Page 128 of The Villain We Tempt

Am I legit flirting withLochlan?

This feels weird. For one, almost every other interaction I’ve had with him is in the context of him TA-ing…now teaching…my Social Psychology of Deception class, where his default setting seems to be “asshole jock douchebag.”

But it’s the second reason this feels weird that really throws me for a loop: I feelguiltythat I might be flirting with him, because of The Ghost Prince.

Yup, I officially need to be committed.

“Well, on that note,” I say, “I’m going to leave before I get the full show.”

“Do I need to escort you out to make sure there’s no underwear theft on the way?”

I giggle, feeling my cheeks heat as his gorgeous blue eyes drag over my face. He brings a hand up and rakes his fingers through his damp hair, the dimple in his cheek pulling my attention before the ripple of his tattooed bicep yanks my hungry gazetherenext.

Yeah, time to go.

“No need,” I toss back. “I promise to restrain myself?—”

My words falter.

Because just then, my gaze drops to the white towel wrapped dangerously low around his hips. Very quickly, it’s not the panty-melting v-lines that I can't stop staring at, or the chiseled abs.

…It’s the twin sets of angry, bright redclaw markson his hips.

What the fuck.

What the fucking FUCK.

No way.

There isno fucking waythese are the same scratches I gave The Ghost Prince in the lecture hall the other day, which resulted in black paint under my nails.

They'renot. Becauseclearly, Lochlan fucking Kildare, heir to the Kildare empire and resident sports-jock god of Knightsblood University, isnota mask-wearing, thirst-trap-making, content creator.

He justisn't.

“Galina?”

I force myself out of my head. “Hmm?”

Lochlan peers at me, confused. “All good?”

Okay, he’s definitely not Ghost. There’s no possible way Lochlan is that good an actor.

“Yeah,” I say brightly. “Yeah, sorry, just…study brain.”

He nods. “Well, I’d tell you to stay. But the lacrosse team is?—”

“No, that’s okay,” I laugh lightly. “I’m out.”

He does end up walking me to the door, which is kind of sweet.

It also snags me a triple-take from two girls on the cheer squad when they see a nearly-naked Lochlan Kildare holding open the door of the men’s locker room for me.

I decide not to mention to Bella that I know whose locker I just hid her little present in. I mean, she obviously wants to keep it a secret, or else she’d have told me. Idomention seeing Lochlan, though.

“He saw you!?”

I quickly shake my head. “No. I mean,yeah. But not which locker I was in.”