Walking from my life portrait class, I groaned in frustration. Of all the stupid projects he had to come up with, why did our professor have to come up with that! The assignment of the term was to draw a life portrait of someone in our lives.

Who the hell would agree to be my subject? Maybe I could ask Joy.

I was shaken out of my thoughts when someone collided with me from behind. I turned around, ready to unleash some anger on them when I heard Logan laughing. I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for him today.

“What’s up, sugar?” He grinned, throwing his arm around my shoulders.

“Nothing.” I shrugged him off.

If I survived this term, it’d be a miracle. Plus, I was a professional when it came to using pastels, but now I had to draw someone that would probably twitch every five seconds and use stupid shading pencils.

I followed Logan to the cafeteria, not feeling very sociable. Standing in the queue, I grabbed a ham sandwich and a pot of strawberries, paying the cashier and making my way to the table. I froze when an arm wrapped around my waist and a set of lips kissed the top of my head. I smiled, loving the way he was holding me.

“You smell delicious,” he whispered.

I leaned my head back, smiling. As we walked forward with my back to his front, I noticed that a few people were stopping to turn and stare at us. Actually, it was more than a few. It was more like half the freaking cafeteria.

Taking our seats, I grinned at Logan. He was taking his tomatoes out of his sandwich and placing them on a napkin. He covered them by folding the napkin over them, and I frowned in confusion. Was he hiding his tomatoes?

Looking around, I could see people still staring and whispering. It was starting to freak me out.

“People are staring,” I whispered, unwrapping the plastic from my sandwich.

Johnny tucked his index finger beneath my chin, turning my head in his direction.

“Ignore them.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine softly, stopping all my worrying.

I smiled up at him, loving how open he was about… whatever we were.

Going back to my sandwich, I smiled at Sammy as he sat next to me. I laughed when I saw we had the exact same sandwich.

“Jinx!” we both said at the same time, making Johnny laugh. He rolled his eyes mockingly before taking a bite of his pasta.

My eyes trailed across the room when I heard a high-pitched shriek of laughter. I froze when they settled on a group of cheerleaders. In the middle was Lucy Jones. She was the most popular girl around here.

She turned her head, no doubt feeling my stare. She glared at me before standing and making her way over to our table. I groaned, noticing the way she was walking like a duck: chest up and ass out.

“Hi, Johnny,” she said in a fake cheery voice when she reached us.

“Hi, Lucy.” He gave her a small smile and I didn’t like it one bit. He shouldn’t be smiling at her.

I rolled my eyes at myself. He could smile at whomever he wanted to smile at. It wasn’t like we were exclusive or anything. He hadn’t called me his girlfriend. I had no right to get jealous over him smiling at other girls. Right?

“So, are you ready for the game next week?” She twirled a piece of her long blond hair around her finger, giving a little giggle.

I turned away, instead choosing to look at Sammy. I couldn’t keep looking at her. I didn’t want to get my head kicked in for looking at her like she was an idiot, which she was.

“The team is ready,” Johnny replied.

I rolled my eyes, making Sammy snicker. Did she think Johnny was Superman? That he played every position himself?

“Oh, yeah, of course.”

Another giggle.

“So, what are you doing tonight?”

My eyes shot to hers. Was she serious? Did she not see the way he was holding me to him as we walked through the cafeteria?

“Training.”

No smile this time. I mentally high fived myself.

“What about tomorrow?” she asked, leaning closer to him, her cleavage on full display. She smirked, obviously feeling in complete control and her hand slipped down to rest on his arm.

“I’m busy,” he said sternly. His eyes quickly flicked to mine before reaching over and taking my hand in his. He brought it to his lips, pressing a kiss to my knuckles gently. “I’m busy every night,” he said, looking back at Lucy.

Her eyes flashed with anger and hurt before they quickly disappeared. She leaned down so that her face was only a few centimetres from Johnny. “Let me know when you get bored.” She smirked and walked away, swinging her hips from side to side.

She may have been talking to Johnny, but I knew who the message was really for. The worst thing was, she was right. He would get bored. I moved my arm, trying to pull my hand away. Instead, his fingers only tightened, not letting me escape.

“Let go,” I whispered, not wanting to make a scene in the cafeteria, especially not in front of his brother and roommates.

He frowned down at me, looking genuinely confused.

“Johnny, let me go.” I looked down at our hands, waiting for him to let go. He never did.

“Never,” he whispered, rubbing his thumb over the top of my hand.

He was trying to soothe me, only Lucy’s words kept repeating in my head. Plus, all the stares were just making me think that it was what everyone was thinking.

“I’m never letting go.” He turned his body to mine and tilted his face in my direction. He tipped his head to mine and pressed his lips to mine softly. “It’s just you and me. Okay?”

I slowly nodded, loving the sound of that.

“And me,” Logan commented, giving me a lopsided grin.

“Me too.” Sammy grinned at me, giving me a wink.

I laughed at them trying to include themselves.

Johnny rolled his eyes, closing the tub on his half-eaten pasta. “Weirdos.”

Walking out of the cafeteria, I slung my backpack over my shoulder.

