"I'm the eyes that watch you in the dark,
When you think you're locked up safe and all alone,
I'm the hunger burnin' in your heart,
Cause baby, deep inside,
You need the thrill of the danger zone."

Drivin' Me Crazy - Y&T

/

Joss had been in the library for a while, long enough for most of the other people around her to give up on their studies and make their way home, in hopes of rest and a good dinner. Joss had an old, and probably expired, frozen dinner waiting for her, or maybe even spaghetti and canned tomatoes if she could be bothered to use the stove. Neither option was really appealing, and she'd been snacking, half-heatedly and secretly, upon a Skor chocolate bar whenever the librarian was too busy to notice anyone going against the rules of no food or drink allowed.

The librarian had retreated behind her desk for the past hour or so and Joss was glad of it, she was the evil queen of high school record keeping, ready with harsh calls for silence with a sudden sharp 'Shush!' when you weren't expecting it.

Joss supposed the lack of anyone else being around let the stern rule loving cataloguer relax and enjoy her cup of coffee and cookies, while any student would have been thrown out for even the merest whiff of rule breaking. Joss knew it was always one rule for the powerful, one for the grunts.

She glanced up at the slowly ticking clock upon the wall, she had an hour before this place closed at five thirty and she was only half done with her work. Joss sighed, tapping her pen repeatedly against the paper in impatience and yet nothing more would come, just a repeated sentence of how much she wanted to be home, in bed, eating junk food. She thought she maybe had a bag of sour cream and onion chips still in the cupboard, and once she'd remembered it may be there, waiting, it replaced all other thoughts.

At least all thoughts about getting any work done, her mind wandered far to easily to Billy and trying to figure out just what kind of new game he thought they were both playing? He hadn't even really apologized for what had happened at the arcade. Was coming up to her in the hallway his warped idea of letting her know he was sorry? That he did care? Or was he punishing her for not letting him get his way when he was stood at her front door? Was him coming over to her a warning, that if he wanted he could destroy her and make her life hell? Joss didn't want to think the worst of him, but it felt like trying to guess the winning number on a roulette wheel when you had your life savings waged against the outcome.

Whatever the reason was, Joss was pissed, because he'd broken their agreement of not interacting at school, even if she knew he never really took it that seriously anyway, dismissing her concerns with his usual casual shrug and reply of 'sure'.

Joss shook herself out of that merry-go-round of thoughts, if she didn't concentrate she'd be going over and over this train of thought all evening and she had work to do, she had to finish this paper. She looked down at the half empty page and allowed her eyes to linger over the question; 'In Macbeth, explain the meaning of the metaphor 'the rain is crying' in one thousand words or more.

Joss rolled her eyes, she didn't care about rain, Macbeth, metaphors, Shakespeare, or anything else but that dumb bag of chips hidden in her kitchen cupboard.

"Think, stupid brain!" she groaned, and placed her brow softly against the open book before her in full defeat. She gently banged her head a few times, trying to dislodge whatever it was that was blocking her finally figuring this out.

"You nearly done?" The confident, presumptuous voice made her start just as much as it had in the corridor with Lori. Joss' head jerked up, her eyes wide for a moment before she narrowed them in unkind accusation at the guy stood before her, who was all casual bravado and arrogant smug lips.

"What do you want Billy?" she said, without any sweetness.

"I said I'd give you a ride home, remember?"

"No, you offered a ride home, and Lori told you we were both busy."

"Only until you finish whatever you're doing." He placed both his palms flat on the table and leant over, trying to see what she was working on, but Joss childishly covered it, the instinct to not allow him an inch making her want to be pettily obstinate.

"Trish not keeping you busy enough?" Joss asked, with a snide raise of one eyebrow.

He laughed, pleased with her little jibe. "Jealous, Tanner? Feels shitty, doesn't it?"

"I'm not jealous, I'm not interested in what you do in your own time." Joss didn't really know if that was strictly true, it hadn't felt exactly great seeing him with another girl, but she also didn't want him all to herself, she didn't want this to be anything serious. That jumble of thoughts and feelings seemed to be growing in size once more.

