“Oh. Okay,” Tessa said with a small shrug and flipped through the text.

Jeremy glared at Embry. “Bree, help me find a book?” He angled his head toward the shelves.

“I just pulled the last one,” she argued.

“Please.”

Embry unfolded herself from her chair and walked toward the stacks. When she was a ways into the aisle, she turned back and bumped right into Jeremy’s chest. “What are you doing, Jer?”

“I could ask you the same. Why are you being so nasty to Tessa?”

Her eyes widened, blush staining her cheeks. Her friend had called her out, and he was right. She looked away, searching for the answer, but it was inexplicable. Tessa had done nothing to garner Embry’s wrath. She was nice enough, but something about her hit Embry right in the gut and made her uncomfortable. Not to mention she was lazy, dense, and a tad annoying. “I’m sorry, Jer. You’re right.”

“So what’s the problem?”

Embry thought of Luke’s arms waiting for her. “I just want to get out of here, that’s all.”

“Why? So you can get back to your precious professor?”

Whoa. Embry fought to keep her composure. Jeremy was probably just referring to the fact that she did so much research with Luke, but he’d hit a little too close to the mark. “Why would you even say that?”

“Isn’t Professor Brody from Georgia?”

“Excuse me? What exactly are you implying?” It was a miracle that she kept her voice from shaking. Her insides trembled, and her stomach fisted into a ball of anxiety.

“Nothing,” he said quietly. “I saw how you looked at him today. Just … don’t be one of those girls.”

Embry felt sick. She swallowed thickly, at a complete loss. “I just …”

“Look, why don’t you head home? I’ll finish the assignment and hand it in. Just try to be nice to Tessa. She’s a pretty cool chick when you get to know her.”

“I didn’t know you had gotten to know her at all,” Embry said, still too stunned to address his comments about Luke.

“There’s a lot about me you don’t know, Bree,” Jeremy said, giving her a sad smile and walking away.

“He knows, Luke,” Embry said. She poured herself a large glass of red wine and curled up on her couch, wrapping herself in a blanket.

“Tell me again what he said.” Luke settled himself next to her.

Embry went through her entire interaction with Jeremy for the second time. She was still shaken up. He had no proof, and he hadn’t actually accused her of anything, but it hit way too close to home. “I don’t understand why he would even go there. And the sweatshirt thing”—her palm collided with her forehead—”what was I thinking?”

Luke pried the wine glass from her fingers and set it on the coffee table before pulling her to him. He smoothed his hand over her hair, kissed her forehead, and rested his chin on her head. “It’s okay, Bree. I promise. He doesn’t know anything.”

Embry pulled back, tilting her head to meet his eyes. “How do you know?”

“Because neither of us has done anything in the least bit inappropriate. Well”—he rubbed the back of his neck—”let me amend that. He hasn’t seen us do anything inappropriate. No one else has either.”

“But then why would he say that?”

“I don’t know, jealousy? But I don’t think he has any reason to suspect anything. So you stared at me in class today.” He lifted his shoulder in a casual shrug. “You’re no different than half of the other women in class.”

“Wait, can you repeat that?”

“Which part?” he said, a devilish smile falling into place.

“You saw me staring at you?”

His eyes softened as he lifted his hand to her face. “Yes, baby. Just a little.” He trailed his finger down to the corner of her mouth and tapped lightly. “I was worried you were going to start drooling.”

Embry’s mouth fell open, and she jabbed her elbow into Luke’s stomach.

His breath came out in a whoosh, and he laughed. “What was that for?”

Embry crossed her arms and glared at him.

“Okay, maybe it wasn’t that obvious.” He slid his arms around her and brought his lips to her neck. “But I like your beautiful eyes on me.”

She shook him off. “And who says other girls stare at you?”

Luke rested his forehead against hers, rubbing his hands up and down her back. “Jealous?”

“No, I’m just wondering how you got so full of yourself. You’re almost as bad as Jer.”

“I can be worse,” he said with a suggestive lift of his eyebrows. “I’ll take you in the stacks anytime you want. What do you think those private study rooms are for anyway? You clearly aren’t getting all that you should out of your legal education.”

Embry shoved at his chest. “I’m serious, Luke. What if he knows?”

“I was serious too, Bree. He can’t possibly know.”

She pushed away from him, tucked her feet beneath her, and snuggled into the blanket.

He moved closer and ran a hand through her hair. “Are you really that worried about it?”

She nodded, leaning her head into his palm.

“We’ll be more careful, okay? Maybe we need a few rules to follow.” His eyes darkened with desire as he brought his other hand up to cup her cheek.

“Rules?”

“Mmmhmm. You know, to keep us in line.” He placed a delicious kiss on Embry’s lips, sending a shiver of pleasure up her spine. “The first rule”—he drawled, pushing aside the blanket and dragging the sweatshirt up her body and over her head—”is no wearing my clothes on campus.”

Embry felt exposed in her lace bra and thin camisole, the gauzy material doing nothing to hide her hardening nipples.

“Rule number two.” He pulled her astride him. Her hands landed on his chest to steady herself. “Want to guess this one?” A wicked grin spread across his face as his hands traveled her body in slow, sexy caresses.

Heat shot through her veins, her body coming alive under his touch.

She gazed into his eyes as she slipped her hands under his shirt, letting her fingers explore the contours of his chest before following the dark line of hair that disappeared beneath his waistline. She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, contemplating. “No touching?”

Luke nodded. He sat forward, holding her steady with one arm as he peeled off her camisole. His strong hand came up to grip the back of her neck as he trailed wet kisses from the tops of her breasts to her collarbone.

Embry arched her back—exposing her neck and giving Luke more room to explore with his lips—as her heart fluttered. She felt him hard and ready beneath her. Unable to control her hips, she rocked against him, eliciting a deep, throaty growl.

“I’m gonna lose control real fast if you do that, beautiful,” he said into her neck.

“Do what, Professor?” Embry ground down once more.

Luke narrowed his eyes, pure need carved into his features. Before she knew what he was doing, she was on her back and he was above her, working the button on her jeans.

“Is this one of the rules?” she asked sweetly, gazing up through her long lashes.

Luke’s hand stilled, one side of his mouth curling up into a sexy smirk. He popped the button and tore the pants from her body. “Yeah, baby. Keep your pants on at all times.”

He reached back to grip his shirt and pulled it over his head with one hand. He leaned over her, his biceps straining against his weight, his eyes burning into hers. Embry wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her mouth to his. The touch of their lips ignited a frenzy, his tongue pushing into her mouth hard and demanding. She slid her hands between their bodies, making no secret of what she wanted.

He pulled away, dropped his head, and took a breath before bringing his eyes back to hers. “I can’t do slow and nice right now, baby.”

“I don’t want it slow.” She stared into his blue depths. “Or nice.” She worked him free of his pants and gripped him firmly. “I just want you.”