My eyes narrowed at her. “Hey, do you know who I am?”
Her lips puckered as she shrugged. “Should I?”
If a couple of college senior boys and a male professor did, then a local woman, who worked at a gossip pit, definitely would. “Have you ever heard about the Beauty and the Beast case?”
She blew a bubble with her gum. “No, sweetie, sorry.”
I gave her a quick smile. “No worries. Thank you for the food.”
My mind swirled with suspicions. Alec pursued me on my birthday. It wasn’t a random hookup. And after my conversation with Kayden, I was positive something out of the ordinary was happening with the twin.
Joshua, too.
The three of them possessed qualities and bodies that made smart women go stupid. I was no exception. Alec with a dick that fucked like a beast. Joshua with his mesmerizing looks, voice and charms. Kayden with his protective alpha bravado, and theI like you but can’t have youact I picked up today and actually believed.
I was stupidly crushing on each of them, enjoying the attention, shutting down my brain. How desperate was I for that kind of care the three were showing me even though it was fake and most likely hiding behind a dangerous motive?
How much trouble would I get myself in for one passionate night or—
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart thrashing, dread and anger roiling together inside me. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” My eyes flicked up toward the voice that managed to set a throb in my pussy every time I heard it. “Are you following me?”
Joshua laughed quietly, already sitting. “I’m starting to think it’s you who are following me.”
I cocked a brow, having a serious urge to throw mustard on his sexy, smoldering, all black clothes, and then take them off, mash my burger against his face and chest, and eat it off him, licking his body clean.
Wait a minute… NO! That was not what I was going with, brain! Work with me here!
“I’m not joking. Are you stalking me, Professor?” I asked.
He stared at me with his breathtaking eyes. Then he frowned. “Of course not.”
“Then why do I keep bumping into you everywhere I go?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “You just happen to be at the best eating places in town. Looks like someone has already been showing you around, and you don’t need my help in that department.”
“Nope. I just stumble upon them.”
“You’re so lucky.”
“Lucky?” I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. “Please get another table. I’d like to be alone.”
He wasn’t moving for a few moments, not even breathing, just staring. Then he nodded once. “As you wish.”
As he left the booth, I sighed in relief. Then I jumped when he crouched down by my side. “What the hell?”
“You are a smart, beautiful woman and a talented teacher. You should be making others walk on eggshells around you, not the other way around. You have so much power, Isabella. It’s all in there. You just have to find a way to pull it forth.”
Did he just say my name, my whole first name, with that voice? Did he just say I was beautiful?
Dizzy, I just looked at him. I was not ready for this. Should I respond? Walk away? If I stood up, I was pretty sure I’d fall over.
I knew what I should do. Shoot myself for being irrevocably stupid to want to hear more of his words when I perfectly knew he was just distracting me from seeking the truth.
I loved the way he was talking about me, and it was working. It started to sink in that I might have been paranoid for no reason, and all I needed with some confidence in myself rather than doubting no one would care or like me without ulterior motive.
His gaze entered mine, taking a piece of me with him. I wanted to go. I wanted to follow him wherever he was going.