"So, you wouldn't care if I took her back to my place and had a little fun?" He clearly sounded like he didn't believe her either.

"I don't want to hear about it at all. It's not my business."

He laughed again, that mockingly scathing laugh she hated. "Yeah, well I could have taken her back to my place, made out, made her squeal a little, but it didn't seem like much fun, as all I could really think about was you." His tongue darted out across his slightly parted lips, causing Joss to focus for a moment upon his mouth, and she knew he had intended to draw her in with that subtle sensual gesture. To remind her just what those lips were capable of. "All alone here, working yourself to the bone." That sounded too much like an innuendo for Joss' liking and she stood abruptly from her seat.

"I'm busy," she hissed, "and I really don't care what girl you made out with today."

"Ouch." Billy caught the beginnings of a laugh in his throat, but it danced gleefully in his eyes. He watched as she walked off into the bookshelves before he began to follow her slowly and Joss felt like she was being stalked with clear intent.

He leant against one of the ends of the shelves with a composed cool air as he watched her search the spines of books with glances of fingertips, his eyes hungrily upon her every movement. Joss tolerated it for a few seconds before casting a blazing glare at him.

"Okay, you want to talk? Let's talk about what happened today! You staring at my ass in front of everyone-"

"Can't a guy just appreciate his surroundings?" he said, brushing off her words with a careless shrug. "Besides, the way your jeans hugged your thighs and ass, it's like you wanted me to look." He licked his lips again, this time with the predatory hunger of a prowling wolf. "It took a lot of restraint to keep my hands to myself. I deserve a medal for not trying to find a way to pull you into an empty room and-"

"Stop that thought right there!" Joss snapped, having to forcefully push away her own little wave of thrill at the prospect of him wanting her so much that he could barely contain the need. Because, even now, as angry and indignant as she was, she wanted him just as much as she had at the pool, and that felt like a dangerous fuse to allow to be lit. "This has gone far enough, you are playing with fire," she warned.

He grinned. "I'm happy to get burned. Why don't you come over here and let me show you how hot it can get?" He gestured with a little motion of his head and a flick of both brows in clear affirmation that she just stroll over and accept her fate.

Joss rolled her eyes. "You know exactly what I mean, stop dodging it by seducing me."

"So, it's working then?" he said, with an amused half smile.

Joss shook her head, ignoring him. "Coming up to me in the hallway for no reason? That's not okay. It wasn't what we agreed."

"I was too busy to come by and talk at the arcade on Sunday, so I wanted to let you know we were still cool."

"Busy with Trish, I guess?" Damn, Joss hadn't meant it to sound so spiteful.

"You are jealous," he said, grinning with openly mean spirited delight at her response.

"I don't know what I am, apart from mad at you right now. I'm mad at you for so many things I can't think straight, and you being here isn't helping my mood," Joss said.

"Well, I can help with that." He moved with a casual determined energy and slid a palm against her stomach, and Joss flinched away.

"Help with what?" Joss asked, startled by his sudden intimate attention.

"Help with you not feeling so mad." He maneuvered their bodies so her back was against the books, his hands coming to glance across her upper arms in a gesture that made Joss feel suddenly trapped.

A ripple of anxiety spiked through her nerves and Joss glanced over to the reception and saw that the librarian wasn't there, before she returned her sceptical eyes back to Billy.

"We had an agreement, no school stuff, remember?" Joss said, crossing her arms.

"So, I can't even say 'hi' in the hallways?" he asked, his fingertips now tracing skittering pleasurable trails across her skin.

"That isn't what you were doing."

"Oh, so what was I doing?" His thumbs skimmed across her collar bone.

"I don't know, but I don't like it," Joss said, brushing off his touch and pushing hard against his chest so he had to move aside and allow her past him. She went a few rows away, starting her pretend search for another book, but Billy followed. Joss felt like he could sense her own lust underneath all the bluster, and in that moment she wasn't quite sure how she'd react if he called her bluff.

