His head rises when rushes of students emerge from the building and a smile crosses his face when he spots me watching him. He tucks his phone in his pocket and breaks the distance between us. “Hey.” He tucks his hands into his pockets and rolls back on his heels. It’s odd to see this sense of shyness in him.

“Hi.” I straighten my messenger back over my chest and his eyes divert to how it separates my breasts.

“I like the bag,” he jokes and I shake my head, shoving his shoulder.

“Of course you do.”

“Can you blame me?” he leans in, “I enjoyed them in my hands last night.”

A warmth spreads throughout my body from his words.

His hands search mine out and then entwines our fingers together. “You have no idea how much I want to kidnap you back to my bedroom right now.”

“Why don’t you?” I ask as his forehead dips down, pressing against mine.

“Because I’m going to try like hell to be a gentleman for once.”

“What fun is that?” I ask, forcing back my own tigress wanting to spend the rest of the day in bed with him.

“Not very, but it’s a necessity, because if I always did what my dick wanted, you’d be locked to my bedpost.” His forehead leaves mine, but his body inches closer.

“Way to tease a girl.” I release one of my hands from his and swipe my finger down his chest.

He winks. “I do my best.” Then he grabs my hand and leads me away from the building. “Lunch before the real teasing begins.” He chuckles and I allow him to guide me through the mass of students filing into the building.

We walk side by side to his car, parked illegally in the professor lot. Should I have really expected him to follow rules such as designated parking areas? I don’t think so.

I wait by the passenger side while he opens my door, but before I have a chance to climb in, he corners me, his arm wrapping around my waist as he yanks me into him. Our bodies flush together, and his lips hover over mine before he softly kisses me. Those excited flutters ramp up when he sucks my bottom lip into his mouth and then his tongue sneaks in to meet mine. By the time we part, I’m breathless and dazed to what I was doing right before he graced me with his lips.

“Get on in, baby. Time to feed you.”

I slide into his car and my body tingles from the thrill Rob gives me. Once he’s secure in the driver’s seat, he starts the car and we drive away from Beacon Hall. “Where are you taking me?” I ask, shifting in my seat to place my bag on the side of my legs.

“Have you ever been to Imagine Cafe?”

I eye him curiously because he doesn’t fit the type. “Have you?” I ask, scrunching my eyebrows.

“Yeah, why?”

“I don’t know. It’s so eccentric and whimsical. It doesn’t fit with you.”

“Who’s the judgmental one now?” He arches his eyebrow and shoulder knocks me.

“Whatever. I’m pleasantly surprised.”

Right after I compliment him, his phone buzzes in the center console. Not wanting to pry, I purposely distract myself by looking out the window and he grabs the phone. He releases a long breath before muting it. “This will just be a second.” I nod my head, never actually facing him.

As the rolling hills of our campus passes by, I try not to allow my imagination to veer wild that it’s another girl. When I told Rob I wasn’t all perfectly pieced together, it was the truth. Seeing my parents’ dysfunctional relationship over the years has scared me, more than I think I realize. My insecurity that a man can love a woman and not just use her for a night is not something I had a great example of during my life. So, as hard as it is to push the expectation of him cheating away, I’m trying because there’s something with Rob I’ve never felt before.

“I already have lunch plans. How about I come down tomorrow or this weekend? We can have dinner?” I continue my ignorance to the conversation happening literally twelve inches from my ear. “I know you came all the way out here.” There’s a long pause and I can hear a woman on the other end of the phone before he switches ears. “Fine.” Another pause. “I said, fine. Give me fifteen. Yeah, Imagine Cafe is good.”

He ends the call and the phone drops into the cup holder between us. Refusing to allow him to see the hurt quickly building inside of me because he’s going to break our lunch date, my eyes fixate out the window. When his hand reaches over and squeezes my thigh, I know for sure, our lunch date is canceled. “It’s okay.” I give him the out. Although I’m disappointed, we’re not even dating. Well, I guess we’re dating, secretly, but I haven’t had the nerve to ask if we’re exclusive yet.

“I’m sorry. It’s my mom. She drove up here for an appointment and wants to have lunch before she goes back home.” My head whips around, unconsciously trying to figure out if he’s lying. If he’s tossing the mom card out, I have to know if it’s the truth or not.

“Your mom?” I clarify and the corner of his right lip curls up.

“Yeah, my mom.” Then the assumption I made must dawn on him. “Oh, you thought?” He points to his phone and a rush of heat spreads up my neck. “I’d ask you to come with us, but you know, awkward with my mom.”

“I’d love to meet her.” Then I roll my eyes at my own blubbering talk. “I mean, someday, obviously, not today. That would be crazy, there’s—” I stop when Rob’s laugh echoes throughout the car.

The Mustang rolls to a stop sign and his hand presses against my cheek urging me to face him. “Come to lunch with us? I’ll introduce you as a friend. That way she won’t interrogate you.”

My stomach twists with the fear of meeting his mom, but as insane as what I’m about to say is, it feels right. “Sure. As long as I’m not intruding.”

“I wouldn’t have asked if you were.” He flips his turn signal on and heads toward the downtown area. “Seriously though, we need to tell her you’re just my roommate or friend. She’ll smell blood regardless and I’m only saving you by lying to her.”

Hmm . . . I wonder how true that is, but I’m not going to fight him. If he came to lunch with one of my parents, I’d tell him the same thing. “Friends,” I agree and he winks over at me.

“Only until I get you to my bedroom.”

I roll my eyes, silently enjoying his promise.

IMAGINE CAFE IS known for their soda fountains, sandwiches and ice cream. When we enter the small whimsical restaurant, I spot his mom immediately. I don’t have to wait for Rob’s arm to rise in hello to her, or to see her own smile toward her son. She’s the spitting image of him with jet-black hair, pinned up in the back. Those eyes, the clear ocean blues that match his, show only happiness to see him steer toward her.

I stay back a few feet, waiting for her to slide out of the booth and for them to have the welcome hug. His arms wrap around his mom and then she tilts her head when she notices me. Drawing back from Rob, she questions him with her eyes and he nods. It’s a silent exchange between the two of them and I already admire their relationship.

Rob steps back, leaving us face to face with one another.

“Mom, this is Paige. Paige, this is my mom.” He delegates the introductions and she holds out her hand to me.

I shake the chilled thin hand in my own. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Paige.” Anyone around us can see the sheer relief on her face that I’m here with her son. I can practically see the invisible hopes looming inside of her. That I might be able to heal her son and I can’t fault her, I’d be the same way.

“You too, Mrs. Winters.”

She shoos me with her hand. “Sara, dear. My mother-in-law took that name to her grave.” She nervously giggles, eyeing over my shoulder. I swivel around and don’t find anyone else besides the other patrons and the staff.

“My mom and my grandma didn’t get along,” Rob chimes in, stepping aside for me to slide into the booth.