placidly. “Want me to get it off?”
His eyes dance. “Oh—I do.”
“Okay, well turn around.”
He turns around, and... there’s no sticker, of course. When he asks to see it in a moment, I’ll be empty-handed. Before I can stop myself, I draw my hand away, then slap his ass as hard as I can.
I hear him suck his breath in, and he whirls around, his face a riot of intensity. He catches both my wrists in one of his big hands and steers me to the brick wall with his hips. “Cleo.” He sinks his teeth into my neck. He kisses me roughly down to my collar bone, and my body convulses in a shiver.
He bites me again near my throat, and I feel heat swell between my legs.
“I’m going to have to punish you for that,” he murmurs to my neck. He raises my arms above my head and pushes my wrists into the wall.
I giggle softly. “Just getting the sticker off.”
“I’m sure.” He rocks his hips into mine, and his thickness juts against my lower belly. I swallow a moan, unwilling to give him that satisfaction. I clamp down on my lower lip so hard it stings.
“Tonight,” he murmurs.
Then he releases my arms and turns back to the microwave. I’m thrilled to see his shoulders are heaving. I’m breathless and light-headed as I watch his back, trolling my gaze along his muscular arms as he pulls the bag out. So intently am I watching his body, I actually jump when the kitchen door opens and Laura Lancaster, the SGA secretary, breezes in.
“Kellan!” She smiles. Her perfume permeates the room as her eyes widen. “Kellan’s friend.” I’ve seen Laura around—she’s a Phi Mu who always smells like she bathed in Coco Chanel—and I remember her being friendly. At this moment, she looks excited enough to launch herself into the stratosphere.
I look to Kellan for a clue to how to behave. He’s leaning casually against the counter where the microwave sits, the hand that just bound both my wrists hanging loosely from his pants pocket. “Laura, this is Cleo.” He waves at me. “Cleo, I think you probably know Laura.” He tilts his head toward her.
I nod. “Hey, Laura.”
“Hi.” She gives me a warm smile and then she sniffs the air. “Something smells delish.”
Kellan reaches into the bag and draws out the biggest croissant I’ve ever seen. It’s fluffy and greasy, and it looks like it’s been rolled in sand. Brown sugar, I realize as my mouth waters.
“Want one?” he asks Laura.
She shakes her head and smacks her curvy hip. “My next class is intermediate tennis. My ass does so not need a yummy. But thanks anyway.”
“More for us.” Kellan winks. “See ya later.” He’s flawlessly cool as he grabs my bags, then presses his hand against my lower back and guides me toward the door.
The scent of the buttery croissant makes my mouth water as we step out of the room, back into the bookshelf forest. “Is that cinnamon?” I sigh. “Oh God, I can smell the butter. Gimme!”
He rips off a piece, and we both stop walking as his fingers bring it to my mouth. Taking it from him is surprisingly erotic. Sweat pops out all over my body, so I make a big show of falling sideways, almost into a bookshelf, to distract from my reaction.
“Swoon! Oh holy God, this is the best shit I’ve ever put into my mouth. Where did it come from?”
His lips curve, into a smile or smirk; I can’t tell which, but he’s handsome as hell, and I’m alarmed to find that I’m pleased the smile or smirk is all for me.
“You’ve never been to the Fifth Street Bakery?” he asks as we start moving toward the side door of the library.
“I’ve heard of it,” I say defensively.
We pass a long row of copy machines and printers, and now I know he’s smirking. His blue eyes seem to twinkle at me. “You don’t leave campus much, do you, Cleo?”
“I do sometimes.” I wave my booted foot. “For pedicures and stuff like that.”
His smirk turns into an amused little smile. Almost as soon as it plays across his lips, he presses them together, going serious in the span of half a second. His eyes are unreadable as he holds out his hand.
I feel lit up all over, like a light bulb. Despite the dynamic we started with—me, kicking him in the balls—now I’m writhing under his gaze. The last thing on earth I want