Page 17 of Study Buddies

I tried again. "Bedtime!”

Lucas shook my hand off, but not Tori. She leaned her head against me, and that gorgeous hair of hers spilled over my forearm. Tonight it was loose, and it looked like silk, all slippery and soft. I had to admit I had a thing for women with long hair, but I never met a woman with hair as gorgeous as Tori's. The way it flowed over her shoulder, whether she had it up or down, it just spoke to me.

I squeezed her shoulder and said, "If you’re not going to go to sleep, at least take a study break.” This wasn’t one of our official study sessions, but the principle remained the same.

"A study break?" Lucas said, but he didn't stop typing on his laptop.

Tori was more amenable. "Forget the study break. How about... what have you got in the stress relief department? Because this paper I have to write... it's going to be the death of me."

"I can do stress relief." I centered myself behind her, trying not to notice the way her hair tumbled down her back and how close it was to my body. I brushed her hair aside and pressed my fingers against her temples, moving in slow, steady circles.

Her eyes fluttered shut as she exhaled, the tension in her face melting away. I enjoyed the way she responded to my touch. I kept the light pressure going and added the rest of my fingers, massaging the side of her head and feeling that thick, silky hair. Her head rolled back. Then a moan escaped her throat—a sound that entered through my ears and immediately headed south.

Uh-oh. That normally didn't happen in our study sessions.

"Let's do this right," I said. "Why don’t you go sit on the sofa?”

To my surprise, she opened her eyes and got up, padding to the living room. I took a minute to admire the view. There's nothing like a shapely coed wearing thin leggings.

"Come on," I said to Lucas. "We're taking a study break."

He muttered something, and I grabbed his shoulder again, this time gripping tightly until he finally looked up at me.

"Join us." I jerked my head toward the living room, where Tori was settling down on the sofa. Finally, he nodded and got up.

Tori was seated, leaning into the back of the couch. I watched, fascinated, as she slid her hands under her hair, gathering it up as if in a ponytail and then smoothing it over the back of the couch, letting it spill down. God, it was gorgeous.

I moved in, making sure she was aware I was there before I started with her temples again. Her eyes closed, and I could see the tension leaving her face. Using my fingertips, I trailed my fingers through her hair, feeling the weight of it as it slid beneath my fingers. I dragged my hands from the base of her skull up to the crown. I gathered the heavy strands, applying gentle pressure as I tilted her head back.

Tori moaned again, and I let my fingers sink into the thick waves, combing through slowly. I lifted my hands, letting her hair slide through my fingers. I hoped it felt good, to get some of the weight of it off her shoulders. Judging by her soft whimpers, she was enjoying this.

Lucas stared at my hands as I massaged Tori’s scalp. He stood in front of the sofa, his eyes wide at the way I was touching her—and at how much she was enjoying it.

Shit. He looked as betrayed as if I'd just asked Tori to marry me. But I wasn’t about to quit just because he looked hurt. Notwhen Tori looked so blissful. Instead, I jerked my chin toward the couch next to her, and he sat down a few feet from her.

She barely seemed to notice, which probably didn't make him feel any better. I was having too much fun running my hands through her hair to worry about Lucas. But then I got an idea. I slid my fingers down the sides of her head, to her neck, and then her shoulders. Her back arched as I kneaded the tension there.

She was seated beside the arm of the couch, and as I rubbed her shoulders, I slowly eased her over until, inch by inch, until the back of her head rested against the arm of the couch. She put her feet up on the sofa cushions, her knees bent.

Lucas’s gaze lingered on her legs, his expression unreadable. He’d always been in awe of her, and not just because of her looks. When we’d first arrived at Langley, I wasn’t even sure Lucas remembered that women existed. He was still nursing a broken heart from the very messy way things had ended with his high school girlfriend. But then we’d been assigned to that study group, and after only a few sessions he had a full-blown crush on Tori. Yet he never made a move. He was smart but also dumb. Though nottoodumb. I was pretty sure she was the only reason he’d reconvened our study group this year, and now look where we’d ended up—sharing a house with her. I didn’t see that one coming.

I sighed. Time to be a good buddy or wingman or whatever. I stared pointedly at her delicate little feet with the cute pink toenails, and a motion with my hands as if massaging it. Tori pouted at the loss of contact, and I plunged my hands back into her thick hair.

But Lucas had finally gotten the message. Tentatively, he brushed a finger along the top of her foot, testing her reaction. Tori wordlessly stretched her leg toward him, a silent invitation. He turned sideways to face her, clasping her foot with bothhands, his thumbs running down the arch and beginning to knead.

Tori's moan filled the room, and my cock twitched at the sound. Or maybe it was just from finally being able to touch her luscious hair. It had always driven me wild. The way it moved, the way it shone in the light, how glossy and thick it was. Shit, maybe I should major in hairdressing, if that was a thing, but I'd never been enamored by anyone's hair except hers.

Tori's eyes were still closed when she stretched out her other leg, presenting it to Lucas. He worked his thumbs into her arches, his touch growing more confident. There was a look of wonder on his face, as if he couldn’t quite believe he was touching her.

Part of me knew we were in dangerous territory. Not because we’d ever hurt her or take advantage of her, but just because she was a friend. A fellow student. And there was so much more to her than just her appearance.

Guys our age weren’t always the best at remembering that, sometimes.

On the other hand, she’d been all for the idea of getting some stress relief, and between the two of us, I’d say we were doing a good job of delivering.

We might have stayed there for hours—I know I would have—if Tori’s phone hadn’t beeped.

“Oops.” She smiled, her eyes closed. “That’s a reminder to get ready for bed.” But she made no move to do so. But then a moment later, her eyes opened, and she blinked in a dazed way. Lucas straightened up, wiping the look of adoration off his face before she saw.

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