“Well, good thing we don’t have any of those.” I nudge her playfully, but I can see that Annie is in The Zone. Her playful side won’t be free for at least another hour. “I’m surprised you haven’t given yourself an ulcer already. Relax, would you? It’s Art Comp. How hard could it be?”

As it turns out, those words would come back to haunt me.

We are the first students through the door. The room is set up amphitheater-style, with stadium- seating overlooking a half-circle floor where a small, functional desk and podium are set up. The florescent overhead lighting strains my eyes as I follow Annie across the floor to the first row, taking the seats positioned front and center, just the way she likes them. I prefer the back, as far away as one can get. This close, I’ll be able to see the professor’s nose hairs flutter while he talks.

As the class steadily files in, I lean into Annie and speak low enough that my voice won’t carry. “So, how did it go with Jason last night? Did you get everything straightened out?”

Lately, she and her boyfriend have been having problems. She’s been tight-lipped about it, but from what she’s shared with me, they’ve been dating since the start of their freshman year at university and hit it off so well, they made plans to get married once they graduated. We are two weeks into the start of our first semester of senior year and it looks as though Jason is reconsidering his life plans. Distant, moody, and all-around jackass, I have a hard time understanding what she sees in the guy. He only comes around to get free ass, and then he’s gone again, and I’m getting tired of seeing my friend mope around in his wake. The only reason I haven’t said anything is because I know Annie is the type of person who needs to handle it in her own time and in her own way. This is precisely the reason I haven’t settled down with anyone. If this is what I have to look forward to, I’ll gladly stay single forever.

Even as the thought crosses my mind, a set of dark, penetrating eyes surface in my memory.

Rolling her eyes, Annie inhales deeply. “It didn’t. As soon as we got to his dorm, his friends burst in and next thing I know, I’m sitting on a crowded couch on Frat Row watching him play beer pong and get wasted. I can’t talk to him when he’s like that.” She looks at me, one eyebrow lifted. “And he’s always like that these days.”

The sadness radiating off her strikes me right in the chest. Annie is too good a person to be treated with such blatant disrespect. He’s not the person she thinks he is. Jason doesn’t deserve to have someone so loyal and loving. I am about to tell her this when the door bangs shut, resonating throughout the room.

“Roll call!” the heavy voice booms, reverberating off the walls.

My gaze lifts, and I experience an acute case of tunnel vision as I sit up straight. It takes my brain a few moments to catch up to what it is seeing, and when it does, I nearly hyperventilate.

Holy shit! Dear Lord in Heaven, this can’t be happening. But it is. Professor Scott is my mystery man? And then, like a bolt of lightning, the heaviness of that realization strikes me and I realize, Holy shit. Professor Scott is my mystery man.

My gaze eats him up as it slowly slides down his trim body, starting from the top of his head and gliding appreciatively all the way down to his toes. He is scorching hot, so different from seeing him in the darkness of the club, or in the throes of passion. It’s difficult for me to comprehend what is standing in front of me. His stark black hair, long enough to touch his shirt collar and curl up at the ends, is combed back off a broad forehead—it’s the same—thick black brows, piercing charcoal eyes, slim nose, full lips, wide, unshaven jaw. Even the way his thick neck disappears beneath a powder blue button-down that tucks into a pair of crisp black slacks rings a bell. And I know from experience that the size of his polished black leather loafers is a precise indication of what’s happening on the business end of things.

He is the total package, and for some reason, seeing him in this environment, I feel more connected to him than ever. We share a secret bond, one that I know I won’t be able to ignore because as Professor Scott comes to stand in front of me, all I can think about now is how it feels to be impaled on his cock.

A low gurgle of laughter claims my attention before I get too far along with my fantasy, and I realize with sudden clarity that I am macking on my professor—my lover—who is standing only a foot away, those piercing black eyes fixated on me expectantly.

He smirks and my heart thuds against my ribcage. “Glad to see you’ve returned to us, Miss…?”

My face is burning, as surely as if someone is holding an open flame up to it, and I clear my throat. “Josephine Hart.”

“Miss Hart,” he purrs, and my insides twist at the sound of my name on his lips. “I’m assuming you weren’t listening just now. We’re doing roll call, and I have asked each member of the class to stand up and introduce themselves.” His dark eyes hold mine, and despite his smile, I feel like a fly under a microscope. Even outside the bedroom, he’s the same dominating man, always in control of the situation.

Professor Scott crosses his arms over his chest and tilts his head, and I realize he’s having fun with this. “Guess who’s next, Miss Hart.”

My insides flip and flop. Public speaking is not my forte. It’s my worst nightmare, actually. He’d know this if he ever bothered to get to know me.

“Me?” I squeak out, and with his silent nod, I rise on shaky legs. I hate him for forcing me to do this. How can I, someone who dances every night for a roomful of horny men, get a case of the shakes from merely talking in front of people? I don’t understand it, but then again, not everything in life makes sense.

Focusing, I place all of my attention on him, drawing the strength I need from looking into those eyes that have held me steady for months. I’ve met his challenges before, and I’m determined to meet them again.

When I open my mouth to speak, I am surprised to hear my voice come out loud, clear, and steady. “My name is Josephine, but everyone calls me Joe. I grew up in Michigan, but moved here for school almost four years ago.” With a large inhale, I begin to sit, but Professor Scott’s voice stops me.

“And what degree are you pursuing?”

“Uh…” I stand back up, looking him in the eye. I can almost swear I saw a glint of something there as if he were getting some sort of satisfaction from my discomfort. Knowing him, he probably is. Folding my hands in front of me, I tell him, “Art. Art is my major.”

“Are you looking to teach, or perform?”

“Perform?”

“Paint, draw, sculpt,” he clarifies, and yeah, that subtle curve of his lips tells me he’s enjoying this. Immediately, I take a mild dislike to this side of him, the one that has invaded my academic life, but at the same time my insides flutter. I shouldn’t be getting turned on by this, and yet, I am.

“Painting and drawing,” I answer firmly, and I know by the slight narrowing of his eyes that he approves of my answer. I shouldn’t be happy about that.

He averts his gaze, freeing me from its mesmerizing effect, and I drop back into my chair. My heart continues to beat a mile a minute the rest of the hour. When our time is up, I stuff the handouts in my bag and grab Annie’s wrist, hurrying her out of there as if my ass has caught fire. I don’t slow down until we break out onto the campus and the warm morning sunlight hits my face.

“Who’s the one running now?” Annie laughs as she releases herself from my grip and straightens the backpack hanging off her shoulder. She rotates it and grimaces. “Damn, I think you pulled my arm out of the socket. What was that back there? It was like he was focused on you. Have you had him before?”