Page 9 of Spring Fling

“Abs!” My head pokes out from my locker when I hear Jess call my name. She’s barreling down the hallways full speed ahead, like normal.

I sigh heavily. Everything is normal today. After such a spectacular week, I’m back to my incredibly boring everyday life. Except for the lingering ache in my heart and in my nether regions. And, Logan’s texts over the last two days. I thought that they would taper off and he’d forget all about me. Out of sight, out of mind and all that.

But, we’d had several conversations via text and he called me Saturday and Sunday night. My parents were out at some function or another, so I didn’t have to worry about being overheard. He still insists he wants to see me and I’m a mess of emotions about it.

I want him more than anything and I’m swamped with guilt over not confessing to still being in high school. I mean, does it really matter? I’m eighteen and I wasn’t lying about going into my sophomore year of college.

Even if I can keep him from finding out, I don’t know how I would juggle that with keeping my parents from learning about him. It’s a lot of secrets to balance and I wonder if it wouldn’t be best just to break it off with him. Instead, I made plans to meet him tonight after one of my college classes. My parents think I’m staying late for a study group and Jess is backing me up. My stomach is in knots, anxious to see Logan, but so nervous about how this is going to work.

Jess had pestered me with questions about my week for the whole plane ride home and she was adamant that he wasn’t going to let me go without a fight. Her dreamy imagination probably had him carrying me off into the sunset to a castle far, far away.

“Abs!” Jess’s shrill voice breaks through my dreary musings. She’s right in front of me now and her deep brown eyes are sparkling. “Apparently Mr. Dougan decided to retire early and they brought in someone new to teach AP physics for the rest of the year. I guess it’s a temp position but could turn permanent. Anyway, I haven’t seen him yet, but Meredith says he is panty-melting hot! Class will be a lot more interesting if we have man candy to stare at for the rest of the year. I wonder what he looks like. I hope he’s as sexy as your spring boy toy.”

Jess is going a mile a minute, barely stopping to breathe between sentences. I roll my eyes when she finally pauses. “Boy toy? Really, Jess?”

She laughs and shrugs. Looping her arm through mine, she steers us away from my locker. I quickly grab my bag off the floor and slam the door shut before she drags me out of reach.

As we walk, we pass by the every-present gaggle of gawking boys. Jess’s fan club. Despite wearing the same uniform, Jess somehow manages to make hers look like she’s staring in every man’s school-girl fantasy. Her auburn hair is even pulled up into a high ponytail making her face look younger, at odds with her obvious woman’s body.

I push my glasses up my nose and glance down with a mental sigh. I barely hit into my uniform anymore. The shirts really aren’t built for busty women and the buttons are straining a little. It’s clear that they didn’t take taller girls into consideration when designing the length. The hem is all the way out and I still have the urge to constantly tug it down. Chucks (lucky for me, they don’t crack down on the footwear here), unruly curls, and nothing but a little mascara on my lashes, complete the nerdy vision that is my normal self.

It’s the same thing I see every day, so I don’t know why it’s bothering me today. I suppose a week of dressing in revealing, sexy clothes, or rather ... spending most of it with those clothes on the floor, it feels weird to return to my boring and stuffy reality.

A group of girls are gathered in a huddle outside the classroom door, whispering and giggling. I’m a little more curious to see this new teacher who has all the female students in a tizzy. Jess takes back her arm and smoothes her ponytail, pinches her cheeks, and affixes a seductive smile to her face.

“Jess, this isn’t a romance novel. If you’re fantasizing about some naughty student/teacher scenario, knock it off. You’ll be kicked out of school if your caught and he’ll be fired.”

She grins at me. “That’s the point.” Leaning in she mock-whispers, “forbidden sex is hawt, Abs. H.A.W.T.”

“It amazes me that you have the periodic table of elements memorized but can’t spell hot correctly,” I say sardonically.

She sticks her tongue out at me. “Mature, Jess,” I grumble. “That’ll have him eating out of your hand in no time.” She laughs and flounces into the room while I follow at a more sedate pace. I’m curious, but it’s not possible for this guy to come anywhere close to being as gorgeous as Logan.

Inside the room, I stop dead in my tracks. I take that back. It’s possible if the new teacher is Logan. My eyes are probably bugging out of my head as I stare to the front of the room. I blink a few times, convinced I’m in the thick of a day dream. Must be the conversation I had with Jess about wild fantasies. Ones that feel unbelievably real and have lust coursing through my body, reducing me to smoldering ashes.

I can only see his profile but, almost as if he senses my gaze, his head swivels in my direction. My hopes for an alternate reality are shattered as I meet the hazel eyes of Logan James. Shock registers on his face for a moment before he quickly shudders his expression. However, the deadpan mask doesn’t hide the fury suddenly raging in his eyes.

Shit. Shitshitshit!I don’t even wince at my course language. This is just that bad. Averting my eyes, I drop my head and scurry to a desk in the back. As I pass Jess, she is staring at me with wide, questioning eyes, her mouth slightly open. I jerk my chin up and down once and swing into the seat behind her. I busy myself pulling out my book and other materials, afraid to look back at the desk facing the rest of the class.

“Hey, guys, I’m Mr. James.” I can almost hear the other females in the class collectively sigh and it irritates me. Not that I can blame them. His voice washes over me, the gritty sound grating over my sensitive nerve endings. My nipples harden and a tingling starts up between my legs. I squeeze my thighs together but the friction and my... jewelry only increase the ache.

“I’ll be standing in for Mr. Dougan through the end of the year.”

He continues on with the rest of class, being the sexy, funny Logan I got to know in Miami. Jealousy is licking at my skin like flames, wishing that I didn’t have to share him with anyone else. I wanted to keep this Logan for me, for him to be only mine.

My nerves are the only thing stronger than the green emotions eating at me. I have no idea what his reaction is going to be and so, like the chicken that I am, I spend the majority of class curled into myself, trying to be invisible. It’s not working though. I can feel his burning gaze every time it lands on me.

Finally, the bell rings and I swiftly throw my stuff into my bag and stand, throwing it over my shoulder.

“Miss Bronson, hang back for a minute, please.”

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Jess and I freeze and stare at each other, except while I’m sure I look like a deer caught in headlights, Jess’ expression is smug. The room empties and for the first time since I entered the room, I look up and meet beautiful hazel eyes.

Filled with ... anger and contempt. Oh crap. He is clearly beyond pissed. I’m surprised to realize that I might have been harboring a little bit of a fairytale hope too, only recognizing it as it disappears.

I realize this is bad, being his student means—my gut clenches at my realization—we can’t be together. But, his level of animosity is a little confusing.

Jess and I approach the front of the room and I glare at her as she heads for the door. She gives me a somewhat sympathetic smile, but it’s fake and we both know it. Especially when she winks at me before bouncing from the room, closing the door behind her. I face Logan who is sitting behind his desk, leaning back with his arms crossed over his muscular chest. His gaze is dark and brooding as he stares at me, ratcheting up my trepidation with his continued silence.

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