Hate the Game - Winter Renshaw Page 0,7

so serious, so deep in thought, like she’s in her own world.

I try to focus on the lecture, but sitting next to Irie is a constant distraction.

Every time she crosses and uncrosses her legs, every time she softly clears her throat or tucks her hair behind her ear, every time she so much as shifts, the world around me blurs into the background and my attention draws to her like a magnet no matter how hard I try to redirect it.

It also doesn’t help that we’re in the midst of an unseasonably warm January day and she’s currently in nothing more than a strappy cotton tank and cut-off jean shorts that showcase her long, toned legs.

What I wouldn’t give to have those legs wrapped around me …

And they will be.

Eventually.

I steal another glance from the corner of my eye. Sweet Jesus, I don’t even think she’s wearing a bra. My palms flash hot as I imagine the feel of her creamy tits against them, and my cock strains against the inside of my jeans.

Longmire finishes his lecture after an hour, flicking on the main lights without any kind of warning. My eyes sting until they adjust and Irie gathers her belongings like she’s got a plane to catch in some terminal in BFE.

“Oh, one more thing before you go,” Longmire says. “Every Friday in recitation, there will be a ten-question quiz on the week’s lessons. I highly suggest you study for these as half the questions are essay.”

I glance at Irie, who doesn’t seem the least bit fazed by any of this.

Quizzes have never been my strong suit. Shit, who am I kidding? Academics have never been my strong suit. But I’ll be damned if I look like a C-average moron in front of my partner.

In front of her.

Following Irie toward the exit, I catch her before she disappears into the crowd like last time. “Hey, we should probably study for that quiz.”

“I knew you were going to say that,” she says as we walk together, her emotionless stare focused ahead.

“Tomorrow night,” I say.

She’s quiet at first, striding through the crowd to the building’s exit, but I keep up with her, damn near shoulder to shoulder.

“All right,” she says, exhaling. “When?”

“Six,” I say.

Her lips press together. “Fine. We’ll meet at the library.”

I’m sure she assumed I was going to invite her to my place, but my loudmouthed roommates would ruin this careful song and dance we’re in the midst of in two seconds flat by making some smart-ass comment.

I can’t risk that.

We step into the daylight, sneakers soft against the sidewalk. People gawk at us walking together, and a couple of girls size her up with envious scoffs, though Irie doesn’t seem to notice. Or if she does, she doesn’t care.

“Cool. It’s a date,” I say.

Irie shoots me a look. “No, it’s not.”

Her full cherry lips wrestle the smallest hint of a smirk.

I give her a wink and then I head west to my next class.

I don’t care what she says, it’s a date.

And it’s going to be the hottest fucking date she’s ever had.

Chapter 5

Irie

He’s early.

I walk through the automatic doors at Belhaven Library and find Talon standing in the center of the atrium—hands deep on his pockets, head cocked, and eyes lit the second they steal mine.

“Study rooms are taken,” he says. “But I found us a quiet corner on the third floor.”

I tighten the grip on my bag. “Thanks.”

He turns on the heels of his pristine sneakers and leads me to the stairs. “How was your Thursday?”

“Amazing,” I say. If he knew me, he’d know how much I loathe small talk. But he doesn’t know me so I won’t hold it against him.

Surprisingly, he picks up at the sarcasm in my tone, chuckling under his breath as he glances back at me.

We climb another level of stairs and arrive at the third floor, where he leads me to a cozy corner in the paleontology section.

“I’m getting some major Land Before Time vibes here,” I say as I take a seat in an orange chair with scratchy, pilled fabric.

“Really? Because I was thinking more along the lines of Jurassic Park,” he says, sitting beside me. “The original. Not the new ones. The new ones are shit.”

I shrug. “I wouldn’t know.”

His jaw falls. “Wait. You haven’t seen the new ones?”

“Nope.”

“Then you should,” he says.

“You literally just said they were ‘shit’ a few seconds ago,” I say. I know where he’s going with this. He’s going to invite me over