He didn’t give me any reaction to that, but not because it didn’t affect him, of that I was positive.
“So?” he said.
“Seems mighty convenient. Partners in class, next-door neighbors…”
Panther shrugged. “A coincidence.”
“Or fate.”
“Considering there are twenty of us, it doesn’t leave much room or space.”
“Halle-fuckin-lujah,” I said, walking around the back of the bike, closer to where Panther stood, unmoving. “Think we have adjoining doors?”
“No.”
“That’s too bad. Maybe I can carve out a peephole. You know. Keep an eye on…things.”
What Panther did next surprised me. He laughed. He fuckin’ laughed.
11 Panther
IT WAS AMAZING what a few beers could do to take the edge off. After our final class, I’d headed to my room, waiting for the lashing phone call from my father that was surely coming. No way in hell I wanted to be on the receiving end while out in public, so I’d popped a few bottles, and after a couple hours of silence and a good buzz, the events of today felt like a distant memory.
At least for now.
So when Solo made the crack about a peephole into my room, I couldn’t help but laugh. The guy was so fuckin’ ridiculous that I couldn’t help myself. Ridiculously good-looking, too, the voice in the back of my head said. It was a shame that the same guy drawing dicks in the sky and behaving like a rebellious fuck who didn’t give a damn was the one making my cock sit up and take notice.
As Solo rounded the back of my bike and came to a stop next to his, I was able to take a good look at the motorcycle that fit him to a T. A sporty red Yamaha that looked like it would outrun anything on the road. Combine that with its owner—brown hair disheveled and sexy from the helmet, a trim leather jacket and jeans low at his hips—and it was a dangerous mix.
“Is that a laugh?” Solo said, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t think you knew how to do that.”
“Maybe I just don’t find you as funny as the others do.”
“Or maybe you suffer from a debilitating lack of humor.”
“I make up for it in other areas.”
Solo’s eyes sparked. “Like?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Yes, that’s why I’m asking.” He pointed at himself. “Not subtle, remember?”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to forget.”
“Good. Then mission accomplished.” Solo waggled his eyebrows. “You didn’t think my likeness in the sky today was all for Gooch, did you?”
Jesus, I needed to get away from him, and now, because as relaxed as I was feeling, his flirting was starting to wear me down.
“If that’s true, then you might want to go see a doctor, ’cause you were a little lopsided down below.”
Solo flashed me his heartbreaker grin. “Or I could just get you to check for me.”
At that tempting offer, I backed up and shook my head. “Not gonna happen.”
As Solo followed, I took another step back. I’d let this go on too long. I needed some distance and I needed it now.
“Why not?”
Deciding my best course of action was to say nothing, I turned on my heel, about to hightail it back to my room, the one sharing a wall with the man now coming for me. Well, not coming for me but…after me. There would be no scenario in which Solo would be coming for me. Not now, not ever.
“Panther?”
I knew I should keep walking. Get inside, shut the door, and lock it for good measure. But what did my dumb ass do? I stopped and turned around—and immediately regretted it.
Solo was now up on the sidewalk standing opposite me. His gorgeous eyes locked with mine as though he were waiting for me to respond. But all I could do was look at those full lips that were so close, all I’d have to do was reach out and grab him to get a taste.
If we’d been any other people in any other place, I would have; there’d be no way I could resist. But the distant rumble of a plane taking off reminded me of who we were and where we were currently standing.
“What?”
“Can you at least admit, for one second, you were just as hot for me last night as I was for you?”
I eyed him for a beat, wondering what his angle was, because with Solo there was always an angle. “Why? It’s not going to get you anywhere. Certainly not past this door.”
Solo’s lips, those sinful lips, curved, making my dick throb a little harder. Christ, he was easy on the eyes. He made it difficult to look away.
“Now that’s where you’re wrong. It’s totally going to get me off. But guess what?”
Fuck, I was so not equipped to handle someone like Solo in my day-to-day life. Outside of work, hell yes. He’d no doubt be the hottest fuck of my life. But here at work, he was a temptation that would land me in a world of trouble.