Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 112892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
He gave me a friendly wave and a quick greeting. I sat on the opposite side, avoiding some dirty dishes that somebody had left out. Except for Tuesday, people fended for themselves for dinner, and sometimes they ate out here, sometimes in the living room. Or sometimes dashing out the door, late for class.
I worked on my assignment for about half an hour, but that was about the limit of how much I could focus without taking a break. Deciding to be a good roommate, I gathered up the dirty dishes and took them to the kitchen, putting some in the dishwasher and leaving the dirtier ones to soak in the sink.
The popcorn had left me thirsty, and I went to the fridge to get something to drink. Then I heard the sound of the back door swinging open. Maybe Jenna had decided to stay here tonight after all?
I still wanted to meet her boyfriend. She seemed crazy about the guy. But it wasn't Jenna.
It was Diego. Holy shit, it was Diego. He'd obviously just been for a run because he was rubbing a white towel across his face and hadn't even noticed me.
But I sure as hell noticed him. He was shirtless, his skin tan and taut over sculpted muscles, including a six-pack of abs. His body looked like it belonged in a fitness magazine.
Was he training for something? He had on dark blue shorts that showcased his powerful thighs. Good god, I had no idea he had a body like that.
This was the man I’d been grinding against at the party. Who’d kissed me so damn well I’d never wanted to come up for air. Come to think of it, I hadn’t taken a breath since first seeing those abs. I inhaled quietly, trying and failing to look elsewhere.
Diego shut the door behind him, moving the towel to his side and then halting when he saw me.
Things got awkward.
He was half naked, and I was staring at him, probably with my eyes bugging out of my head.
“Hey, Mia.”
“Hi.”
“I, uh, went for a run.”
“I can see that.” Why’d I have to stare at his chest when I said that?
“I’m a night owl.”
He walked over to the fridge, and I rapidly backed up. Guys that looked that good coming right toward me—that was a new sensation.
He plucked a water bottle out and drained half of it.
“Do you run?”
Running seemed like a very good idea to get me away from this cringe-worthy moment. “No. Sometimes on the treadmill, I guess. Or if I’m about to miss the bus.”
He smiled. “Not much danger of that in Haverford.”
I had to agree. People around here were too rich to take the bus. As far as I knew, the town didn’t even have any public transportation.
Diego leaned back against the counter, and I started overthinking things again. Maybe he was feeling just as weirded out by this as I was but was trying to make it seem normal by not dashing out of the kitchen. Which was exactly what I was trying to do. Or maybe I was the only one.
Diego’s dark eyes were on me. “So how’s it going so far?”
“With classes?”
“With living here.”
Oh, that made more sense, especially since I’d already been in my classes for almost two months. “It’s good. I really liked the meal you made the other day.” That much was true, and far less embarrassing than the other things that threatened to tumble out of my mouth. Like: next time we both get drunk at a party, can you take your shirt off?
The smile he gave me was genuine. “Happy to teach you to cook any of those dishes.”
I grimaced. “Can you teach me in time for Tuesday?”
He laughed. “Honestly, we’re not expecting Michelin-starred food.”
Well, that was good, because I didn’t even know what that meant.
“Whatever you make will be fine. And you gave Cody a week’s reprieve, which I’m sure he’s grateful for.”
That was why I’d done it. It wasn’t like I thought women should cook and men didn’t need to. Diego cooked better than I ever would. There had been something about Cody’s face, his eyes, that made me think he wasn’t just trying to shirk responsibility. He had almost a panicked look. Or maybe that wasn’t it. But whatever I’d read on his face had compelled me to help him.
“I should get back to my homework.” I pointed in the direction of the dining room.
Before I got two steps, I heard my name.
“Mia.”
I turned, eyes deliberately trained on his face instead of his abs, but I really didn’t need to. They were burned into my memory and would probably surface a hundred times when I was in class tomorrow.
“If you need to talk about anything, I’m here for you.” He suddenly glanced down at himself and then grinned. “Although usually I’ll be wearing more clothes.”