Because of Bodie.
It was the middle of January and colder than a witch's tit outside. I got up one morning in the middle of the week and claimed I needed some serious pick-me-up before heading to my first class. Bodie insisted on taking me to Capri’s and driving me to school. I sure wasn’t complaining.
I not only got great coffee, but a delicious breakfast croissant that Capri had made, a cinnamon roll for later, and extra time with my man.
It was a win to the fourth power for me.
When we got to the campus parking lot, Bodie told me not to move, and then he came around to open my door. He was one sexy gentleman. Instantly, there were eyes on us as he fussed over zipping up my coat and pulling my beanie down over my head farther, before taking my hand to walk me to class.
I knew what they saw but I didn’t give a flying fuck. People were sizing us up and calculating the age difference between us. That shit didn’t matter when I was living my dream life with the man I loved. Well,almostmy dream life. A few things were missing, but it was damn close, and I was happier than I ever thought I’d be.
I also noticed other things as we got closer to my first classroom. The guys kept staring as if sizing Bodie up as we walked hand and hand together into the building. Bodie was a big guy with sprawling muscles and I hadn’t seen a man on campus that held a candle to him. The women, well, they were drooling. I almost laughed at their blatant stares.Eat your hearts out, girls, the man is mine.
While Bodie didn’t seem to care about my latter two observations, he had noticed the first. We came to a stop in the hall outside my door and turned to look at me. “Does it bother you that everyone notices how much older I am than you?”
We had talked about this but now we were out in public more so I suppose he wanted reassurance. But maybe I should be asking him the same thing. “Does it bother you?”
“You can’t answer a question with a question,” he told me.
“Really, that’s funny, I just did,” I replied, giving him a sassy smile.
“Smartass.” He playfully swatted my ass and then leaned in and kissed the daylights out of me right there in front of everyone.
I heard the girls sigh and some of the guys doing some catcalls but I was too caught up in the kiss to stop it. And Bodie was too since he deepened the kiss. When we finally pulled apart, I was breathing rapidly and my eyelids were closed. I blinked them open and stared into Bodie’s handsome face.
“I don’t care what anyone thinks, and no, it doesn’t bother me. You’re everything I want, and I love you.” I skimmed my hand gently down the side of his face.
He captured my hand before it dropped completely and turned it over, pressing a kiss to my palm. “Ditto, baby. I love you too.”
My heart melted and I wasn’t ready for him to leave.
“They can think what they want. Besides, they are probably jealous that I snagged the hottest man that's ever stepped foot on this campus.”
Needing another kiss like I needed my next breath, I grabbed the front of his navy-blue hooded sweatshirt in a death grip and went up to my toes. Then took the kiss I wanted with an intensity that burned through me.
When it ended, he leaned to whisper into my ear. “To be continued.”
A tingle shot down my spine as his warm breath tickled my ear. “I love the sound of that.”
“I’ll see you athomelater, sweetheart.” He tapped me on the nose and said goodbye.
Home. That sounded perfect when he said it.
Alley was picking me up because we’d promised Jurnee we’d go check some new stuff she had going on at her business,Hopeful Jurnee.
My eyes stayed glued to Bodie’s very fine ass as he walked down the hall. With a reluctant sigh, I dragged my gaze from my future. As I turned toward the classroom I realized that I’d been working toward one part of my future and found another. There was room for both, but Bodie and his girls would always come first.
Just as I was about to enter the room I felt eyes on me and looked down the hall to see Brett standing with his shoulder against the wall, hatred in his gaze. I shuddered and quickly escaped into class.
* * *
I breezedthrough the doors and into the frigid cold air.
Spotting Alley’s massive truck—she’d never been able to part with even after becoming a mom, so she had two vehicles—parked at the curb where I promised to meet her, I chuckled. The woman was a badass.
Ducking my face into my jacket to stay warm, I made a beeline toward her. A couple of steps from the truck a group of people walked in front of me and stopped, blocking me from opening the damn door so I could climb into the warmth of the truck that I so desperately needed.
“Is this the tease you told us about, Brett?” a deep voice asked, causing my head to snap up.
