She rolled her eyes, and I smiled, dropping my head toher shoulder. She made a small, disappointed sound and tugged my head down to her lap.
Oh.
I shifted carefully, half-expecting her to realize what she was offering and take it back.
She didn’t.
“Princess?”
“Don’t fuck this up by talking, Cole,” Eva said.
I might have been hurt if she hadn’t run her fingers over my temple at the same time.
She pushed the longer strands of hair out of my face then gently massaged my scalp, the soothing motions of her fingers slowly leaching the tension out of me.
The gentleness of her touch made my throat close with emotion. I didn’t deserve this, not after everything I’d done to her, but I was too selfish to pull away.
I closed my eyes and let myself have it, let myself feel her fingers carding through my hair, her nails scratching lightly against my scalp, let myself pretend, just for this moment, that I hadn't ruined everything, that we were just two people who cared about each other.
Her phone buzzed again. Her hand stilled in my hair, and her whole body tensed.
“Don’t,” she said, before I could speak. “Let me have this moment where I can pretend everything’s okay.”
Her fingers moved through my hair again, soothing and gentle, and I started to drift, until I was boneless, putty in the hands of the woman I loved, unable to tell her how I felt, lest I break her heart again.
In moments, I was asleep.
43
TRISTAN
I waitedoutside Eva’s classroom, watching through the door window. When the last students filtered out, I slipped inside, eager to share new information on Carter I’d gathered from Rami’s sister. Eva stood halfway up the stairs of the auditorium-style lecture hall, her tote bag slung over her shoulder, jeans hugging the perfect curves of her ass, the bottom hem of her sweater creeping up as she stood on her toes.
Oh, hell no.A boy stood on the step above her, his head bent down over hers as they peered at his phone. Were they exchanging numbers? Jealousy wound through my veins like fiery poison, instant and hot.
Eva wasmine.
I jogged up the stairs and stopped one step below her, wrapping my arm around her waist and dragging her backward into me.
Her soft “oh” as she stumbled then caught her balance by grabbing at my arm was so fucking cute. Too bad it did nothing to cool my irrational rage at the thought of another man looking at my girl.
“Kitten,” I murmured. “Hi.”
Eva tossed her hair to the side and looked up at me over her shoulder, murder in her eyes but an amused smile on her lips. I’d beg for her forgiveness later, on my knees, with my face buried in her pussy.
“Tristan,” she said, interrupting my lascivious thoughts, “I’d like to introduce you to Miles. Miles was asking me if I wanted to join his study group tomorrow evening.”
“She has plans,” I snapped. Miles was looking Eva up and down like a fucking snack. And she was—delicious and beautiful and smart as hell andmine.
Eva elbowed me in the stomach, but instead of getting mad, I just tugged her closer with one arm, sliding her tote off her shoulder with the other. I frowned at the weight of the bag.
“Tristan,” Eva growled, and Miles looked at me like I was killing a fucking puppy.
“Dude, it’s just a study date.”
Not the way he was looking at her, it wouldn’t be.
“At thelibrary,” Eva emphasized.
