Page 36 of My Forbidden Professor

Lily sits back and taps her bottom lip. “Come to think of it, I do think his sweaters have been looking more professionally made lately.”

“Next thing you know, he’ll be sipping chai lattes and discussing the latest skincare trends. I’m going to have to start calling him Tristina if he keeps this up.”

Lily works to keep her grin off her face. “With his golden, all-American boy-next-door look, it suits him.”

I see him coming over here as though he was on the stretched end of a rubber band. “Tell him that if he wants to borrow my sequin pants for his next knitting circle meeting, I expect them back clean and without any stains. I’m still scarred from the last time he spilled the mocha frappe on my favorite T-shirt and denied it was him.”

Lily nods. “Consider it done. He’ll appreciate the fashion tips. He might even take you up on that offer.”

“I’d better hide the sequin top that goes with the pants. I don’t think the world is ready for Tristina’s full glittery glory just yet,” I say.

Tristan takes up the tumbler of neat whiskey and sips. “You two are just jealous of my mad knitting and latte skills. Just wait until I make you both matching sweaters in the most garish neon colors I can find. You’ll be begging for a chai latte and a seat at the knitting circle then, I guarantee it.”

Lily and I both break into giggles. I talk to the most relaxed version of Tristan I’ve ever seen. And then I talk to Lira. I learn her doctor’s name is Sam. They’ve been dating for two months and he absolutely adores her. David and Adeline come over, having been released from their photographer and it’s whirlwind of well wishes and congratulations and laughter. We eat. Dance. Sweat. Drink. Eat.

At one stage Lily misplaces her cell when we come back to the table after dancing to Whitney Houston’s ‘I Want To Dance With Somebody’, but then she finds it on the floor under the table and she’s happy no one stood on it and smashed the screen. I’m out of breath, having had far too much to drink and I want to pee.

“Be quick. We’re doing speeches soon.” Adeline waves me off and I take my leave.

“Yeah, and David wants to get those done and out of the way as fast as he can. The sooner that gets done, the faster he can get his wife out the door to start their honeymoon,” Tristan says. His tie is flung on the table and he’s loosened the top button of his dress shirt.

I chuckle as I weave through the tables, because he practically sleeps in a tie. I head to the little corridor to access the bathrooms. My blood instantly freezes when I see a flash of familiar blond hair. But it can’t be. There’s no way Daniel could be here. Everyone was given a special pass for the wedding. No one could have gotten through security without it. Dad only hires the best.

A hand grabs my elbow and I spin, heart pounding but it’s only Maddy. Her brow pulls into a frown at whatever she sees on my face. “Everything okay?”

I spin back the other way but all I see is the door to the male toilets slowly closing. “Did you see a tall blond man?”

“You mean Tristan?” she asks.

“No. I mean one that’s a little bit older than me.”

Maddy rises on her toes and scans the area, her eyes wide. “Oooo. Mister tall, light and handsome, you mean? Where are you, my Viking knight in shining armor?”

“Believe me, this man is no white knight you want anything to do with,” I mutter.

Maddy falls back to her heels, her brows drawing together as she pins me with a close stare. “Who is this guy?”

“Don’t worry. I think…I think I was just seeing things.” I grab her hand and tug her toward the bathroom. I’m seeing things. It’s just stress. It has to be. “We’d better be quick. They’re bringing the cake out. Let’s be quick so we can keep on enjoying ourselves.”

I let out a breath when she steps after me following a moment of hesitation, and I pretend that the barbed wire ball isn’t shredding my stomach into a bloodied mess at the thought that Daniel may actually be here at my dad’s wedding.

Chapter Sixteen

Steph

The quaint little cafe is bustling with the gentle hum of conversation and the clink of ceramic mugs against saucers. Sunlight pours in through the large front windows, casting everything in a warm, inviting glow. Potted plants and chalkboard menus lend an earthy, rustic vibe to the cozy space.

I shift in the plush armchair, gaze skittering past the eclectic art on the exposed brick walls as Maddy and Lily chatter animatedly across from me. My phone burns a hole in my pocket, the persistent buzz of messages sending tingles of anticipation dancing along my skin.

“Earth to Steph!” Lily’s voice cuts through my wandering thoughts with a teasing lilt. “You’re doing it again—that thousand-yard stare that says your mind is firmly elsewhere.”

Heat creeps up the back of my neck as I meet her mirthful green eyes. “Sorry, what? I was just...uh, admiring the decor.”

The lie feels flimsy on my tongue, but Maddy laughs, taking a sip of her latte. Her gaze zeroes in on my fidgeting hands. “More like admiring the persistent buzzing in your pocket, am I right?”

Shit. Abruptly I still my fingers, pressing my thighs together against the insistent throb between them. Get it together, Steph.

“What?” I feign ignorance with an airy wave of my hand. “Oh, that’s nothing. Just some spam texts, probably.”

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