Page 56 of The Professor's Possession (Crystal River Billionaire Brothers)

“Real things,” I reply. “Real people.”

“Maybe it’s your mind telling you something,” the man says, his voice low and soft. “Dreams hold the keys to our innermost thoughts. Maybe you should listen to them, especially if they are about real people.”

“And what do your dreams tell you, professor? What innermost thoughts do you have?”

He smirks. “They tell me a lot of things, Miss Weldon. Scary things. Things that possess my waking mind. Real people I shouldn’t dream about.”

“That sounds like a nightmare,” I say.

The professor nods.

“I really do hope you enjoy that book, Miss Weldon,” he whispers. “There are a lot of themes I would like you to wrap your head around.”

“What kind of themes, professor?” I ask him.

“Love, longing, andlust,” he replies slowly. He really takes his time pronouncing each word. Savoring the sounds in his pretty mouth.

“Powerful themes,” I say. “Sounds like it really might give me nightmares, then.”

The professor takes a step back. He’s no longer in my personal space. I feel a twang of disappointment that he’s drifting away from me. Stupid, I know. Foolish, even.

But I really wish he could stay and tell me all about his subconscious plays to him at night.

Finding out about him and how his mind ticks has become like a strange addiction. An addiction that’s never satisfied, especially not now.

“I hope you study hard,” the professor says before he leaves. “I’ll see you in class.”

26

OLIVIA

“What are you doing?”

I look up to see Ava standing in the doorway to our dorm room. I have been so engrossed in my copy of Wuthering Heights that I haven’t even realized she’s opened the door.

“Hello, Ava. What’s up?”

She regards me with astonishment on her pretty face.

“You’rereadingin bed on aFridaynight?”

“Yep. One of life’s simple pleasures,” I reply, shrugging. “What are you planning to do tonight?”

Ava marches in and shuts the door behind her. “I am planning on going out this Friday night,” she says. “And I am planning to have fun. Like anormalhuman being. Like anormalcollege student.”

“Oh.”

She starts to get ready, browsing through her outfits to pick the right one. She looks disapprovingly at a few. She really shouldn’t. I know Ava can look good in anything she wears. Hell, she could put on a trash bag and still somehow be the most stylish person at the party she’s going to tonight.

Eventually, she settles on a short dress. A youthful soft pastel-colored chic dress that I know will accentuate her curves in the perfect way.

“What do you think?” she asks me, waving it around.

“Yeah. Really good. You’ll look great in that.”

“Are you just saying that, Olivia? You really mean it?”

“Ava, a million girls would kill to have a figure like yours,” I reply truthfully. “You literally have nothing to worry about. That dress will look stunning on you. I am sure of it.”

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