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car. It felt nice, but I still had to glance around to make sure no one saw us. I doubted anyone would
fire her just because she was hurt, and drugged, and had no idea what she was doing. But I knew I
shouldn t risk it, except she felt too nice in my arms for me to let go.
***
There you go. I handed Aspen a glass of water.
Thank you. She accepted it and popped a pill into her mouth before swallowing the contents.
I sat on the edge of her bed beside her, my hip dangerously close to hers, even though she was
covered by a few layers of blankets. I could still feel her warmth soaking through them.
While she set her cup on her nightstand, I fluffed her pillow before she could lie down. Need
anything else?
She twisted her torso to watch me with a half-smile. Noel Gamble, nursemaid, she teased.
I grinned back. What? Didn t you know I doubled as one in my other secret life?
Just how many other secret lives do you have? She lay down, but not on the pillow I d just
readied. She curled into me, wrapping her warm arms around my waist before placing her cheek on
my thigh. Then she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment.
Damn it, Aspen, I groaned, unable to stop my own arms as they folded around her in return.
Lifting her lightly, I scooted down so I could lie next to her and provide my shoulder as her pillow.
Pressing my lips to her hair, I sighed. Why do you always turn so sweet and cuddly when you re
half out of your mind? When I couldn t in good conscience do anything about it?
I m always cuddly, she answered, her voice thick and slow. You only notice it when I m half
out of my mind.
I chuckled and pulled her blankets up to her chin. Eyes still closed, she sighed again and a smile
spread across her face.
No way could I leave her like this. Besides, she was hurt. Someone had to watch over her. But I
kept my shoes on, letting my feet hang off the edge of the mattress, thinking that somehow made this
not so taboo.
Burying my nose back into her hair, I closed my eyes.
Want to hear a secret? I whispered, hoping she was fully out so I could confess everything to
her subconscious instead of her.
Hmm. Wha s that?
I grinned fondly at the way she slurred. It reminded me too much of Saturday when we d kissed
and she d been drunk. And it helped me to spill out my confession more freely. I had a crazy-ass
crush on you the first day of school.
She lifted her face and looked up at me, her lashes flickering open to reveal glazed, drug-fogged
eyes. No way.
I nodded. Way. I was looking down, doodling in a notebook or something. Then I heard your
voice, introducing yourself, and I had to look up. You sounded so...I don t know. Compelling. Even
wearing one of those gawd-awful suit things you wear to class, I wanted you.
Her lips curled with pleasure. Really?
I nodded. Absolutely. Some guys may be leg-men, or ass-men, or breast-men. But I am most
certainly a confirmed mouth-man. And your mouth... I reached out to barely press the pad of my
index finger to her lips. Christ, Aspen. I think I had about fifty split-second visions of everything I
wanted to do to your mouth. Shaking my head, I grinned as she continued to watch me from lazy,
tired, but transfixed eyes.
I wanted to impress you with my first paper you assigned us. I wanted you to remember me and
think of me as one of your favorite students. But you hated my paper. I don t think I d put so much
effort into a stupid literature assignment before, and I got a freaking C. It blew my mind. Then, when I
was answering a question you asked in class one day and you found out I was on the football team,
you looked at me as if I was complete slime. That kind of hurt, you know.
I m sorry, she mumbled, letting her cheek drop glumly onto the pillow. It wasn t really you I
didn t like. She lifted a hand to reach for me, but her fingers fell listlessly as if they weighed too
much for her to handle. So I caught her wrist and lifted her hand for her, bringing her knuckles to my
mouth so I could kiss them.
I know that. Now. But with every C and D you gave me, I began to dislike you more and more
until I hated you with this burning passion. It pissed me off so bad that I could be that attracted to you,
and all you saw in me was a big, dumb jock.
You re not dumb, Noel. The furthest thing from it.
I shook my head and smiled derisively, keeping to my own subject. Didn t matter what I felt for
you, though, it was always intense. Intense attraction, intense loathing, intense everything. I have been
intensely aware of you since the first day you came into my life. Every time you assigned us anything,
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