Page 15 of Her Professor's Valentine

Chapter 10

Penny

Professor Elliot placedplates and silverware on his dining room table. He’d already barbecued two steaks by the time I’d arrived at his house after school. My stomach rumbled as I surveyed the meat and veggies he’d made.

“I can’t believe you cook.” I couldn’t hide how impressed I was.

He shrugged. “I’ve always been a bachelor. Self-sufficiency is part of the gig.”

“So, can I ask you a question?” I tapped my finger four times on the dark wood tabletop.

“Knock yourself out.” He scooped some roasted vegetables onto my plate and waved for me to sit down.

I sat and stared up at him, his shirt unbuttoned and his stubble even darker now that the day was over. “You did the video, right?”

“For the sake of plausible deniability, I won’t answer that, but I think you already know the truth.” He sat next to me, his woodsy, masculine scent tangling with the aromas wafting from the food.

“Okay, so what do you think will happen to her?” I watched as he poured two glasses of white wine.

“Administrative leave. She won’t teach for the rest of the semester, and then Dean Hawkins will have to decide if he wants to keep her on faculty. I don’t care either way. I’ve assured her there’s plenty more where that video came from, and I’m not afraid to use them. She won’t be bothering us again.”

“You should have seen her face.” I shook my head, disbelief still eddying in my mind. News spread throughout the school, and within five minutes, the video had been uploaded to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and who knew where else. Someone started a rumor that the man in the video was a student, which made it spread even faster. “The Naughty Professor” had gone viral, and Sarah Irvine had disappeared from campus.

“Profess—”

“Call me Ryan. Though, I must admit.” He grinned, charm in the upturn of his lips. “I enjoy it when you call me professor while we fuck.”

My cheeks began to heat, but I continued with my question, “Ryan, was that you on the video?”

He handed me a napkin, his gaze downcast. “Yes.”

“Did she know she was being recorded?”

“It was her idea. So, yes.” He pointed at my steak with his knife. “Dig in.”

“Wow.” I cut a corner of my ribeye and popped the meat into my mouth. He’d cooked it perfectly medium, just the way I liked.

“You aren’t afraid she’ll try to retaliate?” I tried not to talk with my mouth full, but failed.

“Afraid?” He raised an eyebrow. “Not at all. Besides, like I said, I have more videos—and dirt—on her than just that one little snippet you saw.”

I cleared my throat. “How long were you with her?”

He set his knife and fork on the edge of his plate, then reached out and took my hand. “A few months. But I ended it with her at the start of the semester.”

“Why?”

He stared at me and squeezed my hand. “I think you know.”

“Me?” I couldn’t comprehend what he was saying. “But you didn’t even know me. I was just a name on your classroom roll.”

“I know you. And you’ll learn about me as we go.” He didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by the rapid nature of our relationship.

I shook my head. “You don’t really know me. I don’t know anything about you or your family.” My voice rose. “Not even your favorite color or where you grew up. This is… This is crazy.”

“This is love.” He took another drink of wine.

I stood and backed away from the table. “This is too fast. It’s crazy!”

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