Page 8

Liam

Thank God it’s Friday , I repeat to myself as I get ready for my shift at the diner this evening. My nerves feel fried from having to endure Hayden’s presence all week.

The past three sessions have been proof enough that Hayden does not need a tutor to help him with math. He is, in fact, rather smart when it comes to solving differential equations.

He solved every problem I’d suggested, even some that were out of the scope of his syllabus. Each time I showed my surprise, he glowed with pride. My praises left him grinning from ear to ear. I’m starting to feel like he hired a tutor just so they can tell him how smart he is!

As for me, he hired me simply to mess with me.

Hayden enjoys sitting close to me during our sessions, letting his elbow knock against mine. He loves playing with my hair and at times, stares at me with such hungry looks, that my heartbeat spikes up.

I have to keep reminding myself he’s my student and that I must never allow myself to fall for his charm. I try my hardest to stay in control but it all goes to hell when Hayden pops up in my dreams, whispering dirty things and touching me in ways that wake me up with a raging hard-on.

“Hey, are you okay?” Sarah asks, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“What?”

“You’re spacing out, Liam,” she says, stacking dishes on top of a tray. “Is everything going all right with your master’s project?”

“Yeah, the project’s going fine,” I mutter, tying up my apron. “I just need an evening where I won’t have to think about school.” Or Hayden .

“So, it’s not academics that’s got you all hot and bothered,” Sarah whispers, chuckling like she knows what’s going on in my mind.

“How’s your research project going?” I ask, hoping to distract her.

“It’s all fine but why are you changing the subject,” she says, leaning in. “Come on, now. Tell me, Liam. Who’s been playing your heartstrings?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter, desperate to put a stop to this discussion. No one can know I’m crushing over my student!

I’d been hoping for a busy, distracting evening working at the diner to keep my mind occupied but even here, I can’t seem to stop thinking about the infuriating hockey player.

“Take it easy, okay?” Sarah says, patting my shoulder and smiling kindly like she knows exactly what I’m going through.

“It’s nothing—” I attempt one more time but she’s already walked inside the kitchen.

Letting out a sigh, I look around the empty diner. Since it’s early in the evening, the place is yet to liven up.

You’ll be okay , I tell myself. Just get busy and you’ll soon forget all about Hayden’s stupid dark hair, his sharp jawline, and the way he smells like soap and masculine power.

Just as I’m done giving myself a pep-talk, the diner’s door opens and the devil himself appears at the threshold.

Hayden Bastien strides in like he owns the place. He’s dressed in his varsity jacket, something I’m beginning to take a liking to. Hands shoved deep into his jeans pockets, he looks around the dining hall until his gray eyes land on me.

A smirk forms on his handsome face while I freeze on the spot.

No. No, no, no!

I whip around, gripping the counter, wishing I could disappear. But no matter what I do, there’s no place to hide. Hayden has already spotted me.

Maybe if I keep ignoring him, he’ll get the hint and leave me alone.

Loud footsteps come from behind me, alerting me to his presence.

“I didn’t know you were working here tonight, Liam,” he says, his lips brushing against my ear.

A shudder goes through me. Doing my best to keep my expression neutral, I turn around to face Hayden.

At this point, I don’t know whether the universe is punishing me or Hayden is just stalking me. How the hell does he know about my shift at the diner?

With no other option, I pull up my notepad. “What can I get you?”

“Give me your best milkshake, Liam,” he says, dragging his gaze from my face all the way to my navel.

My face heats up while a slow, amused grin spreads on Hayden’s lips.

“Can you behave?!” I hiss at him.

He chuckles. “What? I can’t order a milkshake at a diner?”

I rub my forehead, lost at what to say. “Fine. What kind of milkshake do you want?”

“Surprise me.”

My teeth sink into my bottom lip to stop the curse on the tip of my tongue.

Hayden’s shoulders shake with suppressed laughter. The asshole’s enjoying himself. “What’s your favorite, Liam?” he asks, leaning in close.

“Chocolate,” I grate through clenched teeth.

“Sweet,” he replies, his grin widening. “Just like you.”

An overwhelming urge to throw my notepad at his head comes over me.

He’s a student , I grudgingly remind myself and stomp off to the kitchen.

“Your face is too red, Meyers,” Maggie, the head cook, says to me. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just a hot day,” I say, tearing a page off my notepad. “One chocolate milkshake for table six.”

“I’m on it,” Maggie says, going back to her station.

Even though I should be heading back to the dining room to wait for new customers, I decide to hide here. Hayden’s out there, probably waiting to pounce on me.

To my agony, the milkshake is ready within minutes.

Picking up the tray, I go back to the dining area, hoping for some new customers. That way, I’d have an excuse to stay away from Hayden.

As I step out into the dining area, I realize luck isn’t on my side. The diner is still mostly empty. Looking toward Hayden’s table, I see he’s not alone. Liz, the owner, is sitting with him and chuckling at something he’s saying.

My pulse races the moment Hayden’s gaze falls on me. The tray in my hands shakes, warning me to focus on the task at hand.

Taking a deep breath, I walk to the table and set down the glass of chocolate milkshake.

“Did you know Liam is tutoring me?” Hayden says before I can get the hell out of there.

Liz’s heavily mascara-lined lashes flutter at me. “Oh, I thought you were a student yourself.”

“I’m a Physics graduate,” I remind her. “That makes me eligible to tutor undergrads and help them with math and science-related stuff. Also, the job pays, so I’m happy to do it.”

“Meyers is very hardworking,” Hayden says with a serious look in his eyes. “Without him, I’d be failing my subjects. Do you know what happens if I do?”

Liz shakes her head, looking concerned immediately.

“I lose my place on the team.”

