TWISTED FATE (Twisted Path Book 1)

Chapter 5

Shane

"You're late." The haughty look she shoots my way is so darn sexy and unexpected that my lips twist up into a grin.

"Sorry, pretty girl. Had to stop by the main office to pick up our lunch." I lift the brown paper bag to show her before setting it on the table. "Since I'm the one who asked to meet over lunch, I figured the least I could do was feed you." Sensing her objection, I quickly unpack the food. "I didn't know what you like, so I went all in. Consider this a tasting of all the appetizer options at Souder's Bar & Grill." When she tears her eyes away from the food and looks at me, my heart stutters in my chest. That right there is what I'm talking about. One look from those gorgeous hazel eyes is all it takes for my body to react. She's the only person to hold that kind of power over me, and my God is that heady feeling addictive.

"You... you didn't have to."

"I know, but I wanted to. I meant what I said the last time we talked. I'm invested. I think you're amazing, and I'd love nothing more than a front-row seat from which to watch you teach that asshole Mr. Blair a lesson. The bastard never should have underestimated you." She drops her gaze, as she often does under the weight of my attention. I wish I knew why she does this. Is it to hide the crimson hue that flushes over the surface of her beautiful, perfect skin? Or could it be she's afraid I might see that she's just as desperate for me as I am for her? "Here you go." I set down a paper plate and roll of plastic utensils in front of her. "Let's dig in."

To my surprise, she doesn't hesitate, filling her plate with a little of everything before she unrolls the plastic ware from the napkin, and goes in for the first bite. At the sight of her enjoying something I provided, my heart swells with something akin to gratification. Like some primal part of me has awakened, I'm suddenly filled with an intense desire to give this beautiful girl whatever she needs, whenever she needs it.

"So, how do we do this?" Her words cut through the silence, pulling me out of the Becca-sized love haze, scrambling my thoughts.

"Well, while we eat, why don't you tell me about your week?"

"You said we would stick to only talking about school."

"That is why we're here, isn't it?" Biting back a smile at the sight of the red flush highlighting her cheeks, I feign innocence. "Unless... is there something else you want to talk about?"

"No." She lowers her gaze and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. "The way you asked, it sounded like... never mind." Flustered, she huffs out a breath before reaching into her backpack to pull out a paper planner. "I haven't had another test since we last talked on Wednesday, but I submitted a few assignments. They haven't been graded yet, but I'm confident I did well. If you like, I can show you the final grades when they come in."

Taking a bite of chicken quesadilla, I nod and watch closely as she fidgets under my stare. She's nervous, made even more obvious by how her fingers palm at the corner of the pages in her notebook, while her other hand tucks another non-existent strand of hair behind her ear. The way she reacts to my proximity sends pools of warm need down to my groin. The longer I stare, the more willpower it takes to keep my hand from palming the growing bulge inside my jeans.

"I'd love to see them. What else?" I need to keep her talking. Since this is the last time I'll see her until Monday, I intend to take advantage of every second we have left.

"Next week I have three quizzes and one exam on the schedule, but I've been studying a little every day, so I'm not too worried about those. My biggest concern at the moment is the Microeconomics presentation that's due on Tuesday."

"What's the topic?"

"How companies use microeconomics to maximize revenue." Fuck, that's hot. She's so damn beautiful, I sometimes forget how incredibly brilliant she is. "I've done all the research and prepared the exhibits and examples I'd like to cite. All that's left is pulling everything together."