But then I hear myself asking, "What does it feel like? For a guy?"
My heart immediately jumps into my throat. I didn't mean to ask that. Oh God.
Asher stops and turns to look at me, his expression unreadable for a moment. I want to disappear, but instead, I stand there, waiting for him to say something, anything.
He steps closer, his voice tighter than usual. "It's hard to explain. It's like everything builds, everything tightens, and then it all... releases. It's intense. You stop thinking, you just feel." His eyes are steady on mine, his voice seeming to deepen. "Have you ever-" he cuts himself off with a shake of his head. "That's a conversation for another time. Right now, you've got homework."
I blink, trying to process everything he just said, but all I manage is a shaky, "yes, homework?"
I blink and suddenly the old Asher is back. His grin widens, and I swear he's enjoying this more than he should. "Yep. Read up, and I expect questions next time."
And then he's gone, leaving me alone with a book and a heart that's beating way too fast.
Chapter 6
Tip six; Your body speaks before your mouth ever does. Let it.
Asher
Ishouldn't be here.
That's the first thought that hits me the moment I step into Ivy's room again, sunlight spilling across the bed in a way that makes my brain do things it absolutely shouldn't.
I shouldn't be thinking about her at all.
Yet here I am.
She's not on the bed this time.
She's cross-legged on the floor, laptop balanced on her knees, hair twisted into that messy knot she does when she's concentrating. Soft. Unaware. Completely and utterly dangerous.
The room smells like vanilla and paper and something that's just... her.
I already know I need distance. I should step back, leave before she looks up and those hazel eyes land on me.
I almost do.
My hands on the handle, door cracked open, escape right there-
Footsteps pass outside. Leon.
Shit.
I slip the door shut.
She looks up at the sound, blinking like she's not entirely sure why I'm here. I'm not entirely sure why I'm here.
"Oh," she says. Then, casual as anything, "I did the research you needed."
I blink.
"The... what?"
She lifts the laptop slightly. "Articles. Notes. Sources. Everything you asked for. I figured you could write it your way."
My chest tightens in a way I don't like. "You did all that?"
She shrugs, like she didn't just derail my entire day. I came here with the excuse to finish that assignment and now -
