Ned was sweet. No. Ned was hot. Geek hot.
“Hey.”
He started in surprise, then flashed a winning smile at me when I slid onto the bench. “Hi.”
“Whatcha reading?” I asked, tapping the corner of his book.
“Failure and Success. One of my professors recommended it. I’m not sure if it was a hint, but I decided not to take any chances.”
I furrowed my brow as I turned to face him. “Are you worried about failing?”
“Aren’t we all?” he countered, closing the book before stuffing it into his backpack. He zipped it and stood, hiking the strap over his right shoulder. “Do you want a latte, or are you hungry for lunch?”
“Um, coffee, I guess.” I fell into step beside him, waving at a couple of random students as we made our way. I didn’t know them, but I guessed they were hockey fans. There were giant posters plastered all over campus to celebrate the team’s final game last weekend. I spied one taped to a nearby pillar outside of the library, listening with half an ear as Ned wrestled with his drink of choice.
“…chamomile or peppermint tea. I’ve had too much caffeine already. I think I put myself in a tailspin about failure and—”
“Why would you worry about failure? You’re a smart guy. You have nothing to worry about, Nedster.”
“Thanks, but that’s not true.” He pulled my sleeve and stopped abruptly in the middle of a crowded pathway near the coffee shop. “I applied for a job at a high-tech firm in Silicon Valley and…they just asked me to fly up north to interview.”
“Congratulations. That’s awesome.” My wide grin faltered slightly. He didn’t look happy. “It is awesome, isn’t it?”
“I think so, but my parents might not agree.” Ned shrugged, then narrowed his gaze curiously when a pretty girl in a tight skirt and high-heeled leather boots eye-fucked me as she passed by. “Are you on a menu somewhere? Why is everyone looking at you like you’re the last slice of birthday cake?”
I snickered. “Are you suggesting that I’m not?”
“Well, uh, no, but—oh.” He pointed at the nearby poster and a girl I didn’t recognize waving me over. “Got it. I forgot that you’re kind of popular. We can do coffee or lunch another time.”
“No way. I’ve been looking forward to this all morning,” I assured him.
He smiled and licked the corner of his mouth. Damn, I was jealous of his tongue. I wanted to lick his lips and bite them before devouring him. I was starving for a taste of him—even a little one. I’d been fantasizing about Ned for so long that I couldn’t quite get over the fact that I’d kissed him and—hell, I’d grinded my cock against him. I wanted to do it again. He had to know that. Didn’t he?
“Me too. But I know what it’s like to feel stuck, and I don’t want you to feel that way with me. Ever.”
“Thanks, but I don’t feel stuck with you. I feel…frustrated ’cause there are way too many people around to do what I really want to do to you,” I growled in a low voice.
Ned gulped audibly and scanned the area. Campus was bustling more than usual for a late Thursday morning. “What do you want to do to me?”
I raised my brows, then flashed a slow, wicked grin. “I want to put my hands all over you while I tongue-fuck you. I want to feel your dick again, but this time, I want to really touch you. If you know someplace private we can sneak away to, I’m all ears, baby.”
Ned opened his mouth and closed it before tilting his chin meaningfully. “This way.”
He navigated the throng of students commandeering the umbrellaed tables lining the path to the school library. He moved quickly and with purpose. I practically sprinted to catch up to him as he pushed open the giant glass doors and headed for the elevators.
Ned pressed the button and stared at the old-fashioned directory as though he had no idea where he was going. I doubted that was the case. He was a man on a mission. I didn’t have to touch him to know his body hummed with urgency. Kind of like a race car revving its engine at the starting line. Okay, bad analogy, but you get the idea. He was on fire and hell, so was I. It was unbelievably hard to stand next to him and act casual.
I stared at the firm set of his jaw, his full lips, and long lashes. Fuck, he was pretty. “I don’t know where you’re taking me, but—”
“Yo, Logan!” a familiar voice called just as the elevator doors slid open.
“Do you have to go?” Ned asked, stepping inside the car.
“With you, yes.” I jumped in beside him and waved at my teammate. “Later, Ramirez. Gotta study!”