Page 109 of Vacancy

I drew in a deep breath, relishing the concerned glint in his gaze because it reassured me that he cared about whatIwanted, too, and a part of me couldn’t bother with worrying about how hemightaffect my future. He was mynow, and I was going to enjoy my now to the max.

So I merely shrugged. “Well, you’re already a distraction,” I explained. “And technically, my pact was to stop partying and messing around with multiple guys. Which I’ve done. I haven’t been to one rager yet this semester. And there have been no other guys. Just you. I figure one specific personhasto be better than a whole string of them.”

Damien instantly nodded to agree. “Especially if thatonehelps you study, quizzes you the night before every exam, plays audience during your practice news reports…” Tugging me up against him, he gazed hungrily into my eyes. “And relieves your stress levels when you’ve been cramming too much.”

I laughed at his offer, then, hissed out a happy sigh. “Why do I have a feeling I’m going to be the most stress-free girl on campus by the end of this semester?”

As I trailed the back of one finger along the side of his face lovingly, he chuckled and pressed his brow to mine, nipping at my lips with his before asking, “So… The next time Keene tries to talk me into going out with him to pick up women, I can turn him down because… I have a girlfriend now?”

Girlfriend?

God, that’s exactly what I was agreeing to, wasn’t it?

I’d never been agirlfriendbefore. Never had a steady boyfriend or dated anyone long enough to call them exclusively mine. It seemed so new and foreign, and yet…

I really, really liked the idea of beingDamien’sone and only. Because now, he was mine.

Lifting my brows sternly, I teasingly smarted back, “Yeah, youbetteranswer like that, Buster.”

He wasmyman now. No other horny bitch was getting near him.

Damien grinned, pleased by my jealous streak. “And am I allowed to take you on actual dates?” he pressed. “Text you good morning? Good night? Happy afternoon?” He kissed my cheek softly before pausing near my ear to murmur, “Walk through campus with my arm around you?”

I shivered in delight and turned to peer into his whiskey gaze. “I mean…if you insist.”

“Oh, I do.” Burying his face in my hair, he inhaled deeply and guided me toward the exit so he could open the door for me. “I am going to pamper the fuck out of you.”

After smoothing a hand down his chest, I crossed the threshold, only to jar to an embarrassed halt when I immediately made eye contact with the student assistant working at the circulation counter. Her eyes were wide as they shifted between Damien and me when he stepped out behind me next.

“What?” he asked, gripping my hip.

I swallowed. “I think you were right. That girl at the desk totally knows what we just did.”

Damien immediately glanced over, and the girl froze for a moment before blushing furiously and spinning away to appear busy doing something else.

When he started to shake as if silently laughing about it, I rammed my elbow back and caught him in the gut.

“It istotallynot funny.”

But as I hurried away, Damien only laughed outright and kept pace with me to the front doors. “Itoldyou she was watching us when we went in.”

“Yeah, well, I was a little preoccupied then.”

Damien only laughed more before blowing out a breath and admitting, “I regret nothing,” as he looped an arm over my shoulders so he could tug me close and kiss my hair.

I couldn’t disagree. “Me neither,” I admitted, sighing out my acceptance. I leaned my head over to rest it against him as we made our way outside. “But now I should probably start heading toward my next class,”

He checked his watch and answered, “Fuck. I need to get to mine too.” When he glanced up again, his eyes were lifted in question. “What’re you doing tonight? Can I take you out to dinner?Afterall your homework is done, of course.”

I laughed. “Wow. You are diving right into this, aren’t you?”

He only shrugged. “Gotta take advantage while I can before you change your mind and kick me off boyfriend duty for good.”

Sending him an arch look, I pointed. “Pick somewhere good, then, because this is definitely your probationary period.”

“Mmm.” Humming in interest, he lifted his eyebrows. “Challenge accepted. Think you can be ready by seven?”

I lifted one shoulder. “I only work this afternoon until five, so yeah, I can swing that.”

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