Page 90 of His Reckless Freshman

Why do I want to reach for her? Touch her hand, squeeze her fingers, bring her knuckles to my lips and kiss them?

Why do I want to brush my thumb down her cheek, say anything to make her smile?

“Hi,” she squeaks, then swallows, her eyes dipping.

No. Don’t look away from me. Don’t let this be awkward.

I…

Shit! I don’t know what to do with you.

Maybe being her friend is a really bad idea. Maybe I should just say, “Nice to see you,” and be on my way, but…

Something’s wrong.

“Are you okay?” The words come out as a whisper for some reason, and she glances back up at me, her smile forced.

I can tell that now.

Shit, I’m getting to know her without even meaning to.

“You can talk to me.”

Her shoulder hitches, and I have to ask…

“Is it us? Is it too awkward talking to me? Can we not be friends?”

“It’s not that.” She shakes her head. “I just had an… uncomfortable encounter with…” Her eyes track back the way she’s come and… shit, the Nolan U Star office is that way.

My eyebrows dip, anger firing through me. “With who? It’s not the guy you went on a date with, was it? He didn’t touch you, did he?”

“N-no.” She looks up at me, obviously surprised by my venom. “He just asked me to do something I don’t want to do, but I felt like I had to say yes.”

Taking her face in my hands before I can stop myself, I lean down to capture her gaze with mine. “Jolie, listen to me. You never have to do anything for someone else that you don’t want to do. You understand me? Do not let him push you around.”

“But I want to work for the paper. And he’s the editor!”

Shit, her horrible date was with her boss?

Well, kind of her boss.

The point is, he’s in a position of authority over her, and he better not be using the fact that they slept together against her.

“That asshole cannot manipulate you,” I growl. “What did he do?” My voice starts getting snappy, this protective instinct making me want to run to the Nolan U Star and have myself a little visit with the guy.

What the fuck?

If he’s coercing her, I’m gonna⁠—

“He just wants me to do some research for an article I’m not that interested in writing. I guess I’m just… disappointed. Uncomfortable. It’s not the kind of thing I want to be working on.” She shrugs, and I brush my finger under her eye before becoming aware that I’m still holding her. In public. People will think we’re a couple, which we’re not.

I drop my hands and take a step back.

“It’s okay.” She waves her hand through the air. “I’ll figure it out. I’m just not sure how to go about doing it, and I hate that I couldn’t tell him no.”

“You can tell him no,” I grit out, making it clear that she should have told him no the night they went on that date.

But shit, she had no idea what she was doing.