Page 59 of Bump and Run

I hide my expression from her. Of all the damn times to embarrass myself, it had to be the moment directly after she looked at me like I was a damn sexual god. “I should get going…”

“Wait.” She lays her hand on my arm. “Junior, you don’t have to be so freaked out over one quiz.”

Her voice caresses me, quelling the nervous anger taking over my gut. “It’s not just one quiz…”

“Can I see it again?” she asks, holding out her hand.

“Ellie, I don’t—”

“Please?”She bats her eyes at me, laying it on a little thick but it still works like magic.

I pull the quiz out of my bag and hand it to her. “Coach told me I’m in danger of academic probation next semester if I don’t get my grades up,” I admit.

“Well, that’s not good…” Her eyes scan the page and she points towards the bottom. “Did you even use the quadratic formula here?”

“The what?”

She rolls her eyes. “I guess not.”

“I’ll get a tutor or something,” I shrug. “The athletic center should provide one for me.”

Eliza clicks her tongue. “Sure, you can get a university-sponsored tutor that’ll lick your toes and do the work for you because if you don’t get the grades then they don’t get paid, or…”

I wait for her to finish. “Or?”

She holds out the quiz and I take it back. “Or I could tutor you and you’ll actually learn something.”

“You’ll tutor me?”

“Sure, why not? Geometry is a piece of cake.”

“You’ll help me get my grade up?”

“Yeah.”

I pause, studying her sly eyes. “You’re not… jealous of this potential toe-licking tutor, are you?”

She scoffs but looks away fast. “No… besides, it’ll provide a decent excuse if we ever get caught in public together.”

I come around to idea quickly, especially if it means more private study room fingerings of Eliza Pierce. “And what do you want in return?”

“Well… what are you willing to give me?”

“Whatever you want.”

She chuckles. “That is one dangerous bargain, Junior Morgan.”

“Tell me what you want,” I say, watching her bite her bottom lip and wishing I was doing it instead.

“I’ll think about it.” She snatches the quiz out of my hand again. “I’ll look this over to see what you’re doing wrong. Then we can meet back here tomorrow?”

“Sounds good.”

She twists away and steps towards the door. “Bye, Junior.”

“Wait…” I block her path. “Kiss me.”

“Why?”

“Because I told you to.”

Her lips press together in rebellion but she pushes up onto her toes anyway. I cup her cheeks as she kisses me, holding her for as long as I want her to be there.

“Bye, Ellie.”

She stares up at me for a long moment before opening the door and walking out into the silent library.

Once she’s gone, I heave a hard breath, feeling my raging hard-on tearing a hole in my zipper.

Down, boy.

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