest, calculating scores, writing points, summarizing the match. Easy. Simple. Except today, nothing felt simple.
Because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t scrub out the image of Tasha pressed against Leo.
Damn him. He’d led her on twice already… was he really that cheap?
She wanted to hate him. To rip him apart piece by piece. But it was impossible to hold onto those thoughts when he was running across the field, sweat glistening on his golden skin, every line of muscle defined.
Too much.
It was too much.
The final whistle blew, snapping her back.
“Good work today, boys. Vance, tone down the aggression a bit,” the coach called out.
Leo smiled one of his killer smiles in response.
Amara scoffed, rolling her eyes, and tucked herself into her usual corner. Her routine was simple: wait until everyone left, go over her notes in peace, and then head home.
But not today.
Today, someone refused to leave.
Leo.
He walked toward her—not walked, glided. Every step was predatory, fluid, like he was stalking her. Her stomach knotted, her throat dry.
“Hey.” He stopped in front of her.
Too close.
Did he have a problem with personal space? His scent hit her, strong and dizzying—a mix of soil, grass, and something sweet. Something that wasn’t his.
Tasha.
Her perfume, her stupid rosy secret. And now it clung to him.
Amara turned her back, grabbed her bag, and tried to leave. His hand closed around her wrist before she could escape.
“Do you not see me?” His voice was deeper than usual, velvet with an edge.
Her breath hitched. “I do. Doesn’t mean I have to acknowledge your presence.” She forced the words through gritted teeth.
A low hum left his chest. “Snarky Amara is back.”
“Was there ever a time I wasn’t snarky?” she shot back.
But she made the mistake of looking into his eyes. Dark. Dangerous. They pulled her in like a tide, and once caught, there was no escape.
“You weren’t last night,” he said softly. “Before dinner. Although you switched gears after.”
Her pulse hammered. “And how was I then?”
“You were… you looked pretty. And I almost kissed you.”
The words hit her like a block. She stumbled back, cheeks blazing.
“What do you mean? I—I never wanted to kiss you!” Her voice cracked, louder than intended.
He pulled her closer, his grip tightening on her wrist. She gasped, her chest brushing his.
“I didn’t say you wanted to kiss me, Amara. I said I wanted to. I still want to. Will you let me?”
The air thickened. His words skated over her skin, caressing, no, harassing her.
Her throat trembled. “Do you… like me?” The whisper shook out of her.
His hand traced up her arm, slow, deliberate. She wasn’t even sure if he was aware of it, but his touch sent fire coursing through her.
“It depends on what you think ‘like’ is,” he murmured. “I’m attracted to you. I admit that much. But I don’t have… feelings for you.”
Her chest clenched. That hurt—more than she cared to admit. Why should it? She didn’t have feelings for him either… did she?
Definitely not!
“Then I guess you’re attracted to Tasha too,” she bit out. “Seeing how you let her rub herself all over you. You reek of her. You could’ve at least changed before practice.”
His lips curved, teasing. “Is that why you’ve been grumpy? Are you jealous?”
“Jealous?” she snapped. “Like I would be. I just don’t want you lying through your teeth about attraction while you smell like her.”
Without warning, Leo unbuttoned his shirt in one smooth movement. He shrugged it off and let it drop to the floor.
Amara’s breath caught. Her eyes widened, staring at his bare chest. “What the hell are you doing?”
“I don’t want to reek of her while I talk to you,” he said, voice low and sharp. “You know how Tasha is—she’s like that with everyone. But you didn't look long enough to see me shove her away. Attraction isn’t exclusive, Amara. But right now…” His gaze locked on hers. “Right now, you’re the only one I see.”
Her chest tightened. Her heart lurched painfully, beautifully. What was this warm, flooding ache?
“Attraction… since when?” Her voice was barely audible. Her eyes stung, traitorous.
His answer came without hesitation. “Since we were five.”
“Liar.”
“Call me whatever you want.” His voice dipped lower, husky. “But can I kiss you now?”
- Writer
