Frigid

I sighed.

Well, the yoga classes I’d been taking two nights a week after my Psychology and Law class apparently hadn’t done crap for my reflexes. I picked up the cardboard cup and tossed it in the trashcan by the elevator.

Taking a deep breath, I rapped my knuckles on the door and shifted my weight impatiently. Several seconds passed and I didn’t hear a thing, not even the soft patter of footsteps. I knocked again, and when there was no answer the second time I turned around and leaned my back against the door.

Kyler was a heavy sleeper. I didn’t even bother trying to call his cell. Nothing short of a nuclear bomb would wake him up.

My gaze flicked to the e-reader. Damn it, I’d lost my page. And it was just getting good. Hades had shown up in a convenience store. Le sigh. Tapping the screen, I went back several—

The door behind me suddenly opened, and I was falling into empty space. I twisted around, my hand colliding with warm, bare flesh. Warm, hard bare flesh. A strong arm went around my waist, catching me before I face-planted on a flat, brown male nipple.

Oh dear God in Heaven…

I jerked back, breaking the hold. Air rushed out of my lungs and my eyes went wide. I was face-to-face with the perfect pecs—the kind of pecs anyone would want to touch. My eyes did this wandering thing without my consent, and there was so much golden flesh on display that it was like a scene from Magic Mike coming alive. Messed-up thing was that I’d seen Kyler half-naked more times than I cared to admit, but doing so never failed to amaze me.

Kyler was an avid ru

He was wearing boxers—boxers with red Santa hats and multicolored presents on them. Now that was a Christmas package a lot of people wouldn’t mind finding tucked under their Christmas tree.

A lot of people included me.

Heat swamped my cheeks. My brain was so going to get a stern talking to, but Kyler… yeah, he put that ‘oo’ in swoon.

Full lips curved into a half-smirk, like he knew what I was thinking, his brown hair was in a serious need of a brush. It looked like he’d spent the night with someone ru

My stomach dropped. I’d gone back to the dorm last night before he’d left the bar. He wouldn’t have brought Blondie home. Wait. What was I thinking? He so would’ve brought Blondie home.

“You smell like… French vanilla cappuccino.”

I blinked. His voice was deep and raspy from sleep. “Huh? Oh, I dropped my coffee. Sorry.”

A half-smile appeared. “You’re early.”

“No I’m not.”

“You’re early as usual,” he continued, stepping aside. He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of water being turned on in the bathroom. He sighed. “You’re not going to be happy.”

I felt the blood rush out of my face, which was stupid. I totally did not care with a capital D. “I’m fine. I can wait in the hallway.”

Kyler looked back at me with a frown. “You’re not waiting in the hallway, Syd.”

He brushed past me and went out in the hall, completely uncaring that anyone and baby Jesus could see him half naked. I got a full view of the lean muscles of his back. He had a tattoo—an intricate lettering that was mostly slashes—curling down his spine. It was some kind of tribal lettering he’d gotten when he was eighteen. I had no idea what it meant. No one did.

But that wasn’t his only tattoo. My lips split into a grin.

He’d lost a bet with Ta

Kyler was a man of his word.

Grabbing my suitcase, he grunted. “What did you pack in here? A legion of fat and angry babies?”

I would’ve rolled my eyes, but they were glued to the way the muscles in his arm popped. Geez. I needed a lobotomy. “It’s not that heavy.”

“You’ve over-packed.” He set the suitcase just inside the apartment, and then closed the door. “It’s only five days, Syd, not a month.”

“Whatever,” I muttered, daring a glance down the narrow hallway. The water had turned off. “So…”

“Make yourself comfy.” As he swaggered by, he tweaked my nose. I smacked at him, but he easily dodged my hand and laughed. “Whatcha reading?”

“None of your business.” I followed him into the neat living room. For a twenty-one year old guy, he liked to keep things tidy, which was surprising because at home he’d had a maid picking up after him. But it hadn’t always been like that for him.

“Nice title.”

I stopped behind the olive-green sofa. “Nice boxer shorts. Did your mom get them for you?”

“No. Your mom did.”

“Hardy har har.”

Glancing over his shoulder, he winked as he hooked his thumbs into the band of his boxers, sliding them down so the very top of his ass peeked out.

“Oh my God.” I leaned over the couch, picked up a throw pillow, and threw it at him.

He caught it with startling reflexes and tossed it back. The pillow bounced off my chest and hit the floor. “You liked it.”

Although I supposed he did have a nice ass crack, I started to tell him that it wasn’t something I honestly looked forward to seeing, but the bathroom door with a YIELD sign on it opened.

I held my breath.

Who could it be? When I’d left the bar last night, he had a legion of girls surrounding him. The leggy blonde whose middle name should’ve been “Jell-O shots?” Or the sexy brunette that had the deep, throaty laugh that I was sort of envious of? I sounded like a hyena when I was trying to be sexy. Was it the redhead who couldn’t make up her mind between Kyler and Ta

Long, tan legs were what I saw first, and then the hem of a denim skirt that was slightly askew. I recognized the legs immediately, but the skintight black turtleneck sealed the deal.

It was Blondie—the ice cube queen.

It had been like fifteen degrees outside last night, with a thin layer of snow covering the streets of College Park, but this chick had dressed like she was in Miami.

And I felt seriously drab in my oversized sweater and worn jeans. Not to mention I felt like I was rocking a training bra compared to this chick’s boobs.

She took one look at me and frowned. Black mascara was smudged under her eyes. “Who is this, babe?”

“You met her last night at Dry Docks.” Kyler made his way back over to me and picked up the pillow. “Don’t you remember?”

Confusion poured into her face, and I figured this was going to take a while.

Kyler’s lips curved up on one corner. “You spilled a drink in her lap.”

“Oh!” Blondie giggled. “Sorry about that.”

“Yeah,” I drew out the word. I had forgotten about that. “No biggie. Smelling like a Popsicle really draws out the guys.”

Kyler frowned as he looked at me sideways.

“Has she been here all night?” Blondie asked, head tilted to the side.

I arched a brow and started to open my mouth, because was this scenario so common that the chick wouldn’t have remembered another girl joining in on their party? If so, I really needed to get out more.

“No. She just got here. We’re heading out to Snowshoe,” he cut in smoothly, rubbing a palm along his jaw. “So…”

Blondie swayed her slim hips right up to him and placed a hand on his chest in a familiar, intimate way. An irrational pang of envy hit me. Touching him was so easy for her. I’d known Kyler since forever, and I’d choke on my tongue if I started feeling him up.

“You two are going to Snowshoe all alone? Sounds romantic,” she said, a bit of a bite in her words.

“No.” Kyler slid out of her grasp. “We’re meeting a bunch of friends up there. Soon. So I need to get going.”