“I’ll give him a call and see if you can go pick up any materials you’ll need.”
“Okay,” she responded without thinking.
She remembered the one time they’d met. He had left such a lasting impression that she wouldn’t ever forget it. It had been at a local scientific conference and she had created a poster based on her thesis work. He’d been assigned as one of the judges and had grilled her on her knowledge of her project. She remembered his dark gaze, the way just his presence had made her heart pound and how she had forgotten the most basic of words when she’d tried to explain herself. Surprisingly, he’d told her that she had done a good job before he left and that simple statement had caused her heart to flutter, just a little bit.
“You said that’s the only one left, right?”
“Yup, everything else is taken. There aren’t any other classes that need a teaching assistant. You’re lucky that this one was still left with classes beginning next week.”
“Sure, of course.”
Raina took a step back and put her elbows on the counter. How could she teach with this guy, when he made her forget everything of substance when he was around her? Could she do it? Clenching her fists, she reminded herself that she had no choice. If she wanted to graduate this semester, she had to do it. She would just have to man up and get it done, so she could get out of here and get a real job.
Sighing, she watched as Mrs. Smith dialed Dr. Knight’s office. Before long, the woman was chatting up a storm and when she hung up, she grinned back at Raina.
“He expects that you stop by his office today to pick up a few textbooks and his teaching plans. He said the sooner the better. He’s in the Life Sciences building, office number 20.372.” Writing something on a piece of paper, the woman then handed it to her. “Here’s his number in case you can’t find it.”
“Thanks for all your help, Mrs. Smith. I’ll head over there right now. Gotta make a good first impression, right?”
“You got that right, dear! Good luck! Candy bar before you go?” the woman said as she held out a small bowl of delicious treats. Raina smiled as she grabbed a piece of dark chocolate stuffed with salted caramel. Her favorite.
“You’re the best! See you later, Mrs. Smith!”
Raina slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed out of the administrative building. The Life Sciences tower wasn’t far and she was very familiar with it, her own lab being on the fifth floor. Her mentor, Dr. Tina Joy, was a sweet woman who knew her stuff and had helped her immensely with her thesis project.
But, right now, her thoughts were arrested by a certain Dr. Eliot Knight.
What would he say? Would he remember her? Would he be as tough on her as all the younger students said? Her stomach in knots, she climbed the stairs up to the door of his office building. She walked through the lobby and waited for the elevator. When it arrived, she took a deep breath as she entered, and hit the button for the twentieth floor.
Her footsteps echoed on the dull cream-colored tile floor as she wandered down the hallway, walking past rooms and looking for the right office. She looked into the windows of the labs she passed, seeing other students and techs hard at work on their experiments and with headphones in their ears. When she finally found the right number, she breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the door and walked into a small sitting room complete with a sofa, coffee table, and another doorway. With slight hesitation, she knocked on the other door and waited.
It didn’t take long for it to open.
She took a deep breath when she saw him. He stood there in front of her, looking stern and hot as ever. Mussed-up dark brown waves were combed back, revealing a broad brow and heavy eyebrows. His eyes bore down on her, a dark grayish blue in color. High cheekbones and a day’s worth of stubble on his chin made him the picture of a confident man. He had a wide set of shoulders that trimmed down to a lean waist, leaving her wondering what was hidden beneath his dark clothing. He stood tall over her short five foot two frame. If she had to guess, he was probably a little over six feet tall.
Dark slacks hugged his hips and he wore a white button-up shirt that was tucked into the waistband. He sported a gray sweater over that, pushed up to his elbows revealing strong forearms. The top of his shirt was unbuttoned a little and a sparse scattering of dark chest hair poked out from underneath.
Oh, yeah, he was all man. Licking her lips, she simply stared.
“You’re Raina LeBlanc, right? My new teaching assistant?”
She could do nothing but nod back at him, caught up in his dark gaze. All at once, she smelled his cologne, decidedly masculine with hints of orange, cinnamon, and something woodsy. All she could do was smile back at him, probably looking like an idiot in the process.
“Well, come on in. Take a seat on the sofa over there. I’ll get the supplies you need.”
She couldn’t help but stare as he walked away. Her eyes wide, she watched the gentle sway of his hips, the taut backside hidden beneath his slacks, and her heart beat wildly out of control. She wondered if the reason his class was so hard was because his students couldn’t focus due to him looking so damn good. He was the epitome of a confident alpha male. A freaking Greek God of a male specimen.
He looked back and smirked as he caught her looking at him and she blushed with embarrassment. Quickly staring down at her hands, she didn’t look back up again until she heard his heavy footsteps coming toward her. The leather sofa across from her creaked as he sat down and he placed a pile of papers and books on the table in between them.
“I expect that you will be familiar with these materials and the syllabus by the time classes start this coming Monday. The first exam is at the end of September, on a Friday and I require that they be graded and returned to me by Monday morning.”
“Sure, no problem,” she answered automatically.
“I understand that you’re almost ready to graduate, but there will be no slacking off when it comes to my class. Understand?”
“I wouldn’t! I’m not like that,” she exclaimed, finding her voice. No one had ever doubted her work ethic before and she wouldn’t stand for it, no matter how hot he was. Setting her mouth in a firm line, she lifted her chin with bravado. She’d have to be tough to handle him.
“Good. Just wanted to make sure,” he mused, his voice lowering to a low seductive tone. She swallowed, feeling her pussy clench in response. It had been forever since she’d had any attention of the male variety and this strong alpha specimen before her was certainly throwing her for a loop. Feeling arousal pool between her thighs, she pressed her legs together before beginning to speak.