I laugh, tugging at the seam of my Harry Potter shirt that says Books turn Muggles into Wizards. “Not dressed like this.”
“He’s not going to care about what shirt you’re wearing. When he sees you, he’ll be thinking about how it will look on his floor instead.”
A wave of anxiety washes over me when I think about anything more than sitting next to Tucker to watch a movie. “Maybe I should stay home. This is a bad idea, right?”
She steps into the room and presses her hands on my shoulders, glancing at me through the mirror. “Don’t be such a coward, Sam. You can do this. Think of the big picture.” Eden hugs me from behind, wrapping me in her warmth. “You’re my best friend, Sam. And the most difficult person I’ve ever known. Just go with the flow for once. You have the upper hand this time, remember that. We always have it as long as these idiots on campus keep doing dumb shit. And Tucker is the king. Getting closer to him will give us an even bigger advantage.”
I nod, now realizing what she means. “Good point. The closer I get, the more we’ll learn about all of them.”
Our secret, one no one knows, has helped pay a portion of our tuition. We’ve both been using our investigative journalism skills since the beginning of the semester to earn side cash. Eden dated the president of Delta Sigma Phi for the sole purpose of gaining easy access to his fraternity brothers.
And I’m like a wraith, in and out without anyone noticing I exist. That’s the beauty of being an average girl, heads aren’t turning when I walk into a room. When we were approached by her, neither of us could turn down the offer.
“She’s going to want details about your date with Tucker,” Eden says. “Pump him for as much info as you can get.”
I flash a wicked grin. “Easy.”
Crowded doesn’t even begin to cover the current situation in the SAC. I scan the large, open room on the top floor in search of Tucker. He’s well over six feet tall and not hard to spot most days. But not tonight. I’m too short, the guys around me towering over me, making it hard for me to see past them.
Standing on my tippy toes, I take another look, startled when strong hands wrap around my middle. I know it’s him before my feet hit the floor. His scent, clean linen and spicy aftershave fill my nostrils. Tucker always smells so damn good.
“Looking for me,” he says against the shell of my ear.
My body responds to his touch instantly, his deep voice hardening my nipples. I can’t deny the effect he has on me. What I felt for him years ago hasn’t faded with time. If anything, knowing what it’s like to be with Tucker only makes me want him more.
But I can’t.
I won’t.
This isn’t right.
I shouldn’t even be here with him.
And yet, I am.
I suck in a deep breath, nerves shaking through my body as I peel Tucker’s hands from my waist and spin around to face him. “You showed. I’m shocked.”
“Don’t be,” he growls.
“You promised to behave yourself.”
He laughs. “I am.”
“No more touching.” I move my hands to my hips while giving him my best resting bitch face, so he knows I mean business.
His eyes follow my hands and rake over my breasts before he meets my gaze once more. “You got it, boss.” A lopsided smile crosses his lips. “No touching.”
“Friends,” I remind him.
He nods and then threads his fingers between mine leading me deeper into the room. Tucker couldn’t even make it two seconds before he broke the rules. With his skin brushing against mine, it’s harder to fight him. A wave of heat travels up my arms igniting a fire inside me. I’m angry with myself because I like the way he feels, and how he makes me feel in this moment.
A massive projection screen is on the wall in the front of the room paused on the opening credits of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Tucker releases his grip on my fingers, and I miss his heat the second it’s gone. But I’m also relieved because we’re in public where students in my class can see us holding hands. One complaint to Professor Frazier, especially after my previous warning, could cost me a job.
Tucker bends down to speak to the group of guys and girls in the front row. They lift their bags, blankets, and food sliding to the right to make room for us on the floor. We’re at the dead center of the screen, our view completely unobstructed.
Everyone caters to Tucker. This is why he expects me to grade him on a curve. No one has ever told him, no. Well, he can kiss my ass. There’s no way in hell I’ll go easy on him. I meant what I said to him.