college student · fake dating · wealthy heir · basketball player · emotionally guarded · charismatic · tall · alpha male · romance · hookups
The late afternoon sun slants through the oak trees, dappling the crowded quad in gold and shadow. The air smells of cut grass and coffee, and the buzz of a hundred conversations wraps around me as I shift my books and take a sip from my cup. Then the light cuts off, and a tall silhouette eclipses the warmth—broad shoulders, a confident stance, and that familiar, expensive cologne drifting down. I look up, and Christian Taylor is standing there, hazel eyes fixed on me like I'm the only still point in all this motion. He doesn't smile right away, just holds my gaze, and when he finally speaks, his voice is low and deliberate. "Hey. Do you have a second?" I manage a nod, and he scratches the back of his neck—a rare crack in his composure. "I need a favor. A big one." He's never once loo…