“How am I arrogant if it’s true?” He picked his backpack up from the ground next to him and straightened. As he walked towards me, I felt trapped in his dark gaze. “You haven’t got much room to talk, Alexa. You’ve gotta know that guys like what they see when they look at you. You might not play it up all the time, but you’re fucking hot.”
“If that’s true, then you better carry my stuff so everyone knows we’re together, huh?” I held out my bag, not expecting him to take it from me.
Drake snatched the bag from my fingertips and hefted it onto his shoulder. “I’ll make it damn clear you’re with me, babe. Don’t doubt it for a second. Now gimme a kiss to make looking pussy-whipped worth it.”
I snorted at his grumbling tone and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “There. That’s all you’ve earned today, errand boy.”
Drake’s free hand snaked out and wrapped around the back of my head, holding me in place. “Errand boy? I’m going for love slave here! I know you can do better than that. Guess I’ll just have to steal my own damn kiss.”
He pressed his lips against mine. I could feel their warmth all the way down to my toes as they curled in response. I parted my lips, and Drake’s tongue swept into my mouth and rubbed against mine. My fingers trailed over his back as he deepened the kiss. I felt a sharp tug on my hair as he groaned and pulled away from me.
“Much better. That might last me until later today.”
In a daze, I walked hand in hand with Drake across campus toward the academic buildings. People threw greetings our way, and we got a lot of surprised glances aimed at us. For someone new to campus, he sure seemed to know a lot of people already. And many of them were women who glared at me when they saw his hold on my hand and my bag on his shoulder. He just nodded in response to the guys and basically ignored the girls who tried to get his attention.
I gestured at the building we were walking toward. “How did you know where my class was?”
“I guessed it would be here and asked one of the guys at the house last night just to be sure. He’s an Econ major, so I figured he’d know.”
“Really? Didn’t he find it weird that you needed to know?”
Drake chuckled deep in his throat. “Nah. He assumed it was about a girl. Why else would I give a fuck where I was going this early in the morning since my first class isn’t ‘til ten?”
“You woke up early just to walk me to class?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Wanted to see you today and wasn’t sure how our schedules would mesh. This way, I’ll get some time with you and a workout in before class.”
“Thank you, Drake. I’m surprised that you were willing to wake up so early for me, but it means a lot that you’re making an effort to spend some time with me.”
“Got a feeling you’re going to be worth any effort I make.”
I smiled and felt my walls coming down a little bit further. “Want to meet me for lunch today? I usually eat at the café on this side of campus instead of heading back to the cafeteria.”
“I know, babe. I’ve seen you heading in as I’ve been on my way out. Already decided to crash your lunch. Now I don’t have to since you invited me.”
I just shook my head as he opened the door for me and ushered me inside. “Meet me there at noon?”
“Yeah, that works for me.” He handed my bag to me and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “I have a feeling my day is going to creep by today, waiting for noon.”
I watched him walk away, my enjoyment of the view interrupted by whispers and giggles behind me. I turned to find several girls staring at me. One of them looked familiar, and I realized she was the one who had been arguing with Drake when I saw him at the frat party. If looks could kill, I would definitely be six feet under. I walked past them as they stopped talking. It was pretty clear that Drake and I were the topic of conversation. I needed to remember to ask him what the hell was up with this girl. If she was an ex, then he needed to deal with it fast before I had to do something. If Aubrey caught wind of a bunch of sorority chicks giving me a hard time, all hell was going to break loose. My bestie always had my back, but her temper could get us into trouble.
My classes were pretty uneventful. I’d picked business as my major so I would be prepared to help my dad with the business side of things. I loved flying and was excited by the idea of being able to do it full time when I graduated in a couple years. Dad was adamant that I had to get a college education, but I’d be happy without one if it meant I could be in the cockpit now. He wanted me to be prepared in case I wanted to fly for one of the big airlines since they wouldn’t hire me without the degree.