Page 15 of Just Our Secret

She huffed but turned to me. “Yeah. Sorry. I guess I’m not as good at pretending as you.”

Well, fuck.Did that mean she didn’twantto pretend? That she wanted there to be something between us, and that’s why she was upset? Or was this because I’d been an ass for kissing her in the first place? It shouldn’t have mattered, but my mind screamed at me to clarify.

“Because I’m such an asshole for kissing you? Or…?”

Her eyes flickered to the front of the room and my pulse ticked up. What would I do if she said something else? Not that I was a jerk, but that she liked it. She wanted it. She wantedme?

Nope. No. Not happening. I highly doubted she had anything but friendly feelings because she’d chosen Chad years ago when the stakes weren’t so high, and she’d never shown interest. But again, even if by some miraculous turn of events she did like me?

I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. I wouldn’t betray my best friend when he’d already been hurt by his other best friend years ago. I couldn’t lose Connor, and that made it case closed.

“I’ll shake it off. I’m in a weird mood—didn’t sleep well. It’ll be fine.” She returned her gaze to meet mine.

Had she not slept well because of me? Had she been torn between fantasies of what could happen between us and the cold dread of Connor finding out and hating me for the rest of my life? Well, probably not exactly that.

“Good. I’ll be normal. You’ll be normal. We’ll be a couple of chums in class together. And maybe we can even throw Darion a bone and acknowledge each other next time, yeah?”

She chuckled low, and I can’t lie, the sound went straight to my dick. I adjusted in my seat and was about to say something else when our professor spoke up from her desk at the front of the room.

“Just a reminder, these are your study groups until midterm, so get friendly. I recommend once-a-week sessions unless it’s a test week, then I’d say decide how much your grade means to you and go from there.” She waved us off just as Andi turned to me.

“Well, that’s intense.”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

Darion, who’d slipped into his seat next to Andi right before that lovely speech, stood and looked down at us. “I can do Tuesdays at three or Wednesdays, same time.”

I didn’t cringe, but I wanted to since it was the exact time Andi had to pick up Liam. And though it wasn’t my responsibility, I didn’t want her to endure yet another moment of having to say no because she had this huge, awesome responsibility that she rightly prioritized.

“Sorry, man. I can’t at that time on any day of the week. Anything earlier?” I asked, pretending it was me who had the conflict.

We went in circles for another few minutes, but finally landed on something that worked for us all. By the time we were ready to leave, the whole class had clogged the stairway up to the doors.

Andi got in line in front of me, and I heroically kept my eyes from appreciating every curve of that ass I had very sadly not gotten to know up close and personal. I didn’t look at the curve of her neck where I wanted to kiss and lick to make her shiver. I didn’t admire her hair pulled up into a ponytail or think about how much I wanted to tug the elastic out and run my hands through it as I kissed her.

Not helping, man.

We’d just recommitted to being friends. I needed to start thinking friendly thoughts about her and knock the objectifying, fantasizing,yearningafter her the fuck off.

We’d been good friends for years, and we’d go back to that. This study group would not be a problem because Darion would be there, a cheery, brainiac buffer, and at almost all other times, Connor and Liam would do the same.

Just as we exited the room, someone turned around and knocked their giant bag into Andi so hard she stumbled right into me. I caught her with my hands at her waist, and hers at my chest.

My stomach dropped low. Shit, I loved the curve of a woman’s waist—that dip in and then curve out to hips. And Andi had a perfect curve there. Plus, her shirt had ridden up on one side and my fingers rested on her soft, bare skin.

“Sorry,” she said, though it came out with less tone and more air. And her hands didn’t leave my chest.

I wanted her hands on me all the time and vice versa. I didn’t want this goddamn guilt and fear to hound me anytime I thought about her or was even around her.

“No problem. That guy was a jerk,” I said, nodding my chin toward the idiot who hadn’t even realized he’d nearly taken her completely out.

“Thanks,” she said, and finally pulled away, so I reluctantly did too. “So, I’ll see you Thursday?”

I nodded and gave her a little wave, all sunshine and roses with no hint that a wicked twist of longing and heat and dread twined in my gut. We were going to be together more than ever, and if touching her for all of ten seconds had been any guide, this was going to be a perpetual punch in the nuts.

NINE

ANDI