“I’ll see you next semester, Gab,” Miles says awkwardly before leaning down and hugging me again. He’s well over six feet to my five-foot-four, so he towers over me just as James does. He’s out the door without so much as another glance back and I turn my annoyed eyes to James.

“Really? Why do you have to be like that?”

“Like what? An overprotective brother looking out for his sister? The guy is a douche, Gab.” He rolls his blue eyes and runs a hand through his dark brown hair. He has a dusting of facial hair along his sharp jaw and I note that it’s a little longer than usual.

“You talked to him for like four seconds!” I say as he grabs my backpack and laptop to carry and follows me out of the library into the blistering cold New York air. Flurries of snow begin to pepper the sidewalk and I hope we’re not in for a mountain of snow until we’re able to make it home. “Fuck, it’s freezing,” I say pulling my gloves out of my pocket and sliding them on.

“And in those four seconds, he spent two of them trying to pry his foot out of his mouth. You like that joker?”

“I have one class with him, James, and I’ve worked with him on a few projects. But no, I don’t like him. I don’t like anyone.” Except you, my mind adds and I’m grateful to see his black BMW sitting double parked outside of the library.

I skip over towards it and frown when I realize it’s locked. “Open!” I yell and he moves past me, pushing me gently out of the way, and opens the door for me. “Always such a gentleman.”

“For you? Always.” He smirks and I narrow my eyes curiously as he makes his way around the car. Was that flirting?

He gets in the car and turns my seat warmer before pulling my hands between his, rubbing them to warm them. “I think it’s supposed to snow really bad this weekend, but we should get out before then. I’m monitoring the weather.”

I nod just as a sexy thought floats through my mind about being stranded in New York in James’ penthouse all alone for the foreseeable future. I swallow at the thought of losing my virginity in front of a roaring fire as snow pours just outside the window. My parents wouldn’t worry because I’m with my very protective and responsible older brother.

Not happening, Gabrielle.