Draw Me In Read Online Free Page B

you’re in college, you must be what, twenty?”
    “Almost,” I said with a smile. “A few months. I’m going to see Razorwires for my birthday.”
    He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone free, tapping the screen. “You mean these guys?”
    I laughed delightedly as the middle of my favorite song wailed out from the tiny speakers. “Hells yeah,” I said.
    Neill cut the music and winked. “I’m a fan, too.”
    My blush warmed my cheeks, no matter how hard I tried to tamp it down. “That’s great.” Holy crap, this guy was too much. Was he flirting, or was I imagining it? I didn’t have the best radar when it came to guys. And I wanted him to be flirting with me, wanted it so bad it hurt. Even though it was the worst idea ever. My opinion of love and attraction was completely screwed up, probably forever.
    At least my nervousness had drained away. Mostly. Good God, I need therapy.
    “So, anyway, the job.”
    His words startled me from my daydream. “Right! The job. Yes.”
    He leaned back in the chair, lacing his fingers over his flat belly. “The hours would be mostly evenings and weekends. You’d staff the front desk, answer phones, make appointments, take payments, and answer questions. General stuff.”
    I nodded. “I can do all of that. Most of my classes are morning.”
    “Do you have any tattoos?”
    “No, I don’t. That isn’t a problem, is it?” I crossed my fingers beside my thigh. Please let my unadorned skin not be the deal breaker! I more than needed a job, I wanted this specific one. With this specific guy.
    Neill laughed. “Not at all. It’s good to wait until you know what you want. Laser removal isn’t cheap, and neither is a good cover-up job. But if I’m right about you, and you really love art like you say you do, I doubt it’ll be long before you’ve got a piece.” Neill stood, and I jumped as I realized what part of his anatomy was at eye level. But he stepped away a split second later, and I sighed. Whether in relief or disappointment, I wasn’t sure.
    “I can offer you nine bucks an hour. So, you in?”
    I tried hard to make it look like I was thinking about it, gripping the armrests of the comfy chair, but the charade didn’t last long. “I’m in. When do I start?”
    I almost floated back to campus. Even the fact that the dining hall had long since closed wasn’t enough to dampen my spirits. My keys jingled in the lock of my dorm room.
    “Jackie?” I called softly as I opened the door. An empty room greeted me, my side partially organized with a haphazardly made bed and random stacks of books and folded clothes, Jackie’s side a chaotic jumble with zero semblance of order. The bathroom door stood open, our suitemate’s side shut.
    “Must be out,” I said to myself as I raided our small fridge. A Snickers bar from the tiny freezer and a Diet Dr Pepper was a good dinner, right? I dropped into my desk chair, unwrapping the candy bar and grabbing a cold, sweet bite. With the chocolate melting in my mouth, I yanked open the desk drawer. The rest of my room might be a mess, but my art supplies were always painstakingly organized. With pencils and sketchpad in hand, and my blood sugar happily spiking, I started drawing.
    A strong jawline shadowed with beard growth. An aquiline nose. Dark, curling hair that laid playfully against the collar of his tee. And the eyes. Those eyes were the hardest part. They weren’t just eyes, they were more than that. Portals to another world or pools of lust itself. The metaphor might be melodramatic, but dammit, they were gorgeous.
    I concentrated as I lined each lash, portrayed each tiny beam of light, each dark fleck in those stormy blue eyes. When it was done, I sank back into the chair.
    Neill. Neill Vanderhaven. I was crushing hard on my new boss.
    The door to the room opened suddenly, and I jumped, slamming the sketchbook shut, nearly upsetting the remnants of my soda in the process.
    “Hey, Hales!” Lily, my suitemate