Logan slung his arm over my shoulders, walking with me. “So what class is next? I have boring massage therapy technique.” He rolled his eyes.

“What are you studying to be?” I asked, confused. I thought he was a football player. Shouldn’t he be studying something like management and finance? He’d need that to go with his career choice, surely.

“Sports therapy, my darling.” He grinned down at me. “No way do I want to be stuck on a field for the rest of my life. I’m too damn good looking for that.”

Johnny walked next to us, taking my other hand in his. “So, do I get you alone this afternoon?” He grinned down at me, making me blush.

“Uh, bro, you’re kind of interrupting my time with Tillie.” Logan cocked his eyebrow, seriously.

I laughed, shaking my head at him.

“You don’t get time with Tillie, man.” Johnny grinned, giving me a friendly wink before pulling me closer until I was no longer being hugged by Logan.

“Whatever.” Logan laughed, his cocky nature in full force. “If I wanted Tillie, this round would already be over.” Logan winked at me, letting me know he was teasing.

I couldn’t lie. Logan was extremely good looking, but he was the guy that would break your heart. He didn’t look like the ‘settling down’ type.

I was with the right guy. Or so I thought…

“Come and see me later.” I leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and jogged toward my building, where I spent the next three hours in a blissful state of landscape design.

* * *

Leaving class, I grinned at what was waiting outside for me. At the bottom of the steps, was a sight that was making most of the girls’ stare. If it had been Lucy staring at him like that, I would have gotten green-eyed again, but I couldn’t fault those that were staring. They had eyes. How could you not?

Walking down the stairs, I smiled at him. Johnny was sitting on the floor with his jacket to the side of him, with a pair of jeans, sneakers and a black t-shirt on. The shirt was a little tight and his muscly arms were on display.

Walking over to him, I smiled down, loving the way his eyes lit up when he looked at me.

“Don’t you ever go to class?” I asked, jokingly.

He grinned, standing and wrapping his arm around my waist.

“Yes, sadly.”

Walking home, my thoughts were running a million miles an hour. Would he help me? Or maybe he could help me in picking someone to draw? Maybe Joy could help me.

He groaned, looking frustrated. “What’s wrong?” He frowned, looking confused. “You’re really quiet.”

I shook my head instantly. No way was I asking him to sit for me while I drew him. No. Way. As much as I wanted to, I just couldn’t.

“Maybe I can help?” He shrugged his shoulders, trying to look optimistic. “Or at least help to look at it from another perspective?”

I nodded, agreeing. He kind of had a point. “I’ve been given an assignment to do by the second week of January.” I was fidgeting with my hands against the strap of my backpack.

“Go on.” He nodded, looking down at me.

“I have to draw a life portrait of someone.” I bit my bottom lip, waiting for him to laugh or something.

“Why, Miss Jacobs, are you asking me to pose for you?” he asked, sounding like Mr. Darcy from the Pride and Prejudice novel.

“No.” I laughed, imagining him sitting there like a statue. He’d be fidgeting in minutes. “But I need to find someone.”

“Seriously, draw me.” He looked down at me. “It will give us an excuse to spend some time together.”

“You’re serious?” I asked, needing him to be completely clear.

“Yeah.” He nodded, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on my lips. “I don’t mind. Come over and we can start it today.” He nodded his head toward his house, giving my hand a gentle pull.

“I can’t.” I shook my head, planting my feet firmly to the ground. “All my art stuff is here.” I nodded my head upwards toward my bedroom window. “I have to demonstrate my art of shading and my pencil collection is up there.”

“Okay,” he said, not looking disappointed in the slightest. “I'll go and drop my stuff off and be with you in a few minutes.”

I nodded my head, taking him at his word. “Come on up when you’re ready,” I said, walking away from him. “Joy is probably at her knitting club.” I grinned, heading upstairs to my room.

On my door was a note from Joy saying she wouldn’t be home until this evening.

Crap!

I hadn’t thought this through. Now it was just going to be Johnny and me.

Alone.

In my bedroom.

I rolled my eyes at how horny my thoughts had suddenly become since this stupid crush had started.

Grabbing my sketchpad and still unopened strawberries from my bag, I threw them on my bed, not really having anywhere else to sit. Getting my pack of shading pencils that my father had gifted to me for my high school graduation, I began sharpening them, making sure they were all right.

“Knock, knock,” Johnny called from my doorway.

“Come in.” I waved him in, trying to keep things professional. “Grab that computer chair and move it to the centre of the room.” I pointed at the chair.

He followed my instructions, taking a seat where I’d directed him to.

“Someone’s being a little bossy.” He winked, making me blush.

My heart sped up whenever he winked at me. Or smiled. Or talked to me. Fuck, I was so screwed. Hopefully Joy would come home earlier than planned.

“Would you like one?” I asked, holding the tub of strawberries to him.

He shook his head, making himself comfortable. “Would you like me to take my top off?” he asked, placing his hands on the hem of his t-shirt.

“No!” I practically yelled at him.

He smirked, obviously loving my reaction.

“Just sit there and relax.”

He sighed, dropping his arms to his lap and doing just that. Relaxing.