Liz’s eyes widen like it’s the most terrible thing she can imagine. “We can’t let that happen,” she gasps. “No one scores goals the way you do. The Knights would lose without you!”

Hayden nods, looking grim. “Meyers has been spending hours bringing me up to speed. I want to return the favor and invite him for a meal. Would that be okay?”

Liz nods, getting to her feet. “Of course, it’s fine. It’ll be a few more hours before the place gets filled anyway.” She grabs the tray from my hand and pulls up the chair she just vacated. “Go on, Liam. Order whatever you like. It’s on me.”

My brain short-circuits. Did Hayden just manipulate my boss into buying me dinner?

“Are you sure—” I try to say but she starts pushing me into the chair.

“I’m sure,” Liz says. “Just make sure you take care of Hayden.” She smiles brightly at him before walking away.

I sink into the chair, face burning, feeling completely and utterly defeated.

I glare daggers at Hayden while he grins at me like a bastard.

“I guess sweet-talking your boss is the best way to get you on a date,” Hayden says, his gray eyes burning with intensity.

“This isn’t a date.”

“It sure feels like one,” he says, sliding the glass of milkshake toward me. “This is your favorite, isn’t it?”

Before I can tell him to fuck off, Sarah comes to the table. She glances at Hayden before fixing her attention on me. “Liz asked me to take your order,” she says, smiling confusedly.

“Sorry, I’ll get back to work soon,” I mutter.

“Do you want burgers or steak?” Hayden asks, perusing the menu.

“Whatever you want,” I grate through clenched teeth.

“You know what? Maybe I’ll get both. Our study sessions have gotten me starving for a good meal.”

“Wait, you’re tutoring him?” Sarah asks, her voice taking on a sudden high pitch. “Oh my!”

“Oh, I don’t know what I’d do without him,” Hayden says with a serious look on his face. “I need him to help me.”

I glare at him. He’s damn good at making up stories to garner sympathy. That’s how he got his coach to force me into becoming his tutor and now, he’s doing the same thing with the people at the diner.

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Sarah says. “I’ll make sure you’re both fed well tonight. Would you like a milkshake too?”

“Sure,” Hayden says. “Can I get a chocolate milkshake too?”

“Yeah, I’ll get you one right away.” Sarah smiles at him before hurrying toward the kitchen.

“You’re a damn good liar,” I hiss as soon as we’re alone.

“It’s the only way I know to protect myself,” Hayden whispers, a sudden darkness shadowing his eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask him.

“I wanted to spend some time with you.”

My heart stutters, and then starts racing at a hundred miles per hour.

“Hayden, are you forgetting something?” I ask him in a lowered voice. “Do you want people to see you with me?”

He shrugs a shoulder. “You’re my tutor. That’s all people will see here. Besides, aren’t you glad I got you to take a break?”

“No. I’m here to work. I don’t like you wasting my time like this.”

His eyes turn cold. “So, sitting with me is just a waste of time for you?”

“Yes,” I reply, meeting his gaze.

Hayden’s face morphs into a stony expression.

Despite the things he makes me feel, I refuse to be manipulated by him.

“This is my job, Hayden,” I tell him in a grim tone. “You can’t come in here and mess with me like this.” Pushing the milkshake back toward him, I get to my feet. “I’ll see you on Monday for our tutoring session.

“Liam,” Hayden growls, stopping me in my tracks. “Sit your ass on that chair or you will regret it.

I stay on my feet, fighting the urge to obey him.

“You will lose this job if you don’t sit down right now!” Hayden says, his face a mask of fury.

Knowing how easily he can use his charm to get his way, I grudgingly sit down on the chair. While my scholarship pays for my education, I still need this job to pay for rent and food.

“You can make that face all you want but you’re not going anywhere,” he adds in a lowered voice.

Anger surges through me, making me want to splash the chocolate milkshake in his face. Instead, I pull the glass toward me and take a large gulp of the cold, creamy shake.

“Mmm,” A moan escapes me as the chocolate hits my frayed nerves. Damn! I love a good chocolate milkshake.

Hayden notices my reaction instantly. A smirk lifts the corner of his lips as if knows I was starving.

He’s about to say something but stops as Sarah comes to the table and places a glass of milkshake in front of him. “Our boss sent you these barbecue wings to try.”

“Thanks, Sarah,” Hayden says smoothly, reading her name tag. “Please tell her I appreciate the gesture.”

“You should bring in your teammates sometime too,” Sarah says, easily swayed by his charm.

“Sure. We love this place,” Hayden says with a broad grin.

“Awesome! I’ll be right back with the rest of your food.”

A groan escapes me as I take the first bite of the hot, saucy chicken. The food in this diner is exceptional.

I devour two more wings before staring the devil in the eye. “You could be an actor, you know,” I say, meeting Hayden’s hungry gaze.

“I can be anything you want,” he says in a sultry voice.

I roll my eyes and take a big slurp of my shake.

“You shouldn’t skip your meals, Liam,” Hayden says in a grim tone. “What were you thinking coming here to work on an evening shift when you’re clearly starving?”

Surprise flickers through me. “You could tell I was hungry?”

“I know your hungry face,” he says, leaning against his chair and raking his gaze all over me. “That’s how you looked the first day you started tutoring me. You’ve got to take care of yourself, Liam. I can’t always be around to babysit you.”

My cheeks flame up. How can he casually say those things to my face?!

He leans across the table, watching me with a smug, knowing grin.

“You’re high-maintenance, you know that?” he whispers.

Gods! Why does it feel like I’m on a real date with a boyfriend I’ve been seeing for months?

Hayden is my student , I chant in my head, struggling to keep a straight face. I’m his fucking tutor!

I’m almost relieved when Sarah comes back with more food. This way, I can continue stuffing my face and avoid having to look directly at Hayden.