Page 6 of The Professor's Possession (Crystal River Billionaire Brothers)

“Look at you, girl. All smart and that. I have never read a book outside of schoolwork.”

“I’ve always wanted to study English Lit,” I say. “I’ve always got a book on the go. It’s my little escape.”

“I love someone with a passion. You seem so smart and your head is so screwed on,” my new roommate remarks with a sigh. “But me? I literally have zero clues about what I want to do. Just want to keep my head above water and survive college at the very least. I have no goals. It’s annoying.”

“I’m sure you’re passionate about something,” I say. “Something you are good at.”

“Well, there were team sports in high school,” Ava replies.

“See? That’s something. Sports is such a passion.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” she says. “I’m just good at being with people, you know what I mean?”

I don’t. Not personally. But I understand where she’s coming from with her extroverted personality. I bet Ava would be the life and soul of any room she walks into.

“Well, you can make me talk without feeling shy,” I say. “That’s a hell of a big deal. I’m usually super cautious with new people, so take it as a big achievement.”

“Exactly! But you’re so easy to talk to, Olivia.”

I can’t hide my blushing.

“Thanks.”

My new roommate sits up on her bed. “I think, with having you around me, that I’m just going to catch some of your smartness and passion by osmosis. You’re going to be good for me, Olivia. I can already tell. I’m good around people like that.”

She’s surely joking about her lack of smarts. I can imagine Ava playing the dumb bimbo to get people to like her as some kind of defense mechanism, but I can already spy that she’s much more aware than she lets on.

She’s already brought me out of my usual defensive social shell, that’s for sure.

“And with me around, are you’re going to start reading?” I ask cheekily.

“Oh, never,” Ava replies with a big smile that enhances her natural prettiness. “I’m not a big old dork like you.”

That makes me laugh.

But my laugh is immediately cut off by a loud knock at our door.

2

OLIVIA

The sudden knockon the door makes me jump in surprise.

“I know who that’ll be,” Ava whispers to me, calming my startled butt down. She then turns toward the door. “Come in, Luke.”

Into our dorm room steps a tall, muscular man. He’s around the same age as Ava and me, but ahellof a lot bigger. Broad-shouldered. Built like an athlete. Spikey short blonde hair and a thick jaw. He wouldn’t be out of place on a poster from the 50s showing an all-American perfect citizen. And what he’s wearing is very American, with a tight-fitting blue muscle tee with the white lettersUSAgaudily printed on the front.

Maybe I should ask him what country he’s from...

He strolls in with a cocky confidence, heading straight toward Ava. He completely ignores me. There’s not one flicker of an acknowledgment as he passes by me, or as he reaches down to Ava, scoops her up in his arms, and kisses her forcefully on the mouth.

“Hey, babe.”

“Not in front of my new roommate,” Ava giggles, freeing herself from the boy’s grasp, blushing. She nods toward me. “Olivia, this is Luke, my boyfriend. Luke, this is Olivia, my new roommate.”

The intruder finally acknowledges my presence with a smirk.

“Hey,” I stammer out. The man’s cockiness and colossal frame are both very intimidating, especially when he stands over me like Godzilla or some other city-destroying monster.

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