“Changes nothing.”
I flip him the bird, and he chuckles, picking up his mug again.
A comfortable silence descends for a few seconds while we both drink our coffee and contemplate whatever the hell is going on between us.
He breaks it first.
“Can I ask you something?”
Although wary, I nod.
“Why are you so against relationships?”
Air expels from my mouth. This is a pretty heavy convo for such a new friendship, but I’m not going to hide from him or lie. I move up to the top of the bed and rest my back against the headboard with my mug in my hands. “Come join me.” The words have barely left my mouth, and he’s striding across my bedroom, eating up the space quickly with his long legs.
Garrick gets comfortable beside me, and I angle my head so we’re face-to-face. “I’m the first to admit I’m a bit of a control freak,” I say.
He fights a smirk, and I level him with a dark look. “I’ve only known you five minutes, and I can already tell you like things orderly.” His gaze skates around my tidy bedroom. “Case in point. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a student’s room so neat, tidy, and regimentally organized.” He brushes hair out of his face, smiling in amusement while he peers at me. “If you ever end up in my room, I’ll have to blindfold you so you don’t see the mess.”
“Oh no. That’s it.” I shake my head. “We can’t be friends.”
He chuckles. “Maybe you’ll be a good influence on me.”
“But will you be a good influence on me? That’s the million-dollar question.”
“What if I want to be abadinfluence?” Heat flares behind his retinas as he pins me with a suggestive look that has me discreetly squeezing my thighs together. I playfully push his chest. He’s solid and warm beneath my touch, and it’s almost impossible to resist the urge to crawl into his lap and siphon some of that body heat.
“Stop with the innuendo.” It takes massive self-control to withdraw my hand from his chest. “We’re just friends, remember?”
“Of course.” The grin is firmly planted on his face, but it’s good to see it. I only realized I missed it when he was quiet and sullen this afternoon. “And you were going to tell me why you’re allergic to dating.”
A laugh spills from my lips. “I guess that’s one way of putting it.”
He finishes his coffee and puts the empty mug down. Moving closer, he reaches out, softly threading his fingers through my hair. “Sorry, I know we’re trying to have a serious conversation, but I can’t hold back any longer. You have the most beautiful hair, and I’ve been dying to touch it.”
I’m in a daze as I stare at his lush mouth while he rakes his fingers in my hair.
“I wondered if it would feel soft as silk, and now I know.”
Our eyes meet, and attraction smolders in the small gap between us. It would be easy to bridge the distance and press my mouth to his. I know he wouldn’t turn me away, but I can’t get distracted by his full lips, those naughty dimples, or the warmth and vitality brimming in his eyes.
I do not do this.
And I need to get a grip.
Scooting over to the edge of the bed, I drink the dregs of my now lukewarm coffee and give myself a silent pep talk. Anything to avoid surrendering to the feelings simmering under the surface of my skin.
“Is it fear?”
My eyes meet his.
Concern glimmers in his eyes. “Did someone hurt you?”
I place my empty mug on my bedside table and lie down on my side facing him. “No one hurt me, but I suppose fear plays a small part.”
Garrick mirrors my position except he tucks a hand under his head as he waits for me to elaborate.
“My mom got pregnant at twenty, just before the start of her sophomore year at UO. She wanted to be a doctor until she met a handsome sailor one night in Seattle, and they had a wild night together.” A shudder works its way through me. I peer directly into Garrick’s eyes, loving how he clings attentively to everything I say. “Those were her words, not mine, and yes, it’s gross, and I’d rather she hadn’t overshared, but it’s good to know I was the product of fun if I wasn’t borne out of love.”
