I looked at him.
His mouth curved. “And I’m looking forward to doing it again.”
That should not have made me relax as fast as it did.
It absolutely did.
I let out a shaky breath and leaned into him, the embarrassment still there but softer around the edges now that he wasn’t acting disgusted or weird or remotely sorry it had happened. If anything, he looked entirely too pleased with himself.
His phone rang.
He glanced toward the desk and sighed once through his nose, like the interruption offended him on principle.
“I need to finish some work,” he said.
I let out a small groan and stayed right where I was. “Yeah, and I need to study. I’ve got a test soon.”
His hand stayed warm at my waist. “Soon how soon?”
I shrugged a little. “Like Wednesday soon.”
He looked at me for a second. “Have you even started studying for it?”
I made a face. “Yes… kind of.”
That got me one of those looks.
“I’m not going to be a distraction from your classes,” he said.
I snorted softly. “Please. I was bad at school long before you got here. I’m sure my dad has already told you what a fuck up I am.”
His expression changed at that, not dramatically, but enough that I noticed. “Your father has never said anything bad about you.”
I opened my mouth, then shut it again.
He kept looking at me. “And you’re not a fuck up. You need better motivation. That’s not the same thing.”
Something about the way he said it, so matter of fact and certain, made my chest ache a little. It was sweet, and I wanted to believe him, but I didn’t. Not really.
He was quiet for a second, then I felt his thumb move once against my side.
“Alright,” he said. “Let’s make a deal.”
That got my attention fast. “What kind of deal?”
“If you pass the test, I’ll let you plan a scene.”
I blinked. “A whole scene?”
“Yes. Every part.”
The excitement hit so fast I sat up straighter in his lap. “I get to call the shots?”
His mouth curved. “Within reason.”
That still sounded amazing.
My brain was already sprinting ahead of me. “What if part of it includes going to Temptation?”