“I’m so sorry. I… I…”
I really need to stop staring. I know my lips are slightly parted, but I can’t help it. Professor Levine is… he’s…
He’swow.
Professor Levine is Wow. Capital W. Wow.
He has dark blond hair and brilliant blue eyes. His slightly downturned lips are full. He’s all broad shoulders and a trim waist. I didn’t think professors actually looked like him outside of movies… and maybe a few of the videos I’ve barely been able to watch while Zandy wasn’t in the dorm room. The kind that start with a ridiculous scenario and devolve into moaning entirely too fast.
I haven’t really been able to get much further than that.
But he looks like he could star in one ofthose.
“Mr. Archer?”
Oh God,he even has one of those deep rumbly voices. He’s big, huge, intimidating…
He’s barely said anything to me, but I can already tell that his presence completely fills a room. I haven’t been in this buildingsince freshman year—I tested out of most of my core classes, and took the majority that I could online. I’veheardpeople say the drama professor is a hard-ass.
But…
“Sorry, sir.” I murmur, dropping my eyes to the ground like it will save me from how ridiculous I’m acting. “My name is Luca… Luca Archer.”Luca, he already knows your name.“I’m your new TA.”And if he knows your name, he probably knows that too. “I’m not really familiar with your curriculum, but I’m sure I can catch up. I’m a quick study. I…”I’m having a fantastic conversation with his shiny, dark shoes.
“Mr. Archer?” He says it again, and the deep tone in his voice finally makes me jerk my gaze up, like those syllables are attached to strings that control my movements. When I meet his gaze, I swallow hard. And if I’m not mistaken, he watches the way my throat bobs while I do it. He’s a huge sporty type; he’s probably smelling the weakness and trying to figure out how to get a new TA because I’m pathetic.
“Yes, sir?” Who let someone who looks like he should be hanging out with Zandy teachtheater?I thought I’d be working for someone nerdy. Not…
“You can take a seat at my desk. Class is about to start. Observe the lecture, and we can discuss your responsibilities after.” He’s watching me like my response is going to make or break my position here, and I do the only thing I can. I nod quickly. Once, twice.
“Yes, sir.”
I start to head to the desk, and he catches my wrist before I can turn. My heart jumps into my throat again. I’ve had bad experiences with professors before—handsy professors—so I’m not sure why I’m okay with the warmth of his fingers around my wrist. “Mr. Archer?”
My mouth feels dry, and my eyes drop from his intense gaze to his fingers wrapped around my wrist. Big. They’re so big. “Yes, sir?”
He scrutinizes me for a moment, and then finally shakes his head. “Your books are on the floor.”
Oh.
Yeah.
I did drop those, didn’t I?
I spend the next ninety minutes watching Professor Levine vacillate between making some of his students melt with the slightest bit of praise, while the majority of them just look like they want tocryat his disapproval. I’ve never had a professor with so much… presence. Even in freshman year when I ended up getting involved with Professor Hilman, that was just because he’d smiled and acted like he liked me.
It wasn’t good. Thinking about the way he’d treated me still made me squirm sometimes, but…
That isn’t what Professor Levine is doing. He seems to nearly command his class, and whether they look like they’re going to cry or smile, I can tell they all respect him.
Heisscary. But maybe in a good way.
Definitely in an… attractive way.
Which is leaving me evenmoreconfused. I never reallynoticedhow anyone was attractive until I had to listen to Zandy and his scary boyfriend. And now… now my mind keeps wandering to the question of “What is my type?”
I have to admit, the way Professor Levine’s broad shoulders fill out the dark green dress shirt he’s wearing as he moves around the classroom, the way he sounds so passionate when he’s teaching… is…
It’s attractive. I’m not even sure if it’s the way he looks or the way his deep voice sounds so commanding—so demanding of attention. It’s a voice you could get lost listening to… and even though I try not to, I get a little lost.
