Page 55

I’ve never been able to talk to anyone the way I can talk to Corey, not even Jess.

“You ready?” the girl I’m working with tonight asks, tapping her foot impatiently.

I look down at my leftover papers, chewing my lip as I debate whether I should finish them or just leave. I never would have been able to leave unfinished work before but now as I sit here, I realize that it really doesn’t bother me that much so I shrug and push my chair back.

It’ll still be there tomorrow and I’m the only one who never leaves unfinished work so for once, I’m going to do what everyone else does and leave it for someone else.

“Yeah,” I say, walking to the main doors and locking up behind us. We both walk down the stairs in silence and that’s when I realize that I don’t even know her name.

Just as I’m about to call out to her and ask, she pushes through the main doors and veers off through the quad, the darkening sky closing in fast.

I smile when I see Corey leaning on the bonnet of his car, waiting for me, and my heart rate speeds up at the sight of him, butterflies taking flight in my stomach.

“Hey,” I whisper as I get closer.

“Hey, baby.” His deep voice sends shivers through me and I can’t help but appreciate how he looks. The way his jeans hug his thighs and taper down in just the right way so that they’re half way in and out of his boots. The worn t-shirt that he’s wearing looks fashionable to anyone else but I know that it’s old and soft, just the way he likes it.

His short hair that he’s constantly running his hands through has this, ‘I just woke up’ look to it without him even meaning to.

I walk straight to him and stand a couple of feet away. His hands snake out, gripping my waist and pulling me against him.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my smile widening.

“Thought I’d meet my girl from work.” He shrugs, his dimple coming out as he stares into my eyes.

“Your girl?” I ask, cocking my brow and smirking. “What’s she like?”

“She’s amazing,” he answers with his own smirk. “And funny.”

“Oh yeah?” I lean closer, our lips almost touching. “Tell me more.”

“She’s perfect. Everything about her is perfect. Her body, her personality, but...”

“But?” I whisper against his lips, feeling his breath fan against mine.

“She can pick things up with her toes.” He whispers as his hands grip me harder. “It freaks me the hell out.”

Throwing my head back, I laugh, the sound echoing through the empty campus.

“I love when you laugh.” I swallow, looking back at him and shuffle nervously. It has me on edge when he looks at me like that, like he wants to say so much more but he’s afraid to.

The wind starts to pick up as we stare at each other and I shiver. “Damn, I forgot my jacket.” I step back, about to go and get it when he reaches through the window of his car and pulls his out.

“Here, wear this.?

?? I hand him my bag as I push my arms through the sleeves and breath in the scent that is all him in. Sandalwood and musk, I never want to take this thing off, I may even sleep in it.

“I need to swing by the bar really quick but I thought we could get takeout and watch that new movie you were on about?”

“Yeah,” I reply as he opens the passenger door for me. “That sounds great.”

He winks as he shuts the door and I swear my heart skips a beat. It’s scary how much he affects me but it’s exciting at the same time.

The ride to the bar is mostly silent but it’s that comfortable silence that we always seem to have when we’re together. I relax back in the seat as he runs inside, coming out a couple of minutes later.

“What do you fancy? Pizza? Chinese? Ind-”

“Chinese,” I interrupt him, my stomach growling at the thought of food.