“I know I must seem a little crazy to you, but I’m running o
ut of time.” He leaned in closer, and I felt goosebumps form. His massive arms and chest were ripped to perfection under his collared t-shirt. He was close, and even more devastating than I’d initially thought. “I know what needs to happen. I just can’t do anything about it now,” he offered, as if he was apologizing.
“And I suppose I have no say in this whatsoever? I’ve heard a story like this before.” I was referring to my parents’ rocky fifteen-year start. “I can tell you it’s a bad idea. Besides, you have a girlfriend.”
“No, I don’t.”
“From what I saw, you have a very possessive girlfriend. You know the brutal bitch brunette—”
“I live too far away,” he murmured as he inched closer, ignoring my protest.
My voice got louder as I got nervous. “Well, there you have it. The epic story of Rose and Grant, a tragic two-minute affair!”
He took my face in his hands and leaned in, his eyes burning a hole through me. I was shaking and couldn’t keep my lower lip still. He noticed and brushed his thumb over it, attempting to soothe me.
Holy shit!
“I knew you would come around.” He grinned as he closed the remaining distance between us. I couldn’t stop it. It was a simultaneous failure of limbs and brain cells. His lips touched mine softly, and I let out an unexpected moan. He pulled back and watched me, hands still on both sides of my face. “Did you feel that?”
I nodded my head in agreement as he slowly leaned in again. He touched my lips with his, and I felt everything I possessed start to tingle. His tongue gently delved into the corners of my mouth, and I opened it, inviting him in, letting him take the rest of me. I knew it was insane, as insane as the hot man sticking his tongue into my mouth, but I didn’t care. What could it hurt? My defenses crumbled, and I let Grant have his way with me. My hands instinctively wrapped around his massive biceps as he plunged his tongue in sweetly until there was nothing left to taste. When he pulled away, our foreheads touched briefly before his eyes again penetrated mine.
“Rose, God, it was better than I thought it would be. I knew it would be...like this.”
“Look, Grant—”
“Don’t,” he said. “You know you felt it, too.”
“And it felt good. Just don’t do it again, okay? Your girlfriend is walking over here and is about to kick my ass!”
He spun to see her rapidly approaching as she shrieked, “You break up with me, don’t leave campus, and two days later you are kissing someone!”
He turned to me, amusement on his face. “Well, I have to go. I will see you again. And you were right about her.” He smiled, pecked my lips, and then stood to shield me from her wrath. She was beyond hostile. I was not looking forward to that eventual confrontation.
After a hasty goodbye, I spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting under the tree with a book in my lap, but couldn’t read one word. Not one single word.
One Week Later
“Wake up, beautiful.”
A warm hand lay on my cheek, but I felt too soothed to find the energy to open my eyes. I leaned into the reassuring weight, enjoying the comfort of my dream.
“Wake up, sleeping beauty. We don’t have much time.”
I sat straight up in my bed, gasping in shock at the man who was hovering over me. I recognized him, but it did little to calm the panic racing through me.
“Grant? What in the hell are you doing in my bedroom?!”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He smelled incredible, like he was freshly showered. I ignored it in lieu of the terror of having a stranger in my bedroom.
“What about this isn’t creepy, Grant?”
“Your roommate let me in.”
“Jennifer!” I loved her dearly, and I would miss her.
Grant gave me a rueful smile that showcased his perfect dimple. “She left.”
“Oh, I am going to kill her!” I started to get out of bed as he stilled me before speaking gently to me as if I were a caged animal.