Page 11 of Her Professor's Valentine

Chapter 7

Penny

I shriekedand jerked the comforter over myself. Professor Irvine started yelling, her familiar voice coated in rage as she ran at Professor Elliot. A resounding clap echoed across the room as she made contact with a vicious open-handed slap. Professor Elliot didn’t move.

“What the fuck are you doing?” She raised her hand to strike him again, but he caught it.

“None of your business.” He kept his tone calm and even. “Leave.”

“A student?” Her voice broke as she glared at me, and tears welled up in her dark eyes.

I sat up and clutched the comforter to my chest, unsure of what to do. Whereas Professor Elliot was a hot sort of scary, Professor Irvine was beyond terrifying. She was the harshest grader in all of the law school and happened to be my criminal law professor. And now she’d caught me in bed with a teacher. Oh my god.

“Get out, Sarah.” He released her wrist and stepped back.

“She’s the reason you didn’t come by last night?” She put her hands on her narrow hips, her red nails shocking against the white of her skirt.

“No. I didn’t come by because it’s over. You know that. It’s been over for months. How did you even get in here?” He ran a hand through his dark hair, irritation in the twitch of his muscles.

Months? Had he dumped Professor Irvine when he met me?

She smirked. “I have my ways.” Her smirk turned into a full-on grin. “And now that I’ve witnessed this little incident of teacher misconduct, I have a lot more to bargain with.”

“What are you talking about? Bargain?” He fisted his hands at his sides.

“I want things from you.” She smiled up at him, triumph in her tone. “You know that.”

He sighed and shook his head. “What do you want, Sarah?”

“Easy.” She stepped forward and placed her hand on his chest. “You.”

“Don’t touch him.” Was that my voice?

She turned to me. “I didn’t ask you, you little slut.”

“Don’t call her that.” Professor Elliot slapped her hand away.

“I call them like I see them.” She backed toward the door, then stopped.

The tension in the room felt like a weight on my chest. I tapped my fingers on my leg beneath the blanket. Pinky, ring, middle, index. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Everything would be okay if I could just fit it into four.

Professor Irvine interrupted my taps, her voice dripping with venom. “Get rid of her or I will tell the dean about what I saw this morning.”

“Sarah—”

“No, Ryan.” She leaned against the doorframe, a smile gracing her angular face. “I own you now. I’m the one giving the orders. You’re going to do as I say. I expect you at my house tonight at six o’clock sharp. Be prepared to grovel.”

“Leave him alone.” I rose, still keeping the blanket clutched tightly around me.

Professor Elliot held out a protective hand toward me. “Stay out of it, Penny.”

“Penny.” She turned her harsh gaze to me. “As for you, if you stay away from Ryan, you’ll get through my class with a C. If you don’t, I’m afraid you’re going to fail criminal law.” She made a clucking sound with her tongue. “What a pity.”

I’d never gotten lower than an A-minus in any class. She would sink me, dash all my dreams at getting hired by a top-notch firm. Her threat left me speechless. She intended to ruin me no matter what I did.

“Get out.” He stepped toward her, menace rolling off him. “Before I throw you out.”

She simpered. “You know how I like it. Rough.” Turning on her heel, she flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder and disappeared down the hall. “See you tonight.”

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