Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103104 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
I let out an exasperated breath.
“No worries. It’s okay.”
Nice voice. Deep. Growly. I raise my head up and look at the person I tried to tackle.
A breath whooshes out of me.
I push my sunglasses up on my head to hold my hair back.
HOLY HOT GUY.
He’s tall, several inches over six feet, broad shoulders in a tight gold Vandy shirt, low-slung jeans that are molded to him, and black Converse. Dark mahogany hair—longer than what’s normally found on guys who catch my eye—is chin-length with soft waves, framing his face.
My heart jumps off a cliff and does a swan dive right into stormy waters. My hands get clammy, and I close my eyes and open them again quickly, wondering if he’ll disappear.
Nope. Drop-dead gorgeous is still in front of me.
“My cheek hurts,” whines the girl next to him.
Ah. I blink and check her out. Pretty, someone I could see him with. Long, shiny, light brown hair, big green eyes, and a curvy figure.
She gives me a glare and stoops back down to pick up her lipstick.
“It’s the first day. I get kinda nuts. Sorry.” I grab her wallet and push it into her hand.
“You should slow down,” she mutters.
I look back at Hot Guy. He’s staring at me.
I bite my lip.
Then get nervous.
Butterflies flutter in my stomach, and that hasn’t happened since…well, since high school.
The girl stands back up and asks him if he’s ready to go.
He hasn’t budged, nor does he reply to her.
I smile on the inside because he didn’t offer to help her pick up her stuff either.
“Are you okay?” he asks me.
Am I?
Oh, yeah. Totally. Completely.
On impulse, I know what I have to do. I stick my hand out. “Hi. I’m Ava, sometimes Tulip if you know me well. I apologize for the book. I hope it’s okay.”
A long moment stretches, and I’m not sure he’s going to say anything, and good grief, how stupid would I feel then—
He takes my hand slowly, almost as if he’s afraid I’m going to turn and run. “My first name is Lee.”
Lee. I savor it, testing it out in my head. It fits. Strong. Silent. Sexy as fuck.
His eyes are gray, his face chiseled and cut with lean cheekbones and a blade for a nose. There’s dark scruff on his jawline and he rubs at it. Not once does he take his gaze off mine.
Someone brushes past me, but I hardly notice.
Is the sun brighter? Are birds singing in the trees?
My legs feel weird, like I’m not really standing there. I swallow the lump in my throat.
The universe just…shifted.
“Lee.” Stupid me. I say it again.
His full, wicked lips twitch. “Yeah. And you’re Ava, AKA Tulip.”
“Hey, are you ready? We’re late,” the girl says from behind him.
“Your girlfriend is calling you,” I murmur. “Better go.”
“Not my girlfriend.”
“Is that right?” I realize I’ve taken two steps toward him. If I reached out, I could touch his well-defined chest. “She’s pretty.”
“Hmmm. I prefer blondes.” His gaze sweeps over my long hair, and dang, I admit I preen a little and toss it over my shoulder. It is glorious, long and wavy and brilliant in the sunlight. No more dark or bleached hair for me. I’m glad I wore it down today.
“She insisted on walking with me. My cousin actually.”
The girl in question rolls her eyes, says she’s ready and if he isn’t then he can find his own damn class by himself.
“Go on,” he replies without glancing at her. “I’ll manage.”
I stare at him and he stands perfectly still, as if he’s afraid to move, while I…well, I’m the idiot girl who spends a full minute—when I’m late!—taking in every single inch of him. He’s tan like he’s been outdoors a lot. His eyes are crinkled at the corners from squinting at the sun. His hands are strong-looking, his fingers long and lean.
“Do I pass inspection?” he murmurs.
“Yeah.” I pick up his book and hand it to him, our fingers brushing.
His sensuous lips part, his chest rising, and he looks as if he might say—
Someone hits my shoulder to get around me, and I apologize. Dang. We’re standing here in the middle of heavy foot traffic.
Someone calls my name, a girl from the pre-med program, and I start then send her a wave, secretly hoping she doesn’t walk over. I come back to his face watching mine as an unsure expression flashes briefly.
“See you around,” he finally murmurs before turning and walking toward the buildings at the end of the sidewalk.
I watch him until his body grows smaller and the heads of other students overtake his. With a sigh, I gaze around at the world. Wow. The sky is incredibly blue, the grass is greener, the trees lush and full of vibrant color as they sway in the late summer breeze.
I laugh.
I just met a guy.