I hiked my backpack over my shoulder and headed down the tree-lined pathway through the deserted campus. There was something kind of magical about having the place to myself. I slowed when I reached the quad, pausing to admire the glistening green grass before heading for the parking lot. I took the long way around, letting my mind drift from one wacky topic to the next: Who would be my partner for the project, how much research was really involved, and most importantly—what should I eat for dinner? Maybe pasta or grilled chicken or—
“Hey, Drew!”
I turned on cue.
Liam?
I squinted in confusion, pushing my sunglasses on top of my head to give him a thorough once-over. Damn, he was hot. His twinkling eyes and lopsided grin warmed me from the inside out. He rocked the battered old Uggs and water-polo-parka ensemble again. His wavy dark hair curled at his collar, giving him a more boyish look than usual. His stubbled jaw should have canceled the illusion, but it added roguish appeal and—oh, boy. Pull it together, Drew.
“What are you doing here?”
Liam chuckled at my lukewarm greeting. “I was swimming laps. What are you doing here?”
“I had class,” I replied.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “It’s winter break till next week. What are you really up to? Are you sneaking into classrooms and stealing Post-it Notes and pencil sharpeners?”
“How’d you guess? I’ve had my eye on that industrial-looking one bolted to the front desk in the library,” I snarked, gesturing at his ensemble. “Aren’t you cold?”
“Nah, but I should be. I’m buck-ass naked under this thing.”
Gulp.
Okay. See? Not fair.
Liam had my attention from the second he called my name. Now I was on hyper alert, every nerve ending in my body buzzing. It took less than two minutes for him to ruin a week’s worth of resolve not to lust after my coworker. Damn, I was a horny mess.
I cleared my throat and gave a careless half laugh. “And why is that?”
“Wet Speedos aren’t comfy.”
“I bet. Why don’t you shower, dry off, and get dressed in the locker room like normal people?”
“I am not normal people,” he said, modulating his voice to sound like an evil cartoon villain.
“You’re a dork.” I chuckled in spite of myself and inclined my head toward the lot. “Where’d you park?”
“I didn’t drive. My car’s in the shop. I’ve been Uber-ing, Lyft-ing, and mooching rides off friends all week. It’s thrown me off my game. I usually bring a water polo bag and a separate bag for my clothes. Two out of the past five days, I’ve forgotten my clothes. And funny enough, you’re the first person I’ve run into both times.”
“So you’re not a stripper or a flasher on the side?” I teased.
“Nope. I can’t dance, and I’m not a total creep,” he huffed. “Just forgetful.”
“Hmm. I’ve seen you dance around the café. You’re not so bad.”
“Well, sure…if I’m at a club or a party and my favorite song comes on, I can shake my ass and hold my own. But pole dancing is an art form onto itself.” He raised his hands in surrender. “I am not worthy.”
I smiled at his earnest expression. “How do I always end up having weird conversations with you?”
Liam shrugged good-naturedly. “Is it me?”
“Definitely. Do you need a ride?”
“I was gonna walk, but if you don’t mind, that would be great. I live near Bixby Village.”
“No problem.”
We headed across campus, making idle conversation about nothing in particular. It occurred to me as I opened my SUV that this was the longest I’d ever been alone with Liam. Any second now we’d probably run out of things to say, so it was a good thing he lived close by.
That definitely wasn’t the case. Liam was loquacious.
It should have been annoying, but he was a tricky one. Liam didn’t talk about the weather or work, or himself. Instead, he asked questions about me as if he were conducting an interview with the most interesting man in the world and he wanted to be sure not to miss a single detail.
“So, where are you from originally?” he inquired as he slid into the passenger seat of my Jeep Cherokee.
“San Diego. You?”
“Mammoth.”
“Really?”
“Yep. Born and raised on the slopes. I miss snow.”
“I bet. Why water polo?”
“I wanted to try something new, and there’s not much snow at the beach.”
I glanced across the console and rolled my eyes. “I noticed.”
He chuckled as he shifted to face me. “Did you play any sports?”
“I was on the track team in high school and—”
“I knew it!” Liam slapped his hand on the dashboard.
“You did? How?”
He grinned. “You’re long and lean like a track star.”
“I wasn’t necessarily a star, but I liked it.”
“Do you still run?”
“Every day.”
“Sounds awful. To each his own.”
I chuckled as I turned into the Village. “Where am I going?”