Free Linden: Rocking Pleasure: New Adult College Romance (Coral Gables Series Book 3) by Drucie Anne Taylor Page A

delivery guy. He’s become almost a pal, because I’ve seen more of him than my friends recently.
    “ Hello, Thalia,” he says, blushing. He’s always blushing, and I think it’s cute. He studies engineering, too, and we’re in some of the same lectures, though we rarely ever talk when we meet on campus. Most of the time all we say is hi, because he’s a real loner. I give him twelve bucks for the pizza, plus a generous tip, because I know he gets no money from his parents and needs this job to get by. He does have a grant, as he once told me, but it hardly covers the cost of tuition and textbooks.
    “ Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow in class,” he says as he pockets the money.
    “ Yeah. Do you think you studied enough?”
    “ Hardly, but this is a topic I’m good at.”
    “ Okay. Then I guess I’ll be the only loser tomorrow,” I say with a half grin.
    “ What exactly do you need help with?” he asks.
    “ Oh, there are a few things I just can’t seem to keep straight, but I’ll go over those one last time while I eat. The rest is hoping I’ll pass.” I shrug.
    “ Sit next to me. I’ll help you when Salters isn’t looking.”
    “ Salters has eyes in the back of her head, but thank you anyway, Jim.” I smile.
    “ You’re welcome. See you tomorrow, Thalia.”
    “ Bye.” He leaves, and I close the door behind him. Then I carry my precious pizza into my room and place it on the bed. I fetch my notes from my desk, so I can have another look at them while I eat. I just have to pass this damn test. I’m not a total idiot, so I should definitely be able to do this.
    I bite into the first piece of pepperoni pizza and sigh with satisfaction. That reminds me that I haven’t eaten much all day, and I finish the whole thing quickly. The textbook is open in my lap, and I try to focus on a few passages that sound like gobbledygook to me. So boring, and so confusing at the same time!
    But after the pizza’s gone, my focus returns, and I suddenly seem to understand the difficult parts. I hope that’s enough. I’m so engrossed, I completely lose track of time.
    ***
    “ Oh, crap!” I swear when I happen to look at my alarm clock. It’s already eleven p.m., and I should really try to get some sleep if I want to feel half rested tomorrow.
    I rise from the bed and pack my backpack for the next day so I don’t get stressed in the morning. When I finally switch off the light and lie down, my damn phone rings again. “Yes?” I say.
    “ Hello. Thalia?”
    “ Who is this?” I ask warily, because I don’t recognize the number.
    “ This is Linden Priest. Did I wake you up?”
    “ No, but I was just about to go to sleep. I have a test tomorrow morning. Why did you call?”
    “ I just wanted to make sure Friday evening is really okay with you,” he explains. “You didn’t seem all that thrilled when your friend said you would have dinner with me.”
    I sigh. “Yeah. Well, I want to have dinner with you, but on one condition.”
    I can hear him swallow. “What’s that?” he asks, sounding wary as hell.
    “ We stop addressing each other sometimes as ‘miss’ and ‘mister.’ I’m twenty-one, and I’ll feel awfully old if we go on like that,” I say with a smirk.
    He breathes in. “I’m Linden.” I hear him chuckle.
    I have to smile, because he sounds so damn unsure of himself. Not at all like a rock star. “And I’m Thalia, or Thally.”
    “ I’m looking forward to Friday night, Thalia. Is it okay if we eat at my place? Alexis told me my hospital stay is already all over the tabloids, and I’d rather not run into any paparazzi, you know?”
    I’m puzzled. “At your place? But I thought you live in New York City.”
    He chuckles again. “No. I have a house right here in Miami. I can send someone to pick you up so you can have a glass of wine … and also because I’d like to keep my address secret.”
    One of my eyebrows shoots up at that. “Could we talk about this tomorrow? I really