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He laughs. “Are you sure? Because you don’t sound fine.”
“I’m sure.” I pause, trying to distract myself from his delicious scent. “You don’t snore, do you?”
“No. Do you?”
“Nope. Mandi does, though. Like a freaking buzz saw. I usually fall asleep wearing my earbuds.”
“Well, at least you’ll get a break from that tonight. If you need anything in the middle of the night, let me know, okay?”
I pause, considering his offer. “What could I possibly need?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he says teasingly. “But whatever it is? Your wish is my command.”
Oh, dearlord. This man is going to be the death of me.
“You’re such a shameless flirt,” I mumble.
He starts to laugh. “Guilty as charged.”
“Goodnight, Eli.”
I can practically hear him grinning in the darkness when he answers, “Goodnight, Holland.”
I lie awake staring at the ceiling, and after ten minutes or so, I hear his breathing even out to a deep, slow pattern, and realize that he’s fallen asleep.
But not me.
For what feels like hours, I lie in his bed, playing back the night in fits and starts in my head, then re-playing all of the parts that were good.
The next thing I know, the sun is streaming through the dorm room window, and I feel Eli’s breath—warm and minty fresh—against my ear.
“Holland?” His voice is low and raspy, and it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Sweetheart,” he murmurs. “It’s time to wake up.”
Sweetheart? Wait, am I dreaming?
When I open my eyes, his handsome face is barely a few inches from mine, and he’s wearing a sexy little smile.
Sweet Jesus. I’m doomed.
9
I’m holding my breath as I look up at Eli, and that’s probably a good thing because I’m sure it isn’t anywhere near as minty fresh as his is right now.
Launching myself up and away from him is a move I make purely for self-preservation. He’s becoming a temptation that’s proving harder and harder for me to resist.
Eli, who was kneeling next to the bed a minute ago, slowly stands and peers down at me, his head cocked.
“You okay, Holland?”
“Oh. Er, yeah,” I reply, blinking. “I’m just not used to waking up with another person inches away from my face.”
He laughs. “Sorry. I’ve been trying to wake you up for the past few minutes. I’ve got class soon, so I’ve got to jet.” He yawns. “Fuck, I’m still tired.”
“Yeah, me too.”
I think I need a minute to recover after he called me sweetheart because my heart is still banging away in my chest.
