Page 123 of Study Buddies

“You did the same thing when you let me think you were betting on sports during class.”

“Jesus, Tori, you need to grow a sense of humor.”

I refused to let him sidetrack me. “Why make jokes that make you sound?—”

“Dumb?” he cut in. “Why not? I am dumb.”

“No, you’re not.”

“That’s not the popular opinion.”

“Which one of us is the future teacher? You’re not dumb, Kyle. It’s okay to show people the best side of you, not the side you assume they’re expecting.”

“Are you a psychology major now?”

“No.”

Kyle looked away. “People will see what they want to see. They always do.”

I reached across the table and put my hand on his. “I see a truly talented athlete. A man who looks really hot in a black suit. And a student who worked hard and got a B on his last paper.”

He gave a small laugh. “I know I’m supposed to like those first two things better, but that last one doesn’t sound half bad.”

“You should feel proud.”

“I kind of do? It’s an unfamiliar feeling, though, so I’m not sure.” His grin turned evil. “Are you going to reward me if I get a B on the next paper, too?”

“Yeah, your reward is the same as mine—we pass the class.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed. “The fucking department never should’ve made that rule.”

“I agree, but we’re doing okay. Your paper for tomorrow is even better than the first one.”

“It is?” he sounded genuinely surprised.

But before I could answer, yet another guy appeared beside our table. This one had a shaved bald head though he didn’t look any older than us.

“Kyle, you son of a bitch. How the hell did you get such a beautiful woman to come here with you?”

Kyle huffed out a breath of air at the interruption and then introduced us. He didn’t say anything about what position the bald guy—Evan—played, so I figured they were fraternity brothers.

Evan put his hand on the back of my chair, and Kyle stiffened, his knuckles turning white. “You can do better, hot stuff.” The way he was standing over me made me think he was looking down the front of my dress, and I inched to the side.

Then Evan returned his attention to Kyle. “So, what happened to?—”

“Jasmine?” I cut in sweetly. “She’s not here. I am. And we were in the middle of a conversation.”

Evan took a step back, his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Okay, message received. Keep an eye on this one, man, she’s a spitfire.”

“Sorry about that,” Kyle told me after Evan left. He took a deep breath as if to calm himself down. “Believe it or not, that was him on his best behavior.”

I was glad he was gone. “I wouldn’t want to see his worst.” Kyle nodded in agreement as I took a sip of water. “So what’s the hierarchy here? Is being a spitfire better than being a firecracker?”

The smile that settled on my date’s face made my thighs clench. “It is in my book.”

The return tripafter dinner was much like the first, but this time Kyle put the blindfold on me before we got in the elevator.

I pouted even though having him stand so close made my skin sizzle. “Afraid I’ll see what the elevator looks like?”

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