Campus God (Campus)

Not once does his gaze deviate from mine. “I have no interest in hooking up with Shandi.”

“Are you sure? Because it’s none of my business what you do.”

“Yup, I am.”

When I remain frozen in place, uncertain how to proceed, his arm tightens around me. “Come on, it’s cold. Let’s get you home.”

Reluctantly, I nod and follow him.

Silence settles around us as we make our way to the parking lot and the lone car a couple of rows away. Normally, during the day, the lot is jampacked and spots are at a premium. That’s not the case now.

Once we reach the vehicle, his arm disappears from around me and the cold immediately rushes in. He opens the door and ushers me inside before closing me in the small cabin. With a quick jog around the hood, he slides onto the leather seat and starts up the engine. Allowing it to idle for a couple of minutes, he pulls out of the lot and onto the tree-lined street. I rack my brain for something to say but can’t stop thinking about Shandi.

If I had to describe the kind of girl Crosby spends time with, she would fit the description perfectly. She’s a carbon copy of the ones I’ve seen hanging all over Andrew. What’s apparent is that she didn’t care if Crosby was spending time with another female. In fact, she was more than willing to join in on the action. It’s yet another unnecessary reminder as to why getting tangled up with an athlete at Western is a terrible idea.

Not that I’m in any danger of getting involved with another jock.

I give Crosby a bit of side-eye.

And it certainly wouldn’t be the jock sitting next to me.

Can you even imagine?

Laughter bubbles up in my throat before I choke it down so it doesn’t have a chance to break loose.

“Penny for your thoughts,” he says.

There’s no way I’m telling him the truth.

“I’m just thinking about what I still need to get done tonight.”

“Oh?” He flicks a glance at me. “I thought you finished everything at the library.”

“It’s just a little reading,” I mutter, hating that he’s caught me in a lie.

It’s a relief when he pulls up in front of the building. After he shifts into park, his dark gaze spears mine and it feels as if I’m being pinned to the seat. Even though my fingers are curled around the handle and I’m all but ready to jump out, I find myself unable to move.

“We could have stayed at the library if you needed to work. I wasn’t in a hurry to leave.”

I gulp as my mouth turns cottony. “It’s fine,” I whisper. “No big deal.”

With a nod, he turns more fully toward me. “Any plans later tonight?”

Chris forces his way into my brain, and for some reason, I’m loath to bring him up to Crosby. My relationships are none of his business. Just like his are none of mine.

“No. I’ll probably go to bed early. It’s been a long day.” I force myself to stop rambling before I admit the truth.

Why does this guy make me so nervous?

As I force myself to break eye contact, I glance down and a lock of hair falls over my eyes, shielding him from my view and making it so much easier to breathe. Just as I exhale, ready to leap from the car and make a quick getaway, he reaches out and sweeps the thick strands out of the way, carefully tucking them behind my ear.

The intimate gesture has the air clogging in my lungs. My wide gaze rises to his. The look of intensity filling his eyes makes my heart pound into overdrive as the oxygen gets sucked from the small space. His fingers slide slowly across my cheek before falling away.

It’s the sharp ringing of my phone that releases me from the strange paralysis. I blink and fumble for it before hitting the green button and holding it to my ear.

“Hello?” When I finally find my voice, it’s nothing more than a painful rasp. As if I haven’t had a drop of water in days.

“Brooke?” There’s a pause. “Where are you?”

Sasha.

I couldn’t be more thankful for the timely interruption. I’m afraid to think about what could have happened otherwise. And that’s a difficult admittance to make.

“I’m right outside the apartment building.” I reluctantly glance at Crosby. “I’m just about to walk in.”

“Good.” Her voice becomes chastising. “I was worried when I found the apartment empty.”

“I’m fine. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

My fingers shake as I disconnect the call and slip my phone back inside my bag.

“Guess you need to go.”

“Yes.” I definitely need to go. My fingers curl around the handle before popping it open. Even though cold air rushes in, it does nothing to clear my brain. “Thanks for the ride.”