Page 26 of The Charade
"Um, yes." I cleared my throat, hoping it would also help me clear my head of the impulse I had to agree to anything he said if he would promise to keep looking at me like that forever. "I can try to do that."
"Good."
If he noticed how much his close proximity dazzled me, he didn't show any signs of it.
His index finger pointed to the next bullet on the list. "The second item says that I expect you to be on time to our tutoring sessions. I have my own classes to study for, along with some other obligations. So if you're late, it just means we’ll have a shorter session because I won't be able to change my schedule around it."
"Sounds fair enough," I said.
Mack had warned me about how anal Carter was about his schedule.
His finger moved down to the next and final bullet point on the list. And when my gaze ran across the words he had typed there, I wondered if I was seeing things because I couldn't believe what I was reading.
I looked up at him with wide eyes. "You have a rule about not dating the people you tutor?"
He frowned momentarily as he read over the last rule, as if he couldn't remember what he'd written.
After a short pause, he pressed his lips together and tilted his head back up to look me in the eyes. "Ah yes, the most important rule of all."
"The most important rule?" I furrowed my brow, so confused why such a rule was even necessary in the first place. "Is this your way of saying you'd never deign to fraternize with people who need tutoring?"
Was his talk about understanding what it was like to struggle with something all just an act, and he was actually silently judging me for my stupidity?
Were people who admitted that they actually needed help somehow inferior to this "Mr. You Can't Date Me?"
And to think I'd just thought he was as dazzling as Edward Cullen a minute ago.
Ugh. Looks could be so deceiving sometimes.
The arrogance that it would take for someone to actually write that rule down was mind-boggling to me.
"I can see you think I'm a pompous jerk for even listing that last rule," he said, picking up on the shift in my mood. "But…" He paused, seeming to think. Then as if remembering something, he continued, "I can't tell you how many girls have pretended to be bad at math just to work one on one with me."
Seriously?
Sure, he was obviously hot. But who in their right mind wouldchooseto do more math if they didn't have to?
EvenIwasn't that dumb.
I shook my head. "Well, lucky for you and unluckily for me, I actually am terrible at math," I said. "I mean, they only let me come to this school if I promised to have tutoring right from the start."
"So…you're not going to try to date me?" He arched an eyebrow, as if he was actually worried I wanted to jump his bones.
And sure, maybe I'd gotten lost in his eyes for a few seconds here and there. But that was just because his eyes were interesting: light against his tan skin and full of secrets.
I definitely didn't want to drown in them or anything.
I sat up straighter, and in the most indifferent tone I could muster, I said, "I'm not interested in dating you. I'm just using you to keep my grades up."
"You're sure about that?" He narrowed his gaze, clearly not believing the words I'd just spoken. "Because we'll be spending a lot of time with each other and I don't want this to become an issue."
Okay, wow. He certainly had a high opinion of himself.
Did he really think he was so amazing that girls couldn't help but fawn all over him like they were Cinderella's stepsisters and he was the prince?
Sure, I'd been thinking that the definition of his forearms deserved to be immortalized in marble just like theDavidstatues in the corner, but that was only because I appreciated art.
Instead of answering his question, I folded my arms across my chest and said, "Who's to say it shouldn't be the other way around?" I arched an eyebrow for effect. "MaybeIshould be the one with the contract that saysyouaren't allowed to fall in love withme."
