Page 3 of The Professor's Possession (Crystal River Billionaire Brothers)

Fiction or not, I must have my dream girl.

1

OLIVIA

It’s rainingwhen I first arrive at the dorms of Crystal River University, and it’s not just any littlepatter patterof wetness, but a downpour of epic Biblical proportions.

Great way to start all this...

It turns out that - in all my infinite wisdom - last night I packed my one umbrella deep at the bottom of the baggage I’m currently dragging behind me, thus making the useful device impossible to rummage out in the rain, and so now my tawny brown hair is dripping wet and I’m constantly having to blow away drops of water as they attempt to drip-feed into my mouth. My gray hoodie is soaked. I can feel the sloshing of water inside my black sneakers with every step I take.

Yeah, this is a really great start to being a promising university student, Olivia.

But the weather can’t dampen the potent cocktail of nerves and excitement bubbling inside me as I glance up at the building in front of my wet self.

College. Crystal River University.

This is going to be my home for the next few years.

A new town.

A newbeginning.

I take a moment to let it all sink in. This moment is the culmination of so much work over the last couple of years. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had my mind set on college.

I’vedreamtof this moment. To be here. Outside this building. Standing in the rain. With a big grin on my face.

That’s what I’ve worked my butt off for all these years.

High school was hell, but a necessary hell to struggle through in order to reach where I have always wanted to go. I simply put my head down and studied hard during those long years, ignoring all the high school politics and mean girls and jocks and parties and rude comments in the hallways forthisexact moment.

I venture a step through the doors of the dorm building and get inside, safe from the rain. I’m dripping on the floor around me like a wet dog. The bag I’m dragging behind me makes a loud thump as it bounces through the door.

I don’t know exactly what I want to get out of college in terms of a job or anything. I only had my sights on getting out of my small town at the first possible chance. Sure, this new town of Crystal River is still pretty freaking small in the scheme of the big wide world, but at least it has a university and is adequately far enough away from all the people I knew in high school. To a girl like me, it’s pretty damn big. This university is a steppingstone to another world.

To the world of adulthood.

There are many people inside the lobby as I step inside. Such a rush of bodies running around. People carrying boxes and bags into rooms. Friends hugging. Parents saying emotional goodbyes to their kids as they embark on this next life adventure.

My own parents aren’t here to wave me off. It took me two bus coaches to get here from home. It was simply too far for either Mom or Dad to drive me.

I better message Mom to tell her I got here before she starts to worry...

As I turn around and take in the flurry of activity, My breathing quickens. I start to feel overwhelmed. And a tiny bit afraid. I’m an introverted girl, and this is all so...much.

I really hope I fit in here.

One thing’s for sure – despite the social nerves - I can’t wait to get started.

Okay dokey, time to find my room.

In my hands is the soaking piece of paper that contains my dorm number and registration details for college. I have it on my phone as well, but I do like to have a physical copy in my hands, just to hold on to. It’s like me with books; I love the convenience of an eBook, but nothing ever beats a nice leathery hardback between your fingers.

I see a couple kissing outside a dorm room as I wander past. I can’t help but notice there is a lot of tongue sharing going on between the two as they feel the curves of each other’s bodies in such a public forum. I’m guessing they are both around eighteen. My age. The girl turns toward me and my eyes quickly – and instinctively - dart away from her stare, embarrassed to be caught looking.

I’ve never had anything like that. No passionate love. No secret kisses outside boys’ houses or in the park. That kind of stuff is only reserved for me in the books I read. I mean, some guy at high school once, off-handedly, told me I’m toomousey. Whatever that means. That memory has stuck with me far longer and deeper than it should have, I know, but how can it not? I didn’t even have a date for prom. No one asked me. I didn’t mind, though. I went on my own and left early to go back home in order to finish reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. That was a good night,andI didn’t have to make small talk with any horny teenage boys who were looking for an easy prom night screw, so that was a dodge well-worth taking.

I squeeze past the kissing couple, doing my best to ignore them with my eyes firmly set further down the dorm hallway.

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