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  She groans but then offers me a sweet smile. “I guess sweetheart Cohen is still hiding underneath all that muscle. That makes me extremely happy, because as much as this older, more mature, extremely sexy man in front of me is turning me on, I still really like the guy I knew before and was hoping he was still in there somewhere. Okay, Cohen. Let’s do this. Let’s get to know each other.”

  I must have the patience of a saint, because as Andi begins to tell me about how she decided to major in journalism, I find myself being the one distracted at the thought that my bed is less than thirty feet away. But I know I have to do this, and I force myself to stop staring at the swells of her breasts through her tight sweater and instead focus on her face and what she’s saying, because the sooner I get to know her, the sooner I can finally be with her.

  The rest of the morning continues in the most comfortable way, and I feel like I’m that freshman kid who’s lying on my bed next to the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, getting lost in each other as we talk about music and our childhoods. But this time, instead of talking about everyone we know, we finally discuss ourselves. I realize this is what was missing the first time around, and I know I’m doing the right thing in taking this slow. At least for now.

  In just a few short days, I’ve let this girl completely change the way I operate, and I have no idea how this whole situation is going to end up. All I know is that I want her, all of her. Not just physically, but emotionally as well, and it’s not something I’m used to wanting. Instead of overanalyzing things, I push the thought out of my mind and focus my attention on her. The thought, however, is still in the back of my mind, because now that Andi’s here with me, I already know that I have zero intention of ever letting her get away again. And that scares the hell out of me.

  THE MORNING turns into afternoon, and it’s not long before one pot of coffee quickly turns into two as we move into the living room to continue our studying session. Sure, we might not be going over the ins and outs of general chemistry, but I’m quickly becoming well versed in all that is Cohen Wellington, and I’m loving every second of it.

  I should feel embarrassed with how quickly I was ready to get naked again, but strangely, I’m not. As much as I want him to make good on his word of tasting me again, I actually appreciate that he has enough resistance for the both of us to do this whole ‘get to know you’ thing first. This is what was missing before. Even though it’s what brought us together in the first place, we don’t have music to distract us. Instead, we only have each other, and that’s proving to be just what we need.

  As he tells me his dreams of becoming a surgeon, I hang on to every word. He’s so passionate about what he wants to do, and I admire that he’s held on to the same passion since freshman year, not having gotten bogged down or overwhelmed with what I’m sure has been a pretty stressful course load.

  He grins from ear to ear when I tell him the hand he played in helping me choose my major. I wasn’t lying when I told him that I hadn’t forgotten, and the more time I spend with him, the more I continue to wish I had a time machine so I could go back and kick eighteen-year-old Andi’s ass. Then again, if we’d stayed in contact, I’m sure I’d have found some other way to mess things up, so instead of dwelling on it, I’m just going to be grateful for this second chance now that we’re both in a better place than we were as two inexperienced freshman who didn’t know what they wanted or what they were doing.

  Cohen glances at the clock on the wall and almost does a double take. “Holy shit. I can’t believe it’s almost five.” He looks at me and gives me a sheepish grin. “I didn’t mean to take up your entire day. I’m sure you had better things to do, not to mention you’re probably starving.”

  On the contrary, it isn’t until he mentions it that I’m even aware that he’s right, especially since I didn’t have time to eat when I woke up. Regardless, this has all been worth it. “Cohen, there’s nowhere else I’d rather have been. I had no idea what to expect when we met up this morning. I’m more than happy with how the day turned out.”

  “Trust me. I feel the exact same way. In fact, it feels pretty damn surreal that you’re here with me now. Part of me doesn’t want to let you walk out that door out of fear that you’ll never walk back in again.” His eyes are earnest, and it floors me that the confident side of him he’s been showing all this time is now wavering.

  I all but threw myself at him earlier, but I guess I have to make it clear that I’m not going anywhere this time around. I crawl across the couch and straddle his lap, pulling his face between my hands, forcing him to look at me. He’s watching me intently, and the angst in his eyes is almost unnerving.

