Page 18 of Puck'n Bully
“Crystal,” he replies, grinning.
A sigh escapes me.
“What’s with that look?” he asks, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
“I’m regretting this already,” I say, glancing up at his too-handsome face.
“Nah. I bet you’re the kind of guy who loves a good challenge.”
I can’t help but smile at that. Even though he barely knows me, he’s not wrong.
I don’t mind challenges in life. No matter how hard I have to work toward my dreams and goals, I never back down.
“So, we’re heading to the library?” Hayden asks.
“Yeah but first, I need to get some coffee,” I mumble, gesturing toward the small café outlet near the hockey rink. “I was supposed to have a couple of free hours this morning but this tutoring session came up. I had to run all the way here just to make it on time.”
“How do you like your coffee?”
“I usually have it black,” I answer. “But today, I need the sugar rush. A caramel macchiato with an extra shot will be perfect.”
“I’m on it,” Hayden says, slipping his arm away.
Before I know it, he strides forward and reaches the café’s stall. By the time I reach him, he’s already ordered for both of us.
For a moment, I wonder whether our interaction last night had been a dream. He’d been rough with me, choking me until my vision blackened, threatening to destroy me if I revealed his secrets to anyone.
An easy smile tugs at the corners of his lips now. His dark strands, wet from a recent shower, fall over his gray eyes, giving him an edgy look. He leans against the counter, absolutely at ease with me.
“Here’s your order,” a young woman says, pushing a tray over the counter with two lidded foam cups. A stack of fat cookies rests beside them, surprising me.
“I got the cookies for you,” Hayden says, picking up his coffee cup. “You must have missed breakfast this morning because of me, so it’s my treat.”
Surprise flickers through me. I never expected him to be so caring. “Thanks,” I say, feeling a rush of warmth.
A cool breeze blows past me, chasing my bad mood. I sip my hot, sugary coffee and walk beside Hayden as we head toward the library.
Even though Hayden’s wearing a regular jacket, people keep glancing at him. He stares ahead though, completely oblivious to the attention he commands. I get a few curious looks but it’s nothing compared to the desire-filled gazes of the young women we pass by.
It’s almost a relief to enter the quiet, vacant space of the library.
“Let’s look for a cube,” I say, walking toward the area with several small, closed cubicles. They’re mostly to allow small study groups to gather and discuss stuff without disturbing others.
“You’re new in town but you seem to know your way around the library,” Hayden says, keeping pace with me.
“I come here almost every day,” I tell him, pushing open the door to an empty cubicle. “My apartment building is noisy at all hours of the day, so I do most of my studying here.”
Entering the room, I suddenly realize how small these cubicles really are. Hayden strolls in behind me, dropping his gym bag onto the table like he’s claiming the space.
“Where are you staying?” he asks, fixing those steel-gray eyes on me.
Trapped in this small space with him, I feel my pulse flutter. “It’s an old apartment building on Havanna Street,” I reply, struggling not to stare at his broad shoulders or his thick, muscular neck.
Damn it! Focus, Meyers, I silently chide myself.You’re his fucking tutor.
“So, let’s start with some introductions, shall we?” I say, bulldozing through the waves of heat lashing at me from the man sitting way too close to me.
Hayden takes a swig of his coffee and nods.
