Page 61 of Arctic Titans of Northwood U: Volume 1

He really was a breathtaking one. The tattoos, the earrings, the piercing in his left nostril, and those gorgeous, half-moon eyes.

This is why it’s lucky Matt put a stop to it, I thought. I would never be able to concentrate and neither of us would get anything out of those sessions. I would secretly drool over him and make blunders while stammering my explanations for his problems. He would learn nothing. A talented physics student would have less chance of success because I wouldn’t direct my time and attention to them. And that was the end of it.

No matter the delicious eye candy that Sawyer was, he would be a horrible waste of my time. Besides, he’d made me into the biggest loser and gossip on campus tonight.

I would be smart to keep reminding myself of that.

Chapter Three

SAWYER

I happened to be in the library on Saturday morning. There was nothing suspicious about a college student spending time in the campus library. Sure, I would normally be on a treadmill at this time, but I had a hunch that the time when the jocks filled the gym, nerds might flock to the reading rooms.

And it just so happens that I was looking for some physics textbooks to teach myself the basics. I had every reason to be here and at this time. Just because I was also looking for a shaggy-haired guy wearing a shirt, suspenders, and a bowtie, it didn’t make me a stalker, right?

So when Noah Foster passed by me wearing a baggy hoodie and a pair of oversized sweatpants that swallowed his figure, I almost didn’t recognize him. Luckily, he recognized me.

Or, unluckily, to be more precise.

As he passed by me, his bright green gaze sharpened and he all but growled at me. It was so intense that I nearly stepped back between two massive bookshelves. I quickly compared this guy to the version I had seen last night. He’d looked like a nerd, but at least he’d had a shape. Not that he looked bad, exactly. He still had that casual, pillow-combed hairdo going on and his face was handsome, but he was easy to miss with all these clothes hanging off his body.

“Hey, dude,” I greeted him, having to turn on my heels and follow him because he picked up his pace as he spotted me. I quickly pulled my earbuds out and cut off Ozzy Osborne’s voice so I could hear Noah.

I shouldn’t have bothered because Noah said nothing.

“Er, I said ‘hello.’” I caught up with him and marched down the hall of bookshelves shoulder to shoulder with the king of geeks.

“And I didn’t,” he replied. “Goodbye.”

It caught me so off guard that I literally stopped in my tracks for a moment, frowning and trying to figure out what just happened.

Noah turned left and disappeared between some bookcases, but I hurried and caught up with him again. “That was kinda rude,” I pointed out and, I swear to God, I wished I had bitten my damn tongue off instead.

Noah rounded on me. “Are you kidding me? That was rude? The entire campus is laughing their asses off because a nerd got drenched in vodka last night. They’re saying this is the most booze I have ever had in my life.”

I blinked twice, gobsmacked into silence. “But…is it true?” I stretched my lips into the faintest smile I could manage.

Noah narrowed his eyes at me like he could slice me in half with the sheer power of his look. “It’s not…exactly. I don’t drink. Sue me.”

He moved his foot to my left and I appeared in front of him, blocking his way. I exhaled. “Listen, I’m sorry about the drink. I’ll take full responsibility. Even though it was barely my fault. It was more like I was the catapult that other people operated. You can’t blame the catapult when it works, right?”

“Sorry, was this an apology?” He cocked his head, his glasses catching a twinkle of the yellow ceiling light. His cheeks turned ever so slightly pink and his lips were stuck in a permanent thin line of anger.

We were nearly the same height, though I was broader and maybe an inch taller. And maybe it was my Doc Martens that gave me the slight advantage of looking down. Still, I needed to slouch apologetically. “You’re right. I wasn’t looking. Honest to God, I didn’t mean to spill my drink all over you. I didn’t even know who you were.”

“And if I was someone else, would you be apologizing?” Noah’s tone was flat and tight.

I balked from him and frowned. It was a good question. “I…yeah, I would have.” I would have apologized right away had I had the chance.

“Because here’s what I think. You came here to run into me so you could apologize and sweet-talk me into helping you with your physics course.” He crossed his arms over his chest and the baggy sleeves of his hoodie pulled around his biceps. There was some shape to him after all, but he was determined to hide it.

I hadn’t gotten a good look at him last night to know for sure, but I had a vague recollection of some definition beneath the well-fitted shirt and pants. Not that it mattered. That wasn’t my priority. My brain was under-fucked by squabbling siblings, neither of which ended up inviting me to their room, and I had been too horrified at splashing vodka into my last shot’s face to take care of business myself. But being low-key horny while pleading for mercy wasn’t exactly the finest combination. “How do you know I’m failing physics? Is that public knowledge?”

Noah snorted with a truckload of contempt. “You’re all the same. I know you’re failing because you’re standing here and you’re talking to me. And now, you’re going to fail for sure because I’m walking away.” He bumped into me just as I blocked his passage again. “Move,” he demanded.

“Talk to me,” I said.

“We’re done talking. I believe Matt told you I’m not taking on any more students.” He pressed his hand against my chest and sucked in a breath of air, then attempted to push me. It failed, but he reddened nonetheless.