I was ready to feel uncomfortable for the next hour. I was prepared to have him stare at me constantly while I drew his frame, but he didn’t. Instead, he split his time between watching me and looking around the room. His eyes routinely came back to the picture of my father and me at my graduation ceremony, but he never said anything.

I grabbed what was probably my fourth strawberry out of the tub and bit the bottom off it. I held it to my mouth, sucking some of the delicious juice from it. I sensed movement from the bottom of the bed and looked up, my eyes widening.

Johnny had stood up, the chair behind him seemingly forgotten.

“What are you doing?” I asked, surprised. Was he bored already? It hadn’t been that long. I had only managed to get his upper body frame down. I still had so much detail to get.

His chest heaved, almost as though he had been jogging around the block, not sitting still in a chair. He moved toward the bottom of the bed and climbed onto it, moving swiftly up it until he got to me. He rolled up my pencil collection and gently placed it on the floor before taking my sketchpad off me and tossing it haphazardly to the floor with it.

He leaned over me, his knees on either side of my hips and pressed his lips swiftly to mine. He pulled back, his chest still heaving. “If you think I can sit there,” he nodded his head behind him, cocking a sexy eyebrow at me, “while you eat those strawberries in the most erotic way I’ve ever seen, you are sorely mistaken.”

That was all the warning I got.

He pressed his lips to mine, lowering me down so that my head was on my pillow. I wound my arms around his neck, parting my lips for him.

His tongue slowly entered, moving against mine.

It felt so good.

I unconsciously arched my back, rubbing my chest against his. I moaned softly, loving the way he felt against me. He groaned, his hands moving from either side of me to rest against my ribs. Seconds later, they slowly moved up until they were cupping my clothed breasts.

I gasped at the sensation, my head dropping back. His lips quickly descended, kissing and nipping down the column of my neck. He rotated the palms of his hands, squeezing my rather small cup size in his hands.

Fuck.

I was feeling things I had never felt before. If he could do this to me fully clothed, I was going to be totally screwed when the time came for us to see what’s beneath the clothing.

Royally screwed.

Literally.

His hands trailed to the bottom of my shirt and began slowly lifting it up, his fingertips leaving electric sparks all over my skin.

I gasped, my hands going to the bottom of his shirt. I pulled it up and before I could get any further, he leaned back on his knees and began moving it up his body. He tossed it to the floor. My eyes trailed up, widening when I fully saw just how fit he was. I pulled my hands back. I froze, Lucy’s voice flashing in my mind.

Shaking my head, I pushed him back so that I could escape him. Walking to the door, I jumped in shock when Johnny ran ahead of me, slamming his hand against the door and shutting it.

“What happened?” he asked.

I ducked my head, not knowing how to explain.

How do you tell someone you’re not good enough for them? I was never going to be a Lucy of the world. I was always just going to be me—my geeky, insecure self.

I wasn’t stupid.

Johnny deserved someone who was confident and sexy and someone who knew what they wanted. Art was all I knew and letting someone in, offering myself up to love someone as much as I loved art, was scary and I was destined to fail at that.

I shook my head, crossing my arms across my chest.

“Don’t shake your head.” He took my head in his hands and tilted it until I was forced to look at him. “Stop pulling away from me.” He sighed, staring into my eyes. “Is this because of Lucy?” He continued to look at me, waiting patiently for my answer.

I flicked my eyes away, feeling like a stupid, insecure girl.

He sighed, releasing his hold on me and taking my hand in his. He pulled me back toward the bed, only this time he sat on the side of the bed with his feet firmly planted to the floor. Positioning me in between his legs, he took hold of both of my hands and placed them on his shoulders before moving my right hand down until it rested over his heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

I smiled at the feel of his pulse beating through my hand.

“You feel that?” he asked, placing his hand over mine.

I nodded, blushing at the feel of his skin against mine. It was so soft. He had a light dusting of hair on his chest. Having my hand on his, a warmth began building in my chest. I slowly realized that warmth was a feeling. I had always felt skittish around the opposite sex, but right now, being here with Johnny, I felt completely safe. Protected.

“I will never hurt you,” he whispered. “If I am with you, I am with only you.”

He pressed a small kiss to my knuckles, my eyes closing.

I wanted to believe him so badly but there was still that part of me, a big part, that was scared to let go—scared to let him in fully.

I moved my eyes down to his, needing to trust him. “Have you ever slept with her?” I asked, needing him to be truthful.

“Never,” he replied. “Nothing sexual has ever happened with Lucy.”

I nodded, accepting his answer. “Okay.”

He breathed out a sigh of relief at my answer. “Can we talk about the other problem?” He cocked an eyebrow at me, waiting for my reaction.

I frowned, confused. “Other problem?”

“Every time I touch you, when we’re alone… when it goes past a certain line of intimacy, you freeze up.”

Oh. That problem. “I, uh… I… well…” How the hell did I explain this to a man that had slept with half of the college campus? “I’m a virgin.”

His eyes widened in shock. “Well… okay. I wasn’t expecting that answer.” He chuckled, looking surprised. “So, you’re all mine, then.”

I blushed further at his words. ‘Mine’. I’d be happy being his.