  “Man, some girl really did a number on you, didn’t she?” I ask. He laughs, and the sound causes my heart to flutter. “Whoever she was, she’s an idiot. You won’t be able to get away from me that easily. Pretty soon, you’ll be regretting ever bringing me to your apartment with how much I’ll be beating down your door.”

  “Is that so?” he asks softly, and I nod.

  His eyes move down from mine to look at my lips, and I will him to kiss me again. As much as I’d love to close the distance between us, I’m stock-still, hoping for him to make the first move.

  Just as I think he’s going to, his phone vibrates, breaking the moment. He pulls his head back, checks the message, and then clears his throat. Disappointment flows through my veins, but I brush it off, telling myself that he’s still just doing his increasingly irritating ‘take things slow’ thing.

  “Umm, there’s somewhere I have to be tonight…”

  And suddenly, the rollercoaster my heart’s been on comes crashing down so quickly that it causes my stomach to churn, and I realize we never established that he isn’t seeing anyone. Climbing off his lap, I get up from the couch and stand.

  “Oh, of course. Right, it’s Saturday night. I’m sorry. You can take me back to my car whenever you want. Or I can call a cab or Teddy or Reese or someone to pick me up.” I’m pacing and rambling and don’t notice Cohen getting up from the couch. The next thing I know, his hands are gripping my waist and he’s pushing me back until I’m pressed up against the wall.

  He’s holding me in place, and I can’t bring myself to look up at him. Instead, I stare straight ahead, which doesn’t really help me either, because my eyes are now resting on his solid chest. One thing about Cohen that hasn’t changed is his attire, and even though his muscles are bigger, I’m pretty sure his T-shirt size remains the same, right down to the Slipknot logo on the front. The material is stretched out, and I can see the hard ridges of his pecs forming. My mouth begins to water at the thought of seeing him bare-chested so that I can study the way his body has changed, but then I remember that he just told me that he has plans. Disappoint settles in that, at least for today, I’m not going to get the taste of him I am so badly craving.

  Cohen’s hand comes up to gently lift my chin until I meet his gaze. “One of these days, we’re going to learn to stop assuming the worst with each other. Andi, I have somewhere to be tonight, and I want you to come with me. You’re crazy if you think we spent this entire day together, engrossed in conversation, just for me to go out with someone else tonight.”

  “Wait. What? What are you saying, Cohen?”

  “You are so cute when you’re flustered, you know that?” He grins down at me, and I wish he’d put me out of my misery and spit it out. “Ruby, will you pretty please, from the bottom of my poor, little, nearly empty heart, put me out of the misery I’ve been in for the last three years and agree to go on a date with me tonight?”

  Just like that, the rollercoaster climbs high again. Butterflies—hell, hummingbirds—attack my stomach, and before I can stop myself, I’m leaping up into his arms and wrapping my legs around his waist. He stumbles back slightly as his hands come down to cup my ass, and I give him a sheepish smile.

  “I’d assume that means yes, but I’ve learned my lesson with assuming things where you’re concerned.
You’re going to have to answer me verbally.”

  Nodding profusely, I know that I’m being a little too enthusiastic, but I can’t help the giddiness that floods through me. “Well, far be it from me to prolong your misery any further. Yes, Cohen, I would absolutely love to go on a date with you.”

  His answering smile is so wide, and I catch a glimpse of the boy next door I’ve been missing as his dimple deepens. “You have no idea how happy you’ve just made me. How happy this entire day has made me. It’s probably too soon to say this, but I’m fucking crazy about you, Ruby. Time and distance apparently haven’t changed that.”

  The hummingbirds’ wings begin flitting even harder, and I start to feel overwhelmed. I’ve never felt such a rush of emotion with a man, especially not so quickly, at least not since him. Part of me wonders if this is all just pent-up feelings we never got to explore when we were younger, and the other part of me knows we’ve always had this connection, which is also probably why I fought it before.

  “You’re right. It probably is too soon, and I don’t know what you’re doing to me, but I’m pretty damn crazy about you, too.”

