I WAS COMPLETELY THROWN FOR a loop the moment Sophie picked up the phone. Her surprise when she heard my voice combined with her sexy breathing clued me in. She was definitely up to something—and I hoped it was entirely sexual. Of course it could have been almost anything, but I’m a guy—and my mind defaults to sex with little effort.

At first I was afraid to pry for details in case I was wrong, but I thought it would be fun to mess with her. Considering I was right with my assumption, I’m glad I asked. I only wish I could have watched her fall apart in person.

I have a few hours before I have to pick her up, purposely leaving enough time for the two of us to stop and get some dinner. I’m not thrilled with leaving her all alone until then, but I didn’t want to push her too far out of her comfort zone. I wish she would have reached out to me on her own for a ride, but thankfully Cara called me before Sophie put her ass on a damn bus instead. I told her and Cara to call me if they ever needed anything. Apparently, I need to refresh Sophie’s memory.

I yawn for the millionth time today. My eyes burn and I know I should take a power nap. Having trouble dozing off last night, I finally had better luck once I stopped staring at Sophie. Waking up to her beautiful blue eyes locked on my naked chest had me instantly aroused. I’d wanted nothing more than to grab her tiny waist and show her exactly what she does to me, but I have to be patient. After today, I want her to see me as a person she can trust and depend on—one that cares about her as more than just a friend. Who knows, we could be as compatible as oil and water, but I won’t be satisfied until I taste her lips and find out for myself.

I unlock the screen of my phone to find an incoming text from Sophie. My finger hovers over her name, but I hesitate. If she even tries to cancel, I’ll haul ass over to her dorm and show her how serious I am about taking her to her appointment. Cara warned me she can be stubborn. But so can I.

Sophie: You know my appointment isn’t until six, right? You don’t have to pick me up until 5:30.

Kipton: We’re going to dinner first.

Sophie: Why?

Kipton: Because we need to eat. And I want to discuss a few things.

Sophie: What if I’m not hungry and don’t want to talk?

Kipton: Then you can sit and listen.

Sophie: Am I in trouble?

Kipton: Not yet.

Sophie: You’re being weird.

Kipton: Do you like weird?

Sophie: Not that I know of.

Kipton: Then what do you want me to be?

Sophie: Asleep.

Kipton: Why?

Sophie: Because every time we talk or see each other I do something stupid.

Laughing, I type out a teasing response but delete it before sending. I shouldn’t make fun of her when she’s already feeling vulnerable. She has been caught in some interesting situations though. It’s crystal clear how much I affect her and hell if it doesn’t turn me on. Instantly I’m hard again from the thought of her sweet voice coming undone in her bed, writhing back and forth from the thought of my touch. The next time she loses control, I want to be responsible for it—in person. Deciding to keep things bland and basic so we can get through her appointment tonight, I type out a standard response, making sure she complies.

Kipton: See you at 4.

Sophie: Okay.

That was almost too easy, but I’m glad she didn’t fight me on it.

Although I’d rather catch up on some sleep, I need to shower so I have time to talk to Cara about the interest she seems to have taken in her resident advisor. The last thing I want is for her to get kicked out of the dorm for crossing some stupid rule in the code of conduct. My sister doesn’t always have the best judgment when it comes to guys.

As soon as I step under the warm spray of water, I tilt my head back and let it cascade over my face. With my lack of sleep combined with my pent up sexual energy, there’s no way I can leave this house before I take the edge off. Otherwise, I can’t be held responsible when Sophie ends up in my bed instead of at her appointment.

It’s shitty of me to revert to the mental picture of her wasted and dancing practically topless at the party, but it’s too perfect not to get me off in a matter of minutes. My orgasm rips through me so powerfully; I have to steady myself against the shower wall. If it’s this good just thinking about Sophie, I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like buried inside of her. When I realize I’m game for round two, I turn the dial all the way to the right, allowing the subarctic temperature of the water to wash over me, hopefully sending my insatiable desire down the drain. I can’t walk around with my jeans strangling my dick all night.

WITH METALLICA BLARING FROM THE speakers of my car, I tap my thumbs against the steering wheel and bob my head to each drum beat. I pull up to Sophie’s dorm and instinctively glance at her room window. I don’t know what I’m expecting to see, but the curtains are drawn as they should be.

Once inside, I sign in at the front desk and wait for permission to go upstairs.

“Room 301?” The guy manning the desk questions as he checks my name on the list.

“Yeah. My sister lives there.”

“I’m their RA.”

I eye him tentatively and although he looks nice enough, I need to get to know him before I make any decisions one way or the other. “So you’re Drew.”

He smiles. “I take it Cara mentioned me then?”

“You could say that.”

He laughs and looks very okay with being the topic of our conversation. “You two have plans?”

“No. She has class.”

He nods his head knowingly. “Ahhh. The roommate.”

Hell yes, it’s the roommate. Has he not noticed? On second thought, he better never notice. “Dude, it’s not like that. Sophie needs a ride and Cara offered my services.”

“She looked like hell this morning when she strolled in here. Cara mentioned something about a concussion. Sucks.”

“That it does. I better get up there. I’ll see you around.” I start to walk away, but my brotherly instinct kicks in full force. I turn around and clear my throat which makes him look up from his paperwork. When I have his full attention, I continue, “By the way, if you hurt my sister I’ll kill you myself.”

He nods his head and smiles. “Noted.”

“Have fun tonight,” I yell over my shoulder before the elevator doors close behind me. Despite my warning, I’m actually glad Cara has a thing for him and not some other douchebag. At least Drew has his priorities straight and seems responsible. He’s making my job easier and he doesn’t even know it.

Knocking on the girls’ door, I wait for one of them to answer. I purposely came a few minutes early so I’d have to come up and get Sophie. Nobody answers, but I can hear music playing. Twisting the door knob, I slowly peek inside in case one of them is standing close to the door. I snicker when I spot Sophie singing into her brush as she fixes her hair. She’s never going to win a Grammy, but it’s incredibly amusing.

“Ahem.” Quickly shutting the door, I look over my shoulder and see Cara standing with her arms crossed. Oh here we go.

“It’s creepy to find my brother peeping into my bedroom! What are you doing Kipton?”

“Oh, calm down. Nobody answered when I knocked. I was entering slowly so I didn’t scare anyone.”

“And it’s not scary to find you with one eyeball pressed into the crack of the door? If anyone saw you, I’ll just die.”

Maybe she has a point. “I’m sorry, Cara.”

“If she’s even naked or half-dressed I’ll get you kicked out of here. I know people, Kipton! She may be the current object of your lust, but she’s my roommate and I really like her. So back off!”