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CHAPTER 27
COLBY
Walking up to my teammates in the University parking lot, they’re all resting against my G-wagon and grinning.
“Dude!” Bruce shouts. “She was staring at you like she wanted to rip your clothes off.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Show a little respect.”
He straightens up, smiling apologetically. But his words secretly bolster me. Because I totally thought she was looking at me like she wanted to rip my clothes off, but I thought maybe it was all in my head.
“But honestly… we could’ve cut the sexual tension with a knife,” West says with raised eyebrows. “I think our gameplan is working.”
“If Noel is falling for me, you guys don’t get any of the credit.”
“The game plan has made my gym wall look like trash for a month. So, I think I, at least, get some credit,” Remy adds, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
Mitch groans loudly and rolls his eyes. “Can we go now? I’m exhausted and I have a gorgeous woman waiting to take a nap with me.”
“Napping? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?” Bruce jests, earning a glare from Mitch.
West pats Mitch on the back, hard. “I’m with Mitch on this one.”
We pile into my G-wagon, and I drive them back to the iceplex where we met up before driving to Arlington University. On the drive back, we’re all quiet, probably from exhaustion due to traveling all night. Private plane or not, we’re still tired. In the silence, I think about Mitch and West, heading home to Mel and Andie. How nice it must be to have someone home waiting for you. How comforting it must be to slip into a warm bed and curl up next to your partner. I allow myself to picture coming home to Noel, her in my bed. In my daydream she’s reading a book and her eyes are sleepy because she stayed up too late reading. She has a stack of books on the nightstand, and a few bookmarks scattered around. She’s wearing classic silk button-down pajamas. They’re white and angelic, maybe with little pink polka dots.
Definitely with little pink polka dots. A slow grin spreads across my face and I don’t even realize that I’m smiling like a total weirdo until Bruce, who’s in the front seat, snickers. “You’re totally thinking about Noel right now, aren’t you?”
I punch his arm, hard. “No. I wasn’t.”
He’s undeterred. “Hmm.” He rubs his chin thoughtfully. “Lemme guess, you’re picturing her pencil skirt and heels—being all hot and professor-y?”
“Shut up, Bruce,” we all say in unison with a groan.
* * *
I arrive early to Pancake Palace, and as usual, Todd has the area with my favorite booth closed off for privacy. Two words keep racing through my mind over and over again: kissing lessons.
My palms are sweaty, like a teenager on his first date. I’ve never been this nervous in my life. Part of my strange mood has nothing to do with kissing her, but wondering why she thinks she needs lessons in that area. Has she never been kissed before? Or has she, and some asshole made her feel like she didn’t do it well?
Either way, it’s a lot of pressure. And then there’s the pang of jealousy in my gut that she wants to be a good kisser for Dr. Dickhead. Ugh.
I’m so wrapped up in my thoughts, I don’t notice how much time has passed. Footsteps draw my attention, and I look up to see Noel. My angel.
She’s wearing silky, cream-colored pants with black pointed toe flats. The pants come up high on her waist and have pleats in the front. But with her fitted black top tucked into them, she pulls off the outfit. You’d think the ensemble would appear masculine, but it oozes femininity.
Since when do words like femininity pop into my head? I guess all the books I’ve been reading lately have already expanded my vocabulary.
I glance down at what I’m wearing, not even remembering what I put on. Black wash jeans, and a pale green Henley. I don’t look as good as Noel, but this shirt hugs my chest, so I think it’ll be okay.
Noel slides into the booth and smiles at me. Her cheeks are flushed, and I wonder if she’s nervous, too. She slides close to me; much closer than the first time I brought her here. I smile at her, thinking of how far we’ve come in only a few weeks. We’re friends now, we talk all the time, we hang out… and she smiles at me in that familiar way. A smile that says, Hey, I know you and I enjoy being around you.
“I thought the professor look was hot, but these trousers really take the cake,” I say, breaking the silence.
She rolls her eyes at me the way she always does, but she’s trying to hide a smile. “I still can’t believe you guys sat in on my class after you traveled all night.”
“Angel, I’d do anything for you. Night or day. No matter how exhausted I was.” It comes out of my mouth before I can censor it or play it off as a joke or silly flirting.
Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t look away. I study the color of her eyes again, those circles of caramel, or of coffee, with the perfect amount of creamer. I could stare into them all night.
