Page 137 of Zero Chance

This time there was no way to muffle the laugh that shouted out of me.As I slapped a hand over my mouth and turned to send Keene a disparaging glance, he merely grinned back, utterly proud of himself and hustled me from the psychology building.

“You are the worst,” I claimed, even though I secretly loved every outrageous, inappropriate thing he ever said.They made him Keene, and that was the part that drew me to him.His blatant Keene-ness.

Still preening over my comment as if he instinctively knew how much I relished his naughty mouth, Keene moved in to nuzzle my neck and speak into my ear, “But am I naughty enough to entice you to blow off the rest of your classes and come home with me?”

Lips parting in surprise over the invitation, I pulled back to blink at him.

His gaze glittered with primal awareness.“Do you have any tests or important lectures you can’t miss?”

Slowly, I shook my head no.

“Work?”he tried next.

“Not today.”

“Well then?”He already knew how I would answer; his smile turned smug and knowing, but he held out his hand and lifted an eyebrow, anyway, making his silent request sexy enough to soak my panties…if I were wearing any.

* * *

“So we’re going all outwith this, right?”Keene asked as he steered his Jeep away from campus.

I glanced around the interior, still amazed I was sitting in the front passenger seat of his ride and skipping classes to spend the rest of the afternoon having sex with him.

“With what?”I asked vaguely, glancing over the dashboard to notice how clean he kept his vehicle.Not a hint of dust anywhere.Not even on the handful of rubber ducks tucked in the window.

“Withus.”He sounded mildly offended by the fact that he had to explain.I turned to blink at him just as he fluttered out a hand.“You know, being exclusive, forsaking all others to be the boyfriend and girlfriend who disgust everyone else with our affections, remembering birthdays and anniversaries and favorite colors.Thatkind of shit.”

I furrowed my brow, clearly confused.Shaking my head slowly, I said, “I thought that was exactly what youdidn’twant.”

“Well, yeah,” he muttered.“But now that it’shere, I’m going to embrace this new life.See where it goes.”Leaning my way as he paused at a red light, he winked.“Personally, I think I’m going to make a kick-ass boyfriend.You’re gonna love me.”

I stared at him as if he were an alien.

Finally, he asked, “What’s the issue, darlin’?You’re the one who said you wanted everything.”

“Yeah,” I scoffed.“But I made it clear I’d only take what you were willing to give.”

“Well, I’m willing to give everything a try,” he answered with a nod.His eyebrows lowered as he watched me.“Are you still willing to take it?”

“I—” My throat went dry.But with a lick of my lips and bob of my head, I was able to rasp, “Yes.I’m still willing.”

“Good.”He smiled, pleased, and inclined his head toward me graciously.“Don’t worry,” he told me, reaching out to squeeze my fingers as he turned a corner.“I think you’re going to make a kick-ass girlfriend too.I’m already extremely pleased with you.”

I could only shake my head, wondering what the hell I’d just gotten myself into.

Keene started to whistle under his breath, clearly comfortable with this moment.But my nerves were strung taut, certain something bad had to happen now that I’d gotten the one thing I’d been dreaming about for ages.

Wringing my hands in my lap, I glanced around the seats and floorboard before blurting the first thing that came to mind.“I like your Jeep.”

And oh my God, someone kill me now.The guy of my dreams just asked to be in a monogamous relationship with me, and all I could think to say back was,I like your Jeep?

I should never be allowed to speak.

But Keene didn’t seem to mind.He grinned and made a great display of petting the steering wheel.“Thanks.Got her the summer between my junior and senior year of high school, paid outright after winning this rodeo thing I was in.”He waved out a dismissive hand to distract my attention from the fact he’d won a huge,importantcompetition.

“You mean, the world championship in youth rodeo for bull riding,” I said dryly, sending him a stern glance for trying to downplay his accomplishments.“Two years in a row.”

His eyebrows arched as he glanced over at me.“Well.Someone’sclearly been exercising her stalking skills.”

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