“Racing up the wide staircase, I barreled through the double doors and smacked right into a brick wall.Stumbling backward, my arms flailed like a cracked-out crossing guard. My over-packed messenger bag slipped, pulling me to one side. My hairflew it front of my face, a sheet of auburn that obscured everything as I teetered dangerously.Oh dear God, I was going down. There was no stopping it. Visions of broken necks danced in my head. This was going to suck so—Something strong and hard went around my waist, stopping my free fall. My bag hit the floor, spilling overpriced books and pens across the shinyfloor. My pens! My glorious pens rolled everywhere. A second later I was pressed against the wall.The wall was strangely warm.The wall chuckled.“Whoa,” a deep voice said. “You okay, sweetheart?”

“My bag hit the floor, spilling overpriced books and pens across the shiny floor. My pens! My glorious pens rolled everywhere.”

“A sleepy smile pulled at my lips as I rolled onto my stomach, stretching my legs out and pointing my toes. The sheets slipped over my bare skin and ended up somewhere at the foot of my bed. There was either a perverted ghost in my bedroom or Cam was wide awake.”

“His chin grazed the top of my head and then his lips brushed across my forehead.“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. “I’ll be right here when you wake up, sweetheart. I promise.”

“Pens?" Chase echoed.Bridget rolled her eyes. "Pens are by far more stimulating than most people.""I'm kind of wondering what you're going with those pens," Chase saidMadison scrunched up her nose. "Get your mind out of the gutter.""My mind is always in the gutter around you.”

“I want you. Bad. Right now. Against the wall. On my bed. The floor and maybe in the bathroom later. I have a shower stall and a Jacuzzi we could put to really good use. I know you'd like it.”

“I kind of missed the whole running into each other thing. Provided a lot of excitement.""I don't miss that," I admitted, bending over and rummaging through my bag for my notebook. "That was really embarrassing.""It shouldn't have been.""Easy for you to say. You're the one who got plowed. I was doing the plowing."Cam's mouth opened. Oh my God, did I really just say that? I had.”