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He pulled a fuzzy, black, cat ear headband from his back pocket and sat down next to me on the stone lip of the fountain. “I heard you were engaged to that football player. Maybe you could move in with him.”
I snorted. “No. Mac and I were involved for a very short time, and now it’s over.”
His head tilted just enough to meet my gaze. “He didn’t meet the royal standards?”
My stomach did a curious flip at the direct eye contact. Gavin was objectively beautiful. Not in a shiny, perfect way, but in a gravelly, rough, fuck me against a brick wall kind of way. Too bad his personality ruined it.
“I don’t know why you think I’m going to give you details about my personal life.”
“You already did.” He lifted one hand to tick off fingers. “I know you don’t have a place to stay. I know you’re irrationally attached to your duck. I know you have no problem metaphorically throat punching someone. And I know your last relationship ended because of you.”
I winced, unable to hide my reaction fast enough. “None of this is your business.”
He shrugged. “You’re welcome to leave any time.”
My hackles rose at the idea of him scaring me away. This wasmyplace. He could leave. “And you’re welcome to stop being an asshole. Looks like neither of us is going to get what we want.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face, and I thought I caught the edge of a grin before he hid it with his fingers. “Whatever you say.”
I shifted to face him, trying to decide if I’d rather strangle him or shove him into the fountain. “We didn’t have the right chemistry.”
“Still sounds like your fault. It’s okay. It can be hard to work up a sweat for the peasants.”
He was needling me. On purpose. I could see it in the subtle way he watched me as he let his barbs fly. I couldn’t figure out if it was because he took joy in kicking someone while they were down or if he was trying to distract me from Bob and his ilk.
Honestly, his motivations didn’t matter. Despite knowing what he was doing, I couldn’t stop myself from responding.
I leaned in to poke his bicep. “I work up a sweat just fine. Don’t judge my sex life based on your own lackluster efforts.”
He turned to fully face me and grinned. “You couldn’t handle me, Princess.”
I wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face. I wanted to prove I wasn’t a poor little rich girl incapable of passion. I wanted to kiss him. The thought shocked me, but I was too far gone to make a good decision.
Quickly, before I could change my mind, I fisted the T-shirt over his chest and closed the distance between us. Gavin didn’t miss a beat. His mouth descended on mine as his hand speared through my hair, gripping tight.
Heat rushed through me, stealing my breath and making me tremble. I expected an angry, bruising kiss, but he softened. He explored and teased. I swallowed a whimper and released the clenched fabric to flatten my palm over his racing heart. So it wasn’t just me.
Gavin changed the angle, coaxing my lips open. A flurry of what-ifs sped through my mind in rapid succession. What if I climbed into his lap? What if I dropped my hand a little lower? What if I’d been wrong this whole time?
No. Bad decisions happened when I let my lady parts lead the way. I shoved against his chest, and he backed away immediately. For a split second, I saw raw hunger on his face, then it disappeared behind his usual arrogant expression.
I stood and brushed imaginary dirt off my shorts as if I kissed my arch nemesis in a secluded courtyard every day.
“It wasn’t me.” I turned on my heel and followed the path out of the courtyard, willing my heart rate to return to normal.
2
What the fuck was that? I snapped out of my lusty haze in time to sprint after her before she made it much past the fountain.
I didn’t know why I bothered chasing her. The kiss was hot, but I had my pick of puck bunnies thatdidn’thate my guts. Eva Adams was everything I avoided in a woman. Spoiled, entitled, high maintenance…
Except she’d been crying.
The self-proclaimed queen of campus had hidden herself away in this trashy little courtyard to cry. Alone.
I caught her wrist and hauled her to a stop. “Wait.”
She glared down at my hand on her skin until I let go, but she didn’t immediately start running again. “I’m done talking to you.”
