Page 81 of Overtime
To my surprise, she punches my arm. “Of course it’s to study, you perv. What I mean is that I don’t know how I’m going to climb into the back. Your car is really tall.”
“Like this.” I crouch under the overhead door to stand in front of her and wrap my hands around her waist.
Her brown eyes go wide. “No, Aran?—”
I lift her and set her on the bed, but I don’t let go of her right away. Having to bend down under the door means I’m very close to her as I say, “Like that.”
“Oh.” Strawberry swallows hard. “I forgot you’re very strong.”
“Do you need more reminders?”
“How about we start the session? We’re like an hour late.”
“I like it when you go all tutor on me.”
“Aran, please. I’m trying to be professional here,” she whines.
I feel a smile stretching my lips. I pretend like I’m pushing hair away from her face just so I can brush my fingers across her hot cheek. Making her blush feels just as good as catching a puck.
“What if we’re unprofessional for a bit?”
Her eyes flutter closed, but her lips set in a stern line. “I would like to be able to pay my bills, though.”
I jerk back, hitting the top of my head on the door.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine.” I grunt. “And you’re right. Today’s session is supposed to compensate for yesterday’s.”
She nods too fast. “Right, and I know it’s going to be harder to schedule new sessions starting next week with so many games coming up.”
Sighing, I relent. “Let’s get to work, then.”
CHAPTER 24
MADDIE
Once I get him to stop stalling, it’s surprisingly nice to sit side by side in the back of his car, shoes off, hearing the breeze, the quiet sloshing of the water at the shore, and the alternating sound of his typing or mine.
It’s funny how his legs are so much longer than mine, and how tiny my chubby feet look next to his. Aran is so large he takes up most of the space, and his rock-solid arm brushes against mine every time either of us moves. It’s the sweetest torture.
Fortunately, this time, I’m doing coursework. Unfortunately, that means I don’t have any excuse to ask him for more reverse tutoring with his mouth. Or maybe with his hands this time. But after the conversation on the way here, I recalled when he saidno stringsyesterday, and it would definitely seem like strings if I initiate anything. I have to do whatever it takes to keep things professional during study sessions and friendly beyond them.
Wait. His hands stopped typing a while back.
Slowly, I turn. Aran’s head rests against the back of the passenger seat, and his eyes are closed. It’s only now that I notice how thick and long his eyelashes are. Darn him. I would love to have eyelashes like that.
“Are you staring?”
Crap. How does he know?
“I was just checking to see if you’d fallen asleep.”
“Contemplating it,” he murmurs in a way that makes me bite my lip. “This business case is so boring it makes me want to nap.”
“Aran.” I use my best admonishing voice. “Finish what you started.”
He cracks an eye open. “Does that apply to things outside of this essay?”
