THERE WAS a big A on my computer screen.
“I won the bet, Sid. Pay up.” Jax’s voice was low near my ear, and I had to fight back a shiver. I slid a small piece of paper toward him and caught my breath when my finger ghosted across his. My pulse thrummed when he pulled away, opening and closing his fist.
His voice was barely above a whisper. “That’s rule number three. How long do you think your other rules will last?”
I rolled my eyes, not bothering to respond to that.
He looked at the paper and smirked. I jotted down my number in purple ink and the words Don’t abuse it on the note.
His breath fanned out against my neck once more before he finally took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He gave me the thumbs-up gesture, shocking a laugh out of me and effectively breaking the tension.
I stage-whispered, “I wish I’d have gotten that on camera. Could’ve gone viral on Instagram.” That earned me a full-belly laugh. The sound had my heart stuttering—
“Ms. King, what are your thoughts on positive intermittent reinforcement?” Dr. Carter’s voice broke me from my daydream.
Jax’s head snapped up, seeing me flounder, mouth opening and closing like a guppy out of the water. “She was just explaining growth hacking and how intermittent reinforcement hacks people’s psychology just like gambling.”
As soon as the professor’s attention turned away, I slumped in my seat, my heart still trying to beat out of my chest. I looked over at Jax and mouthed, “Thank you.”
His hand slid up the back of my neck and squeezed—all of my attention instantly concentrated on the single point of contact. He wrote on his notepad before sliding it toward me.
We’re a team now, Sid. I won’t leave you hanging.
He brought his face closer, gaze boring into mine before writing something more.
Right?
I grabbed the notepad, jotting down my quick reply.
Right.
Jax shifted beside me, finding a comfortable spot for himself, but he didn’t remove his hand from my neck. I relaxed into his touch, and his gravitational pull drew me toward him.
His other hand moved rapidly over the paper.
Thank fuck we studied. Looks like half the class is depressed.
Students’ heads were down with a dejected look about them. There was a girl in the corner with tears rolling down her cheeks, but her eyes didn’t move from the professor, furiously typing as he spoke. We all knew missing a single beat could cost us.
I took the notebook. Yeah, lucky for you, I helped you out.
He choked off a laugh before replying.
That’s not how I remember it.
Not my fault you have a terrible memory.
Jax’s hand slid down my neck, fingers brushing my collarbone, and he exhaled a quick breath. Was he as affected as I was? My heart beat for an entirely different reason. There was undeniable chemistry but also something more. Everything was just so comfortable with him.
Who was I kidding? He was ridiculously attractive. It should be a crime to be both that smart and attractive. Women didn’t stand a chance. I turned to my bag and pretended to look for something to put distance between us. He hesitated like he wanted to argue, but he removed his hand.
I needed to rein it in. I knew firsthand what it felt like to come in second. To be left behind by someone you love, and it wasn’t something I ever planned on doing again.
Class winded down, and I put my things away, trying to fit everything in my bag proved to be a game of Tetris. The zipper got caught, and it split open, spilling pens on the floor.
“I got it.” Jax lowered, helping me pick them up. He reached for the same pencil as me and inhaled sharply. He stared at me, his mouth slightly open, and his breaths came out hard. I took a moment to realize my blouse was hanging low, and there was absolutely zero chance he didn’t see right down my shirt. He handed me my pencil, and then a wicked look took over his face and the slow grin that curved one side of his mouth. He shrugged as if to say, “What did you expect?”
Great…
He looked away from me, giving me privacy to fix myself. He tapped his hands on his legs, saving me by changing the topic. “I told you I could get you that A.”
“Uh-huh.” Looking at him sideways, I headed for the door. “Thanks for your help.”
“What do you say we make it a more permanent situation?” He followed me into the hall but wasn’t making eye contact. Was the Jaxton Ryder nervous? I should put him out of his misery, but where was the fun in that?
I brushed my arm against his, ignoring the spark of energy from the simple touch. “You think? I was thinking one of the group studies might be worth a try.”
His head snapped to me so fast it was clear that for all his being awkward, he fully expected me to say yes. For a second, I wanted to keep going to see how far I could push him, but I gave him a big smile. “You still good with Thursdays?”
The first emotion that flashed across his face was relief, but it was quickly followed by him looking like he wanted to throttle me. “What the hell, Sid? You are so much fucking trouble.”
I couldn’t help but let out a full-hearted laugh at his serious face.
His eyes narrowed, and I felt pinned by his stare. So caught up in him, I was nearly plowed over by another student. Jax gripped my hip, tugging me out of the way just in time, and growled, “Hey, fucker, watch it.”
The guy looked at him with wide eyes before scurrying off. Jax’s chest rose and fell rapidly, breathing as hard as I was. I sucked in my lower lip, and his eyes tracked the movement. A tortured rasp slipped from his lips. We stared at each other, and I grinned when a smile broke across his face, and he winked at me. I closed my eyes, trying to catch my breath and take in the lightness of this moment.
Jax cleared his throat, bringing my gaze to him. “Yeah, Thursdays work for me.”
I took a second to remember what he was talking about. “Cool, I’ll meet you at the library—”
Jax looked away as he cut me off. “Or… if you’re comfortable with it, would it be okay if you just come over to my place? That way, I could grab some food and not have to rush so much.”
Did I want to go to his place? Maybe a little too much. “What’s in it for me?”
His eyebrow rose in surprise, then eyes quickly narrowed. “Well, you’ll have amazing company.”
Grinning at his expression, I countered, “I’d have that at the library.”
A cocky smile slid over his mouth. “So, you admit it’s amazing?”
“What’s amazing?”
“My company.”
“Is Jaxton Ryder searching for compliments? Oh yes, you are the most amazing, the amazingest. No one knows just how amazing you are.” Jax threw a crumpled piece of paper at me, and I laughed so hard a snort escaped. Which made me laugh harder.
“Laughing suits you.” He stared at me, and a broad smile crossed his face. His voice turned playful and drew all of my attention. “What if I bring home a chocolate milkshake?”
I held my hand out. I meant to shake on it, but I was so distracted that I gently ran my fingers along his, and a ripple of sensation went through me. Taking a deep breath, I close my fingers around his, locking our hands. “Deal, but only if you make it strawberry flavor instead.”
