I shivered in response.
“Or…” His smooth voice matched his captivating smile, and the mystery man changed tactics. “…just tell me a truth.”
“This last week…” I swallowed, ignoring the painful reminder in my chest. “…I had to switch mailboxes seven times.”
“Seven?” His eyes widened. “Not happy with your PO location? Hmm, I highly doubt that. The only reason a woman would go to all that trouble would be to hide from something or someone… tax evasion? No, too young.” His eyes scanned me. “Crazy ex–boyfriend, then? Or stalker?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but he gave a slight shake of his head. His eyes examined me from head to toe. “Too polite to report a crazy stalker or ex-boyfriend. My guess is you’ve been trying to hide from the individual and hope it will go away with a simple address change.”
“It will,” I defended. “Besides, ever since information was released into the public—”
His eyes narrowed. “The public?”
“Never mind.” I shook my head. The last thing I needed was to let him know who I really was. That always gave me unwanted attention. “So I’m in college.” Not the smoothest subject change I’d ever tried, but it worked. He seemed amused. His lips curved into a grin. Something was so familiar and ridiculously hot about that grin.
“Twenty?”
I gawked as his mouth nearly brushed mine with the ending of his answer. “Huh?”
“Your age.”
“Yeah.”
“Sophomore?”
“Can you stop psychoanalyzing me now?” I said, breathless.
He laughed heartily. His head fell back just slightly, giving me a view of his strong neck.
Something was seriously wrong with me if I was lusting after the man’s neck.
“Alright, so tell me about your week, let me guess your new professor is an absolute prick.”
I joined in his laughter, recalling all the times that week that Professor Blake had picked on me in class. “Yeah, something like that. I think he hates me.”
“Who could hate you?”
“Ah, there’s that flattery again.”
He dipped me, the motion stealing any control I’d deluded I’d had in his arms. He brought me back against his chest and said in a husky voice. “I prefer truth.”
I fought to not roll my eyes. “Fine, and apparently it’s really easy. Apparently I offend him by breathing.”
“The only reason a man would be offended by your breathing is because of the distraction it causes.”
“Me living is a distraction?”
“To me?” His eyes narrowed as he twirled me then pulled me back into his arms. “To the male species?” He lowered me into a dip, his face inches from mine as he whispered, “I imagine your presence is a distraction everywhere you go.”
I swallowed convulsively as the music ended, and he brought me back to an upright position.
A man tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, I wrapped my arms around myself while he engaged in conversation. I read no expression on his face. It was like he’d gone blank.
When he turned back around, that dead-sexy smile was back, and I could have sworn my knees knocked together a bit.
“Walk with me.”
I nodded and grasped his gloved hand with mine.