His eyes tracked her as she made her way to him, a sweet smile on his face. He tugged the gray knit hat a little farther down on his head as she approached. Tempted to forgo her own rule and give him a quick peck, she steeled herself at the last second and sat down across from him.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

The air between them sparked with energy, and she wondered how long they’d last.

“I got us coffee.” Andrew pushed a mug in her direction.

She smiled. “Thanks.” She pulled out her notebook and laptop, powering it on. She felt his gaze still on her. “Are you going to study or not?”

He flattened his lips to hide his grin and obediently shifted his eyes to the open laptop sitting before him.

To help her focus on the material and not on Andrew, she plugged in her headphones and started her reading playlist, consisting mainly of classical piano music. She got in a solid half hour of studying before it all went to hell.

It started with Andrew’s foot. The concept of “playing footsie” with someone had always seemed a little ridiculous, because how on earth could touching someone’s feet with your own be a turn-on? When both parties were wearing socks and shoes, no less?

Well. She had some things to learn.

When his shoe first slid along the inside of hers, she looked up to find him watching her, his brown eyes dark in the dimly lit corner of the coffee shop. She tried to keep her attention on her study guide, but then he nudged her foot to the left, forcing her legs apart. Butterflies filled her belly and swarmed aggressively when his knee pushed between her thighs.

“Andrew,” she chastised.

His eyes went wide in an innocent expression saying, what did I do?

Lauren arched an eyebrow. He knew exactly what he was doing. He halted his movement but left his leg where it was.

Five minutes later her phone lit up with a text message.

Andrew: You look really beautiful.

Lauren: Thank you. We’re supposed to be studying.

Andrew: Don’t I look cute, too?

She kept her attention on her phone, feeling his eyes on her.

Lauren: You’re easily the hottest guy here. There’s a girl to your left who keeps checking you out, and it’s all I can do to stay on my side of the table. She needs to know you’re taken.

Andrew: I support whatever you need to do, even if it means jumping over the table to maul me.

Lauren looked up with a laugh. “Maul you?”

“A man can hope.” He waggled his eyebrows and tapped at his screen again.

Andrew: And Lauren? I’m taken whether she knows it or not.