Chapter 7: Heat

~Nicole~

I knew that voice.

And my body knew it, too…judging by the way every nerve went on high alert.

Landon.

He strolled up like he owned the pavement, broad shoulders cutting through the morning air, the same cocky grin plastered on his annoyingly perfect face.

His uniform blazer was hanging off one shoulder like rules didn’t apply to him.

Spoiler: they didn’t.

“Well, well,” Landon drawled as his gaze landed on me. It swept down my body, and stopped at my boots. “Look who the wind dragged back.”

I folded my arms, glaring up at him. “Unfortunately, the wind didn’t blow you away in the process.”

His grin widened. “Fiesty this early in the morning? You must’ve missed me.”

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. “Like a root canal.”

Liam shifted beside me, his hand brushing my arm in a subtle, grounding way. “Ease up, Landon,” he said.

“Ease up?” Landon’s brows arched, and he stepped closer. “Why? She looks like she can handle it.”

“I can,” I snapped. “What I can’t handle is your ego taking up all the oxygen out here.”

Landon chuckled, a deep, dangerous sound.

He leaned in slightly, close enough for me to feel the warmth radiating off him. “You know, I was gonna be nice,” he said, “but you’ve got a smart mouth. Makes me wanna…”

“...what?” I cut in, tilting my head with a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Try and tame me? Good luck, egoistic jerk.”

His smirk deepened at the word. “Oh, I'm scared, didn't see that coming.”

“Hard to miss,” I shot back. “The cockiness gave it away.”

Landon didn’t flinch, stepped in just a bit more, close enough that I had to tip my head back to hold his gaze.

“Careful, Winter,” he murmured. “You play with fire, you’ll get burned.”

I leaned in too, my lips curling into a smile that matched his. “That’s cute. But I’m not afraid of a little heat.”

Liam cleared his throat, stepping forward “Landon, let the girl be,” he said.

But Landon just laughed, the sound sliding over me like he knew exactly how much he was getting under my skin. Which… yeah, he was.

“Relax, Liam,” Landon said, clapping him on the back. “I’m just saying hi to your… friend.”

“Doesn’t look like it,” Liam responded.

“Oh, I think it is,” Landon said, eyes flicking back to me.

“I'm just wondering…why you're hiding out here two blocks from campus instead of strutting through the gates like everyone else”

I stiffened.

Liam immediately stepped in. “Drop it, Landon.”

But I wasn’t about to let this jerk think he’d cornered me.

I forced a smile and stepped close…enough my chest brushed his when I tilted my chin up. “Why don’t you worry less about where I walk,” I said sweetly, “and more about the fact that your zipper’s halfway down.”

Landon blinked.

Then, for the first time, his cocky grin faltered as his hand dropped to check his zipper.

It wasn’t down.

“Gotcha,” I whispered, smirking as I stepped back.

Liam chuckled under his breath, and Landon’s eyes snapped to me, heat blazing there now. But I didn’t back down.

“You won this time,” he said.

“And I'll win again,” I fired back.

He smirked again. “Oh, Winter… you and I are gonna have fun.”

I rolled my eyes, brushing past him.

Liam followed close behind, still chuckling softly as we walked toward the gates.

I didn’t have to look back to know Landon was watching.

“Sorry about him,” he said. “Landon’s… well, Landon. You just gotta learn to match up to him and I think you're doing just fine”

I snorted. “Thanks.. How do you handle him?”

Liam chuckled. “Trust me, I try. But once you get to know him, you'll love him.”

I scoffed..”You sound like you know him too well..”

“More like brothers”..he answered.

“Wow, such a thorn in your side”..I said.

“C'mon, I might be the one that needs handling”.. he teased.

“Who knows. But don't worry, you'll do just fine”..

I rolled my eyes. “Figures. Just my luck that I’ll be stuck seeing more of him now.”

Liam arched a brow. “Why’s that?”

I groaned, tossing my head back. “Because… lucky me..I guess.”

I couldn't tell him the reason..I’d been assigned to tutor Landon freaking Hockman…and no one could know.

“Oh.” Liam’s lips quirked. “That’s going to be… interesting.”

“Nightmare,” I corrected. “I’m already regretting it.”

I gave him a pointed look and sighed dramatically. “I wish he could be more like you.”

His gaze flicked down to me, warm and unreadable. “Me?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “You’d actually listen. You wouldn’t drive me insane, and I wouldn’t have to threaten you every five minutes.”

His smirk deepened just a little. “And how do you know I wouldn’t drive you insane?”

I opened my mouth, ready with a snarky comeback…then stopped.

Because my brain, traitorous as it was, decided to go there.

Liam. Sitting across from me at a desk, his hoodie sleeves pushed up, his forearms flexing as he leaned in.

That lazy grin tugging at his lips every time I got flustered.

God… I wanted him to grab me, slam me against the nearest wall and fuck the attitude right out of me…

One hand around my throat, the other between my thighs, dragging every moan I’d never admit out of my mouth.

“Arrrgh!”

The sound burst out of me before I could stop it.

Liam blinked. “Uh… you okay?”

“No,” I muttered, rubbing my temples. “Why does he have to pop in when I’m having a moment in my head?”

“‘He’ meaning…?” Liam asked..

“Landon!” I snapped. “It’s like his stupid face is tattooed in my brain. One second I’m thinking about…” I cut myself off just in time.

Liam’s brow lifted. “About…?”

I glared at him. “Don’t push it.”

He laughed, soft and low, and it did things to me I wasn’t ready to admit.

“Relax,” he said, bumping my shoulder lightly.

“If it helps, I’ll keep Landon off your back when I can. No promises he’ll stay away completely, though. He’s like a bloodhound when he finds something intriguing.”

Intriguing.

I shivered at that, though I didn’t let Liam see it.

“Great,” I muttered. “Exactly what I needed this semester….”

Liam just smiled like he knew more than he was saying.

“This is gonna be interesting ,” I muttered, trying to sound tough even though my heart was still racing from just thinking about Landon’s stupid grin.

I was so lost in my own head I didn’t notice Liam had stopped walking…until I turned and crashed right into his chest.

“Whoa…”

His hands caught my waist before I could stumble back.

Big. Warm. Strong.

And then… they didn’t move.

I froze.

Every nerve in my body lit up like I’d been plugged into an outlet.

My breath hitched, my knees went weak, and I swear I could feel the heat of his hands through my clothes.

I tilted my head up slowly, my face way too close to his.

Liam’s eyes were on me…steady, dark, and way too hard to read. His thumbs brushed the sides of my waist, sending another shiver through me.

“Y-you can let go now,” I whispered, my voice barely there.

One corner of his mouth lifted, but he didn’t move his hands.

“Can I?” he said almost dangerous like he meant something else.

I swallowed hard.

His hands stayed on my waist, thumbs brushed my sides in slow circles, making me squirm in my mind.

“W-what do you mean?” I whispered.

He looked straight into my eyes, his voice low. “I mean… do I really have to let you go?”

I should’ve stepped back. But I didn’t.

I just stood there, staring up at him, his breath on mine..mine on his.

He leaned even more slowly, enough that I could feel his breath on my cheek. “Because I don’t want to.”