Page 33 of Patrick

He sighs, then warms his expression into a smile. “Not last night. This morning. I told them the truth. I stayed at Bog’s place. It’s not the first time.”

“You didn’t go home? You jerk.” I swat his arm. “You made me think you were the faithful son going home every night to your poor lonely parents.”

He grunts. “Lonely? They still have Rory, Liam, and Daniel.”

“And Kathleen.”

He nods. “They’ll always have Kathleen.”

“Don’t say that. You never know what might happen.”

“Ignoring statistical probability already? You really are a romantic.”

“Of course. I’m here with you playing Romeo and Juliet, aren’t I?”

“I thought we were more like the Hatfields and McCoys?”

Rolling my eyes, I answer playfully. “Where’s the romance in that?”

He pulls me closer, wrapping me with both arms in the strength of his hard, ropey muscles, stirring up all kinds of fuzzy warmth, mostly south of my belly, but in my heart too. “I love your hard muscles, the way you make me feel.”

“How’s that?”

“Giddy and protected.” I don’t bother holding back since there’s no point.

“Is that all?”

I laugh because he’s teasing, but he’s also avoiding talking about his own feelings. In all the snatches of time where we’ve spent our relationship up until now, it’s not escaped my notice that he doesn’t do feelings. Like when we texted last night. He didn’t exactly respond to my ILY the way I’d hoped. Most guys are like that though, right?

But more so Trick. He deflects with humor when he’s not outright silent. Lucky for him, I know enough to be patient, so I don’t prod him or insist he tell me how he feels like some of my friends have done.

Not that it’s worked out for them.

“Now that you’ve had a taste of spending time alone together⁠—”

“You mean now that I’ve had a taste of you?” His voice is low and gravelly, and he nuzzles my ear, making me shudder. I bite my tongue to prevent a moan.

Someone walking past us snickers. “Get a room, Trick.”

“Shit. I should be more discreet or rumors will fly.” He loosens his hold on me, and we continue walking.

“No one knows who I am, right? So rumors won’t matter.” I’m hoping I’m right.

“As long as I’m not seen with you more than a couple of times,” he says, a rare wrinkle in his brow.

“Are you that famous—or should I say, notorious?”

We slow down as we get to the building’s main door where my class is.

“Maybe. Better not to take chances. Make sure your friends, the gossip twins, Nina and Ricci, don’t find out we’re…”

“Together?” I feel lightheaded with alarm because it may be too late for that. Not after I declared Trick was off-limits to everyone else. What was I thinking? I lick my lips. “They may already know. I mentioned that I was interested in you. But so what? Let the rumors fly at UNH. We’re a world away from home, and the love lives of coeds are hardly the kind of news that would make it outside the cocoon of campus.”

“You are such a romantic.” He touches my face and doesn’t seem upset and certainly not hiding the way he feels about me right now because the look he gives me could melt an ice rink.

“I’ll play it down,” I promise.

He nods, looks around as if to check for spies. There are students coming and going, but they don’t seem to be paying attention to us. He pulls his hood over his head, leans in, and kisses my lips. The touch is hot and tender and fleeting, like our relationship up until now.