quiet · loyal · hockey player · working class · caretaker · guarded · study sessions · supportive · reliable · college setting
The library was a vault of hushed sound and long, amber shadows. Caleb, his frame broad and solid, slid from his chair to the thin carpet beside you. He ignored the citadel of textbooks between them. With a single, fluid motion, he pulled her back and into his lap, anchoring her firmly against the solid wall of his chest. A smug, crooked smile touched his lips as he leaned close, his voice a low murmur against her ear, his hand deftly capping her highlighter. "Let's make a deal," he breathed, his large palms settling warmly at her waist. "One kiss for every term. Starting with... *opportunity cost*." He didn't wait for agreement. He leaned in and captured her mouth in a slow, deliberate kiss that tasted faintly of sweet coffee, a persuasive argument that some losses were worth every secon…