Prologue

“You mind if I sit here?” Alton asked, his fingers wrapped around the back of the chair across from Joselyn. The question was absurd. Speaking to her at all was absurd. Approaching her was absurd. Nothing about this situation was reasonable.

And she proved his point when she lifted her gaze—just her gaze, not her face—to meet his and said, “It’s a free country.” Just as quickly, she lowered her deep brown eyes with the gorgeous, long lashes back toward the huge book open in front of her and tapped her pencil on the table next to a notebook. Her thick dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but tendrils had escaped to hang across her tanned cheeks.

The only sign he had that she cared a bit that he was standing over her was the way her shoulders stiffened and she squirmed a bit in her seat. She wore a gray cardigan, but it hung open, doing nothing to hide the cleavage of her full breasts behind the edge of a navy silk camisole.

They were in the dining centre at the University of Calgary. The overwhelming scent of fresh pizza filled the room. He often spotted her studying there after she ate. Joselyn had just started her freshman year. Alton was a sophomore. He’d been sort of stalking her but hadn’t approached her until today. His balls were big, but it took more than big balls to attempt conversation with Joselyn Arthur.

He pulled out the chair anyway, manning up to the task, and slid onto the seat. After opening his backpack and removing a random textbook, he set his elbows on the table and stared at the top of her head.

She pretended to ignore him.

The room was crowded, noisy. It was a far cry from the library. For some people, the constant hum of excitement was welcome background noise. Apparently, this was true for Joselyn.

He slid his feet forward just enough to bump into hers casually under the table as if by accident.

She yanked her legs back and jerked her face up to glare at him, her head cocked to one side. “What do you want, Alton? I’m trying to study here. I have a bio test tomorrow.”

“Bio? I’m good at bio. Took it last semester. Maybe I can help?”

She narrowed her gaze. “Didn’t ask for your help. I have it under control.”

He was certain she did. In fact, he was certain she had everything in her life under control. She’d graduated at the top of her class last year from the same high school he went to in Silvertip, about two hours west of Calgary. She could probably teach him more about biology than he could her, but that was beside the point.

He licked his lips. He’d made the decision to go all in this afternoon, and he didn’t intend to back down now. “You know, if you took a moment to drop the snarky routine and get to know me, you might find out I’m a nice guy. Perhaps we could even be friends.”

She narrowed her gaze further, shooting daggers. “Has it ever occurred to you that maybe I don’t want to be friends? Maybe the snarky routine is just who I am. Why don’t you go bother someone else? It’s a huge campus. Surely you can find some other coed to lure into your web, Alton. It’s not going to be me.”

He chuckled. At least she was interacting with him. Those were the most words she’d ever shared. “What if I don’t have a web?” he retorted. “What if I’m just a genuinely nice guy making polite conversation with someone from the same hometown?”

She rolled her eyes. Her fingers gripped the pencil she held so tightly, he thought it might snap in half. Her spine was rigid, and if he wasn’t mistaken, she squeezed her legs together under the table. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a nice guy or not, now does it?”

“Doesn’t it?” he challenged.

She shook her head. “No. Your desire to befriend me didn’t work in elementary or junior high or high school. And it still won’t work now. So, again, please, find someone else to hit on. I’ve got work to do.” She lowered her face back to the open book and turned the page, dropping the pencil, setting her chin on one palm, and staring intently at the paper.

Alton had no intention of giving up so easily. In all honesty, he didn’t see it as a choice at all. It was reasonable and even expected that she would ignore him at school in Silvertip, but they were not at home now, and he intended to break through her thick exterior and get to know her now that they were at university.

Attending U of C had been a bit of a gamble for him. He had hoped and prayed she would also choose the same university. For one thing, it was the largest university in the area. For another thing, both her older brothers had gone there. It was a safe bet.

And here she was.

He leaned closer, breathing in her scent. This was the closest he’d been to her in a long time, and it was both torturous and heavenly. “How about we make a deal?”

She groaned, shooting him another irritated look. “A deal? This isn’t a game show, Alton. This is my life. I don’t want to make a deal with you.”

“Hear me out.” He glanced around to make sure no one was listening to him and lowered his voice. “There aren’t a lot of shifters here. It’s nice to have a few friends who are of the same species.”

She interrupted him. “We are not friends, Alton.”

Damn, she was difficult. Why the hell was he putting himself through this again? He knew the answer. Maybe if he badgered her with the details… “That’s true. We’re far more than friends, and you know it. You’re my—”

Her eyes widened. She cut him off with a hand out in front of her and the most furious glare he’d ever seen. “Stop. Don’t say it.” She then slapped her palm against the table with enough force for several people to turn their attention toward the two of them. She lowered her voice, gritting her perfect teeth and leaning across the table. “I swear to God, Alton. Enough is enough.”

He grinned. “So you’ll take my deal?”

She jerked back several inches, gripping the edge of the table with her fingers hard enough they turned white. “What the hell are you talking about?”

He smiled wider. Oh yeah. She was totally going to take his deal. “You stop acting like you can’t stand the sight of me and make nice to me on a regular basis, and I won’t mention what we both know out loud.”

She licked her lips. He had her. The trouble was he was making this shit up on the fly and had no idea how he was going to be able to uphold his end of the bargain. How long could she hold out?

Finally, she bit the corner of her lip and then spoke. “You want to be friends,” she deadpanned, not wording it as a question.

“Yes.” For now.

She leaned back farther, pondering the deal as she lifted her arms and crossed them. “Fine. Let’s hear it. What do you propose?”

Shit. Now he had to make something up. He swallowed and laid down his terms. “You study with me two nights a week, and I take you to dinner twice a month.”

She groaned, rolling her head back and looking at the ceiling. “I don’t even like you.”

Liar. He reached across the table, intending to grab her biceps so she would look at him.

As if lightning had struck the room, Joselyn jerked out of his reach so fast she nearly tipped the chair over backward. She unfolded her arms and held her hands out at her sides. “Don’t.”

“Jesus, Jos. What the hell?” Did she think he had leprosy or something?

She ignored the strange outburst and continued speaking. “Fine. Here are my terms.” She stared at his outstretched hand until he pulled it back. “We study together one night a week for not more than two hours. You can take me to dinner one night a month—someplace nice—for not more than three hours. But,” she narrowed her gaze again as if making sure he was paying close attention, “you don’t ever mention anything beyond friendship, and,” she added with extreme emphasis, “you never touch me.”

Damn, she led a hard bargain. His cock stiffened to the point of pain, and he smiled. “Deal.”