Page 54 of Heroes & Hitmen
I collect my things and follow the crowd of students exiting the lecture hall, stepping out of the building into the warm sunlight. I only make it two steps down the path before my inner wolf perks up, alerting me to the presence of my new roommate.
Snapping my head to the left, I find Ares leaning up against the side of the building like he owns the place, hands pocketed, one ankle crossed over the other. His eyes meet mine instantly, lips curving into a lazy grin as he pushes off from the building and starts in my direction.
I turn away and keep walking down the path, pretending as if I haven’t seen him. Like I have a chance of sneaking by.
He’s on me in five seconds flat.
“Do you really still have to stalk me if we live together?” I grumble, flickering him a sideways glance.
His dark eyes catch mine as he matches my stride. “Just checking in on my mate,” he replies with a wink. “Gotta make sure none of these college boys try to hit on you now that we’re officially an item. Bad for my ego.”
“Pretty sure your ego is indestructible,” I snort, coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the path and whirling on him. “How’d you get my number, anyways?”
Jordan joked that she gave it to him, but after his first surprise text the other day, she swore up and down that she never actually did.
The corner of his mouth lifts in a smug smirk. “My sister’s best friend is a computer nerd,” he says. “Called in a favor.”
Of course he did.
“Charming,” I mutter.
He flashes me a grin. “Isn’t it?”
I frown back at him, folding my arms. “No, that’s next level stalking.”
“I stalk because I care,” he replies, pressing a hand to his heart.
“Or because you’re a psychopath.”
His dark eyes flicker with something wicked. “But I’myourpsychopath,” he amends, winking again.
I open my mouth to fire off a cutting retort, but then he thrusts something toward my chest, catching me off guard. My gaze drops to the small white box in his hands bearing the familiar logo of the cupcake place around the corner and my witty comeback never makes it past my lips.
“What’s this?” I ask breathily, even though I know damn well what it is.
“You didn’t eat breakfast,” he replies with a shrug. “Figured you’d be cranky without your morning dose of sugar.”
“Manipulation by dessert,” I murmur, glancing back up at him. “Solid play.”
“I thought so,” he replies smugly as he hands over the goods.
I hate that he knows me so well already– and that my love for cupcakes outweighs my desire to win whatever argument we were just having. Flipping open the box, I survey the contents. Two cupcakes: German chocolate and red velvet. Solid choices.
“You’ve got an hour before your next class, right?” Ares asks, cocking a brow.
I narrow my eyes on him. “What’s your angle?”
He smiles back at me. “No angle. Just doting on my mate. Consider it another one of the perks of our new arrangement, babe.”
“There are perks?” I snort sarcastically.
He leans in, dropping his voice low. “Are you really gonna keep pretending you’re not enjoying the morning eye candy?”
My cheeks instantly heat. There’s no point in trying to deny it, so I don’t– I just turn away and take off down the path, as if I can outrun the embarrassment of being called out, yet again.
I really need to work on my poker face.
Ares catches up in a few long strides, pointing out an empty park bench beneath a big maple tree at the edge of the quad. “Wanna sit, dig into those cupcakes?” he asks, not missing a beat.
