Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“Lilah, babe, you ready or are you going to knock over some chairs too for effect? I think they heard you. No need to be shy.”
I die.
I die a thousand deaths.
My heart drops to my feet.
I have two choices. Deny or confirm.
I owe him.
No matter what. I owe him.
And by the looks on both their faces, I’m the one winning here, even though I know they’ll just spread rumors that I’m a whore.
I eye him up and down, from the top two buttons of his crisp white shirt being undone to the way the sleeves are shoved up to his elbows exposing the ten tat on his forearm. Yes. Oh yes, I’m definitely winning.
“Yeah.” I smile as big as I can. “Sorry, you know me, clumsy, plus I may have been eavesdropping, got territorial.” I wink. “And before either of you spread rumors, I’ve known him since I was sixteen—”
“And despite Evans trying to steal her heart,” he adds, “it’s only ever been mine. Anyway, my hours are on the door if you have any class related questions.”
He reaches for my hand, grabs it in his, and walks off with me while they whisper under their breath. We make it down the hall and into his office before I can finally exhale. And when I do it’s against him as he closes the door behind us and props me up against it. “Breathe Lilah, it’s not like I proposed and it’s not like you’re really mine.”
Eh, my hearts not really getting that specific memo with how hard it’s pounding right now. “Right, right, sorry, good save though.”
“I would say I owe you.” He shrugs. “But I’m pretty sure it’s the other way around for an eternity, yeah?”
“Fair.” I nod. “Totally fair.”
He eyes the door, then me.
“Sorry.” I do a small circle.
He grabs the handle for me like I’m incapable of leaving on my own, which I’m probably not.
“I’ll just head…”
Head?
Who am I?
I swear if I accidentally say bloke I’m killing Charlie. Murdering her!
“…out,” I lamely add on a choked whisper.
For the first time since he’s been back from the dead, Jude actually smirks, not a mocking smirk, not one that says he’s taunting me or wants to toy with my head in a million different ways.
No, his smirk says adoration.
Amusement.
It’s sexy as hell and it’s real.
It’s the most real thing we’ve exchanged since he came roaring back into my existence, and I find I can’t leave.
I can’t just give him my back when he’s looking at me like that.
I’ll stall and say “bloke” if I have to.
I’ll make something up.
I’ll stare and tell him my brain’s on stall mode.
Because it’s suddenly us again.
Back in my room.
Eyes only for each other.
Hearts beating to the same cadence.
His throat moves, and then his hand is pressed up against the door, palm flat next to the side of my head. “You’re staring.”
“You make it impossible not to,” I admit.
I’ve read about it in books. I’ve seen it on TV. I have never experienced it in real life, where a guy gives you a half-lidded look, a lazy look that almost lists all the things they want to do to you in real time while staring at you.
I stop breathing as his gaze lingers on my mouth. “You should really go.”
“You’re holding the door.”
He leans in and slides his hand down to the door handle and turns it then whispers into the crook of my neck. “Next time I won’t be this kind.”
“Kind?”
“Look at me like that again.” His nose touches my neck, he sucks in a sharp breath like he’s breathing me in. “And there won’t be a place to hide. And I’m still too angry to be gentle, Lilah.”
“Who wants gentle.” I say sliding out from underneath him and leave through the small opening of the door and smirk to myself when I say. “Professor.”
All I hear when I walk away are expletives.
The pep in my step isn’t forced.
It’s real.
But in all my excitement I forget to text him about the event to see if he’ll be there, maybe it’s best to catch him off guard anyways. I shoot a quick text to Charlie with two simple words.
I’m in.
And hopefully, Jude will be there too.
“It’s too tight.” I tug at my navy blue skirt with the slit up the right thigh and look down at my white crop top. It’s classy without looking like I’m trying too hard and when I added an oversized men’s brown jacket and then a brown belt it totally completed the look. Minimal skin showing but just enough to tempt, and later in the night I can take off the jacket if we end up going to another party or doing something fun. “Right?”
“Nah,” Charlie waves me off, she’s walking in her nude heels like a pro. Her white dress has puffy sleeves that come right off her shoulders, it fits her form perfectly, and she added cowboy boots which honestly, super cute. Maybe not for a cocktail hour with professors but I highly doubt they expect seniors to wear pantsuits. Then again, I’m sure she’d kill in one of those too.