Page 77 of Only With You

She takes a sip of her drink. “We’re going to be together for the rest of the semester. I thought it’d be good if we got to know one another. Maybe it’ll make things a little more tolerable. Plus, I’m certain my roommates and your best friend have a little bet going on. So it’ll be good to prove them wrong.”

I quietly chuckle. “You know about that?”

My best friends are a bunch of idiots. They bet on how long they think Julianna and I will last before we call it quits. They think I don’t know, but Polly is not very discreet. I suspect she didn’t tell Julianna I was staying and she lied about her going to the party.

Once the sweet chocolate coats my tongue, I can’t stop myself from hiding how delicious this is.

“Fuck me, this is lovely,” I say under my breath and take another drink, ignoring how the steam fogs my glasses.

“I think I’m going to need to hear you say that again and louder. Actually, give me one second.”

Julianna’s off before I get a word out, but she comes back in a flash, her phone in her hand.

I cock a brow, watching her tap before she holds it close to me. “What are you doing?”

“Repeat what you just said and make sure you emphasize theposhnessin your voice.” She taps the record button and does a circle motion with her palm for me to speak.

“Poshness?”

“Yes, you’re great at that. Come on, say it. Now, I’m going to have to start it over.”

I shake my head at her enthusiasm, but I can’t deny it’s cute. “No, I’m not?—-”

“Oh, come on, it’ll serve as great spank bank,” she teases, but then freezes as if she’s acknowledged what she said. Her cheeks flush, but she doesn’t take it back. “Say it.”

I do a double take on her face because I’ve never seen her blush. I’m sure it’s happened before, but I’ve never been on the receiving end of anything like that coming from her. Not that I’ve ever deserved anything, but I like it so much, I want to see it again.

Grabbing her wrist, I tug the phone close to my mouth as I look her in the eyes and say, “Fuck me, you’re lovely.”

Julianna’s cheeks taint a rose colour and it deepens the longer I stare and hold her. And when I tug her wrist, she allows me to pull her closer. Our gazes lock and it feels as if time has paused, allowing us to capture this fleeting moment.

Though I don’t need time to pause, because this moment will forever be etched in my mind.

Drawing in a breath, I let go of her wrist and take another drink. “Was that good enough?”

“Yup, good,” she replies and retreats back along with her hand and sets her phone on the counter. “Anyway, the bet. They don’t think we’ll make it very far.”

“They don’t, but we’ll prove them wrong.”

“We will, won’t we?” A demure smile graces her face, but it’s shy and so unlike her.

I like it.

“Okay, you get five.” I relent and glide my fingers along my chain until the unease in my stomach fades away.

She hums thoughtfully as the electric current between us becomes ardent.

“Why don’t you share something with me and I’ll do the same,” she offers.

I didn’t anticipate that. I expected the typical questions like will I be entering the NBA draft? What position do I play? Or anything relating to basketball, but this isn’t it. It’s not even a question.

I drop my hand from my chain as the unease finally dwindles away. “This is going to count as one of your questions.”

She scoffs a laugh. “I figured, but whatever. Share something with me.”

For the first time in my life, I feel like I don’t know what to say. I mean, I know what I could say, and that could be a multitude of generic things I’ve said in my lifetime. But unlike any of those occasions, Idowant to share something.

I don’t know if it’s the look in her eyes like she’s not expecting anything from me. Like she doesn’t care if I share my favourite colour or what my middle name is—which is something I’ll never share—but my point is, she stares at me with intent. Likewhatever I share will suffice her need to know something about me.

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