Page 7 of Her Devil

The gold calligraphy is handwritten and there’s an embossed logo in the corner I don’t have time to make out before Tamsin comes bursting through the doorway, finally ready to go.

“And here I was thinking you were patiently waiting for me,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “What’ve you got there?”

“Some invitation,” I reply, dropping it back to the table and sliding my bag over my shoulder. The ten-minute meander to class is quickly becoming a five-minute march, or less, as each precious second ticks by—I don’t have time for her to dissect this right now. “I swear to God, if we turn up to this class a hot, sweaty mess, I’ll never forgive you.”

“You totally will.” She smirks as I close the distance between us, heading for the front door and thrusting her mug in her hand.

“Do you have your key?” I ask as we leave, knowing mine is safely tucked in the back of my purse.

“Of course. Not that I’ll need it, because I have you.” She smiles, wrapping our arms together as we make our way into the fresh morning air. “Hey, this coffee is pretty good, you know?”

“Better than the stuff from that tea shop, that’s for sure,” I agree. We found the bougie tea place yesterday. It’s safe to say, if you like your coffee thick and dark roasted, that is not the place to be.

She peeks over our shoulders as we pass the house, the feeling of someone watching us creeping over my skin.Maybe we should have taken the car.

It takes until we’re part way down the driveway before the dam breaks, the thoughts running rampant through her head finally breaking the surface. “Do you really think they were moving out yesterday? The day before classes start. Why would they do that?”

“I don’t know.”

This is Tamsin’s thing, how she processes. She doesn’t need a reply from me, just to talk her way through whatever is on her mind.

“They couldn’t have been kicked out before it started, surely? And, if they’d done something worthy of being kicked out, everyone would be talking about it, wouldn’t they?”

“Probably,” I add as we near the academic buildings, the sparse car parks and boxed hedges giving way to a softer, gentler flow of flower beds.

“So, was he just trying it on then, or what?” she asks exasperatedly, like the thoughts have been running through her head all morning.They probably have.

“If you’re that interested, ask the girls. They’re going to know.” It seems like they know everything else going on around here.

“You think?” she asks, pulling open the heavy doors as we search out the right lecture hall.

“Absolutely,” I agree, spotting someone familiar. “Otherwise, you could ask them right now.”

A blush creeps over my cheeks as the taller dark-haired guy from the elevator and two of his friends head straight towards us. I barely got a glimpse yesterday, but it was enough.

He’s the all-American boy next door; broad shoulders, a dark shirt that hangs sinfully well across his chest, sliding over his narrow hips to his long legs. Legs that make it here quicker than I expected as the distance is eaten up by his long strides.

“Holy mother of…” Tamsin whispers, jolting me out of whatever ridiculous stupor we found ourselves in.

Hurrying our steps, I attempt to get there first, hoping to slide in unannounced and find somewhere to quietly observe. The lecture, of course. Not the boys; we’re not here for that. But I don’t manage it.

One of his friends holds the door for us, his hair clipped short at the sides but longer on top, clearly spending as much time as Tamsin has this morning making sure it’s picture-perfect. I smile and whisper a “thank you,” sliding through the doorway and hoping to be unobtrusive about it. Except…

“Well, I’m glad meeting you was more than a one-time thing,” Tamsin says, devouring the three of them before making eye contact with the guy from the elevator.

“Ah, the elevator girls.” He nods, clicking his fingers. “I couldn’t work out where I’d seen you before. You look different this morning.”

“Is that a compliment?” she asks with a raise of her eyebrows.

Conscious we’re blocking the doorway, I sigh, linking my arm back through hers and attempting to move us away and find a desk before the lecturer arrives. We were late enough leaving as it is, the last thing I need is to miss the opening notes because she’s busy flirting.

And as hot as he is up close and personal, the spark that sizzled under my skin being trapped in that enclosed space with him yesterday isn’t there.Maybe it was all in my head?

“You were practically glowing,” he adds with a smile, that dimple popping with perfectly charming timing. I’m completely over the cheesiness of the entire conversation and ready to drop the lot of them and go, but I tug Tamsin along regardless.

His friends continue their conversation, oblivious as the three of them follow us, finding a row of seats just by the two desks I find for me and Tam. Any hope I had of getting her attention back where it’s supposed to be is lost as they slide into the seats.

His hazel eyes come to mine as he takes the seat slightly to my right and below me. Staggered seats, of course. I make a mental note not to wear a short skirt to this one, thinking of the view he’d get from there. He’s charming and attractive, and no doubt women flock to him. He’d know exactly what to do with the length of my bare thigh at his shoulder level.

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