Page 13 of Forbidden Professor

The first class seems to stretch for an entire morning, although it’s just an hour and a half. When I finally let the class out, Eve starts packing frantically, as if she can escape me and run away forever. As much as I wish that she wasn’t in my very first med school class, there’s no point in not having the conversation that we are about to have.

“Ms. Moreland?” I call.

She freezes and then looks up guiltily. Her eyes are pleading with me not to single her out, but it’s too late. I’m not sure what she’s afraid I will say. I don’t exactly want anyone to know that I’ve fantasized a dozen times about fucking her either.

“Come see me before you leave,” I say, trying to keep my tone light.

She makes a face like I just asked her to kick a dog, but she nods. I see her exchange a few words with a brunette as the rest of the class files out of the room, their minds already on their next tasks. When at last it is just the two of us, Eve shoulders her bulging tote bag and slinks down the steps toward me.

She sucks in a breath and scans the empty classroom. I stack the couple of textbooks I’m taking with me, narrowing my eyes on her face. She hugs her tote closer and scrunches up her face.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were going to be here?” she blurts out.

My eyebrows rise. “I told you I was teaching here!”

“No, you didn’t. I’d have remembered that!” Eve insists.

“I didn’t know until recently that I was even going to be working here. Why didn’t you ever tell me you were going to med school here?”

She frowns. “I guess it never came up. But… I mean, I did rent a house that is facing the med school, specifically. It seems kind of obvious that I’m going here.”

I cross my arms. “That’s a poor indication, actually. I had no idea. But, I rent in the same neighborhood, so I feel like the same could be said of me.”

Silence lapses between us, more awkward the longer it grows. She looks away, fidgeting. Her cheeks redden. “Look, Carter. This is easy, right? We’ll keep things professional. We can’t have sex, obviously. Student professor relationships are forbidden, I am sure. Which is fine, because Aiden would kill us both if he found out we had gotten physical.”

I fold my arms across my chest. “You don’t have to tell me, Eve. The professor I’m replacing was fired for having inappropriate relations with a student. Or students, as the case may be.”

Her tongue darts out to wet her lower lip. “Oh. Shit.”

I continue as if she hadn’t even spoken. “So, whatever it is you had planned?—“

Her shock is obvious. “Excuse me? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“What?” I ask, frowning. “I mean, you had something planned. Right?”

I can’t believe she’s forcing me to remind her.

“Stop it!” she says, shaking her head. She’s blushing and I hate to admit it, but it’s charming as hell. She’s so damned cute, all flustered and awkward, shifting her stance from foot to foot, like a nervous horse. “Whatever. Let’s just… like… forget that we… uh… even met.”

My lips turn up at the corners. “Are you suggesting that we pretend that we don’t know each other?”

Her eyes find me again. “Do you have a problem with that,professor?”

Her rebellious side is showing. I wish it wasn’t quite so attractive to me. I frown. “No,Ms. Moreland. As long as it is understood that you aren’t going to receive any special favors from me.”

She folds her arms across her chest. “I wasn’t asking for any or expecting any. I’m sure I’ll do just fine in this class on my own merits.”

My eyes narrow. “Fine.”

She leans closer. “Fine.”

I pick up my books, feeling surly. “Dismissed.”

Eve gives me a pointed look that would send a lesser man to his knees and shakes her head. Tossing her hair, she turns and sprints up the steps, disappearing out of the classroom.

I blow out a breath. I can’t believe this is happening. When I told my boss I could handle this situation, I never expected in a million years it would be Eve I would have to resist.

I sit for a moment, contemplating what I was facing here. Eve could be a problem this semester, but that’s only if I let her. I won’t. Dr. Mooney flashes in my head, warning me about the students who throw themselves at the professor. Is that idea very appealing when it comes to Eve?

---