Price of a Kiss (Forbidden Men 1)

The night before still bothered me. How could I have been that rude and nosey to Mason? I couldn’t believe I’d come right out and asked him such intrusive questions about his secret lifestyle.

I mean, I knew I had a snoopy side and it usually went to extreme lengths to appease its curiosity, but I had been so incredibly insensitive.

I hoped I wouldn’t see him every evening I had to babysit. That could get awkward real fast.

And on the flip side: How could such an amazingly hot hottie be so completely unavailable, live such a corrupt life…and act so hostile?

Nothing made sense anymore.

Trudging past the bronze statues in front of the main campus building, I was trying to think up a way to get past this when I caught sight of Hotness himself sitting on one of the benches along the sidewalk paths. With one leg crossed over the other and his ankle resting on his opposite knee, he’d spread open a textbook on his lap. He wrote madly in a notepad, pausing every few seconds to consult the book.

I reacted instantly, jerking to an abrupt halt. God, he looked good. Up close, from a distance, it didn’t matter. The boy didn’t have a bad side.

He’s a gigolo, Reese, my inner conscience reminded me. That means off limits. Way off limits.

But he was also a gigolo who hated me, and a gigolo whose good side I needed to get on if I wanted my babysitting duties to progress smoothly. And he was just so pretty.

Changing my course, I turned his way and approached boldly. He didn’t notice me until I stood right in front of him and said, “Here.” In a peace offering attempt, I thrust forward the steaming cup and small brown paper bag I’d been carrying.

He looked up, brushed the hair out of his eyes with the end of his pen, and blinked at my gifts before returning his confused gaze back to me.

“This is my apology,” I explained, “for being such a rude, nosey bitch to you last night. I’m…really sorry. I mean, what you do in your personal life is totally none of my business, and I shouldn’t have been meddlesome. Please believe me when I say I never meant to offend you.”

When he didn’t reply and didn’t reach for my breakfast, I shifted nervously. Okay, so maybe things between us could get more awkward.

This was so not helpful.

A stubborn streak bit me and suddenly I refused to give up on my apology. I set the covered cup and baggie beside him on the bench with a plunk. “It’s a bear claw in the bag and a white chocolate mocha espresso in the cup,” I explained. “I don’t…I wasn’t sure what you’d like. So…I hope it’ll do.”

There. Pleased with myself for making it sound as if I’d bought my breakfast for him all along, I blasted him with a wide smile. When he didn’t return it, my own dropped.

“Okay, then.” I cleared my throat. “Have a good day.”

I turned away, and the jerk face didn’t call after me. So I walked off before he could respond.

Oh, who was I kidding? I’d given him plenty of time to respond. There’s been a good five-second pause of uncomfortable silence after each sentence I’d said. And he hadn’t gifted me with one word from his beautiful voice. The bastard.

I was irrationally hurt. But, hello. He wouldn’t forgive me for anything. Truly repentant people should be forgiven. Gah.

Marching faster with each lungful of rising ire, I veered right toward the nursing center, a smaller, oval-shaped building beside the main hall, where my first class of the day took place. Instead of entering it, however, I hurried around the side and paused before sneaking a peek back to where Mason was sitting.

He stared at my breakfast as if it might be hazardous. I’d just convinced myself he was going to stand up and walk away without touching either the cup or the baggie when he reached out a cautious hand and gingerly picked up the latte. He held it another second, simply studying the brand on the container before he brought it to his mouth and took a timid sip, quickly pulling back.

Scowling at the cup, he licked his lips. My breathing stalled in my chest as I waited. Then he drank again, longer this time, tipping the bottom up as his throat worked through each swallow.

A pleasant buzz of warmth stole through me, as if he were drinking in a piece of me instead of my espresso.

With his next pass, he guzzled with abandon, draining the contents dry. Looking much less intimidating and much more approachable now, he set the latte aside, smacking his lips as he opened the sack to pull out my bear claw. He took a hearty bite from the fried dough and chewed with a cheek full before returning his attention to his homework. As he set his pen back to the page, the foot he had crossed over his ankle bobbed in a merry manner.

Hmm. At least he looked pleased by my gift…even if he couldn’t bother to exonerate me aloud to my face.

Strangely satisfied by his reaction, I turned away and strolled to class, unable to stop smiling.

~$~

It had taken me all of thirty seconds on Tuesday to decide my General Virology course was going to suck ass. After my second round of it this morning, I almost considered changing my major entirely.

But at least I wasn’t alone in my frustrations. As soon as class let out, complaining started all around me.