Beautiful Mistake(22)

More like I didn’t want to look desperate. “Well,” I teased. “I did have to consider my other offers.”

“Is that so? Guess I should consider myself lucky then.”

I grinned. “Guess so.”

“Why don’t you email me what you’ve done so far. I’ll take a look at it, and we can sit down and go over it one day next week.”

“Okay.” I dug my iPhone out of my purse. “What’s your email?”

He slid his phone over to me on the desk. “Put your number in. I’ll text you my contact information to save.”

After we exchanged details, I caught the time on my phone. “I better run.”

Caine eyed me suspiciously. “Date?”

“No. They’re having a TA get-together tonight, and I told Ava I’d go with her.”

He nodded. “Have fun. Be safe.”





The next morning, I’d just gotten out of the shower when my phone buzzed, indicating a new text. I finished towel-drying my hair and grabbed my glasses. I was surprised to find it was from Caine. It was the first text we’d ever exchanged, and my body stirred as I read it.

Caine: Do you still visit Umberto on Sundays?

Even though I’d emailed him my thesis-in-progress last night before going out, I hadn’t expected him to read it so soon. It made me excited and nervous at the same time. I was proud of my work with Umberto, but my rough draft contained a lot of personal thoughts and notes. Having Caine read it made me feel vulnerable.

Rachel: Yes, every Sunday.

Caine: I’d like to join you, see the study you’ve been working on first hand.

My pulse increased. Get a hold of yourself, Rachel. It’s Professor West working on a thesis with a graduate student, not a sexy man asking you on a date. He didn’t even find it proper for me to fraternize with undergraduate students. Yet any contact from him made me feel like an excited teenager whose phone finally rang after hours of waiting for the cute boy to call. God, I’m pathetic.

Rachel: That would be great. You’re welcome any time.

The dots jumped around as I waited for his response.

Caine: How about tomorrow?

Rachel: Sure. I usually try to arrive at ten so I don’t interrupt his daily activities.

Caine: Try to arrive at ten…is that code for somewhere between ten and noon?

Maybe. I grinned down at my phone.

Rachel: Lucky for me, Umberto isn’t such a stickler for punctuality.

Caine: I’ll pick you up at nine-thirty.

Rachel: At my apartment?

Caine: Unless that’s a problem. If you prefer to take two cars, I can meet you there.

Rachel: No. One car is great. I’d like that.

I gave Caine my address and then got dressed and ready for work. Though the day seemed to drag on forever, the smile I wore didn’t leave my face at all.





I wasn’t sure of the proper protocol for your boss picking you up at home. Did I go outside at nine-thirty or wait for him to ring the bell and invite him up? The answer was decided for me at twenty after nine when my buzzer sounded, and I wasn’t finished getting ready yet.

I pressed the intercom. “Caine?”

“Yes.”

“Third floor. I’ll buzz you up.”

I hit the button that unlocked the main door to my building and opened the door to my apartment. When Caine stepped off the elevator, I took a deep breath to try to hide my reaction to his appearance. He was dressed more casually than I’d ever seen, but even in a simple, fitted navy polo and jeans, he still managed to look sexy as hell. I realized it wasn’t the clothes he wore, but the way he wore them that seemed to work for me. He had a quiet confidence and casual elegance that I found extremely attractive. The stubble he tended to sport by mid afternoon was clean-shaven, and even though I really liked the scruff, his tanned skin and the strong lines of his jaw were just as hot.#p#分页标题#e#

He looked at my wet hair. “I can see you’re ready on time, as usual.”

“You’re early.”

Checking his watch, he raised a brow. “It’s nine twenty-four. You’re going to be ready in six minutes?”

I opened the door and stepped aside, rolling my eyes. “Just come in.”

Caine grinned and stepped inside. Of course, the man always smelled amazing, too. I wasn’t sure if it was aftershave or cologne, but he had a masculine scent that was distinct and woodsy. It sparked a desire I hadn’t felt in a really long time, and for a second, I considered sticking my nose in a can of coffee beans to stop the assault on my body. That would have been interesting to explain my way out of.

My apartment wasn’t very big, but it was clean and decorated in a shabby chic way that I loved. Caine looked around, taking in the crazy different patterns all over the place. Each chair at my small kitchen table was different. Two of the walls in the living room were painted deep red and lined with art or photos framed in matte black, while the other walls were nude and stark.