Academically Yours (Best Friends Book Club, #1)

by Jennifer Chipman

It seemed like even if I was determined to get this girl out of my head, she was all I could think about. About the little redhead who was beautiful and passionate and whose eyes lit up when she smiled.

She felt like mine in my arms.

I wanted her. No. I needed her.

“Noelle.” I laughed. “You’re so…” Beautiful. Enchanting. Incredible. Sexy. Honest. Loud. Ridiculously and unabashedly you.

“You’re so much more than I could have ever expected,” I said honestly.

“Finish your food before it gets cold.” I pointed my fork at her plate. “And then I will answer your questions.” “And then… Can we get dessert?” Her eyes twinkled like a kid in a candy store. Yep, I was down bad for her because my instant response was, “Of course. We can get whatever you want.” And the smile that spread over her face? Worth it. It was all so, so worth it.

She nodded, and I began to think about what she asked me earlier. Do you have any siblings? Do you love your mom? Are you going to steal me away into the night, so I never see my friends or family again? How old were you when you had your first kiss? Do you think this is crazy? “I have a sister. My mom is the best woman I’ve ever known. I have no intentions of kidnapping you, sunshine. I was sixteen when I had my first kiss, but it was awful, so I think it shouldn’t count. And yes,” I concluded, leaning in closer to her, lips almost at the crown of her head. “I do think this is crazy.”

And lastly… do you know how amazing you are?”

“Oh, Noelle,” I whispered. “He would be so proud of you. I know he would. How could he not, with how bright and strong you are?” Did she not know how impressive she was? God, even the way she lit up a room… “You’re just… sunshine, Noelle.”

But instead, I just looked at her, breathing as steadily as I could as I tried to ignore the idea of how her lips would feel against mine. What she would taste like.

“What are you thinking about?” “I’m thinking that I really want to kiss you right now,” I breathed, as my hand wrapped around the back of her neck and the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. “So why don’t you?” Noelle tipped her head up and stood on her toes. “Because I…” I swallowed. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.” And there’s a voice in my head screaming that this is wrong, even if it feels so right. “You’re not,” she breathed against my lips. “Kiss me, please?” And I could never deny her. I closed the distance between us as my lips found hers. It was our first kiss—just a soft, chaste thing—but somehow it felt like I had been waiting my entire life for this. For her. Nothing more than a peck, which immediately made me want more. I placed another kiss at the edge of her mouth, and then my hands were cupping her face as I kissed her harder, with fervor and adoration and—

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” She just shook her head and tugged at the lapels of my jacket to bring my lips down to hers. My arms curled around her back, pulling her in tighter, every inch of our bodies connecting, and it was everything—everything. And I knew then. I was obsessed with her and every bit of her being, and it was all I could do to hold myself back. No matter how much I felt this spark between us.

Matthew Harper was blushing. “Oh, you beautiful man,” I cooed, and he set me down gently onto the ground.

“And my sanity,” he grumbled under his breath. “Noelle. You need to get some sleep,” Matthew ordered, giving me a stern stare. “You shouldn’t be falling asleep in here. And I definitely don’t want you falling asleep in one of your classes.”

“Noelle,” he sighed. “I just want you to take care of yourself.” “You do?”

😭😭😭

“Why do you worry about me?” His eyes were focused on me as he uncrossed his arms from his chest—making me frown at the loss of his sleeves bunched up and his muscles flexing, and I inhaled deeply as I stared at him. “You’re really asking me why Noelle? You’re going to make me say it? After last night?”

☹️

“How could I not care about you, sweetheart?” “Matthew…” “Go home,” he said, more determinedly, tucking the hair behind my ear, fingers lingering on my jaw. “Get some rest, Noelle. I’ll talk to you later,” Matthew promised. “And if you can’t sleep… Will you call me?”

I saw him shaking his head, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. I thought it sounded a lot like “I didn’t get any sleep either,” but I didn’t want to press the matter.

he was brushing his big hands through his hair and my brain short-circuited again. It was such an automatic, involuntary gesture: the way he ran his fingers through his blond locks as he shook his head. Yet I couldn't quite describe what it was doing to my heart. What he was doing to my heart, showing concern for me where hardly anyone outside my small circle of friends ever had.

“I’ll see you later?” I asked, barely a whisper. He nodded. “Sw...

“She’s not my girl,” I sighed. Not yet. Not until I figured out how to banish her demons and make her mine. Not until I figured out how to kiss her without aching to be inside of her.

I had her schedule down pat: she would come to the coffee shop on campus for a few hours to get some work done, and it was always in the time between my classes, so that’s where I was.

I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to kiss her so fucking bad.

Her cookies were incredible—and that was coming from me, a guy who hardly ate sweets.

