“Can I text you tomorrow?” Steven asks hopefully, his brown eyes bright and seeming extra huge behind his glasses.

“Sure.” I shrug, not sure how I should respond. Indifferent maybe? I can’t flat out tell him no, that would be rude. But I don’t necessarily want to encourage him either. I feel like a jerk, having one guy in my bedroom while talking to another. I mean seriously, who am I, and what’s become of my life? I started this semester telling myself I needed to avoid guys and what, now I have a full-blown love triangle happening here?

No, not a real love triangle. I’m not going to get involved with either of these guys. I don’t care how kind Steven is and what a great kisser Tristan is. They’re both banned from my life after tonight.

Maybe…

Crap.

I press my swollen lips together and I swear I can still taste him. Terrible, horrible, arrogant, sexy, gorgeous him. I don’t like him, not really. The way Tristan looked at me right before I went to answer Steven at the door, his gaze running over my body like he could undress me with his eyes. So arrogant, so assuming.

I want him to kiss me again. I want to feel his hands on me.

Focus.

Steven smiles and I smile in return because I can’t help it. He’s just so sweet and nice and I hate letting him down but…

I’m going to eventually have to let him down. I can’t risk going on another date with him because I think he really likes me.

And I’m really attracted to someone else.

A someone else I can feel looming nearby. His commanding presence seems to fill the entire room and I can’t believe Steven doesn’t sense it. Sense him. My body is still vibrating from that kiss, from having Tristan’s hands all over me. I wrapped my legs around him and he pressed up against me like he wanted me to, oh I don’t know, dry hump him or something?

I go hot at the thought. I probably could’ve got off on his leg like some sort of demented sicko. So embarrassing.

“I’ll see you later then?” Steven asks, his voice cutting through my thoughts, bringing me back to reality.

“Yeah.” I smile wider, clutching the handle so hard my sweaty palm nearly slips off it. Nerves jangle inside me as I start to close the door. I need this conversation to end before I say or do something stupid and ruin it. “Good night.”

“Night Alex.” The door clicks shut on the sound of my name passing Steven’s lips and I press my head against the wood, closing my eyes. I hear Steven walk away, hear Tristan moving about my room and then he’s right behind me. Standing so close I can feel him, the heat from his body, the scent of his skin.

He places his hand at my waist, fingers slipping beneath the hem of my tank, touching my bare skin. Not an accident. I know what he’s doing.

And it’s working.

“I thought he’d never leave,” he murmurs hotly against my neck just before he kisses it.

I lift my head away from the door and tilt it to the side, giving him better access. He takes it, his mouth burning a path of damp kisses along my neck, the extra sensitive spot behind my ear. I shiver, pulling away from him but he just chases after me, his hand still at my waist, his mouth at my neck.

“Tristan.” It takes everything I’ve got to say the next words. “Stop. Please.”

He does. His hand drops, his mouth is gone and I turn to find him watching me, his expression downright savage. His eyes are wild, his hair a mess—from my hands I might add—his lips red and swollen and just like that, I want to jump him. Push him down onto my bed and have my way with him.

But I don’t. I stand my ground. Stand by my instincts. And they’re screaming at me to get him the hell out of my room.

“I think you should go,” I say, swallowing hard. The slightest tremor tinges my voice and I hate that. I don’t want to seem weak. He sees a soft spot and he’ll go in for the kill.

I know his type. I’ve dealt with them before. Confident, good-looking guys from wealthy families who get whatever they want, whenever they want. Including girls. I’ve let a few of them get me in the past.

No chance is it going to happen now. They’ve all hurt me at one point or another including my father. I’m concerned this particular one will knock a solid punch into my self-confidence…

“You really want me to leave? Even after that little performance for Steven?” He sounds incredulous. He’s probably never been told no in his life.

“It wasn’t a performance. I can’t—deal with the both of you tonight.” I grab a hoodie off the back of a nearby chair and slip it on, zipping up the front and covering myself up completely. The disappointment in Tristan’s eyes is obvious.

“So he’s a contender?”

“For what?”

“For you.” He takes a step forward, coming closer and I want to throw my hands up in front of myself to make him stop. “You want him? Steven?”

“I…” My voice drifts. The answer is no. I’m not going to play either of these guys, and I’m definitely not going to play them against each other. “He’s a friend.”

“Just like I’m a friend?”

“I wouldn’t call us friends.”

“You want to be friends with me, Alexandria?”

Is he for real? “Do you want to be my friend, Tristan?”

“No.” He shakes his head and for the quickest moment I’m disappointed. Sad. Upset. All of it. “I want to get you naked and fuck you. Big difference.”

My mouth drops open. He is… “You’re unbelievable.”

“I’m honest. That’s what makes it so hard to deal with, you know?” He comes toward me and I back up, my butt hitting the wall. Again. Why does he always corner me? Because he knows at first chance I’ll just run and hide? “You can’t tell me you didn’t feel it when we kissed.”

“Feel what?” I ask weakly. He’s so close. His chest brushes against mine and I tilt my head back, my gaze meeting his. His eyes burn with an intensity that seems to touch something deep within me, making it incredibly hard to breathe.

“This.” He touches my hair, tucks a strand behind my ear so gently I have to close my eyes against the intense wave of desire that washes over me. “You feel it,” he whispers. “I touch you and it’s like electricity sparks between us. I look into your eyes and I feel like I’m fucking drowning. And when I kiss you, I never want to stop.”

I press my lips together, waiting for the touch of his mouth on mine. I expect it. Want it. So bad I can taste it.

But it doesn’t come.

Slowly I open my eyes to find him watching me, yet not touching me. “You know I can make it worth your while,” he murmurs as he runs his thumb across his jaw, across his lips. Lips I want to touch. It’s like he’s taunting me and I don’t doubt for an instant this is planned. He knows what he’s doing. “But you’re not brave enough to let go.”

“Are you calling me a chicken?” I ask.

He nods, a tiny smile curving his perfect mouth. “Yeah.”

“If you think that’s going to spring me into action, you’re wrong.” I shift away from the wall and circle around him, drawing closer to my bed. “It’s late. You should go.”

“Sure.” He shoves his hands into his pockets and hunches his shoulders, his face completely unreadable. Downright innocent looking, which is not very Tristan-like. “Whatever you want, Alexandria.”

“I want you to leave,” I say again, more to myself than to him.

“Okay. I’m leaving.” His smile grows. “Can I text you tomorrow?”

I shake my head. “Absolutely not.”

He chuckles and makes his way toward the door. I ignore the disappointment crashing through me. He needs to go. His being here is dangerous. I’ll do something crazy like let him stay. Take off his clothes. Take off my clothes. Slip into my bed. Together. Just the two of us.

And it would be amazing.

“See that’s the thing about your nice guy Steven. He asks if he can text you, if he can see you. And you always say yes.” He turns to face me. “When I asked just now, you say no. But it works for him. He’s so damn polite you can’t help but agree, right?”