Chapter 4

“What the hell?” Cassy exclaimed, her voice a mix of shock and anger as she took in the sight before her. Standing in her room was none other than Bryan, shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of pajama pants that hung just low enough to make her roll her eyes in disgust. Or maybe annoyance. Definitely annoyance.

Bryan grinned, his green eyes glinting with mischief. “What’s the matter, princess? Not so fearless now, are we?”

“What are you doing in my room, you arrogant prick?” she snapped, folding her arms tightly over her chest.

He smirked, stepping closer. “ Scared already.“

“I'm not. Get out,” she said, pointing at the door, but the confidence in her voice wavered slightly as he continued moving toward her.

“Make me,” he said, his smirk growing wider.

Cassy instinctively stepped back, her body pressing against the cool wall. Bryan didn’t stop until he was inches away, towering over her. His presence was intoxicatingly infuriating.

“I’ll scream,” she threatened, her finger trembling as she jabbed it toward the door again.

“Go ahead.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper as his eyes roamed over her face, lingering just a second too long on her lips.

His gaze dropped lower, lingering boldly on her boobs. One brow arched, and that maddeningly cocky smirk crept back onto his lips.

Cassy felt her cheeks burn. “Stop staring, you creep!”

"What? It's nothing I haven’t seen before," Bryan smirked, leaning in dangerously close. His voice was smooth, laced with amusement. "Your heart’s pounding like a drum. I can hear it. What—do you miss me already?"

"Get off me, you pervert!" Cassy shoved at his chest, but it was like trying to move a damn mountain.

He didn’t budge.

Not even an inch.

Instead, Bryan pressed her back against the wall, his arms caging her in, his heat sinking into her skin. His scent—clean, masculine, intoxicating—wrapped around her like a net she couldn't escape.

"A pervert?" His lips tilted into a knowing smirk, eyes flickering with mischief. "Says the girl who can’t stop staring at my abs. I bet you’re undressing me in your head right now."

His words made her pulse jump, and the worst part? He wasn’t wrong.

Cassy clenched her jaw, forcing her eyes anywhere but the broad, sculpted muscles in front of her. "You’re insane," she hissed, pressing her palms flat against the wall behind her, desperate for something—anything—to ground her.

Bryan chuckled, his voice a low, delicious vibration. "Admit it," he murmured, his breath ghosting against her ear. "You missed me. And you want me."

Her stomach knotted. Her skin burned.

"Get over yourself, idiot," she snapped, tilting her chin up defiantly. "I’ve forgotten all about you."

His laughter was deep, rich—dangerous. The kind of sound that could make a girl melt if it weren’t so damn infuriating.

"Sure," he murmured, eyes gleaming with challenge. "Keep telling yourself that."

Before she could fire back, his face grew serious, his green eyes locking onto hers. “I came here to give you a warning,” he said, his tone suddenly icy.

“A warning?” she repeated, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Yeah. Tomorrow at school, don’t act like you know me. I don’t want to be associated with you or your mom. Ever.”

Cassy’s jaw dropped. “Likewise, you arrogant jackass!”

He didn’t move, his hand bracing against the wall beside her head, blocking her escape. His free hand traced her cheek, not gently, but in a way that made her blood boil. “You and your mom,” he sneered, “are nothing but gold diggers. I can practically smell the poverty oozing out of you.”

Cassy froze, his words slicing through her like a knife. Then, in a flash of fury, she brought her knee up—hard on his crotch.

Bryan doubled over, clutching his groin, his face contorted in pain. “You crazy bitch!” he groaned, his voice several octaves higher than usual.

“And you’re an asshole,” she shot back, shoving him toward the door with surprising strength. “Don’t worry, Bryan. I’ll ignore you—not just at school, but for the rest of my life.”

She yanked the door open and shoved him out into the hall. “And by the way? You’re the least attractive person I’ve ever met,” she added before slamming the door in his face.

Back in his room, Bryan staggered to his bed, still clutching his crotch. “That girl is out of her damn mind,” he muttered, flopping onto the mattress.

After a moment, he sat up, tugging at the waistband of his pajama pants to inspect the damage. His face lit up with relief as he realized his “crown jewels” were still intact.

“This is war,” he whispered to himself, his lips curving into a cold smirk.

Bryan leaned back against his pillows, his mind already racing. Tomorrow, Cassy was going to regret ever stepping foot in his school. He’d make her life a living hell, so unbearable that she and her mom would have no choice but to disappear from his family’s life for good.

“Fucking gold diggers,” he muttered, his eyes closing as a wicked grin spread across his face.

The moment he closed his eyes, she was there again. Her image burned into his mind like an unshakable ghost, haunting him in the most intoxicating way. Those eyes—sharp and piercing—cut straight through him, stripping away the last remnants of his restraint.

And her scent… God. It was maddening. A sinful mixture of warmth and something undeniably hers, wrapping around him, seeping into his senses, making it impossible to think straight.

It took every ounce of his willpower not to close the distance, not to sink his teeth into that delicate, pulsing throat.

"God, I’m screwed," he muttered under his breath, his voice rough with hunger.

He pried his eyes open again, but it didn’t help. Because she was still there. And the craving? It was only getting worse.