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Cocking his eyebrow, his classic smirk returns. “I think the more important question is, ‘what am I going to do with it?’”

Slowly, the tension fades from my muscles and my fingers relax, releasing his t-shirt from my grip. I realize my anger is slightly misplaced. For starters, I’m insanely jealous at the microscopic possibility that Avery did in fact send this image to him. Second, I’m irrationally bitter over the fact that he got to see her tits before I did.

I hate myself. That’s not at all what I should be worried about. Avery’s reputation is at stake, and that should be my only concern right now.

“You-you can’t… That isn’t even funny, Cole.” His eyes flare as his name rolls off my tongue.

“I can, in fact. Unless…” He runs his hand over the stubble on his chin.

“Unless what?” I snap.

“Unless you do something to stop me…” He cocks his eyebrow knowingly.

“What? What the fuck are you talking about?” I take a small step backward. He can’t be insinuating what I think he is.

I don’t believe it. Until…

He pulls his lower lip between his teeth, suggestively, but doesn’t say anything. The thrill that one motion sends through me is unwanted.

Liar.

To retaliate against the way he’s making me feel, I come up with the only acceptable response I can think of.

“You mean like pound your fucking face in? Would beating the shit out of you make you put an end to this bullshit?”

“No, no. Nothing like that, no need to get dramatic, Haywood.” He looks around for a second before he nods his head toward the grouping of evergreen trees behind him. “Follow me.”

My breathing increases slightly as my heart starts to pound. What the fuck does he want me to do to him, and are we really going to be hidden enough in the trees to do it? Another part of me wonders if he’s leading me into an ambush of some kind. I still don’t know if he’s trying to get me to admit to or do something he can use against me.

I look around to see if anyone is paying enough attention to notice two random dudes slinking into the trees, but everyone seems to be too tired or busy rushing to class to notice. Taking a deep breath, I step forward and follow Cole between two of the trees and into the unknown.

“Spooky…” Cole jokes once we’re inside the grouping of three trees. They’re enormous, leaving only a small clearing in the middle of them all. “Put your backpack down.”

Rolling my eyes, I follow his instructions, just now realizing he doesn’t have a bag or any other belongings with him. Just his phone.

“What do you want, Cole?” I swallow, my voice shakier now than a moment ago.

Being in such close proximity to him, especially with the way he’s looking at me—shirt drawn up slightly, hand splayed across his abdomen, thumb idly stroking his taut skin, teeth biting into his lower lip, lids hooded and barely able to mask his intense stare—throws me off balance.

With bated breath, I wait for him to speak.

But he doesn’t. Instead, his hand slowly drifts from his abs, down underneath the waistband of his jeans. His pupils dilate with pleasure as he presumably grips his cock before pulling his hand out again and unbuttoning his pants.

“Touch me…”

Swallowing, I begin to shake with lust as all the breath leaves my body.

I want to.

I can’t.

It’s a trap.

Unless it’s not?

But Avery…

What about her? You’re not exclusive, she’s made that clear. Plus, it’s not like you’re in love with Cole. You just want to… touch him.