RED NOTES AND KISSES-Chapter 81: FRIDA -

His voice sent shivers down her spine, the kind that felt annoyingly perfect.

"Hey," she whispered, breathless.

"Hey," he replied softly, lifting her effortlessly. Her legs wrapped around his waist, their breaths mingling like they were the only two in existence.

His scent was intoxicating, sharper and more alluring than usual.

"I thought you were in Japan," she managed to say, her voice catching.

"I was," he murmured, holding her hands pinned above her head.

"So, how did you get here so fast?"

"Because I missed you," he said simply, and her heart raced.

Yeah, she couldn’t even think about the damn birds anymore.

"Why are you holding a knife?" he asked, his voice low and wickedly seductive, making her knees weak despite her current position.

She gulped, cheeks burning. "Would you believe me if I said it was for mice?"

He chuckled darkly, lowering her to the ground. He plucked the knife from her grasp with a teasing grin, kissing her cheek lightly. "No."

He casually tossed the knife across the room into the kitchen sink with precision that made her breath hitch. Who even does that?

"Laz," she started, trying to broach the subject of the photos.

She slipped out of his arms, walking backward as he strode toward her, quick and deliberate. She tried to put space between them, but her back hit a cold pole hanging randomly in her bedroom.

According to Vanessa, it was for practicing pole dancing.

She grabbed it and spun out of his way just before he caught her.

He shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Do you use that?"

She giggled. "Would you like that?" His eyes dilated, like he hadn’t expected that answer.

Even she hadn’t expected to say it, but she didn’t want to show how unsure she was.

"I know a few tricks. Vanessa taught me."

He smirked, leaning against the wall.

"Show me."

Her heart actually skipped a beat, and her mouth went dry.

She shyly drew her body up the pole, like Vanessa had taught her.

Climbing up smoothly, she did a little spin, her hands gripping tightly while her legs moved freely, twisting gracefully. Her eyes locked on his, even in the dark.

His gaze was hot and heavy. She liked it—a lot.

So she got bolder, trying a trick she’d never done before. She twisted around and licked the pole.

His voice rasped, dark and heavy. "You have exams, Frida."

She chuckled, climbing higher. "So?"

She hung freely, her hair flowing as her legs held her up. He stepped closer, her shirt slipping down just below her ribcage.

He placed a soft kiss on her belly button, then trailed a path to her ribs.

She whimpered, clinging to the pole for dear life as his tongue teased the edge of her bra.

"Laz," she called, trying to clear her head.

He groaned, flipping her off the pole and into his arms smoothly. "We don’t have time for this," he whispered against her lips.

She tried again to clear her head, wanting to ask him about the photos. "Laz," she called, breathless.

"Your exams first, Frida. Then everything else," he said sternly, setting her at her desk.

She nodded, hugging herself. Right, her exams were the priority. Even he remembered that

His eyes glanced at the photos on her book, and she quickly slipped them under her ass as she sat on the table. Clearing her throat, she tried to look unbothered.

He arched a brow. "What’s that?"

"What’s what?" she asked, feigning confusion.

He arched a brow again. "The picture you slipped under your ass?" he grinned as he leaned forward, reaching for it.

She panicked and blurted out, "It’s Vinnie Hacker!"

He blinked at her, clearly confused. "Vinnie Hacker?" he repeated.

She quickly used the distraction to slip the photos of the dead bird and the red note into her drawer. "Yeah, famous hot guy on TikTok. Wears glasses, has tattoos."

He leaned back, glanced at her mirror, then back at her with a smirk. "Sounds like whoever you’re describing is similar to me."

She blushed at the statement. "What? No! Vinnie Hacker is hot, and you’re, well... there."

Her gasp filled the room as he moved lightning-fast, trapping her body between the wall and him. His face hovered close, a smug look in his eyes.

Her heart did a backfkip, was it world trap your friends in your arms day? Because she was having a hell of a good time.

"He’s hot, huh?" he asked with a bemused tone.

She smirked, her boldness coming out of nowhere. "What? Jealous?"

His grin deepened as he raised his iPad, showing her a picture.

"So," he said, two images on display. One was of a lush, green forest with a sparkling waterfall and golden beach sands scattered with marbles. The other showed mossy green fields with tall trees and a serene, rocky river.

"Which one?" he asked casually.

She frowned. "Wait—you came all the way from Japan to show me pictures?"

He smirked and shrugged.

She had to admit, he looked sinfully good tonight. The sleeveless navy-blue shirt clung to him perfectly, paired with baggy jeans, a thick leather jacket, a backward baseball cap, and glasses that completed his frat-boy-meets-bad-boy aesthetic.

"Frida?" he snapped his fingers, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Right, um... the first one. It’s beautiful. That field of lavender looks amazing." She smiled shyly.

He smirked, dialing a number. "Yeah, we’ll take the first one. Thanks."

Her jaw dropped. "What just happened?"

"I bought it," he said simply.

"You what?" she squeaked.

"You said you needed somewhere to study," he replied, as if it were the most obvious solution in the world. He leaned in whispering in her ear "Bet Vinnie Backer can’t do that."

She stared at him, flabbergasted. "I didn’t say you should buy a whole island!"

"Well, I did. Shall we?" He grabbed her hand as she tried to process his insanity. freёnovelkiss.com

"No, I’m in pajamas!" she protested, tugging her hand free.

His gaze darkened, and she tried not to swoon. "You look perfect to me."

"You’re crazy," she huffed.

"And you’re adorable," he shot back with a grin, casually gathering her books and scooping her up as if she weighed nothing.

"Fine, let me at least wear something decent," she pleaded, slapping his ass playfully.

He set her down outside her dorm door with a smirk. "You liked that, didn’t you?"

"Absolutely," she teased, laughing as she slipped inside and slammed the door shut.

"Wait outside, pretty boy!" she called out, grinning.

"Take your time, pretty girl. I’m not going anywhere," he chuckled, his voice soft and warm through the door. Then, after a pause: "But don’t take too long. Patience isn’t exactly my strong suit."