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He urges me again and I focus on the tree, describing the various colors of bark I see as my eyes travel up the trunk to the limbs. The various shades of green leaves. The squirrel bustling around it, climbing from limb to limb.
By the time I’m finished, my arms and legs no longer tingle, and my muscles are relaxed. My breathing returns to normal, and calm descends over me.
His lips curve, his slow smile growing wider, revealing perfect white teeth. His irises shine into mine, the sun brightening the blue, the glow reminding me of the sun bouncing along the ocean waves.
An uncontrollable smile breaks across my face, matching his. His eyes drop to my lips, then back to mine, and damned if I don’t feel that electric current from earlier circulate through me, making my skin hum. It’s like a bolt of white lightning strikes me, flowing hot within my veins, incinerating me from the inside out. It paralyzes me but it doesn’t frighten me. Instead, I crave more.
And it hits me—his hands are still holding onto me.
And I never want him to let go of me.
As he catches me looking at his hands on mine, he drops them, looking uncomfortable. He slides them into his pockets, clearing his throat. The second his hands leave mine; I feel bereft.
“So, before all the… drama… where were you heading?” He cocks his head, studying my expression.
I turn, a relieved sigh falling from my lips as I spot my bags of textbooks on the ground. Turning back to him, I say, “My car. I had just gotten my textbooks and…” Pausing, I look at my red toenails.
“How about I walk you there?” His gentle, deep voice draws my attention back to his face.
Momentarily pausing before I answer, I study his expression. His eyes are full of concern, like he fears me going off by myself. Which is valid, as I have no idea where William went. I don’t even know why the fuck William is in this state, let alone on this campus.
“That would be nice.” Holding onto the banister, my movements are deliberately slower than usual as I descend the steps. I don’t want to keep wobbling around this guy. He’ll think there’s something wrong with me.
And I have too much pride to keep being so unsteady around him. I’ve endured a lot and always get back up whenever I fall.
Even when it hurts like hell. Or when it tries to break and destroy me.
My legs are holding me and there’s barely any shakiness left, so I relax and start walking in the direction of my books. He falls in step beside me, his gaze boring into my profile. Biting my lip, I try to hide the grin that wants to spread across my face. I feel confident that if my legs would buckle, he’d have his arms around me, preventing me from falling.
Reaching for my books, he automatically bends, picking up one of my bags.
“Oh, you don’t have to—”
His piercing gaze flits to mine. “I know I don’t have to. But what kind of inconsiderate asshole would I be if I let a beautiful woman carry two bags of books to her car, while I walk beside her, empty-handed?” There’s a twinkle in his eyes as his lips quirk up.
He called me beautiful for the second time today.I’m speechless and unable to stop the smile that brightens my face. “Yeah, that would make you look like a real asshole,” I tease.
He nods, a coy smile on his lips. “Exactly. I was raised better than that.”
Goddamn, why is this man so attractive and humorous?My heart is racing inside my chest and heat spreads through my body. I turn away from him, but not before I notice the lopsided smirk spreading across his handsome face.
The sun beats down on our skin as we walk silently across the quad, shooting frequent glances at one another, before looking away. I bite my lip, knowing damned well the heat I’m feeling inside me isn’t from the bright yellow ball of energy in the sky, but from the sizzling hot man walking beside me.
Once we get to the lot, I point to my car and he nods, still in sync with my pace as he strolls beside me. Grabbing my keys from the pocket of my capris, I press the button to unlock my car. Reaching for my door handle, I touch his hand that is already there. My gaze flits to him as my cheeks turn pink.
His eyes lock on mine as he chuckles, low and deep. Leaning closer to me, his voice is low. “You are even more beautiful when you blush.”
I’m mesmerized, unable to look away from him as everything around me freezes, suspended in time, as I mull his words over in my head. Like a song stuck on repeat.
Yet again, an involuntary smile lights up my face as I slowly move my hand away. Those strange currents disappear the second I’m no longer touching him.
My breathing hitches as his body shifts even closer to mine. My tongue eases out, licking my bottom lip as I stare at him.
He tugs on the door, slowly opening it, and I instinctively step back, looking at my toenails, feeling like a fool. For a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. And I’m more than a little disappointed.
It’s stress. Only stress, my brain tries to justify the strange sensations since I’ve met—
Wait. I don’t even know his name.
