It’s every college man’s fantasy. Women of every shape and size, hair color and nationality fill the room. They all know who I am, most know the reputation I have judging by the ogling looks they’re giving me. Only one woman is on my mind and I need help from these ladies to find her, turning on the charm I ask, “Could any of you beautiful ladies point me in the direction of Tensanne Craig’s room?”
The bustling sounds of the room fall silent and all eyes on me widen. They all seem perplexed at the room I’m searching for. Finally, a stacked, curvy redhead tells me she’s in room 412 but not before stuffing her phone number in my hand while batting her eyelashes and giving me a lascivious grin.
Thanking her, I rush to the stairs, taking them two at a time, tossing the wadded-up phone number on the floor, until I reach the fourth floor. Any other day I would have stayed and indulged in what her body language was offering me but today my focus in on one woman. Catching my breath, I knock lightly when I reach her door, a stunning blonde I’ve seen with Ten around campus greets me with a glare that contradicts her debutante features.
“Ten, why is Kohl Black at our door holding your coat?” she inquires over her shoulder with a thick southern accent dripping with displeasure.
Ten appears beside her, face windblown red with a thick white blanket wrapped around her shoulders her lips tinted a little blue and her body quaking from her walk in the cold.
Anger infuses me once again knowing she risked freezing in her haste to escape Chase. “I tried to catch you, why did you leave so quick?” I ask fighting to keep my voice unaffected by my ire, knowing the reason but curious if she’ll tell me.
Taking her coat from my hands, “Thanks for returning it. How did you know what room was mine?”
She dodged the question. I can’t believe she would rather freeze walking across campus than to trust me to defend her. Proving this is only the beginning of the uphill battle I have ahead of me in building trust with her.
“Some red head downstairs told me, but that doesn’t matter. It’s too cold to be out without being covered. Why did you run off ?” I’m not letting the question go. I’m too pissed at seeing her frozen body to let this slide, I want to climb inside the blanket, strip our clothes and warm her with my body heat instead.
“I didn’t want you to have to deal with the fall out of being seen with me in front of Chase,” she sighs, burying her face in the blanket wrapped around her head.
Grabbing her blanket wrapped hands, I pull her to me so our bodies are flush, I bend my knees so my eyes meet hers, “Don’t ever pull that shit again. I told you I wouldn’t have been there with you if I didn’t want to be. I can handle Chase Masters. Never run from him, don’t let him win. I promise you he won’t say anything in front of me; if he does, it’ll be the last thing he says for a while,” I state pecking her lightly on the forehead.
Her breath catches, her eyes fill with tears prompting the blond to pull her from my hold. My body missing the feel of hers the second it’s gone.
“Thanks for returning her coat, Kohl. May I speak to you in the hall for a minute?” she asks, “Ten, don’t you have to get ready for Advanced Chem class?”
“Yes,” she nods turning her back to me, calls over her shoulder, “Thanks again for lunch and my jacket, Kohl.”
Unsure if she is still going to meet me tonight but still hopeful, I ask, “I’ll still see you at eleven tonight, right?”
The blond is giving me the evil eye when Ten nods her head yes. Despite the curse, her eyes are throwing at me I give myself a high five internally. I can’t stop the happy glee jumping around on my insides that reflects in the smile on my face. That smile fades when I meet the eyes of a tall blond with fire raging in her eyes, aimed right at me while she pulls the door shut.
As soon as the door clicks, she shoves my shoulder pushing me backwards, “What in the sam-hellfire do you think you’re doing?” she spews.
Scratching the back of my neck, staring off over her shoulder, I play dumb, “What do you mean?”
“You know what the fuck I mean. Why are you with Ten and why are you asking to meet up with her?” Squaring her shoulders, steel grey eyes glaring hard at me, I know I can’t joke with her. If I stand a chance at becoming close to Ten, this furious chick is my way in; if I can get her approval it might put me one step closer.
“I like her. I really like her,” I admit deciding honesty is the best way to go. “I want to get to know her better.”
Squinting one eye at me, her lips pursed, I swear she’s digging into my brain with laser vision. “You like her?” she asks skeptically, “Why?”
“Why? I don’t know. I’m drawn to her. She’s smart, like make you feel stupid in her presence smart, she seems like she would be fun if you could get her to loosen up some, she’s so magnetic and under all her shyness I think she’s full of sass. From the little time I’ve spent with her, I like her,” I say, crossing my arms and squaring my stance. I will not back down on this one, I want Tensanne and even though this woman is terrifying, in a send your balls away from your body kind of way, she is not going to scare me away.
Her face softens at my words, “She’s been through hell so far this year,
