“But what if I don’twantyou to disappear, Violet?” His question was quiet, but it made me look at him sharply.Why did he even care?“Look, I know you’re notactuallymy girl, but letting Brandon think that will keep him from harassing you too much.”
I sighed, silently admitting that it would be nice not to have an enemy like Brandon lurking around every corner. Maybe Claudette would back off too, if she thought I was taken and therefore not interested in Rafe. Which I wasn’t. But some chicks were next level territorial.
“Okay, well I guess I should say thank you, then?” I offered Alex a small smile, and his whole face lit up.
“No need to thank me, Violet. I just want the chance to know you better.” His shoulder brushed mine as we walked slowly down the stairs, but it was a friendly gesture. “And who knows, maybe you’ll decide youwantto be my girl after all.”
I spluttered a laugh, admiring his tenacity. “One step at a time, Prince Charming.”
Alex beamed, knowing he’d charmed me. “How about dinner?”
“Now?” My gaze flickered to Mattie and Nolan, then back to Alex.
He shrugged, his attention firmly on me like he hadn’t even seen my new friends there. “Notrightnow, it’s a bit early. I thought maybe we could hang out a bit, then grab something to eat in town. You know, away from all the prying eyes.”
I bit the edge of my lip, indecision playing within me.
“Come on, Violet,” Alex coaxed, “Matisse and Nolan got you at lunch time.” The pout and puppy dog eyes almost won me over. Almost.
“I have so much classwork to catch up on,” I admitted with a groan.
Alex’s smile hit mega-wattage, and I wondered what in that statement made him so happy.
“Did I ever tell you that I topped my freshman year?” he started, and I understood his joy. “How about we make a deal?”
Crossing my arms across my chest in a useless protective gesture, I tried not to let my interest in this deal show. “I’m listening.”
Alex stepped closer, his chest almost pressing into my forearms. “I’ll work with you and help you get on track with all your classes, if you agree to four dates a week.”
My jaw dropped. I wasn’t sure what I’d expected him to say, but four dates a week…
Why was he so interested? It didn’t make any sense, and when things didn’t make sense, it made me wary.
Still … was I really in a position to turn this offer down? My first day at Arbon had already demonstrated that I was way behind, my previous education not preparing me at all for this level of intense learning.
“One date a week,” I replied, unable to refuse him outright. Fucker was charming, and he knew it.
“Three,” he countered.
“Two, and that’s my final offer.”
Those perfect white teeth about blinded me, and despite the sweat-and-grass smell he was rocking right now, his attractiveness had me in its thrall.
“A minimum of two,” Alex finally said, nodding his head. “But I’m allowed to try and convince you of more.”
A low rumble of laughter escaped me. “Okay, deal.”
Good luck, buddy. I was going to be like fucking Fort Knox in my attempts at keeping him out of my pants. The two dates each week I’d use as information gathering sessions on this world and my classmates.
Survival of the smartest and all that.
Alex held his hand out, and I stared at it for a beat before I placed mine into it. He didn’t shake as I expected, instead pulling me forward and pressing a kiss to my cheek, like that was a regular way to seal a deal.
My heart fluttered at the warmth of his body, and it took me far longer than it should have to place my free hand on his chest and attempt to push him away.
Thankfully, he stepped back without a fight, and when he released my hand, I tried not to dwell on how much I’d liked him holding it.
“Let’s get on that homework,” Alex said, “and if we get it done tonight, then maybe we’ll have our first date of this week.”
