Overwhelmingly attractive.
Her lips thin at her train of thought. She shouldn’t be thinking anything about him.
“You again,” she murmurs, unblinking.
He sucks in a breath, sudden laughter escaping his lips. “Me, again.”
CHAPTER 10
HOW TO START A LOVE STORY
ROMAN
This woman is stubborn, Roman thinks to himself as he watches her look at the drink with cautious eyes.It’s charming. I’m charmed.
“It’s unopened,” he says, waving the bottle of water in her face.
She continues to stare at it, like he just offered to spit in her mouth or something.
He sighs, rubbing his chin. “Look, I don’t feel comfortable leaving until I know you’re okay. So, the faster you drink, the quicker I’m gone.”
Her eyes turn to slits. “I said I’m fine.”
“Jahlani. You fell like a damsel in distress. Those are sure signs of someone who isnotfine.”
Pursing her lips, she reaches for it. Her fingertips brush his, and he prays she doesn’t notice how sharply he inhales as he watches her drink the entire bottle.
“Happy?” she says, wiping the back of her hand against her mouth.
He offers a closed-lipped smile. “Very.” He takes the empty bottle from her, throwing it in a nearby recycle bin. “How do you feel now?”
“Better,” she mutters, staring down at her sneakers. Looking up through dark lashes, she gives a low “thank you.” Roman folds his hands into his pockets, rocking on his heels as silence settles between them.
“What are—” he says just as she says, “Are you?—”
Their eyes hold onto each other, and her lips part. He gestures for her to speak, a wide grin stretching over his mouth.
“Are you stalking me? Plotting your revenge murder because I didn’t want to go out with you?”
He nods. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.‘Florida Man Stalks and Kills Woman, Feeds Her to Undergraduate Students.’It sounds pretty catchy, no?”
She locks her gaze onto his face. “I bet you think you’re so funny.”
“Hilarious, actually,” he says, rubbing his jaw. “I’m surprised you didn’t see the flyers around campus. My comedy show is this Friday. Be sure to check it out.”
He bites back a laugh as she rolls her eyes, locking her arms across her chest.
He turns away, suppressing the urge to ask for her number. Again. He runs a hand through his hair before clearing his throat.
“Are you sure you’re okay to walk?” He trails off, gesturing toward campus. “The clinic is right there. I can go get someone.”
“No!” she blurts out, her voice sharp against the thinning campus. “I said I’m fine.” Her gaze flickers down to her watch, the harsh glow of its face cutting through the deepening twilight.
“Look, thanks again for this,” she says, standing up and shifting her weight to grip her bag. “I need to catch the bus.”
She takes a step, her shoes tapping lightly on the pavement, already too eager to leave. To leavehim.
And that spurs him into action.
