Page 42 of Collide
“Only whipped cream and strawberries?”
“Are you thinking of surprising me? I wouldn’t mind some maple syrup.”
I scoff. “In your dreams.”
“Been there, done that,” he mutters.
Pushing at his chest, I move to sit at his desk. When I’m shuffling through my bag, I groan. “I forgot my laptop.” If Amara didn’t annoy me earlier, I would have remembered to pack it.
“Use mine.” Aiden opens it and puts in his password.
I stare at it like he offered me a dead rat. “And see your porn history? No way.”
“You think I just have porn tabs open?” When I only stare back, he shakes his head. “Just use it, Summer.”
I make a show of looking defeated, but the truth is he saved me a whole lot of trouble.
Studying with Aiden would be great if not for his huge distracting body. He studies shirtless like some sort of male model. He’s lying on his bed, annotating the book of the week with his pen between his teeth. There is no way for me to remove myself from this torture now that he offered to read my final thoughts. He’s constantly proving hockey stereotypes wrong with every new bit of information he reveals. I read his essay on one of the literature-focused films he was assigned, and I knew I needed him to edit my paper.
“You look like you checked out ten minutes ago.” Aiden bookmarks his page and places the book on the nightstand. “Ready for me to read it?”
I run a frustrated hand through my hair. “I can’t focus. Can I send it to you later?”
“I’m good with that.”
When I’m shutting down his laptop, my eyes catch on his music app. “You have a sex playlist?”
He appears unfazed. “Of course. Some girls are quiet.”
“Girls? Do you know how awkward it is when guys don’t make a sound?”
He shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. I make plenty.”
My cheeks heat. If I’m being honest, a man who isn’t afraid to moan?Hot. I scroll through his music to take my mind out of the gutter. “You have surprisingly good taste, aside from all the country.”
He rears back, offended. “You can’t hate on country. I’ll have to convert you with a playlist.”
I close his laptop and turn in his chair to face him. “Don’t waste your time. I’m not listening to that.”
“Have an open mind, Sunshine.”
I glare.
He gives me an apologetic look. “Okay, how about I make you a playlist? You won’t even realize it’s country.”
“Not possible, but you can try.”
He appears victorious as he eyes the time on his phone. “What should we do now?”
“I’mheading home.”
“No, you’re not.”
I raise a brow. “What are you going to do, lock me in here?”
He lifts his chin in thought. “If it comes to that, maybe.”
“Your psychosis is showing.”
