Page 57 of Prickly Romance

I step back, but Dejonae steps closer.

“Am I wrong,professor?” she whispers.

“You have a simplified understanding of the mechanics,” I grumble. “Do not get cocky, Miss Williams.”

“I’m not the one who’s suffering from an over-inflated ego.”

I start moving and I do not stop until I am right in front of her. “Would you like a gold star?”

“I’d like you to admit that I know what I’m talking about.”

“You know a little,” I concede grumpily.

“What a fancy way of admitting you’re wrong.”

I grunt.

How easily she unnerves me.

Her hand is still on my wrist.

Mine is still around her throat.

I could so easily grip her neck and squeeze. Hear her whimper my name.

A flash of heat climbs my spine.

I could break her.

But she has no fear.

Her thumb, unconsciously, scrapes against my wrist as we stare at one another.

I cannot walk away first. Breaking her grip would be admitting that she affects me.

And I will not have that.

“Guys?” Adam says hesitantly.

I had forgotten he was there.

Dejonae takes a step back as if she’d forgotten too.

We both breathe in deeply.

Adam’s eyes dart between me and the feisty college student.

“You’re right, Dejonae. Speakers are, in essence, patterned off of our vocal box. In order for the sound to be clear, the vocal folds have to vibrate together, symmetrically. If it’s off by even a centimeter, the voice might be soft or hoarse. Engineers studied those principles and applied them to the modern sound system.”

Dejonae gives me a cheeky grin. “Then they fine-tuned it so speakers could become portable.”

“Exactly.” Adam nods in approval. “You know your music history.”

“A college class would not have given you such in-depth knowledge on vibrations. Have you done research of your own?”

She nods. “When my sister decided to be a model, she had a hard time walking to the beat. You know that most modeling shows have music, right?”

I did not.