She forced a smile. “That’s kind of you, but I’ve already explored and know my way around. Thank you, though.” She kept her tone pleasant but dismissive.
His chin lifted slightly. Barely enough to be observed, but she’d learned the hard way to notice signs of irritation in a man. His intelligent gaze pinned her, and for a second, she felt trapped and breathless. Not scared. Then his gaze relented. “I see. Very well. If you require any assistance, please call onme,Ms. Falls.”
Had he emphasized the title? Heat started to filter through her face, but she shoved down emotion. She barely kept from defending herself, pointing out she had earned a master’s degree in statistics with an emphasis in game theory. She didn’t have a doctorate. Most professors at the elite university held doctorates, and apparently this one was a snob about it. Fine. That was good. She didn’t want to join their titled ranks. The real world would crush a guy like this—one who’d no doubt lived his life inside the cocoon of academia.
She glanced at her watch. Pointedly.
“It’s fairly dark outside and the storm is getting worse. Would you like me to walk you to your car?” he asked, all warmth gone.
“No. I have another hour or so of work to do here,” she said, taking a step back. She’d parked beneath a light pole as close to the building as possible, making sure she’d have a clear line of sight from the front door to her clunky car. “Good night.” Without waiting for his response, she shut the door. Her head ringing, she placed her right hand on the heavy wood and then leaned in, ear to door, listening for his retreating footsteps. Once the sound dissipated, she quietly engaged the lock.
Deep breath. Take a deep breath. She did so several times before turning back to her work, quietly edging around the sharp corners to sit in the ergonomically correct chair, then pushing back to look beneath the desk.
Trudy remained curled up on the large pillow beneath her worn green blankie with the elephants on it, her three-year-old body lax in sleep, her face peaceful. Her curly brown hair had escaped its twin ponytails, and her pink lips were pursed as she dreamed, hopefully of ponies and kittens.
A burst of love pulsed around Gemma’s heart a second before the edge of fear crept in. “We’re safe, baby,”she whispered.
For now.
Chapter Two
“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” Jethro said to the mutt as they walked along the wide hallway through throngs of students, many of whom stoppedto pet the dog.
Roscoe panted happily, butting up against a tall, leggy blonde.
The teenager dropped to her haunches and dug both hands through the dog’s fur, scratching his ears. “He’s so sweet. What’s his name?”
“Roscoe,” Jethro said. “I have to bring him to work with me on Mondays because it’s my longest day, and I don’t trust the bloke at my flat alone for that long.” Somehow, no matter what Jethro did, the dog found any alcohol on the premises and created a disaster. He needed to store his wine collectionsomewhere else.
The young woman stood, shoving her backpack over her shoulder. “You mustbe Dr. Hanson.”
“I must be,” Jethro agreed, giving Roscoe a look. They only had an hour for lunch, and the dog had already wasted too much time trying to get attention from pretty ladies. They’d both spent the night over with a lady friend they’d met at the dog park, and Roscoe had gotten plenty of love that morning from the stunning brunette—one Jethro would probably never see again.
“I’ve heard about you and your accent.” The student rocked back on thick snow boots. “I’m Laura Jenkins, and I’ll see you tomorrow in your Intro to Philosophy class.”
Ah. A freshman or sophomore. Jethro smiled and unobtrusively shoved his fingers beneath Roscoe’s collar to tug him along. “I’ll see you in class, Laura. It’s nice to have met you.” He kept his grip strong enough that Roscoe finally moved into action next to him, winding through students trying to find their classes onthe first day.
Roscoe barked and yanked free, skidding through a classroom door and right into Gemma Falls as shetried to exit.
The woman yelped and backed away, dropping several file folders. Papers slid out, cascading to the ground and landing onJethro’s boots.
He sighed and leaned down to clean up the mess. “I’m sorry, Ms. Falls.He’s an idiot.”
Roscoe sat, wagging his tail and displacing more papers.
She eyed the dog and gingerly reached out, patting him awkwardly on the head. “You bring your dog to work?”
“I’m just dog sitting for a friend and couldn’t leave the mutt home alone all day.” Jethro straightened and handed over the papers and file folders.
“Oh. Well.” She accepted them and regained her composure quickly. In full daylight she was even more beautiful than she’d been the night before, but just as glacier-cold. White-blond hair bluntly cut at her shoulders, pale skin, and brown eyes that were almost flat. No emotion anywhere near her.
He backed up a step and wanted to tell Roscoe to forget it. There was no warmth in that woman. Unfortunately he was more than acquainted with her type. All she was missing was diamonds at her ears and strands of pearls at her throat, and she’d be a dead ringer for his late mum. May thedevil have her.
The dog was too dumb to notice and edged toward Ms. Falls, lifting her handwith his nose.
“Sorry.” Jethro pulled him back by the collar before she could freak out. Or freeze the animal with a death glare or something. He should be polite, considering Serena had asked him to look out for the ice queen. “How was your first class?”
“I believe it went well,” Ms. Falls said, brushing past Roscoe. “I was headed for my second class, which lasts two hours. I guess my lunch will be at one.”
