I can’t help but grin and say, “You could’ve seen all of me last night.”
He groans and cups my face, pulling me closer so our lips are almost touching. “Don’t think for one second I haven’t been thinking about that all night long.”
I smile and kiss his bottom lip. “Did you do anything about it?”
His chuckle is sexy as hell when he says, “I did,” and threads his fingers in my hair.
“Did you think about me while you did it?”
“Who the fuck else would I think about, Van?”
Without letting me answer, he presses his mouth to mine and kisses me until nothing else exists except the feel of his mouth against mine and the weight of his hand cupping the back of my head. For a few precious minutes, I lose myself in him, and when he pulls back, it’s too soon for me and I try to kiss him again.
“You’re going to be late, baby,” he reminds me. “Believe me, I don’t want to stop either, but you know how important this class is, and your professor will be pissed if you’re late.” He gives me one last slow kiss. “I refuse to come between you and your classes. I’ll pick you up after your last lecture, okay?”
I smile and nod. “Okay.” When I sit back, I look out the window, remembering everything he told me last night. “You’re sure it’s safe?”
“I would never let you step foot out of this car if I didn’t think it was.”
He sees my reaction to his words and grins. “There’s my dimple.”
“Yours?”
“Yes, mine, just like every other part of you.” When I hesitate, torn between kissing him again and actually getting to class on time, he makes the decision for me by saying, “Dr. Ellison is going to be pissed, Van.”
“Shit,” I mutter, finally getting my butt in gear. I steal one last quick kiss and then grab the to-go cup of coffee becausethere’s still half left and I’m not about to waste it. I open the car door, but before I get out, I look over at him and say, “I can’t believe you know all my professors’ names.”
He gives me a wink that has me seriously reconsidering my plan to attend class today and says, “I’ll meet you outside your last class. Good luck with your child psychology exam, although I know you don’t need it.”
“Wow,” I whisper. “You have some stalker issues, don’t you?”
He grins. “You have no idea. Make sure you eat lunch, Van.” He winks and adds, “I’ll know if you don’t. I’m guessing it would embarrass you if I ordered a pizza and had it delivered to your class.”
“Don’t you dare,” I tell him as I step out of his car. I lean down and give him a smile. “I’ll see you soon. Thanks again for the ride and for breakfast.”
“Anytime, sweetheart.”
I’m still beaming like an idiot when I walk into my class and quickly take my usual seat near the front with mere seconds to spare. When I look up, Dr. Ellison’s brows are scrunched in concern as he looks at me. I smile to let him know I’m okay. I’m usually the first one here, not the last, and I’ve never rushed in with a flushed face and loopy grin. I duck my head, wanting to hide the state Niki’s left me in from my much older professor, the one whose opinion matters most to me and whose input could negatively or positively impact my entire future.
Getting my head back in the here and now, I push aside all sexy thoughts of my boyfriend and instead focus on Dr. Ellison’s lecture. It’s a lot harder than it probably should be. My mind keeps wanting to wander, and I have to keep reining it in and back to where it belongs. When class is over, I’m not too surprised when I hear my name being called.
I look towards the podium to see Dr. Ellison motioning for me to come to him. I nod and start to gather my things. WhileI’m carefully sliding my laptop into my bag, I hear Garret say, “Somebody’s in trouble.”
I briefly glance over at the guy who’s always given me the creeps. His large frame is blocking my exit from the aisle, and when I step closer, he doesn’t step back to let me through. His dark eyes run over me in the same leering way they always do. Grabbing the strap of my messenger bag, I say a quick, “Excuse me,” and then hurry and squeeze past.
“I’ll see you around, Savanna,” he says, but I ignore him. He’s tried to make conversation a few times, and I’ve always politely gotten my ass away with excuses about needing to get to my next class. He’s never said or done anything that crosses a line, but he looks at me like he’s imagining me naked, and it’s unsettling to be on the receiving end of it
“Is he bothering you?” Dr. Ellison asks as soon as I’m near him.
“No, I’m fine,” I tell him, while he starts gathering up his lecture notes from class. He glances over at me, clearly not convinced but also not wanting to overstep any boundaries and butt in. He brushes back a lock of dark hair that’s fallen onto his forehead while his blue eyes continue to study me. I heard him joke once about nearing fifty, but he could easily pass for early forties. It’s no secret that a lot of the education majors have a crush on Dr. Ellison, despite the fact that he’s married and has three kids, but I’ve never seen him like that. From the beginning, he’s been my mentor, and I can’t imagine seeing him as anything other than that.
“You’re usually early for class. Everything okay?”
“I’m sorry about that,” I say. “It won’t happen again, Dr. Ellison.”
He’s quiet while he stuffs his notes into his briefcase before grabbing a folder out of it. Closing the case, he takes the handle and then pauses while he looks at me. “You’re very smart,Savanna, one of my best students. I’d hate to see you lose sight of your goals. Next year is going to be very challenging. Now isn’t the time for distractions.”
“I’m not distracted,” I start to say, but it’s hard to defend something when I know it’s true, so I quickly add, “I’m not going to let anything distract me from my goals, sir.”