  He groans and loosens his hands on my ass, so I remove my legs from around his waist and stand upright. I can’t help but grin when I watch as he adjusts his jeans. Taking ahold of my hand, he leads me towards the kitchen and grabs my bag. As he starts to walk towards the front door, I clear my throat to get his attention, causing him to stop and look back at me.

  “If I’m going to stick to my vow of taking things slow, I have to get you out of here.”

  As much as I want to protest, to tell him that he can take me right here against the door, I remain silent, only answering him with a nod. Yet for some reason, I can tell that this is important to him, and I’m not going to push it—or him. He’s probably right. As far as going slow, I feel like it’s emotionally impossible, so a little bit of physical distance is probably a good thing, even if it is just a for a few hours.

  My brain’s working in overdrive as he takes me back to my car. When he parks next to it, he shuts off the engine and turns towards me. “After spending the entire day with you, I feel like I’m doing things backwards by just now getting your number, but if I’m going to pick you up later, I kind of need it. Along with your address. And then after that, I’ll get things back on track so I can woo you properly.”

  I laugh as he hands his phone to me so I can enter my information. “You want to woo me, Cohen?” I ask, already knowing that it won’t take much.

  “What? You can’t tell that I’ve already started? Damn. I guess I’d better up my game tonight. Prepare yourself to be wooed and wooed well,” he promises with a sly grin. “I’ll pick you up at nine. Is that all right with you?”

  “Sounds perfect. I’ll not be counting down the hours until then,” I tease before exiting his car.

  He surprises me when he meets me at my car door and stops me from opening it. His hand brushes my cheek as he peers down into my eyes. “Thanks for today, Ruby. And for taking a chance on me again. I promise I won’t let you regret it.”

  There go the hummingbirds again.

  I bring my hand up to cover his. “I know you won’t. And the same goes for me, Cohen. I’m not running this time. I promise.”

  He leans down and gently kisses my lips—a kiss so soft I barely feel it, but it’s still enough to send shivers down my spine. “That’s a good thing. Because this time, I wouldn’t let you even if you tried.”

  With one last kiss on my cheek, we say our goodbyes and part ways. As I drive home, I can’t help the humongous, cheesy grin that covers my face, and when I walk into the apartment, Teddy gives me a knowing look.

  I fall onto the couch beside him in dramatic fashion, my hands resting over my heart.

  “That was a pretty long tutoring session. I’m guessing it went well?”

  Turning my head towards him, I nod. “You know how when it’s my turn to pick the movie and I choose a chick flick? We sit there and complain when the girl falls for the guy in two point five seconds, stating that that never happens in real life?” It’s Teddy’s turn to nod as he knows exactly what I’m talking about. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’m about to be a hypocrite, because I’m about two point five seconds away from being a silly rom-com statistic, and I have no idea what I’m going to do about it.”

  IT’S ONLY been a few short hours since I dropped Andi off at her car after we spent almost the entire day together. For some reason, I’m feeling anxious as I pull up to her house. I’m nervous that I was too open earlier, and I don’t want to push her too far, too soon. I don’t mean physically. I’m still set on taking things slow, but she already has me feeling things I haven’t felt since, well, the last time she was in my life, no matter how brief it was. It’s possible that they’re just unresolved feelings that are bubbling up inside, but I honestly think it’s more than that.

  For the first time, I find myself caring more about getting to know a woman rather than getting in her pants, and it’s unnerving how much she’s been on my mind. I know I need to reel in it so I don’t have her running for the hills. According to her, she hasn’t dated anyone seriously this whole time, and I don’t want to assume I’m going to change that for her. This confliction is beginning to make my brain hurt because, hell, I don’t even know if I want anything more. Yet, deep down, part of me knows that, with her, I’d try anything.

  Taking a deep breath, I get out of the car and head up the steps. I’m shifting nervously as I knock on the door and wait for her to answer. I feel like a fool, but I can’t help that I’m already desperate to see her again. When the door opens wide, my smile falters when I see Teddy standing there to greet me. He leans against the doorjamb, taking a bite out of an apple as he eyes me up and down, his eyebrow rising when he spies the orange lilies in my hand.

