Free Rushed (The Rushed Series) by Gina Robinson Page B

magnetic. I liked her way too much.
    She wasn't looking where she was going. She tripped on the uneven sidewalk and nearly went down.  
    I caught her by the arm just in time and pulled her to her feet. "You okay?"
    "Besides being embarrassed? Yeah, I'm fine. Just turned my ankle." She tested her weight on it.
    "Don't be embarrassed. These sidewalks are killers. You should see people slide onto their butts on them in the winter. Let me take that." I pulled her backpack from her shoulder and slid it over mine. "Can you walk?"
    "If I can't, will you carry me?" She batted her lashes again in that ridiculous way.
    "Depends on how much you weigh."  
    She shoved me playfully. "Forget it." She grinned. "Give me your arm."
    I held it out to her. "Now you want me to be your crutch?"
    "Absolutely." She took my arm and snuggled against me.
    She was going to kill me. She couldn't know how hard my heart pounded. We looked too much like a couple as we made our way to the edge of Greek Row.  
    The College Grind was crowded. It took fifteen minutes to get our iced coffees. I asked for an extra cup of ice. She paid before I could whip out my non-existent money. We found a spot on the grass outside and sat in the shade.  
    I insisted on inspecting her naked ankle. That was another mistake. When I took it in my hand, I could see up her skirt. Her shapely leg felt too good in my hand. All I could think about was sliding my hand up her leg and beneath that short skirt of hers.
    "What do you think, doc?" she asked. "Will I live?"
    "Looks like you just twisted it." I put the cup of ice against it and she jumped at the touch of cold, laughing. Her leg was as imperfectly beautiful as the rest of her. "Where did you all these scars?" I slid my hand up her shin and lightly caressed one.
    "Just trying to get a feel?" Her eyes sparkled like she was enjoying this. "I thought you were worried about appearances. What do you think my sorority sisters will think if they see you holding my leg in public?" Her eyes danced like she didn't care.
    I caressed her ankle and let go slowly. "They know I like to play doctor."
    "But not with the girls?"
    "You didn't answer my question," I said.
    "I took a spill over a hurdle at the state meet in high school."
    That took me by surprise. I didn't have her pegged for a sporty girl.
    "Freaked my mom out. She thought I had permanently disfigured myself. And she's not good with blood. Speaking of that—am I trusting my leg to someone with medical skills? You aren't a premed major, or maybe physical therapy?"
    "Are you fishing for information? If you want to know what I'm majoring in, just ask."
    She grinned. "So?"
    "Food science. But if it makes you feel better, I've taken anatomy and physiology, organic chem, and biology. I have some experience with injuries from my years of being sacked on the football field."
    She tilted her head like she was trying to figure me out. "Food science? What's that? Like, nutrition?"
    I stared at her. I got that question a lot. "No, not like nutrition. It's pretty self-explanatory—the science of food."
    "It's not self-explanatory to me."
    "New product development, food packaging and storage methods, food safety. Super tasters for new products. That kind of thing. Food scientists work at all the major food producers, at dairies, wineries, breweries, coffee companies. There's a lot of science involved in developing new products without destroying the nutritional value of the food and still making it tasty. And finding ways to preserve food safely using fewer and fewer chemicals and additives."
    "It sounds interesting. And you're a junior?"
    "More fishing?"
    "Maybe."
    "Yeah. Junior. Since we're asking the mundane 'what's your major' question, what's yours?"
    She shrugged and smiled brightly. "Business, I think. I haven't really decided for sure."
    Typical Double Deltsie answer. Most of them would never have to work. I don't know why that irritated me, but it did.  
    "I like what you're