Chapter 1

Outside the window, the night pulsed with flashing neon, weaving a tapestry of hedonistic glitz. Through the glass, colorful beams sliced into the dim room, bathing the couple who hadn't bothered to turn on the lamps in a hazy, seductive glow.

From the doorway, a man and a woman stumbled in, entangled in each other in the foyer. Their breaths were hot and urgent, palms grazing every inch of skin, leaving scorching trails in their wake until they collapsed onto the lone, large bed.

There, their bodies pressed together, leaving no space between them.

They weren't a couple, yet they were crossing lines they shouldn't have, and it was hardly the first time.

"Why the hell doesn't she like me?" Ryan Carter muttered.

As the haze of hormones dissipated, a faint, metallic smell of semen lingered in the air.

He leaned back against the headboard, arms crossed. One long leg disappeared into the soft duvet, his toes idly swinging. His body, lax and replete with post-coital satisfaction, harbored a mind that couldn't help but complain.

"I give her designer clothes, and she calls me a pervert. I offer to give her a ride home, and she calls me a psycho.

"Even that public confession yesterday? She ran off like a ghost was chasing her. Didn't even look back."

He turned to the woman beside him. "Chloe, you're her roommate. Tell me, on what grounds does she not like me?"

This wasn't the first time Ryan had grumbled post-coitum.

Chloe Grant completely ignored him, burying her head in her phone to grind through practice problems.

The residual warmth hadn't faded from her skin, and her slightly tipsy brain found the state perfect for solving equations.

Just as Ryan's first comment after sex was always about his failure to woo the campus belle, Chloe's immediate reaction was invariably to study.

*****

Ryan hated being ignored. He reached out and gave her a hard shove. "Hey, say something! Am I talking to myself here? Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Almost shoved off the bed, Chloe glared at him, enunciating every word, "No. I. Don't."

She craved the mindless relaxation that came with skin-on-skin contact, but seeing Ryan look like such a defeated loser afterward made her want to vanish instantly.

Ryan was great in bed, but his pursuit skills were atrociously terrible. Would sleeping with someone this incompetent lower her intelligence?

Maybe she should switch to someone smarter?

Ryan, stung by her lukewarm attitude, suddenly threw back the covers and rolled over on top of her.

Ripped from the warm quilt, her skin broke out in goosebumps from the sudden chill. Both naked, the heat where their bodies met felt scorching in contrast.

"Chloe, sleeping with me and then acting like a stranger. Aren't you the worst?" he demanded.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "You repeat the same three lines every time. My ears are getting calluses from hearing this. If you said something new, maybe I'd answer."

"Fine, I'll hit you with something new," Ryan said.

Ryan switched on the bedside mood light and adjusted the angle, deliberately posing to highlight his alluring silhouette—sharp jawline, toned frame—flaunting it all shamelessly.

"Chloe, I've got money, looks, and a body. Why doesn't she like me?"

The hazy light played over his naked form. It wasn't about exaggerated, bulging muscles, but the athletic, natural build of a young man, streamlined and sexy.

Chloe's heart skipped a beat as she unconsciously recalled the tactile sensation from moments ago.

Firm. Tight. Springy.

Honestly, Ryan had everything going for him.

Back in freshman year, he was crowned the hottest guy in the department.

His looks and physique were campus-renowned, and coupled with his status as a second-generation rich kid, he was filtered through layers of admiration. Plenty of girls were interested.

"Maya's into the campus heartthrob," Chloe said, her voice calm as she dropped the truth.

One was just the department heartthrob, the other was the campus heartthrob. The verdict was clear.

Ryan choked instantly, unable to get a word out, his cheeks puffing up in frustration.

It was past nine. Closing time for the dorms was approaching. Too lazy to soothe his ego, Chloe reached for her scattered clothes.

She had to leave now, or she wouldn't make it back.

"Chloe." Ryan suddenly gripped her wrist, his voice dropping an octave. "I'm in the mood again."

Chloe's gaze froze, landing on the part of him that was standing at attention once more.

He heard himself add, with utter entitlement, "I'm paying for the room tonight."

The next morning, the alarm rang at six.

Buried under the covers, they both stirred. An arm shot out to kill the noise, but just as the covers were about to be thrown back, another arm yanked them back down, forcing them deep into the bedding.

Ryan clung to her, mumbling, refusing to let go. "Don't move. I haven't had enough sleep."

"You keep sleeping. I've got an early class," Chloe replied.

Not having returned to the dorms all night, Chloe needed to go back and change clothes.

Ryan was persistent. "Sleep another half hour. I'll drive you to school."

"No. If classmates see us, I'll be mortified." Chloe's refusal was crisp.

Ryan was left speechless.

Yesterday, he didn't get any sympathy, and now he was getting roasted again first thing in the morning.

He woke up from sheer indignation, kicked her out of bed, and pointed at the door, fuming. "When you're sleeping with me, you don't seem to mind. Get out, you jerk."

Early autumn mornings came with a cool, damp breeze. Chloe ignored Ryan, who was sulking under the covers like a grumpy caterpillar, grabbed her clothes, got herself together, and called a ride back to campus.

The hotel wasn't close to campus. Ryan had chosen it on purpose. By the time she hurried back to the dormitory, it was already past seven.

Opening the door, she found herself locking eyes with Maya, who had just gotten up.

Maya spoke first, "You're back. Didn't come back to the dorm last night? Were you sleeping in the lab again?"

Chloe hummed in affirmation, closed the door, and walked to the wardrobe to dig for a change of clothes.

Maya watched her from behind, sounding genuinely concerned. "Hey, take care of yourself. No matter how important your research is, don't forget your health."

"Thanks, I'll be fine. I've got an early class, so I need to change," Chloe said, grabbing her clothes and shutting the closet.

"Chloe, you do remember we're in the same class, right? Our schedules are exactly the same." Maya pointed out.

Maya pressed her lips together, her tone tinged with loneliness.