Co-Ed(16)

He was about an inch from Shawn’s chair. Her breathing grew heavy as he leaned down and said, “Pretend I’m joking with you, Shower Girl. We’re having a good time. I’m sending you signals. What’s the only thing I’m going to be able to do that won’t freak you out, or seem too fast?”

She chewed her lower lip. The sight of those even white teeth with the almost invisible gap in front gave me ideas of—

Shit, concentrate!

Then a gleam of speculation entered her eyes, showing she was actually thinking about it. Helping. “Off the top of my head?”

“Yup.” Leo’s eyes twinkled, damn him.

She groaned, and my jeans began to strangle me in a sweet, slow death. “Soft brush of your hand,” she mumbled.

Leo was smiling so hard I wanted to pummel him. “So, like this?” He ran his knuckles down the side of her arm then pulled away.

Her breath hitched as she nodded. A visible tremor rippled down her body, and I gritted my teeth against the one that threatened to run through me. Palms sweating, I focused in on her breathing, the soft part of her lips as she physically responded, obviously without even thinking about it.

Fuck. The things I could do to her.

Jay’s eyes narrowed, and his tongue touched his upper lip. I could almost hear him asking to test the move himself as he leaned in, waiting, his eyes dilated with lust. “And then what?”

“Walk away,” I said curtly. “You walk away, let them wonder if it was accidental—”

“Or on purpose,” Shawn finished, surprising me.

A hint of admiration took the sexual edge off, and I nodded as Finn jumped next to Leo, flanking Shawn’s other side.

“The only other way to make the hand holding work is by making something up.” He teased Shawn’s other arm with his knuckles then grabbed her hand and said, “Wow, your fingers are so delicate. You must play the piano? Right?”

Shawn smiled.

Holy shit, does she really play the piano?

How had I missed that?

I stared down at her fingers.

They were long, thin, delicate.

“Good guess,” she breathed out the words as Finn continued to link their fingers together and moved in.

His lips met the side of her cheek then grazed downward as he continued talking. “Now, Jay, this is another pivotal moment. You want her to feel pleasure, but remember our number one rule. We don’t go beyond the walls of the skin, right? So, you let…” He nuzzled her neck, drawing in a long, slow breath as his nose toyed with her skin.

She froze and locked eyes with me.

I wondered if she imagined my mouth, my lips.

Hell, I ‘m imagining that scenario.

Then her lips parted. But she wasn’t pressing in to him; she was leaning toward me.

I smiled. Ah, sweet victory. She hadn’t jerked away because she was under Finn’s spell, but because she was under mine.

Mine.

Mine.

Mine.

So even though I was ready to break a desk over Finn’s head, I let him instruct our new guys.

“You let them feel every sensation through your touch, and I guarantee it will be enough for them to ask for more. We don’t screw our clients. We just show them how it’s supposed to be when they’re with their match, and hopefully, after a few sessions, they sign up for the Wingman, Inc. app. You get kickbacks for each client who signs up for the dating service, and you also have a killer job recommendation.” He pulled back.

Shawn gulped and adjusted in her chair then folded her hands in her lap and shot me a murderous glare. I love that she hated her treacherous body almost as much as I loved that she still couldn’t take her eyes off me.

“All right.” I cleared my throat and pointed to Chris. “You’re up. How’d it go?”

He exhaled slowly. “I did everything in the manual you guys gave me. It was going so well. In fact, I was pretty sure she was almost too into me when things went south.”

“South?” I repeated in shock. “Things should never, and I mean never, go south…”

“No.” Chris actually blushed and ran a hand through his blond locks. “I mean they went south as in she yelled at me, tried to punch me, and ran off.”

“You were reading her all wrong then.” I shrugged. “If things are going well, they don’t just sour. You sure she wasn’t playing you?”

He frowned. “We’ve sat next to each other for the last semester, eaten together, gone on multiple coffee dates. I’ve kissed her on the cheek—”

“Yeah…” Leo grinned widely. “…I’m going to stop you right there. Friend Zone.”

Chris groaned into his hands.

“A kiss on the cheek is harmless. Hell, it’s European.” Leo spread his arms wide. “She thought you were a safe place, and you ruined it by asking for more. You need to learn how to read the signs better. Watch and learn.” He walked up to Shawn and tried to pull her in for a kiss. She smacked him away then stood and stomped on his foot.

I choked on my laugh while Leo hopped on one foot and said, “See? Totally not ready for a kiss.”

“Count me out!” Finn held his hands up in surrender.

I didn’t need to push the point any further, but the way that Shawn looked at me, with challenge in the chocolatey depths of her eyes… well, I couldn’t really back down.