Page 8 of Love, A Curvy Girl's Guide

The room fell quiet, the air between them charged with something Haley couldn’t quite name. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, the door burst open, and two of Ian’s teammates barged in, laughing and elbowing each other.

Ian’s relaxed demeanor vanished in an instant. He shot to his feet, blocking their view of Haley. “Guys, I’m busy. Get lost.”

“Busy?” one of them said, his gaze darting past Ian to Haley. “Oh, hey there. Didn’t know you had company.”

Haley felt heat rise to her cheeks, but she forced a polite smile. “We’re studying.”

The other teammate snorted. “Studying, huh? Didn’t know you needed help, Johnson.”

Ian’s jaw tightened. “Out. Now.”

Haley’s brain whirred into overdrive. She knew Ian didn’t want people to know he was being tutored. Was it because of his teammates? Haley could already picture the locker-room taunts and jeers Ian would face if they found out he was studying with her. And for some inexplicable reason, she didn’t want him to deal with that.

Without thinking too hard, Haley jumped up, grabbing Ian, and kissed him clean on the mouth.

Ian went stiff as a board, his eyes wide with shock, and she could practically hear his teammates’ jaws drop. As she slowly began to pull away, mortified at her impulsive actions, Ian seemed to come to life.

His lips parted, and his hands shot out to her hips, pulling her tight against his chest.

Haley was suddenly in over her head when his hot mouth took charge of the kiss, and it went from a quick peck to something worthy of a PG-13 rating.

As Haley began to lose herself in the kiss, the guys started hooting and cat-calling. Ian broke the kiss, and Haley wondered if her breathing was just as labored as his or her eyes just as dilated.

What the fuck had just happened?

“Whoa, Ian! Didn’t know you had company,” one of them crowed, his eyes darting to Haley with interest. “You finally got a girlfriend?”

They whooped, elbowing each other as they threw their books and backpacks down and continued to be obnoxious assholes. Haley hadn’t looked at Ian since she'd kissed him. She couldn’t look at him. Embarrassment flooded her as she remembered every act of war he'd committed against her. What had gotten into her? With the last of her books picked up, she shot to her feet and nearly ran to the door.

“Thanks for the chemistry lesson, Ian,” she said breathily. And for the first time since the lip-locking incident, she looked at him.

His expression was tumultuous. Rather than joking around with his friends, his eyes were glued on her, as if he hadn’t even registered that his roommates were idiots on the couch.

Ian didn’t raise a hand to wave farewell or even say goodbye. He just stared Haley down with a look so a look so heated she almost missed the hint of vulnerability indicating she’d just thrown his world off its axis. The only trouble was she’d gone and done that to her world, too.

FOUR

Present Day

The fluorescent lights of the pharmacy buzzed overhead, casting a harsh glow on Haley's face as she leaned against the counter, massaging her temples. The day had been a blur of prescriptions, customer complaints, and mind-numbing paperwork. She glanced at the clock, willing the hands to move faster.

"Rough day?" a familiar voice asked, startling her from her thoughts.

Haley looked up to find Ian's piercing blue eyes fixed on her, a hint of something unreadable in his expression. She straightened up, forcing a smile. "Nothing I can't handle," she replied, her voice laced with defiance and exhaustion.

Ian leaned on the counter, his muscular arms flexing as he did so. Haley found her gaze lingering for a moment before she caught herself. "You sure about that?" he teased, a smirk playing on his lips. "You look like you could use a break."

Haley rolled her eyes, the familiar irritation bubbling up. "Are you trying to tell me I look bad? Because we both know that's impossible. No, Ian Johnson, I don't need a break. WhatI could use is for this day to be over," she retorted, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

As they bantered, Haley felt a strange warmth spreading through her chest, a feeling that infuriated her. It was Ian, after all. They weren't truly friends—they had never been friends—yet she would say that he knew her just about as well as she knew herself. It was uncanny. In actuality, they were just neighbors with too much history, most of it involving Ian being a royal pain in her ass. She pushed the odd thoughts aside, focusing on maintaining her professional demeanor.

"Well, if you ever need a distraction," Ian said, his tone suddenly more sincere, "you know where to find me."

A distraction? Their eyes met, and for a moment, the air between them felt charged with unspoken words. Haley's heart raced, and she was at a loss for a biting comeback. He was the ultimate distraction. How could he not know that? She broke the gaze, busying herself with organizing some papers on the counter.

"I'll keep that in mind," she muttered, not daring to look up at him again.

As Ian turned to leave, Haley caught herself watching him go, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. She sighed, shaking her head as if to clear it. This was Ian. The same Ian who had made her life a living hell since they were kids. The one who always seemed to have the upper hand. She couldn't let herself fall into that trap, no matter how much he might have changed.

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