Page 5 of The Study Session

“What are—” I begin, intending to pull away from him and chastise him for tricking me. Before I can, his lips crash into mine.

I gasp, my breath hitching in my throat from the sheer surprise of it all. Jax's lips are on mine. We're in the library, and I'm supposed to be helping him study, and his lips are on mine.

He's kissing me, and it feels good. I try to ignore his soft lips and how their warmth against mine ignites a fire that grows in my chest and elicits quite the reaction in the rest of my body. My brain is shouting, telling me I need to stop.

Regardless of what the logical, sensible part of me is arguing for, my hands reach for his face to hold him closer as I part my lips and let his tongue slide in my mouth. He tastes amazing, and I can't get enough of him right now.

I moan as his tongue searches my mouth, moving swiftly and teasing my tongue. His hands fall from my face and brush against my leg. I don't think anything about it at first. In fact, I instinctively part them for him. It must be read as an invitation because his hand slides up my thigh, lingering around the outside of my skirt for a moment before sliding inside and climbing up my leg.

Jax's hand is warm and calloused against my skin, a stark contrast to my soft, creamy skin. His fingers inch closer and closer to my already wet pussy, and I want him to touch me. I want his hands on me, pressing against my throbbing core to give me some release.

But then reality sets in, and I remember who he is. I remember he's from Glendale, with friends who scare me. I remember how he attacked Gerard for no reason whatsoever. I can't kiss a man like him. And I certainly can't like it.

I back away, pushing his hand to the side and scooting back in my chair. He stares at me with disappointment in his eyes, reaching out to grab me and pull me back in. “We're here to study,” I say, my voice as stern as I can possibly muster.

Jax is silent for a moment, his eyes scanning my face to see how serious I am. He knows I like what happened, so I can't hide that anymore. He already has the upper hand in the situation, but I still have some power here. He needs me. He's not going to find anybody else in this school as willing to catch him up and help him study as I am.

“Go on one date with me,” Jax says, and I immediately shake my head and laugh incredulously. “I'm serious, go on one date with me, and I promise you I'll take these study sessions seriously after.”

He has an earnest look in his eyes, and I know he's being truthful. It's a small price to pay to make sure the study sessions are as painless as possible for the rest of the semester. But at the same time, I can't help wondering what's going to happen on this date. Clearly, that kiss changed things between us. I don't know how I can handle being with him in another setting.

But we won't get anything done if things continue this way during our study sessions. I won't be able to help him, and I won't have my extra credit. If I want to solidify myself as first in class, I have to do this.

“Fine. One date at the café on campus,” I say, bartering my way into a semi-normal study situation. “It'll be nothing romantic.”

His green eyes darken as he stares at me, and I can tell he doesn't like this counteroffer. He doesn't want me to setboundaries with him. He wants control over our date, and I won't give it to him.

“Fine. The café on campus works perfectly,” Jax finally says, turning his attention back to his book.

I settle in my seat, trying not to act too uncomfortably after everything that just happened. It's silent between us as he continues reading, and there's some tension in the air. Everything Jax wants is incredibly clear, but there's an aura of a mystery around him. I have to fight against the part of myself that wants to figure out who he is. I have to fight against the part of myself that wants to figure out why I like him.

CHAPTER FOUR

The hiss of the coffee machine pouring out the steaming liquid is nearly drowned out by the cacophony of sound around me. With midterms just around the corner, the café on campus is packed with study groups cramming for their respective classes. Sitting at a table by myself, a few people turn and stare at me, raising their eyebrows curiously as they try to place what's off about me. They haven't seen me around campus before, and until our first game, they won't recognize me.

I'm not afraid to look back at them, narrowing my eyes to force them to look away. Just because I'm not from any of the posh neighborhoods they grew up in doesn't mean they get to stare at me like I'm an exhibit at the zoo. If I told them I was from Glendale, they would all be quick to judge. They would think I'm some kind of a monster, a brutal thug just waiting for the first opportunity to shove them to the ground and steal their wallet.

Maybe there was a time when that was me, when I was an angry teenager who couldn't understand why life had dealt him such a bad hand. Or how I could grow up with a father who was as unstable as mine. All the people around me in the café need tocount their blessings they didn't have to deal with half the shit I did. They certainly couldn't take it.

Football was my way out of the streets. I wasn't even planning on trying out for the team at first. Adrian actually dragged me to the tryouts during our freshman year in high school. Afterward, we were going to drive around in his brother's car, and he wanted me to wait. While I was waiting on the sidelines, the coach looked me up and down and thought I might have what it takes, so he threw me in the tryouts. I was on the varsity team not long after.

That was my foot in the door to make a better life for myself. I didn't want to work in the steel factory like my father and his father before him. I didn't want to be angry anymore. So I focused on football as much as I could. Sure, there were times Adrian and the rest of the guys on the team would want to get up to something, and I was forced along. But I knew I could focus on football and it would take me away.

But now that I'm no longer just some kid from Glendale, now that I'm on therightside of town, I feel like an outsider.

The bell on the door chimes as it opens, and I turn to see Corinne walking in with a stack of books in her hands. My heart warms seeing the wind blow her hair slightly, letting her long blond locks fall in her face. Her eyes lock on mine, and I wave slightly, standing up to invite her to the table. She offers me a tentative smile and joins me, taking a seat across from me.

“Do you want anything to drink?” I ask, standing up and motioning toward the register.

“Just a tea is fine,” she says, noticeably a little jittery.

I walk away from the table and place an order at the register for her. I wait for a moment as the barista puts some boiling water in a paper cup and hands me a tea bag to put in it. Corinne watches me curiously as I sit across from her at the table.

“I should have known you'd be more of a tea drinker than a coffee drinker,” I say, teasing her as I watch her steep the bag in the water.

“Is that supposed to be an insult?” she asks, wrinkling her brows. A faint smile plays at the corner of her lips, and I wonder if she's trying to tease me like I am her.

“No, it's not. You're just so well put together, it makes sense that you would want tea in the afternoon,” I say, shrugging my shoulders before taking a sip of my own black coffee. “I can imagine you taking your cotillion and etiquette classes, practicing how to drink it is all.”

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