“Pfft. No.” He runs his hand through his hair and side-eyes me. “Yeah, actually.”

“You really do like me.” I’m mystified as to how this happened, but also my ego is really enjoying this. Chase Lovett, who should be way out of my league,is into me.

“Yeah. I told you that.” He rests his head on my knee. “Can I read some of your threesome fanfic?”

“It’s really smutty.”

“I love smutty.”

“You can’t laugh.”

“I promise not to laugh.” He crosses his heart and gives me puppy-dog eyes.

I can’t believe I’m doing this. I’ve mentioned in passing to my real-life university friend Tally that I write fanfic, but she doesn’t know my pen name, or what kind I write. Yet here I am, showing this guy who fingerbanged me, my private, dirty thoughts. I flip open my laptop and scroll to the top of the page.

I set the scene for him. “Legolas and Arwen just returned from a quest to get supplies, and Aragorn is waiting for them with a hot bath.”

“Cool.” Chase scoots closer so his upper body is pressed against my crossed leg. He props his cheek on his fist. His lips move while he reads, but he doesn’t make any sound, eyes darting back and forth.

When he reaches the bottom of the page, he scrolls up. “I thought you said this was like word porn. There’s like an actual story and stakes.”

My cheeks are on fire. “Well yeah, it can’t be all smut, all the time. But most chapters start out with some light plot and then get to the fun stuff.”

“Got it. This is really good. Like I don’t read much aside frommy textbooks, and the occasional audiobook, but the descriptions are great, and I feel like I’m in their house with them.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Really.” He smiles up at me. “Now stop talking, I want to know what happens next.”

He keeps scrolling and reading, his lips moving, eyebrows popping every so often. When his face starts to turn red, I can tell he’s getting to the bath scene. “Damn,” he mutters, scrolling so quickly he has to backtrack. “This is fucking hot, Cammie.”

“Thanks.” I pull the neck of my hoodie up to my eyeballs, so I can read along with him, but also so I can hide.

“Oh yeah, that’s…” He shifts around. “‘My hands follow the soapy water as it cascades over her luscious bare breasts. Legolas covers one stiff peak with his full lips, as his other hand dips below the water.’”

I slap a palm over Chase’s mouth. “Do not read aloud.”

He mumbles something from behind my palm.

I drop my hand and give him my best annoyed face.

He blinks up at me with wide, imploring eyes. “Will you read it to me?”

“No. That’s—I’m not reading it to you.”

“Pretty please? I’ll do anything you want. Literally anything. Strip naked and run down the hall. Wear a tutu to class. Sing in the middle of the quad.”

I bite back a smile. “Read it silently or you don’t read at all. Those are your options.”

“Fine.” He sighs, but he goes back to scrolling while I eat the yogurt parfait he brought me.

When he reaches the end, he frowns. “Where’s the next chapter?”

“I was just starting it when you came back with breakfast.” I lick the spoon clean and set the empty container aside.

Chase sits up, eyes wide. “But I want to know what happens next! They get out of the bath and towel Arwen off and then what?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious what happens next.” It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that they end up in bed.