Love, Lies, and Deception(7)

Intrigued, I tilted my head to the side and asked, “What did you have in mind?”

Grinning, he bit his lip and said, “Dinner tonight at my place … I’ll cook. All you need to do is show up.”

My face must’ve shown my disbelief because he guffawed, a deep and masculine laugh that vibrated through my core. “No need to look so shocked. I can cook you know. What would you like? I can pretty much make anything.”

Playfully, I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head. “I don’t remember saying I’d come, but the thought is kind of tempting,” I drawled out slowly.

A twinkle gleamed in his eye. “I tell you what, be at my door by seven o’clock. If you want you can bring the dessert.”

In my mind, the first thing I thought about was making his body the dessert, but I knew better than to say that. He was intriguing and definitely full of mystery; I wanted to find out everything I could about the alluring Alec Holden.

Nonchalantly, I straightened the bag on my shoulder and answered, “Fine, I’ll be at your place by seven, and be prepared for double-chocolate brownies. They’re my favorite, and I make them homemade, too. See, you’re not the only one that can cook.” Smiling, I winked and quickly began to walk backwards toward the parking lot. “I have to go or I’ll be late for class. See ya tonight.”

I waved first before turning around to walk briskly in the direction of campus. I was already late and Kristian was probably two seconds away from calling me. Alec called out behind me, “Have fun in class.”

Not looking back, I threw my hands in the air and waved again. The smile on my face stretched from ear to ear and I didn’t want Alec seeing how excited I was. My insides were going crazy, not to mention my libido. Just having him so close to me turned me on more than having full out sex with my ex. That’s how starved my body was for some attention. I couldn’t believe I wasted some of my best college years tied down to someone I simply felt comfortable with.

I wanted the love and passion, to feel the butterflies in my stomach, and the clenching of need in my core. I wanted to feel alive, and to feel desired. My spring break was just the beginning, and I had a feeling things were going to get a lot better. It opened the flood gates to new possibilities, and I was going to take it … I was going to take it all.





Kristian was pacing back and forth and looking at his watch when he came into my line of sight. When he saw me, he marched over to me and glared; his long strides catching up to me almost instantly. “What took you so long?” he asked, worry marring his handsome face. “I’ve been waiting here for twenty minutes.” My heart lurched at the sight of him, and I instantly felt bad for not calling to tell him I was running late.

“I am so sorry, Kris,” I apologized, coming up to his side. Turning, he huffed and began walking the half mile trek to our first class with me falling in step beside him. I felt guilty for keeping him waiting, so I kept my gaze on my feet as I walked. The dew on the ground soaked through my boots as we strolled through the grass, but thankfully it didn’t reach my socks.

Sheepishly, I finally lifted my head and apologized. “I should’ve called, Kristian, and I feel bad that I didn’t, but I got stopped by my neighbor and we got to talking. The time seriously got away from me.”

“Oh?” he replied, his tone unreadable.

“Is that all you’re going to say to me?”

“What do you want me to say?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I sighed, “but my neighbor asked me to have dinner with him. I’m really excited about it.”

“Is this the same guy you were talking to before we left for spring break?”

Nodding quickly, I smiled and muttered, “Yep.”

“Did you say yes?”

I glanced up at him incredulously. “Of course, I said yes. Why wouldn’t I?”

Kristian kept his eyes straight ahead, but I had a feeling he was keeping something from me. His tone was very weird and I didn’t know how to take it. Putting my hand on his arm, I pulled him to a stop. “Hey, what’s wrong? Don’t be mad at me for not calling you. I promise not to do it again.” He released a breath and finally tilted his head so he could look at me.

His cool gray eyes regarded me intently, all soft and definitely the Kristian I loved as my friend. He tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear, and let his finger linger across my cheek before it fell away. “It’s not that, Marissa, it’s just … you just got through breaking up with your ex and now you’re jumping into another relationship. You don’t even know this guy.”

I smiled and rolled my eyes. “That’s what dating is for, Kristian. Most people do it to get to know each other. His name is Alec Holden and he seems like a really nice guy. I think I’m entitled to a little bit of fun.” A look passed across Kristian’s face briefly, but I couldn’t get a chance to decipher it … surprise, maybe, or recognition. I couldn’t quite tell.

Narrowing my eyes, I asked, “What’s wrong? Do you know him? Have you heard something about him from someone?”

His reaction was odd, but he shook his head and half-smiled. “No, I don’t know him. I just want you to be careful is all.”

I groaned halfheartedly, linking my arm through his as we began our brisk walk to the Rankin Science Building where our first class of the day would begin. “You and your worrying.” I laughed, squeezing his arm. “How did I get so lucky to find someone like you? I’m gonna miss you when I have to move away. You’ll have to come visit me and Em sometime.”