  “So we meet again, Wellington. Nice to see you didn’t waste any time stepping into the game. I have to say I’m impressed,” he tells me.

  Ignoring his comment, I try to look behind him to see if Andi’s anywhere near, but I can’t see past him. “Yeah, look. About last night… I apparently read the whole situation wrong and acted like an ass. My bad on the cock block.”

  “Don’t sweat it. I could’ve told you the truth. You were just too much fun to mess with. I did mean what I said about hurting her though,” he says, his voice laced with brief warning. “By the way, Andi hates flowers.”

  Looking down at the bouquet and then back up at him, I’m about to speak when I hear Andi walk up behind him.

  “Teddy, can you please just shut up for once?” she asks him before pushing him out of the way and giving me a smile. She’s absolutely breathtaking in a long-sleeved, dark-green dress that hugs her curves perfectly. The scoop neck shows just a hint of cleavage, and I groan inwardly, knowing that keeping my hands off of her is not going to be easy. “Ignore him, Cohen. The flowers are beautiful.” She turns to Teddy and hands them to him. “We’re heading out. Make yourself useful and put these in water for me.”

  Rolling his eyes, he takes them from her and starts to walk down the hall before he turns back around towards us. “Have fun, kids. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Andi responds with her own eye roll and then steps out onto the porch, closing the door behind her as she gives me a stunning smile—one I’m already becoming quite used to. “Ready?”

  A short while later, Andi looks at me questioningly when I pull up to the Preservation Pub.

  “I know what you’re thinking. It’s not exactly the most romantic place for a first date, but my brother’s girlfriend has a friend in a band and he’s playing here tonight. She insisted I come, and I figured if I was going to check out new music, who better to do that with than you?”

  “You’re actually wrong. The thought itself is pretty darn romantic, Cohen. And I’m completely fine with that, but just so you know, my roommate, Reese, works here so be prepared for the third, fourth, and probably fifth degree.”<
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  I laugh it off, knowing that, if I can handle Teddy, I can more than handle Reese.

  Fortunately, when we get inside, it’s early enough that we find an intimate booth in the corner close enough to the stage to see the show but still far enough away so we can hear each other talk. Once we order drinks, she turns towards me.

  “Sorry about Teddy. Sometimes he can be a bit overbearing. He told my brother Riley that he’d watch out for me, and I think he’s decided that he’s my surrogate big brother. I promise you, he’s harmless. Annoying and irritating at times, but completely harmless.”

  “It’s no big deal. Now that I know he doesn’t have his sights set on you, he doesn’t bother me. In fact, it’s nice that you have someone looking out for you like that. How long have you been roommates?”

  Earlier in the day, she mentioned that she lives in a house with Teddy, Reese, and her boyfriend, Cy, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous at the foursome even though I know now it’s not like that.

  “Reese and I have lived there since junior year. Cy and Teddy didn’t officially move in until they both graduated last spring, but they were there ninety percent of the time. I think, by senior year, they were both pretty tired of living in the frat house.”

  “I can imagine. I’ve had my apartment all to myself for two years and I can’t imagine living with two other guys, let alone twenty. What’s it like? Living with another couple and Teddy?” I ask, truly curious about the dynamic.

  Our drinks are delivered and she pauses to take a sip of her cocktail before she responds. “It’s taken some getting used to. When we lived in the dorms, Reese was almost always at the fraternity with Cy. I pretty much lived on my own, and it got kind of lonely. But then, when we moved into the house, they were around more often and it was nice. Now that it’s the four of us and the guys both have their day jobs and Reese works at night, it still gets lonely. I never would’ve thought that, living in a house with three other people. But Reese and Cy are a couple doing their own thing when they aren’t working. Same with Teddy, with whatever girl he’s seeing this month. Most of the time, he’s either locked away in his room or over at her place. I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like a third wheel. You know, I’ve never actually said that out loud.”