Nothing But Trouble (Malibu University Series)(19)

Transporting vats of used grease from fast food joints and diners to recycling. Yep. Unfortunately, I’ve done that too. My least favorite. I still won’t touch fried food with a ten-foot pole. My gag reflex trips automatically if I even catch a whiff of used oil.

And yet I would go back and do it all over again for my cameras because they are life. The tools of my trade. The instruments of my passion.

“Your camera?”

“Never mind.”

“Let me drive you back to campus,” he implores softly.

Even though it’s well in the eighties, I’m chilled to the bone. That’s easy enough to explain. I’m tired and stressed. That’s all. What I can’t explain is how his low voice warms me from the inside out. A ray of sunlight bathes my eyes. The sun is starting to burn through the marine haze. I nod because anything is better than standing here for another minute.





Chapter 8





Reagan


“Email me your schedule.”

“You’re like a dog with a bone,” she murmurs impassively.

I look over at the quiet girl sitting in the passenger seat of my Jeep. You’d never know by looking at her what just happened. She lost her job because of me and I don’t think this girl has much to fall back on. As if I didn’t have enough to keep me up at night. Now I can add getting her fired to the list of things I need to atone for.

Staring out at the coastline, expression calm, she pushes her sleek dark hair behind her ear. Bailey is delicate, her features angular and tiny with the exception of her eyes which are big, dark, and expressive. She’s beautiful––I won’t deny it. As soon as I stepped into the Slow Drip and saw her face, I forgot why I was there in the first place. She’s got that girl-next-door thing nailed. Except Jersey’s got an edge that makes her…Interesting. Sexy. Something more. My eyes slide over her bare thigh, her shapely legs. Definitely sexy.

“Sharkattack101@gmail,” I throw out and get no reaction at all. My attention shifts from the road to her. She’s in a zone, hasn’t heard a word I’ve said. “You’re not writing this down.”

Her sharp brown gaze finally seeks me out. Heavy suspicion lurking there.

“I’ll drive you to class. And if I can’t, I’ll have one of the guys on the team do it.”

“No––”

I sigh tiredly. I’ve never met anyone so unwilling to accept help. “Immovable mass, meet an unstoppable force.”

“Unstoppable arse, you say?” A sly smile tips my way.

“Ha ha. Not funny. And that would make you an immovable ass,” I gladly point out. She smirks. “I’ve never had to beg a girl to let me drive her around before.” I soften my voice, coax her with humility. Ego has no place in this. I genuinely want to help her. “But I’ll do it if you want me to.” She watches me closely. I’ve got her full attention. “Think of it as my soul’s absolution. Allow me to squire you around, Alice.”

She bites down on her bottom lip and heat shoots up my neck. Then it ricochets all the way down to my balls. The fuck was that? Abstinence. That’s what it is. Something I have to remedy quickly.

“Did you just quote The Legend of Ron Burgundy to me for the second time since we’ve met? Did that really happen?”

A stupid smile spreads across my face. I knew I liked this girl. Any female that’s seen Anchorman and can quote lines gets a vote of confidence from me. “Best movie ever.”

“Wow, brutal honesty. And you’re not even in the least bit embarrassed. Just owning it. Owning that shame.”

“I’m man enough to give it a bear hug, even.”

She looks away, hides the full-blown smile sliding across that fine pale skin of her beautiful face. Seeing that smile makes the load I’ve been carrying around the past few days feel a little bit lighter.

“I’m impressed,” she tells me.

“Really? If that’s what it takes to impress you then ‘you’re a smelly pirate hooker.’” A burst of laughter rips out of her. It’s full-throated. And God, yes, I’ll have another. “‘Why don’t you go back to your home on whore island.’ I could do this all day.”

“Please don’t,” she laughs.

I pull the Jeep over in front of her dorm and park. “I’m going to make it my mission to make you laugh more, Bailey.”

Her laughter slowly dies down but her smile remains as she studies my profile. She doesn’t want to like me. I can feel her resisting the pull. What she doesn’t understand is that I’m a natural-born competitor. I live for a challenge and she’s just issued a major one. It only makes me try harder to win her over.

“Don’t fight it. My suggestion is that you let yourself like me. It’ll be easier for you that way.”

Rolling her eyes, she chuckles. “So modest. So humble.” Her dark eyes sharpen and narrow as we exchange a sixty-second stare-off. “So sure of yourself.”

“That I’m a likeable guy? Yeah, I’m sure.”

Shaking her head, she tamps down another grin. “First of all, I find it incredibly creepy that you stalked me all around campus.”

“I prefer to think of it as moxie.”