"Pre-calc?" I screamed, my voice echoing through the silence of the library. Ms. Sierra, our school librarian, shot me a warning glare and had to look past a grinning Aelius leaning on the bookshelf beside me.

"Yes," he shrugged, picking up the book I had dropped in my shock.

"You are kidding, right?" I gritted out, trying hard to contain my anger. He had no idea what he was asking me to do. My mathematics sucked. I hardly managed a C in the subject. How was I supposed to tutor him?

He pushed off the shelf and tilted his head to read my face. His dimples had my attention once again. Only this time, they appeared more vicious than sweet. The Italian boy was testing me. "What? Is there a problem, Isy?"

My cheeks flamed with how hard I was fuming inside, both at him and myself for putting up with his obnoxious self. I could've told him how hopeless I was in Pre-calc and that I had already added an all-nighter for the upcoming test. But then I knew I was in no position to make excuses if I needed him to be my kissing tutor.

"Are you sure this is all you want in return for being my kissing tutor?" I whispered the last two words. I bit on my nails (a habit when I was nervous or anxious) and snapped my head around to check no one heard our conversation. The last thing I wanted was to embarrass myself in front of the entire school.

Aelius tugged at my hand to stop me from assaulting my nails. He frowned, eyeing my reddened fingertips. "You can always say no. It's not like I'm forcing you or anything. I will ask Rita to help me out. She scored an A in the last test."

"But you will still teach me how to kiss, right?" I gave him my best flirty smile, the one that never worked. Not that I had used it on anyone except Alex. It was perhaps the stupidest way of convincing him, but what other options I was left with.

His lips twitched at the corners and his brows screwed together as he asked, " What was that?"

My smile died out at my failed attempt. I huffed out a frustrated breath, crossed my arms across my chest, and sunk on one of the empty chairs. Thank god, the table was vacant, and no one else was there to witness my pathetic self. "I was giving you my flirty smile. But go ahead and ridicule me."

"Please never do that again. Keep that angry scowl going. It looks adorable on you." He chuckled, shaking his head.

That earned him a scowl, but as soon as the word 'adorable' settled into my brain, I looked away. What was I doing? I didn't need to scowl at him because he found it adorable. What the hell!

"And to answer your question," he dropped the latest edition of Advanced Mathematics on the desk with a dramatic thud and sat his sexy butt on the chair across from me. "A deal is a deal. If you can't help me with Pre-calc, then I won't share my kissing skills with you."

"Mean much?" I snapped in annoyance.

He pushed the scary-looking book my way, then sat back on his chair, toying with his earring. "You have to decide fast, little dove. The offer expires in three, two, one."

A devilish smirk curved his lips, and his eyes gleamed. I followed where he was looking, and my heart dropped to my stomach. Rita James, the captain of our cheerleader squad, entered the library. Her two best friends, Nora and Samantha, followed after her. Together they looked like power puff girls, only a much skankier version. But what ticked me off was Rita's flirty smile as she waved at Aelius. God, no doubt none of the guys paid attention to my flirty smile because I was doing it wrong all along. No one did it better than Rita.

My eyes followed her movements as she walked straight to our table. I couldn't stop noticing how her dress skirt was wrapped low on her hips, her tie nowhere around her neck, and the top few buttons of her shirt were wide open to flash her cleavage. She even knew her way around the school  uniform to look sexy.

"You wanted to see me, Carter?" Rita purred, leaning on our table, and my eyes moved past her to Aelius's smug face. He wasn't looking at her but was checking the way my anxious self fumbled around the options at hand.

"You're right on time," Aelius mused with a wide grin directed to me. "You see, I wanted you to-"

"Stop, I will do it!" My voice was a little rushed and louder than I intended it to be. Both Rita and her minions looked at me in shock.

And Aelius, well, I didn't pay much attention to his expression as I stood up abruptly, secured the Pre-calc manual from the desk, and dragged him out of the library.

"You better teach me kissing like a pro after I do this, or else I will break your smug face, pretty boy." I tapped the book on his chest and practically growled at him.

"First rule of kissing," he began walking backward, with his hands inside the pockets of his pants and a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Don't rush. Let the desperation settle deep in your bones and unleash it when the moment finally arrives."

My heart pounded. I wanted to admit that the desperation had already started accumulating underneath my skin. I took in a calming breath and strutted towards Aelius, knowing very well that I had to work my brains out to get that kissing lesson from him. Aelius Carter Hayes would be kissing me soon. For educational purposes, of course.

But only if I was able to work through Pre-Calculus myself.

"You are one lucky guy, Hayes." I locked my jaw and shook my head. 

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