She’d probably freak the fuck out.
“I told you yesterday, I don’t like sitting in the front.” I draw a finger down the center of her back, and she jumps. “Guess we’ll have to share.”
The bell rings, Skov waltzing in at the last minute, doing a double take when she sees Wren and me sharing a seat. “Don’t you two look cozy.”
Nervous laughter sounds from the class, Ez included. Wren sits up straighter, her hands still on top of my desk, her attention for the teacher and no one else.
I don’t bother looking at Skov. I’m too enraptured with the delicate curve of Wren’s ear. The tiny pearl earring dotting the lobe. The smooth skin of her neck, how perfectly glossy and straight her dark hair is. She parts her lips, her gaze flitting to mine quickly before she looks away.
She can feel my eyes on her. Good. Do I make her uncomfortable?
Or does she like it?
My vote is uncomfortable. She’s not used to male attention.
“Crew, sit somewhere else, please,” Skov orders.
“Wren is sitting at my desk.”
Skov is mildly amused, I can tell. She points at Wren’s empty spot. “Then come sit at her desk.”
“I don’t like sitting in the front.”
“I’m sure you don’t.” Skov crosses her arms. “Come on.”
“I’ll go,” Wren says, sending me another one of those quick looks. She doesn’t seem mad. More like she’s afraid to go against authority. “I don’t mind.”
Ezra and Malcolm both groan their displeasure at losing their rapt audience of one, and I send them a murderous look.
It does nothing to shut them up, the assholes.
Wren slides off the chair we’re sharing as Skov begins taking attendance, and I immediately miss her warmth. Her scent. She’s rattled, if her shaking hands are any indication as she snatches her notebook from the top of my desk and clutches it in front of her chest.
“Can I leave my backpack here?”
Nodding, I sprawl in the chair, as if I don’t have a care in the world, but damn, I’m a little rattled too.
Having her so close threw me.
And I don’t like it.
EIGHT
WREN
I don’t like being made a spectacle in front of the entire class, and that’s exactly what Crew just did. Attention doesn’t bother me, as long as it’s not negative.
What he just made happen felt negative. Almost mocking. Shoving me to the side, so we could share his desk chair, even for those brief few minutes, had been annoyingly…
Pleasant.
He’s solid. Hard muscle and hot skin. Broad shouldered with a wide chest and strong arms. Being so close to him, his arm slung behind me and across the back of the chair, I felt as if I was in a Crew Lancaster cocoon. And I liked it. I liked having him close. My heart started to race with having him so near.
It’s still racing.
I settle into my seat, dropping my notebook on top of my desk, keeping my attention on Ms. Skov, who’s wrapping up attendance. The hairs on the back of my neck slowly rise, and it takes everything inside me not to turn around and see who’s staring.
I already know. I can feel his gaze on me, heavy and brooding. As subtly as I can, I glance over my shoulder, catching his eyes on me and no one else, and then he does the strangest thing.
He smiles.
It’s small and quick, and if I told anyone else it happened, no one would believe me, but oh my God, Crew just smiled at me, and my stomach feels like a million butterflies just took flight, their fluttering wings making me tingle everywhere.
All from a brief smile.
What in the world is wrong with me?
“All right. Pair up with your partners. We’re all set there, right?” Skov settles her gaze on me, her thin brows shooting up. I barely nod, embarrassed at being called out yet again. “Okay. Get to work.”
I leave my desk and make my way back to Crew, who’s sprawled in his seat rather insolently, his expression one of pure boredom, his body language telling me he’d rather be anywhere but here.
I step over his feet and plop myself into the empty desk next to Crew, which was just abandoned by Ezra. “Did you prepare anything for today?” I ask, knowing what his answer will be.
“No.” He lifts his heavy-lidded gaze to mine. “Did you?”
Nodding, I flip open my notebook to the list of questions I jotted down earlier this morning, when I realized I had no choice, that whether I liked it or not, Crew would remain my psychology partner. “I came up with a few questions.”