Page 85 of Echoes of Us
"I'm going to...not be here," Sarah announced, grabbing her bag.She paused beside Cole."Just remember - thin walls.Very thin walls."
Heat flooded Ashley's cheeks as Sarah disappeared down the hall, closing the door behind her with a meaningful click.For a moment, she and Cole just looked at each other, the air charged between them.
"Hi," she managed finally.
Cole's smile turned predatory as he moved toward her."Nice turtleneck."
"Shut up."But she was already reaching for him, fingers curling into his sweater as he backed her against her desk."It's your fault."
"Mmm."His hands found her hips, lifting her onto the desk.Papers scattered, but neither of them cared."I seem to remember you not complaining at the time."His thumb brushed the edge of her collar, making her shiver."In fact-"
She cut him off with a kiss, partly to shut him up and partly because she couldn't help herself.He responded immediately, one hand tangling in her hair while the other pulled her closer.The kiss deepened, turning hungry as his tongue traced her bottom lip-
"Thin walls!"Sarah's voice carried through the door, making them jump apart."Very, very thin!"
Cole dropped his forehead to Ashley's shoulder, his laugh rumbling through her."Your roommate has terrible timing."
"My roommate has saved us from scandal."But her fingers were still twisted in his sweater, her heart racing."We should probably..."
"Probably," he agreed but made no move to step back.Instead, his lips found that spot beneath her ear that made her gasp."Or we could-"
"Cole!"But she was laughing now, pushing at his chest."We are not christening my dorm room five minutes after I made up with Marie."
He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his expression softening."How did that go?Really?"
"Better than I deserved."She traced his jaw with gentle fingers."You were right, Cole."
"She's smarter than both of us put together."He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm.
Ashley's heart squeezed at the simple gesture.This was her Cole - capable of shifting from playful to tender in heartbeats, burning bright enough to blind her while still holding her so carefully.
"Come on," he said, finally stepping back, though his hands lingered on her waist."Let me take you to dinner.Somewhere off campus where your roommate can't provide running commentary."
"Heard that!"Sarah called through the door.
They both laughed, the sound mingling in the small space between them.As Ashley gathered her coat, Cole's hands settled on her shoulders, warm and steady.
"I missed you," he said quietly."Even though you were only gone a few days.Is that crazy?"
She turned in his arms, stretching up to kiss him softly."No.Not crazy at all."
CHAPTER33
The past few days had been a blur of perfect moments.Ashley would find Cole waiting outside her morning classes, coffee in hand, and that dangerous smile playing at his lips.They'd study late into the night, though "studying" often turned into him pushing her books aside, pinning her to his bed until she forgot everything but the feel of him.Even their quick kisses between labs felt charged with something new - like they'd finally stopped pretending, stopped fighting what had always been inevitable between them.
She'd catch him watching her sometimes, that intense look that made her forget everything else.He'd pull her into empty classrooms just to kiss her senseless, whispering how much he'd missed her against her skin.Their nights together were...well, she was grateful Cole didn’t have a roommate.
Even finals couldn't dampen what they had.If anything, the stress made their moments together sweeter.Cole would quiz her on behavioral psychology, and she'd help him grade papers, curled together on his couch.Everything felt right, felt real, in a way that made her previous life seem almost dream-like.
Which made what she found in the lab that evening even harder.
Dale stood bent over equations she recognized from their summer research, though he wasn't really looking at them.His pen hadn't moved in the few minutes she'd been watching from the doorway.The golden light streaming through the windows caught on his wire-rimmed glasses, on the way his fingers absently twisted his signet ring.
She'd been avoiding this moment.The bubble of happiness she'd been living in with Cole had made it easy to pretend everything else could wait.But reality had a way of demanding attention.
"You're stuck," she said softly.
Dale didn't startle like some part of him had known she was there.His shoulders tensed slightly, then relaxed."That obvious?"
