Free Seductive in Stilettos 2: New Adult Romance by Nana Malone Page A

busy."
    When they were left in the hallway together, he cocked his head. "So wait, there are two of you named Sydney. Must make for confusion in the room. Oh wait, your other roommate, she just called you Tris. Pretty name. On my roster it says Tristia."
    She flushed and screwed her eyes shut. "In all fairness, I didn't think I'd be seeing you again. It's complicated."
    "Apparently, so is this. You want to do this in my room, so your friends don't eavesdrop?"
    She sighed, but nodded, looking like she would rather have a root canal. He didn't need the other students listening either.
    "It'll only take five minutes."
    His stupid body pumped adrenaline into his veins as he led her into his room. Stupid mistake. He should have suggested coffee in the University Center or something. At least that way, the scent of her shampoo wouldn't permeate the room. Good thing he wouldn't actually ever be attempting sleep in here.
    For several long moments, they stood and stared at each other, neither daring to speak. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked everywhere but at him.
    Finally, she said, "Most awkward morning after ever."
    His lips twitched. "Tell me about it." Scrubbing a hand down his face, he added, "Of all the college dorms in all the world."
    A hint of a smile lit her lips.
    He sighed and thought back to what Caleb had said. Put her at ease, make her comfortable. "Look, Tris. This doesn't have to be awkward."
    Her brows shot up. "What, and totally forget you've had your mouth on my—" She cut herself off abruptly, covering her face with her hands.
    Shit . Just what he needed, the mental image of her perfect, mocha-tipped tits on offer for him. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm not saying it's not awkward."
    "Did you know the other night? That I was one of your students?"
    Establish the boundary . "If I'd have known, I couldn't have touched you. This job matters to me." At least he could answer that honestly. "I had no idea until I ran into you this morning. You were just a pretty girl who could dance. And I'm actually the replacement RA. The other guy got a huge internship last minute, so I was slotted in this morning."
    "Oh." Her voice was softer now. "Look, I'm sorry about running out on you the other night. I realize I probably looked crazy. It was just intense, and I..." Her voice trailed.
    "It's okay. In hindsight, it's probably for the best." The fuck it was. "But it's going to be okay. This doesn't have to be weird. It's not like we slept together." Or like he still wanted to, so much that his hands shook.
    "Right." She spread her hands. "Zero weirdness. Totally fine."
    "Maybe we'll even be friends, if that's possible. I'm going to see you every day."
    Her furrowed brow spoke of disbelief, but she said, "Sure. Friends. Friends who've seen each other..." She shook her head. "Totally. Friends. Done."
    He sighed, unsure of exactly what he'd expected. Then he tried for a dose of honesty. "Look. I think you're super sexy. And right now, your fucking shampoo is driving me insane. But I need this job, and there are rules I have to follow, so I'm going to have to pretend I don't know how you feel under my fingertips. It's better for everyone that way."
    She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just freaked out when I saw you."
    "I know. I had an inkling, this morning, when I ran into you. But I thought it might just be a coincidence." He shuffled a foot. "Look, I need to get ready to TA my class. Maybe we can talk about this later?"
    "Sure. What class are you TAing?"
    "Gifford's Human Sexuality, section A." He let that information sink in a little.
    She dropped her head into her hands and laughed. "You know that thing, where when you buy a new car, and all you notice after that is the same kind of car on the road?"
    He nodded. "I know you're in that section. I didn't know your name till this afternoon. If you want to switch out..."
    She shook her head. "I'm a big girl. I don't need to switch out. Besides, it's not like it's your