Just a little bit.
“I’m on the Ramen Noodle diet, does that count?” I admitted on a mumble.
“The what diet? Why?” he actually sounded appalled. Like he was too good for Ramen Noodles. He was in college, it was like part of a code.
“You know, because I can’t afford anything else? I’m a poor, desolate college student.” I said by way of explanation.
He cocked his head back, like my words made no sense to him whatsoever. He turned away from me, resting his nicely shaped backside against the desk and crossed his arms.
“No you’re not,” he finally announced.
“Excuse me?” I hissed, half from shock, half from embarrassment.
“I know all of three of your brothers, Ellie. And I know two of them fairly well. I‘ve gone to school with Beckett and Grayson for four years and Lennox is somewhat of a legend around here. Beckett is in most of my classes. You’re not poor and you’re not desolate.”
I stood up, angrier at him than I ever had been in our entire twenty-four hour acquaintance. And then I verbally attacked his…. shoes. Just because I was in the process of growing a backbone did not mean I was ready for a full on frontal assault. Much too risky. Besides, what if he looked hurt or shocked by my harsh words? Then I would be forced to feelbadfor him. “Don’t act like you know me, because you don’t. Just because you Facebook-stalked me and know who my brothers are does not mean you knowme.”
He twisted around so he could stare me down at me while I was compelled to look up at him and met his gaze. I was unsurprisingly unnerved by the intensity of his scrutiny. Why did he have to look at me like he could see through me?Allthe way through me? I kicked the chair out behind me and decided I would stomp my way to the bathroom and hide out there until the pizza arrived.
Then I would eat the pizza.
Then I would leave.
Very dignified.
“I didn’t say I knew you, Ellie. But your family does have money. I do know that,” His words slowed my progress and I whipped my head around to respond.
“Fin Hunter, I-“
“Just Fin,” he reached for my hand, clasping my fingers between his two much larger, much stronger ones. He tugged on it just a little bit and I stumbled into him. He was ready, opening his legs so that when I righted myself I came to a stop facing him, trapped between his outstretched legs and the solid wall of his chest. “Just Fin, Ellie. Or every time you say my name I’m going to think I’m in trouble.”
He looked up at me from under those dark lashes, and I forgot how to talk for a minute. Like all the way forgot, like my mouth had no idea how to make sound come out of it. This wasn’t fair. He was using all of his charm and wiliness on me and I was left to fumble around confused and…. flustered.
“But usually you are in trouble,” I somehow came up with a witty, if not true response, although I had no idea how any kind of rational thought was getting past his body heat or deeply heated eyes.
“Seems to me like you attract trouble,” he rumbled in his deep voice that seemed to drop an octave with anticipation.
Goosebumps immediately rose all over my skin and I felt myself lean toward him even though I knew he was just messing with me. A chill shivered down my spine and I couldn’t stop myself, I was going to kiss him. Inside my head, I was screaming at myself to stop this madness, to wiggle away from him, but I couldn’t. He had this tractor beam radiating from him, drawing me to him like a moth to the light, or more accurately like a stupid mosquito to a deadly bug zapper.
I was helpless to fight this pull, to struggle against the invisible line he had tied to me. And now in just sEconds I suddenly felt this overwhelming need to taste his lips, an obsession to find out how they would feel against mine. Soft or hard? Insistent and frenzied or slow and sensual? My fingers literally itched with a crazed need to run along his scruffy jawline and my heart was fluttering with anticipation. I had to kiss him or I would die.
Saved by the buzzer. Literally. The screaming, ultra loud buzzer blasted through the silence between us and we both jerked apart. I leapt out of his way, while he stood at the same time. He ran a hand roughly through his hair, tugging at the roots. He stared unseeing at the door for a minute, while I tried to find a large enough something to crawl under and possibly die. I didn’t know if cause of death would ultimately be from stupidity or embarrassment, but I was positive at this point, either one was possible.
If only I could find a space big enough to hide my stupid, betraying body.
I could notbelieveI was about to kiss him!
What kind of wanton idiot was I all of a sudden?
Maybe Colton did more of a number on me than I originally thought. After all it took me six months before I gave him an opportunity to kiss me. Not that he didn’t try, I just never let myself be open to that. Then again, I wasn’t sure I was super attracted to Colton in the first place. But those were therapeutical musings for another day. Besides, now here I was, not even three weeks out from our breakup and I was the one initiating things with the untouchable Fin Hunter.
I meant, Fin.
Just Fin.
The super-hot, super dangerous, super bad influence senior that knewall of mybrothers.
Ding ding ding, and stupidity wins over embarrassment every day of the week.
