been through a lot tonight. You should get some sleep.’
‘But I – I thought we could hang out a bit.’ Cassie found she was desperate to keep him with her, to have presence for a little longer. ‘I’m not tired …’
‘I am.’ But he reached out to her all the same, pulling her closer, almost as if he didn’t know he was doing it. ‘Surely you must be too.’
‘I’m not,’ Cassie murmured. Her eyes swept urgently around his face, her hands moving up to caress it, unthinkingly. He seemed bewildered, his breathing heavy.
She drew in a breath to say something else. Too late. His mouth was suddenly on hers, his tongue finding her tongue and striking sparks off her nerve endings. For an instant the tide of lust held her immobilised; then she was returning the kiss, passionately, almost violently. Her arms snaked round his neck, warm under her touch, and she drew him closer, so close, as if their bodies were trying to fuse together.
Yesss …
Estelle’s voice inside her mind, echoing her thoughts once more.
Together, we must be, all of us … !
Suddenly, Cassie felt Ranjit’s fingers in her hair, tugging it, pulling it taut. She gave a gasp of pain but then drew his mouth to hers once more. She sucked his lower lip between her teeth, biting down hard, almost drawing blood – there was an urgency, a violence developing between them, but she felt powerless to break their embrace …
‘STOP THIS AT ONCE!’
The barked order was sudden and fierce. Ranjit’s head snapped back, breaking contact. Cassie growled in frustration. It took her a moment to realise that Sir Alric stood beside them, framed in the doorway of his office, his shoulders tense and his hands clenched into fists.
Ranjit seemed stunned into silence for a beat, licking a drop of blood from his lips. ‘I’m sorry—’
Don’t apologise, lover …
‘Don’t apologise,’ Cassie heard herself echo, and the words brought her back to cold reality. Had Ranjit been apologising to her, or to Sir Alric?
‘I think both of you should proceed to your own rooms forthwith,’ said Sir Alric through gritted teeth.
Ranjit nodded, looking shaken. Cassie frowned. What was his problem? Of course it was a bit embarrassing to be caught kissing by the principal, but they weren’t really doing anything really wrong, were they?
Ranjit stepped away from her, very deliberately. She shook her head, and gave a mirthless laugh.
‘Night, Ranjit.’
‘Goodnight, Cassie.’ His eyes still held a shade of longing.
Frustrated, she turned away without a second glance at Sir Alric. But as she walked down the hall she heard the principal’s voice, low and severe.
‘A word before you go, Mr Singh.’
Cassie turned, confused, and saw Ranjit give her a brief last glance before disappearing back into the office. What was that about?
Next time, my dear, we must try harder. This simply will not do …
CHAPTER TWELVE
‘J ake? What are you doing here?’
Cassie had been trying to turn the door handle quietly so as not to wake her roommate, when the door suddenly swung open, making her jump. Why would Jake be leaving her and Isabella’s room so late in the evening? Then she remembered the couple’s date, and couldn’t help allowing a little smile to cross her lips. ‘Oops. Hope I haven’t interrupted anything?’
Jake’s face was serious. ‘Uh, Cassie, can I talk to you for a sec?’
Her heart skipped a beat. He’d been avoiding her for weeks, why did he want to talk to her now? Had he found out about the feeding? No, he wouldn’t even be speaking to her if that were the case. Did he know what had happened earlier with Katerina? She wasn’t expecting to have to deal with that aspect of the evening’s events quite so soon …
Jake stepped outside and pulled the door shut quietly. ‘I’m glad you’re back. Isabella’s gonna need someone with her tonight.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘We just had a bit of a scare at Coney Island is all. It’s
‘But I – I thought we could hang out a bit.’ Cassie found she was desperate to keep him with her, to have presence for a little longer. ‘I’m not tired …’
‘I am.’ But he reached out to her all the same, pulling her closer, almost as if he didn’t know he was doing it. ‘Surely you must be too.’
‘I’m not,’ Cassie murmured. Her eyes swept urgently around his face, her hands moving up to caress it, unthinkingly. He seemed bewildered, his breathing heavy.
She drew in a breath to say something else. Too late. His mouth was suddenly on hers, his tongue finding her tongue and striking sparks off her nerve endings. For an instant the tide of lust held her immobilised; then she was returning the kiss, passionately, almost violently. Her arms snaked round his neck, warm under her touch, and she drew him closer, so close, as if their bodies were trying to fuse together.
Yesss …
Estelle’s voice inside her mind, echoing her thoughts once more.
Together, we must be, all of us … !
Suddenly, Cassie felt Ranjit’s fingers in her hair, tugging it, pulling it taut. She gave a gasp of pain but then drew his mouth to hers once more. She sucked his lower lip between her teeth, biting down hard, almost drawing blood – there was an urgency, a violence developing between them, but she felt powerless to break their embrace …
‘STOP THIS AT ONCE!’
The barked order was sudden and fierce. Ranjit’s head snapped back, breaking contact. Cassie growled in frustration. It took her a moment to realise that Sir Alric stood beside them, framed in the doorway of his office, his shoulders tense and his hands clenched into fists.
Ranjit seemed stunned into silence for a beat, licking a drop of blood from his lips. ‘I’m sorry—’
Don’t apologise, lover …
‘Don’t apologise,’ Cassie heard herself echo, and the words brought her back to cold reality. Had Ranjit been apologising to her, or to Sir Alric?
‘I think both of you should proceed to your own rooms forthwith,’ said Sir Alric through gritted teeth.
Ranjit nodded, looking shaken. Cassie frowned. What was his problem? Of course it was a bit embarrassing to be caught kissing by the principal, but they weren’t really doing anything really wrong, were they?
Ranjit stepped away from her, very deliberately. She shook her head, and gave a mirthless laugh.
‘Night, Ranjit.’
‘Goodnight, Cassie.’ His eyes still held a shade of longing.
Frustrated, she turned away without a second glance at Sir Alric. But as she walked down the hall she heard the principal’s voice, low and severe.
‘A word before you go, Mr Singh.’
Cassie turned, confused, and saw Ranjit give her a brief last glance before disappearing back into the office. What was that about?
Next time, my dear, we must try harder. This simply will not do …
CHAPTER TWELVE
‘J ake? What are you doing here?’
Cassie had been trying to turn the door handle quietly so as not to wake her roommate, when the door suddenly swung open, making her jump. Why would Jake be leaving her and Isabella’s room so late in the evening? Then she remembered the couple’s date, and couldn’t help allowing a little smile to cross her lips. ‘Oops. Hope I haven’t interrupted anything?’
Jake’s face was serious. ‘Uh, Cassie, can I talk to you for a sec?’
Her heart skipped a beat. He’d been avoiding her for weeks, why did he want to talk to her now? Had he found out about the feeding? No, he wouldn’t even be speaking to her if that were the case. Did he know what had happened earlier with Katerina? She wasn’t expecting to have to deal with that aspect of the evening’s events quite so soon …
Jake stepped outside and pulled the door shut quietly. ‘I’m glad you’re back. Isabella’s gonna need someone with her tonight.’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘We just had a bit of a scare at Coney Island is all. It’s
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