"So, you don't know what I was doing wrong, but I have to stop doing it?" he said.

Joss let out a frustrated sigh, how did he always seem to have such a knack for turning everything around to be her fault? He leant on the end of the bookcase, watching her again with that same heavy gaze that she swore she could physically feel.

"Not to mention the damn bites you left all over me. How am I meant to explain them?" Joss said, not deeming him with even a look now.

Billy reached out, brushing her hair aside to see her neck, his touch leaving little electric currents where he made contact with her skin. "I don't remember you complaining when it happened," he said, allowing her hair to fall through his fingers as he pulled back.

Joss felt that flare of annoyance pulse through her and spoke before she could fully think out her reply. "Yeah, well I didn't know."

"You didn't know, what?" Billy asked, shifting his weight as if now very interested, always ready to jump on an exposed throat. Joss knew it, if she told him this, he'd have another weapon to use against her, but she'd already blurted out too much to back out now, so she'd play it off cool, like it wasn't a big deal.

"I've not had one before," she said, with a dismissive sniff.

He let out a breathless laugh of delighted surprise. "Never had a ..." He really was going to make her say it out loud.

"A love bite," Joss said, now intensely interested in the spines of the books.

"But, you told me I wasn't your first, right?"

Joss could feel heat spreading through her face and feared she'd be glowing with it. "You're not my first, but that doesn't mean I've done everything. I'm eighteen not eighty."

"So, how many guys have you-" Billy began.

"Like I said, none of your business," Joss bit back, giving him a steely look that he was pushing too hard now.

Billy let out a snort. "Okay, can you at least give me a heads up if you've not done something then? I can..." he gave her a heavy look that Joss refused to make eye contact with, "...let you know what to expect."

"How will I know if I haven't done something until we try it?" Joss said, glancing at him quickly and biting her lip in reprimand, knowing she shouldn't have replied like that because it sounded like an invitation.

Billy's eyes darkened with that thought. "I guess we'll have to try everything then," he said, with a deep musing air.

Joss made a cynical noise that didn't agree or necessarily disagree. "No more love bites." She gave him another stern look.

"I think they look good on you." He hissed out a laugh, reaching for her hair again and Joss batted away his touch.

"No more school stuff." Joss wanted to say more, to tell him that wasn't the only thing that wouldn't happen again if they intended to continue this between them, but found she couldn't make herself bring up what had happened at the arcade again, not yet. To confront that meant confronting her own principles head on and what she'd said to him on her doorstep, to back up those righteous words with real actions that may mean the end of them completely. Joss suddenly couldn't stomach the thought of him turning right around and walking out of the library, out of her life. Part of her, the part she would never admit to out loud to anyone, wanted him to always seek her out, even when she was angry, even when she couldn't stand him, because it meant she mattered.

"Your friend didn't seem to care, she was almost ready to cream herself that I came over. Lori, right?"

"Don't talk about Lori like that," Joss warned, making direct and suddenly austere eye contact with him. "In fact don't talk about her at all. We said no personal stuff. Lori is off limits."

"Okay, don't get your panties in a bunch," Billy said, holding up his hands in defeat. "But, no one's here right now to see us, so chill out."

"It's still at school."

"But, we are alone." He moved again, his chest pressing against her back, palms following the curve of her hips.

"If we get caught here-" Joss began, looking towards the front desk again, her heart suddenly beating a little harder at either the threat of peril, or the sudden closeness of him. "If someone sees us..." Joss' eyes flicked back to the empty Librarian's desk.

"That old bat has already left to go to the staff room, probably taking a nap or polishing her broomstick. She'll only be back to lock up, in about... thirty minutes," Billy said, glancing at the clock.

"How do you even know that?"

"Lots of detentions," he said, with a smile in his voice. "And I saw her leave. Everyone else has gone home ages ago. It's just you and me." His palms skimmed across her jeans, coming together at her lower midriff and his mouth found her neck, the bruises, his lips briefly glancing across her skin in a way that made Joss shiver. "Do they hurt?" he murmured in between his intimate perusal.

