Chapter One — The Worst First Impression ❤️
Amara Cole was already having a terrible morning.
Her alarm had betrayed her.
Her roommate had finished the last of her cereal.
And now, with exactly twelve minutes before her first lecture, she was standing in the middle of Kingsley University's crowded walkway with one shoe half-unbuckled and a cup of coffee threatening to spill all over her white shirt.
“Move. Move. Please, just move.”
She squeezed between two students, clutching her bag against her chest.
Her phone buzzed.
Nadia: Where are you?
Amara typed while walking.
Amara: Running.
Three dots appeared almost immediately.
Nadia: You're always running.
Amara: Not helping.
She shoved her phone into her bag and looked up.
That was her first mistake.
The second was continuing to walk.
She collided with someone.
Hard.
Her coffee flew from her hand.
The cup hit the ground.
Coffee splashed across a pair of expensive-looking black trousers.
Silence.
Amara froze.
Slowly, painfully slowly, she raised her eyes.
The man standing in front of her was tall.
Very tall.
He wore a perfectly fitted black shirt beneath a dark blazer, and there was something annoyingly calm about his face. He looked down at the stain on his trousers, then back at her.
His expression didn't change.
“Seriously?” he asked.
Amara blinked.
“I'm sorry.”
“You're sorry?”
“Yes.”
He looked at his trousers again.
“You just poured coffee on me.”
“I noticed.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“Then why do you sound annoyed?”
“Because you're making it sound like I did it deliberately.”
“Did you?”
Amara stared at him.
Was he actually serious?
“No. Obviously not.”
“Good.”
He stepped closer.
“Because that would have been a very strange way to introduce yourself.”
Amara's mouth fell open.
“Introduce myself?”
“You crashed into me.”
“You were standing in the middle of the walkway!”
“So were you.”
“I was walking.”
“So was I.”
“You weren't moving!”
Neither of them spoke.
A few students nearby had started watching.
Amara felt heat rise into her cheeks.
Great.
Absolutely perfect.
She bent down quickly and picked up the empty cup.
“Look, I'm late. I apologized. I'll pay for the cleaning.”
The man glanced at her.
“You'll pay?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Amara paused.
She hadn't thought that far.
“I'll... figure it out.”
For the first time, something almost resembling amusement appeared in his eyes.
“I'm sure you will.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.”
He walked past her.
Then stopped.
Without turning around, he said, “Try looking where you're going next time.”
Amara stared at his back.
Then she muttered under her breath.
“Try not being so irritating next time.”
He turned.
Unfortunately, he had heard her.
Their eyes met.
And for one strange second, neither of them looked away.
Then he smiled.
Not a warm smile.
Not a friendly one.
A knowing one.
“See you around.”
Amara watched him disappear into the crowd.
She hated him.
She was sure of it.
At least, she thought she was.
Her phone buzzed again.
Nadia: Please tell me you didn't get distracted by a handsome guy again.
Amara looked in the direction he had gone.
She sighed.
Amara: No.
Then, after a moment, she added:
Amara: I just met the most annoying man on earth.
She had no idea that she had just met Adrian Blake.
And she certainly had no idea that this annoying stranger was about to become the biggest complication of her life.
