Page 22 of The Professor's Possession (Crystal River Billionaire Brothers)

I nod. “Yeah, I’m really starting to settle in.”

She smiles warmly. “That’s good. I’m so glad you’ve decided to come to CRU. I can’t imagine sharing a room with anyone else now.”

There’s a knock on the door. Ava whispersLuketo me, and my stomach drops.

I really don’t want to deal with him any more than I have to.

Before waiting for an answer from either of us, Ava’s boyfriend barges into our dorm room. He’s holding a drink in a plastic cup in one hand. I can already smell the alcohol. He’s got that sameUSAmuscle tee on that he had the other day. I wonder if it ever gets washed. He clearly likes the way it shows off his athletic, inflated physique.

“You ready yet, Ava?” he asks sternly as he stands over her.

“Not yet, Luke. Gimme a minute.”

Luke sighs and rolls his eyes toward me. “Girls.”

“Hey, Luke,” I greet.

He regards me like I’ve suddenly appeared out of nowhere to ruin his night. “Olivia.”

He throws my name out like it’s venom.

“How are you?” I ask, deciding to completely ignore his clear distaste of my presence.

“Dandy,” he replies. He offers out the cup in his hand. “You want a drink, Olivia?”

I shake my head. “I’m fine, thanks.”

“Why not?” Luke seems offended that I’ve refused.

“I just don’t drink...offereddrinks, that’s all. Stranger danger and all that.”

Luke takes a step so that he’s standing in my personal space. I turn my body to face him. No way I’m backing down, even if this man is literally twice my size.

“Do you not trust me, Olivia?” he sneers. “I’m a friendly guy, not a stranger.”

I simply shrug. “It’s not about that...”

Luke drops his voice to a near whisper so that Ava, with the music on and sitting on the other side of the room, can’t hear him. “You don’t like me, do you, Olivia?”

“I don’t even know you,” I reply.

Luke smiles. It’s definitely not warm or friendly. “I find that very strange,” he says. “Girls tend to like me, Olivia. They like me alot. Just ask Ava, she knows all about that.”

“What are you saying about me?” Ava breezily calls from the mirror. She really hasn’t been able to hear our intimidating little conversation.

Luke changes into a friendly disposition toward his girlfriend. It happensimmediately. It’s super creepy in its suddenness. “Nothing, Ava.”

“Come on, Luke. Don’t you start teasing my new roommate. Play nice, okay?”

“I was just saying to her that I have got a friend who’s interested in her.”

What?

“Really?” Ava asks.

“Yeah,” Luke continues, giving me a wink. I really don’t want to listen to the rest of this. “He actually saw Olivia the other day on campus and asked me about her. Hereallylikes her. He looked her up on social media as well. He’s going to be at the party tonight, hoping to meet our little friend here.”

“Oh...”

---