Cheers abounded once more. Clapping. Whistling. Once by one, the instructors filed out of the room. My gaze bore into Ryan's back until the last possible second. The music kicked up again and kids started dancing, arms flying, bodies flailing. Bradley and Erik high-fived before Bradley pulled Kitten back onto the dance floor. Erik grabbed Cara and followed suit.
A tall, handsome boy approached Emma and asked her to dance. She glanced at me with uncertainty, and I nodded encouragingly. Her cheeks reddened, but she nodded. The boy grinned, and the two of them were off.
Alone, I sighed.
Not knowing my punishment for kissing Ryan was the only black spot in my life. Well, I can fix that. Yeah, I could. Right now. Knowing what I had to do, I raced after Boss, spying him and the others in the hallway. “Boss,” I called.
All of the instructors turned toward me, confused. Boss stopped, faced me, and dismissed the others with a wave of his hand. Everyone but Ryan. He latched onto Ryan's wrist, holding him in place.
“Now is as good a time as any,” he said. “My office. Both of you.” He was wearing his dark glasses, so I couldn't read his expression. His voice, though, was harsh.
My heart began pounding in my chest as I followed behind him, through restricted area after restricted area and into his office. Ryan didn't look at me. His back was stiff, his hands clenched into fists.
Ryan took a position in front of the desk. I came up beside him as Boss claimed the chair in front. The multiple screens behind him were blank.
Ryan didn't deserve to be kicked out just because we'd kissed, but neither did I. We'd done a good job with the Sybilins. That should matter more than a little rule breaking. In my opinion, at least.
“Is there something you two want to tell me?” Boss leaned back and anchored his hands over his middle.
“I kissed her,” Ryan said at the same time I said, “I kissed him.”
We shared an exasperated look. Shut up, he mouthed.
You shut up, I returned.
“Both of you shut up,” Boss said. “You knew better than to do such a thing. Didn't you?”
Silence.
“Didn't you?” he barked.
“Yes,” we said in unison.
He worked his jaw. “How do you think you should be punished then?”
Ryan slapped a hand against the desktop. “Phoenix is not to be blamed. I'm older, and I knew better.”
“Ryan is not to be blamed, sir. Only me. I—I forced him!”
Ryan choked, and Boss sighed.
“Kick me out if you feel you must,” I added, “but know that you'll be losing a damn good agent.”
“Yes, I saw what you did, how you fought. For a student who has been here less than a month, your abilities continue to amaze me. I haven't seen fighting like that since Le'Ace and Mia.”
Pride filled me, overshadowing my fear. “Thank you.”
He sighed again, loud and long. “This is strike two for you, Phoenix. Ryan, strike one. Don't let it happen again. Do you understand me? Our rules are in effect for a reason.”
I swallowed against my relief, my depression, and my panic. Relief because I wasn't being kicked out. Depression because I could not kiss Ryan again. And panic because I had one more chance. Only one. If I messed up, I'd lose everything I'd come to love.
“Get out of here. And tell everyone you were whipped or something. Otherwise I'll have a revolt. God, I'm soft.”
Without another word, I turned on my heel and strode from the room, right behind Ryan. When we were alone in the hall, he said, “I'll walk you to the Common.”
“All right.” We stalked forward. I was trembling. With happiness, with dread. I had so much I wanted to say to him, but the words were suddenly frozen in my throat. He was Ryan, my Ryan, and I had to stay away from him. I couldn't be kicked out.
“I'm proud of you,” he said. “You saved me.”
Finally I found my voice. “We're even, then, because you saved me that night in the forest.”
“You're going to be the best agent this academy has ever produced and…” He pushed out a sigh. “I'm sorry I put that in jeopardy.”
“I wanted you to kiss me, Ryan.” I still do. God. An entire year without kissing him. Would I survive? I'd have to, because this program had to be priority one. At least for now. So there could be no more strikes.
A moment passed in silence, and then Ryan did the most amazing thing. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me into a shadowed corner. “What's going on?” I gasped out.
“I set the cameras to turn off sixty seconds after we left the office.” He grinned down at me. “We've got two minutes. Let's make the most of it.” His lips meshed over mine, his tongue immediately thrusting inside.
I didn't hesitate. My arms twined around his neck, pulling him as close as I could get him. If this kiss had to last us a year, I was going to make the most of it. I rubbed myself all over him, trying to sink past his skin. Trying to brand myself with him.
His hands tangled in my hair, and he moaned. My blood was burning, raging through my veins. The kiss became so fervent, our teeth banged together. He even palmed my breast. I leaned deeper into him, silently begging for more.
“Ryan,” I urged. “More.”
“Phoenix,” he moaned. He tongued me deep, so wonderfully deep.
I sucked him with everything I had, memorizing, taking his breath and giving him mine. But all too soon, he jerked away from me. I groaned at the loss of him.
He was panting, I was panting. With shaky hands, he righted his clothing and helped me right mine. “Time's almost up.”
We stood back in the hallway as if we'd never stepped in the corner. We kicked into motion and rounded that very corner. The Common door came into view. I could hear voices beyond it, happy voices. Laughing voices.
At the door, Ryan stopped. I stopped. This was it. The end of the road. Ryan didn't move or speak for several seconds. Then, he folded me in a hug, whispering, “We'll find a way to make this work, Phoenix, even if we have to wait until you graduate.”
“Yes,” I whispered back. Yes, yes, yes. I'd wait for him. He was so worth it. And that he was willing to wait for me…God, life was good.
He opened the door for me, and I practically skipped past him. I felt his fingertips close around the ends of my hair, caressing, and then he was moving away from me. I expelled a breath, watching until the door closed and he disappeared.
“Phoenix,” I heard Emma call.
I turned, unable to hold back my grin.
She sat on the couch and motioned me over. I joined her, thinking that all suddenly felt right in my life. My mom loved me, Ryan wanted me, I had friends, I wasn't being kicked out of school, and I was turning out to be a great fighter. More than that, I hadn't broken down and used again, even under the most stressful of situations. While battling those Sybilins, drugs had been the last thing on my mind.