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“She said she can do it herself.” He shoves the wadded paper into my hand, then steps back again.
“What the hell is your problem, Keller?” Caleb shifts his focus from my lap to Jordan’s steely gaze.
Jordan crosses his arms as his lips curve into a stiff smile. “Assholes like you are everyone’s problem, wouldn’t you agree?”
“You’re such a prick.” Caleb shakes his head and motions to Trey, Tyler, and Elijah. “You really think she’ll pick you when she can have one of us?”
Jordan’s icy glare doesn’t waver for an instant. “I think since none of us gets to decide who she picks, you should mind your own damn business.”
“Whatever.” Caleb turns away to take his tray, leaving mine where he dropped it on the table.
As the crowd dissipates, wandering off in different directions, Tyler’s offer to walk me to class magically evaporates along with everyone else.
Even Jordan makes a hasty exit, brushing past me as he walks away. “Catch you later, princess.”
With the pile of wet napkins still in my hand and my mouth hanging open, I gape at Jordan’s retreating form as he disappears around the corner.
“Hey.” Elijah’s warm hand captures mine, gently prying it open. “I’ve got this. You go clean up.”
“Are you sure?” Guilt leaves a bitter taste in my mouth as he takes the soaked napkins from me and piles them onto my tray.
He waves off my concern with a warm smile. “It’s no big deal. Go on. I’ll see you later.”
With a nod, I turn and hurry toward the ladies’ room. Halfway down the deserted hallway, the door to the storage closet flies open, and someone yanks me inside.
A pair of warm lips swallow my scream as Jordan’s mouth closes over mine. He backs me against the wall, holding me upright with his hips as he kisses every rational thought from my brain. I should be furious at him for scaring me . . . and for abandoning me in the food court, but his demanding lips command every bit of my concentration. My knees go weak whenever he’s around, but when he kisses me? I’m done for.
He lifts his head, resting his forehead against mine while he catches his breath. “You know how I said I hated this?”
I nod and my nose brushes his.
“I don’t hate this part so much. In fact . . .” He dips his head to steal another kiss. “I think I like dragging you into closets.”
“When you stormed off, I thought you were mad at me.”
“Not at all.” Jordan cups my cheek. “But it’ll be a miracle if I survive to see the final round. I had to walk away before I opened my mouth and ruined everything. You have no idea how close I came to dragging you out of there like a caveman.”
Is it wrong that this confession turns me on?
“As much as I’d love to stay here and explore your lips all day long, you’d better get to class.” Jordan untangles my arms from around his neck, while I try to figure out how they got there. “I’ll go first, just in case. Give me a minute before coming out.”
I gaze up at him and nod, wishing we could make out in the closet for the rest of the afternoon. Who needs an education anyway?
“You’re adorable.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “See you around campus, princess.”
Flashing his signature grin, he slips through the door and closes it behind him.
One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three . . . I count off the seconds in my head. When I reach a hundred, I crack open the door and check if the hallway’s clear.
“Had a feeling I’d catch you coming out of the closet one of these days.” Ken 1—or is it Ken 2?—stands outside the door, a smug grin plastered on his face.
I flinch, almost catching my fingers in the door as I pull it shut again. Ken laughs in the hall, while I hide like an idiot. This time, I open the door all the way and step out. “Oh, hey.”
“That’s it? ‘Oh, hey’? No bullshit excuse for why you’re hiding in a janitor’s closet?” Ken’s smirk gets even bigger.
Thanks to my kiss-drunk state, I blurt the first thing that comes to mind. “I love the smell of cleaning supplies.”
Ken’s eyebrows shoot up. “Me, too! Especially the stuff they use on the wood floors.”