I resist the urge to tug at my collar. Barely. It’s like my body is reacting to his stare and suddenly wants to get naked right here in the library.
He ignores my warning, and the silence signs, and opens his mouth again. “Why won’t you get hot chocolate with me?”
I can’t tell him that the main reason I can’t go hang out with him is because my daddy said so. I mean, I’m a grown adult with my own free will. It’s a little high school to blame your parents for not being allowed to do something when you’re in college.
It’s not like Dad will even find out anyway, right? The likelihood of lightning striking twice in the same spot is unlikely, but knowing my luck, Dad would happen upon us once again.
I lean across the table so I don’t have to raise my voice. “Why do you want me to get hot chocolate with you?”
He leans over the back of the chair, and his breath tickles my face. “I liked how your glittery cream tasted on my lips.” He grins, and I’m pretty sure I just came in my panties.
My face heats. Did he really say that? Did I really react to that? I try to force an eye roll, but I’m not sure my eyes moved from staring at his lips.
“You don’t need me to go with you to get glittery whipped cream, Ares.” I don’t mean to hiss his name, but my voice echoes around the space resulting in two people shushing me. My face heats even more.
“I wantyourcream on my face, Eloise.” He inches closer, we’re almost nose to nose. His voice isn’t a hushed whisper anymore, and the guy behind me heard that Ares wants my cream on his face. “Why won’t you come have hot chocolate with me?”
I don’t have a good answer. And his eyes have hypnotized me, so I don’t have any reciprocal questions to distract him with either.
He brushes his nose along my cheekbone, the ugly one, and I suck in a sharp breath as he travels toward my ear. “You can’t tell me you don’t like hot chocolate,tesoro.I know you do.”
He’s right, my body composition is approximately seventy-three percent hot chocolate.
“I need to study.” I palm the desk, not moving back from Ares, and swipe my highlighter off the table before jabbing it on my book for emphasis. He’s not looking anywhere but at me, so he doesn’t see it, and we both know there’s no way I can concentrate on my work when he’s right in front of me.
“What do you do for fun?” he whispers, pulling back to brush his nose against mine.
I don’t have an answer to that one either. I used to play my cello, but I stopped after Mom… I run at the gym, but that’s for fitness, not really for fun, especially since the accident. I’ve got precisely one friend, and other than watching reruns ofModern Familytogether, all we tend to do is study.
Any answer I give to him will sound pathetic to the party boy with a million friends.
“What’s your favorite food?”
I move away and purse my lips, which draws his attention to my mouth. His focus makes me feel exposed.
I hold up one finger. “One hour.”
His lips twitch.“¿Una hora?”
“Let me study for one hour, and I’ll answer your questions.”
“All of them?”
That’s definitely a trap. His brow arches, and his smile is lazy. I’m doing my level best not to remember what it felt like to have his lips on mine, but my lady garden is demanding a rematch while my nipples press against my bra.
Five questions doesn’t sound so scary, so I hold up my hand. “Five questions.”
“Una hora. Cinco preguntas.”He tips back his head like he’s sampling a fine wine and it’s saturating his tongue. “Sí. I can do that.”
He leans back again, and part of me wants to reach over his chair and yank him toward me. I drop the highlighter and tuck my hands under my thighs. If I don’t, I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing.
Is he going to sit and stare at me for a whole hour? Surely not.
He holds my gaze for a beat before he nods and pushes to his feet. He tucks my hair behind my ear, blazing a trail across my cheekbone with his touch, and holds up a finger. “Una hora, tesoro.”
With that, he turns and leaves, so much swagger in his stride it’s a wonder the building doesn’t sway with each step he takes.
What in the name of all that’s holy was that?