“Noelle. I’ve been inside. Your bedroom barely has room for your bed, or did you think I didn’t notice when I carried you upstairs and placed you in it?”

“I don’t want to forget how you feel in my arms, Noelle.”

“Ah. Yes. I believe you called it ‘cute’ at the zoo.” “It is. But you’re always cute, Noelle.”

“Guys are not attractive when they turn into arrogant assholes.” I held my hands up. “Don’t be an arrogant asshole. Got it.”

yall

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Noelle.” And then—I kissed her. Long, hard, and passionately, and probably with more longing than I should have because when she pulled away, I was breathing deeply and it was all I could do to let her go.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Matthew.” She wrapped the blanket around herself. “Thank you—for tonight. It was perfect.” “Yeah?” She nodded. I kissed her once more, on the tip of her nose. “Goodnight.” “Night.” I grinned, and watched her retreat inside, warm and bundled up in our shared energy. My life had never felt as full as it did at this moment. I just needed to figure out how to keep it that way.

S aturday morning, I once again found myself surrounded by my best friends at our favorite coffee shop, with a stack of books on the table as well as a plate of pastries and our four coffees.

a dream

The cord was going to snap at some point. It was frayed, and I knew I couldn’t resist him for much longer. Knew I needed more than kisses and holding hands and small touches. Last night when I sat next to him—I hadn’t mistaken the charged energy in the air. Or the way our eyes would catch, and hold, for a little too long without either one of us saying anything.

“It’s good to finally meet Matthew’s girl.” One of the twins drawled, and I was fairly sure if my jaw wasn’t already opened, it would have been at that. His girl?

Yep, that was us, on the kiss cam.

OHHHHHMYYYYYGODDDDD

“Matthew—” I started to protest, looking at him. I knew we had kissed before, but this—in public? I was trying not to freak out. “Hey. Breathe. Just don’t think about them. Focus on me,” he breathed, hand resting on my thigh as he leaned in closer.

I pulled away, breaking the kiss, and my face flushed as he stared at me, his hands finding my face, lingering there, thumb caressing my cheekbone over and over as he looked in my eyes.

LORD HAVE MERCY

He made me feel comfortable, even with all the people who were watching us. And all I wanted was his lips on mine again. I couldn’t deny the way he had made me feel. Comforted, wanted, and always cared for.

“Do you think friends normally kiss like that, Noelle?”

“Do you think I kiss my friends like that?” He gripped my chin, tilting my head up to look at him.

No. I don’t think you would kiss a friend like that. I just don’t know how to deal with all of my feelings for you. Because what will I do if I get attached and then you decide this isn’t worth it? How will I deal with that, then?

W e were standing outside of the Blazers Stadium—inches apart—and I thought if I didn’t kiss her again I might lose my mind. And…just friends? Was that all she wanted us to be? All she thought I wanted us to be?

feel my breath on her skin when I spoke. “How about we try again?” I murmured, running a finger across her jawbone. “And you can tell me if I kiss you like a friend, sweetheart.”

fuckme

Kissing her—ah. Kissing her made me feel like everything was right in the world. Tasting the sweetness on her tongue, feeling her body pressed up against mine as she moaned into my mouth… Was there any experience in the world that was as good as this? If I could be kissing her… Why would I bother doing anything else?

I had to find a way to make her mine, really mine, and hold on tight. Because I wanted to keep her.

Noelle was beautiful as she stood outside her dorm building, wrapped up in the sweatshirt she had found in my car. It was huge on her, but I liked seeing her in it—it made me feel a touch possessive, but I decided right then and there that there was nothing that I liked more than the sight of her in my clothes.

“Noelle. You’re… You don’t even know what you do to me, sweetheart. How much I want you, all the time. How much I want to take you inside right now and fuck you all night long.” I cupped my hands over her cheeks. “Tell me you feel this too, Noelle.”

“So?” I asked. I wondered if I sounded as breathless as I felt, with her lips hovering right below mine. “So kiss me again, Matthew,” she said, intertwining her fingers through the hair at the base of my skull. “And tell me how much you want me,” she pleaded. “Ask me to come inside.”

“I think about you all the damn time, baby,” I said, and then my lips were on hers, finally, finally.

“I can’t come inside,” I whispered when we pulled away from each other. Noelle almost seemed transfixed as she ran her hands over my face, cupping my jaw as we continued to hold our gaze. “I know,” she sighed, looking at the building. It was a line that we couldn’t cross. “But…” “I want to make you so happy,” I said, a whispered promise on a sweet reverent breath. She pushed the hair off of my forehead and kissed my jaw. “Let me make you happy, Noelle,” I murmured, “please?”

Maybe she would want to spend her Spring Break with me. At my house. Where she’d let me worship her all night long.