Page 18 of Allure

But by being near the window, that means I’m far from the door, and after the second class ends, I enter the hallway only to see Declan is waiting.

Not for me.

Yes for me.

He falls into step beside me but doesn’t say anything. His presence alone affects me, though. I’m just waiting for him to say or do something that will piss me off, but he doesn’t, just walking along.

We end up at my next class, which is also his next class, without either of us saying a word. I gesture for him to go first.

“No way,” he says, stepping to the side so that I have room to go ahead.

"Why? So I can walk ahead of you, and you can make another comment about my flat ass?" I demand, also moving to the side so we don't block the door from others trying to get inside.

He's not wrong. My ass is a bit flat. I never really noticed that before because I don't check myself out in the mirror. I mean, when I get new clothes, sure, I'll make sure they fit, but I don't try to be overly critical of my body. That's one personal demon that I'm trying to overcome and probably the only one I can honestly say I've made some progress with.

“Do you like to run?” he asks.

“What the hell is up with you and insisting that I’m a cardio bunny?” I ask. If I weren’t holding my books, I would throw up my hands in exasperation.

"You have a runner's body. Not many curves. Thin."

“I’m not too thin, and I do have some curves.”

He shrugs. “Maybe, maybe not.”

My eyes narrow. “I don’t need you to appraise my body.”

“It was just an observation.”

“An inappropriate one.”

“I can’t look at a body and think to myself something about it?”

“Keep your thoughts, hands, and everything else to yourself, okay? Can you do that?”

He grins. “I can’t make that promise.”

I roll my eyes. "Because you have no self-control."

“Because if Sensei partners us up again, I won’t have a choice but to touch you.”

“He shouldn’t. You’re a black belt. In your mind, I’m barely a white belt.”

“Damn straight.”

“Fuck you.”

“You wish.” He winks at me.

Unnerved, I go to enter the classroom, but I suppose he figured by that point that I wouldn’t go first, so he also steps forward, and we bump into one another. I catch a whiff of him, and he smells like soap and nature and maybe cinnamon too. I’ve always loved the scent of cinnamon.

Ugh, why does even his scent have to be alluring?

“After you, Doll Face.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Isn’t that better than New Girl?”

---