Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 30

Ria's POV:

I'd been doing a pretty good job of avoiding Nikolai ever since that night. I had my reasons. Good ones, even. Between classes, shifts at The Ruby, and studying, I had managed to keep my distance. But with midterms breathing down my neck, I knew that my luck was about to run out.

So, when he showed up at the diner again this morning, just as I was wrapping up my shift, I wasn't exactly surprised.

"Skipping my tutoring sessions now, are we?" Nikolai's deep voice rumbled as he leaned against the side of the booth I was cleaning up, his usual confident smirk plastered on his face.

I sighed, not even bothering to look at him as I wiped down the last table. "I'm busy, Nikolai. Some of us have to work to pay for things like, you know, food and rent."

"Some of us are failing cognitive psych," he shot back, that smug grin in his voice.

I glanced over at him then, taking in the sight of him. He was dressed in his usual hockey gear—dark jeans, a team jacket, and that damn jersey that stretched just right over his broad shoulders. Which told me he was either heading for morning practice or just finished. His hands were tucked into his pockets, and those gray eyes of his were locked on me, playful but with an intensity that was hard to ignore.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I asked, trying to keep my tone as indifferent as possible. "Don't you have practice or something?"

"Practice doesn't start until later. And I figured it was time for my tutor to stop avoiding me." His smirk widened, and he stepped closer, towering over me.

I huffed, trying to focus on the table and not how his proximity made the space around us feel smaller. "I'm not avoiding you. I just have a lot on my plate."

"Sure, sure," he said, nodding like he didn't believe a word I was saying. "So, when's our next study session? Or should I just fail psych and blame my tutor for neglecting me?"

I rolled my eyes, wiping down another table. "You're so dramatic, you know that? Fine. We can meet after class. But I'm warning you now, Stacy's got a guy coming over, so it might be loud."

"Loud, huh?" Nikolai's grin turned into something more mischievous, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Sounds like a good time."

I stand up straight, looking him straight in the eyes, not blinking. "You disgust me."

He just smirks like the idiot he is. I shot him a glare, but it only made his grin widen. "We could study at my place," he suggested, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Your place?" I echoed, skepticism in my voice. "You think I'm going to your place?"

Nikolai shrugged, leaning in slightly. "Why not? It's quiet, and I've got snacks."

I crossed my arms, narrowing my eyes at him. "Snacks? Really?"

"Hey, you'd be surprised how motivating snacks can be," he said, his tone teasing. "And besides, it's not like I bite. Unless you're into that."

I felt my cheeks flush slightly, and I quickly looked away, focusing on the counter now instead. "You repulse me, you know that?"

"And you're stubborn. But that's okay. I like a challenge." He leaned against the counter, watching me with that cocky, confident air that he always had. It was infuriating how effortlessly he got under my skin.

I pretended to think it over, but the truth was, I knew I was going to give in. I needed to tutor him like I had promised his father, and there was no denying that studying at his place would be quieter than trying to concentrate with Stacy's 'friend' over. And it's not like I haven't been at his place before. It was just studying. No biggie.