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The scent of chocolate fills the air as I lightly touch the tops of one of the cupcakes to check if they’re cool. Satisfied, I pull my finger away and cut the tip off the Ziploc baggie holding the fluffy peanut butter frosting I made, then start piping it onto the cupcakes.
Not a minute later, the front door swings open, and I curse. I was hoping to be done by the time they finished practice. You know, so I could leave a lovely note of thanks with the cakes for Chris, then go back to avoiding Jace for all of eternity.
Fat chance.
But at least I won’t have to face him alone. At least I’ll have Chris as a buffer.
Focusing on the task at hand, I remind myself to breathe, to act cool as I continue piping frosting. When I can’t take it anymore, I spare them a quick glance, then immediately wish I hadn’t because my stomach does a backflip at the sight of Jace. He’s wearing a backward baseball cap, and when he lifts his duffel bag over his head, his muscles flicker under a T-shirt that hugs his chest in the most delicious way. Time slows as my gaze hones in on the sliver of tanned skin and toned abdominals peeking out beneath the hem, to the thin trail of hair leading beneath the waistband of his shorts.
He lifts his head, and my cheeks burn as I jerk my gaze away, praying he didn’t catch me staring. Beside him, Chris kicks off his sneakers, then calls out, “Hey, Brynn.” He lifts his chintoward the cupcakes, hope glittering in his hazel eyes. “Pleasesay those are for us.”
I’m not sure what I expected from Chris the first time seeing him in his apartment. Maybe a rundown of the rules? Some level of awkwardness since he doesn’t know me? Maybe a timeline of when he wants me out? What I didn’t expect was warm indifference and a friendly smile.
“Almost. And they’re foryou, actually.” I smile, glad I thought of the gesture.
Behind him, Jace meets my eyes for the first time, and the force of his gaze strikes me like a lightning bolt to the chest. I’m surprised my heart keeps beating.
Slowly, he arches a brow, his aquamarine eyes shifting between the cupcakes and me while butterflies fight to rise through my stomach into my windpipe.
I quickly drop my gaze back to my work, scolding myself for allowing him to have any effect on me at all.
One kiss and I’m turning to knots in his presence.
Okay, maybe it was more than a kiss. A reaction is expected after he laid me down on the couch, pressed his body to mine, and ravaged my mouth. The way my heart’s pounding is merely the aftereffect to a traumatic experience. Like the aftershocks of an earthquake. Nothing more.
“Seriously?” Chris asks, coming closer and tearing me from thoughts of Jace. “What’s the occasion?” His eyes light up as he watches me ice the last one, then begin to top each of them with a mini Reese’s Cup.
I shrug. “I wanted to thank you for letting me stay here. You barely know me, and having some strange girl hanging around isn’t exactly ideal. At the very least, I’m sure it’s not how you imagined your first month at college going.”
Jace snorts, and Chris and I both turn to him.
He heads straight to the refrigerator, avoiding my eyes as he swings the door open and pulls out the orange juice, proceeding to drink straight from the carton.
Normally I’d gag or scoff at the rude behavior. But instead, my gaze zeros in on his lips, recalling how commanding they were as a flush of heat moves up my neck.
I swallow before remembering myself and force a grimace hoping he’ll turn around and see me, but he doesn’t, and it leaves me wanting.
Note to self: don’t drink the juice.
Christ shifts back toward me, a smirk curling his lips like he finds Jace’s reaction, or lack thereof, humorous. “So, when can I have them?” he asks, and I grin.
“Have at it. I’ll wrap the extras up whenever you’re done.”
Chris chuckles. “That’s cute. You think there will be some left.”
At that, Jace pauses, the carton hovering in front of him, eyes narrowed on his roommate. Oblivious, Chris peels the wrapper off one of the cupcakes and takes a huge bite, easily consuming more than half the cake at once. “Oh my God,” he drawls, mouth full.
Frosting clings to his lower lip, but it doesn’t deter him as he crams the second half in his mouth, then proceeds to tip his head back and groan like he’s in ecstasy.
Behind him, Jace shoves the carton back in the fridge and slams the door. “Get a fucking hold on yourself, dude.”
“I can’t,” Chris mumbles, and I stifle a laugh as crumbs fall from his lips and he reaches for another. “These are the best things I’ve ever eaten. Where did you even get the stuff to make these, anyway?”
I shrug, blushing at his praise. “I managed to get everything I needed at the convenience store down the road.”
“You shouldn’t walk there alone,” Jace admonishes. “There are some shady dudes that hang around that place.”
Why shouldn’t I be surprised at Jace’s reaction? Ever since we got to school, he’s treated me like a piece of my grandma's old china, like I might break at the slightest provocation.
