Page 55 of Cold as Ice

“I didn’t think so,” Mal said. “You’re such a big reader. I would say there’s something weird going on, but Dr. Prosser seemed fair enough when I took the class two years ago.”

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to do better next time.” It was hard not to feel frustrated. Frankly, a little desperate—and not just to get into Mal’s pants.

“It seems like you did just fine this time,” Mal said, to Elliott’s surprise. And then even more, he was rewarded with grudging admiration blooming across Mal’s face.

“But I got these wrong—”

“You won’t. Not again,” Mal said firmly. “You actually did a pretty good job.”

“High praise coming from you.” Elliott took a risk and teased. Not just to get a rise out of Mal, but to make himself feel better. And he was rewarded again, this time with an actual goddamn smile.

“This is a tough section.”

“I can’t let it get the best of me,” Elliott said with determination.

Mal actually reached out and touched him, patting him encouragingly on the back. “You’re doing good, Ell.”

“Ell, huh?” He risked another little flirtation.

Kept waiting for Malcolm to freeze up again, but he wasn’t.

If Ramsey in fact ended up being right about this whole goddamn thing, then he was never going to let Elliott live it down.

Elliott was never going to lethimselflive it down. Imagine if he’d used this approach from day one? He and Mal could’ve been hot and heavythis whole fucking time.

Because he already knew when he got Malcolm in his bed, he wasn’t going to be quick to let him back out again.

“It’s your name, isn’t it?” Mal slid out of the booth and returned to his side.

Elliott didn’t bother to hide his disappointment.

“But you never call me that. I’m surprised you didn’t use my full name, all those times you yelled at me.”

“You mean all the times you deserved me yelling at you?” Mal raised an eyebrow.

“Well, maybe a little.”

“I might’ve. If I’d known your full name.”

Elliott leaned over the table. “Elliott Archer Jones.” Then he flashed his best smile. A year ago, six months ago, even a few weeks ago, it hadn’t worked. It had only ever put Mal’s back up. But today, it felt like Malcolm justmeltedwith it.

Well. Goddamn.

“Archer, huh?”

“It’s an old family name, and since I was the only boy, I ended up with it. Mom likes to joke that they kept going until they got one. Good thing I wasn’t a girl, huh?” Elliott fluttered his eyelashes in a purposefully exaggerated movement.

Stuff like this used to only piss Malcolm off. But today, he seemed softer. More reachable.

Mal chuckled dryly. “Why is that?”

“Well,duh, ’cause then you wouldn’t be attracted to me.”

That got him another eye roll, but Elliott was pleased that Mal didn’t immediately protest or deny it completely.

Instead, he changed the subject.

“Well, next time I’ll be sure to deploy thewhole name,” Mal said. “Do you want to start the session now or wait for food?” He paused. “Or you could start my paper?”

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