"Mmm, a little," she said, trying to shy away from his attentions, but his hands held her in place, preventing her from breaking the moment.

His lips softly pressed as if trying to kiss away the pain and those little sparks of fire shot through Joss' nerves, sending a rush of raw impatient want pooling in her stomach.

"And here?" His palm slid to her inner thigh, brushing against the love bite concealed underneath her jeans.

Joss sucked in a gasp of air at his touch, the ripple of pleasure and sore tenderness hitting some spot she'd never even been aware of wanting. That noise seemed to be all the reply and confirmation he needed to continue, his touch moving between her legs, the pressure the main thing she could feel through the layer of denim, but it felt like enough to set every nerve there alight and she caught her breath for a few seconds.

His other hand moved, cupping her chest, kneading softly until she was lowly panting in pleasure. Joss knew she should pull away, push him away and storm off in a righteous huff at his thoughtless actions that put them, not only in danger of discovery, but real trouble too. Joss knew that would leave her exposed to phone calls from worried parents, expulsion, gossip and so much more. Yet, Billy didn't seem to care at all that there was a real possibility of them being caught, and his own confidence made it so easy to allow this to continue. In that brief silent moment, only filled with her heavy breathing, the danger just made it all the more exciting.

With an expert flick of his fingers he'd unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, one hand slipping beneath clothing to soft warm welcoming bare skin, and all her attempts of being quiet came out as a little yelp as his fingers searched and found their target. The jolt of sudden electrifying sensation making her reach out and clutch onto the shelving for extra support. She tried to keep silent, but it felt like an almost impossible task. The logical part of her urged her to speak up, to take control and tell him to stop, while the other part, the part she knew would win, just wanted him to push her further and demand more. The feeling of pleasure easily silenced all other thoughts and she allowed him to continue as she lolled her head back onto his chest, panting short little breaths and moans as he worked, gaining speed until she felt she was going to lose her grip, not just on the shelving but on reality. And then it all crumbled in her mind, exploding into a pleasurable humming that vibrated through her entire body in waves that left her feeling winded. She relaxed back against him, her own chest heaving breaths in an adrenaline fuelled rush of the aftereffects of danger and desire.

Once she'd caught her mind and breathing back under control, she grasped his hand and pushed his touch away, annoyed but still elated.

His hand came to rest at her hip as she turned to look at him, unsure if she wanted to smile or scowl at him, because her emotions felt pulled apart, by the real pleasure she'd just experienced and the knowledge that he had just stepped all over her boundaries, and what was more, she'd allowed him to.

He put a finger under her chin, tilting her head and bringing her gaze to his, and he grinned, seeing her unguarded annoyed expression fighting with both complex feelings. "See," he said, placing a brief kiss against her unresponsive sulky lips. "I told you I'd help you feel better."

"I'm still mad," Joss said stubbornly.

Billy laughed, releasing his grip on her and walking over to the table where she had been sitting. "But not as mad, right?" He looked far too smug about this being an indisputable fact.

Joss refused to dignify that with any answer and buttoned and zipped her jeans with a disgruntled air.

"Come on." Billy tapped at her open book and clicked his fingers at her impatiently, and Joss felt a real urge to walk over, pick up that damn book and smack him over the head. "Let's get out of here," he said, wilfully oblivious to her displeasure.

/

A/N

Hello, welcome back and Happy Valentine's Day, I hope this chapter was a fun read, if you decided to spend some time reading, thank you.

The push and pull continues between Billy and Joss, who will be the first to push too far or pull back completely I wonder? I think they both have their own reasons for continuing whatever it is between them, and it's not looking so healthy so far, but still a lot of fun to write.

The lyrics for Drivin' Me Crazy :))) Oh my. I liked this song as a teenager when I was in my '80s music metal era', and it seemed like a fun/sexy song but coming back to it with modern adult eyes is hilarious. 'You can't move like that without being attacked.' Yeahhhh, not aged super great, but still a great sounding song.

See you next time.