No matter how much he tried, Maxwell couldn't fight off the racing images in his head. This was all because of her short uniform, he thought miserably.
Well, that seemed a lame excuse to him, though. Cassia had always been wearing short stuff in the house.
Oh boy, that was a foolish thought.
After all, Cassia was his sister. There was no way he could get any other feelings for her except the blood thing.
But... Most of the girls in the area loved short stuff too, he reminded himself. But yet he hadn't had any sort of trouble with them, had he?
Nana Yaa also seemed to be cool with her short uniform, so why should he...
Perhaps he should tell her to wear longer stuff.
That one too, he realized, was a useless idea. Where would she get them from?
When he banged his calculator on the table for the fourth time, she looked up at him from her own work, her expression one of a faintly pained one.
"Jeez, what's eating you?"
He pursed his lips, tipped down his reading glasses and peered at her over them.
She could have laughed at the gesture, but she didn't.
What indeed was eating him? He thought. The funniest part was that he was starting to blame her. Maybe if she didn't look so good, smell so good, he could_ he could've tried. The problem was that he found himself thinking about how she'd looked, had smelled, what she'd said, throughout the day.
He didn't like to worry. He wasn't used to thinking about a girl for so damn long.
And if he just didn't overthink how pretty she looked, punching her calculator and scribbling in her book, her eyes glittering a brilliant white with the pupils dark with concentration, her long, narrow feet crossed neatly at the ankles, part of her slim, fair thighs showing off, he didn't suffer.
But, and here was the crank_ how was he supposed not to think about it?
It amused him a bit to realize that they were playing Sir. Nicholas and Martha in YOLO.
"I'm done." She finally pushed her book gingerly across the table of his office to him.
"That was fast," he said. He glanced through her work and found out with deep impression that she was right in every step. Her handwriting was as neat and sleek as herself. "You've got it. You're right."
"Really?" She cheered. "Thank God. And thank you, too."
As usual, he shrugged, much from embarrassment.
"So what's next?" She probed.
"Why don't we work orally?" He suggested warily. His voice had a husky edge to it.
She cast him a regal look. "The exams is to be written. Why bother practicing with orals?"
"Because it makes your mind sharper." He declared. His face had this weary look on it.
"You must be tired, Maxwell. Why don't we call it a day so you go catch some rest?" She suggested with concern.
"No." He refused. What was bothering him wasn't tiredness. It was the strain of control.
"Are you sure?"
He had to smile, despite himself. He felt amused by her look of concentration.
If only she knew.
"Yeah, I'm sure."
And she gave up, since he insisted he was fine. And as he began to shoot questions at her, he found out she was very good, could add and subtract faster than lightning. He could admit that he was deeply impressed.
The sweetest thing about her was that she had no idea how good she was. Surely, he also knew she had little idea about her looks too.
She insisted that the hinges worked both ways, and so she also had to ask him questions. He agreed, and tried not to wince and groan as she rained questions on him.
They debated on some theories and questions, serious at times, and laughing at times.
"We've got to leave," he said finally, still grinning. "It's been ages in here."
She agreed. How quickly time flew when they were together, she thought.
They began packing, and when he couldn't find his calculator he politely asked if she'd mistakenly taken his. She checked in her bag.
"Oh, yes." She brought it up, surprised. And maybe a little embarrassed. "Honestly, I didn't know how it got inside my things in the first place. Maybe I wasn't thinking straight not to notice I was picking two calculators."
He laughed at her freaked out expression. "I thought you always thought straight."
"Trust me, I thought so too." She admitted. "This is one of the rare times for me to behave absurd." She cocked a brow up at him. "Does it give you any ideas?"
Before she could turn the knob and step outside, he called after her. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
Her hair dangled as she turned to look at him. "Think."
Think?
He hurried towards her, and to stop her from turning the door knob he covered her hand with his.
"Actually, I am having trouble thinking right now." He smirked. "Enlighten me."
Her lips moved, but no words came out. Her hand had gone rigid beneath his. He was so close and_
"What is it, Nana Yaa? Cat got your tongue? Why won't you speak?" All innocence, Maxwell's eyes laughed into hers.
"It's nothing, really." It came in a rasp. "I_ uh, I think it's quite stuffy in here. Let's go out for fresh air."
"It's not stuffy." Deliberately slow, he slid her hand off the knob, backing her against the door. Automatically, his eyes travelled down to her lips. He wanted to kiss her.
Badly.
"No." She shook her head. "No, no."
"What?"
"Maxwell, don't... I..." She fumbled.
"But what have I done?"
"The way you just looked at me." Her head reeled, thinking that if he touched her at all, she would turn into a trembling, helpless, mindless mess.
"And how did I look at you?"
"Maxwell... Please don't do it."
Still amused, wanting to laugh badly, he lifted a brow, hooked his thumbs in the slacks of his front pocket. It satisfied him to see a fine mist of sweat had gathered on her forehead.
"I didn't have a plan." He lied.
"All right. Then let me go."
"I'm not holding you." He smirked.
Holding you, she thought, feeling herself yearn towards him.
He watched her lips curve just a little, saw her eyes deepen, saw her body relax.
"I guess I was a bit pushy." He admitted, foolish enough. "Do you want an apology?"
"Unnecessary."
That made him smile again. He had a growing affection for that cocky tilt to her chin.
"I've got an urge to kiss you right now." He told her with a shrug.
"Kiss a book, lover boy."
He didn't find anything amusing about that.
She had the fascinating experience of watching his grin turn to a frown.
"Watch your step, Nana Yaa," he said quietly. "I've got a mean streak. You wanted me every bit as much as I wanted you from what I gathered right now. Maybe you're surprised. Maybe I am too, but that's the fact."
She opened her mouth, but found no suitable lies tripping unto her tongue. "All right. I won't deny I wasn't interested."
"Honey, what you were was a long way from interested."
"Don't tell me what I felt, or feel. You don't worry me."
His smile spread, slowly this time. "Yeah, I do. You're standing there wondering what the hell to do about me." He cocked his head, enjoying the way the pulse in her throat beat like a bird's. He laid a hand on one shoulder and felt her trembling. "Why are you trembling?"
"I'm angry."
"No, you're not." His voice gentled. "It seems to me we've got something going on here. You. Me."
"I'd prefer to take my own time deciding that."
"That's fair." Because he couldn't resist, he held a side of her face with his other free hand, gently rubbing the soft tresses of hair growing at her temples. "But it occurs to me I've already decided." He told her, his voice drooling smoothly over her. "I really love you."
And that, came as a shock to the system.
Crap. Shit.
His eyes, dark and dreamy behind those glasses, lowered to hers again, and held. His thumb was moving against her cheekbone now.
"I love you. Get that into your equation."
"I will." Mindlessly, she said. It was a struggle to concentrate when his hand was moving in gentle circles on her shoulder, when he was holding her head in that naturally intimate way.
"Can I_"
"No." She snapped. Jesus help her. Considering the way she was attracted to him, if he kissed her right now... "I will let you know if and when I want you to kiss me." She drew in a ragged breath, his scent. "Back off now, lover boy."
With a laugh, Maxwell leaned over and kissed her anyway. He was quick and agile, and sprang away before she could graze his ear with her fist.