As the other students collect their belongings and vacate the room, Alexander nods in my direction. “Daisy, I need to speak to you before you leave.”
Great. This day keeps getting more shittastic. I don’t want to talk to him. If he asks one question about what I learned today, it’s a big fat nothing.
“Later.” Zoe gives me a pitying look and rushes out the door. Thank you. I fight off the urge to flip her off.
Heather smirks and tosses her hair over her shoulder. “You’re such a loser. For someone who needs this class for their future, you’d think you’d try harder. I guess you’ll be stuck running a cash register at a gas station rather than working alongside Uncle Daniel. He’s going to be so disappointed.” She bobs her head back and forth. “Again.”
I bite my tongue until the faint taste of blood floods my mouth. I’m dropping. It’s not worth it. I don’t want to see her face anymore.
When I stop in front of the lectern, Alexander hands me the quiz. His fingers brush mine, and the hair on my arms stands. “I’m concerned you’re missing some of the key concepts. You need to study harder if you want to pass this class.”
“Right.” I nod. The page is marked in red ink. At the top, written in the same ink, is a 75 with a percent sign behind it. 75%? Hey, that’s not bad. I failed the last time.
Opted out. Damn it.
What did I miss? I scan the page. I studied until 2 o’clock this morning and was confident I understood. I stumbled over a couple of questions, but I knew the other answers. Didn’t I? Question Fourteen? I got that one wrong? Shit. This isn’t good. Even if I’m doing better than the first time, it will get harder.
“Daisy.” His baritone voice saying my name flutters along my skin like butterfly wings. “I realize a C is a passing grade, and this is only a quiz, but if you don’t understand the concepts now, you won’t get everything else. Each week builds upon the last.” He rakes his hand through his hair and steps backward as if being this close to me is repulsive. A sharp pain stabs me in the chest.
“Yes, sir.” I rotate my shoulders and lick my lips. When his eyes draw downward, my heart skips a beat. He’s not as immune as he’s pretending.
He growls and shakes his head. “Why did you leave?”
“What?” I’m still standing here. Aren’t I? Granted, it feels like I’m in an alternate universe, but surely, I’d know if I moved.
I glance at him from under my lashes as I clutch the paper. He bites his bottom lip. Did he groan? My nipples tighten against the cups of my bra. I inhale, taking in the scent of cedar and citrus. I haven’t been this close to him since the reception night.
God, this sucks. I fist my hand, crumpling the quiz. Don’t grab his face and smash your mouth to his. You can’t. It’s against the rules. But that hasn’t stopped me from waking up every night with the vision of his body pressed against mine. It’s like I’m addicted to him. To the thought of him.
His nostrils flare. “Why did you leave?”
Heat floods my face, and I can’t breathe over the dryness in my mouth. “The hotel room?”
“Yes. My hotel room.”
“Well….” I clutch my chest. “It was…. Um….” What do I say? Tears sting my eyes. “I don’t know how to do this.”
“You don’t know how to do what?”
“See you every day. Be in your class. Dream about you. Tell you how I feel. Explain why I left.” I shrug. “All of it.”
He cracks his neck as if he’s preparing for battle. “Start with my original question.”
“I left because I didn’t want to seem needy and clingy. You were looking for a one-night stand, and I didn’t want it to appear like a foolish girl who wanted something more than you were willing to give.”
He stills, and not even his chest moves. I fight the urge to wave my hand in front of his face to see if he’s still breathing. He’s standing, so he must be breathing. “I didn’t want you to leave.”
I slowly tip my head up to meet his eyes. “You didn’t?”
The air sizzles around us as his eyes glow with desire. “No, I didn’t. I wanted to taste you. To be surrounded by that tight body again. I was angry when I woke up, and you were gone.”
Oh, my God. The man is too dreamy to be alive. Maybe he’s a vampire or something otherworldly. No guy this amazing would be interested in me. “I…”
He blinks as if he’s coming out of a trance. “But it’s for the best. It was an amazing night, but I’m your professor, and you’re my student. It’s forbidden that we repeat our night together.”
“Yes.” I wrap my arms around my chest as sadness fills my soul. I can’t keep doing this. I’ve got to drop the class. This isn’t meant to be. If it was, we wouldn’t be in this impossible position. The universe has determined we don’t belong together.
He straightens his back and shoulders. “What did Tripp want? Do you know him well?”