“Yeah, sorry about that whole banana thing,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “It wasn’t serious. We were just goofing around.”

“Ah, I see,” I replied awkwardly, unsure what the proper response to that was. I noted a subtle hint of insincerity in her voice but I wasn’t certain enough to address it. “No worries.”

“Well, I already ate and now I’m gonna go study,” Ada said, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. “It was nice to meet you, Lorrie.”

“Oh, you don’t have to go,” I offered, trying to be nice.

“No, no, it’s okay. I have to be somewhere and I’ll let you guys enjoy your dinner. Bye Hunter.” Ada got up and left.

“Yeah, sorry about that, she can be a little cold. I also want to apologize to you again for the banana thing.”

“It’s alright, Hunter. I was pissed off before, but I think I’m over it now. I know how much you care about me.”

He smiled warmly and hugged me to him. “Good, I’m glad to hear it.”

I paused to consider Ada’s odd tone. “Does she still have feelings for you, Hunter?”

“Nah, we dated for a little over a year up ‘til sophomore year. We have history, but that chapter’s closed,” he reassured me. “Remember how we had that discussion about Daniela and pushy-types? Well, Ada pretty much fits that description.”

“Really? She seemed kind of nice . . .”

“Trust me, we’ve had some bitter arguments.” He shook his head. “But whatever, we’re cool now.”

Feeling better about the awkward start to our dinner and the whole Ada situation in general, I began eating and so did Hunter. I was in the middle of taking a bite of my turkey when I spied him looking at my food longingly. His own plate was filled with basically just meat. Where were the carbs?

“You want a bite of my potatoes, Hunter?”

He smirked. “It’s not in my training diet, but oh do you know how to tempt me Lorrie.”

He kissed me on the cheek then took a bite of my potatoes and chewed. I leaned into his warm chest and he put his arm around me. He was wearing a very plush, red Arrowhart hoodie that I wanted to melt into. Maybe I could steal it from him sometime. I told him about the gossiping incident in the library and he did his best to comfort me. “The whole thing just made me feel shitty. Why do people have to be so mean?”

“I don’t know. All you can do is ignore them and eventually they’ll stop. Everyone needs something new to gossip about sooner or later.”

“I know,” I said, burrowing into his chest. I lifted my gaze up to his. “It still hurt, though. I mean, none of it’s true, right?”

He squeezed me tighter to his chest. “No, none of it’s true. I’m with you because I’m absolutely crazy about you. Our relationship is nobody’s business but ours.”

I smiled and felt the muscles in my shoulders and back relax. Hunter’s confident tone made me feel better. I finally picked up my fork and began to pick at my food. We ate in silence for a few minutes. Just being close to him made me feel warm, like I was tucked tightly into bed under my covers.

“Daniela told me about a party she’s going to on Friday night,” I said after a while. “I told her I wasn’t sure if you’d want to go but I’d ask anyway.”

“Do you want to go?” he asked

“I don’t know. Do you?”

He shrugged. “Why not? If you decide you want to go, let me know. I’m flexible: wherever you are, I want to be.”

His perfect words made me smile. “Okay, let’s go.”

“Great.”

We finished up eating and went back to my dorm to watch a movie. One of the benefits of living with three roommates was pooling together all our movies. Daniela was especially useful because she liked action movies. I ended up picking The Dark Knight Rises, which I hadn’t seen before. We put the disc into my laptop and watched while cuddled up in my bed.

It was an extra-long twin, which made it way too small for two people, especially someone the size of Hunter. I ended up lying against him with the laptop on my lap as he propped his back against the wall. The huge muscles in his chest were like a warm, comfy pillow, made all the better by his sweatshirt.

About half way through the movie he decided to take his sweatshirt off revealing a fitted black t-shirt underneath.

“Aww, I like that hoodie,” I said, twisting to face him.

He cocked a brow. “Watch it Snorrie. If you keep complaining every time I take a piece of clothing off, you’re going to destroy my confidence.”

I smiled. “I doubt that, Mr. Tattoos and Muscles.”

He grinned wickedly. “Maybe you’re right. But we better make sure, don’t you think?”

My heart began racing in my chest at Hunter’s suggestion of sex. “We can’t,” I said softly. “My suitemates will hear.”

He took the laptop from my lap and set it down beside my bed. “That’s why we keep the movie playing.”

“You don’t want to finish it?”

His eyes locked on mine. “I want a lot of things right now.”

Heat rippled through my core as he took my chin between his thumb and forefinger and kissed me passionately. His tongue slipped in with mine and probed my mouth with lush slides. I took his mouth greedily, desperate for more contact with him.

He moved me, switching our positions so that he was on top then helped ease my shirt over my head and let me back down to the pillow. My body quivered with excited energy as he lowered his huge frame onto me and slipped a muscular arm under my back. His free hand traced a line down my collar bone to my bra and slipped under to tease my nipple. The contact made my skin prickle, making me eager for every bit of pleasurable sensation.

His lips sealed over mine again as he used the hand under me to unclasp my bra. Our tongues wrestled playfully before he pulled away, taking the bra with him and exposing my br**sts. I put my hands around his waist and slipped them under his t-shirt, eager for access to the beautiful body beneath. Even with my jeans still on, I felt myself getting wet.

Hunter trailed small kisses from my cheek to my jaw and down my neck as he crushed my br**sts with the weight of his chest. “Mmm it’s been too long since I’ve felt you naked. ”

It had only been a day since we last had sex but it felt like an eternity. I tugged at the hem of his t-shirt wanting to expose him as much as I was exposed. “Same here.”

He sat up and took off the shirt in one swift movement before bringing himself back down to me. My eyes traveled over his body hovering above me, taking in the strong lines of his shoulders and chest. Then he slipped out of his jeans, leaving just his black boxer briefs. Seeing his c**k stretch against the thin cotton of his underwear made my pulse quicken.

His hands were on the button of my jeans. “Want help?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

I nodded. He unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans and pulled them off. The sudden rush of air on my legs made me feel cold. I squirmed and curled up, covering myself with my arms.

“Cold?” he asked.

“Hurry up so we can get under the covers. I’m freezing.”

He smiled and came back to the head of the bed. We slipped beneath my comforter. The warmth coming from his body made him my favorite personal heater.