Her breathing grew ragged from nothing more than just listening to him.

“So even though I hate having to wait a whole week to see you again, I’m not going to ask you to change your mind. And I won’t text or call or come by or get in your way while you’re studying this week, because something tells me that would be just as bad a distraction for both of us, and I could never forgive myself if your grades slipped because of me. But if you need me for any reason, I want you to know that I’ll drop everything for you.”

His lips were close enough now that she could practically taste them. “What if I just changed my mind?” She knew it was unfair of her to flip-flop like this, but she couldn’t find a way to stop herself from doing it. “What if I told you I don’t want to wait until next Friday night to see you again? What if I said I want to go back to your room with you tonight?” And all the other nights you’ll have me.

“You don’t know how much I want that.” And she could see from the heated desire in his eyes that he meant it. “But I still wouldn’t let you do it, Serena. Because even though I know how good it’s going to be between us, and even though I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you, I also know you’ll end up hating me if we move too fast.”

Her breath rushed out, ragged and shaky. Seeing that they were close to her dorm, it was up to her to make things easier on both of them. “I had a great time tonight, Sean. See you next Friday.”

She made herself walk away, but this time she turned back to smile at him over her shoulder. And when he smiled back she realized she’d never felt happier in her life.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The next Friday, Sean showed up early again. But Serena was clearly expecting him this time, because as soon as he made it to the top of the stairs, she pushed her chair back and flew across the floor toward him.

He dropped the black duffel bag he’d brought with him and caught her in his arms. The clean, fresh scent of her hair and skin sent his system reeling even as the press of her curves against him made it nearly impossible to think straight.

All week long he’d thought about her. Wanted her. Waited for her. And now that she was in his arms…God, it was the best feeling in the entire world.

He could feel her heart beating hard as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth to his in a sweet, yet hungry, kiss. It took every ounce of his self-control to let her lead, but when she moved from simply pressing her lips against his to slicking her tongue against his lips, he didn’t have a prayer of holding back.

Two steps forward for him, two back for her, and he had her pressed up against the wall at the top of the stairs. When one of her legs automatically moved to wrap around his calf as she tried to pull him even closer, he grasped her thigh and lifted her leg so that he could feel the heat of her even through their two layers of denim.

When he’d kissed her at the frat party four weeks ago, and then again last Friday night, her kisses had been tentative and full of a surprising innocence. It all made sense now that he knew she’d hardly dated. But this time, as she threaded her hands through his hair and drew his mouth down even closer to hers, she seemed to know exactly what she wanted.

Him.

All he’d done for the past week was think about her, so who the hell knew what would have happened next if the voice hadn’t come over the speakers just then: Marie, you’re needed at the special membership desk.

The library. Jesus Christ, he’d actually forgotten where they were.

There was no one else up on the third floor on a Friday afternoon, but that didn’t mean someone couldn’t have shown up any second. Being caught grinding against each other at the top of the stairwell would blow their photo spread from last week out of the water.

Still, it wasn’t easy to make himself lower her leg from around his hips rather than pull her even closer. Her striking blue eyes were foggy with passion as she blinked up at him and he had to press his mouth to hers again one more time before he finally stepped back.

“Hello, beautiful.”

“Hi.” Her gaze had finally cleared, but she had lifted one hand to her mouth as she stared back at him, running her fingertips lightly over the place where he’d just been tasting her.

Wanting desperately to be the one touching her like that, but knowing there was no way he’d be able to pull himself back twice, he made himself shove his hands into his pockets instead. “It’s been a long week.”

“It really was,” she said softly.

More than once during the past week, he’d wished he could have already had her with him, warm and soft and gasping with pleasure in his bed while he made every fantasy a reality for both of them…and that he finally knew what sounds she made as she came apart in his arms and he made her his. Finally his.

But now he belatedly realized that they’d been right to wait. Not just because she truly hadn’t been ready and would likely have ended up hating him for taking too much too fast. But also because this anticipation they were both feeling was actually really hot.

And when they finally did come together...

Hell, even letting himself think about it right now was a dangerous road to go down.

Forcing himself back on task, he asked, “Are you ready for another totally normal Friday night on campus?”

For a moment, she looked a little surprised by the way he’d deliberately tried to bank the heat between them. But then she nodded as if she was determined to pull off the same shift in herself.

“I am.” She looked down at the bag he’d just picked up off the floor. “Did you come from working out?”

“Nope, these are our outfits.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Outfits?”

Of course, he could read her mind—and her newly flushed cheeks—enough to know that she’d immediately assumed he must have brought something sexy for her to change into.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like your dirty mind,” he said with a grin. “Probably comes from reading all those books, doesn’t it? They give you more ideas, more possibilities, than other people.”

He expected her to protest, to say she didn’t have a dirty mind. Instead, she shrugged and said, “I have read about quite a few things over the years. Really interesting things. In fact, those ebooks you suggested I start downloading make it pretty easy to read all kinds of books without anyone ever knowing what’s on my screen.”