My Not So Nerdy Valentine | Love #

"Yes," she snapped, though her voice wavered. "You think you can just... show up, smile, and-"

His hand brushed her wrist, then gently caught it. Her words died as his thumb grazed the inside of her palm, slow and deliberate. "And what?" he murmured, his head tilting slightly.

Casper's breath hitched. "And make me... forget how much I dislike you," she finished weakly, though even she wasn't convinced anymore.

Holden's lips curved into a crooked grin, but his eyes told a different story-serious, smoldering. "Forget, huh?" His thumb traced lazy circles against her skin, and she shivered.

"W-what are you doing?" she stammered.

"Exactly what you're afraid of," he said, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. "Making you forget."

Before she could respond, his other hand settled on her waist, drawing her closer. The heat of him seeped through her sweater, the air between them crackling.

"Tell me to stop," he said, his lips hovering just above hers. But the way his gaze locked with hers, daring her to give in, made her wonder if she could.

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Valentine "Casper" Lee has spent her senior year at Holloway University avoiding drama and focusing on graduating with honors. But when Holden Briar Cosgrove, the campus bad boy, transfers into her creative writing class, her quiet life gets turned upside down.

Holden, fresh off a suspension and trying to clean up his act, can't resist teasing the one girl who seems completely immune to his charm. Casper wants nothing to do with his cocky smirk and relentless flirting, but Holden keeps finding ways to break through her walls.

Between group projects, campus mishaps, and late-night conversations, Casper starts to see there's more to Holden than his reputation. As their love-hate banter heats up, she's forced to confront the possibility that her carefully planned future might need a little chaos after all.