Page 47 of The Surprise Play

My face flushes and I shake my head before realizing that lady problems would have been an excellent excuse. Damn my honesty!

With a soft sigh, I’m forced to admit, “I just… figured our tutoring session was over, and I didn’t want to disturb what you had going on with J—that girl.” I swallow and look down, straightening a pleat in my skirt.

A sudden laugh bursts out of him. “Yeah, that chick is one hot ticket, but this assignment won’t write itself. We’ve got twelve hours left before it’s due, and I’m sure Coach will let me skip a session for this, but… I felt like we were on a roll. If you’re up for it, I’d love to get it done tonight.” He keeps smiling at me. “I’m glad you’re okay and not really sick.”

My eyebrows shoot up and I totally miss that last sentiment, because I’m too busy balking. “You’re putting an assignment above a ‘hot ticket’?”

He grins, clearly as surprised as I am. His eyebrows rise as he tips his head, his gaze twinkling. “I guess I am.” With a flick of his fingers, he beckons me into his truck. “Come on, let’s go find a quiet space to get this shit done.”

“I…” Looking up at his outstretched hand, I tentatively shuffle toward this monster vehicle of his. It’s impossible to say no to the hopeful look on his face. He really wants to get this essay wrapped up, and I really want to help him.

Placing my bag in the footwell, I try to get into his stupidly big truck without taking his hand, but of course I lose my balance, and his strong fingers are curling around my arm in an instant. Hauling me up, he doesn’t seem to mind when I lurch forward against him, my boobs squishing into his arm before I can right myself.

Oh my gosh! This is humiliating!

Quickly jerking back into the seat, I pinch my index finger and keep my eyes straight ahead, only remembering my seat belt when he pulls away from the curb.

My hands are shaking as I try to clip it in, and in the end, he has to help me, his solid hand making the snap an easy one.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“No problem.” He smiles, and I study his profile for a second. “So, where are we going? Back to the library? Or maybe your dorm?”

“M-my dorm?”

“Yeah, I figure that’ll be more private. Unless you have a roommate. If that’s the case, we could just go back to Football Frat again.”

“I don’t have a roommate.” I shake my head and suddenly wish I’d kept my mouth shut.

“Perfect.” His voice rises with enthusiasm. “Which dorm are you in?”

Oh shit, what have I done?

Is he seriously about to enter my room?

I should bail and say I prefer Football Frat, but when I open my mouth, “Buckley Hall” pops out.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“Oh nice. I bet the renovations on that are good.”

“Yeah, I have my own bathroom.” I can’t help smiling. “I moved into Buckley Hall at the beginning of last year, but then that fire happened, and I got relegated to the overflow housing. It was so noisy and crowded, and I was sharing a room with three other girls. I found it kind of overwhelming.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I guess I’m a bit of an introvert.” I point to myself. “I’m an only child, and I’m used to my own space. To go from a single room to sharing a bunk bed was kind ofshocking. But the girls were nice enough. They were all friends and just kind of left me to my own devices.”

“What?” Wily frowns. “They didn’t include you?”

“Oh, it’s okay. I didn’t want to be included.”

His eyebrows pucker. “Still. You’d think they would have taken you under their wing.”

I flick my hand through the air and shake my head. “Really, it was fine. And the school worked really hard to get Buckley Hall fixed up ASAP, so I was back in there just after spring break and was able to make it my own. Luckily, I was assigned a room there again this year, so I set it all back up the way I had it.”

“Cool.” He pulls into the small parking lot just in front of the building.

“You can park in one of those three spots.” I point ahead of us, and he picks the one closest to the building.