The way he talks so nonchalantly as he strolls back to his desk with a grin on his face, looking at his class list and pulling out another notepad from his backpack, makes my heart rate beat just a little faster. And yes, I totally took a sneak peek at his ass, because, um, why not?
When he turns back around, both of the male students are standing next to each other. I study their appearance, and I can tell why he chose them. They do resemble each other physically, but they’re uniquely different in their own ways.
“I’m here, so what’s my name?” the guy who had to come closer asks.
Professor Spence studies them before saying, “You’re Alex, and you’re Paul.” He points to each one as he identifies them.
They both look at each other and smirk, nodding their heads in agreement. Alex looks down at what he’s wearing, asking, “What gave it away?”
“You’re wearing flip-flops. I saw that you, Alex, are from San Diego, and you, Paul, are from Texas. Look, Paul’s jeans are tighter than your baggy jeans, so I looked for subtle clues. It’s not always what you know; it’s the little things you don’t know that help solve the problem.”
“So that’s the purpose of this little game?” I question. “Looking for things that others wouldn’t normally notice?”
“Well then, someone’s catching on, Ashley.”
My lips curl into what I hope is the most mischievous smile, trying to tell him he’s right before I nail him dead-on. The group talks amongst themselves in surprise again, and he goes to walk back to the board before I stop him. “Wrong.”
Gasps of disbelief fill the classroom.
He drops his head, and I watch as his shoulders give away the laugh he’s hiding. “You don’t always win when you gamble, now, do you?”
“No, you don’t.” I bite back a grin.
He turns around and looks back down at his class list. His eyes twinkle with a glare of devilry as he looks up and says, “Angie Smith?”
My lips tilt up slightly. “Pleasure to meet you.”
“Funny, sometimes you can tell because their name just fits them. I would never guess you for an Angie.”
“Why would you say that?”
He taps his lower lip with a long, deft finger, and I’m instantly distracted by the thought of what that finger could do.
“I don’t know. Just something told me that wasn’t you. You and Ashley were the only two people I couldn’t find any pictures of or any info on really. You guys are smart, or should I add, private.”
“Let’s go with private.” I wink, which makes him raise his eyebrows. I can tell I’m the oldest in the class, and the mad professor here seems to be closer to my age, but I’m still trying to figure out what his name is. “Can I play your little game?”
His lips push together as he nods his head in interest. “By all means. Do you want the class list?”
“No, I bet I can guess your name.”
His head moves up and down slowly. “Take your best shot.” His arms open wide, allowing me to fully take in every part of him.
“Let’s see. I know it starts with a C by my registration, but you have that whole nerdy, indie vibe going on, so I’m going to rule out Chris, Charlie, and Cameron.” The barely noticeable lift to his lips tells me that neither of those is his name, so I start naming off every C name I can think of, waiting for any type of reaction to show in his features. “Christian, Caleb, Connor, Cody, Colin, Cole—” The twitch in his eye makes me stop. I pause, looking him up and down before slightly tilting my head in recognition. “Nice to meet you, Cole.”
The grin covering his face makes me sit back in my chair. Yup, I’m made for this.
“Nicely done, Angie. The master gets beat at his own game. After class you’re going to have to tell me more about how you did that.”
“Anytime,Professor Spence,” I say in a flirtatious way.
His eyes meet mine for what I think is a second too long for a student/teacher moment, but I don’t mind. When they break away, he addresses everyone else, “This course is going to be interactive, and I encourage participation. So, everyone get up, move closer, and gather around Mrs. Smith here.” He returns my earlier wink before turning back around and writing his name across the board.
I’m intrigued by his lecture the entire night, and yeah, a lot of it was because he’s easy on the eyes. I also happen to love the way he challenges people and really gets us involved.
When he says good night, I turn to gather my things and am startled when I hear, “Angie, can I talk to you for a minute?”
My eyes meet with a fellow female student, who I shoot a smile before turning around. “Sure, Professor Spence.”
